CHAPTER 141: WELCOME TO MY WORLD

Lord Rowe sat behind his desk, sorting through the documents before him.

His rage simmered coldly in his gut, but he had no choice other than to do this. It was necessary.

He would rather be out there, tearing the world apart from the inside out to find his daughter’s killer, but there were things to take care of first.

Namely, paperwork.

He grinded his teeth, ignoring the dull ache in his jaw from the constant grinding. Frustration welled within him at the thought.

His greatest roadblock to getting to Noah Webb was someone he hadn’t expected. His father-in-law, Aldred Kael, principal of the Royal Academy.

Aldred Kael was his wife’s father, but everybody knew the truth. His wife was Aldred’s illegitimate daughter. So, even though Aldred had been Juniper’s grandfather, they hadn’t been close.

But even with that, how could he be so heartless to let someone involved in the death of his granddaughter walk free?

Rowe has thought Aldred had deliberately distanced himself from his illegitimate daughter in order to protect her. In fact, it had created an uproar when Rowe himself had fallen in love with her and wanted to marry her.

But now, he knew that it was just indifference. The man didn’t care.

Rowe knew what he’d gone through. He’d fought through hell to marry his wife, and she’d blessed him with a beautiful daughter. And now, his father-in-law was blocking him from entering the academy and exerting justice.

Now that he was head of the Investigation Authority, all he needed was a single justification. Then he’d get his hands on Noah Webb. Then, Noah Webb would lead him to the rest of his organization. And from there, he’d get his vengeance.

He looked up as a knock resounded on his door. Finally! Something to distract him from the humdrum of paperwork.

"Come in." He rumbled.

One of his agents entered his office, looking hesitant. "My Lord."

"John, was it?" Rowe leaned back in his chair.

The man looked like he wanted to correct him and say his name wasn’t John, but he quickly decided not to. "There’s been a report, my Lord. From the Investigation Authority."

Rowe immediately sat up, his focus settling on the man with an intensity that made him even more uncomfortable. "Go on."

"There’s been a death on campus. A student was burnt to death. But..."

A dark grin bloomed to life on Rowe’s face at the news. This was it! His excuse to enter the Royal Academy of Magic! "And?" He questioned impatiently.

"The student in question...," the man swallowed, "is Galahad Lawless."

Rowe blinked at the news. "Who did you say it was again?"

"Galahad Lawless."

Rowe leaned back in his chair, a chuckle escaping his lips before he could stop it.

He tried to clamp a hand over his mouth, but a laugh bubbled forth. Before he could do anything, the laugh rumbled out of his belly, loud and long.

He howled, banging at his table in a mixture of joy, exhilaration and amusement. Of all the people this could have happened to, it happened to Osiris.

This had to be karma. The universe righting the wrong that had been done to him. To make the man feel the same pain he’d been feeling.

Finally, his laugh tapered off. He wiped the tears that had leaked from his eyes, returning his attention to the man before him with a grin.

The man stared at him with an uncertain expression, probably wondering if the new head of the Authority had gone insane.

"Does Osiris know of this news?" Rowe finally asked.

"No, my Lord."

"Good." Rowe nodded. "Keep it that way. Summon Osiris to see me. I’ll deliver the news myself."

"Yes, my Lord." The man bowed, before making his way out of the office.

Lord Rowe stood with the energy of a man who was filled with so much happiness, he couldn’t contain it.

He walked to the window, his hands folded behind his back as he took in the view of the capital.

The tall and beautiful towers of the palace stood in the distance, while the rest of the buildings sprawled around them.

The citizens went about their day, the incident of a half-demon being in the heart of the city three months ago had long since been forgotten.

He studied the flow of traffic, allowing his mind to be calmed.

Somehow, this news had calmed his rage. Instead of a torrent in his gut, it had reduced to something less destructive. But that didn’t mean it was gone.

He blinked as the door of his office opened, and Osiris’ familiar and arrogant voice floated to his ears. "You called."

Rowe chuckled. "Indeed, I did."

He stood for a few seconds more, studying the view, before turning away to face Osiris.

"So... how have you been adjusting to your role as an agent?" He asked, making his way to his seat again. It always gave him a perverse sense of joy to sit behind the desk and look up at Osiris.

To watch Osiris’ expression at taking orders from a man he detested.

"I’ve oddly come to find myself enjoying it." Osiris said, his lips twitching as if deciding whether to smile or remain in position.

"Really?" Rowe smiled. "Then you must have a lot of time on your hands. That’s good, because a new case just popped up. From the Royal Academy."

Osiris’ brows rose. "Noah Webb?" He asked.

"No, not Webb." Rowe couldn’t stop his grin from widening. "A student was found burnt to death. You might find the name of the deceased familiar."

He leaned forward, studying Osiris intently. "It’s Galahad Lawless."

Osiris blinked, like he was trying to process the words. Then, it settled into his mind.

He staggered back, his face going pale. Several emotions flashed through his face, unable to settle on a single one. Confusion, disorientation, anger, then disbelief.

"Yes!" Rowe crowed. "That’s it! The first sign of real emotion you’ve ever shown in your life. And I was there to see it!"

"Now you feel it too!" He leaned forward. "The pain. The despair. Of having your most prized possession ripped from the world. Destroyed and turned into something else."

"This is it, Osiris! Welcome to my world."

"I... This..." Osiris started sentences before trailing off. His mind was running, but unable to settle on one thing. It was just too unbelievable.

His son, Galahad, dead.

His legs trembled, and there was an ache in his heart.

His hand rose, gripping his heart. The emotions were unfamiliar, but they were there. ’Is this what grief feels like? Or is it pain?’

He had no idea. But he knew he’d lost something. And he couldn’t recover from it.

The emotions blended together, before becoming something dark. He looked down at Rowe, a snarl forming on his face. "Who did this?" He hissed. "WHO?!"

Rowe chuckled. "I didn’t know you could also roar in pain. Whoever it is, I shall thank them for giving this sight to me."

Osiris took a step forward, his hands suddenly blazing with fire.

"You want to attack me?" Rowe chuckled. "Go on. Try it. Just give me an excuse."

Osiris glared at Rowe, breathing hard. A few seconds later, the fire wreathing his hands dissipated into nothing.

"I thought so." Rowe grinned standing up. "But don’t look so down. You’re coming with me to the academy."

He took off his cloak from the rack beside his chair, fastening it to his shoulders.

"Go get the horses ready, Osiris. I don’t want to miss out on the expression you’ll make on seeing your son’s body for yourself."