by Lana Melyan
“I will,” he said gently. He drew closer and took my hands. “I promise. But not now. Let’s wait until Sam and Brian go back, make sure that it’s safe. Okay?”
“Okay.” Nodding, I looked away to hide the tears pooling in my eyes. But it was probably too late, because he pulled me into his arms and kissed my temple. And this time it was for real.
“Are you hungry?” asked Gran as I walked into the kitchen.
Dinner was already on the table, and I didn’t want to disappoint her.
“Yeah, I could eat a little.”
I went to the bathroom to wash my hands, and for a few seconds I stood there, looking into the mirror. Sometimes, when I looked into my brown eyes, just like my mom’s, I saw her looking back at me.
I grabbed a hair band from the drawer and pulled my hair into a ponytail.
I wasn’t surprised Gran didn’t talk about the meeting. I knew she thought if I wanted to talk about it, I would start the conversation myself. But when I didn’t, she brought up a different subject, which I didn’t wish to talk about either.
I get it, I can’t be the only one to choose. It wouldn’t be fair.
“Sam seems like a good guy,” she said, keeping her tone casual. “Brian says he’s good at magic. Maybe he could teach you some spells?”
“Gran?” I gazed at her from under my eyebrows.
“What?” she picked up her wine glass. “He likes you, I can tell. He couldn’t take his eyes off you at dinner, and today I noticed—”
“And today he couldn’t take his eyes off Nathan.” I smirked. “Maybe he likes him too?”
“I’m just saying.” She jerked her shoulder. “He could take your mind off . . .” Suddenly her look changed, becoming warm and a little worried. “At least he’s your age,” she said quietly.
“Gran, please,” I whispered. I put down the fork. “Don’t go there.”
“I’m sorry, honey. I already told you, I’m not going to . . .” She smiled bitterly. “It’s just, what kind of grandmother would I be if I didn’t . . . I’m just worried.”
“Don’t be. We’re friends. That’s all.” It didn’t come out very convincing.
“Yeah.” She nodded, then sipped from her glass and put it down. “I just don’t want you to get hurt.”
“Believe me, I don’t want that either.” I smiled to cheer her up. Of course she was worried. With my parents gone, she was the one responsible for me.
We cleaned up, and Gran made herself a cup of tea and went to the backyard. I grabbed my phone and sent a message to Connie, asking about her evening with Logan.
Still no holes on my neck. I’ll take it as a good sign, she replied.
Nathan says your neck is safe. I don’t think that’s the part of your body he’s after.
Really? God, I hope he knows I’m not a virgin.
I meant your heart, silly.
Omg, he wants to rip out my heart?
Hahaha. Night, Connie.
I sat on the couch, thinking about the meeting and about my conversation with Nathan. Then I got up and went to the backyard.
“Gran, where’s Dad’s message?”
She looked at me and slowly nodded, then stood up. Assuming she kept it in her room, I turned around to go back inside. But she stopped me.
“It’s here.”
“Where?” She didn’t have any pockets on her clothes, so I looked around.
Gran approached me and put her two fingers on my temple.
“Here. In your head.”
“I don’t understand,” I said, feeling the chill run down my spine.
“Your dad has planted a memory in your head. That’s where Callahan kept the most important information. You’ll also be able to see it, so keep your eyes open.”
“I’m going to see Dad?” I asked, my heartbeat rising.
“Yes. Nearly a year ago, he had a conversation with you, then he made you forget it happened. But the conversation itself is still in your head; you just have to unlock it.”
“How? What should I do?”
“It’s very easy, but first you need to calm down. You’ll be able to access that memory only once. So you need to listen carefully. Get rid of all other thoughts, and think only of your father. When you’re ready, touch both your temples and say, reveal.”
I stood frozen for a few seconds.
“Nicky, maybe you should do it some other time,” said Gran.
“No,” I said, bringing my view back to focus. “I’m ready. I just need a minute to concentrate. But I’m ready.”
14
I went back inside, feeling Gran’s eyes follow me. I walked into my bedroom and sat on the wide, soft window sill. Holding tight to its ledge, I closed my eyes and tried to concentrate. I cleared my head, but my body was still tight, and from excitement my magical energy buzzed in my ears.
Calm down, I told myself. I took a few deep breaths. Imagine something warm, comforting. Woods. You love woods.
I imagined myself standing in a small clearing surrounded by tall trees. Sunlight came down on me, bathing me in its warmth. After a moment I felt the tension leave my body. I pressed my fingers to my temples, then, picturing my dad’s face, I whispered, “Reveal,” and opened my eyes.
“Honey,” said my dad, walking into my room. “I need to talk to you.”
My heartbeat rose again, and I took a deep breath.
I couldn’t see myself, but I could see the magazine I was thumbing through, and I recognized my last year’s sweatpants. I put the magazine down and looked up. He was looking toward my bed. That’s where I was sitting when he talked to me.
“Dad. If it’s about the car again, I already said I’m sorry. Come on, Dad, it’s just a scratch. I know how to park, and I swear I’ll be more careful next time.”
“It’s not about the car, Nicky.” He came forward and sat on the edge of the bed. He looked deep into my eyes and said, “It’s something else.”
He put his fingers on my temples, and my eyes stared back into his.
“What I’m about to tell you is important, and you’re not going to interrupt me or ask any questions. You just need to listen.”
He took off his fingers, and I blinked.
“Okay, Dad.”
“Nicky, I wish I didn’t have to do this.” He sighed, got up, and sank into an armchair in the corner. “And I hope you never have to access this memory. But I have to do this. Our family has a mission, and if something happens to me before it’s fulfilled, then you’ll have to take over. And I have to make sure you know what to do.
“I want you to know I am doing everything in my power to set you free from this burden. And I am so close to ending it once and for all. But if you’re watching this right now, it means I’m dead. It means my time has been cut short, and I didn’t get to finish this task. And now, being the only Callahan left, you’ll have to carry it on.
“I’m sorry, honey. But there’s no way around it. You can’t run away from it, because sooner or later it will catch you, and it’s better if you're prepared.
“I have to confess I may have been too protective of you. Your powers kicked in when you were seven. The magic started bursting out of you.” Dad smiled. “Things started flying around, vases exploding. One time you were in bed with the curtains closed, and you just shouted, ‘Open them, I wanna see the sky,’ and they flew open. But they also caught fire.”
I smiled but didn’t say anything.
“But instead of training you, I had to make you think you had no powers so I could keep you away from the magical world. I hope when you find out why I did it, you’ll forgive me.
“I’m not going to explain it to you now. I hope your mom is still there to do so, and to support you. But if she’s gone too—” He closed his eyes, then shook his head and continued. “It will be even harder for you. But you won’t be alone. My mother will do anything for you, and she will support you as much as she can. But she won’t be the one to help you fully understand your mission. For that, you will
have someone else. Someone who will not only help you with the mission but who has promised me that if something happens to me, he will always be there for you. He will teach you how to use your powers and keep you safe. His name is Nathan Cain.”
I wiped the tears from my cheeks. This memory was made a while ago, and he hadn’t known that Nathan would show up while he was still alive. Nathan was already here, looking after me, keeping his promise to him.
“Nathan isn’t as young as he looks. He’s immortal and a hundred and fifty years old. He’s the only one who knows nearly as much as I do. But there are still some things that I’ve kept secret from him. Not because I don’t trust him, but because it’s safer this way, and I’m sure you’ll figure out why.
“After Nathan fills you in with everything you should know, you will find out that we, the Callahan, are the keepers of many important items. The sword, the journals, Kenneth's grimoires, and many other things. You are now the only one who has access to them.
“I don’t know how much time has passed since this memory was made, and maybe by now you already know about our family tree. If not, ask your Gran. I hope she’s still around. Worst case scenario, there’s Nathan. He knows where it is, and he also knows that it’s well protected. But he doesn’t know it’s the place where Callahan kept all those items for generations.
“The ground around the tree is covered by a veil. That veil covers the entrance to our family vault, and it can be removed only by a Callahan, and only for long enough to open the door and enter the vault. You wouldn’t need to remove it on your way out. Nothing will stop you; it works only one way. You don’t need any spells or incantations to remove it. All you have to do is drip a few drops of your blood into the earth.
“The vault is yours now.”
“Holy moly,” I gasped. “Dad, you’re scaring me.” But then I remembered he couldn’t hear me.
“Once inside,” he continued, “you’ll see many items that Nathan will tell you about. He’s seen most of them, and some of them I’ve showed the coven, but they still belong to the Callahan, and they’re in the vault for safekeeping. Almost all those items have the family crest on them, but a few of them are marked with a red cross. Those are the ones no one knows about.
“To fulfill the mission, we needed to do two things. First, we had to create the weapon. And second, we had to find the body and use that weapon to kill Kenneth.
“We had a problem with the weapon. But it’s almost ready. And to find the body, you’ll need to find the map. The map was ripped into four pieces and hidden in different places. It’s time to put the map together. I already have one part.
“The information about those places was in Joseph Callahan’s journal. But the page was ripped out and kept separate. You’ll find that page in a box in the top drawer of the desk. In that same box, you’ll find a metal capsule with one blank piece of old parchment. That’s one of the four parts of the map. Yes, you heard me right; it’s blank, and it will remain so until you find the other three parts. Only after you put all four parts together will the map become visible. When the time comes, you can tell Nathan about the map, but no one else.
“You might wonder why Joseph didn’t just keep the map in the vault. The thing is, any Callahan could open the vault, and some of our ancestors were using black magic. Since no one knew who betrayed the covens the first time, Joseph decided to be more careful. After his death, the information about the vault was passed forward the way you’re receiving it now, and only to the most trusted descendants.
“Now about Kenneth’s grimoires. Nathan will tell you how we used them to create the sword. We studied his spells and potions. But in case Nathan doesn’t mention it, you should know that none of the coven has actually seen the grimoires. I only showed them copies of the pages we needed. The reason I never showed them to anyone is because they are extremely dangerous. They’re full of dark spells, incantations, and rituals. I didn’t even show the coven all of Kenneth’s immortality spells and potions, only the essential parts and required ingredients. But never the rituals themselves, or how to perform them.
“Magic is dangerous. Once they’ve tapped into dark arts, people can get addicted. Nathan has used black magic before. Luckily, he didn’t go too far, but he knows that’s the reason I didn’t want to show him the grimoires. Kenneth’s magic was much darker than anything Nathan ever encountered.
“And this is also my warning to you, Nicky. Don’t try anything from those grimoires. You don’t even need to open them. Those of our ancestors who used the books in one way or another ended up badly. I’m still working with them, but after I have everything we need to improve the sword, my plan is to destroy them. I don’t think it will be easy to do. They don’t burn. But I’m sure I’ll find out how.
“There’s one more thing you should know. In the vault, you’ll find many family heirlooms and records about Callahan history. Among them, there’s a box that contains a stack of letters and an old photograph. That’s a photo of Joseph Callahan and Josefine Cain and the letters they wrote to each other. Josefine was Nathan’s mother. No one knew that she and Joseph were in love for many years. But Josefine was married to Nathan’s father, and only after her husband's death did she start secretly seeing Joseph. Joseph and Josefine were captured by the Order the day of one of their secret meetings.
“No one knew about their love story until Joseph’s death. That’s when, among his other possessions, the family found the photograph and the letters.
“Nathan still doesn’t know about it, and it should stay that way. At least until the mission is accomplished. He became immortal to avenge his parents. Josefine was a fine woman, but Nathan, who loved and respected his father, could look at this romance differently. There’s no need to tarnish his memory of his mother.
“Nathan has read Joseph’s journal to learn the history of Kenneth and his Order, but as I said, before lending him the journal, my grandfather ripped out of it one page. And not only to hide from Nathan the information about the map. That page contains another piece of crucial information. You have to keep it a secret even from him. When you read it, you’ll understand why.
“That’s it, honey. There is much more in that vault, but I hope I didn’t forget to tell you the most important things you should know. I know how hard it must be for you right now, and you’re probably scared. I’m so sorry, Nicky.
“As I said, I don’t know what is going to happen before you access this memory. Some things might change, and some items might be replaced. But in that case, if I’m still here, after your eighteenth birthday I’ll update this information. And if not,” he looked at me with a warm smile and sad eyes, “then this is my goodbye. I love you so much. Please, don’t be sad, and be careful.”
The tears were choking me, and I couldn’t breath.
He got up from the armchair, walked to the bed and kissed my forehead. He pressed his fingers to my temple and murmured something. Then he removed his hand and looked into my eyes.
“You’ll forget what happened here. All you’ll remember is that I came into your room and we talked about your car.”
I blinked a few times.
“So you’re not angry with me?” I asked, looking at Dad.
“No, honey. It’s an easy fix. I just worry about you. I wish you were more careful.” He headed to the door.
I watched him walk out, and the image of my room disappeared.
I sat stunned for a couple of seconds. While he’d been talking, I’d held my breath and suppressed my feelings so I wouldn’t miss anything. And now, as I took a deep breath, my emotions washed over me. I covered my face with both hands and sobbed.
The bedroom door opened and Gran, who had probably been standing behind it all this time, rushed in. As she dropped next to me and hugged me, I buried my face in her chest and sobbed harder.
15
“Did you know all those things?” I asked Gran the next morning.
“What things?” she asked, ru
mmaging in her purse for her car keys.
“All those secrets about—”
“Stop right there.” She raised her eyes at me. “Don’t say another word. I’m sorry, honey. I know how hard it is to keep secrets, and you want to have someone you can talk to about everything you’ve just learned. But I’m not a Callahan. And the rules are rules. The Order knows who I am, and if one day they find out I’m not dead like your father led them to believe, they’ll try to find me, and I already know too much. I’m not saying this because I’m trying to protect myself. It’s not me I’m worried about. Think. What if they get another powerful mind reader or came up with some other crazy idea?”
“Gran, they could use all those things on me too. What’s the difference?”
“The difference is, they don’t know you exist. If they find me, you’ll have to change your name, grow a beard, and run as far away as you can.”
I went to the hallway and picked up her keys from the stand.
“Here,” I said, dangling them in the air. “I’ll stop by the store after school to see if I can find a book to teach me how to grow some other manly parts on my body.”
I pulled my phone out several times during class, considering writing a message to Nathan to tell him I’d received the message from my dad. He was the one who would fully understand what I was going through, who’s comfort and support I needed so much right now. But every time, I put the phone down, changing my mind. What was the point of letting him know, if I couldn’t tell him what the message was about?
I was pretty quiet the whole day, and Connie and Sam kept asking me if I was okay. And I wished I could tell them, The thing is, last night I lived a real scene from Shakespeare’s Hamlet. My dead father talked to me, explaining the answer to my questions of what to do and what not to do on this mission you all heard about. So, sorry, guys, if I don’t look okay.
When the long school day was finally over and we stepped out into the parking lot, we saw Logan. He leaned on the hood of Connie’s car and smiled at us. Everybody headed toward him. I stopped and looked around while they talked, searching for the blue Mustang. But it was nowhere to be seen.
