Chapter 7

I woke up long enough to take my next dose of Concardi Serum. I ate a little breakfast, argued again with Abbey, and then informed the family I was going back to bed. No one argued.

Once I locked the bedroom door safely, sure no one would check up on me, I changed into my Inquisition uniform and made my way toward the window, climbing out just like I did for nights that I went hunting solo.

This was a bit different though. This time, I would sneak into the basement and break a bike out of the garage. Very quietly. I scaled the Magnolia tree that set outside of my bedroom window and climbed down until I reached the trunk of the tree. I jumped softly onto the ground and waited. No one shouted. No alarms screamed.

Sure I was safe; I made my way toward the back of the house. The door to the garage was just around the corner, so it wouldn’t be hard to sneak it out. The hard part would be quietly getting the bike far enough away that no one heard the engine start.

But half an hour later, after picking the garage lock and walking the length of the gate fence that surrounded the house, I managed to push the bike to the end of the street and make my way out. I used Sara’s key number to open the gate. She was the middle sister, the one I could trust to help me out in a pinch. She understood why I did what I did. I was sure she wouldn’t tell anyone else, even if she did realize I was gone.

Out of the gate, I started the engine and kicked gas pedal. I was right. The wind blowing through my hair, the speed of the bike between my legs and feel of the road relaxed me in ways that very few things could these days.

Way too soon, I pulled up the headquarters. It’s looming presence gave me chills before I even walked into the door. It was hard to believe this had once been my dream. That I fought so hard for this once upon a time. To be the first female officer to hunt witches. Now, I was using what little clearance I had to save other witches.

By the time I parked and made my way in, Scotty was already waiting for me at the door.

“Okay, I’m here. Now, what’s so damn important?” I asked as we made our way through the hallways.

“Not out here.” He shook his head and raised a finger to his lips. Okay. I was definitely curious.

We walked into the Inquisition Headquarters in silence. The place was unusually empty, the halls silent. I reminded myself that it was the day before a Burning. Burnings were treated like national holidays. No doubt many officers were enjoying a day off with their families at the park before an all-night shift guarding Lil. If I had any chance to rescue her, it would be today.

We made our way to the back of the office cubical and down one of the long hallways reserved for special resources like Scotty. His office was midway down the hallway. Our footsteps echoed off the marbled, grey floor as we walked.

In the silence, it was hard not to think of all the things that went on in this building and not all of them were good. My mind drifted to Lil. I blinked hard and looked away, only to meet Scotty’s gaze.

“What?” I asked as we stopped in front of his door.

He blinked and shook his head. “Nothing.” He fumbled for his key and unlocked the door.

I shifted uncomfortably, waiting for him to unlock the door. Scotty and I hadn’t had much interaction, even though he wasn’t much older than I was at sixteen. Maybe two or three years. I couldn’t remember. We’d come into the training at the same time, but he’d been trained as a historian. We worked in very different circles. The few conversations we’d had at business functions had been light and flirty. Now, it felt more serious and business.

“So when are we going to start talking?” I asked, crossing my arms as we walked into his office.

“You don’t have to look so pleased.” He laughed, leading me inside his office. He turned on the lights and locked the door behind us. I stood, watching him. Worry grew as he made

“Please, have a seat.” He motioned to one of the plush red chairs in front of his desk.

“Thanks, I’ll stand.”

“Baulder was right. You are stubborn.” Scotty made his way to a small cabinet behind his desk and unlocking it.

“He should know. I learned from him.” I smiled fondly at memories of Baulder. It was still hard to believe he was gone, that his funeral would be tomorrow, and I wasn’t even supposed to go.

“True that. That man was more stubborn then a mule.” Scotty shuffled around his closet before pulling out the sword from Monday night. I frowned a little, tensing up. The sight of the sword turned my stomach, there was something about it I found unsettling.

“That’s what all this is about?” My voice was frustrated.

“Yes.” Scotty’s tone was more serious now. I couldn’t help but notice the quick change. “I really didn’t think that you wanted me to give the spill on this sword in front of Maxx.”

“What is it? What’s wrong with the sword?” I leaned forward, examining the weapon. The silver color was a dark metallic, unusual for any blade that I’d seen. Designs were carved into the blade, but with the way Scotty was holding it, I couldn’t make them out. The handle was a brilliant orange color, engraved with more designs.

“Oh, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with the sword. It’s in excellent condition.” Scotty ran his hand over the smooth surface. “Especially for a sword over a millennium old.”

“Is that unusual?” I watched the blade’s metal catch in the dimly lit office, and I was almost transfixed by the glow.

“For this sword? Yeah. Especially considering it hasn’t been seen for about that long.” Scotty laid the sword down on the desk and I resisted the urge to reach out and touch it.

“Okay. I still don’t think I’m following.” My attention was focused more on the sword then him. He sighed and rolled his eyes.

“I forget how little people know now days.” He began one of his rants. “I mean, it really is sad when you think about the art that has been lost in story telling just because it might cause someone to become a witch-“

“Scotty, can we not? Just tell me what’s wrong with it.” I was so not in the mood for a lecture on how times have changed and blah, blah, blah. Scotty rolled his eyes in response.

“Fine, fine. This sword is legendary. This sword is Excalibur-”

He pauses here, as if waiting for a response.

“Scotty.” I started to stand up and he made an annoyed noise.

“Seriously? Nothing? Alright, alright. This sword was owned by a man named King Author. He was a king of England – now known as 23, 24 and 25 and more precisely, the exact layouts of his kingdoms aren’t really well known. His ancestry though, goes back to a place called Avalon.” Again, he paused for affect as if this was something I should know. I didn’t.

“And where is that?” I asked becoming nervous as I listen to the story.

“Well. According to Legend, Avalon was a place of magic. The very beginnings of all magic. However, it disappeared sometime during King Author’s rule, when magic was stamped out and some of the first witch trials began.” Scotty gave me a knowing look. “Khloe, this sword is magic. And if it found you, you must be magic too.”