Chapter 2 (e): Hidden Staircases (...Contd.)

Nodding Rinzen hummed, "Yes", he said elongating the 'S' dramatically, "Why is that so shocking, there are sheriffs in every city, sanctuary, and any densely populated area that holds a Venerer Department", he pointed out.

"Well yeah", Ray started, and "I just didn't picture you as a sheriff's son", he answered honestly.

Rinzen frowned quizzically; "I wonder if I'm supposed to be offended by that", he muttered half to himself.

"I mean", Ray waved his hand. "I have met sons and daughters and others from families that have sheriffs in their homes, I just, they're—" he flailed wildly mouthing words without actually saying anything.

"Well aren't you articulate", Rinzen huffed rolling his eyes.

Ash stepped forward, "I mean I get what he's trying, and so obviously failing to say", he said ignoring Ray who scowled at him, but the blonde closed his mouth and let Ash take over, "I mean, I think we as a collective unit can agree when we say most kids who have a sheriff as acquaintances or family members, act like the world is their oyster like they could get away with anything. And usually, they're powerful, like powerful, powerful", he flailed.

"That's putting us all in a stereotypical box", Rinzen pointed out.

*Then again, it's not like you're wrong, take Jenna and Edward and Jackson for that matter.*

Zee stepped forward, "I mean that's true, and apologies for that, but sheriffs hold a high position, they're practically the right-hand person to a president, you know if we still had presidents and not Elders", she paused, "I mean the only reason Elders were brought in and voted as Leaders of populated areas is because Venerers have a lot of decision making power. They could burn the world to the ground if an Elder wasn't sworn in to shield us from them. They're the reason the Big war originally started you know", they reminded ever so gently.

Rinzen glared, "Are you trying to say my father is some kind of terrorist?" he asked sharply.

"No!" Bell raised both hands placating, "No, of course not. That was, that was bad wording", she gestured at Zee who took a step back, "We are not calling your father a terrorist or a bad person, or anything bad in general. And we apologize for stereotyping your family, it's just you hear these things on the news and by hearsay and I think out of the six of us, we've all met a sheriff and their children, and I guess we all have had bad experiences. But that's a probability", she summarized succinctly, "I guess the reason we were all just shocked is, that you're modest and like humble and you just have this air that doesn't really give off as an air of royalty", she shrugged weakly

Rinzen frowned "Sheriff Kids are royalty?" he asked baffled.

*True… but I'm not going to agree with the sentiment, out loud.*

"Kind of", Ray answered honestly, "I mean you're the son of a Venerer, isn't that a blood-bound position?" he asked curiously.

Rinzen shrugged, "I mean it used to be", he answered, "But my twin-sister is studying to be a doctor and my older brother is studying to be an engineer", he answered, "And my father wasn't born into a family of Venerers", he answered much to everyone's consternation, "Neither was my mother", he added answering their unspoken question, "Dad's the first Venerer of his family line, grams used to tell me, she was shocked stupid when he decided to be a Venerer, and Grandpa said he almost wrote him off the will, but mom used to tell us stories when we were kids, how dad just couldn't handle bad things happening to Magicks anymore, and how justice wasn't being done right", he answered at length, "He was still a deputy when my sister and I were born, and he worked hard, sometimes a little too hard", he muttered and then exhaled, "But the point is he became a sheriff five years after I was born and he's a good man, which also means he made a lot of enemies and after my elder brother was abducted by a bunch of warlocks", he paused at Bell's gasp and pat her gently on the head;

"It's okay, he was okay, apparently they weren't the smartest bunch on the planet, and dad found him in two hours", he laughed still amused at mom's rendition of the story, and Edward always gushed practically going beyond hero-worship just to watch dad blush, he smiled lost in a memory, "After that dad sat us all down and explained that any correspondences, messages, strangers and things that weren't checked by the security team should be eyed with a heavy dose of skepticism and wariness", he pointed out.

"Forgive my ignorance, but how would a letter be a bad thing?" Red asked baffled.

Rinzen shot her a sarcastically sassy look, "Well for one thing it could be charmed as a teleportation device", he stated dryly, much to her embarrassment. "And well, there are Explosive Envelopes, magical triggers, and non-magical triggering kinds out there. If I even touched one, I don't want to imagine what could have happened", he stated, "Anyway half of it is training the other half is basic common sense. Firstly it was midnight, second of all my room is on the third floor, shielded from view and I've had everyone I know and trusted to shield it from here to kingdom come, it's warded and sealed and it only has one key", he paused, "Me", he confessed, "The only way you can get into that room, is if my living body crossed the threshold. That and I keyed it a bit like a vampire lock, you aren't allowed in without a special invitation, so imagine my surprise after I'd taken a quick shower, dressed, and got ready to head down to the family magical nexus to see if my powers had awakened, only to have found an envelope sitting on my bed", he hummed mock-questioning.

"Couldn't the staff or your parents or siblings put it there?" Ash asked curiously.

"My mother is the right-hand to our Elder, she's the Counselor", he answered, "Dad was with her at the monthly dinner, held at end of the month, always", he answered easily, "My elder brother was out at a party or a gathering, I'm not sure I didn't ask. I mean he's four years older than me, I didn't ask because I don't care", he shrugged easily, "And my sister was at a sleepover", he answered.

*Or fucking Jackson, who can say…*

The girl had the worst taste on the planet, the fact that she was his twin just annoyed him to death, "And the staff—", he hummed ignoring that unpleasant reminder, "—well there was only one guard on duty and he was kept farthest away because Opsimath awakenings can be tricky", he reminded everyone, "The rest were given time off", he answered, "And even if they were at home, no one would have been able to place the letter on my bed", he said, "I told you I was in the shower there's no way anyone could have walked into my room, without an invitation", he stated simply.

James nodded, "Okay", he answered, "So what you poked the letter with a stick?" he sassed sarcastically.

"Actually it was a plastic ruler", he answered absentmindedly, causing Ash, Zee and Ray to start laughing and the girls to giggle at James's knocked-for-six look.

Rinzen smiled sheepishly as the sarcasm dawned, "Sorry", he apologized belatedly and then continued, "Well first I wondered who would send me anything, in a letter and no one I know, uses fancy stationery, I mean I'm a teenager fancy stationery isn't really a part of my repertoire. And then I called my mother, asked her if any staff members were present and she answered with a no, wished me luck with my awakening and try to contain some kind of ruckus before hanging up really abruptly. And then I stared at it for a while and after that, I poked at it", he answered.

James blinked at him and then sighed, "And then you read it?" he asked peeved.

"Well I had to", Rinzen shrugged, "And as soon as I did, I got a paper cut, the blood seeped in and I acknowledged the blood magic that caused the blood to disappear, read the contents, questioned the legitimacy of an educational school I'd never heard of, finished reading the letter, to the point that it was that short, stared at it for five minutes, saw the runes, stared at them for a few seconds longer and then translated them out loud", he summarized, "Before which since I'd dropped the envelope on the bed and walked to the window to use the moonlight to read the letter since I was too lazy to turn the lights on again, I felt a nasty tug in my midsection, felt myself get flung off of towards the left, where my bed was, and land on top of the envelope", he grimaced recalling the pain, "After which experienced a brief blackout and landed hard on marble", he summarized at length.

"Ow", Jasmine winced in sympathy.

"Thank you", he huffed, "Maybe you're right", he turned to James, "I seem to be the only one to have experienced that much pain", he grumbled rubbing at his stomach.

James nodded amused, "Well that's everyone's story out in the open, the fact that Rinzen clearly has bad luck shall be overlooked", he stated grinning at Rinzen's irate expression and continued, as he pushed the large metal door open, he stepped into a large blank space and veered left.

As the seven teens entered the room, he called out;

"Just a moment", and then there was a rasp and a clinking sound before a swishing sound overtook it and a bright light blinded them briefly before flaring out.

James grinned coming to stop next to them;

"So? Worth the hidden staircase?" he asked amused, smirking as they all nodded dumbly, "Welcome to the Ascendant Wing", he announced.

*Ah so this is what Love at First Sight is?!*

xXxXx

(End of Chapter 2)