Absorb: Book One of the Forgotten Affinities Series

by Analeigh Ford

  Cedric instructs the staff to leave us be for the rest of the day, and then shows us down one of their many long corridors to some kind of parlor. It is furnished in a surprisingly modern way, with a long bench in front of massive windows looking down on a garden much larger than I thought possible here, even for a house this size.

  Cedric sees me looking and comes up to stand beside me. For a brief second, his hand slips into my free one and gives it a gentle squeeze. “An enlarging spell,” he says. “It’s a very difficult ritual, but my father has very powerful mages at his disposal.”

  “I bet,” I say. “He seems to have a great respect for power. It’s a shame he would waste our powers just to prove some kind of point.”

  “It is actually quite surprising,” Flynn says. He doesn’t look up from where he is spreading a half-dozen books out on the floor. “I thought he would be thrilled at the opportunity to use a mage like Octavia to his advantage one day.”

  “Sorry, what was that?” Cedric turns to look at him and realizes, just as I do, that Flynn didn’t mean it as an insult—just a fact. Sleep still leaves sharp edges on his words, and from the looks of it, he hasn’t touched the coffee the housekeeper gave him.

  His looks up at the two of us and frowns slightly, seeing where my gaze landed. “I don’t drink coffee.”

  I go to sit cross-legged beside him. “Well, you should.”

  Kendall and Cedric come to stand beside us as Flynn explains the plan for next week’s demonstration. It isn’t until Cedric fetches a small felt box of chalk that I realize the dark smooth surface of the floor is actually meant for spellcasting. From here on the floor, I can feel a slight slant to the ground and my eyes trail the edges of the room to a series of drains. I shudder a bit at the thought of the kinds of magic that may be performed here.

  Flynn notices as he begins drawing a series of circles on the ground. “Ritual Magic is nothing to be afraid of,” he says. “It is arguably the most powerful magical affinity of the three, but the fact that it often involves some kind of blood gives it a bad reputation.”

  “As it should,” Kendall mutters. I glance over at him in surprise, and he quickly clamps his mouth shut. I’m not used to this new, chatty, version of him.

  I look over the many steps to our performance and hope it will be enough to convince the principal, and the rest of the school board, that my multiple affinities are not a mistake and I can control them.

  Kendall crouches down beside us, and Cedric slowly follows suit. I observe that Cedric’s pants are very well fitting, and I have to purposefully look away.

  “The first part of our demonstration relies on Draven helping you perform this ritual,” Flynn begins, pointing out the photos of the book he had printed out. “It’s something like the modern affinity ritual, but very rudimentary.”

  I nod, I already knew that. He begins to describe what we plan to do after, but I have to stop him. A question has been nagging at me for some time now. “What was it like before the affinity ritual?”

  Cedric is the first one to answer. “The affinity ritual has been in place for centuries. It protects mages. Before it was implemented…magic was a little unpredictable.”

  “Sloppy magic is difficult to conceal. A lot of innocent mages got killed,” Flynn adds.

  “But what about The Sight?” I ask. “Hasn’t it always been around? Doesn’t that protect mages?”

  Flynn nods. “Yes, but only so much. Before mages agreed to develop and abide by the affinity ritual, there was no clear way to keep track of mages, or even train them. Some mages never even had the chance to discover what kind of magic they were best at performing.”

  Kendall sees I am still confused, so he reaches a hand out to rest on my leg. “The three affinities are really just a way of describing the different ways of performing magic; through feeling, thought, and careful procedure. The ritual also keeps you from really performing any until you’re old enough to abide by our society’s laws.”

  “So...the affinity ritual and the rules and The Sight...it kind of makes it difficult for mages with non-magical parents to find out they have powers in the first place, right?”

  The three boys glance at each other in a way that confirms my suspicions.

  “Unless they are fortunate enough to be spotted by other mages as you were, yes.” Cedric is the one to say it. “But it is the price we have to pay for safety.”

  His words remind me of something Camilla said when I first met her...and then Amelia again at dinner just a couple days ago. That’s what they were getting at, wasn’t it? The secret of magic only protects those who already know they have it, but excludes those who might from ever finding it out.

  I have already derailed this practice session enough, however, so I file that thought away for a later date.

  “So I have to show them that I can practice safely,” I say.

  “Exactly. The fact that we know why you have all three affinities will mean very little if you can’t prove you aren’t a danger to yourself and others.”

  “Great,” I say, looking down at all the books and guides and notes. “Good thing I’m not prone to accidents, right?” I roll up my sleeves both literally and figuratively and grab the book closest to me. Earth Magic for Dummies. Perfect. Looks like it was written just for me.

  27

  Octavia

  Before we leave, Cedric pulls me to the side. “Look, I still feel bad about what happened Friday night.”

  “Let’s not talk about it,” I say. The image of Whitney appearing at the top of the stairs, so obviously a part of Cedric’s world in a way that I can never be, still makes my stomach turn sour.

  “No, let’s not. But I have something for you.” He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a long slim case. For a second I wonder how he fit it in there, and then I remember the enlargement spell in the courtyard. Sheesh, did he use it to make his pockets bigger too?

  Any thoughts of pockets and enlargement spells disappears when he opens the box. Nestled inside is one of the most beautiful necklaces I have ever seen. The chain is woven from hundreds of tiny strands, a single glowing pendant dangling at the bottom. I reach out to touch it instinctively and feel a faint tingle of electricity.

  “I can’t possibly accept this.”

  He must see the worry on my face, because he chuckles as he unclasps it and motions for me to turn around so he can put it on me. “Nonsense. Don’t worry, most of the stones in it are not particularly precious.”

  The chain is long enough that the pendant can be easily concealed underneath any shirt, and fine enough that it does not attract attention.

  “It is the ultimate weapon an Earth Mage can possess,” he says. “It contains every element and substance known to man. So long as it is touching your skin, you will never be unable to control what you need to.”

  “Woah.” I am immediately embarrassed by my own outburst of surprise, but again, Cedric only grins wider. “What is this?” I ask, gingerly touching the stone at the bottom.

  “That,” he says, “Is why I was busy last night. One of the Earth Mages at the academy has a particular talent with electricity, so I had him make this for you.”

  “So, basically I can be Zeus with this?”

  “I’d be cautious of trying to control that kind of power just yet,” he says. “But yes, you can, be if that is what you want.”

  I look down at the necklace with an even greater appreciation. “I don’t know how to repay you.”

  “No repayment is necessary. It is a gift.” Cedric glances down the stairs. Both Kendall and Flynn are waiting outside with their backs turned to us. He takes his opportunity and leans down to plant a swift kiss on my lips. My whole body ignites at the touch. As he pulls away, he gently lifts the necklace and tucks it under the front of my shirt. “Keep it secret. It is more valuable than you can imagine. I don’t need you becoming a bigger target than you already are.”

  The day of preparations was more exhausting than I
thought possible. Flynn seemed particularly impressed at the progress we made, but without Draven to practice the initial ritual...I feel like we still haven’t gotten as far along as I would like.

  Thank god the magical subway gets us back to the school, fast. I leave Flynn and Kendall to check on Draven in the infirmary.

  I am surprised, though I shouldn’t be, to find Draven up and arguing with the nurse about how he is fine and plenty well enough to go home. He stops as soon as he sees me, and the nurse takes the opportunity to get the final word in by threatening to have him expelled if he so much as steps foot out of the infirmary for the next 24 hours.

  “Well, that’s an improvement,” I say.

  “Over what?” Draven sits back down on his assigned bed.

  “Wasn’t it three days before?”

  “Every day in here is a waste of time.” Draven is unusually ruffled. He grabs a pillow and punches it in his lap. “I hate feeling useless.”

  “You are only going to end up useless if you don’t let yourself heal.” I sit down beside him and rest a hand gently on his shoulder.

  “It’s not as if I am going to break,” he lashes out. Before I can recoil, he swivels on the bed and pulls me into his lap. I collapse on top of him, my chest pressed against his.

  I push back against him, but he only holds me tighter. His frustration quickly turns to teasing. His mouth tilts up at the corner and that mischievous light is back in his eyes. “Can’t let all the other boys have all the fun while I’m locked up in here.”

  “You’re hardly a prisoner,” I say.

  “Feels like it. I don’t like being restrained...unless that’s what you’re into.”

  I struggle free of his tight grip and lift myself up so I am looking down into his face. The fact that I’m straddling him does not go unnoticed, either by my tightening thighs or the nurse in the corner. She eyes us as if trying to decide whether or not we are going to be a problem.

  “Flynn thinks we made good progress today,” I say.

  “Well if Flynn thinks that, I am sure you did.”

  I don’t realize until he reaches out and touches my hand that I have been fiddling with the necklace under my shirt. “What’s that?”

  “Oh, it’s just something Cedric gave me for practicing Earth Magic.”

  Draven wastes no time tugging out the pendant so he can see. His eyes grow wide, first with surprise, and then narrow with something else. “So that’s what he’s been up to.” His voice is laced with jealousy. It’s a look I don’t like on him.

  I tug it back and tuck it back into my shirt. “It’s very practical.”

  “Very showy,” Draven says. He scoots back and sits up, leaving a bigger gap between us. “The diamond he would need to capture lightning like that would be worth a small fortune. Most people don’t see that kind of money in their whole lifetime.”

  “Then it is a good thing no one knows I have it,” I say. “If anyone were to find out, I might as well just paint a target on my back in red ink.”

  Draven’s look darkens even more. “The kind of people who are after you are not a joke, Octavia. I would know.”

  “Right, because you’ve been brewing their drugs for them.”

  “Shh!” Draven shushes me and glances over and the nurse before lowering his voice to a whisper. “Do you really want to get me expelled?”

  “No, no of course not. I’m sorry. I know why you do it.” When I reach for him, he recoils away from my touch. “I shouldn’t have said that. It wasn’t fair.”

  “What isn’t fair is that I have to be in here, doing nothing, while you are out there with the rest of them.” He spits out the last word like it is poison.

  “We can’t do this without you,” I say. “And that is not an exaggeration. This whole thing is going to fail if we don’t have a powerful Ritual Mage. We are relying on you.” I trace a finger up the veins on one of his arms. “I am relying on you.”

  He softens a bit.

  “So you better not pull any of that fake coffee ritual crap.”

  He barks out a laugh. “I promise. At least until after tonight.”

  “That’s all I can ask.” I get to my feet. The nurse looks like she is about to come over and kick me out, and I’d rather leave of my own free will. “Now get some rest, we need those feet in dancing order by Friday.”

  “Oh, I’ll be ready for much more than dancing,” he assures me. Before I can go, he catches my hand and draws me closer. “Be careful,” he says. “I meant what I said earlier. There are more people watching you than you know. Danger can come from the most surprising of places.”

  Draven’s warning hangs over me as I walk out of the infirmary. I don’t think the nurse will allow me to come back if he kisses me again, so he grabs my hand and kisses my fingers before I leave instead. My hand is still tingling with the touch of him when I turn the corner and nearly run into Cedric’s father.

  I skid to a halt and step back.

  “Oh,” I say, surprised. “I thought you were out of town this week.”

  He looks miffed for a second, and then his face returns to his usual blank expression. “Cedric told you, I presume?”

  I nod.

  “No, my business concluded earlier than I thought. Speaking of, how is your business? Have you made a decision?”

  I step to the side and begin shuffling away towards the door. “Yes, actually,” I say.

  “And?”

  “You’ll just have to wait and see.” I take the opportunity to dart out past the two statues in the hall before they can try to pester me for more information as well.

  Before I am entirely out of earshot, he does manage to utter a warning. “Don’t forget, Ms. Hadley, it isn’t only your future at the Academy that is on the line here.”

  It is risky, I know, to blow him off like that. But if he finds out ahead of time what we are planning, there is a chance he will try to stop us. I need all the time I can get in order to do this right.

  But his words do serve a terrible reminder.

  What if this doesn’t work? What if we go through all this trouble, prepare the perfect spell...only for the principal and the school board to insist I still pick only one affinity? Or worse, none at all.

  That would mean I’d have to choose between my boys as well. Kendall, Draven, Cedric, even Flynn...I can’t imagine being without even one of them. Each of them brings something so unique, so different...something that I need.

  I hug my arms tight across my chest.

  No, I refuse to think it might come to that. If I work hard enough, we will prove I am not a mistake. That our pairing is not a mistake. We belong together, I can feel it. Just a couple more days and we can prove it.

  28

  Octavia

  Draven joins us as soon as he is cleared to leave the infirmary. We’ve taken to working at a local pizza place that has a particularly shady booth in the back where no one disturbs us so long as Cedric keeps slipping the waiter twenty-dollar bills.

  It’s a good thing too, because if it weren’t for the constant supply of bread, sauce, and cheese in front of my face I am sure the stress would eat me alive. Instead, I eat away the stress. If we got caught here, we would all likely be expelled for practicing magic outside of school-designated areas. They’ve already threatened to strip away our powers, so it doesn’t really matter.

  But there is only so much we can do here without drawing unnecessary attention to ourselves. At least the majority of our work is teaching me how to do what most of them already know. If Kendall is struggling as well, he doesn’t let on.

  Of course, it turns out that the ritual itself is a lot more difficult than Flynn thought. Draven grows increasingly tired-looking as the week progresses, and I suspect he has been practicing it at night.

  But then again, all of us are.

  Since it is also his Kendall’s first year demonstration, we decided that the focus of the spellcasting would be on Earth Magic He stayed with me after class o
n Monday to practice making small plants sprout out of soil. He is very good at it, and I have a suspicion that he would be able to do this much better if I weren’t there. But he guided my hands and showed me how to coax the seedlings into sprouting early.

  Every following night, after pizza, I have spotted him outside the window on the first floor making the weeds between the sidewalk grow taller.

  He doesn’t speak much normally, but as the week progresses, it spreads to all of us. There has been no opportunity for me to spend any alone time with any one of the guys since we are all always together. It’s kind of crazy, but after everything that happened over the last week, my body aches to be held, to be touched, to be kissed.

  So much so that by Thursday evening I am not only exhausted—I am also anxious to the point that every time anyone says something to me, the only thing I can offer is a retort.

  By the end of the night, every one of us is slumped near-unresponsive at the booth. Flynn is the only one of us that seems impervious to exhaustion. So far I tried to be a good sport about his grueling training regimen, but when I finish successfully making a tiny bonsai tree grow from nothing more than a seed and he suggests I do it again, just to be sure, I lose it.

  “Enough!”

  My fist slams on the table hard enough to make a nearby group glance over to see what’s going on. They’re not mages, so I am sure all they see is a bunch of tired teenagers sitting around a cold pizza. Whether or not they see the bonsai tree, I am not sure. If they do, none of them registers it as anything out of the ordinary. Thank god for The Sight.

  “You are always surprising us, Octavia,” Draven says. He sits beside me in the booth, his legs stretched out lazily under the table so that I have no choice but to be slightly entangled in them.