The Sorceress's Tree

Chapter 41

Mr. Noble was in his study when his insolent wife interrupted his research. "Dear?" She questioned.

"What?" He spat. He watched in satisfaction as she jumped from the harshness of his tone.

"I was just wondering when you and the boys will end this silly argument. I really miss having them live here. They can't live with the Headmaster forever." She explained.

"Until they see things my way, I will not allow them in this house." He snapped.

"Dear, I just think you are getting to obsessed over the Sorceress." She replied as her eyes gazed over all the notes spread across his desk.

"No, her power is something that should be feared. What if she takes control of the world using it?" He replied.

"She's a sweet girl. Nathan speaks so highly of her."

"She's a damn Siren, boys cling to her." Mr. Noble spat. His wife sighed as she studied the cruel and stubborn man before her. She slowly shook her head, not finding it worth the time to waste her breath on an argument with him. He was to set in his ways to ever change his mind.

"Dinner is downstairs, I'll have the maid bring it to you if you don't want to leave your office." She snapped as she glared down at him.

"Thank you, dear." He replied as he curtly nodded his head before going back to trying to figure out what Riley was doing. He heard the small pitter patter of footsteps as his wife exited back down the hallway.

She really had been taking extra concern in his quest lately. Ever since Luke disappeared two months ago with that wrench, Michael Noble had been insanely focused on figuring out Riley's abilities and where that spell took her.

He spent a week rampaging all of Europe after learning the Seekers couldn't find the teens. He even paid a special visit to Riley's parents where he confiscated Kenny's Grimoire. He was furious when he realized it was a decoy and the real Grimoire had disappeared along with Riley and his son.

After his European rampage, he had holed himself up in his study as he worked to decipher the magic Riley used, trying to discern where it took her and how to replicate it.

He secretly had hoped that the spell had blasted the group out of existence because they had been gone so long. It saddened him that his son and heir to the Noble name was gone; but there were many cousins ready to take his son's place. He wished Leila would be the one to take over, but the stupid girl despised him. He had tried setting Nathan and her up, but his stepson was head over heels for that Devaroux girl. She had a strong family name, but not strong enough to produce powerful grandchildren.

"Keaton, why are you here?" He snapped as he glanced up at the young woman before his feet, sensing her presence appear in the room as she apparated in.

"Still not calling me Bethany?" She smirked.

"Are you that daft, my wife is home! I can't risk her stumbling in." He spat as his blue eyes narrowed in anger studying her.

"Its about the Sorceress." She replied with a defiant smirk, placing her hands on her hips as she cocked her head, eyeing him with a mischievous glare.

"What about that witch?" He asked, intrigued.

"I witnessed her and the Fitzgerald boy approaching both the Domingo girl and O'Donovan boy today after school. I couldn't hear what they were discussing, but from the looks of it, it was intense."

Michael Noble's mind whirred into motion as he tried to piece the puzzle together. Leila and Rachel were both good friends, maybe he could bribe the information from her. The O'Donovan boy was a loner, never seen speaking to a soul. Of course that stupid Siren would be able to reel him in under her spell. He begin pulling up the student's information onto his desktop, trying to see what their abilities were.