Chapter 32:

-

"Joe!" Glenn shouted happily. "Not a moment too soon!"

"I see I've missed quite a bit in the short time I've been away," Joe said, stepping down the stairs into the Pentagram with the rest of them. "James requesting to marry Beatrice… Never would've guessed it."

"What are you doing here, Joseph?" his father snapped at him.

"I'm here to formally resign from the Covenant…" --James's heart lifted in hope-- "Or I will take my proper place and provide an heir… only if you will allow me to choose my own bride."

"Council will disregard the request," Joe's father overruled. "I will convene a private session with my son before the matter is taken."

"Everyone, save for the Garwin heir, is excused," Glenn's grandfather pounded the gavel and the Sons gathered their things to leave. Soon, the room had emptied for all but Joe, the Council elders, and James hiding in the shadows on the top of the stairs. He just had to know if Joe was really coming back to take his place in the Covenant or not.

"I know where your heart lies, son," Joe's father said boldly. "I know you wish for me to allow you to marry the harlot."

"Father, she is--"

"—I am NOT through speaking!" Joe's father interrupted loudly. "I will not have a prostitute bear the family name."

"Then I shall not bear the name either, and the name will die with me," Joe reasoned. "Your icy soul has driven me to lose my respect for it, and I will leave it behind without a second thought. I will have my way, or you will have nothing."

"Let's take some time to pause," Glenn's father suggested. "We have other pressing matters, and this needs time to cool. We will decide on the matter when next we meet."

Joe smiled in his victory, and James couldn't help but do the opposite. He wasn't back on top officially yet. There was a chance Joe could be ruled back in by force.

James stepped back up the stairs and exited to catch up with the rest of the current Covenant, but he was surprised to see that they were already waiting outside the door. Glenn had his arms folded and Wayne had his hands in his pockets.

"Is spying part of the Covenant's policies now?" Glenn asked facetiously. Wayne cast his eyes elsewhere, as if he didn't want much part of this. James glared at them both, but didn't answer, just pushed through them to continue on his way.

"Now that Joe's back, things are going to go back to how they were," Glenn called at his back. "Joe will always be our leader. Whether our fathers vote him back or not, we will never follow you."

"There you go dreaming again, Glenn…" James smiled his doubts over his shoulder.

"Take a look at yourself, would ya?" Glenn shouted to him. "You're letting the Power go to your head. It's changing you, Jimmy! You'll become just like your father."

"Yeah, sure thing," Jimmy retorted sarcastically, climbing into his car and heading out on his way.

-

Beatrice sighed at the window of her dorm. The light of the moon made the diamond on her finger shine blue. She fanned out her fingers to get a good look at it. She didn't want to admit to anyone else that it just didn't feel right. She didn't know if it was just because she felt strange being engaged, or if it was…

No. Beatrice shook her head, wondering where this madness had ever come from. She would not allow herself to suffer heartache over such a worthless man like Wayne. She was getting married to her best friend. That was that. Who needed flaming hot passion anyway? Not her. She was going to live a good steady life. Raise a few kids, spend her days at home being the good little housewife…

Beatrice suddenly stood up, clenching her fists to the air. She threw her chair to the floor, and swept off all contents from her desk in rage, yet still didn't feel satisfied. Why wasn't life fair? Why wasn't Wayne faithful, or better yet, why wasn't James more exciting?

And speak of the devil, as James himself stormed into her room, as livid as she was.

"The nerve of that stupid Council!" James said, pacing around the mess Beatrice had made on the floor. "First they have to 'consider' letting me marry you, as if Wayne has some staked claim on your life, then my father makes me look bad by getting addicted to the Power and sent in Council rehab, and now my place as leader is being questioned all because JOE decides he's homesick--"

"Wait, Joe's back?" Beatrice said with some excitement. "Thank Go--"

Beatrice froze before she completed the sentence, but James still whirled around with fury in his eyes.

"What was that?" he dared. Beatrice frowned, knowing he wasn't going to want to hear what she had to say.

"Jimmy, even you have to admit he's a better leader, and I think this power is starting to go to your head…"

"IT'S ALREADY GONE TO MY HEAD!" James shouted, and Beatrice inhaled abruptly at his tone.

"You need help, Jimmy," Beatrice informed him. "Before you end up just like your old man."

With that, she moved around him to head for the door. He grabbed at her arm. It hurt her, but Beatrice didn't let it show.

"Where are you going?" James demanded. "I wanted to stay with you tonight."

"Looks like you'll be sleeping alone," Beatrice chuckled snidely, violently shaking off his hold on her.

"You have to come back to your room sometime," James called after her.

"Do I?" Beatrice retorted, then slammed the door on her way out.

-

Joe walked in silence with Wayne and Glenn back to the dorms. There was a tension in the air, as they strolled down the peaceful, dark, and empty hallway. He and Wayne couldn't help but notice Glenn biting his lip and cringing at every sharp movement. Every so often Wayne would pass a confused look his way, but Glenn never explained his discomfort, even when they said their good-bye's to Joe. After Joe walked off, Wayne finally sighed his frustration.

"Oh, would you just come out with it, Glenn?" Wayne heaved. "Something's obviously on the tip of your tongue, just say it."

"Wayne," Glenn shivered as if it was cold. They stopped walking in the middle of the hall, barely ten feet away from their dorm door. "I don't know how to tell you this…"

"Lay it on me," Wayne replied, then frowned at his choice of words. "Funny, I usually say that to a woman…"

Wayne chuckled at his own joke, but Glenn grabbed at his shoulder to make him face him.

"This is serious, Wayne," Glenn huffed. "On the way out of the Council meeting today, I was just so mad… I decided to dive into Jimmy's thoughts, and…"

Wayne was suddenly very solemn. He put his hands on Glenn's shoulders as well, so that they look like a two-man huddle. Wayne spoke very slowly and clearly, not allowing Glenn to miss a beat.

"What… did you hear… him think?"

Wayne suspected he already knew the answer by the frightened look on Glenn's face.

"IthinkBeatricemightbeintrouble," Glenn replied all in one word.

"I'll kill 'im," Wayne was already halfway back down the hallway they had just came from.

"Wayne!" Glenn called after him. "He's not in his right mind-- Give it a chance to die down!"

"Oh, I'll let him die down," Wayne retorted as he turned the corner out of sight and earshot.

Glenn sighed, regretting his decision to blab his eavesdrop. Glenn looked around for inspiration to come for some sort of help. That's when he spotted the exit door. He could go after Joe. There might still be time to catch him if he hurried. Joe would know what to do.

-

Wayne was the second person to burst into Beatrice's room that night, only this time, Beatrice wasn't there. He was surprised to see James alone on her bed, her room a broken mess, chair overturned and desktop items all over the hardwood floor.

"Where's Beatrice?!" Wayne demanded, pointing a finger at the offensive James.

"If I knew, would I be here waiting for her?" James replied curtly.

"What did you do to her?"

"Nothing, not a thing," James said honestly, rising from his seat. "But let me just say, if she had stuck around for just a moment longer, just enough time for me to finish winding up that wonderful little lust bomb I had behind my back--"

"You wouldn't dare," Wayne snarled, getting up in his face.

"Oh, I would," James smirked. "Because she's mine, and not yours, Wayne. That's how it's always going to be when it comes to Beatrice. She'd rather sleep with a cactus than with you, understand?"

Wayne yanked a fistful of James' collar up to his face, winding up a good punch. That's when Joe and Glenn came running in the doorway, pausing to gather the situation.

"Wayne, let go of Jimmy," Joe said calmly.

"You have a death wish, don't ya, Danvers?!" Wayne shouted. "Just tell me where Beatrice is, and I might just spare your miserable life!"

"Wayne…" Joe tried again.

"If I knew where she was, do you think I'd be here waiting for her? No, I'd be banging the hell out of her, that's where I'd be--"

Wayne let his fist fly, but Joe caught it before it made contact, separating the feuding men.

"Wayne!" Joe scolded. "James! For God's sake, you're Covenant brothers!"

He looked at both of them in utter shock, his brow furrowed in deep concern.

"What the hell have I missed while I was away?"

-

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Signed,
--RedRogue