Chapter Text
Bellus
Elite Bellus looked up into the furious face of one Killian Drake.
The Magiford Wizard Elite had rarely feared for his life before. There had been the Bellus Battle of ’76, where he’d had to fight off a desperate, displaced Wizard family seeking to take possession his own Wizard home.
There had been the car accident he’d gotten in during the 90s.
And there had been the time he’d gotten drunk and loudly told Mrs. Bellus’s reprobate brother what he really thought of him. At the annual holiday Wizard Potluck. For the Region.
Without pants on.
Though that turned out well in the end. The young fellow actually cleaned up his act—Jason is now a wonderful instructor at the high school, and Tom and I became fast friends because of it…
Needless to say, today he was adding another tic on the list: turning down Killian Drake looking for his mysteriously disappeared wife.
“I know you know something, Bellus. Tell me: Where. Is. She?”
Bellus knit his fingers together and leaned back in his chair. Giving the Eminence of the Midwest a genial smile, he tried to project calm, even though he knew Killian could hear his heartbeat thumping wildly.
“I’m afraid I can’t, Killian. Or, more aptly stated, I refuse. I can tell you that she is fine, and she will return home directly when she is able.”
Killian’s eyes narrowed. “She slipped her Drake and Medeis guards. You know she needs security, Bellus.”
Bellus raised an eyebrow at Killian. “You say that knowing your One single-handedly raised a shield to block a fully charged Holy Sword, and has often used lightening like a portable taser—”
“Hazel is extremely capable, but she is still a target for bad actors, Bellus. Whether it is wizards who are jealous of her position, or individuals trying to get back at me—”
“Something you might not have to worry about as much if you didn’t relish throwing your weight around and making enemies so much, Killian,” Bellus chided.
Killian’s eyes flashed and Bellus had to remind himself that although he might look older, Killian had at least several hundred years on him. He probably didn’t need to be giving the vampire political advice.
“Regardless of my own potential flaws, Hazel cannot be made to pay the price for them. She slipped her guards, with your help, Bellus, for the second time this month. The last time she came home she seemed unsettled. I am worried about her. Tell me where she is.”
“I’m afraid I must still decline, Killian,” Bellus said.
Killian stood stock still, staring at him. His eyes read murder. Shortly thereafter, Bellus felt light headed and dizzy. The world looked a little brighter. He relaxed further into his chair.
No. Stop. Think, Bellus. Something is wrong here.
He blinked and smiled up at Killian, who was clearly still trying to get control of himself. He had been mad about something…
Pheromones, Bellus realized. Struggling to get his muddy mind in order, he sucked in a breath and—before he could change his mind—lit the room in a flash of quick fire.
It took a lot of precision to fill the room with fire, but leave an outline of untouched air above everything flammable. It seemed to do the trick, however.
At first, Killian jumped back defensively to the doorway. Hearing this, his guard waiting in the hall threw open the door, and Bellus had to cut the fire before it could extend into the oxygen rich corridor.
For his part, Killian extended an arm, physically stopping his underling before they could move to Bellus.
Holding his breath, Bellus made his way over to the window to open it, taking a deep gulp of air and coughing.
“I must say I appreciate your presence of mind in not killing me, Eminence,” he wheezed out, taking in clean air and clearing his head.
“I thought about it,” Killian admitted, nodding at the Drake vampire currently returning a pistol to their breast pocket. “But assassination seemed unlike you. Then I recognized the glassy look in your eye—I apologize for my powers getting the best of me. It was unintentional, I assure you.”
He’s really worried about this. I wonder if something else is going on at home?
But Bellus was not about to ask the Eminence about that here. Instead, he gave another one of his genial smiles. “It’s fine. You’re worried for your wife. Every husband has been there. I understand.”
Killian let out a frustrated breath and Bellus chuckled. Leaving the window open, he dared to walk over to Killian and put a hand on his shoulder. “I still can’t tell you where she’s gone or what she’s up to—I only have so many details myself—but I can tell you that she’s not expecting any particular danger, and she plans to be back in a few hours.”
Killian tugged his jacket into place and scowled at the Elite. “If she’s hurt, Bellus, I will find you,” he warned.
“This would not be the first time I’ve heard that, Killian. Now I have to get back to reviewing these proposals, unless you would like to comb through the Shifter recommendation to create a new play park for visiting shifters in their animal forms?”
Killian grunted. “A most ridiculous suggestion given they are still mentally people even in their animal forms, though perhaps it will help us to better understand animals in zoos.”
“At least they aren’t asking for funding,” Bellus added in a chipper voice as Killian exited.
“A concession to the Night Queen no doubt, though if it is for their animal forms I wonder if they could have wheedled something out of her?” Killian wondered.
“Have a good day, Killian.”
“Have an appropriate level of good day, Bellus. You’re not the worst wizard I’ve ever encountered. Let us both hope I won’t have to come back to kill you.”
Bellus laughed again as he waved Killian off, but as he closed the door, he shivered.
“Hopefully she won’t drag this out overmuch,” he muttered to himself, running his hands over his face as he shook off the incident and returned to his desk.
“Might as well get ahead on things. I certainly have enough work. Stars I am looking forward to retiring soon…”