Chapter 70 THE DEVIL'S UPHOLDER
In the past month, Xyra had seen and heard some pretty shocking things, but this took the cake. Nothing would have ever prepared her for a revelation like this. This was not just some case of an alias. Magnus did not have just any old secret identity. If he was telling the truth, then he was one of the three superpowers, the strongest human on the planet. He was Albus, a man with a bounty on his head that was enough to feed the entire country.
This made a bit of sense though. It explained why he had been so sure that Albus was an innocent man. Then again, probably most of the wanted sorcerers were innocent. It was just a way for the Sorcerer's League to get the raw materials they needed in order to create spells. The bounty hunters were all just being used by them. Not a single one ever questioned the bounties. They were only interested in the money.
She was not sure how long she had been standing there, but both Layton and Magnus were staring right back at her, confused. She still was not over the shock, and they most likely found that odd. However, this was not something she had been expecting to hear. Now that she knew just who he was, she was not sure if she should fear him or be mad at him for keeping a secret like this. She was also starting to feel really bad about all the horrible things she had put him through along the way. Her guilt was never going to leave at this rate. He just kept giving her more reasons to feel bad.
"Xyra?" Magnus asked a bit hesitantly. "Are you going to be okay?"
"In a minute," she responded, her voice seeming a bit airy. The shock had not quite subsided yet. That was understandable though. "L–let me get this straight here. You are… are you really him? You are… the Devil’s Upholder… Albus?"
"That is what I said."
"But that is…it does not…you cannot be… Then you are not a Coleman?" Magnus's expression fell a bit, his eyes dimming.
“I am. Magnus Coleman does not exist, but since no one remembers the names of the Coleman family members anymore, it was easy to use it. No one ever questions me for fear of falling out of favor with my family.”
Xyra was about to question him about that last statement, to ask how that was possible when his family was dead, but she decided against it. She had to remember that she had not told him that she knew. Christian had been the one to mention it, and she had told Darren, but neither had ever mentioned it to him. Perhaps it was best that way. Maybe he did not want people to know. Maybe he did not want pity.
"So then…should I still call you Magnus?" she asked a bit softly, the question sounding just a little stupid to her.
"Yeah," he answered. "I would rather you not mention my real name in public. For now, I am just Magnus. Once the bounty is clear on Albus, you can choose what to call me." He turned and glanced back at his guard. "That goes for you too, Layton. Never call me Albus, okay?"
"Yes sir," Layton responded, bowing a bit. It looked like the guard was going to be tagging along for a while. That was fine though. He did not mind. It was better than having his subordinate demand that he go home. It had happened before. Every time his cover had been blown, he'd retreat home and then set out a few months later. Layton would always protest and try to drag him home, so this time he had not mentioned anything to the guard. He had also cast a sleeping spell on him to guarantee him a few days' head start. This was perhaps the longest he had been away from home and had not been discovered yet.
That was perhaps why he hated the bounty hunters so much. Every time his cover had been blown, it had been by a bounty hunter. He would then rid himself of the person and flee home to stay out of sight for a while. When the news would settle down, he'd head out again. It had gotten to be rather routine. Since most did not have a clue as to what Albus looked like, he was safe. He did not particularly like having to kill the bounty hunters that had discovered his real identity, but it was either them or him, and it was not ever going to be him.
"I think we should get going," Magnus stated after a while. He had decided that Xyra had enough time to recover from this shock. They needed to press forward. They were wasting time by just standing around. "Xyra …are you going to be up to this?"
"What do you mean?" she asked, a little confused at such a question.
"You will not feel awkward…traveling with me?"
"Of course I will." She stated it so honestly and so very bluntly that he was a bit shocked. He had not been expecting her to answer like that. "I mean, you are Albus. How could I not feel awkward?"
"Guess you have a point there…"
"But I promise not to treat you differently. After all, you are still Magnus."
He had to smile at that. It was nice to know that she was still going to be the same when she was around him. He rather liked her odd personality. She could be really sweet, but she knew how to argue. She was assertive too, always doing what she wanted to and rarely ever listening to him when he told her not to do something. She was independent, strong, and fairly good-natured. She was very different from most of the women he had encountered.
"Okay, time to get going," he said as he began heading across the field. However, no sooner had he taken two steps did the pendant around his neck give off a light pulse. He glanced down at it, the stone glowing a bright blue. Oh, great…demons. I am not really in the mood right now for this…
The ground under them began to shake, cracking not long after. The tremors were getting worse by the second, and they could all barely stay standing. Magnus did his best to keep himself balanced, but even someone like him was having trouble. Must be a herd of Ceverus. Stupid underground demons.
"Hey Layton!" Magnus called. "Stay with Xyra!"
"Yes sir!"