They didn't go far actually they had entered a street all too familiar. It was the same street here he had played as a boy. The houses with two floors, and gray stones greeted him as they were old friends. Eviar smiled, and winched at the idea that he would stay so near his childhood home. The relation that this came so close to the truth is when he saw his mother's house. The one with a white picked fence, green lawn and bloom beds filled with all kinds of flowers he didn't know the name of. The wooden door was open and a small ribbon of light was slipping through the crack. But his mother didn't stop at her place, now just one house next to hers. He frowned, an old woman had lived there, he still could remember he. With her silver hair tight neatly in a bun, and her face in a squall. He only had forgotten her name, and he was not going to ask his mother.
"You three will stay in this house, make yourself at home. There are two bedrooms, a kitchen with a stocked up fridge. There is only one bathroom, but there is a separate toilet." His mother said, Eviar nodded and opened the door. They walked directly into the living room, inside the living room stood a large fireplace surrounded by three comfortable chairs. Against the back of the chairs stood a large sofa with in front of it a small coffee table. There was a small bookcase that stood next to the sofa. On the floor lay a rug, that looked old and moldy. Jeffery walked directly to the kitchen, who was completely white. His mother had not laid when she said that the fridge was stocked, and not only the fridge. Also, the cabinets were filled with glasses, plates, pots and pans, and sweet and salty snacks. Stairs that faced the front door led to upstairs, to the bed- and bathrooms. On the counter of the kitchen were standing three plates, with a note attached. It said; heat 5 minutes in the microwave.
"Nora why don't you take a shower." Eviar said. "We will heat up your food." She looked at him not sure what to do. She could use a shower, who was he kidding, they all could use a shower after their days wandering around Goticha. But she probably wanted to stay at his side, afraid that harm would come to him. "Nora, I will be fine." He said, he kissed her hand. She wanted to go against him.
"I will watch him, sis. Go grab that shower, the Dragon Lord knows you need it." Jeffery said, with a playful glance on his face. Nora's cheeks started to get crimson, and Eviar felt for her.
"We all need to take a shower, I am still surprised that the vampire wanted to be near Jeffery." Eviar said. He wanted to give Jeffery a taste of his own medicine. Jeffery reached his arm and smelled his armpit.
"He is right about that." Jeffery muttered, after pulling a disgusted face. Everybody started to giggle, a very welcome sound, it only sounded bleach and hollow.
"Well I will leave you three to it." Eviar's mother said. His gaze snapped towards her, he had not noticed that she had followed them into the house. The door flew open and a young woman with long black hair and emerald eyes walked into the house.
"Mom there you are. I was looking for you, Mother Karina came by with large bags of cloths." The young woman said. Her gaze fall on Eviar and her eyes narrowed. "O I see why she dropped them off, and why they contained men's clothing." Eviar looked at his mother, his mouth open.
"Katia, you can bring those bags in here. Thank you, darling." His mother said. But the woman called Katia, didn't walk away. She just kept staring at Eviar.
"So you are the big brother, that is the great wizard. But can not be bothered to visit his family." Katia said.
"Katia." His mother snapped at his sister. "That is not his fault, that was mine. I didn't think that he would have a future inside the Coven." But Katia didn't pay her mother any attention. She just rolled with her eyes.
"That is no excuse." Katia snapped. Eviar stepped forward, he didn't know this girl. But he didn't want to be blamed for this.
"Listen Katia, mom just told you that I had no choice in the matter. And you are probably right about that. But I do not want you to blame me, if you do not know what I have being through. I was pulled away from the only place I knew, only because I was a boy. I was left on a stranger's doorstep in the middle of the night, when it was snowing. I was forced to join the hunters when I became fifteen. Do you know what hunters do in Achua?" He didn't wait for an answer. "They hunt Necromancers, in other words they hunt people. I have seen them being killed, and many other things. I can tell you one thing, Katia. You are lucky that you are born a girl." He concluded. Katia's face became crimson from anger. But she didn't say a word, she just turned around and left. His mother looked at him in horror, maybe she was shocked by his story. He currently hoped so, maybe she would understand why he was not all that warm to her.
"Eat, and sleep. We will talk about this in the morning." His mother said, after a brief period of silence. He let go of his breath when she shut the door. He turned around and now face Jeffery and Nora.
*******
Nora has gone upstairs to take that well deserved shower, and Jeffery made sure that her plate with food was heated up when she got down. Now Eviar had the time to take a shower, maybe a cold on to cool off. The water felt so good on his skin and he felt cleaner with every drop that landed on his skin. It only didn't wash away the ugly things that he was feeling right now. He didn't hate his sister for assuming that he didn't want to visit them. He didn't hate his mother for thinking that he was better off with his father, which was still something he needed to wrap his head around. There were plenty of opportunities for Master Goodwing to tell him the truth, so why didn't he? And why did he burden Nora with it. It was not her secret to share, or to keep. Still she kept it from him, only in her defense she had not the time to tell it to him. They had been on the run, for seven days, seven day looking over their shoulders praying that they were not followed by hunters. They were safe now, there is wine to revive them, bread that made them strong, and a bed to rest to morning. Everything he had wished for the last couple of days. A knock landed on the door.
"Hey bro. Are you alright in there." Jeffery's voice carried through the closed door. Eviar had no idea how long he was standing under the shower, it didn't seem that long.
"Yes I am alright. Just clearing my head, that is all." Eviar replied, turning off the water. Missing it when it no longer fall on his skin. Still it was time to face the world outside the bathroom.
"Alright, open the door slightly, so I can give you some cloths. Your mother brought these over when you were under the shower." Jeffery said, when he handed them, to him. It was a simple shirt with pants and some underwear. But it had to do it, for now.
"Did my mother say anything to you or Nora?" He asked.
"No, she didn't. I think she does not blame you for lashing out, I know that I do not blame you. And neither is Nora. Who fall asleep on the sofa, so I have carried her to the master bedroom." Jeffery said with a sigh. "I think I am also going to bed. I hope for a solid night, instead of a few hours." Eviar nodded and fully opened the door.
"I wish the same thing, it has been a journey to get here. But Jeffery, do yourself a favor. Take that shower first." Eviar said and Jeffery nodded.
"I will leave the door ajar, just in case." Jeffery said, Eviar nodded. He had seen him wobble on his legs, this journey was hard on all three of them. But for Jeffery it was even harder, there were times that he had forgotten that Jeffery was only fifteen. But he had not complained, not even once. Jeffery made his way to the shower, leaving the door ajar.
"I am going to sit here and talk to you." Eviar said, when he said down.
"I hope that keeps me awake." Jeffery said. "What do you think the High Witch is going to tell use in the morning?"
"First things first, call her Mistress. And I think she is going to tell use the rules of this Coven. Things have changed in the time that I lived with my father." Eviar stopped for a brief moment, it was still strange to call Master Goodwing his father.
"O yes how do you feel about that?" Jeffery asked, his voice was thick of sleep. Eviar worried for a brief moment. Maybe it was better that Jeffery stepped out of the shower, before he fell over and got hurt.
"Hey bro, maybe it is time to get out of that shower. You can continue to rob the filth of you after a good night of rest. And how do I feel about Master Goodwing being my father." Eviar stopped for a second, he didn't know how he felt about that. It was Master Goodwing who forced him to join the hunters, and the things he had seen were something no fifteen-year-old should have seen. He had grown nom over the years, before he met Nora. She had brought him back to life, in more ways than actually bringing him back to life. "I do not know how I feel about that." He said finally.
"That is at least honest, for a short moment I thought you were going to say that you were fine with it. Or something like that." Jeffery said. "Bro, can you help me get into bed. My head is so fuzzy I can't see straight. Do not worry, I am wearing a boxer short." Eviar had helped him anyway, even when he was in his birth suite. He stepped into the bathroom and wrapped an arm around Jeffery.
"Were is your room?" Eviar asked, he knew that Jeffery had brought Nora to bed. Jeffery pointed to a direction and Eviar didn't wait. He entered the room, lay Jeffery on the bed. As soon Jeffery's head touched the pillow he was fast asleep. Eviar smiled, now he looked like a fifteen-year-old. He sighed and left the dark room. Time to get himself to bed.