by Casey Herzog
“I know that you don’t understand, but we don’t act out because we’re ignorant. We learn and then we make an informed decision. That is a lesson you can never forget.” The child was showing his intentions, and I think he was as surprised as I was that I wasn’t injured when he unleashed his power.
“I don’t like her, and she doesn’t belong. Send her away.”
His words were chilling. Damien was not holding his tongue. This was a kid with youthful enthusiasm that wasn’t exactly healthy.
“I don’t know what she is, but I will find out. I’m the one with the power and I will not share it with anyone. I haven’t even begun. If she thinks this is the extent of my power, then she is sadly mistaken. I will make sure she is only a footnote in history.” I couldn’t say anything and staring into his eyes was like looking into a residing darkness that penetrated into his very soul.
“That is no way to talk to a guest, Damien. You need some time to reflect. Don’t give me the look because this is something you brought on yourself. These things have a way of working themselves out, but only if you give them time. That is something you will have plenty of while you think about what you did.” It did not look like Damien was going to take that lying down. He began to conjure an energy ball, but then professor Bethesda put him in his place by surrounding him in a bubble.
“I hate you… I hate you… I hate you.” Those were the only words he said before he disappeared in a flash of light.
“I know how it looks, Gillian. He is a precocious child and there are times I think I can’t reach him. He has strong opinions and doesn’t mind letting people know about them. I do find it quite fascinating that he wasn’t able to hurt you. I knew from the way your father spoke about you that you were special. William wasn’t the only one to try to convince him to bring you into the fold, but he was adamantly against it. I hope you understand that Damien has every right to feel you are going to be a problem.”
I didn’t get a chance to debate this issue with him. William was pulling me by the hand until I was walking down the stairs. Each step was lighting up in front of me. I took a look back and there was only darkness. It scared me more than my father’s chastising scowl could ever do.
“Damien is one of our new members. He’s only 10, but he has some real promise. With a bit more coaching and practice, I think he can be one of our greatest finds. He has this natural affinity to magic, and that’s not something we come by often. You were clueless and you had the gift within your reach. I get this feeling that you ignored the signs. I think your father found a way to suppress those thoughts by the things he learned in the library.”
I followed him closely. I wanted to reach out and touch him, but that seemed inappropriate.
“I would be very careful about that kid. You may see potential, but I see disaster in the making. He acts without thinking it through first, and I doubt my father would condone those kinds of actions. He needs to learn restraint. I don’t think I’m saying anything you don’t already know,” I said, with real concern for Damien’s development.
It was a winding staircase and one that seemed to go on forever. If I didn’t know any better, I would think we were going through the stages of hell.
“Some would say the same thing about you. It’s not natural for a ‘girl’ to possess the kind of power you have. Damien is only one of many voices you will hear complaining about your presence here. They’re just going to have to get used to it. In a short amount of time, you will become one of the teachers of the younger generation. We’re vastly lacking in teachers, and your unique insights and the power that you wield will help to mold the young minds of tomorrow.”
I was still a student myself in high school and he was proposing that I step into a teaching position! “I wouldn’t even know where to begin. I’m still getting used to all of this, and you can imagine this has been quite a shock to my system. You can’t possibly expect me to start right now.” Damien was one of many who were going to take exception. I didn’t even want to think about what that could mean. Was I really ready for this departure from reality?
“The only thing I expect from you is to do the right thing. You have a moral compass that you follow and you know exactly what kind of person you are. That self-identification is lacking in most of the students. They need direction and a helping hand from somebody who has been given more than she deserves.”
This stopped me in my tracks. I reached out and grabbed him by the shoulder to feel the tension tightening the knots in his muscles. I didn’t like what I was hearing.
“What did you mean by that? I didn’t ask for any of this. Deserving or not, I’m here, and we both need to come to terms with that. I thought we were on the same page, but maybe you have only been saying what I want to hear.
“Do you really agree with me being here or are you just after what everybody else is after? I don’t want another Mr. Coleman on my hands.” I felt like I was being ostracized for something that was out of my hands. William’s nice guy act was now melting away with the venom spewing from his lips.
“I’m sorry, that might’ve been going a little bit too far. I don’t want there to be any secrets between us. I thought that what I had with your father was unbreakable. He gave me every indication that when he moved on from this mortal coil I would be given the keys to the kingdom. It was only recently that we learned his intention was to give you the key. I accepted it, but it didn’t mean I had to be happy about it. I’ve been working very hard to whisper into the ears of those who will listen. I’ve been seeding those thoughts, and in we will all be living in harmony together.”
It was a lofty goal, and I wasn’t sure either one of us was going to be alive to see it come to life.
“If you’re going to tell me this is a vision my father had, then I don’t want to hear it.” The further that we went down the stairs, the more the temperature was rising. I touched the stone and moved my fingers back to see a blister form where I’d made contact with the scorching surface. It stung and I wanted to scream, but I felt it would only be seen as weakness. I was my father’s daughter. I had big shoes to fill.
“Your father took me underneath his wing when I was old enough to understand. I know it’s your legacy, but that doesn’t mean I can’t share in it.
“I would suggest you not touch the walls. That looked very painful, but I think you know what you need to do.” I remembered him telling me to snuff out the blaze with a blanket in my mind. I closed my eyes and envisioned the skin of my finger healing. It was painful for a moment, with a throbbing insistence that had me wishing that I had something to ease the pain. It was there one second, and then, new pink skin was forming over it. That came from my own mind.
“I’m getting better at that.”
He grabbed me by my wrists and looked at where the burn had been; he smiled like he had done me a great favor.
“You haven’t begun to scratch the surface of what you’re capable of. Having magic eyes has given you abilities beyond your wildest dreams. It’s only a matter of time before you tap into it. I hope you know what kind of responsibility you’ve been given. Not everybody can handle it.”
He was close to me and I bit my bottom lip with a need for something more physical to happen between us.
“I don’t want any of this. I would gladly give it up for a chance at a normal life. I’m not kidding; I mean every word I’m saying to you. Being special isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. You want me to live up to my father’s expectations, but how can I, when I don’t even know what that is. By your own admission, he sheltered me from the truth, and I’m beginning to think that it was for the best.”
I thought that he was going to be angry, but he only smiled. He crooked one finger, motioning me to come closer. I followed him down the stairs where the heat was making my clothes stick to me like a second skin. I could feel a bead of sweat on my forehead rolling down the bridge of my nose. I decided to try something: I envisioned that my skin was cool. Th
is time it did not work. It was a good try, but I was asking too much, and I knew it.
Chapter Seven
William stood there, at the bottom of the stairs, in front of this large iron door with rusty hinges. “I’m about to introduce you to the gatekeeper. He will determine if you are worthy to keep the magic eyes. To be honest, I don’t think you need to go through this door, but these are steps your father took to ensure only those who could handle the power would keep it.”
He was scaring me. I tried to remain calm, but my whole body was trembling. “The one thing I don’t know is if I am worthy. My father obviously didn’t think so because he didn’t trust me with the truth.” I suppose it was unfair of me to hate my father for trying to give me a normal childhood.
I could hear voices and some were becoming clearer than others.
“I will find you. They can banish me to this room, but they can’t keep me here forever. They think they know me, but they don’t. I am not a prisoner, and I never will be. There will come a time that you and I will face each other, and only one of us will survive. I want you to hear me. William wants you to believe we’re one big dysfunctional family, but I’m just biding my time. What I did upstairs was only a test to give me a better understanding of what kind of power you have.”
Damien’s voice was ringing in my ears. I was tempted to scream, but I didn’t want give him that kind of satisfaction.
I concentrated and his voice began to recede into whispers I could barely understand. His anger was something he was going to have to be taught to manage.
“Your father knew this day was coming. The gatekeeper is waiting for you, and he’s a familiar face.” The door swung open and standing in a black cloak was an ominous figure holding a black stick. He tapped it against the ground and it began to shake underneath my feet.
“Come closer so I can see you.” I made a few tentative steps towards the dark echo of the voice. “You have traveled a long way. You’ll either succeed or fail by your own hand. Life is death and death is a part of life. Each one has its purpose. The dark arts have called your name and you have appeared to be judged.”
I was fearful for my life. I looked at William and saw that he was trying to stifle laughter underneath his breath. “I have been summoned to hold you accountable. Convince me you should not be sent to purgatory.” His emphasis on that word was a little more than was necessary.
“I don’t know what this is all about, but I’m not sure I want any part of it.” I glanced back to William, and he was shrugging his shoulders. He couldn’t stop smiling like this was some big joke. “I’m not in any mood to play games.” I found the energy within and I tried to reach it, but it was just out of range of my fingertips.
“You are the prey, and there is no escaping what is to be. The days of hiding are over. Step into your destiny and I will show you the way.” I reached out quickly and pulled back the cloak to see Julian.
“You are the last person I thought I was going to see underneath that thing. I should’ve known that it was you. You’re the only one I know who has a black sense of humor. Would you care to explain all of this before I wrap my hands around your throat and choke the truth out of you?” I had caught him off guard and I left him speechless for the first time in his life.
“Julian always likes to find out what kind of strength a new recruit has. I told him it wasn’t necessary, but he insisted. I can hear the sound of your heart beating from where I’m standing. This wasn’t right, and I feel like I have to apologize for his behavior. We gave him the honorary task of unmasking frauds.”
William stepped back. He closed the door with a resounding clang before I had a chance to react. “I see the way you look at him. I don’t necessarily agree with your taste in men, but the heart wants what it wants. I wanted to tell you about all of this, but I was sworn to secrecy. Your father established safeguards that must be followed to the letter. You have something growing inside you, and this is where it will be decided if you keep evolving. There are three tests. You get to choose someone to face the obstacles with you, and I’m sure I already know who that will be.”
Julian had seen through me and I must’ve been wearing my emotions on my sleeve.
“The one thing I don’t understand is why my father went to these lengths. I would think that rising up against our oppressors would be the first thing on the agenda. I’m inclined to believe some of those voices in my head. They scream for the injustice of hiding the gift.” I felt there was more to this story than just some lame tests to learn who was worthy to carry the mantle of responsibility.
“I don’t know that we should get into that right now. You need to be prepared, and the best way to do that is the three tests. Each one is more daunting than the last. There’s a good chance you won’t even survive. You’re one of the few who has the world in the palm of your hands and you don’t even know it. I’m a little jealous, but I have learned we all have our strengths and weaknesses. This is where you will learn to find that inner strength.” I was not going to let this go.
“I believe I asked you a question. I’m not doing anything until I find out the answer. There has to be a reason for keeping all of this a secret. What is it that everybody is afraid of? Don’t tell me it’s nothing, because I will know you’re lying.” I was fighting fire with fire. If they wanted my cooperation, then they were going to have to play by my rules. I could tell he was debating whether or not to tell me.
“I don’t think that it’s a good idea for you to know this. It doesn’t look like you’re going to budge an inch, and the Elders have a secret weapon they call the hunter. He wears the red color of the devil. We don’t know anything about him, but he stalks the night looking for victims with magic to consume.” I thought he was joking, but the seriousness of his expression told me otherwise.
I’d heard of something discussed in hushed tones amongst those considered the scruffs, or the outsiders, by the Elders. They would always end up someplace where they could talk about magic, and I had always found a way to tag along. It was primarily because of Julian. Come to think of it, it was Julian who made the introductions, even though I was hesitant to put myself out there.
“The hunter was thought to be a myth meant to scare little kids into doing what their parents said. I don’t want there to be any miscommunication between the two of us, Julian. What you are trying to say is that somebody is out there killing for the sake of taking magic and using it for nefarious purposes? If that were true, wouldn’t somebody be screaming about it to anybody who would listen?” I saw that Julian was having problems and it became painfully obvious that my introduction into the scruff world was not because he wanted to include me.
The Lockhart name was synonymous with magic until the very day magic died in the hands of the Elders. My grandfather was known to be quite a proponent of those with magic in their hearts. Some ridiculed him, but there were others who stood behind him.
He disappeared many years ago without a trace. There were rumors he had gone to find the answer. Nobody really knew what the question was; it had become something of a big debate within the community. All of that ceased when the Elders forbid magic, and that decision did not sit well with those who integrated magic into their lives.
“The Elders have always been responsible for creating a chasm between themselves and those who still believe in magic. Anybody willing to speak out was dealt with harshly. Nobody really knows what goes on in the asylum. I tried to question your father about it, but he claimed to have no knowledge. He only remembered what they told him when he was put through the procedure. I’m not going to lie do you, Gillian. This school has been having difficulties without your father around to oversee the daily comings and goings. There are those who talk about of a rebellion, which would be summarily squashed underneath the toe of the secret weapon.” Julian certainly did have something to say on the subject and had no interest in skirting the issue. He wanted me to know all the facts. I was happy he wasn’t treating
me like I was a weak, little girl.
“I’ve noticed in the last little while that those who spoke about magic have been hiding off the grid. The Guardians are enforcing the rule against magic by taking action. People are terrified, and I’m not sure that is how our ancestors wanted things to be. It took one lone person to ruin things for everybody. We can’t even discuss his name for fear of retaliation. He made things worse for all of us by becoming the dark side of magic.
“I learned growing up that even before magic was forbidden the dark arts had a pull of their own. I was tempted to walk on the wild side, and I have done things I’m not proud of. My father never knew my secret longing to join those ready to fight for a cause bigger than themselves.” Julian had his cloak pulled away from his long stringy hair.
“It was only the Guardians that those of magic had to worry about. That was bad enough, but now this dark force in the shadows is working on their behalf. The brief glimpse that has been reported of his existence has left a cold chill. I thought that would keep people from doing something they were going to regret, but it has only made them restless. This latest offense that has befallen your father has grown that dissension into a voice. That voice wants to be heard. I’m not opposed to some sort of demonstration, but I think we have gone well and beyond that.”
Julian had spoken of the hunter, but I was more interested in the three tests that would determine whether I was worthy of keeping the magic eyes.
“The hunter is the least of my worries. I can’t believe you would think I would make a great candidate for taking over my father’s very big shoes. His memory lives on within his students and that has become very clear to me by the way that I have been looked at from the moment I arrived. I know, in large part, it’s because I’m a girl,” I said thinking I could handle this. Coming here was my way of finding closure for my father’s untimely demise.
“I’m still in shock that you have the gift others want more than anything. The tests devised by your father’s genius are not what you think they are. There’s no way for you to know when they’re going to happen. It could be something small or something that will forever change the way you look at yourself. The most concerning of all is that the hunter is out there waiting for you to stick out your head for him to chop off in order to take your magic. We believe your father fought until his very last breath.”
