Keepers Of The Occult (NaNoWriMo 2024) Chapter 8: Chapter 8: Still Waters Run Deep

Read chapter 8 of Keepers Of The Occult (NaNoWriMo 2024) by Mercynarie on NovelPedia.

A remarkably awkward silence had fallen over the two boys once Alden had left the room. Hazel was no empath, but they looked strangely melancholic for some reason. She glanced around the room again, finally noticing that it was littered with photo albums of a couple. “So… any idea what we’re dealing with?” the girl asked randomly to break the silence. “Doesn’t matter until we find it,” Liam muttered to himself. “Ugh, why this room…?” “I don’t mean to be nosy, but is this your parents’ room?” Hazel asked, her eyes still fixated on a photograph. “Where are they?” More silence. “They’re dead,” Liam stated with a surprising amount of coldness in his voice. “Killed by Wendigos in the line of duty nine years ago, along with all twenty members of the House of Davies. They were gored right through their backs when they shielded their foolish son from wandering into the battlefield. This is— No, was — their room.” “I’m sorry—” Hazel began, but the boy interrupted her with a short chuckle. “No, no. Don’t be. They died serving a greater cause; it’s a better death than most can hope for.” He smiled wryly. “That’s why I can’t let more people die on my watch. As Magus, we must protect the world from supernatural threats. It is our duty, no matter how much we need to sacrifice.” Chester glanced at him with furrowed eyebrows, before looking away silently. “It is our duty,” Liam repeated in a harder tone as if to affirm himself. “And as the only surviving member of my House, it is…” He swallowed. “It is my duty.” Hazel decided to keep her silence as well. She had only known the Union of Mages for three days, but Liam and Chester’s sentiments about this organisation were already as clear as day. She envied their exciting double life, sure. But it seemed they had quite a high price to pay for something they did not exactly sign up for either. “Master Davies?” Hazel looked up as a line of well-dressed servants practically marched into the room. There were no less than five of them, but they looked more like a small group of friends in this huge bedroom. Alden was standing beside them, although he seemed to be throwing Hazel strange glances now and then. “Ah, about time.” Liam turned his attention back to them without hesitation, as though he hadn’t just relived a traumatic memory just a few seconds ago. “What do you have for me?” A maid stood forward after a few seconds of waiting to see who should go first. “Last night, I woke up to a strange sound,” she began. “Fearing that our house had been intruded, I followed the source of the sound to this room, only to find it already in disarray.” “What exactly did you hear?” “The sound of something heavy toppling over.” Liam glanced at the bookshelves. “I suppose that would be those. Alright, did anyone hear anything else?” Another servant stepped forward. “I heard strange knocking sounds all around me last night as well. It sounded like something was banging around in our walls. I tried to investigate, but I couldn’t find anything.” “Did anyone hear the sound of glass breaking?” Chester spoke up. The servants looked at each other before collectively shaking their heads. “Why do you ask?” Liam raised an eyebrow at his friend. “If it were an intruder, the only way it could’ve gotten in is by breaking a window, no? Your windows are huge. If they were broken, surely the commotion would be loud enough to be heard.” Chester gestured at the room windows that were at least two metres tall. “You have charms all over this house that protect against lockpicking techniques, too. So, how exactly did your uninvited guest get in?” “Good point,” Liam muttered. “Does anyone else have anything to add?” A few more servants stepped forward. “We have missing food in the kitchen, and there were those webbed footprints all over the walls as well.” “Oh? But you served breakfast as usual today, didn’t you?” “Yes, that’s because our breakfast menu for this week didn’t involve the stolen food,” a servant replied. “We had purchas