Page 2 of Beastkin
Caden was Atlas’s mate, a half-witch, half-dryad with more magical power than seemed possible. However, that wasn’t the part that caught my attention.
“You’re… not coming back?”
Atlas shook his head. “Haven’t been going to school here since last fall,” he replied. “There’s been…a lotgoing on I guess.”
“Did something happen? You never mentioned anything.”
“I couldn’t,” he replied, giving me an apologetic smile. “Not when it was happening, anyway. I’m sorry I didn’t answer some of your letters. I didn’t get them for quite a while, and then I didn’t know how to tell you without sounding like a lunatic. But now that things are settled… maybe we should catch up.”
“Is this a beer situation or a liquor situation?” I chuckled, surprised at the seriousness in Atlas’s tone.
“Let’s start with beer and see where we end up.”
***
Three hours later, I found myself sitting opposite Atlas and Caden in a private room at the bottom of the library that nobody except the three of us knew about. Beer bottles were scattered between us, and I was feeling slightly buzzed, but mostly dumbfounded by the absolutely insane story I’d just been told.
“So, you’re telling me that you’re now part of a triad with two witches and a fae, and that you have a secret mansion in a world between worlds?”
“Yep,” Atlas nodded. “And we killed the leaders of the Purity Front.”
“Holy fuck, dude…” I stared at the ground for a long moment before glancing back up at him. “Your extracurriculars are getting out of control.”
Atlas let out a boisterous laugh, clapping me on the shoulder. “It’s a bit different than parties and chicks like we used to do, huh?”
“Just a little fuckin’ bit…”
I ran a hand through my hair, still processing all of this. The beer in my hand felt warm now, and I set it down on the floor.
“So, the whole time I was recuperating, you were out there basically fighting a magical war?”
Caden, who’d been quiet for most of the conversation, leaned forward. His blonde hair caught the dim light of the library’s hidden room, making him look almost ethereal. “It wasn’t planned. None of it was. After what happened to you...” His blue eyes met mine with genuine concern. “Things escalated quickly.”
“And this... Wild person? He’s the fae in your triad?” I asked, trying to keep the names straight.
Atlas nodded, a small smile playing at his lips. “He’s something else. Completely chaotic, but loyal to a fault once you earn his trust.”
“Loyal might be stretching it,” Caden muttered, but there was affection in his voice. “But he would do anything for us now that we’re all connected.”
I took another swig of beer, wincing at the warmth. “And Damien Cromwell is really dead? Like, actually dead?”
The atmosphere in the room shifted immediately. Atlas and Caden exchanged a look that sent a chill down my spine.
“Yes,” Atlas said firmly. “We saw it happen. He’s gone.”
Something about the way he said it made me wonder if there was more to the story, but I didn’t push. The relief washing over me was enough for now. The man who had attacked me, who had left me with nightmares that still woke me in cold sweats, was dead.
“Good,” I said simply.
Caden reached over and squeezed my arm gently. “That’s partly why we wanted to see you as soon as you got back. We thought you should hear it from us directly.” He paused for a moment. “Since… you know… I was the one that killed him.”
I nodded, grateful but suddenly exhausted. The combination of travel, anxiety, and now this bombshell of information was catching up to me.
“So, what now?” I asked. “You two just... live in a magical mansion and fight evil?”
Atlas laughed, the sound breaking some of the tension. “When you put it like that, it sounds ridiculous. But yeah, basically. The mansion exists in a place called the Veil. It’s where the dead go to pass on, technically. And there are still plenty of Purity Front supporters out there, even with the leadership gone.”
“Plus,” Caden added, “we’re trying to undo centuries of damage between magical communities on the side. It’s slow work.”