Chapter 4053: Menadion’s Genius (Part 2)

The kids bolted between the houses while riding on top of their steeds, trashing them both.

"Enough!" Selia looked at the disasters, plural, and wept. "Time for bed!"

"But I’m not sleepy!" Fenrir pouted.

"Yes, you are." Selia growled. "All of you are! If not for the self-repair arrays, you guys would be grounded until adulthood."

"I am an adult." Morok, the reigning champion, said, and his steed, Protector, nodded. "We both are."

"That makes it worse!" Selia snarled. "You should give the good example."

"We did." Morok jumped off Protector’s back and helped put the Verhen and Fastarrow kids to bed. "We proved to them that they are safe. That their parents look over them, and they can still have fun.

"We showed the kids that we have no fear and that they shouldn’t either. For you, it’s a mess, but for them, it means that no bad guy can come and crush their childhood. You’re a horrible parent."

Selia had never dealt with Morok’s bursts of wisdom, which only made him more infuriating.

"You- I- This-"

"Enough, Morok, or you’ll give her a stroke." Protector shapeshifted into his human form and swept Selia off her feet.

He lay her down on a couch, covered her head with a cool towel, and handed her a steaming cup of honeyed tea with a few biscuits.

"Relax, babe. I’ll take care of it from here."

"Thanks." Her voice came out choked, feeling like an insensitive monster.

"Now that’s settled, there’s something I’d like to ask you, Tyris." Lith said after cleaning the kitchen with magic to give his parents the time they needed to grieve.

Even during dinner, their eyes kept darting towards Bromann’s home. After the end of the meal, if not for the kids, they would have spent the evening staring from the window.

"Sure." She nodded. "Is it fine here?"

"No. We need some privacy." Lith opened the door to his study, letting the Guardian, Kamila, Solus, and Menadion in.

"Damn." More than one man said, drawing the reproachful gaze from their respective wife.

"Some people have it all." Yet Morok was the only one to say the silent part out loud.

"I’m going to kill you for that." Quylla grunted.

"I dare you to catch me, woman." He took a single step aside. "Before you cross that line, you’ll have to go to the bathroom again."

"Very funny! I-" A sudden gurgle forced Quylla on the retreat. "I’ll add this to the list, jerk!"

"Don’t worry about me, brothers. I’m safe." Morok dismissed the other men’s concern. "It’ll be months before she can make good on her threats, and by then she’ll have either forgiven me or forgotten about it."

"What makes you so sure?" Friya asked, her eyes darting from Nalrond to Morok.

"First, there’s the pregnancy. Then giving birth. After that, we’ll have two newborns to look after." Morok shrugged. "I think this comes really low as a priority. Besides, she knew how I am, and she married me anyway."

The certainty of his tone and his gloating expression only made the fact that he was right more annoying. Friya and Selia almost popped a vein in annoyance.

Meanwhile, Lith’s bedroom was used for an innocent purpose.

He used a mind link to share everything Ghirslak, Zoreth, and the Hydra clan had told him about the attack on Lutia.

"I’m sorry, but I don’t see how that’s my problem." Tyris gave them an apologetic bow. "Not all my children are good people. There’s nothing I can do about it unless he attacks Kamila or Elysia."

"We are mentioning him because Erghak said this Griffon should be someone you banished. Someone named Jorl." Solus said.

The name sparked a twitch in the Guardian’s left eye and fury in her gaze.

"Impossible. Back when I had Sylpha kick him out of the Kingdom, I left a mark on him. I would have noticed his return."

"Even if he carries Vurdalak blood?" Menadion asked. "Those guys are shifty, and according to Ufyl, that was no thrall but a permanent Upyr."

"I can’t rule it out after what happened in the Desert." Tyris pondered. "Yet I can easily clear your doubts."

A single breath of Mother Earth allowed her consciousness to travel the thousands of kilometers that separated Lutia from Jorl’s nest and bypass all of its enchanted protections.

Tyris’ eyes went wide when she found it empty. Not a single coin or piece of enchanted metal was left. Everything had been done slowly and with care. There was no sign of a forced entry.

"The arrays show no sign of tampering, and they still carry his energy signature." Her voice rose an octave in bewilderment. "This can only mean that Jorl really came back to the Kingdom under my nose and retrieved his things!

"He dared defy my will and invade my turf." She closed her eyes, needing a few deep breaths to calm down.

"Thank you for telling me. I can’t kill him in person, but I can put a bounty on his head. Jorl will become the most wanted person in the Griffon community, and believe me when I say that his siblings won’t let his transgression slide."

"One more thing." Solus said. "According to the witnesses, there was also an Upyr-Bastet. I seem to remember you didn’t like foreign intervention."

"If he practices Forbidden Magic, sure, but he’s just a filthy criminal." Tyris sighed. "As I said, no bloodline is exempt from rotten apples. I didn’t stop Syrook. This guy is no different."

Noticing the disappointment in the eyes of his hosts, she rushed to add:

"The best I can do is check that he’s not the leader of an invasion force. If a group of Bastets invaded the Kingdom, it wouldn’t be my business, but in that case, my children would intervene. If it’s a single madman, however, they won’t care."

"Thank you. Any help is appreciated." Lith nodded.

"Why couldn’t we talk about it outside? The kids are already asleep." Tyris asked.

"Because I don’t want my parents to worry more than they already do." Lith replied. "They have already lost so much. I don’t want to ruin their good mood or the noble sacrifice of our living room."

Tyris smiled at the joke and gave him a polite nod.

"Now, if you don’t mind, I have a call to make." Lith opened the door, and Tyris crossed it, disappearing into thin air after the first step outside. "Ripha?"

"Can’t I stay and watch? I’ll be silent."

"Oh, my!" Morok said, making everyone but laugh.

"That’s not what I meant, and you know it, jackass!" She snarled.

"Sure, but it was too juicy to miss it." Morok chuckled.

"Only if you stay in my shadow." Lith ignored the ridiculous quarrel. "I’m about to call the Royals, and the conversation will be quite crowded. These are matters that require secrecy. I don’t want them to think they are the last to know."

"Which is often true." Menadion replied. "And I’m one of your Demons. I’m bound to know anything that happens to you first."

"Yeah, but it’s better not to remind them of either, Ripha." Lith said. "The Kingdom is already in hot waters, yet things can easily get much worse. It would be the perfect excuse for the Royals to conscript me to get your help."

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