Chapter Thirty-Six

A/N: Reminder: most of the dates and occasions in this story are the fruit of my imagination.

We were in a meeting room at the last floor of the college, where a meeting took hold about what happened in the east. It should’ve been at the meeting room in the mansion, but since the mansion had shattered into pieces because of me and Tempest and it was currently being built again, we had to do this meeting here.

I felt like I didn’t belong with all the important people here in the room. I sat between Strider and Apollo, and before me sat Maria, Albert and Melinda. At the other hand of the table, Fred sat together with Alessandro, the head of the northern Millennium Force, along with two of his Guards. With them sat a severe-looking man called Solomon, who was in charge of the western Millennium Force, and two of his Guards. Kyle, a young, hot wolf with a French accent who flirted with anything female - even with me (although it stopped right when Strider, Fred and Apollo sent him death-glares) - was the head of the southern Millennium Force and he was here with two of his Guards as well who were no less flirtatious. Lachlan, a guy in his late thirties with a kind face and slanted eyes, who was the head of the eastern Millennium Forces, was here as well, with two other slanted-eyes Guards; and Sally, who was sitting with two Guards I already know well - Brom and Greg. Samantha and Cora were here as well, and I was surprised to see Megan here, too, sitting next to Brom - it seemed like the Mates of any high-ranked Guards got new titles. Adria and Louis sat not far from me, seemingly as tensed as I was.

Everyone talked with each other until Fred stood up and cleared his throat. “I would like to start this meeting,” he said with a poker-face and an emotionless tone. He turned to look at Lachlan and said, “Report.”

Lachlan nodded gravely, his eyes narrowing with sadness and anger. “A few towns in our area were hit,” he started with an accented voice, “there was an attack on the mansion where you visited eight months ago, Fred. According to the signs, the mansion had been flooded with water, and some Guards drowned. The water wasn’t normal, obviously, because they also ruined certain objects in a way water shouldn’t be able to do, not to mention the water managed to flood a mansion which was above ground.”

Apollo next to me turned terse and let out a curse while the others processed this information. Fred turned to look at the Spirit of Fire and asked, “Do you have anything to add, Apollo?”

Everyone turned to look at him while he put his head in his hands. “I know only one thing that can destroy things by water,” he caught Fred’s stare, “and it’s the Spirit of Water.”

“Spirit of Water?” I blurted without thinking, blushing a little when I saw a few of the unfamiliar Guards sending me an irritated glance, as though they were watching a little, stupid girl.

“I didn’t want to believe it existed, because the consequences would be too big,” Apollo explained, scowling. “But it seems that after the Great Tsunami of 992 a Spirit was born, and I just never crossed paths with it. If there is such a Spirit, and it’s on Evander’s side…”

Fred didn’t need him to finish the sentence. “The threat will be dangerous sevenfold,” he concluded with a flat voice.

“Oh, calm down,” said Kyle, smiling charmingly, his French accent rolling off his tongue smoothly. “I’m sure it’s not as terrible as it sounds, cherie,” he winked at Samantha when he said that, and she glared at him in return.

“People died, Kyle,” Solomon said, his face even more severe than before, “it’s not a matter to jest about.”

“But I don’t understand,” Alessandro stated, turning to look at Apollo. “If there is a Spirit of Water, how come you don’t know it, or at least know about its existence?”

“Our Spirits don’t know everything,” Apollo replied, “Pyro knows only a few very basic things.”

“Tempest, too,” I said, supporting Apollo and ignoring the warning stares from the Guards. I had the same position as Apollo, so I had the right to talk whether they wanted me to or not, and they could go to hell for all I cared. “Not until long ago, she - “ I cut off my words when Tempest shouted inside me, Don’t tell them about Alton! We agreed about it!

Tempest, I have no choice! I replied, while everyone sent me curious looks. They need to know!

Please! She begged, and sounded on the verge of hysteria - as she’d been when Alton invaded my head. If you love me, please do this for me!

I took a deep breath, and chose what to do. “Not until long ago,” I started again, choosing my words carefully, “Tempest saw an… objects that reminded her of something. She then remembered a Spirit called Alton, the Spirit of Time, and she knew who he was even though she didn’t know him before, and knew he was an ancient Spirit.”

“Alton?” Apollo arched a brow in surprise. “The Spirit that moves in the England family and is currently inhabiting Ryan?”

I nodded. “Therefore, there is a chance there is a Spirit of Water and we simply didn’t know about her existence,” I shrugged.

“I agree with Angela,” Strider looked at Alessandro. “After all, we don’t know everything. There were many events throughout history that could’ve caused Spirit to be born, like Apollo was born during the Great Fire, or Magnus Odin was born when Alexander Graham Bell invented the lamps. I mean, there were the Dark Ages, and they started at some pivot point in history. There was the Great Tsunami of 992, not to mention about the cruelest war in 1782.”

“We got the point,” Solomon snapped tartly, and I got the feeling he didn’t like Strider much, and when Strider scowled at him, I knew the feeling was mutual.

“If this theory is true,” Sally said, frowning, “so what happened almost nineteen years ago, when Miss Wayne here was born?”

“That’s what I asked as well,” I said.

“We’re not here to talk about the how and why,” Samantha commented. “Soon you’ll say a Spirit was born in 1854 during the fertility years or something!” she rolled her eyes.

“Go figure, cherie,” Kyle winked at her. “Maybe a Spirit was born in that year. After all - who said Spirits had to be strong and bad and born of natural disaster? Maybe there’s some good Spirits out there.”

“I doubt it,” Cora hissed, leveling a look on Kyle, who blew her a kiss in response. One of his Guards, to my surprise, landed a hit on his head and Kyle scowled at him, but it was only for a moment because another flirtatious smile spread over his face and he winked at Maria.

“I think there’s no point going in circles in this subject,” Lachla said grimly, “what has happened - happened. Those who died - died.”

“Then what do we do next?” Greg asked, his gaze on the Alpha. “We can’t keep silent about it.”

“We’d given them enough time,” Brom agreed.

Fred nodded. “I think it’s time to send you out on a hunting mission,” he told them, “it’s been a long time since the last time you hunted, and it’s going against your wolves’ nature to be out of your field of expertise for so long.”

Brom and Greg straightened in their seats, staring at Fred seriously. The Alpha continued. “I want you to go back with Lachlan and his Guards to the east,” he said quietly, “and there, I want you to try and catch one of Evander’s flunkies. It doesn’t have to be Evander himself - although it save us some more time, killing the problem from its routes - but someone close enough to him. I want to hear what they have to say.”

Greg and Brom nodded at once, and Megan sent a pleading look to the Alpha. “Can I come with them?” she asked. “I’m not…” she lowered her gaze.

Fred softened slightly. “Of course, Megan,” he nodded, “I know how hard it is for newly-Mates couples to part ways for too long. You can tag along with them.”

“I’ll go with them as well,” Sally said suddenly, “they’ll need backup, and I have no problem to come along as well. Besides, Alessandro remains here for the time being, and he can replace as me as the head of the central Millennium Force until I return.”

Fred thought about it for a few moments, and eventually agreed. Then he turned to look at Maria and said, “I want you to contact Sakura and Yuki and tell them to accompany the eastern convoy. I don’t want anyone to have an injury left unattended.”

Maria nodded. “The healers are already on call after everything that happened with Evander,” she told him. “Albert has already made telepathic contact with the messenger Hinata.”

“Good,” Fred turn to Albert. “You did well, Albert Lugos.”

Albert nodded and I saw him glance at Cora, who was smiling at him. I was curious as to what went on with the two of them.

“Does anyone else have anything to add?” Fred’s eyes passed through the room, and when silence responded to him, he nodded. “If so, the meeting is over.”