Primalcraft: Sins of Bygone days (book 2)

Chapter 18

Elliott entered the Bistro for the third time, and the last if he did not get a satisfying answer, to speak to Idris Nemain who was already waiting for him with a solemn expression. It did not lit up like last time and Elliott was glad for that as he was not sure how to feel at the moment.

"Do you want anything?" Nemain asked casually and Elliott ordered some wine. He was going to need it for this conversation. "Can I assume that you know what is going on?"
"A crying boy with the fear of dying is inside my house so it is safe to assume that I know what is going on," Elliott answered grimly and drank the entire glass of wine as it arrived. The server gave him a strange look before leaving the bottle.

"Technically he would not die."

"No, he would meet a fate worse than death!"

Nemain sighed and filled his glass as well," I cannot deny that."

"Then why the hell did you-"

"What was I supposed to do? Continue without his knowledge?"

"Yes! It's obvious that he should be declared innocent."

"Is it? Can you honestly not tell me that you considered throwing him to the wolves, pardon my crude joke, in order to avoid future harm?"

"Of course I did. For three seconds before I threw that idea away. You had days to ponder it but instead of taking the sensible decision, you decided to put that burden on the shoulders of a child. A child, by the way, you convinced that he would be responsible for all the bad things we adults did! Keir? Walsh? The war? All those this was created by us. He is just in the middle of this mess that we refuse to clean up ourselves."

Nemain perused Elliott with an unreadable expression. "You truly believe that?"

"I know so. A war is coming no matter what Blake decides. Even a blind man can see that. I have no idea why you are so eager for Blake to take the blame but I will not allow it."

Elliott emptied his glass and rose. Nemain gave him a pondering look. "I am not eager. I merely thought that it could solve some of our problems and save people's lives. One life for many. That seems like a fair deal."

"You look far too bright to believe that. When an innocent man is convicted for someone else's crimes. It will always send ripples through the system. Do you think that the Hedgewitches will take it laying down?"

"They have before."

"Not when it is a child! They will retaliate. I can't believe that the coven is so blind that they can't even see how agitated the Hedgewitches are. The burnings of the Coven of Glasgow. The murder of the high Witch of Southampton. All done by Hedgewitches crying out for their unfair treatment. It has only gotten worse. All they need is someone or something to rally behind."

"Something like the corpse of an innocent child?" Nemain asked with an unsettling smile. Elliott frowned at him as he put on his jacket.

"Precisely. What are you playing at?"

"Nothing, but we know of the Hedgewitches. We just protect our covens more than some lone stragglers," Nemain said politely and rose while paying the bill. Elliott glared at him before leaving with an uncomfortable feeling in his stomach. Nemain couldn't have done this to provoke a war with the Hedgewitches? He has said that he thinks that there should be no Hedgewitches but...

Elliott shook off the feeling as he had bigger problems right now than wondering about Nemain's motives. If Nemain betrayed them and claim that Blake is guilty then the pack needed to protect him. If he stays loyal and says that Blake is innocent Elliott would have to handle the tide that will come when both Blake and Keir will be released.