"So, let me get this straight," Remus said, "you came to Virgil's house when you were seven, bullied him for ten years and still think you're entitled to his house now?"

"We don't think we're entitled to his stupid house." Edin said. "We know we are. He chose this power dynamic. He chose to be a servant-"

"Cause we didn't give him a choice." Thalia said. Edin opened his mouth to snap at her but a sharp look from Remus quelled that. "We were really horrid to him." Thalia muttered, ashamed.

Remus sighed. "Look, the most you can do now is help me find him." He said.

"How are we meant to-"

"Ah, careful what you say, shortie." Remus said, cutting Edin off. He gestured to his crown. "You're talking to royalty, you know."

Edin muttered something darkly under his breath. Thalia elbowed him. "Don't be horrid." She said.

"What'd he say?" Remus asked. Edin glared at him.

"All I'm saying is that even if we aren't entitled to the Little Devil's-"

"Virgil's." Remus said. "Come on, try it. Vir-gil. Really not that difficult."

Edin glared at the wall. "Even if we aren't entitled to Virgil's house," he said, "he's still a thief. How do you explain the clothes he got for the ball? You can't explain that away, can you? Your Highness." Edin added onto the end, a mocking undertone in his voice.

"He can't explain it away, but I can." A voice said from the stairs, making them all jump.

Janus was sitting on the stairs, seemingly more interested in his nails than the three people in the hallway.

"Who are you?!" Edin asked. Janus looked up at him, turning their head so their scales were visible. Edin and Thalia took a step back. A small smile quirked one side of Janus' lips.

"I'm your worst nightmare." They said sarcastically. "Now, listen to me. This is going to sound insane and neither of you are gonna believe me because you've got brains the size of an atom-"

"Hey, that's not fair." Thalia said. Janus stared at her and she looked down, uncomfortable.

"I don't care." Janus said. "But anyway, it's magic."

"Magic?" Edin scoffed. "Are you touched in the head?" He laughed, not noticing how Janus' face darkened. "Magic doesn't exist."

"Really?" Janus asked. "You're sure about that?"

"Positive. I'm not stupid." Edin said. Janus glared at him and disappeared with a puff of yellow smoke.

"Believe it exists now?" Janus' voice asked from behind them. Everyone whipped round to see Janus sitting quite comfortably in mid-air.

Edin's eyes were so wide it looked like they were going to fall out of his head. Remus hid his mouth behind his hand to hide his smile.

Janus grinned down at the goggling Summers. "Like I said, that was magic. I helped Virgil go to the ball. Every night. Anyway, you've got nothing to hold against him. In fact," Janus pointed at Edin, "he's got more against you for a court case than you have against him." Janus looked up at Remus and a ghost of a genuine smile passed over his face. "Tell Virge I said hi." They said before disappearing again.

Edin looked back at Remus while Thalia looked down at the floor. "What the heck was that?!" Edin asked. Remus shrugged, grinning.

"That was Scales." He said.

The fact that I'm prolly gonna finish this story on Chapter 69-
... Nice.
Bye,
Blaize