Kai stepped out of the hospital, strangely enough he was not with a heavy heart, but with a strange lightness in his chest. Most people would have called that sick, maybe even cold but they didn't understand. In the series, Kiera had died in complete darkness, the final thing she saw before Julia ended her life at her own request was that same void. For Kai to give her a better ending… that was worth more than pity. That was mercy. She got to really enjoy a wish before the end.
He exhaled sharply, muttering under his breath, "Damn it."
The thought of what he had just stopped lingered and how close they had been to summoning that disgusting fox god. That wasn't going to happen now… but the again for some reason Kai knew the possibility of it still happening was very much high.
He pulled out his phone, calling his contact.
"Tell Tom to keep watching the hospital. Richard will show up soon. She was his wife and next of kin. It won't be long before he hears she's gone."
With that, he rushed back to school.
Instead of heading for the physical kids' cottage, he veered toward a more secluded section of campus where Elliot's door to England was located. But just as he was about to step through, he spotted Todd loitering nearby.
"Going somewhere?" Todd asked.
Kai gave him a dry look. "No, I'm just standing here dramatically for the vibes."
Todd blinked, then nodded. "Cool."
"On second thought…" Kai tilted his head, "maybe you can help me. Where was Elliot last before he left?"
Todd thought for a moment. "Uh… one of the lounge rooms. Usually crashes on the couch there."
Kai went inside, scanning the area. He crouched low, his eyes darting across the fabric until he spotted a single strand of hair. He plucked it up, holding it between two fingers with a satisfied smirk.
Todd's voice came from behind him. "What's that for?"
"Oh, you know… science."
Todd frowned.
Kai straightened up, brushing past him. "Yeahhhh, bye now. And hey uhhh, try not to choke on your own curiosity."
Stepping through Elliot's door, Kai found himself in… a tea shop. Of course. Elliot would choose a tea shop instead of a wine bar.
A woman behind the counter smiled. "What can I get you?"
"Oh, nothing, thanks," Kai replied politely. "Actually, mind if I use your bathroom?"
She pointed the way, and moments later he was inside the cramped little washroom. Locking the door, Kai pulled out the strand of hair, murmuring the words to a locator spell.
A wile later, he was standing outside the Plover Estate. Night clung to the air, cool and tense.
The front doors burst open and Elliot and Alice came rushing out.
"We should go back in there," Alice whispered urgently.
"Shhhhh," Elliot hissed. "I'm trying to think. And I'm out of cigarettes. This is dire."
Quentin appeared, jogging toward them. "Oh my God, you're okay!" He pulled Alice into a hug, relief flooding his face.
"We're great, thanks for asking," Elliot quipped dryly. "Where's Penny?"
Quentin shrugged. "Knowing him? Disneyland by now." He glanced back at the mansion. "What if he got to Fillory? What did he do to Martin?"
Alice frowned. "What are you talking about?" Elliot's confusion matched hers.
Quentin hesitated. "I saw something in there. Who Plover really was. What he was doing to Martin Chatwin."
Realization washed over their faces, but Elliot still asked, "What… was he doing?"
Another voice answered before Quentin could speak.
"Well, guessing from Q's silence, I'd say his favorite author was a defiling piece of pig."
"Kai, how did you… you know what never mind the more the merrier" Eliot said.
Alice's eyes widened. "Oh God."
"The poor kid," Quentin muttered. "He was just trying to get a button to Fillory so he could escape this monster… who generations of idiots like me have been worshiping like a literary god."
Kai's expression hardened. "No one could have known what was happening. You can't blame anyone except the one who commits the crime. But the truth is, sometimes the victim… becomes something entirely different because of it."
Quentin looked down. "He was learning magic to get stronger and to… travel. He wanted to grow extra fingers for spells."
Elliot blinked. "Wait, grow fingers? Like—"
"What if the Beast wasn't from Fillory?" Quentin cut in.
Kai's lips curved slightly, but he stayed silent, listening.
"What if he went there because he had access through these kids he told stories to when he wasn't… drugging and raping them" Quentin trailed off.
"Oh Jesus," Elliot breathed.
Hearing footsteps, Kai murmured, "Penny's here."
Alice blinked. "What?"
Elliot smirked. "Well, I still have the capacity to be surprised. We thought you ditched us."
Penny came into view, stopping short when he saw Kai. "What the fuck are you doing here?"
"Good to see you too," Kai replied, dripping sarcasm.
Alice's gaze moved between them. "What happened to you?"
Penny opened his mouth, frustration on his face, but Kai beat him to it. "He most like traveled a mile off and ended up in a tree."
"Yeah," Penny said flatly while looking at Kai strangely for knowing that, "while trying to get away from Prudence's dungeon."
Elliot scoffed. "Not so precise with that travel, huh?"
"Shut up," Penny muttered.
Quentin's brows furrowed. "Wait, what do you mean, dungeon?"
Kai answered for him.
"Yeah," Penny said, "bitch calls it the Quiet Place 'cause that's not fucking psychotic. There's a storm cellar around the back."
Quentin's eyes widened. "That's where she took the housekeeper's kids. He's got the button in his pocket. Let's go—"
Before he could move, Kai stepped in front of him. "Man, when it comes to Fillory, do you ever just… chill?"
Penny snorted. "Says the guy who thinks too much sense is dangerous. Quickest way to let Prudence grab us immediately."
"Mmnn, dislike that," Elliot muttered.
Quentin sighed. "Okay, I know what to do about her. Give me a ten-minute head start, then head to the cellar."
Kai watched him run off, sighing to himself. Burning the whole house down sounded tempting but instead, he decided to follow Quentin.
Inside, Quentin was rifling through the study. "We need to find and spread the evidence of what Christopher was doing. Uh he kept pictures, so let's go for that," he said.
Kai spotted a stack of photographs on the desk. He froze. "Wait… this—"
'Oh, yeah he did have a hobby of taking their pictures before raping them'.
His anger flared, a dangerous edge creeping into his voice. "Oh, I'll kill him too."
"Yeah," Quentin muttered. "Well we need spread them around."
Ten minutes later, Quentin returned. "We should get out of here."
Kai shook his head. "Go ahead. I'll meet you."
Quentin hesitated, then nodded and slipped away leaving Kai alone in the study.
Read an advance of 10+ chapters on my Patreon🌚🌚🌚🌚
Patreon.com/Fredozy