Chapter 62: I've Seen This Scroll Before

CALEB. 'You….you're that rude client. What are you doing here?" She jerked her hands out of mine. I recoiled in response, staring at her like she was a pile of shit. 'Rude is a strong word. You just didn't understand the gravity of the situation." I shrugged, still walking with her. 'Oh yeah? You and your girlfriend completely trashed the room. Do y'all even know how much energy we have to put in everyday for your satisfaction?" She rambled on. She looked genuinely pissed, it was almost amusing. 'You don't know the details of what happened. Don't be so quick to decide." We turned towards another hotel. 'Why don't you hide out in there? I gotta run." I glanced behind us. The men in hoodies were nowhere to be seen, but that didn't mean they'd left her alone. She'd be safer inside the hotel than in an apartment or a restaurant. Kyle would probably kill me by the time I got back. 'Sure. Thank you, though." She said, bowing her head. 'Yeah. Stay safe." I dropped her off in the hotel, with strict instructions not to give anyone her key card or disclose what room she was in. Luckily this particular hotel was owned by one of my shareholders, so I had a say in the affairs of the hotel. I saw Kyle parked outside the hotel the moment I walked out. He had a 'I'm gonna murder you later but let's keep it chill" look on his face. 'What was that?" He asked the moment I sat in the passenger's seat. 'What was what?" 'The fuck.. you literally ran out of the car like there was fucking bomb somewhere." He swerved, turning back towards town. I had followed Cynthia all the way to the suburbs. 'I saw something I had to handle." I said simply. 'Okay then. I'll run off too while driving so you can see how it feels." He grumbled. I smirked. He was still Kyle, just with the occasional aggressiveness. 'I wouldn't even be bothered. You'd still come back." I chuckled. 'Cocky bastard." He muttered, and we drove off to lunch. 'A very proud one at that." I added. The Casa Hub seemed like an olden days' movie. Brown black scattered in different parts of the restaurant, from the marbled counter, to the tables and chairs. Sit outs for people who didn't like indoors, and private booths for people who loved their solitude. Slow jazz music played in the background, adding to the 90's feel. The wood was dark and polished, and an antique clock stood tall towards the left part of the customer area. Kyle went to place the order, and I found a booth for both of us. A few women stared at me, giggling and discussing among themselves. I winked at them, and they giggled even louder, bubbling with excitement. Kyle walked over, glancing between me and the girls. 'Grow up idiot." He snarled, sitting down. 'You're the one who needs to do the growing." I snorted. 'I'm a ladies man. I just don't use it as much as I should." 'Because you're hung up over some woman." I glanced at him sharply. 'Say that again." He raised his hands up in surrender. I leaned back into my seat, scrolling through some business news. The stock markets were at an all-time low, and it was affecting many small businesses. Mismanagement. 'So, you said you had something to tell me." He said, leaning forward on the table. A girl brushed past behind him, and her hair grazed his skin. He turned around sharply, his gaze lingering on her for a little too long. 'Yes." I cleared my throat. 'Uncle Kelly called me around a month ago. Remember the simple quest I talked about?" He nodded. 'Well… it wasn't so simple." I ran him over the scroll, its contents, and its history. The only missing piece was why Uncle Kelly wanted it. If I could piece that together, finding the scroll would be easier than it seemed. 'Uncle Kelly had always been mysterious." Kyle said, sipping his noodle soup. 'But can you think of anyone he'd want to get revenge on besides dad?" He asked, wiping his face. 'That's what I've been trying to piece together." I pulled out a picture of what the scroll was supposed to look like and showed him. He stared at it for a while, and I could see his pupils constrict into thin slits. 'The fuck…" 'I've seen this scroll before." He said, visibly shaking. 'What do you mean? It's been gone for almost 500 years." I narrowed my eyes on him. 'No no, I know what I'm saying. Every single detail is the same…" he ran his fingers over the picture. 'You know what happens during my seizures?" I shook my head. He would usually convulse, twitch, and mutter undecipherable words. He got up from his seat, trying to demonstrate something. 'I remember very vividly in one of them, I was standing somewhere. It looked like a library of some sort, but it was new. Like an old library that was refurbished or renovated and opened to the public. I stood at the entrance, and people trooped into the library, carrying books of different sizes. I felt invisible. Everyone walked past me, some glancing, others not even paying mind. I realized later that it was because I was a statue." My face went blank. 'A statue of a werewolf. I was conscious, I just couldn't do anything. That's how it was. The day just kept moving, with me rooted in the same spot. Eventually, I spotted something sticking out of a large book in the history section. I narrowed my eyes then, trying to make out what it was. Suddenly it jerked itself out and fell to the floor. The scroll floated towards me and opened itself. But the twist was, I couldn't see anything. It was completely blank. It had these exact same markings on the outside. Can't be mistaken." He finished, sipping his now cold soup. I was completely flabbergasted. 'Wait a second. You mean to tell me, you know exactly what the scroll looks like in reality?" He hadn't heard about the scroll before the whole incident happened to him, so it was a possibility that he was being legit. 'Yes. Although, I don't know if it's the real deal." He said non-chalantly. Interesting. The library in his vision was most likely the old library in Henley, but I couldn't remember any statue there. Maybe Helena would know something about it. 'Hmm. Would you like to follow me back? I'm returning tomorrow. You know Uncle Kelly doesn't like lateness." The thought alone filled me with dread. 'How would I be of help?" He started munching on his salad, and I just realized I hadn't touched any of my food. 'You're a werewolf. You have heightened senses, and you're much stronger. I need some of that." I said, gritting my teeth. No one was stronger than me. Especially not Kyle. He smirked. 'So, you want to hire my services eh?" Oh brother. 'Hire?" 'Yes. I shall request a payment. Upfront would be even more convenient." He had a smug smile on his face. I groaned inwardly. 'Fine. Any amount, as long as it's not outrageous." He extended his hands. 'Nice doing business with you brother." Little bastard. Early the next morning, I and Kyle stood at the airport, getting ready for our flight. Ain't no way I'd take those chances on the road again. Never again.