Zeke Williams

I think we’d be missing more people if that was the case. Rhea’s not out of school all that often; it’s unlikely she’d walk down some street only three other people have gone down over the last couple of months during one of her rare days out of the castle.

*Micah….doesn’t really know what to do with Zeke. He wants to take everything he says seriously, but bless him there’s a limit to what even Micah can really take as helpful additions to the discussion.*

I don’t think their height has much to do with it. Besides, Rhea and Scarlet are quite short.

Their temperaments are similar, though. Kai, and Scorpious, and Rhea. I don’t know Scarlet very well; would she say she’s of a similar personality to the others? *It’s a weak connection, but could be an indication of all other kinds of different links between them. And it’ll help Zeke to feel useful, possibly.*

Huh. Yeah, I guess you’re right. But how could someone take her in Hogwarts? It’s, like, super safe there. 

*Zeke nods.* Okay. Well, maybe it’s just tall guys, and short girls. I’ll keep thinking about it. 

Yeah, Kai and Scorp are both cool bros! I dunno if Rhea is a cool bro, but probably. I haven’t talked to Scarlet, either. Do you think there’s anything else between them? 

She doesn’t want to hear this. Shaking her head, Mila tries to ignore the urgency and desperation she hears in his voice. Kai wasn’t kidnapped or abducted or whatever you wanted to call it, like Scorpius before him was supposed to be. 

That would be too painful. It wouldn’t allow her the anger to blame him. “Get out,” she hisses, and moves behind him to grab a hold of his wheelchair, wheeling him away. “Just leave, already. You and Kai are exactly the same - pretending to be all sweet and then the next minute-” 

She doesn’t finish her sentence. Instead, she gives his chair one last push, sending him off until he stops the momentum himself. “Just go!”

“Why won’t you listen?” Zeke’s eyebrows crinkle in frustration, and he tries desperately to think of a way to convince her to hear what he has to say. Before he can, she’s grabbing his wheelchair, and moving it without his permission.

“Hey! Stop that! Kai is sweet and nice an- Hey!” His wheelchair goes flying, and he stops it as fast as he can, hands shaking. He frowns, and turns himself around once he gathers his bearings. Staying away from her, he yells, “Come talk to me when you’ll listen! This is important, Mila!” 

❝ sweet. but nah. first i am a woman, not a girl. secondly, i am not royalty.  ❞

“What? Isn’t that the same thing? And you’re wearing a pretty dress, so that’s, like, the same thing, too.”

❝ did you just call me lady? ❞

“Yeah! Cause you’re a girl, right? So it makes sense.”

“Sure, I’ll take you to the desert table and we’ll put Kai out of your mind. What else is new in your life?”

“Okay...” He frowns, “These places always have really nice little cake thingies.” He wheels beside her as she walks, “Uh, not much. I’ve been coaching at the school sometimes. I learned how to make scrambled eggs, that’s pretty cool. Kai makes ‘em better, though.”

“Is that an invitation?” she hisses, and she has no qualms in sending the wind swirling about him roughly, whipping his hair and trying to wheel him away once more. “I’ll do what I want with the wind. It’s a part of me. Maybe if you didn’t piss me off you’d be enjoying a gentle breeze instead of a tornado in the next few minutes.”

Growing angrier by the second, she storms out of the doorway towards him, wind now not entirely in control as her hair whipped around her own face. “I don’t ‘ave to listen to anything! ‘e ‘asn’t even been gone that long, for Christ’s sake! People are shit, Zeke! People are cruel! People stand you up! People leave! Get used to it!”

Zeke squeezes his eyes shut, trying to keep the wind out while his hair flies all over his face. His cheeks tinge red from the cold, and he shivers slightly. “Mila! Stop it!” He shakes his head, as if to get the wind to leave. “I didn’t mean to make you mad! I’m sorry!”

He opens his eyes, and looks up at her. They’re wide, pupils dilating in fear. “You don’t have to, but please!” Zeke’s bottom lip quivers, “Something is wrong, I need you to help! You’re being mean!” He shakes his head again, more firmly this time. “Kai isn’t cruel! He’s good, and he didn’t leave on his own! Something is really really messed up!”

*Micah glances back at Zeke; and his expression softens, a little, before he nods his head and taps the note with ‘Kitten Court?’ written across it, pinned beneath Scorpious’ picture.*

I was thinking we could check a map of the area around Scorpious’ flat to see if there are any roads with similar names, just in case it was lost in translation. It might have been where he was taken from, if it’s not where he is right now.

*Decisively, a frown spreading across his face.* I care. Everyone here cares. We’ll figure out what it means.

*There is something about Zeke’s expression, about the look in his eyes when he says his dream about Scorpious felt important, that makes Micah pause, makes something in the back of his mind go ding; and he resolves to talk to Zeke about it more after the meeting it over.*

We’ll make sure there are things to eat and drink next time, Zeke, don’t worry.

Can you think of any connections between Scorpious and Kai? We should perhaps consider that the boys have one thing in common while the girls have another; see if any leads come from that.

*Zeke’s shoulders relax a little once he’s sure his idea is on the board.* Okay. As long as you guys have it. I dunno if the pizza is important, but maybe we should eat pizza to see if that gets us anywhere.

Do you think they all disappeared from the same place? *He sits up a little straighter.* Like, if you walk down one street, poof! You’re gone! *He frowns.* If that’s right, we should just all stay here forever so nobody leaves again. 

*He feels better with Micah telling him that he cares, and Zeke gives him a small smile.* Okay. 

*Zeke nods.* A lot of stuff, please.

Um... *He frowns, trying to think.* Oh! Kai and Scorp are tall! Like, when I’m standing, they’re both just a little bit taller than me. They’re, like, practically the same height!