" What's the emergency? Why are you calling in the middle of the night? This was my first night of peaceful sleep after so many weeks , boy... Why did you have to ruin it? "
Xen was still rubbing his eyes as he picked Kian's call.
" Braze is missing ... Mira and I have been trying to reach him... His phone switched off... I am standing in front of the house he is staying at... the house lady says he hasn't come back... I don't know where he could be..."
Xen sat up, adjusting his neck.
" Why are you so worked up? He is a grown ass male. He could be anywhere... it's not like he is missing for days... "
" No. It's not like that... But it's urgent... We had a small fight... with the Watchers around, it's making me worried.... I have a bad feeling about this... and so does Mira... "
" Okay... okay... "Xen cut him short, " I'm on my way. Gosh! Are you a married couple? Like seriously dude... had a fight... worried about him... ! You make it sound so tacky.... "
Xen hung up, leaving Kian gasping for words to try and defend himself but he gulped down his own silence. He actually had nothing to say in his own defense. It indeed felt tacky when he thought about it properly.
" Where's Xen? "
Mira arrived at Braze's place after a few minutes.
" He is on his way... " Kian said.
" He is coming here? He could just summon Braze instead... Why take all the trouble? " Mira asked, looking around the property with both hands over her hip.
" It's a lovely place, isn't it? " she asked, quite impressed.
" You kids must be really hungry. Here, have some biscuits and tea while you wait. "
The landlady was standing before the two of them with a tray full as she grinned at them with her toothless gum.
" Oh! Thank you so much. But we are really not hungry. Sorry for troubling you this late. But you really don't need to stay awake because of us. We came to check on our friend. We will be leaving now. "
Mira said, hitting Kian hard on his hand as he extended his hand to pick up a biscuit. She glared at him as he gave her side eyes.
The landlady giggled, as if she was enjoying it.
" Don't worry. Treat this as your own home kids. I love having people over. I am usually sleeping all day anyways. I love staying up late , don't worry. Dig in. "
Mira could not stop Kian from picking two biscuits with both hands anymore. He gobbled them down as if he was starving.
Just when the lady had finished pouring their teas, Xen arrived.
He looked at them and raised his brows.
" I thought we were a search party... Were we not worried to death for Braze? I didn't know you guys were planning a surprise tea party in the middle of the night for me! "
His rhetorical question was flashing like daylight.
The lady tapped the spot beside her and asked Xen to join in.
" This tea will help with your quest, I promise. Kids like you need energy. You are no good for your friend with empty stomachs. "
She literally pulled him beside her as she thrust the cup in his hand.
When she finally left with the empty cups and plate, Mira leaned over the table and asked Xen,
" Come on now. Summon Braze. "
It was not a request. It was an order.
Xen spilled out the rest of the tea in his mouth.
" Summon Braze? "
He repeated what he heard as if in disbelief.
" Yeah! You can summon people right? Like you summoned me... Do it... Make him come crawling back here. "
She was urging him with open eyes and several nods and he understood the misunderstanding that they were in.
" It doesn't work like that Mira. I cannot summon people at will. " Xen said.
" But you did with me. Remember? Try the same process with Braze in mind. Repeat it. I know it's difficult controlling our powers. But we need to practice right. Come on.... Try picturing him in place of me... "
She was sitting across the table but was at the moment leaning her entire body on the table. Her face was inching closer to Xen's and he suddenly stood up, flushed, banging the table with his fist.
It immediately made Mira fall back on her seat.
" It doesn't work like that Mira... "
He yelled so hard but he really looked embarrassed.
And rightly so.
How was he going to explain what he had been feeling that night? How could he explain what Mira was asking, was impossible? How could he explain that he had never felt what he had been feeling for Mira, about any other woman. How was it possible to swap those thoughts with Braze? He wasn't gay. It was not a question of being gay.... He would not be able to replicate that feeling with anyone else.
He walked out in a hurry as Mira and Kian followed.
" I'm sorry. Did I say anything wrong? " Mira tried to grab his arm but he moved faster.
" We will need to track him the old fashioned way. I have my contacts. Let's find out the last location for his mobile. We might have some clue. "
Xen said, totally ignoring Mira's question.
" Kids.... hold up... " The three of them stopped when the landlady called them from the back.
She had a little bundle in her hand.
" Take this for my Braze. " She said, "He will be really hungry when you find him, just give him this. This will make him feel better. "
She thrust the bundle in Kian's hand and patted their backs, " Come on, now, get going. Make sure nobody sees you roaming around. The woods are not that child friendly at night, you see. You kids need to be careful. "
They decided to ignore her rants as an old woman's whining and kept walking towards their destination.