Lawrence then ran as fast as he could, but he noticed the same falcon-like bird following him from above.
[For your sake, I hope he's alright.]
While Laurence and Augustus were still discussing, Nathan was already making way to the location Seraphina told him. Along the way, he remembered what he had told his mother before leaving. Their conversation was brief with her asking him when he'd be back from Noah's place, so she'd have dinner ready. He replied by saying late, but not too late. She nodded and hugged him before he left.
[It's a good thing Noah's mom isn't around, so she wouldn't ask her.]
The quiet nightly walk had Nathan's senses on edge. Magic fluttering around him in suspense as he gripped his sword the whole way there. His heart pounded rapidly with each step and breath. He finally arrived there, but disappointment outweighed his nerves. No one was there.
[Damn it, Sera, what the hell!?]
He angrily kicked the pinecones around him until finally, he decided to leave. Just as he was about to leave the area, he heard voices from a distance and saw a small fire by the riverside . He crept behind rocks and saw that some of them had the same tattoo as Captain Cedric mentioned.
[One horn…]
He used shadow magic to completely conceal himself in the dark. As he kept on listening to their conversation, he heard a familiar voice among them. His heart felt like it fell to the ground. He couldn't believe it and dispelled his head from magic. His eyes widened in shock and disbelief.
[Daniel… How and why the fuck are you doing this!?]
Just as his confusion and anger arose, another familiar voice followed.
[Xavier. Just what in the hell is going on here?]
"Alright, I got confirmation from another warden that the initial location she chose for the next hideout is cleared out. Let's head out there in 5 hours."
Daniel cut into his command and said, "That wasn't part of the deal, Xavier. You promised that no one would get hurt from the information I gave you."
Xavier replied, "Don't be such a whiner, it was only a small village of like 150 something people."
"Lives were still taken! How much longer do I still have to help you, people?"
"You're calling us like we're a disease, kid. Relax. Your dad will be well taken care of once we're done."
Xavier put his arms around Daniel's shoulder and whispered into his ear.
"I don't forget that you're just as in on this as all of us here. How would your precious friends react when they find out that you're the one who's been giving us all these locations around the country? And where I'd find those records of every one of the students in your school right after we blow the place to bits."
Daniel shrugged him off and walked away from them.
One of the followers asked him, "Shall we take him out, sir?"
Xavier replied, "No need. We're already keeping tabs on him and the others as well. Anyway, you guys start heading off, I'll catch up after resting up a bit."
All of them left, leaving behind Xavier around the fire they set up. He threw a few branches and some pieces of wood in it.
He sat down and stared at the flickering flames. He took a deep breath and called a name from around him.
"Nathaniel Valen, didn't your mother ever teach you it's not polite to eavesdrop on people?"
Nathan came out behind the rocks and walked towards the fire, opposite where Xavier was.
"She did. But didn't your mother teach you that killing is wrong?"
"I didn't have a mother, unfortunately. Technically, I do, but she left me years ago. More importantly, I'm surprised you're not shocked I knew you were here all along."
"That's not the most surprising thing I've witnessed the whole night."
"Ahh, you mean Danny, right?"
"You're already that close, huh?"
"It's been great bonding with him since we met. The old tragic story of a family member so sick that there's no means to a cure, so they make deals with bad guys and do bad things to compensate for helping said family member. The usual. But just between you and me, he wasn't going to make it anyway."
"What do you mean?"
"We were the ones who gave him that illness; it's incurable. We knew that once he was at his lowest, he'd be vulnerable to anyone who would give out a helping hand."
Nathan's reaction was brimming with resentment.
"But enough about him for a second, let's talk about you for a bit. For starters, what's with the sword? Don't tell me you were planning on using it on me?"
He chuckled mockingly.
"No, I wasn't on, just planning on using it on you. I was planning on driving it and opening up your chest to see whether or not you had a heart."
"Don't tell me it's because of that kid I killed. What was his name again? Hoggy? Hermit? Damn it, can't remember right."
Nathan burst with rage and yelled at him with the sword pointed at his neck from across him.
"Don't you dare disrespect him like that! He wasn't involved in any of this. You killed him in cold blood!"
Xavier rubbed his forehead in confusion.
"You must have hit your head back then, so maybe you're confused or lost on what happened. I shot it at you, but he got in the way, and that killed him. He could still be alive if he hadn't tried to be a hero and save you. The blame's mostly on you if you hadn't let him fight alongside you, or at the very least, you handling me a bit better."
This statement from Xavier had Nathan remembering every moment from start to finish. Hands covered in blood and Harry in his arms.
Xavier stood up and stretched out his whole body, with cracking sounds coming out.
"If you can't accept that he's gone and want to see him again…"
He poured water from his magic on the fire, putting it out, and finished what he was saying,
"Then I'll happily help you in doing so."