Zander looked at Giovanni pleadingly. Giovanni sighed and nodded back, reluctantly following Zander into the house. Tau hesitated in the front yard, and Zander’s mother closed the door behind her to talk to him privately.
“You do not feel comfortable here?” she asked.
“Yes, ma’am. You have a very beautiful house and a nice family... but in my kind, breaking bread with family is a part of the mating ritual, and I am not sure if Zander wants that.”
“I know the ways of your kind better than you might imagine,” Crystal told him.
“Again, my apologies for the fight,” he offered.
“It was a misunderstanding. I am glad to see that you care enough about my son to look after him.”
“Yes, I do,” Tau explained.
“If you were mating with my son, then that means that you gave him something of great value to you, and he did the same,” she said.
Although it wasn’t a question, he responded, “Yes, ma’am.”
“And did you complete the second phase of the mating ritual with my son?”
Tau hesitated, thinking of their night at Giovanni’s. “Yes ma’am.”
Zander’s mother paused and looked back toward the house. Then she grabbed Tau’s arm and walked him out onto the porch.
“My son Zander is quite unique,” she explained.
“Yes ma’am,” Tau said.
“I am starting to believe that his father and I made a few mistakes in raising him.” She sighed. “He knows relatively little about magic, yet he is a powerful warlock. He was forced to grow up around mortals, and I see that all of this has caused him great shame and frustration.”
“Are you okay with the news that your son is gay?” Tau asked.
“I suspected as much. A mother always knows. I just want him to be happy. I sense that my son is attracted to you, but there is some tension. Explain,” she ordered.
“Yes ma’am. When I first saw Zander, I knew that there was something about him. He was like me but different. I can’t explain it. He beckoned to me in a way that no other shifter ever has. I knew I had to meet him. I had no intentions of hurting him. I guess I got caught up. Before I knew it, I had given him my grandfather’s cowrie shell, and we were making love. I thought he wanted it, too.”
“My son has grown up under a shroud of secrecy and deception. He has had to hide his magical identity and his sexuality. I guess he longs for some level of truth in his life.”
Tau smiled. “I think he found it today. Is his father okay with everything?”
Crystal glanced back toward the house. “Not right now. I pray that he will come around in time. He loves our son. I think he is hurt that Zander felt like he couldn’t tell us. Unfortunately, secrets and lies have been a part of this family for far too long.”
Tau raised his eyebrows. “What do you mean?”
“Pack law says that you must be bound in confidence when asked to do so by an elder, as long as the oath brings you no personal harm,” she said.
“I mean you no disrespect, but that pack law only applies when my elder is another shaper shifter,” Tau said as politely as he could.
“I know that,” she said.
Tau hesitated. “What are you saying?”
“I must have your word first,” she said.
“By blood and by law, my oath is given,” Tau said, as was the customary way to accept the oath among shifters.
“And by law and by blood, your oath is received,” she answered.
“I am not sure that I understand,” Tau admitted.
Crystal looked back at the house to make sure that no one was listening. “We don’t have a lot of time. I need for you to listen. This is a secret that I have kept from Zander and his father. I think it is important for you to know, especially now that my mother may be gone. If something happens to me, then I’ll need you to promise to tell Zander -- to help him.” She took a deep breath. “My father is a shifter. He was my mother’s first lover, but because of my family’s station in the magical community, she could never tell anyone. Shortly after I was conceived, she married a very prominent warlock and raised me as if he were my real father. After the man who raised me died, my mother finally told me the whole truth. My mother and I have been carrying this huge secret. When I graduated from school, we lied and told everyone that I was going to Africa to train in potions work. I really went to live with my real father, who taught me the ways of our kind. So when Zander’s father got fed up with the family politics and magical community and suggested that we live as mortals, I was all for it. There was less of a chance that I would ever be found out that way. I have used strong potions all of these years to keep my shifter side hidden from the magicals in my family.”
Tau stared in disbelief. “Wait, wait. Do you mean to tell me that Zander is part shifter, and he doesn’t know it? The first shift normally happens around 21, sometimes even sooner. Is Zander going to be able to turn? Zander’s shifter grandfather is still ali--”
“Is everything alright?” Zander asked from the doorway.
“I’m just getting to know your friend,” his mother replied, visibly startled by Zander’s sudden appearance.
“Grandma says that it isn’t safe to be outside and that you should come in the house,” Zander said, looking suspiciously at both his mother and Tau. Neither acknowledged his stares. Instead, they turned and walked into the house as if they were talking about the weather. Zander’s grandmother was directing everyone in the house.
“The table has been set,” Grandma Nasha told them. “You can go ahead and start eating without us. We have some work to do. We will join you in moment.”
Tau found a spot at the large dining room table next to Zander. Zander’s father was conspicuously absent, and his uncle and cousin were staring back and forth between Giovanni and Tau. Zander’s grandmother, aunt, and mother headed upstairs -- presumably to replace the cover of magical protection over the house.
“So, the Erato Academy in Atlanta taught you the offensive magic that you performed in the yard?” Waverly asked Giovanni, sounding somewhat surprised.
“Yes,” Giovanni answered in a very matter-of-fact tone. He had dealt with elitist assholes like Waverly at Erato, and he knew when someone was trying him.
Waverly sniffed. “I went to Thalia Academy. We didn’t really focus on offensive magic. Our curriculum was heavily weighted toward earth magic, which is, as you know, slightly more complex. I guess that’s why Thalia is so highly regarded. My dad and my Uncle Siran went to Thalia, too. All of the witches and warlocks in my family went there -- well, most of them.” Waverly sneered at Zander.
“My father went to Thalia Academy,” Giovanni told him. “He graduated first in his class. He used to brag about being a Thalia graduate until the Senior Mage got caught sleeping with a first-year witch and two of the Master Wizards got caught consorting and trading spells with demons.” He reached across the table of food for a poached pair. Zander made a mental note to thank Giovanni for shutting Waverly down.
“Your father was a valedictorian at Erato?” Uncle Siran asked. “What was his name?”
“Gavin Nugent,” Giovanni answered.
“Blessed be. I knew your father. He was two years behind me. I remember him to be a very fine warlock.”
They slowly began to pick over the food, more out of habit and routine than hunger. Tau looked for raw meat and found none, so he made himself a salad of spinach leaves, nuts, and cheese.
Despite the fact that they were on another floor, the three witches could be heard working their magic upstairs. Their voices fell and rose with the recitation.
“Divining rod magic is more... street magic, wouldn’t you say? They are teaching street magic at Erato now?” Uncle Siran asked.
“Not quite,” Giovanni responded, being a little bit more respectful to the elder
Siran.
“I see,” Uncle Siran said.
“You look familiar,” Waverly said to Tau. Tau looked up very slowly and then glanced over at Zander.
“Do I?” Tau asked.
“Where is your pack?” Waverly continued.
“Upstate New York,” Tau said. Waverly gave his father a look and then glanced back at Tau.
“That is interesting because the packs in upstate New York are--”
“That’s it! Why didn’t I think of it sooner?” Giovanni yelled.
“What?” Zander asked, jumping in surprise.
“Not only can we find your grandmother with the divining rod, but if we reverse the magic in the ruby looking stone, then we can see her!” Giovanni yelled.
“There is a ruby looking stone?” Uncle Siran asked.
“Yes. Grandma Zoe gave it to me for my birthday,” Zander said with hope bubbling up inside of him.
“Your magic will be limited behind the veil,” Waverly said, almost sounding like he wanted to help.
“Then we will have to go outside the veil,” Giovanni responded.
“Your father won’t have it,” Uncle Siran said, looking at Zander.
“My father isn’t here right now, is he?” Zander snapped. Waverly nodded in admiration.
“Do you still have the stone?” Giovanni asked Zander.
“Yes. It’s in my pocket,” Zander said.
“What good will seeing her do? Even if you do get the reverse spell to work, you won’t be able to help her,” Waverly said.
“That’s my grandmother. If she’s alive, I am going to save her.” Zander stood, with Giovannia and Tau following suit. Giovanni grabbed his divining rod from the floor.
“Let’s get out of here,” Zander told them.
“The veil is closing. You’ll have to hurry,” Waverly warned.
Uncle Siran yelled for his brother. “Malachi!”
“Let’s go!” Zander yelled again.
“We won’t be able to get out if the veil is closed,” Giovanni said.
Waverly jumped up. “Don’t worry about that. Get to the car, and I’ll interrupt the spell.”
“Really?” Zander asked in disbelief.
“Yes. Really, cousin.” Waverly turned and ran upstairs to where the witches were still chanting.
“I cannot allow this,” Uncle Siran said, just as Zander’s dad, Malachi, came into the room. It looked as if he had been crying.
“What is it now?” his father asked, looking around the room.
“Zander is trying to leave to search for his grandmother,” Uncle Siran reported.
“The coven leaders have forbidden travel,” Zander’s father scolded.
Zander glared at his father. “Well, I wasn’t exactly raised as a warlock, so the coven leaders can kiss my ass.”
Without a word, Giovanni bent and swung around, waving his arms in wide circles, and then magically encased Zander’s father and uncle in a translucent bubble.
“What the fuck is this?” Zander’s father yelled, pressing on the magical rubbery substance.
Zander smiled at Giovanni. “You really have to teach me that one day.”
Zander didn’t know what Waverly had done, but he heard his mother, aunt, and grandmother screeching from upstairs.
Seconds later, Waverly came running back downstairs. “You don’t have long. The veil is partially closed. If you’re going to leave, then you have to go now!”
“Thank you,” Zander said sincerely. He paused. “Why are you doing this for me?”
“All I ever wanted was for my little cousin to have some heart. I think I misunderstood and underestimated you. It wasn’t your choice to be raised this way, and you do have a little bit of swagger about you.”
Siran and Malachi were trying their best to undo Giovanni’s magic bubble, but to no avail.
Waverly looked at Giovanni, “More street magic?”
Giovanni smiled. “Just a little.”
“You’ll have to teach me that one day,” Waverly said.
Just then, the witches could be heard barreling down the upstairs hallway screaming Waverly’s name. “Thanks again,” Zander said, glancing at his cousin.
Waverly shoved a book into Zander’s arms. “Take this, and get the fuck out of here.”
“What is it?” Zander asked.
Waverly rolled his eyes. “It’s the Grimoire. You might need it. Mr. Magic Trick here should be able to explain some of the harder spells to you. I’ll stay here and deal with the family.”
Zander, Tau, and Giovanni rushed out of the house.
Chapter 15
Hung’s Mustang zoomed north up the highway from southern Georgia with Tau driving, Giovanni in the passenger’s seat, and Zander practically folded up in the tiny backseat.
“This is some good fucking magic,” Giovanni said as he thumbed through the Grimoire. Zander sat in the backseat, still stunned at what had happened back at the house.
Tau looked at Zander in the rearview mirror. “Are you okay?”
“I don’t know what I was thinking,” Zander said softly.
“You were following your heart,” Giovanni told him, taking a picture of one of the pages from the book with his phone.
“My parents are probably pretty mad with me right now,” Zander said.
Giovanni rolled his eyes. “Please. That was mild. Let me tell you what happened to me.” He took a deep breath. “I was the valedictorian for my class. The salutatorian was this bitch named Bissey, who I thought was a good friend of mine. To make a long story short, she found out that I was having an affair with our Charms & Curses instructor. She even managed to get pictures of him and me together and send them to my parents. When they found out I was gay and sleeping with one of the professors, they banished me from the house and disowned me. After that, I dropped out of school, Bissey became the valedictorian, and my professor got fired. Your situation was completely different. After you told your parents that you were gay, they went in the house and made dinner.”
“And you let her get away with separating you from your family?” Tau asked.
“I thought about moving her breasts to her back and making her cootchie smell like salmon and old potato salad... but I didn’t,” Giovanni said.
“You can do that with magic?” Tau asked.
“No,” Giovanni admitted, “but I thought about it. She really did me a huge favor. I probably wouldn’t have come out or found out how my family really felt about me if not for her.”
“My dad couldn’t even look at me!” Zander blurted.
Giovanni smiled at him sympathetically. “He’ll come around. He was just in shock. It’s not every day that your son tells you he’s gay and brings home a big ole shape-shifting boyfriend.”
They all chuckled.
“Do you think they’ll follow us?” Tau asked.
Zander sighed. “I’d like to think they cared that much, but my father’s people are way too politically ambitious to break coven law, and my mother’s bound by the rules set by my father. Even though her mother is missing, she can’t leave the house without my father’s blessing. And despite the fact that my father has chosen to raise me outside the supernatural community, he’s still bound by their law.”
“Here it is!” Giovanni exclaimed. “Here is the ruby looking stone spell. I think I can reverse it, but I’ll need some supplies and a quiet room. I can’t do it from a moving car.”
“Then what do we do?” Tau asked.
Giovanni sighed. “I don’t know. If Zander’s grandmother is... still alive, and if she still has the looking stone, then we go get her.”
“And if she isn’t?” Tau continued.
“We find out who the fuck did this to the supernatural community, and we tap that ass,” Giovanni said.
Zander glanced between them. “You two don’t have to do this.”
“We want to,” they said in unison.
“Thank you,” Zander said, and sat back in the cramped backseat, trying to digest it all. He had gone from being a mortal high school graduate to a supernatural bad boy in a matter of days. Although Zander suspected that Tau and Giovanni were both adrenaline junkies anxious for the next big adventure, he was glad that they were both so willing to help him. He had barely gotten to know them, and they had already proved to be more loyal than any human friend that he had from high school.
“Let’s get a hotel room at the next city so Zander and I can start working on the spell and Lion King can go to the store and get us a few ingredients.”
“Sure,” Tau said easily. Zander suspected Tau was being so accommodating in order to get back into his good graces. Zander didn’t say anything, but it was working.
“You may not be able to find one of these ingredients in the store,” Giovanni warned, looking down at the Grimoire.
“Which one is that?” Tau asked warily.
“A newly rendered heart,” Giovanni read from the book.
Tau grinned. “Well it’s a good thing that we’re out here in the country.”
Chapter 16
With Zander and Giovanni tucked away at a local hotel and working on the potion, Tau left for a nearby organic grocery store to get the first few ingredients. Having noticed a horse farm a few miles back, he knew he wouldn’t have a problem delivering a fresh heart.
He was about to head to the checkout counter when he noticed a bin of recently cut orchids directly next to a bin of stuffed animals. Tau dug through the entire bin before he was able to find the one palm-sized lion beanbag. He had just placed the perfect orchid in his shopping cart, when the storeowner approached him.
“Are the flowers and stuffed animal for someone special?” she asked. She was a weathered little woman with a short, gray pageboy haircut.
“Very,” Tau said.
All Knight Long, Book I: One Warlock's Love Story Page 9
