“You have a nickname for everyone, don’t you?”
“You betcha’, doll face.” He said with a wink—though from what Adelaide said yesterday, what he claimed was hardly true.
“You’ve never given me a nickname,” Adelaide spoke up.
“Yes, I have.”
“What is it then?” she asked.
“Pain in my—”
“Look at these lovely faces.” Winston plopped down in the seat beside Theo with a plate of food.
Theo closed his eyes and grimaced as if in pain.
“Come on, Mara,” he said and stood. “Let’s get breakfast.”
“Did you call me Mara? I think that’s one of the first times you’ve actually said my name,” I gasped.
“Let’s get breakfast, doll face,” he growled.
“Doll face?” said Winston.
“Apparently, I look like a doll,” I explained with a roll of my eyes.
Winston studied me, tilting his head this way and that. “You kind of do, love.”
“Thanks,” I replied sarcastically as I stood.
I followed Theo to the buffet-like setup. “How do you know Churchill?” Theo hissed under his breath.
“Why does it matter? He’s like me. I don’t think he’s going to try and hurt me.”
Theo glanced over his shoulder and then back at me. His gray eyes rooted me to the spot. “Answer the question.”
“I ran into him yesterday when I was trying to get away from you,” I said under my breath so that the few students milling around wouldn’t hear our conversation. “He let me hang out in his room.”
“Ah,” breathed Theo with a sudden clarity. “That explains why I couldn’t sense you.”
“Sense me?” I asked startled.
Theo gave me the look. The one that made me simultaneously want to curl my toes and smack him.
“I’m your protector. I have a … a sense for where you are. Especially if you’re panicking or near danger. But not many people know that Winston is—” He looked around and instead of saying a chosen one he said, “—special and since he doesn’t have a protector, his room is a sanctuary. Meaning that essentially his room does not exist and when he’s inside he doesn’t exist, either. It’s sort of like limbo and it’s very, very powerful magic. It never occurred to me that you’d be there. You see, you need Churchill’s permission to get into his room, and I thought he was still gone.”
“If Winston,” I emphasized his name, “being special is supposed to be a secret then how do you know about him?”
Theo grinned cockily. “Since I’m a protector, I’m privy to very important information.”
“Of course you are.” I rolled my eyes. I did that a lot around him—he was extremely irritating. “What I don’t understand, though, is why Winston being special is a secret when I don’t seem to be?”
Theo’s eyes darkened from gray to a stormy black. “That would be my fault.”
“Your fault? How?” I asked.
Theo sighed and scrubbed at the back of his head nervously. “It’s hard to explain.”
“Try,” I pleaded.
He looked around at the people in the dining hall and then back at me. “After breakfast we’ll go to the library.”
“And you’ll explain it to me there?”
“Yes,” he replied honestly. “If I don’t tell you, someone else will.” His gaze locked on Adelaide.
I grabbed a plate and shoveled some food onto it, not really paying attention to what I was getting.
I waited for Theo before heading back to the table. I didn’t need him yelling at me about going off without him. I was going to be on my best behavior. We’d see how long it lasted, though.
Winston and Adelaide seemed to be getting along which only angered Theo. I wondered what his problem with Winston was. He seemed to hate the guy—well, honestly, he seemed to hate everyone except his sister.
“So,” started Winston, “you’re the jerk she was running from?”
Theo’s jaw tightened, and I feared he might punch Winston. Theo opened his mouth to say something, but I interrupted.
“What’s that?” I pointed to the ceiling. They all looked up, including Adelaide. She figured out what I had done and giggled. The boys looked at me.
“There’s nothing on the ceiling, love.” Winston looked at me like I was crazy.
“Really?” I said, deciding to make a game out of it. “Just there. You don’t see it? Maybe you need your eyes checked.” Winston began to study the ceiling again.
Theo smacked him on the back of the head. “She’s messing with us, Churchill. She tends to do that.”
Winston dropped his head down and chuckled. “Shoulda known.”
I picked up a piece of buttered toast and bit into it.
Beside me, Adelaide sighed. “Boys are so gullible.”
“I don’t know,” Theo countered, a mischievous look in his eyes. “I seem to recall once convincing you unicorns were real.”
Adelaide squared her shoulders and stuck her nose in the air haughtily. “I was five so that hardly counts.”
“Still counts,” Theo muttered under his breath. His eyes flicked up to me. “Are you done eating?”
“No—”
“Great.”
Before I knew it, he was up and out of his seat, around to my side of the table, and dragging me from the room.
Chapter 11
THEO PACED THROUGH THE LIBRARY. Up and down he went. He’d been doing this for the past ten minutes. I was surprised his legs didn’t fall off.
I wanted to be irritated with him dragging me away from my breakfast, since I barely got to eat, but I knew he was about to tell me something important, so I kept my mouth shut.
“Theo,” I pleaded. “Sit down.”
He squished his eyes closed and pressed the heel of his palms to them. “Okay,” he finally said and sat.
I waited.
“Okay,” he said again and steepled his hands in front of his face. “In order for you to understand I have to start at the beginning.” His gray eyes darkened to storm clouds. “From an early age, I dreamt of a girl. A girl I knew I was meant to protect.” He laughed. “All good stories seem to start with a girl, don’t they? I told my parents of my dreams and they soon learned what it meant. I was a protector and I was meant to protect the girl in my dreams. They went to The Order; they head the entire enchanter community,” he clarified. “The Order provided them with protection, spells and such, to keep The Iniquitous from finding us. But there was a leak and they … they found us.”
“This is all starting to sound very Harry Potter to me,” I interrupted.
Theo glared at me and his eyes turned darker. “This is no story, Mara. This is my life.” Silver and blue sparks glittered around his hands. He knotted them into fists and the sparks disappeared.
“I-I-I’m sorry,” I stuttered and for a moment was fearful.
His shoulders and whole body slacked as the fight went out of him. “Are you ready to hear the rest?”
“Yes,” I whispered.
He eyed me before continuing. “I was eight and Adelaide was four when they found us.” He looked away and I saw his jaw tighten. He licked his lips.
“It was night when they came. We were asleep. The wards went nuts and Mom and Dad came running into my room with Adelaide. My mom wrapped her arms around me and kissed me on top of my head. She was crying. I asked her why, but she wouldn’t answer me. Instead, she said, ‘Theodore, it’s time for you to start your job. Your father and I need you to protect Adelaide.’ They led me downstairs, my dad carried Adelaide, and my mom knelt on the floor of the pantry. I wondered what she was doing when suddenly she opened a door to a secret passage. There’s always a trapped door too, isn’t there?” He chuckled with no humor.
“My mom told me to go down the steps into the tunnel and to remember, ‘Left, left, left, right.’ My dad then put Adelaide down beside me. ‘Take care of your sister, son. I’m proud of
you, Theodore.’ It was the last thing he ever said to me. There was an explosion. They closed the door and sealed me and Adelaide inside. It was so dark and she began to cry. I beat on the door and screamed for my parents to come back until I was hoarse. I quickly realized that they weren’t coming. They were fighting to give Adelaide and me a chance to live. I was scared but I knew I needed to be strong so I took her hand and started down the steps. It was cold and we both began to shiver. I remembered what my mom had said, left, left, left, right, and I began to chant it softly. I didn’t understand at first what her directions meant until I came across the first fork in the road, so to speak. I listened to my mother’s directions and chose the left.”
He paused, his eyes falling closed briefly as he gathered himself.
“The tunnel continued to lead us farther beneath the earth. I kept imagining all kinds of things jumping out and attacking us but I knew I needed to be strong. I was a protector. One day I would need to protect the girl in my dreams and now I needed to protect my sister. I heard a loud noise, another explosion, and then voices. They weren’t the voices of my parents. They sounded angry and I kept hearing them say ‘kill’. I ran and dragged Adelaide along behind me. She kept crying and I had to tell her to be quiet. I was worried we’d be found. I came to the next left and ran with all I had. Lights began to appear behind us. ‘Run faster, Ade,’ I said. She could hear the panic in my voice and instead of arguing with me, like she normally would, she ran faster. We came to the next left and I thought we had lost them but then I heard, ‘Kill the boy, kill the protector.’ I might have let them kill me if I thought it would spare Adelaide but then I thought of the girl in my dreams, you, and I knew I couldn’t do that. My job was to stay alive so I could protect you. I knew I couldn’t let you down and I didn’t even know you.”
I had never seen Theo so emotional. I had only known him a few days but I already viewed him as my rock. Strong, steadfast, and immovable. But now I could see the cracks in his sarcastic façade. His whole life had been ruined because of me and now he was bound to protect me. He had every right to hate me. If he did, I wouldn’t even blame him.
“Finally, we came to the right turn. I dragged Adelaide along behind me. She had fallen and skinned her knees but she didn’t make a peep. We found ourselves in a small room, if you could even call it a room, and rocks fell behind us sealing us in. For a moment I was afraid that we were trapped but I then realized it was the work of magic. Sleeping bags, lanterns, food … Everything we needed was there. And a note from my parents.” His hand disappeared into his pocket. I was certain the note must reside in his pocket even after all these years. “The note said to wait. That someone would come.”
He turned his head and his eyes were far away, trapped in another place—another time.
“Days passed, and no one came. I was convinced we were going to die down there. I no longer heard the noises of the ones looking for us which was somewhat of a relief. I began to ration our food. I was scared, really scared, but I pretended I wasn’t for Adelaide’s sake. And then, someone finally showed up. At first, I thought it was my dad, but it was our neighbor from five miles away. I had only met him once before and didn’t know if I should trust him. Sensing this he closed his eyes and waved his right hand. Thousands of fireflies filled the small room. But instead of glowing yellow they were a teal color. I knew I was safe then.”
“Why?” I asked and covered my mouth, fearing his wrath for interrupting.
He didn’t seem mad this time, though. “It’s the symbol of enchanters. Only those who mean you no harm can conjure it. It’s sort of like our greeting,” he explained. “I knew then he couldn’t be a bad guy.”
“What happened next?” I prompted.
“James took me and Adelaide to a nearby safe house—a small one meant for temporary placement. From there we were transferred here, and we’ve never left. When I came to get you, it was the first time I had stepped off the grounds since I left my home.” He swallowed thickly.
“How does everyone know I’m chosen, though?” I asked softly. Somehow, my hand had ended up on his but he seemed oblivious, so I didn’t move it.
“Don’t you see? I spilled the beans. When I told my parents and they went to The Order, you became common knowledge. You were exposed, bared to the world. But you shouldn’t have been. The Order should have kept you a secret, but they didn’t. They may have kept you safe but they didn’t keep you a secret. If I had kept the knowledge about you to myself … my parents would still be alive and so would your mom.” He stared into my eyes and he looked tortured. “Every bad thing that has happened to you is my fault.”
“Theo, don’t say that,” I pleaded. I yearned to reach out and put my arms around him, but I knew he wouldn’t let me. He looked so broken. It didn’t seem right. I wanted to make him whole again.
“It’s true,” he whispered and looked up at me. His eyes were pale now, washed of color, his lashes startling dark and long. “I might as well have killed them with my bare hands.” My hand dropped from his as he lifted them, gesturing as if he was choking someone.
“Theo—”
He stood abruptly, his face full of fury.
“Leave it alone, Mara. I can’t leave you so the least amount of respect you could show me would be to shut up.”
Hurt filled my chest.
He stalked like a lethal panther and gripped a bookshelf. Even from this distance, I saw his knuckles turn white. His back muscles flexed and I heard the air hissing between his teeth.
I knew there was more he wasn’t telling me, maybe that he simply wasn’t ready to tell me, and I wouldn’t push him. I was stuck with him and he was stuck with me. We might as well make it as easy as possible on one another. I’d keep my mouth shut and he could open up to me when he was ready.
I stood and began to scan the books. Some were regular books, the kind you’d find in any library, but most weren’t. Spell books would be my guess and histories on enchanters. I pulled one out; its cover was dark blue and velvet. Before I could attempt to decipher the title, it was snatched from my hands.
“Hey,” I cried out.
Theo shoved it back on the shelf. “It’s dangerous to mess with spell books before you come into your powers. You’re a novice, you don’t know what you’re doing, Mara.”
“I was only looking,” I defended in a small voice.
“And looking leads to reading which leads to saying the words aloud which then leads to casting a spell,” he rambled.
“I wasn’t—”
His whole demeanor softened. “Just stay away from spell books until you come into your powers. For someone that’s still non-magical they’re volatile. Trust me, doll face.”
I hated that I was relieved to hear him call me doll face again.
“What happens?” I asked softly.
“If a human, or an enchanter that hasn’t come into their powers, reads a spell aloud it backfires and kills them and that’s if they’re lucky. This isn’t the movies where people don’t die and everyone lives happily ever after. This life we lead as enchanters is dangerous at least now.”
“You don’t think I haven’t come to that conclusion on my own? My mom is dead, your parents are dead, The Iniquitous killed Ian simply because he was in the way, and poor Winston can only see his family once a year.”
“At least Churchill has a family,” Theo said softly under his breath.
“And I hope it stays that way for him.” I swallowed and licked my lips. I looked up at Theo and said, “At least you have your sister. I … I have no one.” I closed my eyes as the realization of how alone I really was flowed over me. I turned away from Theo so he couldn’t see how affected I was.
His hand closed around my arm and he flipped me back around to face him. “You are not alone,” he said firmly, his eyes flaring with his words. “Ade and I are your family now.”
I shook my head back and forth.
He held my chin in his hands so I couldn’t m
ove. He opened his mouth to say something else when a voice sounded behind me.
“Can I come in? You two aren’t kissing, are you? I really don’t want to see that.”
Theo released me, and I turned to see Adelaide coming up the spiral staircase with one hand over her eyes and the other on the rail.
“You have nothing to worry about,” I said, and she uncovered her eyes.
“Oh, good,” she breathed a sigh of relief. “What are you two doing up here? You disappeared so quickly I couldn’t find you.”
“I needed to explain some things to Mara.” Theo toyed with his lip ring. It must be a nervous habit, even though nothing about him struck me as nervous.
“Uhm,” Adelaide harrumphed. She pointed between us. “I’m not stupid. Even if you two can’t see it, I can.”
“And what can you see that we can’t?” Theo asked and leaned against a bookshelf. He crossed his arms over his chest as a smirk lifted his lips.
“This insane sexual chemistry between the two of you. If you don’t tend to it, it’s only a matter of time before you jump each other’s bones probably in front of everybody and, honestly, I do not need to see your junk.”
My jaw dropped and Theo snorted. He reached out and playfully tousled his younger sister’s hair. “Oh, Ade,” he chuckled. “You’ve been reading way too many romance novels.”
“Have not,” she defended but her cheeks turned red. Deciding to ignore her snickering brother she turned to address me. “I came to see if you wanted to hang out in my room. I figured Theodore was driving you nuts.”
“Sure.” I shrugged. Hanging out with her sounded enjoyable. I imagined given enough time we could become close like Dani and I had been. I began to follow Adelaide down the steps.
“Slow down.” Theo began to hurry behind me. “You can’t leave. It’s my job to—”
“Protect me? I know.” I sighed. We came to the bottom of the narrow staircase and I turned to him while Adelaide waited. “Can you sit outside her door?” I asked and hated the whiny tone of my voice, but I was seriously going to lose my mind if he followed me everywhere.
Enchant (The Enchanted Book 1) Page 10
