by S C Thomas
She didn’t exactly believe what Kelyn told her. Was Kelyn lying to her? Why she did believe she was? Because there were holes in the explanation. Either that or she was looking too deep into it and poking the holes herself. Still, she couldn’t get that nagging feeling out of her stomach at thinking that Kelyn wasn’t telling her everything. She didn’t comment about it though. Instead, she pressed her lips together and let it slide. Maybe that was a conversation for another time when they had a moment together. Though, she wasn’t sure Kelyn was yet up to being around her privately.
“Hey, Kells. Why don’t you make her cry or something? That way we can get over waiting for her to give us away.” Jake’s voice shouted over to them from the far edge of the clearing.
Nervous laughter drifted in the clearing, but it was so low it was almost missed - not everyone saw eye to eye with Jake. Kelyn rolled her eyes, shaking her head as she threw an apologetic look at Emma.
“Ignore him.” She whispered. “His bark is worse than his bite. Literally.”
Emma smiled weakly, suddenly feeling very much out of place here. She knew she didn’t entirely belong, but she didn’t exactly belong with the mages either. That old familiar feeling of not belonging trickled through her stomach. She should’ve known better then to get comfortable here. She should’ve known better then to start feeling at home.
“So, I heard what happened with you and Josh. You two broke up.” Kelyn said after a moment of silence between the two.
Emma was watching a pair of sparring students go at one another, trying to fight each other off with mundane spells and looked at Kelyn warily. “Yep.”
“Wanna talk about it?” She asked curiously, but Emma didn’t miss the fact the words were strained. She was trying to make conversation, but it wasn’t working all that well.
Emma shrugged, looking back at the couple pretending to fight. “Guess we didn’t click.” She said, her voice sadder than she had intended for it to be. She didn’t want to tell Kelyn the real reason, it was bad enough she had to admit to the breakup as it was. She didn’t need Kelyn blaming herself or anything else.
“Because he didn’t help.”
Bingo.
Emma blinked, looking at her sharply. It hadn’t been a question. “What?”
“He didn’t help like you did. That’s why you broke up, isn’t it?”
Emma nodded slowly, not wanting to say the words and Kelyn stepped forward. “I’m not going to blame myself, if that’s why you didn’t want to say it.” She assured her softly. “Mages and Shifters don’t get along, Emma and those who disapprove can’t really do anything about it. Not if they want to be shunned for the rest of their lives. You should talk to him. I’m sure he feels bad for not helping, but when you live this life, turning the other cheek despite how you feel about things comes naturally.”
Emma stared at her friend. Were they still friends? She really hoped so. But even so, she didn’t say anything and only nodded, giving a small smile as she took her stance, readying herself to practice.
Twenty-Seven
Her fork speared the noodles on her plate, but her mind wasn’t really on the food she was eating. She felt herself shoving forkfuls of food into her mouth, but tasting it was a different story. She was still surprised that Marcus had invited her to eat dinner with him. He’d never done that before. She had quickly accepted, excited by the idea of getting to eat with him. Until it was actually time and she realized she was spending up to yet another hour alone with him. At least this time they weren’t training, having lessons that would result in him shaking his head and getting irritated by the fact she couldn’t do a simple stupid little spell. While she was able to do some magic, it was still very uncontrollable and when she tried to do more, it either didn’t end well or just didn’t happen at all.
It also didn’t help now that it had been a week since her first practice meeting and since that night, they’d done it nearly every single night since. She could feel her body trying to shut down from lack of sleep, but it was also tender from the hits of magic and physical punches and kicks she was prone to get. There were times where random spells, or a leg would catch her and spin her off the ground. They were called accidents, but Emma wasn’t stupid, she knew better then to believe that. She didn’t complain though. Complaining would only result in being made fun of by those who didn’t want her there. Jake still had no problem showing his dislike for her. He even did it in school, spitting in her direction when they passed one another in the halls and all. Leering at her and making loud noise about how she was so pathetic at being magicless. Her mage classmates found him annoying, though they picked the same jokes at her when he wasn’t around. She ignored them all. She was focused on her studies and the training sessions at night.
Her uncle probably noticed the lack of sleep she’d been getting. The dark circles were prominent under her eyes, but he didn’t press her for questions. She was less lonely this way and he had to have noticed that, right? At least he let her have whatever friendship was mended with Emma to keep her mind somewhat sane. He didn’t poke at her, seemed to know better anyways, but he did watch her more carefully during lessons. Especially at the times where she got so spacey, she nearly forgot what she was supposed to be doing. She blamed it on late nights of studying – which wasn’t exactly a lie, it just wasn’t the full truth. She knew better then to tell her uncle of all people.
“You’re doing quite well for grasping the basics.” He commented halfway through their quiet dinner, which had mostly consisted of clinking dishes and swallowing. “I am proud of you.”
A warm feeling boiled in the pits of her stomach, but Emma kept her eyes on her food to keep him from seeing her happiness at his praise. “Thank you.” She mumbled.
“Emma,” He hesitated, and she felt the urge to raise her eyes up to him, cocking an eyebrow in question to push him forward to ask whatever it was he wanted to know. “Is everything alright? I know you and your boyfriend broke up but is everything else alright.”
She nodded slowly, reaching for her drink to take a drink from it, trying to distract herself from having to talk to him longer than necessary. As she swallowed the remaining drops, she set it down and picked her fork back up, pretending to be far more interested in whatever they were eating then she was in talking.
“How are you dealing with the breakup?” He asked suddenly, surprising her to look at him again. “I’m not gonna lie, I am glad you two aren’t together. A boy is distractions. You’ve been focusing harder on your lessons and everything a lot better than when you were with him. Which is good. But I am sorry you two broke up. A breakup is never easy.”
She stared at him, pressing her lips together as she tried to figure out what he wanted from her. She nodded at his words and returned her attention to the food, poking at a piece of chicken mixed in with the noodles.”
“Boys are distractions,” he repeated, but sounding feeble when he did so, just trying to make his point of what he’d been saying in fear he had upset her.
“So, you said.” She finally spoke, breaking the ice of silence she’d had. “I get it. Boys are distractions.”
He cleared his throat and set his fork down, folding his hands in his lap. “I have good news for you.”
Emma sighed heavily and sat back in her seat, letting her fork drop to her plate, flinching when it clinked. “Alright, what is it?”
“All your hard work is finally going to pay off.” He grinned broadly, lifting his head a smudge. “You’re going to be in the trials.”
She blinked, her eyes widening in surprise and her heart fluttered, the grin that drew her lips upwards unable to be helped. “Really?” She squeaked, bouncing slightly in her seat. “I’m really going to be part of them?”
He nodded, his face lighting up at her excitement, pleased to see her ecstatic about it. “Yes.”
She let out a small squeal, involuntarily on her lips as she clasped her hands together happily. “That is amazing news. I
can’t wait to tell- “she stopped, her face falling as she remembered she didn’t really have anyone to tell. And the people she did have, she couldn’t speak about in front of her uncle. “Right.” She muttered beneath her breath, picking her fork back up. “Thank you, Uncle Marcus.”
Marcus Charmwood paused, biting his lip as he felt a twinge of pain for his niece. He had not missed how lonely she was, with everyone ridiculing her for her lack of magic, but he pushed that aside for the time being. “Do you know what to expect with the trials?”
Emma shrugged, shaking her head. A small memory nagged her in the back of her brain. Kelyn had told her before, but that didn’t mean the information had stuck in her mind. She had gotten so focused on so much else, she’d forgotten what was said about the trials. It just seemed like a lifetime ago Kelyn had explained the basics of them.
“Kinda.” She finally said with a shrug. “I was told before, but I don’t really remember much. Just that you get your familiar if you succeed at the end.”
“Yes. So, for you, it’s going to be magic based. You will be put through a series of trials. Exactly what I don’t know. It’s different for everyone. Everyone has their own set of trials to conquer. If you fail, you find out at the end at the Awakening Pool. There are supposed to be two paths that emerge from it. One for the shifter and one for the mage. If only one path emerges, it means one of you fails. If one fails, you both fail.”
“What happens if you fail?”
He shook his head. “There can be no bond. You have to do it again the next year.”
His words rugged the memory of something Kelyn had told her. “People don’t like redoing them.” She echoed.
He nodded, his head like a bobble head. “Most don’t. It’s an embarrassment if you fail. You think people make fun of you now? If you fail, it’s a lot worse.” She grimaced at his words, shrinking back as she imagined the laughing and brutality escalating if she so happened to fail. “Some people would rather die than live with the shame. Mr. Hinley would know a thing or two about that, his brother couldn’t live knowing he had failed the trials.”
Emma’s eyes flashed back to him, drawn from her make believe world where she was tormented the same way Kelyn had been all because she had failed the trials. “What? What do you mean?”
Her uncle shook her head, looking at her sympathetically. “That’s not really my place to talk about.” He said quickly, trying to backtrack on the subject.
Emma narrowed her eyes. “Shouldn’t have said anything then.”
He pursed his lips and set his fork back down, noodles wrapped around the sporks, uneaten as he’d gotten distracted talking to her. “When entering, you will be on one side and the shifters on the other of the maze. If you succeed, you’ll end up meeting in a middle-one, mage drawn and take a sacred oath together. The symbol you are given is the symbol that ties you together. It only disappears if the bond is broken.”
Emma blinked, her head spinning as she tried to collect together all the information, he was giving her. She already had so much crammed into her brain though she was almost certain it was going to burst from it all. “Wait, what maze? I’ve never seen a maze. Where is it?”
He stared at her for a moment, debilitating if she was serious or not and deciding she was, he pushed back in his chair and stood, beckoning for her to follow. She scrambled to her feet and walked around his desk to the window that looked over the courtyard behind the castle. He pointed out the window without another word. Looking down, Emma gasped, sucking in a breath of air.
From how high up they were, the maze was clear. It twirled around and around, hedges blocking off areas and others wide open to get through. She recognized the area instantly and her heart squeezed as laughter followed by honking drifted through her mind. They were the hedges that she and Josh had clipped together, where they had first connected. Her heart sank in her chest, plummeting towards her stomach and she had to pull away, had to get away from them.
Marcus turned to her as she backed away, mistaking her heartache for fear. “You’re going to do fine, Emma. Your magic is coming along. While it isn’t the best, it’s a lot better than what it used to be. Which is very good. Besides, you’re a Charmwood. There is no way you won’t be able to kick ass.”
She smiled softly as his explanation and nodded, fiddling with her tie, eyes on it. “It’ll just be my luck I fail.”
A moment of pause. “You won’t fail.” He said confidently. “You’re a Charmwood and besides, you’re you. You’re going to be fine.”
There was something there though, something that didn’t sit right with Emma when he spoke. His tone sounded different, almost hesitant and tight in the way he spoke. Something nagged at her about it and she looked at him curiously, trying to place what was so wrong about it. Was he not telling her something? That couldn’t be it. Their relationship was getting better. While they weren’t best friends, her uncle was at least speaking in bits and pieces of her mother – mostly just from their childhood. He still didn’t like speaking about when they started school or to the time Emma had been born. That was a grey subject with him and usually clammed him up. Sometimes he got angry if Emma pushed and made her leave, ending lessons quickly. So, she tried not to push when he did say things about her mother. Most of the time, it was to compliment her and tell her that her mother would be proud of her. Or explain she did something the exact same way as her. Small things, but it was better nothing.
Still, she detected that something was missing in his words that he spoke. She knew there was more to what he was saying but couldn’t figure out what. She didn’t say anything on it.
Worry momentarily crossed his eyes, but he straightened himself up and returned to his chair. “Come on, lets finish our dinner. I had this specially made for you.”
“You told me that.” She commented but did as she was asked, taking her seat back. “Can we do this again?” She suddenly asked, actually meaning the words.
She did want to do this again. She liked having quality time with her uncle. It felt nice to get to know him in a way other didn’t and also because they were family. She didn’t want to go home during the holidays with a stranger. She turned, her muscles yelling at her. They had become strained from all the late-night practices, but Emma had learned not to show her pain on her face. Especially not in front of her uncle. If she showed discomfort, he asked questions she couldn’t answer. And the last time he had done that, she blabbed about falling down a flight of stairs and then ran away from him so he wouldn’t try and push her to the infirmary again.
“I’d like that.” He nodded, grinning when she peeked a look up at him. “So, I keep forgetting to ask. How’re your classes going?”
She cocked an eyebrow, leaning back in her chair as she crossed her arms. “You should know. Don’t my teachers report to you?”
He sighed, nodding in confirmation. “Yes, but I would like to hear it from your voice.”
She shrugged, shaking her head. “They’re fine.”
“You don’t interact much.”
“I try to not make myself a scene.”
He shook his head, disapproval twitching the edges of his lips. She had come to know that look all too well. “You don’t learn without practice.”
“So, I’ve learned.” She grinned.
He didn’t find her funny and only glared at her. “I’m serious Emma. You need to actually practice. Even if it means getting up in front of them.”
Emma groaned, shaking her head. “Last time I did that, I set a teacher’s desk on fire and got laughed at. It’s bad enough I have to take private lessons to try and catch up to everyone else. I’m tired of being made fun of because of it all. Everyone tells me I’m this magic guru or something, that I’m supposed to be great at magic or whatever and here I am, shitting unicorn dust and going nowhere!”
Marcus cocked an eyebrow. “Language.” He said tartly, pointing a finger at her. “After the trials, you won’t be made fun of anymore, I pr
omise you that.”
She crossed her arms, shaking her head and sat back. “Is it true that a shifter is under a mages command?”
Surprise flicked across his face. “Yes.” He said slowly. “Where did you learn that?”
She stared at him, crossing her arms defiantly. “I have resources.” She snorted when he cocked an eyebrow. “I’ve been studying, Uncle Marcus!”
His lips twitched, but he forced himself not to laugh. “Fine, yes, it’s true. The mage is the one in command, the dominant one so to say. They can make the shifter do whatever they want, no matter what it is. It’s against the law to make the shifter do things they don’t exactly want to do, but some do anyways. Not everyone follows the rules.”
“And bonded souls?”
He furrowed his eyebrows together, looking at her curiously. “Why the interest all of a sudden?”
“I’m curious.” She said flatly. “Now tell me about bonded souls.”
He pressed his lips together for a moment but then sighed, giving in to her. “Bonded souls are when bonds are sealed by intimacy. It’s not exactly forbidden, but if it does happen, it’s against the law to create offspring from it.” He shifted uncomfortably, avoiding her gaze as he looked above her, studying the door behind her. “If a baby is created from bonded souls, they are supposed to be aborted. They come out as deformed, a mess. Ugly so to say. That’s what’s said anyways.”
She stared at him, waiting for him to continue after he fell into silence, falling into thought. When he didn’t, she cleared her throat, raising her hand to snap her fingers, trying to draw him back to reality. “Are there hybrids? I mean, shifters and mages can make offspring if they aren’t bonded, right?”
His face twisted into panic, eyes widening, and he shifted in his seat uncomfortably. He cleared his throat, twice, before opening his mouth to speak. Slowly, he shook his head, exhaling to gather himself as he tried to come up with the words to say. What was wrong with him?
