5 years earlier

Loud music effectively drowned out the sigh with which Miles sank onto the couch next to Edgar. He placed a plastic cup on the table, sticky from spilled drinks. Settling in more comfortably, he looked ahead at a group of dancing students in the other part of the living room. He rubbed his tired eyes with fingertips and glanced at his friend, who hadn't moved from his spot for a while. They had been playing cards here earlier, but Miles was convinced that he had already had at least three beers since then.

"It's so stuffy here," he said to Edgar, but only after a moment without a response did he notice that the boy's gaze was fixed on the direction of the kitchen. "Did you even move from here?"

"I went to smoke," he replied curtly.

"You know, we don't have to babysit her," Miles clarified. "We brought her here because she asked us to."

Edgar turned towards Miles, slightly offended by his question. He took a sip of his non-alcoholic beer to buy himself some time. As the designated driver, he wasn't in the mood for partying, and fate had it that he had an excellent view of the two people talking by the kitchen island from this very couch. Or rather, not just talking, but flirting. Beatrice leaned against the fridge, cupping her hands around a drink, listening with a delicate smile to the words of a guy taller than her, Dion, a brunette with short curly hair and dark complexion. He took advantage of the moment when he had to make way for one of the guests to get closer to the girl.

"She's underage, and we brought her here. I think it's only fair to keep an eye on her," Edgar said.

"We brought her here because she asked us to," Miles clarified. "And I'm pretty sure we're witnessing the reason why she wanted to come here."

" I don't like how Dion's been trailing after her all evening. And you?" Edgar made a quick attempt to change the subject. "What about... May?"

"Mia," Miles corrected him and waved his hand as a sign that another acquaintance turned out to be a complete failure. He immediately grimaced, glancing towards the kitchen. "Oh my god, she's giggling."

Dion must have said something hilariously funny because Beatrice almost doubled over, trying to stifle her laughter with her hand. For a moment, it felt strangely unnatural to him, or maybe he just hadn't had the chance to see her so infatuated with a guy before.

"What are they even talking about? The only thing they have in common is that they're both from France," Edgar also looked in their direction, furrowing his brow slightly.

"Maybe she's finally enjoying a conversation in her native language. Before we know it, Dion will finish his exchange and go back to France, and Bea will follow him soon after," Miles nodded with conviction, but when Edgar looked at him slightly appalled, he decided to amend his statement. "...or they'll never talk to each other again after this party."

"Theoretically... there's nothing keeping her here," Edgar murmured, slightly concerned as if his friend's first scenario could actually come true.

Miles shrugged slightly. "Better than waiting for one of the old folks to suddenly wake up and come up with the idea of matchmaking her with someone."

"Yeah..." Edgar looked towards the kitchen again. "There's always that possibility."

"For you," Miles emphasized, crossing his arms behind his head. "I have the sweet privilege of not being the firstborn." He even closed his eyes for a moment, relishing in this small victory over his friend. All the pressure and immense expectations that had accompanied Edgar since childhood, fell on his older brother, Theo.

This time, Edgar didn't reply, focused once again on the situation in the kitchen. Beatrice moved slightly away from Dion to take her phone out of the back pocket of her jeans and pick it up. She only managed to exchange a few words, covering her other ear with her hand, trying to hear anything amidst the loud music coming from the speakers, before swiftly maneuvering through the crowd dancing in the living room and leaving the house. Edgar watched her as she walked away, then looked at Dion and froze for a moment. Only when he met the gaze of the abandoned boy, he immediately got up and grabbed his jacket from the back of the couch.

"I'll be right back."

Beatrice sat on the steps in front of the building, still with her phone to her ear, nervously rubbing her bare arm. Even the dark, thick curls reaching her shoulders couldn't protect her from the cold of early spring night. Edgar approached her and wordlessly put his jacket over her shoulders. The girl raised her gaze and greeted him with a gentle nod, visibly preoccupied, still listening to the voice on the other end of the line.

"Sure... You can come over," she murmured, brushing a strand of hair away from her face with her free hand.

Edgar waited a moment longer until the girl said her goodbyes and hung up before sitting next to her on the step.

"Is everything okay?" he asked, resting his elbows on his knees.

"Kinda... Alden wants to talk," Beatrice added gloomily. From the brief conversation and the time he called, it was easy to deduce that it couldn't be about anything good.

"Damn..." Edgar glanced towards the driveway, as if the guy would appear there right away. Hillcrest wasn't big, but it was futile to look for Alden in a small street, dimly illuminated by old lampposts. It was well past midnight, and despite the weekend, no lights were on in the surrounding cottages. If not for the university, the town would be just another peaceful place on the map of England, where time flowed lazily and days seemed to repeat themselves. However, the students, both those who came from different corners of the country and the world, as well as the successive generations of young residents, brought a lot of life, energy, and... money to this place. Perhaps that's why the older residents turned a blind eye to the ongoing student parties, even in the quieter areas of the town.

"How is your mom?" the girl asked after a while, not letting an awkward silence settle between them.

"We'll see... She started a new therapy a few days ago. Apparently, the doctors are optimistic. I think I'll pass a few exams and fly to Munich for a few days," Edgar replied weakly, absentmindedly playing with his own fingers. He hated this helplessness, despite the immense potential that lay within them. He ran his thumb across his own wrist. So many books in the family library, even more at Ashwood Hall, but none of them held a simple answer to this damned disease. They could only hope that the mountains of money spent on private specialists and experimental treatments would eventually yield the expected results. "But don't worry, I'll make it in time for your prom."

"I don't think I'll go to it," Beatrice admitted with a slight sigh.

"What? Why not?" The boy looked at her in surprise because he himself had very fond memories of the end of high school. "It's an important day and... a great party."

"It's just prom," she shrugged. "Lauren has enough on her plate with the twins. There's no point in bothering her with shopping and hair salons."

"I can drive you," he offered.

"You just said you want to focus on your studies."

"I'll find time," Edgar stated convincingly. He suspected that Beatrice might care more than she was willing to admit, just to avoid causing problems for anyone. "Maybe I'll even get a manicure myself," he joked, extending his hand in front of him to inspect his nails.

"Oh yes, that would suit you. Crimson red would definitely be your color," Beatrice chuckled lightly, comparing her hand to his. But then she raised her gaze to the street, which was illuminated by the approaching headlights of a car. The vehicle stopped in an available spot, its lights turned off, but the driver didn't get out for a while. "Alden is here."

The girl got up from her spot and headed toward the car, with Edgar following closely behind. It wasn't until they were right by the gate that the door opened slightly, and a slender brunette slowly emerged from the driver's seat.

"I wanted to talk in private," Alden mumbled sadly, leaning his back against the car.

"Eddie, could you..." Beatrice was about to politely apologize to Edgar, but as soon as she approached the vehicle, she noticed a faint glimmer near Alden's temple. She quickly bridged the distance between them and grabbed his chin, turning his face toward the light of the streetlamp. "Oh my God, Denny."

Edgar and Beatrice stood frozen, staring at Alden's bruised face illuminated by the streetlight. Fresh signs of a beating confirmed what they had already suspected. An extensive bruise was forming around the corner of his mouth, and traces of blood from a small cut still shimmered above his right temple.

"What happened this time?" Beatrice's voice, filled with concern, also carried a hint of disappointment. It wasn't the first time she had seen her friend in such a state, and she didn't need to ask who was responsible for it.

"We were talking about college, and..." Alden paused for a moment, grimacing when Beatrice gently touched his swollen cheek. "...I mentioned Imperial College."

"You can't leave," Edgar stated firmly, leaning against a stone wall, crossing his arms over his chest. "You know that."

"I know. I wouldn't leave my mom and Poppy. It's just... we were talking," Alden murmured somberly, running a tired hand over his face. "He started yelling that I'm trying to run away from responsibility..."

"Denny, it can't go on like this," Beatrice interjected, realizing that they didn't need to know the whole story to understand how it ended. "What if, one day, he raises his hand against your sister?" Poppy was only twelve years old, and so far, their father's anger had been primarily directed at the eldest, but no one could be sure that it wouldn't change one day. "Your mother should do something about it, finally."

"Bea, you know it's complicated," Alden replied.

"Then we should do something about it," Edgar chimed in, sounding as if he had a specific plan behind his words. But before he decided to respond to the questioning looks of his two friends, he glanced at the house where the party was taking place. A male figure emerged from the building and started walking toward them. "Miles!" he called out to him and waited for the boy to join their group. "Do you remember that book your uncle found a few weeks ago?"

"Hey," Miles nodded first in greeting to Alden, then in response to Edgar's question, reaching into his pocket to pull out his phone. "What do you need it for?" The boy started scrolling through the gallery, and when he raised his head for a moment, he visibly winced upon seeing the marks on Alden's face. "Oh, man..."

"Erynes," Edgar pointed out, glancing at his friend's phone.

"Wait, what are you guys talking about?" Beatrice asked, glancing back and forth between the two boys.

"Zach found something in Delphi recently. It lay in the house for a few days before folks took care of it, and once Edgar and I had a chance to take a look inside," Miles explained proudly.

"So... you keep pictures of an ancient book on your phone?" she inquired

"Yea?" Miles raised an eyebrow, as he couldn't possibly let such an opportunity slip when it practically fell into his hands. He didn't object, even when Edgar took the phone from him completely to continue searching on his own. "Do you have a problem with that?"

"Yes. What if someone found those pictures?" Beatrice asked, not believing his carelessness.

"They would probably think I'm very interested in mythology," Miles shrugged. "Besides, who would go snooping around my phone?"

"Erynes," Edgar repeated, tapping his finger on the screen to catch their attention, as he had finally found a photo of the relevant page. "Goddesses of revenge."

Beatrice rolled her eyes at Miles' retort, but ultimately glanced at the phone, somewhat intrigued. The photo displayed an ancient text written on yellowed parchment. Despite the passage of time, the book seemed to be in good condition, with significant damage only visible at the edges of the page, thankfully sparing most of the text.

"It's Greek," Beatrice stated, slightly surprised.

"Of course, it's in Greek," Miles scoffed. "Greek goddesses, Delphi? Were you expecting Latin?" he grumbled, still irritated by her earlier comment, but Beatrice simply shook her head.

"Bea," Edgar began. "You've studied more Greek. Can you read it?"

Beatrice looked at Edgar, unsure if she should honestly answer that question. After a moment, she took the phone from his hand to examine the text more closely. Stepping a few paces away, she walked back and forth, calmly analyzing the faded inscriptions.

"Kathar... kathar-istiki... fotia... thyma..." She mumbled the words for a while, before turning towards the group of friends. "I think I can manage. Some of these words can have different meanings, but the incantation seems relatively straightforward," she admitted uncertainly. "But... it seems too dangerous. And we would need a fifth person..."

"Theo?" Edgar glanced at Miles, hoping that his older brother could help them, but the boy shook his head.

"He's not in town."

"Well then..."

"No way we're going to involve Daisy in this," Beatrice interjected before Edgar could finish his sentence. "She's too young."

"...Harvey. I meant that we can wake up Harvey," Edgar gently nodded towards Beatrice, fully agreeing with her. Young King might not have been their first choice, but surely they wouldn't have to persuade him once he heard their plan. "He's good with Greek, and his father's office is probably still under renovation."

"We want to do it in Grant's office?" she asked uncertainly. "And today, of all days? It's late, and Miles is drunk."

"I'm not drunk," Miles snapped. "I had a few beers. I can handle a stupid spell."

"The office is secluded enough that there won't be a soul there, especially at this hour. And... it's too wet for a trip to the woods," Edgar muttered, scraping his shoe on the damp grass by the sidewalk. "Besides, it's a full moon. There won't be a better opportunity than tonight," he nodded his head towards the dark sky, where the silver disc shone.

"Denny," Beatrice looked at Alden, who hadn't uttered a word for a while, focused on the tips of his own shoes. "We don't have to do this if you don't want to. We can rethink it, find another solution..."

"No," Alden interrupted her and lifted his gaze to his friends. Until now, he had been trying to listen to their conversation, weighing all the pros and cons, but with each passing moment, their words began to drift further away, and he could only hear his blood pulsating angrily in his veins. He had had enough. Enough of waiting idly for something to change. Waiting for someone to come and decide to change the hopeless situation he found himself in. "You were right earlier. I can't wait for my father to finally raise a hand against Poppy. It has to end today," he replied coldly and looked at the remaining two. "Go get Harvey. Beatrice and I will take care of the rest."