"Leave us. You've caused enough damage," said a voice from the window. James looked over and wanted to groan. Zerachiel Decker had somehow snuck up on the two and into Isabel's room. Decker was a tall Wiccan, standing around six foot four inches. He was one of those muscle types of macho men that had more muscle than they did brain cells.
At least, Decker looked that way. James hated to admit it, but Decker was a smart Wiccan. Not that James would ever admit that out loud, but he could be honest in his own brain.
"You should leave as well High Priest Zerachiel. My master doesn't want visitors of any kind," James said through his clenched teeth, disappointed in himself for not noting someone like Decker, whose magic levels rival that of Isabel when she concealed herself. The vast difference between the two was that Isabel had strict control over her magic, almost as if she was afraid that her magic would lash out against those around her. "So, if you could just follow your little minion out of my master's home?"
"Choosing your master over an entire Coven, I didn't think that Isabel was brainwashing you against us. I thought she would have passed on the same loyalty she has to you." James took a deep breath. How was it that only people of Isabel's level of quality remembered that Isabel's commands came before those in the Coven? Or that her orders as a Custos were above that of the High Priest and Priestess? Did they just think that once they were at the top of the hierarchy there was no one above them?
"I know what happens to the people who get brought before the council. Isabel only wants what's best for everyone. My parents were like that-" James remembered his father would always tell him about his mother. How she was the light in the darkness for him. His mother would fetch kittens from trees, help lost children find their parents; she was the kind of good that deserved the world. More than anything, James wanted her to be proud of him.
"Yes, your father was a good member of our Coven and we mourn for his loss. He would have wanted you to be loyal to your Coven," Decker said. James wanted to hit Decker. His father would have been ecstatic that Isabel offered him the apprenticeship. He would have been proud of how far James came in his magic. James was certain that his father would have been standing right next to him as he stood by Isabel's orders.
"You can't take the kid, High Priest Zerachiel," James growled as Decker walked to the child sleeping soundlessly on the bed with a grey barrier about a foot or two away from the bed. Decker's touch alone brought down his protective barrier around the kid. James' fist clenched, what was the point in training harder and harder if an ally could bring down his barrier.
"It's the will of the Coven, James. You do understand, I'm doing this for the good of our Coven." As Decker's hands descended on the kid, he was flown backward into the wall. James' hands had unclenched, eyes wide. He didn't think that Isabel had placed protective barriers upon her bed where she specifically told him to lay the child.
She must have known that he would have tucked the child in under the blankets that were now glowing the eerie yellow that could only be described as Isabel's magic. She knew that he would make sure that the kid was comfortable on a cold night and place the other pillows around the kid to keep him from falling off the bed. From the corner of his eye, he watched as Decker winced as he stood up, his body moved on his own. She knew that their own Coven members were going to come to take the child before anyone could explain what had happened. Decker chuckled, "That clever, little witch."
She knew that they were going to be betrayed tonight.
He stood protectively between the bed and the High Priest of his Coven. Isabel was counting on him to keep the kid safe, from other demons or Wiccans she did not make that clear. She trusted him fully knowing that he wouldn't just sit back and let anyone dare touch the kid. James' resolved steeled as Decker stood at full height. The kid was counting on him to protect him in Isabel's place, all he had to do was hold off Decker until whenever Isabel returned.
"Move James," James answered the command by raising a charcoal glowing Marut to a person he thought was a person of his word when they spoke after his family was murdered. James sighed as if he was dealing with a stubborn toddler that needed to be reprimanded. "So be it."
↱"Wanna know a secret, James?"↲ He could hear Isabel's whispers in his head. He remembered when he asked her why she trusted him so much. It was two years into his apprenticeship, and he was exhausted from the many tutors that Isabel thrust upon him. Isabel sat quietly until she thought he was asleep before answering him.
"You've brought this upon yourself, filthy traitor," his former priest said. Decker's arm stretched above his head, but all James could hear was Isabel.
↱"Of all people I have ever met…"↲
"COME AND OBEY, ALAMETH!" James tightened his hold on Marut as the charcoal gray smoke bled way to the bronze glimmer.
↱"…You're probably the only person…"↲
James grunted as he held Marut against Alameth. Decker's magic shot out like a snake, a sickly green color that wrapped around Alameth, Marut creaked against, James' magic rushed to feed Marut energy. Alameth was a weapon of much greater power. However, Isabel stressed the quality of magic over quantity of strength. And she also taught him how to fight dirty, as his opponents will never fight with honor. James growled a spell to help fuel Marut, ❝Pati!❞
He might not be a match for someone like a High Priest of a Coven that has been feeding off of Isabel Livingstone's excess magic for thirteen years, but he was the product of his master's crazy demands of perfection as well as her meticulous hours of training. James was a Wiccan of quality, sought out by many for mere tips on their training. He was not about to disappoint anyone with a pathetic showing to just let someone like Zerachiel Decker make him fail his master. Especially not in her home, not in his home; he'd rather fall to an athame by an Aliward.
↱"…That I can blindly trust."↲ James knew then that Isabel was a person of quality. He would never meet someone like her ever again in his life.
Zerachiel shoved James back, making him land against the foot of the bed. Marut thrown out of his hands, he winced as he tried to reach for it. James turned and shouted, ❝Pulsus!❞
A flash of bronze magic pushed Decker back far enough for James to grab Marut. He flipped himself up once more. Rotating his neck and settled himself back into a defensive stance, the charcoal gray smoke bleed from Marut and circled James. "You're making a mistake here, Decker. My master does not train incompetence."
"True, Isabel does have that irritating eye for quality. She's also greedy enough to keep that quality for herself."
James snorted. There were not a lot of living beings who would be able to survive Isabel and her training. Decker should be glad that Isabel keeps quality to herself. If not, the Thuban would have disbanded and created a new Coven under Isabel. "They wouldn't survive under Isabel. If they did, the Thuban wouldn't survive Isabel deciding to leave. I'm sure you've heard by now, Isabel's decision on rebuking the Thuban. Madame Fenstermarcher believes that she's going to start up the Asaruludu Coven again."
Decker's eyes flashed with anger and James smirked. He was waiting for the High Priest of the Thuban Coven to get angry. Decker might be out of James' league of dispatching on his own, but Isabel could easily wipe the floor with Decker with a blindfold on. She was only humoring all of them. He has witnessed Isabel truly at peace with herself and her magic to take out an entire legion of demons by herself. If only for Isabel to have an easier time dealing with this slippery eel.
Decker's hand shot out. He summoned a spell to activate James' pain receptors, ❝Actus Nervus!❞
James screamed in pain as Decker's magic opened all of his pain receptors. While Isabel did not believe in punishing James with pain, he knew about Decker's penchant to subject Coven members, apprentices, and enemies to this torturous spell. James wished hell upon Decker as he started to chuckle at him. Decker's spell finally saw the end of its course after only a minute. Decker started walking to him slowly, "This is what happens when you betray your Coven, James. All this pain you're in right now, it's all Livingstone's fault. It's a shame such potential is wasted on a filthy trait-"
Decker couldn't finish his sentence because of an eerily yellow bolt of magic that shot out from the doorway. James' eyes landed on a very angry Isabel Livingstone, Baptiste laying limp in her left hand, and her right hand shot out with the Guardian Gate symbol glowing bright gold. The symbol of Custos, the way that Custos were identified; the Guardian Gate symbol was a Norse Algiz rune that glowed in front of a pentagram.
"I don't know what the fuck you're thinking you're doing here, Decker. I've warned you and the entire fucking Coven that those who are under my protection are fucking off-limit," Isabel growled. James knew that he was going to miss out on a beautiful show of Isabel utterly ruining Zerachiel Decker. Usually, his perfectionist master would not curse. Unless, of course, she was very angry.
"It's for the good of the Coven." James struggled to keep awake, the pain of his ribs was too much to handle. His new training regime was going to suck so much because of Decker. He had half the mind to cut the man while he was not paying him any attention."You have to understand, Isabel."
James was still conscious when Isabel accusing Decker of murder. "Was that what you said to James' father before you murdered him? Or my parents as you stood by and did nothing when the Asaruludu Coven fell? What? Did you think I didn't know?"
"Why do you think I worked so hard to make sure I got into the Thuban Coven, Zerachiel Decker?"
"You wouldn't."
"I'm going to make sure that even Aliwards will spit on the name of the Thubans, Decker," Isabel said as her eyes glowed yellow and bronze magic leaked from her. It circled her protectively, waiting to be utilized. "You're going to be nothing by the time I'm done with you. Think of it as the punishment that my parents would have carried out for your complicity when the Asad massacred my family."