Page 34 of The Inheritance

The boy glanced at his sister.

“Yes,” she said.

Elias walked into the house. Behind him Leo entered and shut the door.

The inside of the home was clean and neat. Dark wood floors, cream walls, a lot of the wainscotting that seemed to match the outside of the house. A staircase to the left, a living room to the right, light green couches with notebooks and art supplies strewn on the coffee table, a white kitchen past it… It felt like a home, warm and lived in. He had that once.

The two kids were looking at him, their faces tense.

“I’m the guildmaster of Cold Chaos,” Elias said. “Your mother was working on the mining site in the gate we are responsible for. The miners were attacked.”

“Is she dead?” the girl asked.

“Officially, she is missing. However, your mother is a noncombat Talent. She doesn’t have any means to defend herself. Only four of our mining team escaped, so the outcome isn’t looking good. We won’t know what happened for sure until we go back in and eliminate those threats.”

“So Mom could still be alive?” the boy asked.

“Yes. There is a slight chance that she might have survived. Nothing is certain until we find the bodies.”

“When?” the girl asked.

“As soon as we can pull an assault team together. We will need top-tier people for this breach.”

“How long will it take?” the boy asked.

“Several days. Probably at least three. Maybe longer. We have to go in with the kind of team that will win.” Elias paused. “I’m inviting you to stay at our HQ until this is over.”

“You don’t want us talking to the press people,” the girl said.

“It doesn’t really matter if you talk to the press or not,” Leo said. “We will get skewered anyway.”

“I’m not going to pressure you to do anything,” Elias said. “But if you wanted to stay at our HQ, away from everyone, so you can deal with things, you have that option. I’ve called a lawyer on your behalf. Whether you come with us or not, she will come to speak with you in the morning. She doesn’t work for the guild. She works for you.”

“And if we don’t want your lawyer?” the girl asked.

“Then you tell her no and she’ll leave.”

“Why are you doing this?” the boy asked.

“Because your mother trusted us to keep her safe, and we failed her,” Elias said.

The boy looked at his sister.

“He is not a threat.” She said it with absolute certainty.

“What about him?” the boy looked at Leo.

“Not a threat either. Although he really doesn’t think any of this is a good idea.”

Leo blinked.

Adaline’s daughter looked at Elias, and there was pressure in her gaze. “My name is Tia. This is Noah. We’re coming with you, but we have to bring Mellow.”

“Who is Mellow?”

Noah reached over to the couch, moved a blanket aside, and picked up a large cream-colored cat. The cat looked at Elias and hissed.

“Don’t be a drama queen,” Tia told it.