Quentin was a little concerned about Hafrey's confidence in his assessment.Was this not the first time a demon possessed him?
“Why is there a giant hole in your house?”None of Hafrey’s story explained why it looked as if a cyclone had destroyed Hafrey’s house.
“He fought Mearson between her ripping him out of me and putting him in a demon gem.There were several minutes where he was free.”He waved a hand at the hole in the wall.“That’s what freedom looks like.”
“Do you know what Mearson is going to do with the demon?”Lars asked.
“She didn’t say, but I heard her call someone named Nikko on her way out.”
“Damn,” Quentin cursed.
Hafrey rubbed his chest again in a worrying manner.“I’m sorry, Quentin.Tell Grevin I’m sorry too.”
“I will.”Hafrey had made a bad decision, but Quentin didn’t know what he would’ve done in the same situation.
Quentin didn’t like how Hafrey kept rubbing his chest, or the slow, hollow breaths he was making.He whispered to his father, “We need to get him to a doctor.”
“I’ll take him.You go back home.I don’t like what is going on here.I want you safe behind your workshop protection.”
“All right.”Quentin couldn’t think of any good arguments to stay.At least he solved who had broken Grevin’s rune circle, but now they had a different problem.This one, he could officially call the bounty hunters for.Brenton might enjoy hunting a demon even if it was only to use one of Quentin’s capture orbs.
He teleported into the family room of his house.Before he could be distracted by other things, he called Jaks.
“Hello, darling.Where are you?You weren’t at your lab.”
Quentin winced.He’d forgotten he said he’d stay put.He could hear the tension in his Jaks’s voice.“Lars and I went to talk to Hafrey.”He recounted the entire conversation, ending with Lars taking Hafrey to the hospital.
“Maybe I should talk to him after he’s admitted to the hospital.”
“You can try, but I didn’t get the impression that the demon shared much information with him.”
“I’m wondering why the demon didn’t try to possess Grevin when it first broke free of the circle.”
“Wouldn’t do him any good.Grevin has anti-possession rune tattoos.Every smart necromancer has them somewhere on their body.”
“Have you seen Grevin’s?”Jaks’s voice was all too casual.
“No.”He didn’t even try to hide his amusement.“Like I’ve told you before.Grevin and I don’t have that kind of relationship.He only told me about them, but I’ve never seen them personally.”
“Hmm, if you say so, beloved.I’m probably not going to make it to your house tonight.I’ve got too much to catch up on.Are you going to stay behind wards tonight?”
“Yes.I’ll go home soon.I’m going to sift through the research I sent there and decide what I’m transferring to the lab.”
“If you leave, give me a call so I know where you went.”
Quentin bit back his instinctive need to snap that he could protect himself.Jaks was only worried about him.It had been a long time since anyone other than his mother fretted over Quentin’s safety.“Will do.Just to warn you, I’m going to see a movie with my mother tomorrow,” Quentin reminded him.
“I’ll send Braed to drive you.He can get your mother, then pick you up.”
“I thought we weren’t trusting Braed?”
“Your mother’s presence should keep him on his best behavior.”
“Hmm, we’ll see.”
They exchanged goodbyes, and Quentin hung up.
“I hope tomorrow is less stressful.”
