CHAPTER 38

Penitent

(Surprise! Bet you didn't expect this! I've edited it a few times, but it hasn't been beta'd. I could have kept working on it for weeks and made it shinier, but I think you'd rather have this sooner rather than later. This chapter has plenty of serious business and lots of crack. Hopefully, you'll find it humorous and informative. Let me know if I did any info dumping.)

"So this is the one you told me about?" Azrael asked and gently floated off of Frankenstein's back.

"Yes. His name is Frankenstein." Raizel stepped closer to his brother and joined him in gazing down at the terribly injured man. Raizel replaced the earring he'd removed before leaving the mansion and sighed. Frankenstein wouldn't be happy knowing Azrael had seen him in his current condition.

"What is that?" Azrael asked, staring at the earring.

"A seal the Lord gave me." The instant the words left his mouth, Raizel realized his mistake. To be so weak would bring out Azrael's grief and protective nature. Considering the current crowd, there wouldn't be time for that conversation. It needed to happen soon, before Azrael could become more distressed.

"Azrael!" the Lord called out, waving an arm in the air.

"Get away from Sir Raizel!" Urokai shouted.

The aura of Dragus drew Raizel's attention. Footsteps hurried across the debris, but before they could reach the two Noblesse, Azrael lowered himself to one knee and dropped his head, distracting Raizel from his concerns.

"Cadis Etrama Di Raizel, I beg your forgiveness for my transgressions against you."

There it was. Raizel hoped that Azrael wasn't already making plans to try and fix him. Again.

"Rise, Azrael. You were forgiven even before I sentenced you."

As soon as Azrael rose, Dragus swept down between the two brothers.

"I've heard of you! Don't you dare touch him!"

The Lord grabbed the pole of Urokai's soul weapon and lifted it away. "It's all right, Urokai."

Raizel blinked, slowly. Urokai had no idea how Azrael would react to such a challenge. Azrael stared at Urokai and without taking his eyes away reached out and poked Raizel's shoulder.

"Please behave," the Lord said to both Urokai and Azrael then turned his attention to his two most trusted subjects. "Gejutel, would you and Ragar take Frankenstein...somewhere to heal?"

They were taking away his companion so soon? "Wait." He couldn't really gainsay the Lord's order, but there was one thing he could do. Waving a hand, power swirled over Frankenstein. Raizel replaced Frankenstein's clothes, and lack thereof, with material made of the softest cloth he could weave, what he always used on the rare occasion Frankenstein allowed him to dress an injury.

Frankenstein might not be aware, but Raizel could physically feel the careful hoarding of these clothes. Raizel wouldn't miss the opportunity to give his companion this small gift while providing necessary clothing. For all Frankenstein provided, the opportunity to return the favor was rare and cherished.

"We will find a room for him at his home," Gejutel told Sir Raizel then gently wrapped Frankenstein in his cloak, not that he cared. However, there were concerned observers.

"Now!" said the Lord with a clap, a grin, and a toss of his long blond hair. "I didn't expect to see you so soon, Azrael! Good job, Raizel!"

'So, the Lord knows.' By now, Raizel didn't know what to think because there were so many things to process. He found his servant in a terrible state and surrounded by nobles who wanted him dead, rescues Frankenstein, Azrael pops up, literally, everyone is so loud, and now, Frankenstein is gone.

"I should be with Frankenstein, not here, but I can't leave now. Is Azrael coming with me?"

"I don't trust this… this Azrael person," Urokai protested.

Azrael focused on Urokai then held out his hand, palm up. Blood swirled slowly above his palm creating a marble-sized sphere that gradually turned silvery white. He almost laughed when Urokai took a step back behind the Lord. The now solid bobble dropped to rest in Azrael's palm.

"Have any of you seen one of these before?" he asked, eyes never leaving Urokai.

'What is it?'

"Hm, I haven't. Why?" the Lord asked.

Raizel shook his head. Urokai nodded, as did Roctis, who then scanned their surroundings.

"Where are Lagus and Zarga?" Roctis asked.

Raizel looked around as well. He hadn't really noticed when they'd left.

"They probably ran as soon as they saw me. Lagus told you that this little thing would make you feel better, right?" Azrael tossed the bobble up and caught it.

"Yeah, not long after Frankenstein came here!" Urokai replied.

Roctis followed up. "Not long after Cadis Etrama Di Raizel sentenced Sir Azrael.

"It's a direct conduit to your body and mind, like a contract, except you can't sense Lagus, but he can directly influence your thoughts and body. Has anyone noticed any strange or unusual behaviors?"

'Perhaps my barrier around Azrael's soul cut off Lagus' access? Or maybe his control is only possible when there is a flesh and blood body?'

"Urokai has been more agitated than usual," Roctis replied.

"And you've been more secretive," the Lord added, pointing at Roctis.

"And I turned on the humans and my brother who protected them," Azrael added. He handed Raizel the sphere.

Raizel's eyes widened, but he took the dangerous little thing. It seemed harmless enough, but what should he do with it? Maybe Frankenstein should study it. He was a scientist after all. Or should he simply destroy it?

"How did you know?" Urokai asked. There were tears in his eyes when he glanced at Raizel.

"Thanks to Raizel, I've had millenia to figure it out."

'This explains why everyone has changed so much.'

"Hm, we should probably get those things out of you and track down Lagus and Zarga. Raizel! You are temporarily retired!" The Lord's words were firm and he actually pointed at Raizel. "Azrael, how do we get that thing out of these two?"

'Can the Lord actually force me to abandon my duty as Noblesse?'

"I could do it right now, or you could take them to the Elenor clan," Azrael offered.

"We do have a hospital and doctors. Don't you think they could do it?"

"What is a hospital and doctors?"

"Oh right, forgot. You've been out of commission for quite some time. I can't believe it didn't take an eternity!"

"I had Raizel for company," Azrael replied and smiled at Raizel.

"Still, shaving off almost 3,000 years is impressive, especially with that thing inside you!"

"You mean eternity isn't forever?" Urokai asked.

The Lord flapped a hand and shook his head. "It's a convenient shortcut. There was a time when humans couldn't count past 10,000, so we just used their word, eternity. It's use became a habit for referring to our lengthy slumber. This world can change dramatically in so little time. Of course, that figure is a minimum. Some nobles never wake up! Anyway! Someone overlooked that in your education! Or...maybe you weren't paying attention when humans were brought up in your history studies?"

The Lord raised an eyebrow at Urokai until the clan leader dropped his eyes.

"All right! We need these things out of you, but we also need to track down Lagus and Zarga. Hm, which should we do first?"

Raizel stepped toward Urokai. 'It would be dangerous for them to leave without the removal first and I will experience no more pain than what is already coming.'

"I want it out right now!" Urokai practically shouted at the Lord.

"With your permission Lord, I will do this for him," Azrael offered.

"No, I will do it," Raizel said, looking sideways at his brother.

"But, it would hurt you, Sir Raizel," Urokai protested.

Raizel wouldn't normally insist, but if Azrael witnessed Urokai's memories, he might believe he should execute Urokai, and anyone Raizel could save was better than losing a friend.

"It requires full access, Urokai," Raizel argued.

"Even...my memories?"

"Allow Raizel to do it," the Lord interrupted.

"But...it will hurt him and he just used his power on that, that human," Urokai pointed out.

"I will be fine, Urokai."

"I would rather that guy does it because—because my memories will make Raizel sad," Urokai said in a rush so fast all the words ran together and it took a few moments for Raizel to untangle it all.

Raizel tipped his head to the side and frowned. 'Didn't Urokai just say he didn't trust Azrael?'

"Urokai, any sadness will be overcome by my relief that you won't be executed."

"I know! You can be his guide back home, Urokai! There! A favor for a favor. Problem solved!"

The Lord's smile, full of teeth, didn't reassure Raizel, at all. Just the opposite. Chasing right after that was the realization that the Lord had just exposed his directional impairment. Of course, Azrael knew. And, who told the Lord? Raizel could feel the heat spread across his face.

Urokai frowned. "You would get lost?"

"Yes, he would!" the Lord singsonged.

Urokai looked at Raizel and frowned. "Is he serious?"

This was too embarrassing, so Raizel acknowledged the problem with a barely perceptible nod and removed the earring in preparation for helping Urokai. The Lord could be so distracting and Raizel wanted to see Frankenstein.

"It's one of the things Frankenstein is good for. I know Raizel won't get lost if he has his guide!"

A few heartbeats of silence and Urokai acquiesced. "Okay...fine."

Drops of blood swirled in the air, growing thicker until Raizel established a blood field around everyone. All present, except Azrael, moved away.

"Kneel."

It wasn't a command, just an instruction. Urokai made himself comfortable on both knees. Once he settled down, Raizel reached out and placed one hand on Urokai's head. He really didn't need to, but it might be a small comfort to Urokai.

It was Raizel, not the Noblesse, who carefully entered Urokai's mind, gradually spreading his power throughout the clan leader's body. A red mist enveloped Urokai and he grunted in discomfort. The eye pained him most, so Raizel took care of that first. Yes, it could have been done by the doctors, but this would be quicker and it would keep the original discomfort from interfering with the process.

Once Raizel familiarized himself with what was Urokai and what was foreign, he gently leached the foreign presence from Urokai's blood, body, and mind. Ignoring Urokai's thoughts and memories was impossible. They were simply too loud. His mind contained tears, cracks, and jumbled balls of fragmented memories. The darker, stained, and independent pieces that didn't feel like Urokai, Raizel teased away and added to the mist.

'Is this what Frankenstein sees when he cleans?' What didn't belong to Urokai made Raizel feel almost sick. If so, Raizel understood Frankenstein's obsessive cleaning.

Outside of Raizel's awareness, Azrael stepped closer and siphoned the mist into the palm of one hand. He laid the other hand on Raizel's shoulder, surreptitiously sending him power. Raizel did feel it, but wasn't in any position to protest.

Urokai's memories were just as loud as his mouth and were a great difficulty to manage. Some weren't real, but implanted. Others were real and showed the criminal activities he'd engaged in. But, Urokai could be forgiven. Between the poisonous pill he'd taken and Lagus' manipulation, Raizel couldn't say that Urokai had been responsible for any of the plans to assassinate the Noblesse or for the plans to kill any of the other loyal clan leaders. Urokai's dislike of humans, and Frankenstein in particular, was a direct result of the manipulation used to warp Urokai's views of the world. There were so many memories of Lagus, Zarga and others condemning humans, nobles who protected them, the Lord, Raizel, and Frankenstein in particular. 'Why is Frankenstein so important that he is a focus of so much hatred?'

This certainly explained the method used to manipulate Azrael. He would ponder all of these memories once back at his window. For now, his work with Urokai was finished.

It was good that freedom to choose the right path now lay in Urokai's own hands. What he would do with that was anyone's guess. Raizel opened his eyes, gazed down at the clan leader, and slid his hand away from Urokai's head. Urokai blinked up at him and a drop of blood splattered on Urokai's right cheek. Raizel managed to cover his mouth and step away from Urokai and Azrael before he coughed. Blood spilled over his fingers.

'I shouldn't be surprised that this happened so soon.' He glanced at Azrael and there was that look of heartache. Raizel steeled himself against it. The past would not be repeated.

"Raizel, I'll take care of Roctis. The sooner we're finished the better."

Raizel nodded at Azrael and vanished away the mess on his face and fingers, but left the blood field intact. Roctis immediately took the same kneeling position as Urokai had, dropping down in front of Azrael.

"Azrael."

"Yes, little brother?"

"Hold your temper and ignore his transgressions. Please."

Azrael nodded. It took longer with the older clan leader. Perhaps Roctis had been affected worse because he had been in Lagus' clutches much longer than Urokai.

While Azrael worked, Raizel looked after Urokai. The red head wasn't quite steady on his feet. The Lord eyed him from behind, probably to catch him in the event he fell. Raizel placed himself in front of Urokai and patted his shoulder. Maybe that would help?

"I'm so sorry, Sir Raizel," Urokai muttered. "I think maybe I should go into confinement. My head is a mess and I don't know what I'll do."

"Well, since you agreed to take Sir Raizel home, you could just stay there and he can watch over you!" the Lord said with more cheer than necessary. "You wouldn't want to send Urokai to confinement, would you, Raizel!?"

Raizel's eyes widened. Of course he didn't want Urokai to go into confinement.

'The Lord is right. Confinement might make Urokai worse. But, Frankenstein will return and he definitely won't be happy to have Urokai in our home. It would be rude of me to do this without Frankenstein's knowledge. But...confinement? The wounds to Urokai's mind and spirit are too severe to heal in isolation.'

"Ah, I forgot. There is only one decision you don't need to think about. You refuse to become Lord and live in the palace! I can tell you are having difficulty with this one. Hm."

"Ung," Urokai groaned and palmed the left side of his head. "I refuse to live with Frankenstein."

"Well, I think it's the perfect choice! You need to adjust your view of humans and Frankenstein can teach you! You could use Raizel as a role model to improve your attitude and behavior. Raizel would have more company. Isn't that right, Raizel?"

Raizel blinked. The Lord was speaking much too quickly. 'Didn't Urokai say he didn't want to live with Frankenstein? I know Frankenstein might decide it would be better to simply kill Urokai, but he wouldn't do that without my permission. Would he?'

The Lord sighed dramatically.

"Raizel. This is the perfect situation. According to Ragar and Gejutel, Frankenstein is a sharp man and likes to talk. He could help Urokai unlearn all the things he's been told. In fact, I'm positive Frankenstein would want to help. So, you have someone to keep Frankenstein company, I have someone to teach Urokai, and you have two people keeping you company instead of just one! See!? Perfection!"

'Two people? What about Azrael? Where will he live? In the castle? I need to speak with Azrael and make certain he knows to stop trying to fix me.''

And then there was another problem.

'I'm supposed to teach Urokai how to behave? How?'

"Just give it a try, for me?" the Lord asked. It sounded more like begging.

"You can take the barrier down now. You shouldn't have left it up," Azrael said as he approached Raizel.

Raizel allowed the field to drop then noticed that Roctis was lying on the ground groaning. He frowned and turned to Azrael.

"Oh, don't give me that look. He was struggling, so it affected him more. Plus, that thing had been inside of him much longer than Urokai's."

Azrael gave Raizel a shit-eating grin.

"I...see."

"Don't worry, I'm sure he'll be able to walk, talk, and feed himself in a few...minutes? Also, I have names of clan leaders who are planning to betray us."

"Is that so? Hm, well, I guess we should wait for Roctis to recover. He'll come with me. You as well, Azrael. We need to round up these traitors and find out what's what. Raizel, once Urokai steadies himself, you should go home and rest. You aren't well enough yet to do anything more today. "

"Lord," Azrael interrupted. "You should know that the nobles are colluding with werewolves."

'Muzaka?'

Azrael glanced at Raizel and silently shook his head.

'So, he heard me speak of my friend, Muzaka.' Raizel didn't have time to bask in the revelation that Azrael had heard much of what he'd said. There had been a lot. Frankenstein had been with him for well over ten years now and he'd been following his servant's lead, even if it did take awhile to sink in that Frankenstein needed him to listen.

"Urokai? Is it true?" the Lord asked.

"I've heard they are, but I haven't been invited to their meetings yet. I only know about us." He paused for a moment. "And, Edian. Oh, and~" Urokai's eyes flicked to Roctis. "Um, Ignes Kravei."

Azrael nodded. "There's more, but not many. I think at least one or two have already abandoned Lukedonia."

"I'm certain Lagus and Zarga plan to flee as well. I just hope we're in time to catch them," the Lord responded.

Roctis groaned and rolled to his side. Raizel finally decided to help his friend. Urokai seemed to be doing better. Roctis may have planned to betray him, but he had been under someone else's influence. Raizel had never stopped considering Roctis his friend, though he'd had doubts because of all the interest in Frankenstein. He offered Roctis a hand. Instead of taking it, Roctis fished around in his robe then pulled out a handkerchief and handed it to Raizel. The timing couldn't have been better. Blood trickled from Raizel's right nostril.

"Thank you." Raizel took the cloth and cleaned his face. He could have taken care of it with his power, but he wouldn't deny Roctis an opportunity to make amends. Blood trickled from his right ear. Ah, how embarrassing.

At least Raizel could look forward to the food he'd left on the table. The tea would be cold, but there was plenty of sugar to make up for it. There might even be enough for Urokai. That thought brought him a bit of relief. Of course, when he remembered that his brother was running off to do his job, the relief didn't last all that long. He stared down at the kerchief and Roctis' head came into view.

"Cadis Etrama Di Raizel. If it is your will, please forgive or punish me however you see fit. In an effort to save my daughter from herself, I have betrayed you and all of Lukedonia," Roctis said, his head bowed low.

"I have never had children, so I do not understand your feelings. However, it is possible you would have saved her in a different manner had you not been under the influence of Lagus' poison. You are forgiven."

"I have no knowledge of her taking the poison. If she hasn't, then it is too late for her. She follows Lagus Tradio like a duckling follows its mother."

If Roctis was right, Raizel had no idea how to comfort him, particularly considering it would probably be his brother that sentenced Ignes.

"Raizel," Azrael said from behind.

Raizel turned and stood facing his brother.

"When I touched you, I noticed that your earring confines your power."

Raizel nodded. It wasn't anything he needed to keep secret from his brother, but why would Azrael bring it up again?

Azrael glanced at the Lord then turned his gaze back to the earring. "He doesn't hear them anymore?"

"Not near so much and he could block out the rest," the Lord replied.

"That explains it then," Azrael said. "You couldn't hear their plans to harm you. I'm not sure that is such a good thing."

"The purpose is to extend his life," the Lord answered.

Azrael's lips pinched together in a thin line. "Raizel~"

"No. You will not walk that path again, brother." Raizel's words wear crisp with finality.

Azrael took a deep breath and let it out. "I will not. That doesn't mean I couldn't share enough power to keep you alive just like I did before. And, I can continue my duties so that you can conserve your life force. You do not recover like I do."

Raizel couldn't say anything. He wanted to argue that it would be a first step in the wrong direction, but he couldn't prove it. All the arguments he'd had with himself to prepare for Azrael's eventual awakening fell short. He couldn't prove that keeping him alive would lead Azrael down the wrong path. And, he would never even consider depriving his brother of free agency.

"Raizel, it does not harm me to help you."

"It already did," Raizel stated flatly.

"Don't pout! I was influenced by the wrong people! That doesn't mean I still can't help."

A hand landed on Raizel's shoulder from behind and squeezed. It was the Lord's.

"I will take care of Azrael. Let him take care of you."

There wasn't much he could say to the Lord's words. But this time, he would also take care to watch over his brother more closely. That might mean leaving the manor more often, but the Lord was right. Frankenstein made a good guide so he wouldn't get lost.

"All right! Time to go catch us some traitors!" the Lord said with a clap then turned and began walking away, waving his arms. "I haven't had this much fun since Frankenstein came to the island! What a man! And, with Azrael here, life will be twice as entertaining!"

Raizel wasn't certain that entertaining the Lord was such a good thing. His brother patted him on the shoulder then followed behind the Lord, Roctis between them. Could Azrael take care of himself so soon? And, shouldn't Ragar and Gejutel go as well? Of course, the Lord did have other people.

Behind him, Urokai cleared his throat. "Should we leave now?"

Raizel nodded and waited for Urokai to lead the way. He should probably check on Frankenstein. After a few minutes of cataloguing all the different shades of red in Urokai's hair and generally giving his brain a rest, he realized that the Lord had given him an impossible task.

'How am I supposed to mould Urokai's behavior into something elegant? Frankenstein tries to please me with his. He wants to do it, most of the time. Urokai? He's a noble, not a human. And currently, his attitude toward humans is...not good.'

The longer they trudged toward home—at least Raizel thought Urokai wouldn't take him in the wrong direction—the more tension he noticed in the set of Urokai's shoulders.

'What is he expecting that would make him nervous? Or is it something else? Could he be uncomfortable with the living arrangements? There is nothing to fear. Hm."

Problem solving wasn't Raizel's forte, but he felt the need to do something because the Lord had made Urokai his responsibility.

'Responsibility? Is that how I should approach Urokai? What would be Urokai's responsibility? He's a clan leader, responsible to the Lord and nobles of his clan. There should be something more personal than duty. What more does Urokai have? His soul weapon? Could that work?'

"We're almost there, Sir Raizel," Urokai said, breaking Raizel's train of thought.

Raizel was completely out of his depth and might insult Urokai, but he couldn't fail if he didn't try. Either way, the Lord entrusted him with this responsibility. No time like the present to get it over with and brave the potential storm. Raizel stopped in his tracks.

"Urokai."

"Yes?" Urokai stopped and turned around.

"Take out Dragus."

"Uh, why?"

Raizel tipped his head to the right. 'Because I told you to?'

Urokai sighed and brought out his soul weapon.

"This belongs to you, and one day, you will pass it down to your heir, leaving your soul to take up residence in Dragus."

Raizel paused to let his words sink in. He reached out and delicately touched the blade.

"I have no such weapon. Dragus is quite elegant. Now that your mind and body are your own, strive to be worthy of it."

Raizel stared at Urokai's wide eyes and released the weapon. All of the noise and decisions only made him long for his window. He just wanted some peace to absorb everything that had happened. Hopefully, this would be enough to encourage Urokai to seek out elegant behaviors that would impress the Lord.

"As leader of the Agvain clan, I will do my best, Sir Raizel."

Urokai put Dragus away and restarted their trek. They must be close. He could feel Gejutel's and Ragar's auras getting stronger. Frankenstein's was so very faint. It worried him, but if he could find the others, he could see Frankenstein and know that his companion was fine.

Once the mansion came into view, Raizel split away from Urokai. He could feel them on the side opposite his window and remembered the door he'd gone through to find Frankenstein outside chopping wood. At least, he hoped it was on that side. How he'd ever found Frankenstein that day, he had no clue, aside from following Frankenstein's aura. Of course, he'd found more walls than doors and it had taken some time. He hoped to do better this time, especially since Urokai followed him.

He'd found the place where Frankenstein had chopped wood, but the auras were further down the wall instead of inside the door. He passed many windows before he encountered another door. To be so far off in his speculation of their whereabouts, using so much power earlier may have temporarily interfered with his senses.

The door he'd found wasn't near as large as those in front of the mansion, but much smaller. It looked somewhat familiar. When he opened it, he knew exactly where this was. A short and narrow hallway, floor of rough stone, and walls of wooden slats painted gray were lit only by the sun shining from behind him. The doorway across from him led inside the mansion, the door to the right, Frankenstein's little hideaway, where he went when he was more grievously injured than usual.

'So, Gejutel and Ragar know of this place. At least I'll know how to get back to my window. Maybe.'

Raizel opened the door to see the washroom where Frankenstein would wash and treat his wounds. Right, the bedroom was the opposite door. Ragar and Gejutel were standing next to Frankenstein's bed. They stepped back to allow him room to get to the bed, but what he noticed first were the chips in the walls.

'Did he fight Dark Spear since they brought him back?' Raizel was certain he'd repaired the walls the last time he had watched over Frankenstein on a particularly bad night. 'Perhaps he has been here since then. Can he block me from sensing him? Is it a new thing?'

Raizel glanced at Ragar, who nodded.

"All is well. There were no mishaps."

Gejutel grunted in agreement. "Ragar and I have decided to watch over Frankenstein until he awakens. Would you like some time alone with him?"

Raizel frowned. It was difficult enough to see his companion wounded like this and even harder to prevent himself from healing Frankenstein. The only thing that ever stopped him was Frankenstein's disapproval. Worse, he'd already broken an unspoken acknowledgement to stay out of the stubborn man's mind—as much as he could anyway. He was getting better at it.

Despite how much he would like to stay, Raizel shook his head. In this circumstance, Frankenstein was too much of a temptation. Why torture himself? Raizel left the room and joined Urokai in the hall.

"How is he?" Urokai asked.

That was a strange and shocking shift in Urokai's behavior. "He is unconscious."

Raizel turned and opened the door, only to find the outside. He sighed, closed the door and walked to the opposite door. Finally, back in the mansion. Now, if he could keep proper count, he'd make it back to his window. Turn right out the door. Done. Next keep walking down the long hall and take second left. Silently reciting the directions he'd memorized, Raizel watched for a left corridor.

"Sir Raizel, I'm really not sure I should stay here. I...haven't treated Frankenstein well and I still don't really like him," Urokai said from behind.

Raizel wasn't certain what to say. Their relationship could change, but those two were so stubborn he couldn't see it happening, bar some miracle.

"I mean, I tormented him quite a bit during his punishment."

Raizel stopped walking. First, why hadn't Frankenstein mentioned what he'd suffered? And now? 'Is it the first or second left?'

"He might want some revenge for that. Then there's this, him losing control of his soul weapon, if you could call it that."

Raizel turned around, displeasure plain on his face. He well remembered the last time he'd felt annoyed, but Urokai's behavior eclipsed the threats Edian had cast Frankenstein's way. Was there a word for 'more than annoyed', but not enough to kill? Enraged? No, that goes too far. How about…'offended'? Close. 'Indignant'. Yes, that works. Urokai had tormented Frankenstein, his companion, butler, cook, everything. Of course he's indignant!

It was a good thing Urokai had admitted his guilt. It somewhat cleared up Raizel's confusion about the situation. The young clan leader deserved whatever Frankenstein dished out. The two could have at it as long as they kept it away from him and his window. That feels much better. Maybe he needed to become indignant more often.

Urokai's face came into focus and he was sweating. Good. Now all Raizel had to do was find his window. Right. He remembered to turn around and started back down the hall.

At the next intersection, Raizel confidently decided to make a right turn.

Notes: I want to thank all my readers. You have been such a great source of joy, comfort, and encouragement. I love you all. I'm feeling better, and my memory is improving, so I'm hoping that soon I'll be able to reply to reviews/comments at the end of chapters.)