NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 25: Talons
The afternoon light filtered through the high windows of the institute, casting long shadows over the stone floor. Nicholas walked briskly down the hallway, his coat swishing behind him. His mind was sharp, preoccupied with the mess left behind in his room. As he rounded the corner, he saw Eva approaching—startled by his presence. He was not in the right state of mind to engage in formal conversation. Eva, unable to grasp the coldness in his demeanor, opted for small talk, but Nicholas cut her off before she could speak.
“Not right now,” he muttered, his voice cold as he paused in front of her.
Eva frowned, stepping into his path. “What’s going on, Nicholas? You’re acting like—”
“I’m acting like I’ve got enough of my own problems, Eva. Don’t make them yours,” he interrupted, his tone sharper than he intended.
Eva’s brows knitted in frustration, her hands finding their place on her hips. “What is wrong with you, Nicholas? I wasn’t in my office earlier this evening, and I heard you came to visit.”
“It’s none of your business.” Nicholas’s voice dropped, low and biting. He wasn’t sure if he was angry with her or himself, but his patience was running thin.
“Nicholas, I am not fond of your attitude,” she whispered, making an effort to avoid a scene in the corridors. “What has gotten into you? What has happened?”
Nicholas’s jaw tightened. “You lie to me, Eva! Your words don’t match your actions, and you’re certainly not as concerned for me as you appear to be. So don’t even attempt to be bothered or concerned.” He pushed past her without another word, not giving her the chance to reply.
Eva frowned, her expression a mixture of rage and concern. “What do you want, Nicholas?” she asked, certain this was what it all came down to.
Nicholas felt a pull at his nerves. There was little room for an argument, but he stood frozen in place, knowing his limits were reached.
“Do you think everything you do wrong can be fixed with just a flick of a wand? Do you not see the error in your ways? Or do you choose to be this ignorant?” he hissed, making the gravity of his words known.
“I do not know what you are talking about, Vials,” Eva responded, undisturbed by his tone.
“Of course, you don’t. There’s nothing wrong here, is there? There never is,” Nicholas said with a hint of mockery. “There will come a day when your façade will fade, Eva, and perhaps then you will stop with this exaggeration. You will stop trying to fix me, stop following me around, and stop trying to be my mother—”
“I don’t follow you around—” she said, slapping Nicholas on the arm. It was a reflex she couldn’t control. “I do everything in my power to keep you out of trouble, and you do nothing. You would rather be a failure, a thief,” she said, her voice rising in the corridor. There was a shoal anger in her voice, and Nicholas felt she was merely emptying her frustration from elsewhere.
“I alone have done more for your image than you and your brother have done altogether. Your father sent you here and told me to fend for you, and here I stoop to your level daily to protect you and help you grow out of your stupidity. Because frankly, Mr. and Mrs. Vials made no effort with any of their children. So, do me a grand favor and allow me to monitor where you go because at least then I’ll know where to find you if you die like your brother did,” said Eva. She reached for his face, clasping his jaw and holding it fixedly in her direction. Her nails stung his skin, but Nicholas didn’t move.
“You are still a child. You were told you had grown because your brother could not fend for himself, and you were expected to do better. But you are just a child. And I have to look for you. Everything that bothers you boils down to what you want and what you don’t. So tell me if there is something you want,” her tone was suddenly sweet and sympathetic, but Nicholas knew better than to trust it. Eva had mastered the art of making her poison sweet.
He gently removed her hand from his face, caressing her old, gentle skin as he placed it back by her side. “I want you to make an excuse for my absence, as I have to leave for some important work. I will be gone a week, and everyone must think I am bedridden with a cold I cannot recover from. If you do that, I will let go of the man you had set to follow me. If not, he will not see the light of day again, and it will be on your hands,” he spoke with a gentle smirk.
Eva watched him walk away, her expression unreadable. A flicker of something—concern, frustration, perhaps even something more—lingered in her gaze. She had hoped Nicholas would be more compliant, but it seemed her efforts had only driven him further away.
There was no sweetness in his voice; he was no longer the child she had helped raise.