At the mention of family, Alex’s face closed off immediately. “No, I don’t have anyone I need to visit. I’d rather be here with you. If I can’t help with the research, I can patrol the area. I’ll also catch us more meat. Gareth didn’t leave much.”
“Oh yeah, Gareth. He and Lilibet will probably want to hear from us today. I need something to report to them. Do you think there’s a chance they can get me an extension?” At the moment, an extension was my only hope. My heart rate quickened every time I considered the consequences if I didn’t get results at the superhuman speed the Council demanded.
“No, and if you tell them about this cavern, they will want to come down here. They’ll find what you’re looking for themselves.”
“I don’t want them knowing about this place, not until I’ve had time with it. I guess I’ll just see what progress I can make today, and we’ll reevaluate later. Please, don’t say anything to them.”
“Of course not. If there’s nothing else you need, I’ll leave you to it.”
“Thanks.” I watched him go upstairs. Even though he couldn’t be much use down here, I still missed his companionship. I had gone from being a virtual hermit to being with him almost constantly. It turned out I wasn’t as much of a loner as I thought.
Alex’s suggestion to start with Meglana’s desk was a good one, but so far, everything there had been nothing more than fragments. Underneath a pile of portfolios sat a leather-bound book. Inside, my mother’s handwriting filled the pages. Thank goodness for the magical enchantment that not only translated the words for me but arranged them in a handwriting that was easier to read than my mother’s.
I hope this journal will be useful to whoever comes after me to finish this work. I’m close enough now to know it’s possible but also close enough to know it’s still a far ways off. With the turmoil growing ever greater, I fear something may happen to me before I can finish. Should that be the case, I’ve taken measures to make sure this journal does not fall into the hands of anyone who is not my named successor. I’d rather this work be lost to the ages than passed to someone whom I do not approve of. I have my suspicions of who you may be, but no certainties. People who I once thought would be loyal friends have long since left me. And other people who are new acquaintances are becoming fast friends and allies. My greatest hope is that this passes to my bloodline, but no one in my line has the discipline to see this through. I can’t blame them. I wish I could go about my life not worrying about the nature of magic. But I know it’s out there, the ability for mages to be as powerful as and even surpass sorcerers. Only then will our races be equal. Only then can there be a lasting peace between us.
“Yes!” My excitement echoed back to me in the cavern. This was exactly what I needed.
Even with the illuminator orbs, the cavern was dim, probably a result of the blue walls. I took the journal with me up to the reading nook, and I imagined my mother often did the same. Sunlight poured through the windows and made for a perfect reading experience.
I arranged the cushions to be as comfortable as possible and dug into the rest of the book.
Even though this journal was my mother speaking to me, it was only slightly more coherent than the scraps of paper I had read the night before.
My optimism was short lived. As soon as I finished the first entry, Meglana delved into the history of the creation of Elustria. Nothing seemed less relevant. My eyes glazed over, and I wondered how much of this I could skim. Given the wording of the first entry, my mother knew this book would be an important resource for the person who came after her. I doubted she’d waste anyone’s time with a bunch of fluff, so I resolved to read every word.
My head bobbed forward, jerking me awake. What was the Elustrian equivalent of espresso? I needed to find out and get some.
A chill ran down my spine, and the hair on my arms stood on end, the same as it had last night. I looked out the window to see if Alex was there. Nothing but green grass sat outside my window until the tree line started about one hundred yards away. Must be my imagination messing with me, probably a result of all the stress.
I read a few more paragraphs, but the feeling didn’t go away. Bored, I looked around the room and noticed the security system. The iris of the eye was red—red as in danger. I stuffed the journal underneath a cushion and ran through a defensive rotation of spells in my mind, readying to use one should the need arise.
Creeping from room to room, my eyes scanned the cottage, looking for any sign of an intruder. I half expected to find a tracker orb like the one that had attacked me in my apartment back in Montana. Nothing in the house seemed out of the ordinary. The security system was worthless. It didn’t make a sound or outline the location of the threat.
Outside, I didn’t see anyone. Perhaps the eye had malfunctioned, but since last night, some sixth sense of mine had tingled. Someone was watching. Holding my magic at the ready, I ventured into the forest. I don’t know why I expected to be effective given all my tracking experience. This wasn’t a computer game with a mini-map and a flashing red dot leading me to my target. But doing something seemed better than waiting for someone to appear.
I paused, listening for any sound that would indicate someone lurked nearby. The sound of my breathing and the calls of birds and different creatures surrounded me. Had I imagined it? The iris had confirmed what I already knew in my heart. Someone was here; I just couldn’t see them. My mind couldn’t handle an invisible threat.
“Why are you here?”
At the sound of Alex’s voice, I nearly jumped out of my skin and whirled on him. “Holy shit, you don’t just sneak up on someone like that.”
Alex raised his hands in surrender. “I wasn’t sneaking. What’s wrong?”
“Ever since you left, I’ve felt like I was being watched. Then I noticed that the iris on the eye had turned red, so I ran out here to see what triggered it.”
“Did you check the house first?”
“Obviously. I’m not completely stupid.”
Alex eyed me in a way that let me know he seriously questioned that point. “I’ve been tracking this area and didn’t see anyone. There’s no way someone approached the cottage without me knowing.”
“Come see for yourself.” I led the way back to the cottage, but much to my dismay, the iris had gone back to its eerie white color. “I swear it was red. I didn’t imagine it.”
Alex placed a comforting hand on my arm. “I believe you. It couldn’t have been a person, but it could’ve been a good tracker orb. They’re silent. Unless I happened upon it, I wouldn’t have noticed it.”
“But doesn’t a tracker orb need to get close?”
“Yeah. I didn’t stay right here. I wanted to make sure no one snuck up on us. Oh, and I got a rabbit for dinner. I have to go back and get it.”
“Dammit, what security system doesn’t even make sound?” This whole situation frustrated me. “Last night I felt someone watching, but the eye was white.”
“You should have told me. It’ll only change color if one of the eyes can see the orb at that moment. And it doesn’t make sound because eyes can’t make a sound.” His brow furrowed as if that were the most obvious answer in the world.
Great. A security system that relied on my ability to keep an eye on it. I couldn’t work like that. I needed the freedom to explore and discover my mother’s work for myself without being worried about who was watching. This needed to end and end now. “What do we do?”
“I’ll stick closer to home. I won’t let one get close enough to spy on you again.”
That didn’t satisfy me. Only one person could be spying on us. Only one group knew I was even here. “No, that’s not all we’re doing.” I summoned my communication orb. “Lilibet.”
“Kat? Maybe we should talk first.”
I should have probably consulted with Alex, but I already knew he wouldn’t approve of what I had planned. I ignored him as Lilibet’s face appeared.
“Kat, how are you
doing?”
“Not good.” I tried to remind myself that my issue wasn’t with Lilibet. She didn’t deserve my anger. “I need a meeting with the Council, and I need it now.”
“Why? Is something wrong?” Genuine concern showed on her face.
“You bet your ass something’s wrong. They know what it is. I want to meet with them within the hour.”
“All right, I’ll come get you.” Lilibet disappeared from the orb.
“And what are you going to do?” Alex asked, looking peeved at me for taking the initiative.
“I’m going to tell them to fuck off.”
Chapter 11
“You called for this meeting, Kat. What can we do for you?” Calista took the lead. Thaddeus and Gareth sat with her across from me at the ever familiar table where I’d met with Calista and Thaddeus two times prior.
Lilibet had explained that the Council couldn’t convene. I guess I understood. There must be more to being a member of the Magesterial Council than dealing with me. Besides, these were the three I dealt with most.
“I want to know why you’re spying on me.” Before we had arrived, Alex had cautioned against losing my temper. I tried to hold onto it, but I didn’t know how long that would last.
Thaddeus looked from Gareth to Calista and shifted in his seat. “Why? What do you have to hide? Have you found something? Are you continuing your mother’s work?”
Oh yeah, I would not be holding onto my temper in this meeting.
“Excuse me? That’s complete bullshit. Either you trust me or you don’t, and if you don’t, you shouldn’t have me on this mission. I’m an orphan who just found out her mother is suspected of being pretty much pure evil, and you expect me to figure out exactly what she did when I haven’t even had time to come to terms with all of this. I’m in a new world with new rules and new ways of doing things, and you want me to come in and solve your problems for you.” It was the first time I’d ever used the orphan card in my life. I didn’t like using it now, but hell, these people needed to get a grip.
“I can assure you the Council is not spying on you. We take these allegations seriously. What proof do you have of this?” Calista asked.
“There’s a security system inside the cottage,” Alex said in that annoyingly calm and even tone of his. “It alerted us today to someone watching.” I supposed I should’ve been grateful to him. His reasoning sounded better than my ranting about feelings and suspicions.
“Yes, my men noticed the security system. It didn’t give us any trouble when we were there. I thought it might be broken. It’s a high-end system, and it wouldn’t alert you unless something was wrong. It wasn’t us, and that only leaves the Directorate.”
“And how would the Directorate know I’m here?” I’d made sure that Alex and I had lost Casper back on Earth. Since then we’d only dealt with Millhook and the Council.
“There’s no telling. I think the best course of action is to send you back with a guard. We’ll return to the original plan to station someone there at all times,” Gareth said.
“Whoa, no, I don’t think so. Have you been listening? I need my space, privacy to deal with all this.”
“Your safety comes first.”
“Gareth’s right,” Calista said. “We’ll send one of our best mages back with you. He won’t let any harm befall you. This mission is too important to jeopardize. We all wish you were here under better circumstances. I knew Meglana, and I wish we could grieve her together, but these are the circumstances we find ourselves in. If anything, that should impress upon you the gravity of the situation. We must get our hands on Meglana’s work before the Directorate does.”
“If she was working for the Directorate as you guys claim, they should already know what she was working on.”
“They’ll know the general direction of her research, but not the specifics. She wouldn’t have been ideologically aligned with the Directorate, only interested in their pursuit of power. She worked alone and would only share her knowledge as needed.” Calista’s words echoed what Alex had already told me. Apparently, my mother was a bitch, and everyone knew it.
“There has to be a better way than sending a guard. Maybe you can send a tracker orb.”
“A tracker orb won’t be any help. At best, it will give us great footage of how you died,” Thaddeus said.
I had kind of painted myself into a corner here. “Fine, we’ll accept the guard.”
The three Council members looked among themselves as if to say, “How amusing the little girl thinks she has a say in this.”
“We understand this is a difficult time,” Gareth said. “I’ll arrange for family members to come visit you tomorrow. You have a right to know your family.”
“I disagree. There’s no time to waste, and their presence opens up security concerns,” Thaddeus said.
I was actually on Thaddeus’s side on this one. I didn’t enjoy going to my extended family reunions back on Earth. I certainly didn’t look forward to meeting a bunch of strangers when I still had no idea who my mother was. Sure I would love to pick their brains, but it seemed like a supremely awkward social situation to be thrust into.
“I think Gareth is right. We’ve been one-sided about this. She deserves to know her family, and they might help her. At the very least they’d show her the other side of Meglana,” Calista said.
What a big day for me: I was getting a bodyguard and a family.
“Now that that’s settled, we’ll leave Lilibet to take you back. You can start toward the gate. We’ll have your guard meet you there,” Calista said as she stood from the table.
We took the long way to the gate while Gareth appointed a guard.
“I don’t like this. I wish they’d leave us alone,” I grumbled.
“I promise you, it’s not the Council who’s watching,” Lilibet said. “If the security system went off, then someone who’s a threat to you was there. It’s most likely someone from the Directorate. They won’t want you to discover what your mother was doing. If you ask me, more than one guard should be going back with you.” Her impassioned tone, a marked difference from her usual soft-spoken manner, reminded me that she and the others here knew better than I the dangers I faced. I’d already fought for my life once, and if I wasn’t careful, I’d find myself in the same position again.
“She’s right, Kat,” Alex said. “Whoever was there, even if it was just a tracker orb, it got past me. We’re not in a position to be turning away help.”
Whatever. I couldn’t wait until this whole thing was over.
Chapter 12
“This is ridiculous,” I said as I ran my hands through my hair for the umpteenth time. “I need to be down in the cavern going through my mother’s journals, not entertaining family members I’ve never met.” Flashbacks filled my mind of family reunions where I was forced to meet great-aunts and second cousins whom I hadn’t seen in ages and would never remember.
“You’ll be fine,” Alex assured me. “This will do you good.”
I didn’t appreciate the insinuation that up until now I’d been doing badly. For someone who’d only recently discovered she had a fugitive mother and might go to prison for her mother’s alleged crimes, I thought I was doing remarkably well.
The table was set with a spread of pastries, cheeses, and cured meats that our guard had provided. My mind already raced to figure out how I could make this meeting as short as possible. From what I understood, my mother’s sister and two of her aunts would be coming. I didn’t know where my male relatives were. I counted the places set at the table and only came up with four. “Hang on, there’s a place missing at the table.”
“No, there’s not. I’m giving you some privacy. They’re coming here to meet you, not me.”
I shook my head. “Oh no you don’t. If I’m suffering through this, you’re going to suffer right next to me.” I grabbed another plate from the kitchen.
Alex followed me. “I really don’t think that’s a good idea.
I don’t know how your family will react to you having a shifter staying with you.”
“If they’re bigots like that, I don’t even want to know them.”
“Are you sure you want me here?” Alex raised his eyebrows uncomfortably, and I could see right through him. He wanted out for the same reason I did.
“Let me put it to you this way: if you leave me alone with these women, don’t ever come back, because we’re through. You said you’re here to protect and help me. This is it.”
Alex smiled, and that did more to ease my nerves than anything else had. “Fine, I’ll stay.”
“This could even turn into an advantage. We should come up with a code phrase that means ‘get me out of here.’ When I say it, you shift and go berserk, and they’ll run off.”
Alex laughed until an illuminator orb floated down in front of me and revealed our guard. “Your family’s here, ma’am.”
The guard’s face disappeared, and I looked at Alex. “Ma’am? Am I really that old?”
“I wouldn’t worry about it. They’re here.”
I rushed to the table to set Alex’s plate down and moved everything to make room. It would’ve been more graceful to move the place settings with magic, but in moments of high stress, I still defaulted to my more human habits.
Before Alex could reach the door, it opened, and in walked a short, round woman with a toady face beneath thick tufts of dark orange hair that stuck out from beneath a little green hat. “Oh there you are! Come and give your great-aunt Matilda a hug.”
And the nightmare began.
Matilda squashed me to her bosom so tightly I could barely breathe. As soon as she released me, a thinner woman with violet eyes and a long narrow face took her place.
“I’m your great-aunt Lucinda, dear. You’ll have to excuse Matilda. She’s a little pushy.” In my opinion, Lucinda was equally pushy, just not as loud about it. When she released me, I saw the third visitor, and my breath caught in my throat. Before me stood a replica of my mother.
Magic Unknown (The Elustria Chronicles: Magic Born Book 2) Page 7
