“In what way?” Cord asked incredulously.
“I want Sloane here. Rumour has it, my niece is fond of him. If Sloane comes here, she will follow.”
“You want Tegan,” Cord said flatly. “You have no interest in Sloane.”
Cornelius considered his son for a moment before he smiled again. “True.” Delilah shook her head but said nothing. “I want Celeste’s child here. Make it happen.”
Cord looked at them both. Cornelius had the ear of the Great Council, but it seemed no one had told him about Cord’s attachment with her. “No.”
“No?” Cornelius put his pen down. “Then I cannot help you.”
“Very well.” Cord dipped his head and turned to his mother. “Mother, it was as pleasurable as last time.”
Delilah’s delighted peal of laughter at his veiled words followed him as he portalled out of the room to Headquarters.
Cord looked around the visiting Castor’s chambers. A discarded white robe alerted him to the fact he was not alone, which was proven when Jameis walked out of the adjoining bathroom in just a towel.
“By Harrian’s wrath, Cord!”
“Meh, trust me, he will not be concerned.” Cord looked around the room. “Why are you here?”
“Because I am a Castor, and this is the Castor’s chambers.” Jameis’s hand ran over the fur coverings on the bed.
“I knew you would be the sort to like this hideous room,” Cord’s voice was almost inaudible. He personally thought it was too opulent. Too overdone. Just so...cliché.
“Why are you here?” Jameis asked as he reached for his robes.
“Visiting,” Cord retorted curtly before he turned and left the room, ignoring the other Castor’s squawk of displeasure when he left the door purposefully open. Cord lightly jogged down the stairs and headed to Salem’s office. Forgoing knocking, he entered, unsurprised to see his brother sitting glumly on his usual window seat.
“Cord?” Salem asked as he looked up from his paperwork.
“Why are you both sitting in here?” Cord demanded.
“We are waiting for information,” Salem told him grimly.
“While you sit and do nothing?” Cord looked at his brother. “I thought you were going to the school?”
“They believe she was taken.” Sloane resumed looking out of the window listlessly.
“Are you serious?” Cord looked at his little brother as his frustration mounted. “You’re sitting staring out the window like a lovesick adolescent!”
“There is no need for you to be snippy,” Sloane grumbled sulkily.
“Snippy?” Cord looked between the two of them, and instead of losing his temper as he wanted, he took a step backwards and regarded them both again. They both looked miserable. The usual irritating happiness that his brother seemed to exude effortlessly was gone. Salem, who was usually so positive and proactive, sat staring at an empty cup and saucer. “Who has been in here?” Cord asked casually.
“No one.” Salem rolled his eyes.
Cord’s jaw almost dropped at the very unlike Salem move. “Who was in whilst you were gone?”
“What a stupid question,” Sloane said crossly. “How would we know? If we weren’t here, how would we know who had been in?”
“Yes, you’re right, of course.” Cord studied his brother’s back as he was turned away from him. “Salem? I thought you warded the door when you were not in here?”
“The spell ran out.” Salem tossed a quill over and over in his hand. It was very irritating.
Cord once again curbed his temper. “Are you both out of your minds?” he snapped. “How can you not detect that you have been spelled?” He strode angrily over to his brother and, muttering a simple cleansing spell, he ran his hand over his brother’s head before he turned swiftly to approach Salem. He stopped short when he met the point of Salem’s sword. “What are you doing, Principal?”
“You are the reason she is in the woods.”