Swearing in different languages Kendrick stalked over and took Ellie's place at the microscope. He peered through the eyepiece before straightening. Frowning fiercely he looked at them. "The magic is gone as well."
He pulled the slide from the metal clasps. Under his breath he recited a spell making the slide glow for a moment. With his eyebrows knit together he looked at them. "The slide hasn't been tampered with. There's no evidence it was wiped clean or sanitized."
"Some viruses cannot live outside the human body for long. They need the environment the body provides," Vivi suggested.
Kendrick shook his head. "If that were the case the organic part of the virus may die but some trace of magic should be left no matter how minute." He pulled his walkie talkie from his belt. "Frick, Frack, I need you down in the lab."
A few moments passed before a voice answered. "Be right down, just have to save our game."
Kendrick sighed. "Just hurry." He re-clipped the walkie-talkie to his belt. "Gods they make me feel old."
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"You adore them and don't try to tell me any different," Rheia said teasingly.
Kendrick shrugged. "They look too much like Keelan for me not to adore them." He chuckled. "And I've been watching over them since they were children. They were so damn adorable at times I couldn't tell them no, when I should have."
"Like when?" Vivi asked curious.
"Like when I was working on dangerous spells, I almost blew them up a time or two. It's why they remember me bellowing at them a lot. I was scared to death that I would accidentally break them down to a molecular level."
A few minutes later two, tall red-headed men practically fell through the door. Breathing heavily they immediately went to Kendrick. "What's up?" one asked.
Kendrick pointed to her. "This is Dr. Vivian Mercy, she has come to Noctem Falls with her squire Halbjorn Bergson to help Ellie with the sickness. Vivian, these two rapscallions are Nigel and Neil Morninglory, technically they are unit warriors, but they need a bit of polishing." They grinned at her looking very young indeed. She waved, and they waved back. Kendrick cleared his throat. "She discovered that the virus is no longer visible, so I'd like for the two of you to amp up your magic as much as you can and pass it through me like last time," he paused. "I see no trace magic either."
The boys' eyes widened and without being asked twice lay one hand each on Kendrick's arms as he stood in front of the microscope.
Kendrick frowned at their hesitation. "Well?"
The one introduced as Neil gulped. "All of our power? Are you sure?"
Kendrick chuckled. "Yes, I'm sure. I can handle whatever you two can produce."
Nigel's eyes lit up. "Wicked!" He turned to his brother. "We never get to play with all of our magic," he said excitedly. Neil nodded then the two of them closed their eyes. Moments later, Kendrick exhaled slowly through his nose as both of his arms began to glow an emerald-green color. He cracked his neck and leaned over to look through the eyepiece. Cursing he stepped back and the boys moved their hands. He turned to them. "There isn't the slightest trace of magic now." He rubbed his arms where the boys ran their magic through him. Scowling he looked from one twin to the other. "I'm adding more lessons to your daily schedule." He let his hands drop. "Where have you two been hiding that much power?"
Nigel and Neil grinned at him before Neil answered. "You taught us."
Kendrick's mouth dropped. "I most certainly did not."
Nigel nodded. "Yes you did. Remember in Storm Keep we were asking you how to pass the warrior test like the others, so we didn't score too high so that they would keep us? We started doing it then."
Kendrick's eyes bulged. "You were only supposed to do that for the damn test! Not all the time!"
The boys paled. "Oh," they whispered.
"Oh? Oh?" Kendrick threw his hands up. "Do you have any idea what could've happened if you lost control of that much power?" He walked away keeping his back to the room.
The boys let their heads hang. "We're sorry. We didn't think about the damage we could do to the city," Neil confessed.
Vivi knew that was the wrong thing to say when Kendrick whirled around and stalked over to the boys. She thought he was going to lay into them when suddenly he pulled them into a fierce hug. "To hell with the city! The two of you could have died! Gods above! That much power could have burned you up." He gave them one final squeeze then stepped back. "No more hiding your power. You're to work directly with me for as long as I'm here, and if I have my way I will strong-arm Magnus into letting you return with Meryn and me to Lycaonia."
The boys had been reduced to tears that they kept trying to manfully wipe away. They looked up at Kendrick, hope a living thing in their eyes. "We could go home with you?" Nigel whispered.
Kendrick nodded. "Absolutely. I'm not leaving you here to languish while being used to clean refuse tubes." His eyes narrowed when the boy's heads turned in opposite directions to look at anything but him. "Boys? You did check on the refuse tubes today, didn't you?"
They looked down and scuffed their feet. Neil looked up. "We meant to, but well." He exchanged shudders with his twin. "It's nasty."
Kendrick's eyes rolled toward the ceiling before he pinned the boys with a glare. "That's why they are called refuse tubes. Tomorrow morning, no later."