The next morning, Kris woke up, while Calyna was still asleep. He tried to be quiet so as not to wake her. He felt that she suspected something had happened between him and Lothiniel, and he wasn't ready to face her questions, anymore than he had been the night before. So, he got up and got ready, then quietly went downstairs to the lobby, although he doubted if another confrontation with the people from Angel Investigations would be any easier than the argument he was trying to avoid having with Calyna.
"Good morning Kris." Wesley nodded in his direction
Kris returned the nod, but didn't say anything. He couldn't think of anything to say.
"How did you sleep?" Cordelia asked.
"Okay. Caly is still asleep; I didn't want to wake her, unless you need her down here to answer questions."
"Want any coffee or something to eat?"
"I don't know. I should probably wait for Caly." He didn't trust these people enough yet to accept food from them.
"Okay. That's fine."
"Do you know about why Caly and I came here?" Kris asked.
"My guess? Because we are the only ones that do this kind of stuff." Wesley answered
"Well, a . . . friend told me to come here. Or to find a detective agency in LA." Then he realized something for the first time. "You're English."
"Yes, good perception."
"Well, it's just that . . . the mystery Caly and I are looking into . . ."
"Yes I know."
"Oh. I wasn't sure how much you knew. Had you known anything about these killings before?"
"No, actually this is the first time I have ever heard of them."
"Really?" Kris asked, sounding as if he didn't believe that.
"Yes"
"Did that symbol that was left at the site of the killings mean anything to you?"
"Yes, especially considering I'm an ex -watcher."
"An ex-watcher. So, why aren't you a watcher anymore?"
"I was fired because I made one bloody mistake, and lost track of my slayer. It's not my fault I can't keep track of Faith, she's a sly one." he said, resentment in his voice.
"So," Kris asked, "do you have a grudge of any kind against the watchers for firing you? Maybe enough to get someone to go after them."
"No, I have no resentment against Faith, she turned evil, got into the wrong hands, but there was nothing I could do about it.... I know what you're doing and you're looking at the wrong person. It was a good try though kid. You still have a lot to learn about solving crimes."
"I know enough to know that if you were behind the killings you would deny it," Kris said. "I may not know much about crime solving, but I know about related fields, because of jobs I was given when I was a child."
"What you are looking for is the easy way out. You are listening to people who have no idea what they are talking about. I am telling you the truth. I had nothing to do with the murders. I haven't left LA, since I moved here. So I suggest you start looking in other areas besides your hosts. Just because I am British doesn't mean I am guilty. That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard anyone say. I suggest you get some new sources, dear fellow, or you will be accusing too many of the wrong people."
"I have no reason not to trust my source. She would not lie to me," Kris said.
At that moment, Calyna came down the stairs. "I don't trust his source if he's talking about who I think he's talking about, but then I don't know what just happened."
"What makes you so sure that she is telling the whole truth?"
"Because she was the one who helped me to see that the man my cousin loved was a traitor," Kris replied. He looked at Calyna briefly. "Well, she was one of the ones."
"What is her name?"
"Whose name?"
"Your source's. It is possible that she is an enemy of ours and just wants to frame us for something that we didn't do."
"Her name is Lothiniel."
"Lothiniel...that sounds oddly familiar."
"Oh. Well, then maybe she didn't give me false information," Kris said.
"What information did Lothiniel give you anyway?" Calyna asked.
"That's not important at the moment," Kris said.
"Actually, it's extremely important." Angel stated as he entered the room.
"What is?" Calyna asked.
"The information that Lothiniel gave Kris."
"What's so important about it?"
"It could be impertinent to this investigation. I would hate to think that you with holding information. Are you Kris?"
"No...except for one very minor thing about Lothiniel. I think she experienced something in the years since I last met her, and that she feels guilty about it. I don't know what that means, though. I think it had something to do with Eldarion and Lunea, but I don't know her connection to them, or what her guilt has to do with them."
"They are my parents. What did she have to do with them?"
"Your parents? But . . . that's impossible," Calyna said. "Edric said that the Mages from the Circle couldn't have children. And, how could you be here, if you were born on Arda?"
"I was abducted. And I was brought here."
"Oh."
"You mean you were born on Arda?" Kris asked. "Do you know who brought you here."
"Um...Leareth, I believe, it's all pretty rusty, it's been a long time."
"I remember Leareth," Calyna said. "He was the one who showed up in Rivendell that morning. And then he was working with Joich for a while. But I thought he was defeated in the war. He must have survived somehow."
"So is this Leareth connected to anyone?"
"Well, he worked with Joich for a little while. But they're not connected anymore, and Joich is dead anyway," Kris said. He was sure of that information, as Joich had been his father. "He was connected to the other Mages from the Dark Circle, and to the Mage of Silence, I guess. And he may have been working with Mordel, since Mordel and Eldarion had an illegitimate child. Maybe Mordel wanted her child to become Eldarion's heir, and future ruler of Minas Tirith."
"Well, Mr. Wesley it seems as if you are a prince." Angel teased
"Shut up Angel, this is serious."
"Could the people going after Watchers be looking for you?" Calyna asked.
"It's possible. But what would they want with me?"
"You mean other than the fact that your mother was from the Circle of Mages, and your father was the king of Minas Tirith. I don't know. If Edric was here he might have some idea, since he knew the Prophecies of the Cirantothir much better than I ever did," Calyna said.
"Wait here." Wesley stood and left the room. Returning moments later with the exact book.
"I remember this book. The Wizards would write prophecies in it," Calyna said. "Edric showed it to me a few times. Is there anything in there about the Circle of Mages?"
He opened it to a page and handed it to the two of them
Kris and Calyna looked at the book. "I think is right after the prophecy of the Elven King," Calyna said. She read, "'In the days after the brief reign of the Elven King, and the separation of the Anachron, the rulership of Arda will pass to a human. This human will join with a Mage from the Circle, and they will have a son, who will summon the Mages, so that the Mage of Silence can make his choice.' Leareth must not want the Circle to be joined, because he must be planning something."
"I do have one question," Kris said. "Do you have any proof that you are the son of Eldarion and Lunea?"
"What kind do you need exactly?"
"I know you were taken from them, but is it possible that you might still have something that belonged to one of them. Or do you have any kind of magical abilities, because that might be an indicator."
"Ummm, I have done weird things at times. But I have no training and can't really do it on call."
"Oh. Wouldn't the ministry of magic have known that you had abilities and offered training? I mean, they're based in England and you grew up there?"
"Well my foster parents or adoptive parents didn't really want me doing such things."
"Oh. So you've never had any training?"
"No."
Cordy suddenly piped up. "There are some evil men that are going to attack some guy in the park."
"We better get moving then."
"Can we help?" Kris asked.
"I can always use more help, sure thing."
"Okay, because we have some skill in weaponry."
"That's always a plus."
When they arrived there they saw a group of people in a circle, all dressed in the same color."Have you ever seen these people before?"
"No, but I have seen the uniforms before."
"I suggest you leave that man alone." Wesley stated firmly
"And what can you do about it?"
"I shall stop you if you don't."
"Oh, you will, will you? Warriors are no threat to me"
"I am Eldarion and Lunea's son. I don't think that would constitute me as a warrior."
"It does if you have not been trained, which you clearly have not been." The Death Eater who had done all the talking raised his wand, in preparation to cast a spell.
Before the spell was cast, Angel charged at the caster and knocked him over. One of the other Death Eaters stepped forward. So, they had found the person Leareth was hunting for. Well, the orders they had was that the one who could summon the circle must not be allowed to live. However, they didn't have to kill him right away. This Death Eater raised his wand, and said the word, "Crucio."
Wesley ducked before the spell could take complete effect pulling everyone else with him
"Is that the best you can do?" the Death Eater asked.
He peaked his head up, "Of course not." He stood. He raised his hands up to the sky. A murmur came from his lips and his hands produced a light, he pointed his hands at the death eaters.
The Death Eaters had been unable to avoid the power, and were soon frozen. None of them had even had time for a counter spell. However, there was one, who had escaped by being out of range, and he bided his time, until their guard was down.
They get the guy to safety, the guy runs out of danger, Wesley turns, "They're not defeated."
At that moment, the spell that had been cast on the Death Eaters began to wear off. As they could move, they began to stand. Their original victim was nowhere insight, but now they had Leareth's orders to carry out. The one among them who had done much of the talking so far turned once again to the son of Eldarion and Lunea. "So, you have power, but can you summon it when you need to?"
"I just did didn't I?"
"Yes, but can you do it again?" The Death Eater raised his wand, in a second attempt at casting the curse. "Crucio."
Wesley raised his hand, another glimmer of light came from his hand, the light was aimed at the wand. The wand burst into flames.
One of the Death Eaters cast a spell to extinguish the fire, while another turned to Wesley. "We can cast fire, too." He raised his wand and said the word, "Combustable"
Wesley looked at the other's wand, it was extinguished.
The Death Eaters took a moment before making their next move. This man was doing well in the duel for having no training, but could have block more than one of them at the same time. Two death eaters raised their wands, and, at the same time, spoke a word of power.
"Duck" he told them
Wesley used a spell of protection around himself.
"You are quite talented for one with no training," the lead Death Eater remarked. He aimed a bolt of power at Wesley in an attempt to break the spell of protection. Two of the other Death Eaters did the same.
"Yes well, I have noticed this as well."
The other two Death Eaters added their power to the attempt to break the protection spell.
When they sensed that the protection spell was broken, the lead Death Eater, took a brief minute to think of a curse. Something had to be done to end this duel soon or it would continue indefinitely. And, he wanted to report to Leareth before doing anything permanent. So, he cast a spell that would just knock Wesley out for a while. He used to the strongest version of the spell, to increase the length of time it would last.
Wesley gets hit, his eyes close and he starts to fall. Angel catches him and looks at the others.
"I think its time to go."
That evening, the Death Eater from the park came to Leareth's hotel room. Leareth had been expecting a report, and wanted it over so he could return to his training of Mordel's child.
"Do you have anything of importance to report?" Leareth asked, his attention only half on the Death Eater.
"Actually, yes, I do. I have located the son of Lunea and Eldarion."
"I would have taken care of that. Where is he?"
"I would assume he is at the Hyperion. And he'll be there for a few days. He's not injured, though. I figured I would leave his fate to you."
"Very generous of you."
"Do you have any more instructions for me?"
"I know you desire to return to the war, but we are fighting a war of our own here. Wait, until I give you further instructions." With a gesture, Leareth dismissed the Death Eater. He had to place a call to Wolfram and Hart, and another to his new ally. Soon, though, his plans would bear fruit. The legitimate heir of Eldarion would be disposed of, as would any hope of summoning the Circle of Mage.