by Eva Chase
“Too bad so many of them are snobs,” Jude said with a tight laugh. He ran his lithe fingers over my hair. “I’ve been thinking about it. I just haven’t decided yet. And whatever happens to me, you’re not responsible for that, okay? You don’t owe me anything, and I’m not in this to heap all my troubles on you.”
“I know.”
“Good.” He paused. “Since we’re awake now anyway… Do you want to see something? It might not fix all my problems, but it’s a possibility for making a future that’s got nothing to do with being a Killbrook.”
A tingle of anxiety passed from him to me, as if he was afraid of my reaction. I reached for his hand instinctively to give it a reassuring squeeze. “Of course. What is it?”
“I’ll show you. It’s not remotely definite yet… just something I’ve started looking into. I think it could be really good, though.”
He tugged me off the bed and into the dim living room where his laptop lay on the coffee table. With a few clicks, he brought up a website with video clips. He played one, which showed a scene from a movie where two actors soared through the air as they clashed swords against each other, and another where one of those actors summoned a demonic looking creature from a jar.
“Some of the ‘lesser’ fearmancer families have gone in together on a movie studio,” Jude explained. “Nothing huge—they might be able to pull off one or two films a year—but they’re bringing on mages to handle the special effects: physicality specialists for things like that flying stunt, and illusionists to create visuals from scratch. Costs a lot less than needing a bunch of stunt-people and computer experts, which’ll give them an edge.”
“Wow,” I said. “And you’re thinking you’d join in?” They’d be lucky to have Jude. He might not have the same power at his disposal as the actual scions, but as far as I knew, no one at Blood U could top him when it came to illusions.
“We’ll see. I still need to finish school before I commit to anything, and for all we know the company will have gone under by then. They’re still working out some snags like whether they can manage to involve Nary actors while still keeping the secrets of their process under wraps. But I’ve been chatting with a couple of the founders.” He snapped the laptop shut. “Not the kind of magical work that people like Baron Killbrook would see as worthwhile, but…”
“But why worry about assholes like him?” I filled in for him. “It looks like an amazing opportunity. I had no idea mages were getting involved in industries like that.”
“I think some of them are getting tired of the idea the prominent families push about high finance business ventures being the only valid career path,” Jude said dryly, but his face had lit up at my approval. “Anyway, the last thing I want to do is loaf around living off money that used to be Killbrook funds. I’ve got to make some kind of future for myself.”
“Of course you will.” Contemplating the future made my throat close up again. I gripped Jude’s hand harder. “Do you think we’ll be able to snap Connar out of it? If the intervention tomorrow doesn’t work… I don’t know what else we can try.” After I’d told the other scions about what had happened during my last class with Connar, we’d agreed it was time to come at the problem with everything we had. Tomorrow evening, we’d get him alone, subdue him as well as we could, and bring all our magic to bear on unraveling the spell.
If we didn’t have enough power to overcome his mother’s magic, then not only would we be out of options, but Connar would also be ten times as furious with all of us. How long would he have to live with his mother’s spell warping his mind? What kind of future could he have like that?
“The four of us should be more than up to the task,” Jude said, but his confidence sounded a little forced. He wrapped his arms around me. “Baron Stormhurst doesn’t stand a chance with you in the mix.”
Waiting for the evening to come so we could tackle Connar’s spell was made only slightly easier by having something else important to occupy myself with in the meantime. Just past lunch time, I crouched in the woods around the Casting Grounds next to Declan, the sharp scent of the fallen leaves prickling my nose.
The Nary session that Professor Crowford had told Malcolm about was due to start in a quarter of an hour. I intended to make sure it was much less enjoyable for the fearmancer students than the previous ones appeared to have been. If words wouldn’t convince them, then maybe it’d take some action.
“You won’t be able to stop them from casting completely,” Declan said quietly. He couldn’t stick around, because it’d look pretty bad for a near-baron to be found interfering with his colleagues’ plans, but he’d come along to offer guidance beforehand. “By watching, you should be able to tell pretty quickly who the more powerful mages are. Focus on them, and use a mix of persuasion and physicality techniques to throw off their focus or interrupt the effects of their spells. Once they’re having trouble, the other students will start to notice and become unsettled too.”
I nodded. “And if I can make it look as if the extra power made them lose control of their spells, even better.”
“Exactly.” He glanced around and tugged me a little farther to the right. “You’ll have a clearer view here. I can cast an illusion to help disguise you so you don’t need to drain any of your own magic beforehand.”
“Thanks.”
As he stood up to cast the spell, my gaze followed him, lingering on the concentration that steadied his handsome face, the confident tones with which he spoke his casting words. Declan was never grandiose or flamboyant with his magic, but the other barons shouldn’t underestimate him. I could feel the controlled power in every movement he made. The subtlety of it made it even more impressive to watch.
When he’d finished, he stepped into the clearing briefly to evaluate the spell’s effectiveness. “Totally hidden,” he announced as he returned to me, and hesitated. “I’d stay if the politics weren’t so fraught.”
I waved him off. “It’s totally fine. I know I’m taking a risk messing with the new policy, but I’m nowhere near baron yet now, and I’m the only Bloodstone heir, so it’s not as if they could replace me. Your situation is way more precarious. I wouldn’t want you to put yourself in that position.”
“I still wish I could be here to see it.” He knelt down and kissed me, quick but determined with his fingers tracing along my jaw. “Look after yourself. Your situation might be less precarious, but you could still get into trouble.”
“I’ll be watching my back.”
He slipped away through the trees, and I settled into my stake-out spot, the gaps between the scrawny shrubs ahead of me giving me a decent view of most of the clearing ahead. The smooth bark of the sapling I rested my hand against was cool but not uncomfortably so. The peaceful sounds of birds chirping overhead and the faint rustle of the breeze through the leaves gave no hint of the torture that was about to take place here.
Footsteps broke that peace. Figures tramped into the clearing from the direction of the school—several fearmancers and as many Nary students, Professor Crowford at the back. He scanned the trees around the clearing, probably wondering if Malcolm was observing the way the Nightwood scion had apparently suggested he would. The Persuasion professor’s gaze skimmed right over my hiding spot.
To make sure he wouldn’t get the blame for my meddling today, Malcolm would be descending on the junior cafeteria right now to awe the younger students with some scion advice within full view of at least a few professors.
“What are we doing out here?” one of the Nary students asked. They all looked puzzled. The fearmancer students drifted around them with a glint in their eyes I could only describe as predatory, like a pack of wolves circling a herd of sheep.
None of them appeared to have any qualms about what they were about to do. No, I didn’t see anything other than eager anticipation on those faces. It made my stomach turn.
I was supposed to rule these people someday. Didn’t they realize they were proving every awf
ul idea the joymancers had about us right by participating in something like this?
“We needed room for a little demonstration,” Crowford said in a casual tone. He tipped his head to the students, and just like that, they launched into their spells.
So many casting words filled the air at the same time that it was hard to catch all of them. An illusion of a monstrous figure loomed over two of the Naries, gnashing blood-drenched teeth. One of the nearby trees leaned forward to swipe at others with a jagged branch.
“Punch her,” one fearmancer ordered, pointing from one boy to the girl beside him, and the boy swung his fist immediately even as he cried out in protest, not having any way to fend off the persuasive compulsion.
The Naries shrieked and stumbled, spinning around as if looking for a way to flee. Someone conjured a ring of fire around the edge of the clearing, probably real from the heat that wafted from it all the way to my face.
Crowford watched it all, smirking. Some of the fearmancer students laughed, all of them glowing with elation at the fearful energy that must have been rushing into them faster than they’d ever have felt before. They’d never had the chance to terrorize anyone quite this thoroughly.
Ignoring my rising queasiness, I focused on the magic thrumming in my own chest. They wouldn’t be feeling quite so triumphant for long.
With a hushed word, I made the animated tree lurch so it smacked one of the fearmancers in the chest, knocking him off his feet. As he let out a startled shout, I burst apart one horrifying illusion and then another. The boy who’d been relying on persuasion opened his mouth to give another command, and I whispered one to him instead. “Prevent the other mages from casting any way you can.”
He ran at the girl next to him, clapping his hand over her mouth before she could speak a spell. I was about to turn my attention onto the flames licking over the grass, but at the same moment, Professor Crowford stepped deeper into the chaos of the clearing. He was eyeing the forest again. His lips moved with the start of a casting.
Shit. I scrambled backward as quietly as I could. A wave of quivering energy rushed over me as he must have sent some sort of spell over the whole area—to detect where the opposing magic was coming from? To shatter any spells that were protecting me?
I couldn’t risk hanging around to find out. I dashed through the trees, hoping I’d fled fast enough to avoid him seeing me—and that my brief sabotage had shaken up the students enough to make them question whether it’d be wise to continue using their new source of fear.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Rory
“Oof,” Shelby said with a hand on her belly as we emerged from the forest path onto campus. “It’s going to take a lot more walking to burn off that dinner. But totally worth it.”
I laughed and licked my lips, tasting the lingering custard sweetness from the dessert we’d split. Getting it at all after the already substantial dinner might have been overly ambitious. My own stomach felt full to bulging. But the new restaurant that had just opened in town was definitely going on my favorites list.
“Gotta indulge every now and then,” I said. “We work hard.”
“We do.” Shelby nodded emphatically. “Speaking of which, I really need to get some more practice in on that new piece. Are you coming back to the dorm?”
I’d thought I was, but as we passed Killbrook Hall, my gaze caught on an unexpected figure waiting in the middle of the green. My mother’s dark eyes took in me and Shelby, no doubt noting the scholarship pin on my friend’s blouse, before she turned away as if she had no interest in either of us.
My body tensed. I knew better than to go by that gesture. She was just avoiding making any kind of a scene in front of my classmates, but she wouldn’t be standing around there unless she was waiting for me.
“I just remembered something I need to grab,” I said to Shelby. “I’ll see you up there later.”
Maybe not for a while later. I checked my phone as I walked over to join my mother. Operation: Save Connar was supposed to come together in a little less than an hour. That was, assuming Malcolm could cajole the Stormhurst scion into the lounge in the first place.
“What’s going on?” I asked, coming up beside my mother. “If I’d known you wanted to see me, I’d have made sure to be around.”
Baron Bloodstone’s mouth slanted at a doubtful angle. Her gaze slid over me, not exactly cold but with a distance she hadn’t shown me in the past. Before she’d even said anything, the hairs on the back of my neck had risen.
Something was wrong, and it had something to do with me.
“Come along,” she said in a similarly detached tone. “We have a few things to discuss, Persephone.”
I could think of a number of things she might have decided to approach me about, none of which were good. Trying to weasel out of the conversation now wasn’t going to earn me any points. She motioned toward Nightwood Tower, and I walked over with her, bracing myself.
My mother didn’t say anything else as she pushed into the hall and led the way not up toward the classrooms but down to the basement room where the Desensitization sessions were held. I guessed that space had more guarantee of privacy. Still, the cooler air washing over my skin and the faint buzz of the artificial lights set my nerves even more on edge. I’d gotten better control over my reactions to the illusions the chamber showed me, but I’d had a lot of unpleasant experiences down here.
No sessions were running this late in the day, but Professor Razeden was sitting on one of the benches outside the chamber, flipping through a notebook. His head jerked up at our arrival. He sprang to his feet, undisguised wariness crossing his gaunt face at the sight of my mother.
“Baron,” he said with a dip of his head. “What can I—”
“My daughter and I will be making use of this space for some time,” my mother said, flicking her hand toward the Desensitization chamber. She strode over and opened the door without waiting for his response.
Razeden’s throat bobbed. His eyes caught mine searchingly, but I didn’t know what to tell him.
“Any activities conducted in there, it’s best if I oversee them,” he said quickly. “If you’re simply looking for an out-of-the-way place to talk, I can vacate the hall here and see that you’re not disturbed.”
A definite chill crept into my mother’s voice. “That won’t be necessary. I remember the procedures well enough.”
I followed her into the domed chamber, resisting the growing urge to hug myself. The baron shut the door firmly behind us. I knew from past sessions that no sound penetrated the thick stone walls, painted as black as the floor behind our feet. The light at the peak of the dome shone over us with an eerie glow.
I hung back by the door. It was in the center of the space that the illusions took hold. They wouldn’t start up unless activated, but I had no desire to remind myself of those times in any way.
My mother spun to face me. “I thought we had thoroughly covered your concerns about the new school policy the last time we spoke. Lying to avoid a difficult discussion with me should be beneath you, Persephone.”
A finger of ice slid down my spine. This was about the Naries, then, one way or another. It didn’t seem wise to give her more information that she might already have.
“I’m not sure what you mean,” I said carefully.
Her gaze bored into me. There were no drafts in the tightly sealed chamber, but enough magic raced through her body that the energy alone stirred her hair where it grazed her shoulders. My pulse skittered, probably helping fuel that energy.
This woman was my mother, but she was also the most powerful of the elite fearmancers that ruled over us. And clearly her imprisonment hadn’t diminished her ability to wield that power.
“We need to get a few things straight,” she said. “I realize I haven’t been a part of your life for most of it, and that you found your footing in this world without having to take my perspective into account. But I am here now. I’m both your mother
and your baron, and you will respect those roles. If you have questions or concerns, you come to me, and we’ll talk them through until you’re satisfied. You do not spread ideas or take actions that go against our family’s goals behind my back.”
I couldn’t hold back a shiver at the furor rising in her voice. “Of course not,” I said. “If you could tell me where I went wrong—”
Anger flashed in her eyes, and my mouth snapped shut. Her shoulders had gone rigid.
“Do you expect me to believe you don’t know? You spoke out against using the feebs in front of an entire class—vehemently, from what I understand. I have reason to believe you also directly interfered with a session involving them this morning. I know you’re not so stupid as to believe I’d approve of either of those instances. Don’t treat me as if I’m stupid enough not to see that.”
I fumbled for my tongue. My voice came out barely above a whisper. “I know you’re not stupid. I—I was only giving my opinion in class.” I wasn’t going to address this morning. It didn’t sound like she had definite proof it’d been me. She was either guessing based on my first transgression, or Professor Crowford had gotten a glimpse of me that hadn’t been clear enough for certainty.
“Your opinion that we should stay weak and let the Naries lord over us and this world.” My mother jabbed her finger at me. It shook for an instant before steadying. “That’s not how a Bloodstone thinks. That’s not how you should have been raised. Those damned joymancers taught you nothing but how to be afraid—of your power, of your people, of using the people who weren’t worthy of being granted the same talents we have.”
“That’s not—”
“You’ll learn to cope with those fears and rise above them to take your proper place,” she said, cutting me off. The gleam in her eyes had gone wild. “However many times it takes until you understand. This is what you need. Take your spot, now.” She pointed to the middle of the room.
