Chapter 4

His office had no window. A computer desk stood in the corner with two black leather chairs. To the right, a large bookshelf ran through the entire wall, full of meticulously arranged books. At the back, a whole row of file cabinets stood. Stacks of files and papers crowded the place at every available surface.

Someone had gone through Angelo's files. They'd done it somewhat carefully. The place wasn't ransacked, but they didn't return the records to their original location, instead choosing to stack them on the first surface available.

As I stepped through the doorway, I felt a spell close behind me. Arcane symbols ignited with a pale blue glow, forming intricate patterns on the gray carpet. Angelo took the time to seal the room with his blood, and more, he added my own to the key. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to see and read the spell so easily. Reading some of the symbols, I understood the idea behind the seal.

'Now anything I did in this room would stay in it, including magic, leaving no echo behind.' A spell of this complexity would take at least a month to set up with non-stop chanting. Why would he do that?

'He does not trust the Order to leave everything here for me even after he set me up as his beneficiary, he took the time to create this seal, there must be another one hidden.'

I looked between each book in the bookshelf. It held a respectable collection of books, holy books from every known religion to some general cultural references, and fairy tales. Ahad the Bible, the Quran, The Dao De Jing, The Book of Shadows, and many others, but no book called for me, the seal wasn't here.

I made my way to the file cabinets. As expected, they were mostly empty. The shelves were marked in Angelo's own unique code, which I couldn't read. It didn't actually matter, I would use mine.

I started picking up the files and reading it's introductory texts and sorting them in the cabinets I would be using for each category, It contained mostly information about the cases that Angelo worked through the years as a paladin-venator.

About five hours later, I finished storing the papers that were on the floor and chairs and was about ready to start on the stacks that were covering the desk.

When I approached the desk, a postal envelope came into existence. It lay on top of it as if magic itself decided to move every stack out of its way. It had my name written with golden ink in Angelo's cursive writing.

'So there it is.'

I took the stacks that were on the desk and put it on the file cabinets, pulled up one of the chairs, and emptied the envelope onto the desk's surface. A photograph and a letter. In the photo, two couples stood side by side. I only recognized Angelo and his ex-wife as he stood by a lovely Indian woman. Ayna. His first and only wife. Unlike the other couple, they both stood a little apart, each maintaining a barely perceptible distance from each other as if by touching their individualities would strike a spark. Angelo's eyes were mournful and sad.

The other couple, the male a hulking, black-haired man, enormous shoulders spread wide, one arm around an otherworldly beautiful blond woman.

I put the photograph down and opened the letter, and started to read it, hearing Angelo's voice in my head:

"Corben,

It pains me that you might one day read this letter, I made it in case of an untimely death.

I won't delong it, there are three things I must tell you.

First and foremost, vengeance is an illusion, don't get entwined in its trap, In its conspiracies & plans, as well as in its schemes. By keeping the burning coals of anger in heart, you will burn yourself alone.

Know that all I've ever wanted was for you to be happy and safe, so forget my death and the one who killed me.

'Fat chance Angelo for vengeance is mine.' I murmured.

Second, the photograph I've attached in this letter is the only one I have left of your parents, yes, you had a father and a mother once, even if you don't remember."

'Some children retain memories of their deceased parents, a shadow of a voice, a hint of a scent, an image. I recalled nothing of them as if they had never existed.' I thought and kept reading.

"Third, I have to say I'm sorry, you probably never understood where your rage at me came from, thinking about teenage hormones or something like it, but I know it comes from the memories I've kept from you.

Yes, I have stolen all your early childhood memories, but it was for your protection, for your lineage comes with a little peculiarity. Your power would never come to maturity until you learn of its existence.

I had once told you that your magical powers come from your late mother and that she died giving you birth, and that I had never met your father. That is partially false, your mother wasn't only a respected mage as I had told you, she was Yodel, Isara's late Archmage, and she died not by childbirth, but by protecting your existence.

This is my last warning Corben, if you continue reading this letter, all the protection and preparation I and your mother made will be for nothing.

The information that will change your life forever is that your father is of the Fae, and not any Fae, one with potent blood, your father is Gwen or Gwydion, leader of the Wild Hunt."

As I read that, the world seemed to stop, the clock ticking in the wall slowed to a crawl. Power surged through me and, my muscles started to spasm, my lungs constricted, the room became black as I was forced to close my eyes and concentrate, my heart beatings slowed but continued powerful as if with each beat, a church bell rang inside my body.

My original power surged, trying to make things stop, and bring everything back to my control. Still, it was failing, the power was too wild and untamed, it wouldn't be leached again. I felt myself losing control, and I was beginning to hurt myself. As I throw up some blood on the floor, something activated, and a third very familiar power appeared. It was Angelo's power trying to show me the way guiding my own power not into control, but as partners and in cooperation union, trying to unite, to become one and the same.

As soon as the merge started, Angelo's power faded away, and oblivion welcomed me.