A MAZE OF GREED

Edwin was still trying to make sense of the happenings around him. He was tired of Mrs Payne's cryptic answers to his every question.

"Mrs Payne, I am humbled and honoured that you consider me smart and wise but trust me, my intelligence is falling short to understand what you are trying to say.

I will be glad if you just tell me everything in the simplest form that is possible for you."

"Kids these days" He heard her mutter something along that line, yet he chose to stay silent on it.

"As I said I did not go to meet any relatives of mine. But I went to... meet Reznor. And do not ask me how I know him. I just know, okay?"

Edwin pursed his lips as that was the exact thing he wanted to ask her.

Mrs Payne knew the risks in telling Edwin about her relations with Reznor. But she had to take those risks for the sake of the trust Reznor had put in her.

"He asked me to meet him months ago but I could not leave Ruth alone then." she continued.

"You mean..."

She nodded her head. "Darius had tried getting to him before. And that is why Reznor wanted to meet me in that regard."

Edwin was shocked. He thought he had the best spy network than any other supernatural breed and even humans, but if Mrs Payne was right then he needed to reconsider his belief.

"It was not every day that someone tries to get to him, so he was concerned. Perhaps he had seen the future coming, and as a precautionary measure, he gave me this Painite that he had.

He told me to protect it even with my life. He will come back, and then I need to return it to him." She told.

Edwin narrowed his eyes. "Then why are you showing me this? Why are you telling me all this when you should keep it a secret?"

"Because I need your help in protecting it Young Master."

Edwin looked down at the black mineral in his hand before looking up again.

"But... how and why?"

She sighed, rubbing her knees. "I am getting old Young Master. I do not know if I can see the next sunrise. I also do not know when Reznor will come for his possession.

I need someone who is selfless and will never use this precious thing for his selfish motives. I need someone whom I can trust blindly, who will protect it with everything in his power."

"And what if I fail fulfilling your faith?" Edwin asked.

Mrs Payne smiled at that. "A O'Dell would die before breaking his word!"

Edwin again felt that same fear. What if he failed? He got overwhelmed at the level of trust people invested in him.

"What do you want from me?"

Edwin knew exactly what she wanted, yet he wanted to hear it from her mouth, just to make sure that he was not misinterpreting her words.

"I want you to protect this, keep it under your custody. We do not know yet what its uses and effects are on humans and supernaturals. As Darius Garfield has his hands on Reznor, I feared he might be looking for Painite.

Because if Reznor did not consider that probability, then he would not have hurried to save it." Mrs Payne explained.

"Do you mean... that those rogues... has something to do with Darius?" The wheels of Edwin's brain began spinning fast.

Mrs Payne was thoughtful for a second before she shrugged her shoulders. "Perhaps. We can not ignore the possibilities."

That woman always had a breakthrough for his problems.

"You can trust Lester, you know." Edwin still persisted.

"I know. He is a loyal man with high morals and dignity. But the way I am looking at the things, the possibility of using or sacrificing this Painite can not be overlooked.

A leader is the one who thinks rationally and knows when to give in emotions and when to be as hard as a rock even at the cost of great personal loss."

Edwin gave her a long look, still trying to figure out the mystery that woman was.

"You know everything, don't you?"

Mrs Payne shook her head. "There are many things I still have to discover. And some that you will tell me when the time comes."

"Are you a witch?" Came his sudden question.

Mrs Payne laughed loudly. Shaking her head, she smiled at Edwin.

"No, I am not. And I never wish to be one."

A minute of silence later, she continued. "I know it is all confusing and is making you suspect every little detail. Some things are beyond our understanding Young Master. And they should remain that way only.

Do not try to dig in too deep. Just accept what comes in your way and move on. You have a long and difficult way to walk. People will come and people will go. Even I might not be present there to witness your glorious victory at the end of the war.

But you will still need to move on and not stop!"

Edwin gulped the lump formed in his throat. His mind was everywhere. He had heard about his responsibilities and what he should do several times at different stages of his life.

But Mrs Payne's words hit him differently.

"You think that we will win?" He asked, his voice thick with emotions.

Mrs Payne smiled again warmly. "I have my faith in the werewolf leader. He will save this world just like his ancestors had done once before. Only if he stuck with his values, sacrifice a lot and did not give in to his personal happiness."

Edwin kept staring at her for a long minute before he put the Painite back in the pouch. Closing its mouth, he looked up again. His cerulean blue eyes had darkened. His wolf was awake.

The obsidian orbs shone with the electric blue streaks. Mrs Payne watched him with her mouth open aghast.

"I give you my word that I will protect it with all my life and will return it to Reznor when he comes back. I will not let you down!"

Mrs Payne's face brightened in happiness. "Thank you!" She whispered sincerely.

After some time, she stood up to leave. She was midway when Edwin's question stopped her.

"Is there any way to avoid this war?"

This time, it was not a warrior or his wolf speaking to her. This time, it was a leader, a man who was worried for his people, his legacy, his family, his soldiers.

Mrs Payne turned around to face him.

"I wish I knew the answer. But what I know for sure is... the Alpha needs his Luna if he wants to win the war and maintain the trust of his people."

With that said, she left, leaving behind a man who was a mess of thousands of thoughts.

*

*

*

Darius was sleeping in his chamber. After a long time, he had such a peaceful and satisfying sleep. Why should not he when he had just achieved another milestone?

He tactfully made Reznor do what he wanted. Darius had Reznor's wand with him because without it, it was hardly likely for Reznor to rebel or try acting smart.

Darius knew that the dark wizard had no sympathy for humans or any other breeds. He was only concerned about his life, and anything else did not really matter to him.

Darius was dreaming about the moment when Edwin would be on both of his knees and begging for mercy at his feet. That dream seemed too delightful that the corners of his mouth were stretched upwards a bit.

But then something hit him in the back, and before his eyes fluttered open, he crashed into a wall. Darius groaned, his face contorted in pain.

It took some moments for his vision to get cleared, and when it did, he saw red eyes glaring down at him, which belonged to none other than his father.

Darius tried getting up, but his father pulled him up harshly and pinned him to the broken wall behind.

"What the fuck you are planning Darius?"

"Ambrose, Ambrose please!" Darius heard his mother's voice coming from the side, but he did not move his eyes as they matched his father's glare.

"I do not know what you are talking about." Darius said nonchalantly.

Ambrose pulled him only to throw him again in the wall. The commotion caused Lisa to run out of the washroom, and as soon as she saw the reason for that commotion, her hands flew to cover her mouth.

"Stop messing with me, Darius! I know something is cooking in your head and I want to know what it is right this instance!" Ambrose thundered darkly.

Darius caught a smirking face Marcus, who stood at the other back of the room. Lisa caught the direction Darius was glaring to see Marcus. She scowled at him even though he was busy enjoying the fight between a father and a son.

"Father, enough! Stop trusting the fools and for once trust your own blood!" Darius too was now angry.

Ambrose looked dead in his eyes. "That is the thing, Darius. The Vampires live on others' blood! These stupid emotional prompts are made only for the humans and others, but not for us- the Vampires!

So stop wasting my time and start talking!"

Darius knew that he could not go on like this. He could not hide his plan for long from his father. And if that scoundrel Marcus got a whiff of his plan and informed Ambrose before him, then he was as good as dead.

Darius looked into his father's eyes determinedly. "Father, I will tell you everything truthfully. But for that, I want some time."

"You are not getting any Darius." Ambrose denied.

"Please father! I have done everything that you have told me to do. I have sacrificed many things only for your sake."

Ambrose knew what Darius was referring to.

"Give me this one chance father. I promise I will not let you down. At the end, you will be proud of me! I will prove my worth father, please!!"

Ambrose glared at Darius for a while before he stepped away from Darius. Without Ambrose holding him against the wall, Darius fell down, coughing and panting.

"You better not disappoint me again Darius... or..."

Darius did not need him to fill in the blanks. Because he knew his father too well!