Briar stood in the doorway, her head low.
"The Baron wants to have a word with us."
Felix tensed, his body going rigid on the sofa.
"Do you know why?"
he asked, his voice tight with anxiety.
"He's not… angry, is he?"
Briar shook her head.
"He didn't say."
Eta stood up from the sofa, her posture now straight.
"It is probably to know how their training has been going,"
she said, her voice flat. She turned and began to walk toward the door.
"We had better not keep him waiting. It would not be in our interest to do so."
One by one, they all got up and filed out of the living quarters, heading to the Baron's study.
They arrived at the Baron's study, its large mahogany doors standing ajar. Felix pushed it open wider, and they all entered the grand, dark room. The Baron was there, sitting in a leather chair behind his desk. Charolette stood beside him, her expression as unreadable as ever.
"Shut the door behind you,"
the Baron said, his voice calm and even. The children obeyed.
"What I have to say won't take long. It's late, and you all need your rest."
He steepled his fingers on the desk, his gaze moving to the twins.
"So, Eta, Theta,"
he began.
"Tell me, how has the training been going? How many times have you have training sessions with them in the week I was away?"
"Once,"
Eta said with a flat tone.
The Baron's mood darkened instantly. He repeated the word, but it was cold and quiet.
"Once?"
The twins nodded in unison.
"We were able to cover a significant amount in that one session,"
Theta added.
"Beatrice even awakened Point One."
The Baron's neutral expression broke, a flicker of something resembling genuine interest flashing in his eyes.
"Point One?"
he mused, a slow, satisfied smile spreading across his face.
"That is… a very good progress for just one session. Excellent."
Corbin, his arms crossed over his chest, his blue eyes sharp and analytical, broke the silence.
"What does it mean, sir? Point One."
The Baron chuckled, a dry sound.
"Ah, a fair question."
He steepled his fingers on the desk.
"Think of it as the first stage of what your bodies can do. A… a sort of unlockable potential. There are five points in total, or at least that's what our research suggests."
Briar, her earlier tension forgotten, leaned forward.
"Tell us more about these Points, please."
The Baron's grin widened.
"For now, I will only tell you about the first. The mechanics behind Point One are simple. It's a rush. The calvanite in your bodies fuses with your own natural adrenaline, flooding your system. It gives you a temporary, but significant, boost in strength, speed, and perception. The closest thing to this a normal human might experience is a fight-or-flight response."
Corbin's brow furrowed slightly in thought, his gaze immediately going to Beatrice.
"So… Beatrice awakened it because of a massive spike in adrenaline, then?"
The Baron nodded, his gaze following Corbin's to Beatrice.
"Precisely."
He then turned his attention to Briar.
"And you, Briar. Have you been able to awaken your Mark since the… incident with the bear?"
Briar shook her head, her face falling slightly.
"No, sir. I've tried, but… nothing."
The Baron sighed, a sound of resigned frustration.
"A lack of progress isn't a good sign. We still have a lot of training to cover."
Emmett, his face neutral, finally spoke.
"How long will this training run, Baron?"
"Years,"
the Baron replied, the word hanging in the air like a final decree.
"Until you are all capable… operatives."
Felix, who had been holding his breath, let it out in a long, weary sigh.
"You mean you plan to keep us here for years?"
"Your purpose here is not to be a guest, but to be an asset,"
the Baron said, his voice hard.
"Once your purpose is fulfilled, you will be dismissed."
"And what is that purpose?"
Corbin asked, his voice low and direct.
"What do you plan on doing with–"
"You are too inquisitive, Corbin. Learn to control it or it may lead to your downfall."
The Baron said. His smile vanished, and his gaze turned to ice. His eyes flickering past Corbin to the twins.
"Anyways, Charolette tells me there's a hole in one of the walls in your living quarters. Can you confirm this?"
A nervous tension filled the room. All of them, except for Corbin, nodded silently.
"A hole?"
Corbin asked, confused.
"You were out cold at the time, Corbin."
Eta said, her voice sharp.
"Don't worry about it."
"How did this hole come about?"
the Baron demanded, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper.
Theta began to speak, her words stumbling over one another in an attempt to make the incident sound like an accident.
"We… we were just training, and…"
"Eta punched Beatrice so hard she went through the wall,"
Felix cut in, his voice flat. He was no stranger to the twins antics, and he was through with lying.
The Baron's gaze snapped from Theta to Felix.
"Training?"
he roared, the sudden noise rattling the glass on his desk.
"You were training inside the manor? What were you thinking, you imbeciles? Do you have any idea how much it will cost to repair that wall? Close to a hundred thousand Orns!"
He took a moment, breathing heavily, before his anger seemed to drain away, replaced by a cold, calculating calm.
"The damage is done. Charolette, see that it's taken care of by tomorrow morning."
Eta stepped forward, her posture perfect.
"Sir, if it is not too much to ask, is it possible for Theta and I to move into the quarters with the others?"
The Baron raised a brow, his voice now non-committal.
"And why would you want to do that?"
"We… we feel more comfortable there, than in the North Wing of the Lab."
Theta said softly, her eyes flicking to the other six.
The Baron considered this for a moment before giving a small, curt nod.
"Permission granted."
A flash of genuine excitement passed over the twins' faces.
"Now,"
the Baron said, standing and signaling the end of the meeting.
"You are all dismissed. Go get some sleep."
As they turned to leave, the Baron's voice cut through the air once more.
"Emmett. A word."
The others stopped, turning to look back at the Baron as Emmett remained in place.
"In the coming months, the other Barons will be coming to screen you,"
the Baron said, his voice now lower, meant only for Emmett's ears—and the ears of those who remained close by.
"They will come to ascertain if you are truly Caspian Thorne's son and if you are eligible for the Barony of Thorne."
The others' reactions were immediate and varied. Felix's eyes widened in surprise. Briar's mouth fell open slightly. Rhys's head tilted, a spark of intrigue in his eyes. Beatrice's expression was a mix of confusion and shock, while Corbin's face remained blank, simply observing.
Emmett, however, gave nothing away. He simply nodded, his eyes as blank as they always were.
"Yes, sir."
He turned and strode out of the study, the others following him.
Left alone, Charolette turned to the Baron.
"You seem very interested in Emmett's eligibility for the barony. Why is that?"
she asked, her tone flat.
"He means nothing to you."
The Baron watched the door close behind them. A slow smile spread across his face.
"Every asset has a purpose, Charolette. The more assets I have in high places, the more power it brings to me."
^-^
(Thanks for reading)
-RHOVER