Chapter 32: Just like a family

All the Dreamwalkers in Faros had at one point or the other, been a part of the infamous Dreamwalkers' Guild. Their Guild House was one of the grandest and most peculiar buildings in the city and stood right in the middle of Kolaris Square.

Leena and Xander had spent over five years with the guild, learning valuable lessons about their craft and honing their abilities. It was here that they had first got acquainted with each other and soon grown to be close friends.

Xander, however had cut ties with everyone else after leaving the guild. For several reasons, both personal and professional, he hadn't gone back to the place in over two years.

The mere thought of returning to the Guild House brought back many disturbing memories. He had promised he'd never walk in through those doors again, but here he was preparing to break his vow without a second thought.

Things, however, were entirely different for Leena. Even after leaving the guild, she had been in touch with her former training partners as well as the old Guild Master. She had also tried to convince Xander to forget his past troubles and smooth things over with their guild mates, but he remained as adamant as always.

While Xander was reminiscing about his past, Leena got busy making calls from the landline. After a few redials, she turned to Xander with a worried look on her face.

"I tried calling Alaine and Livia. They aren't picking up."

"I told you they've left Faros," Xander replied casually.

"But why?" Leena asked with concern written all over her freckled face.

"I'm pretty sure the appearance of Ethereals in Windbell Park had something to do with it," Xander snickered sarcastically. It was clear from his words that he didn't think too highly about his former associates.

Leena however, knew that her old friends could be a lot of things, but they weren't cowards. She had a hunch that they were also trying to find a way to stop the cultists.

"Master Arwin would never abandon the guild. It's the only home he's ever known. I don't have a good feeling about this," Leena said.

"Good morning. You're back early," a drowsy voice squeaked from the other side.

Xander and Leena turned around to see little Tiva standing outside her bedroom, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She was still holding the fluffy stuffed bunny, and her hair was a complete mess.

"Good morning, young lady. You look like you've slept through a storm," Xander said jokingly.

Tiva covered her face with the back of her left palm to hide a yawn as she stumbled forward. She was still sleepy, but that didn't stop her from giving Xander a nasty side-eye.

"You told me you'd spend the rest of the day with me. But you snuck out again when I was in my room!" she said with a frown on her face.

"Well, you had Leena to keep you company. I thought you liked her," Xander replied, smiling disarmingly. historical

Tiva however, wasn't falling for his old tricks. "I do like her. She's not a liar like you!"

"Okay, I think we all need to relax a bit." Leena intervened. "Your uncle didn't mean to lie to you, Tiva. He's just had a really busy day."

"I don't care. He left me without telling!" Tiva huffed in annoyance, staring daggers at Xander.

This wasn't the first time the little one was throwing a temper tantrum. And Xander knew exactly how to handle these situations.

Getting on his knees he held his ears like a guilty child. "I promise it won't happen again. Please forgive me this time."

"I know you will leave again!" Tiva huffed grumpily. "I will never forgive you."

Xander put his right hand inside his jacket and took out a bar of white chocolate wrapped in a shimmering gray foil. Showing it to Tiva, he asked, "How about now?"

The frown on Tiva's face quickly disappeared as her eyes twinkled at the sight of her favorite treat. Laying her stuffed bunny on the chair, she walked up to Xander with little steps and grabbed the chocolate from his hand.

"Okay, but this is the last time," she said, trying her best to fake anger.

Xander smiled at her attempt and picked her up, lifting her off the floor. With a gentle turn, he plopped her down on the couch. "You know you look like a grumpy old witch when you frown."

"And you look like a big fat troll!" she huffed, gathering her arms together.

Both Xander and Leena had a good laugh at this little banter. Despite her age, Tiva had already picked up the snarky attitude from her uncle. Though she looked little, she was always ready with a cheeky comeback.

The day passed on lazy legs as Xander and Leena napped all morning. Feeling refreshed from the much-needed rest, Xander woke up in the afternoon with a clear head. He was about to order food from the nearest café when Leena called him from the living room.

"Lunch is ready. I made some stew and toast. You better freshen up soon, or it's gonna get cold."

Taking a quick shower and brushing his teeth with the icy cold water, Xander stepped out of his room to find the glass table decked with delicacies.

"How did you even manage to make all these? I don't even remember having so many items in my fridge," Xander mumbled in surprise.

Leena wiped her hands on the white apron around her waist and replied, "I went to Gideon's while you were sleeping. They were having a sale today."

"So, everything's fine out there? No more...disturbances?" Xander asked in a roundabout way to keep the matter a secret from Tiva.

Leena nodded and replied, "Yep, no more disturbances. Nothing bad on the news either. Apparently, those...ahem...troublemakers don't enjoy the sun. It's bad for their skin."

"How bad are we talking about?" Xander asked curiously.

"Bad enough to give them third-degree burns. Looks like we only have to worry about the dark hours."

"That's a relief," Xander sighed, taking his seat beside Tiva.

Leena too, joined them at the table without further ado and started handing out the plates.

Tiva looked at them in confusion and shook her head. "I can never understand what you grown-ups talk about. You're both so weird."

Xander chuckled at this. "You should keep your ears to yourself when your elders are talking," he added with a note of mock seriousness.

Tiva however, was far too smart to fall for that. She stuck out her tongue playfully and mimicked his words.

Both Leena and Xander wanted to watch the afternoon news to see how the rest of the country was faring against the Ethereals, but since Tiva was awake now, they decided against it.

Instead of discussing the dire affairs, Xander and Leena focused on the food.

It was quite easily the best crab stew Xander had ever had, and the garlic toast complimented it perfectly. The cherry on the top, however, was the chocolate marshmallow pudding.

Xander and Tiva devoured everything greedily, making Leena blush at the sight.

"Whoa, slow down. There's more in the kitchen," Leena giggled.

"I haven't had a proper home-cooked meal like this in ages. You are an incredible cook," Xander said, smacking his lips.

"Yeah, we mostly have pizzas and noodles for lunch. But I think I like this better," Tiva added with a smile.

"I'm glad you guys liked it," Leena said, rising from her seat and pouring them each a generous glass of lemon sherbet.

This was the happiest Tiva had been in many days. Xander couldn't have asked for a better lunch. The little girl licked her plate clean and drank the whole bubbly beverage in one go.

"That was delicious!" she exclaimed jumping from her chair. "I really want you to stay with us, forever. This is the best food I've ever had!" she trilled in excitement.

"Hey, you know I can cook as well," Xander sniped.

Tiva rolled her eyes at him and said, "Bleh, you only know how to make boring cup noodles and burnt pancakes."

Leena burst out laughing at this, and Xander turned his reddening face away. "Alright, you don't need to make fun of me in front of our guests. That's just super rude."

Their little banter was eventually interrupted by a gentle rapping on the door. Xander looked through the eyehole first before opening the door partially.

It was a junior constable on the other side. He handed Xander a white envelope and said, "This is from Chief Volgin. Thirty thousand vireks."

"Appreciate it." Xander was about to close the door when the cop stopped him.

"He told me to give you a message."

Xander looked at him with knitted eyebrows and said, "Go on."

"The Department of Mystical Affairs is keeping tabs on you. Ms. Eileen has already put you on her blacklist. You should try to keep a low profile for now."

Xander wasn't surprised by the news in the least. He knew that nosy woman wouldn't let go of him so easily. However, he wasn't ready to step away from this without getting his hands on Moreas.

"Thanks for the warning. I'll keep that in mind," Xander replied curtly and shut the door.