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A boom rattled the hallway, nearly throwing Alexa and Charlie back if Edmund hadn’t held on to them. Then he was hauling them out of the hallway until they got the picture, following up the emergency staircase without making a sound. Smoke came from below, filling his nostrils, but no voices shouted out. Understanding it wouldn’t take long until they recovered, he didn’t stop moving until they reached the top floor.
“What did you—”
“Makeshift bomb,” he said to Charlie’s query. “Be quiet.”
He opened the rooftop door and pushed them through it, then locked it quietly. He kept going until he reached a corner, where Alexa held out her arms until the small figure flew into them.
“Honey, you are here,” she exclaimed, kissing his forehead and holding him tight. Even Charlie looked shaken. “You are safe.”
“Not for long,” Edmund warned, then smiled at Archie. “Kiddo, thank you for listening to me. Now, would you like to fly without the use of your magic?”
Archie nodded solemnly, then didn’t hesitate to crawl on the back he offered.
“We use the top of the buildings until we get out of this neighborhood,” he declared. “We don’t stop until we reach sanctuary—and no, I’m not involving your clan, not with these many enemies. Let’s go for someone more powerful.”
He only hoped that someone would welcome them with open arms.
He leaped over the first gap, the glance below showing that no figure was around—perhaps still too busy checking the damage inside the apartment. He banked on that as he flew through the rest of the buildings, then used a ladder to ease him and Archie down a pavement. Beyond the alley was a main street bursting with traffic and rushing crowds, so he calculated his path.
“Taxi.”
“Taxi?” Charlie echoed, incredulous.
“Come on.”
They hurried inside one, then barked out an address that had the taxi speeding through a free lane and getting out of the main road. They stumbled out in front of a tall gate, entered through the side, and were met with the butler who eyed his guests with astonishment.
“Hey, Raymond. Don’t mind us.” He grinned. “Make sure the perimeters are secured, and no outsiders can get in, please. Let me know the moment one of our guards notices an unfamiliar face.”
Inside the mansion, the mood lowered when he heard the laughter in the dining room and deduced that his parents had guests. Casually, he passed Archie off to Alexa and strode in, waiting until the laughter died down and all attention was on him. Edmund saw his father’s colleague and lamented that it wasn’t one of his favorite people, but he offered a polite nod before returning his focus to his parents.
“I apologize for interrupting your dinner engagement, but I have a very important request to ask.”
He knelt and bowed on the floor.
“Edmund?” Adela asked.
“I brought the love of my life, the one I told you about. I also brought her son and her brother, two people who matter to me as much as she does. We ask for sanctuary. We ask for your protection, father, from evil forces that want to hurt us. Please grant us this. I’m begging you.”
Silence.
“Stand up,” Isaiah ordered, face giving nothing away. Hope flared as he stood up slowly, meeting his gather’s gaze and ready to face the anger before the grudging acceptance— “Leave. Leave immediately.”
His heart fell to his stomach. His body went cold, hearing the finality in the words. Yet he still questioned.
“Father?”
“From now on, you are no longer my son. No son of mine will ever disrespect me like this and you are no exception. You are prohibited from entering this space ever again and getting access to the family funds. Considering yourself fired from work, too, you ungrateful asshole.”
“I think there’s only one asshole in this room, and it’s sad that I can’t change his mind.” He glanced at his mother, who didn’t say a word, and pleaded with her eyes, a silent request for him to apologize. Edmund held his head high. “It’s also sad that he would choose power over his son.”
“You ungrateful brat,” Isaiah spat out, eyes bulging in his rage. He lunged at Edmund, but Adela held him back. “Go away and take your trash with you—”
“Don’t you ever call them that to my face again,” he cut in, sharp as a knife and leaving stupefaction sizzling in the air. “Thank you for hearing me out. Have a nice life.”
He turned and strode away, ignoring the rest of his father’s shouts. He met Alexa’s eyes when he left the dining hall, her face pale as she shook her head. In response, he urged her away, refusing to let her absorb the rest of the vile insults. Charlie followed them, covering Archie’s ears and glaring daggers at him. When they were out of earshot, the younger man finally voiced his disapproval.
“Now we know there’s no sanctuary that you speak of. So, what now? We part ways and you—”
