24 Fake

This must be the feeling of being hit by a freight train out of nowhere. Seeing Roma lifeless dealt Ley a huge blow. A part of her blamed herself for what had happened to Roma. If only Ley hadn't pretended to be Roma then she would still be alive.

"She would still be disposed sooner or later whether you entered the scene or not. She's a liability once she became useless," Landon's cold voice broke past her guilty conscience.

Ley recoiled at the ruthlessness in his eyes and made a bitter remark, "Living one more day would have been better."

"Live what? As a hypnotized puppet?" Landon countered realistically.

She hated how Landon made so much sense but she still can't help but get angry at the unfortunate ending of Roma's life. She vowed to find the mastermind behind this killing. Sebastian and Sera barged in the room a few moments after them. Surprised gasps were heard from Sera upon seeing the body. Sebastian went to examine the body. He looked at Landon in silence and lunged for the window when Landon nodded wordlessly. Ley was about to follow Sebastian and do her own tracking when a hand clamped on her arm to prevent her from leaving.

"I think it's high time that we should talk about all the information you have," his gaze expressed that he will not hear no for an answer.

Ley would love to tell him to just leave her alone but she wanted to get to the bottom of this matter for Roma. She doesn't have a choice at all in the matter. They have information that she doesn't have and investigating from the start separately would just consume more time.

"Sharing. We are going to share information," she negotiated, her tone firm.

"I'll see you at the base tomorrow then," he spoke with finality as his attention went back to Roma.

Ley left with Sera while Landon was calling his people to handle Roma's body.

***

Curious stares were thrown on Ley's direction as she got cleared from the security. This time, she wasn't directed at his house but on the base office. She saw a lot of shifters walking about as she went on her way. They were gazing at her without hiding their intentions so she might as well satisfy her curiosity and looked at them too. They looked organized not like the usual shifter cliques just banding together for protection. She entered a building and saw Ara leaning on the wall near the entrance.

Ara smiled at her while she beckoned her forward, "Let's go. I'll bring you to the meeting room."

They passed by another group of shifters talking in hushed voices. They stopped and nodded in greeting when they saw Ley and Ara. They stared until the two of them disappeared into another hallway.

"Are you bothered? They all want a glimpse of you at the moment," Ara asked, amusement colored her tone.

"Not really. I didn't think that they would be interested to see me," she muttered.

"Well you were human before so we weren't sure if Landon would make a move but now you're a shifter so—" Ara implied meaningfully.

"You're all getting ahead of yourselves. Nothing's happening at all. By the way, I'm sorry that I lied," she apologized since she still felt bad lying to Ara.

"Don't be. It's your job so I somehow understand," Ara replied good-naturedly.

"I've been wanting to ask ever since you told me about not being able to shift. Didn't you ever went to Magicks to get it corrected?"

"I could have but Landon has a pretty shaky relationship with Magicks so we tend to avoid going to them. Here you go," Ara said nonchalantly but she could detect a hint of wistfulness on her voice.

Ley would like to talk more about it but they already arrived in front of the room.

"Thank you."

Ley took a deep breath before entering the room. It felt like she was entering the tiger's den. She needed to get the best out of this talk today. Landon was sitting at the end of the table in casual clothes while engaged with his laptop, framed by the afternoon light.

He looked up at her then pulled up the chair nearest to him and signaled at her to sit down there.

"Do you mind if we wait for Sebastian to arrive? I'd like to listen to his report first before we start," he began.

"No problem."

Landon threw a glance at her and commented, "You look like you want to ask me something."

She couldn't hide her interest so she might as well ask, "Did you form a group with the shifters here?"

"No. I just gave them a job and they're mostly lone shifters who gathered here over time," Landon said, cocking his head to the side and throwing a quizzical glance at me.

She doesn't think that they're only here for the job. She sensed strong loyalty on their stance earlier that a normal working person doesn't have.

"Do you want to join them?" he suddenly asked.

Ley laughed at the suggestion though she soon realized that Landon was serious with his offer. She was about to voice out her refusal when the door opened and Sebastian came in.

When he came near, Ley sensed a creepy magic surrounding him that was the same kind with the rebel magick that she encountered before. She turned to Landon and he was acting normally and even started conversing with him.

"Let's start."

Who the hell is this fake Sebastian?

The reason she must have sensed the weird vibe coming from Sebastian was because of the magick blood running in her veins. She had to do something.

"Who are you? Where is Sebastian?" she glared at him and stood up, in case she had to attack.

Fake Sebastian who had an amiable smile on his face froze for a few beats then revealed a cunning smile, directed at her.

"He is already dead," Fake Sebastian replied.