21. ~Xavier~

21

~Xavier~

“This is becoming a habit,” my dad groused as we rematerialized outside one of his safehouses.

“What is?”

“You keeping information from me.”

Yeah, it hadn’t exactly gone over well with him when I’d come to him at the Exemplar compound and revealed what I’d kept from him.

Knowing him as well as I did, it had been clear that he hadn’t just been aggravated about the information itself, but he’d also been hurt that I hadn’t confided in him.

We’d spent a lot of time in the research center at the compound as he’d examined me and managed to use a spell to backtrack what had happened during the attack when one of the sorcerers had stolen a sliver of my magic, so that he’d been able to see exactly what had happened for himself.

But he hadn’t gotten the answers that he’d wanted.

So we’d left to come here to one of his safehouse mansions with his most beloved lab that possessed equipment that was beyond what existed at Exemplar. It also contained his grimoires and samples of both our magic and our blood, along with all the research he’d done into both trying to reverse the vampiric change for me and in trying to find a way to return my magic to me when Constantine had taken it wholly. This place was much more conducive to what we were trying to do and figure out.

He’d left Dante Wilhelm in charge while he saw to this matter.

Apparently, the two of them had been working a lot more closely together over the last few weeks since the loss of Abigail. They’d put their differences aside, perhaps even overcoming them altogether for all I knew, and Wilhem had stepped in several times to take some of the weight off my dad and enable him to move back and forth between Exemplar and Sabre Tech.

“I didn’t want you to bench me,” I told him as we both passed through the ward and made our way through the mansion toward the basement stairs that led down into his lab. “You already wanted me and Talon to head to our family home following the attack on Electi Academy and that was without you knowing about that sorcerer taking some of my magic for Constantine.”

“In a bid to protect you, Xavier.”

“Well, maybe that’s not the kind of protection that I need.”

He pulled up short as we reached the top of the basement stairs. “What do you mean by that? After everything you’ve suffered through—”

“That’s just it. That. I can’t stand being seen as a victim. Or, worse, as a problem.”

“That’s not how I see you.”

“You think I’m weak, that I’m broken.”

He frowned. “On the contrary, son. To have survived and overcome what you have took great strength. I’m amazed at your fortitude, at your ability to keep moving forward, especially after hitting rock bottom.”

I started. “Really?”

“Of course. My faith in you has never wavered.” He laid his hand on my shoulder. “But, yes, I do want to protect you. You’re my son. I don’t want you to suffer any more than you already have. I can’t stand it. Especially given the fact that it’s because of me. Because of my position as leader of Exemplar , because I’m a target for megalomaniacs like Constantine Vale.” Pain was all over him as he uttered, “And because I am the reason you were turned. I failed to stop him.”

I laid my hand on his on my shoulder. “Dad, you did everything you could to protect me, to stop that from happening. You almost killed yourself in the process actually. None of this is because of you or who you are. It’s because of who Constantine is, plain and simple. That’s where the blame belongs.”

I brought him in for a hug, holding him tightly to me. “I’ve missed you.”

“I’ve missed you too.” As we eased apart, he added, “I’ve missed our closeness, Xavier. I’ve missed you keeping me abreast of what’s going on with you, beyond basic details to ensure I don’t worry. I’ve missed you confiding in me.”

“I’m sorry. Things are just—”

“Beyond complicated?”

I nodded.

“Largely because of my role at Exemplar, yes?”

I tensed. What was he getting at? Did he know something?

Off my look, he rolled his eyes. “As busy as I have been, I did check whether you showed up at our family home with Talon. You didn’t. I also picked up Orpheus’ magical signature in the courtyard of the compound around the time that you should have left. I know you went with him.”

“I—”

“I also know that he’s not harboring Alena Rose after all. She’s in the Dark Fae Realm with Saryan.”

Before I could get a word out, he added, “I’m the only one who knows.”

“What are you saying?”

“I’m saying that I know the four of you are up to something—well, five of you with Saryan involved—and it won’t reach Exemplar’s ear, nor will I stand in your way.”

“How are you okay with that? I know that Orpheus told you there’d be no secrets, that you made an agreement about transparency.”

“We did make a verbal agreement, yes. But he also made it clear to me that he will go off-book when he believes it is absolutely necessary. I was aware that this was a possibility. I ensured that I showed him the negative aspects of Exemplar , the areas where the organization lags or fails entirely, as well as the positive. I also made it clear to him that we couldn’t afford to go against each other, but that my hands are tied in being able to push change and implement things with the way the organization operates.”

The realization hit me. “You managed him.”

“I guided him in the right direction and I have faith that he’ll meet me in the middle, that he’ll come to me when whatever he is attending to reaches fruition.”

“He will. I can actually guarantee it. He just wanted us to deal with this situation first. Like both of us, he didn’t foresee it taking this long.”

“Then let us continue working on this mystery we’ve found ourselves with,” he said, with a smile.

It didn’t escape my notice for a moment that he hadn’t asked me what I knew about what Orpheus was doing. He knew I’d been with him, so it wasn’t a stretch at all to assume that I knew what he was up to, that he hadn’t kept it from me. But my dad was aware of the difficult position I was in right now and he obviously didn’t want to worsen that for me.

That was him through and through. Always thinking of me, always going out of his way to do what was best for me.

And he was also the most diplomatic person alive.

“Thank you, Dad.”

He raised an eyebrow. “For what?”

“Being you.”

He looked confused, and went to say something, as we reached the entrance to the lab, but then a shudder betook him and pulled him up short.

I understood what had happened right away. “This is the first time you’ve been back here since Constantine was resurrected, isn’t it?”

When he was burned to within an inch of his life by a Hellborn.

“Yes, it is.” He squared his shoulders. “Not to worry.”

“If you need some time, or to do this elsewhere—”

“No, what we need is here. I’ll be fine. Thank you, son.”

With that, he stepped over the threshold and I followed him into the lab.

I hadn’t been inside for a long time. He must’ve had it cleaned up since that night, because everything looked the same as I remembered it. White stone walls giving off a cave vibe, a massive supply of vials, potions, and magical ingredients on dozens of shelves inset into the walls themselves, a heavy stone door at the far end of the room that contained particularly volatile magical items, as well as a couple of grimoires that contained dangerous spells.

Yeah, it was the same, except for one thing.

There was a woman I didn’t recognize milling about over by one of the long stone benches in the far end of the space, which had been set up with my father’s research notes, vials of potions, our magic, test tubes of blood, and all the equipment we’d need for this particular task.

Platinum blonde curls cascaded about the jeweled straps of a neon-pink sundress. She had a pair of strappy sandals on and tattoos covered every visible inch of skin. Large gold hoop earrings were accompanied by several others in each ear and she even had a piercing through her nose and her lip.

She started when she noticed our arrival and her surprise gave way to mine as I saw her beaming out at my dad.

The surprises kept on coming when I caught him looking her up and down, trying to be discreet about it, but failing to hide his interest from me.

He blinked and looked away, focusing on the table of equipment instead. “Excellent job, V. Everything is perfect.”

“Well, I know how you like it, El.”

What was happening?

She came around the table and smiled at me in greeting. “It’s nice to meet you finally. Vanessa Granger.”

“Finally?”

My dad cleared his throat and told me, “She’s been working with me for a few weeks.”

“As your lab assistant?”

“My apprentice.”

Huh. “You’re a light magic wielder?” I asked her.

“Yes. Before this I was working for your father at Sabre Tech.”

“She was one of our top app developers,” my dad informed me.

“What prompted the change?”

“Um… well… I guess, the shifting climate in the supernatural world, the—"

“We wanted to spend more time together,” my dad cut in.

So it was like that then.

I grinned. “I see. Interesting,” I said, eyeing my dad pointedly.

Vanessa’s cheeks heated and she walked to my dad and told him, “I’ll leave the two of you to it. If you need me, I’ll be upstairs.”

“Thank you, my darling,” he said, kissing her on the forehead.

She gave him that beaming look again, before nodding politely at me, then hurrying out of the lab.

“Well, well, well. What a spectacular turn of events this is.”

My dad rolled his eyes and crooked his finger at me. “Fine. Have at it with the questions.”

“She’s not buttoned up or reserved like your previous type.”

“One of the things I enjoy about her. She’s bubbly and bold, open and spirited.”

Wow, this was something else.

“You’ve never dated. Hell, you’ve been celibate since Mom. How did this highly unexpected development come about?”

He shifted his weight, emotion flaring as he revealed, “Before Abigail perished, her last wish for me was not to remain alone forever, to re-open my heart and find a way to love another again. Let’s just say that it hit home in a big way.”

“I can imagine.”

“I’d taken an interest in V for a few years, but she was my employee and I don’t mix business with pleasure. At least that was the excuse I told myself in order to bury any sentiment toward her. Until things shifted, until Abigail’s death put certain things into perspective, as the loss of someone close usually does.”

“And now she’s your apprentice.”

“She’s an impressively powerful sorceress who lacks some of the necessary refinement with her spells and some finesse. I needed someone I trusted to assist me with identifying all the magic of Abigail’s that had fallen due to her death, everything I needed to re-erect, as well as the spells that would be required of me for each. She’s been instrumental in that regard.”

“And it’s been nice working alongside someone you’ve taken a romantic interest in.”

“Yes. My bright spark through all the madness of late.”

“This is fantastic news, Dad.”

“I’m glad you think so,” he said, a little shyly.

I smiled, it was a world away from the all-powerful sorcerer everyone knew. It meant that this was no brief dalliance to him, and that he was smitten with her.

“Now, let’s get to work, shall we?” he said with a clear of his throat.

I followed him over to the table that his new love had set up for us.

Time to get to work indeed.