(Book 3) Hayden Mackay and The Shaatrumani Stone

15. Ground Rules

Tyrell was sitting rigidly in a wooden armchair at the corner of the room. He was staring down blankly at the silken carpet beneath the table, thinking about his walk down the secluded lane to reach this very hut he was presently sitting in. It was weird to enter an invisible hut and Jyran Kerenza had to hold his hand to direct him inside, as if he was some kind of a toddler needing guidance to walk.

No wonder Doctor wasn't able to locate this hut. Tyrell remembered his shocked face when he was pulled away out of the Gates. Jyran Kerenza had called himself his equal. Did being equal meant possessing the powder, just like Doctor did? He wondered what else this person could do, why was he actually called the Supreme Warlock.

However, this hut was invisible from outside and as soon as he was directed in, his blood had stirred at the sight of this spooky dim house. Two armchair and a single wooden table in the living room, with a large counter at the side separating the living room from the kitchen. There were thousands of glass bottles and containers with colored liquid filled in few of them, with thick, pungent white and black smoke oozing out. Couple of large pots and number of scrolls were trashed at other corner of the room. Most terrifying thing was the crystal orb resting on the table, where he was able to see himself in it. He waved his hand and the image in the crystal moved with him. Tyrell scoffed when it made all sense. So that was how Jyran was keeping tracks of his every move. 

He was startled on hearing a clanking sound of two copper glasses that slammed the table. He looked up to see Jyran sitting right across him, a feral smile spread over his face.

"Doctor isn't coming for you," he said, his beaded chain dangled as the sudden mist of air gusted inside the room through the only window of the hut, "if that is what you are thinking."

Tyrell didn't reply. It wasn't necessary. But he watched Jyran pouring the crimson colored drink in both the glasses filled with ice cubes.

"It's Uilani De Blanc. Brought it especially for you," Jyran said, "Heard you can't get enough of it."

"Were you following me and my friends to the Cowboy's bar?" Tyrell asked, remembering his last good time with Celina, her hand in his and the way they danced forgetting the world.

"Doctor told you that, didn't he?"

"He didn't had to. You just did."

Jyran smirked and then pushed one of the glasses towards him.

"Of course," he replied, "Me and Anmol, we both were following you. Only if I knew you were my son.... things would have been different now."

"Anmol?" said Tyrell, raising his eyebrows, "Hearing his name after a really long time. I thought he is dead."

"He isn't," said Jyran, "He played a major role in killing Theodore Hanslay. He was the one who suggested me to impel Ted to kill himself."

Tyrell was keen to oblige, savoring the hard aroma. He bend over to fetch his tumbler, disliking the idea to discuss about Hanslays anymore. He took a quick sip. That astringent taste and the burning sensation in his throat as the drink went down... finally he was feeling something and the feeling was so right.

"How do you know Ira Zutshi, anyway?" he asked, watching Jyran holding his own glass firmly between his fingers and rotating for the ice to melt.

"She was one of my students," said Jyran, licking his upper lip, "She learnt quite a few tricks from me. Erasing people's memories is one example. But a few years later she just stopped showing interest to come over."

"Why?" Tyrell asked, "Did you try to separate her mind and soul too?"

"Well, I wasn't interested in teaching anymore. I was getting...sort of distracted. Situation were changing drastically."