"Which is why we need that other book, The Magicante." She explained how it worked, something her father did not know. "It's not a perfect solution. And whoever wields the dagger's power would need incredible control. It's not magic to mess with, but if used right…" she lifted her eyebrows. It would be a mighty gift. A big win for them.
"And there is still a young Projector roaming around free out there." KarNavan rubbed the stubble on his chin. "The dagger is the perfect weapon to remove Colin Jacoby's power. We let them knock Fazendiin off his throne, we steal that boy's power, and there's no one left to challenge us."
"I did a good job, didn't I?"
"A father couldn't be prouder."
She got up. "If I want to do it right, I need to get back to my boys before they miss me."
"Or suspect you?"
She shrugged. A new idea already brewing for what exactly to do with that dagger. And how to get Fazendiin out of power. Her father might be willing to let others do it for them, and she was too, but she had a backup plan coming together, just for added insurance. Before she shared it with her father, whom she was positive would agree, there was a pounding on his door.
"Allow me," she offered. She opened to find one of her father’s guard. "Yes."
"Our Lord has arrived. He requests your presence," he aimed at KarNavan.
"Very well." KarNavan rose. He nodded knowingly at his daughter as he left the room. And if she wasn't mistaken, there was a new spring in her father's footsteps as he went out to play his part of the loyal servant.
CHAPTER 14
Meghan laughed. Harder than she remembered in recent months. Maybe years.
They’d spent the last couple of days in a mix of meetings, and reminiscing away the hours with tales from summertime in Cobbscott. Back before Meghan and Colin discovered magic, and their ties to the world. Back when Sebastien was just their friend, and not a shifter with the ability to transform into a bird. Back before they’d heard any nonsense about a prophecy, or magic threatened their futures…
Colin had disappeared a few times for training with Jasper. His mood had improved a lot over his time here. But he was still keeping himself cloaked, too. He'd snuck out to see Catrina a few times as well—that always got him in a good mood, followed by an anxious one. Meghan akinned it to withdrawing from a drug. Colin grew twitchier the longer they were apart.
Tonight, however, it was all about a good time.
Uncle Arnon and Kanda had joined them for a time. As well as Jasper and Aloyna, Isabella and Ivan—until he’d snuck away to see Maria. And Isabella had left to take up a shift helping out with the sick and injured Svoda, still recovering. The Jendayas stopped in for a few hours. It had been a long overdue visit. Each promised to keep Colin’s presence to themselves. And they’d determined to only speak of good times. Of days passed. And for this one night, not think of the possible future outcomes still to be determined.
But even with the fun talk, there were moments where the nostalgia also took its toll. There were a few stray tears. A few inescapable lulls in the conversation and far away looks. It was strange, in a way, to hear them speak of times past. History they were unable to speak of when Meghan and Colin were younger, before they'd learned about magic. It must have been difficult to keep those stories to themselves.
And now, as the late-night set in, Meghan, Colin, and Sebastien remained, sitting at a table in Meghan's front room. And as tired as they were, none of them wanted to give up this night. There was a knock and someone entered without waiting—Ivan. Returned.
"Hey. Come on in. We were just heading into the tropics," joked Meghan. This place was easy to fall in love with. And the waterfall room was something else—warm and inviting. Calming and peaceful. Like entering an entirely different world—it would be easy to go inside, pretend the real world did not exist, and never come back out.
They lounged lazily, splashed around in the water—even Ivan joined in—they were still adjusting to his more relaxed nature. Meghan and Sebastien hid and snuck in a few kisses. Until Ivan and Colin dive-bombed them in a fit of laughter.
When her skin began to prune, Meghan decided she'd had enough and found a comfy spot to let her feet dangle into the pool. Sebastien, of course, did the same. She shook her head at the ridiculous normalcy of it all.
There were people in this world who got to do things like this whenever they wanted to. Would they ever have that option?
"Hey." Meghan twisted to see Sebastien. "You got quiet."
"It's known to happen, now and again," she joked.
"Whatchathinkin'?"
She sighed. "Why can't this be every day?" She smiled, and shrugged timidly.
"It's okay to want that. I want it too."
"Add me to that list," chimed in Ivan, drying off.
Colin ignored the topic. Wishing wasn't going to do him any good—he laughed at himself for that thought. Wishing—his worst nightmare. Literally.
The inevitable downward spiral in the mood hit them hard and all at once.
"Fun can only last so long, right?" Meghan tried to perk up.
"We can't give up on it," Ivan insisted. "The dream. The hope."
"Yeah." She gave him her best forced grin.
Colin slid over near them all. He eyed his sister, some of that dark intensity staring back at her. He smirked. "You want to tell me something?" He sensed it in his mind.
"Yes. I suppose. Now's a good a time as any." Actually, now was probably a great time, seeing as he was relaxed and calmed and controlled.
Sebastien’s hand ended up wound with hers. Colin smirked.
"It can’t be that bad. I mean, there can’t be many more secrets I don’t know." Jasper had already filled him in on a lot, including Meghan’s traveling through time to create the prophecy, which is how Jasper had ended up not dying.
"Okay, so where to start. Um, the Stone. The Immortality Stone—the one which is part of us and us of it."
"I recall such a Stone," Colin grimaced sarcastically.
"There’s a way to destroy it," she revealed. "And I fully intend on doing so. But I also need to make sure you’re on the same page about this, because it will affect you and me. And Colby."
"What about him anyway? You care what his opinion is about the Stone?"
"That is a hard one to answer simply. I guess, if he decides to leave his father and support me, then yes. And if he stays on our father’s side, then no. Regardless, I have to destroy it, Colin. For the sake of everyone, not only us three."
"Wait? You have to destroy it?"
"Yes. Jasper did some research during the years it was in his possession, and he is confident that my Firemancy can destroy the Stone."
"Fire purifies it," Colin remembered. "But didn’t he try that before?"
"Yes, but it wasn’t the right type of fire," Sebastien clarified.
"There’s a reason I had to have a Firemancer for a mother," Meghan continued. "And a vampyre for a father."
Colin plunked back in his chair. "So what? You suck the power out of the Stone?"
"And it burns up in my veins."
"Jasper’s sure about this?"
"Yes. He’d wager his life on it, as he put it."
"Wait, so what does that mean for the three of us—who are part of said Stone?" Colin inquired.
"Well, for you, not much really. For me and Colby, we’ll lose our immortality. You’re a Projector, so you’d still be able to live a long life. And the way Aloyna has explained things to me about our Vetala, vampyre side, as long as we don’t ever feed from a human life, we’ll simply live one, normal, human-span life."
"And if what Nashua’s spies heard yesterday is true," began Ivan, "Colby and Jae fled the island using the Book of Doorways, and Jae removed Colby’s Projector’s power with the dagger."
"I only wish I knew how to help them," Meghan muttered.
"Can't you?" Colin poked the side of his head. "At least reach out."
"I thought about it." She
shook her head. "I get this sense he doesn't want me in his head. How do I explain it? Um—he needs to go through whatever he's going through on his own. I would just interfere. Cloud things." She shrugged, like, does that make sense.
"You mean, you are part of the problem?" Ivan surmised.
"Yeah. That's the sense I get. Colby's a mess, trying to figure out where he stands. I can't interfere with that. He's got to choose a side on his own."
"Well, he's got Jae. So that's something," reminded Sebastien.
"Yeah. Jae's a good guy. He's got major problems of his own," Meghan stated the obvious. "But when you think about it, Jae's probably the perfect guy to be with. For Colby, I mean. They have a lot in common. I get the sense from Colby that they—understand each other. And not that I don't, it's just—"
"Sometimes it's easier talking to someone who's not family." Colin whispered it like he was ashamed to admit it.
Meghan smiled. "Yeah."
"It's because you have to love family," said Ivan.
Meghan rolled her eyes—they'd had this chat before. "It's supposed to work that way. It definitely did not, for Colby. But I can understand where he's coming from. Getting the approval of a stranger, from someone who is not required to love you no matter what—it makes a difference. And if that's what he needs I won't get in the way. I want him on our side. I want him—away from our father. I want him to have a chance."
Sebastien squeezed her hand. They all hoped that.
"Geez," drawled Colin. "You're going to make me care about the guy."
They all got a quick laugh out of that. It was hard not to blame Colin his loathing of Colby. The guy had tried to destroy him on more than one occasion.
"So," Colin decided it was subject change time. "Back to the Stone. Will it hurt you, to destroy it?"
"I can’t say for sure if it causes any physical pain to do it. But Jasper is confident once it’s done, I’ll be fine. You and Colby too. We just won’t be immortal any longer since the magic keeping us that way will have burned up."
"The Grosvenor couldn’t handle having it stripped away," Colin pointed out.
"I would wager that's because they were so old. And well, you never gave them a chance to—eat." Sebastien croaked, the idea of watching the aged Grosvenor sucking the life out of someone, giving them all a shudder.
"Plus, that ability only lasts so long," reminded Meghan. "Feeding can sustain life, but not forever. Maybe they'd used up that part of themselves."
Colin sucked in and breathed out in a push. "You have my complete approval. As long as you are willing to destroy the Stone, then do it. Without it, Fazendiin cannot return magic and make his new Stone. Plus, he’ll lose his own immortality, won’t he?"
"We think so. He’s smart though. Always so many steps ahead," said Ivan. "And that’s the one thing we cannot figure out how he does. How he gets his intel. He might have a backup plan of some kind, should we manage to destroy the Stone."
"Definitely can’t count that possibility out," agreed Sebastien.
"How are you going to do it?" Colin asked next. "It’s not going to be easy to get close to the Stone. He'll have it protected."
"I’m guessing he has it hidden, either on the island, doubtful, most likely in his estate. And if he hasn’t changed things, I can still use my blood to get inside. I’m counting on traps being set."
"So… easy peasy!" Colin joked darkly.
"Yeah. In and out. Boom. Done. No problem."
There was no laughter this time. No one believed for a second, it would be easy.
"I’ll do whatever I can to help. But—" Colin sighed, frustration thickening on his breath. "My powers are… unstable. Jasper is helping me. We’re training again. But a few days of working with Jasper are probably not going to make me more prepared for a war than I am today."
"I don’t want you to come," Meghan told him, cautiously. She shook her head. "I want you to, but I won’t chance it. I won’t chance what it might make you do." Or that it might send you down the path that requires me to conspire to kill you, she sent to her silent, blocked mind vault.
"It sucks, you know. Having so much power that I can literally change the world with a single thought or wish. But by letting out that kind of power I might destroy everything in the trying of it, including myself. I thought my days of feeling like the helpless little brother who always needed someone to come to my rescue were over. If I let the power out, we might win so easily. And I might become so unstable that I change. That the magic takes control of me. It’s such a strange feeling to be one of the most powerful persons alive, and yet be nearly as powerless because of what it might do to me, or others, to use that power."
"You never asked for it. And you’re doing the best you can," Meghan offered. "And Jasper will be there to help us. He’s got more experience, knows his limits. And one day you will too."
It was something at least.
But it made a young man feel pretty darn useless.
His sister got quiet again. Never a good sign. His mind reached out to hers and it dawned on him she had part of her thoughts blocked from him. He hadn't prodded too deep. But really? Secrets, still? And why? What did she know that she didn't want him to find out?
Outside, and although the middle of the night, the screeches of eagles flying overhead echoed—Scouts, returned. They made their way outside in time to watch three enormous eagles come in for a landing some distance away. Once on the ground, their bodies began to shake and vibrate rapidly, shifting back into their human forms. A man, and two women from the Tunkapog Tribe. Their clothes seemingly made out of the same feathers as their shifter sides, and so well-fitted that they almost looked like a second skin of sorts.
They marched inside the large meetinghouse where Nashua remained, in full battle planning. Or more like, constant debate, since no one seemed capable of agreeing on anything.
Ivan spun around. "I’ll go see what’s up."
The other three piled back inside the house and got seated around the table.
Colin eyed his sister. "What's your backup plan?"
"For what?"
"If you fail? If you can't destroy the Stone. What happens then? You’ll still be immortal, and your father will still be alive and kicking…" and never mind about me and the problems I might create…
"All issues going through my mind, all the time." She shook her head. "I don't have a backup plan. If we don't destroy the Stone, there is no other plan. We have to succeed, or all else will fail."
Equal parts thrilling and depressing. They were so close really. And yet they only got one real shot at it. Wherein Fazendiin only had to stave off their attempt once, and their plans would be foiled. The reset involved potentially ruinous for the entire magical community, and the entire unaware world.
Ivan sauntered back inside.
"What’s up?" Meghan asked him.
"Not much. Fazendiin returned to the island. Who knows for how long though? The last time was just a few hours."
"Definitely no patterns to follow. I’m sure he only leaves when he needs to." Which was not going to make it easy to sneak into his estate to try to find the Stone.
"Good news is," continued Ivan, "they haven’t put any magical barriers back up on the island."
"I’m not sure if that is good," she replied. "Could be a trap."
Ivan shook his head with a grin. "Actually, one of the shifters overheard they’ve been trying to fix the barrier. But whatever Colby did to destroy it, seems to have stuck. At least for now. So probably not a trap."
A small win. Potentially.
Meghan ambled her way outside and took a seat on the step, staring upward into the starry night. She rubbed her temples. This headache wouldn't relent. It was getting harder to keep her mind block in place. She thought she'd felt Colin prying, but it had gone away after a moment.
"That was a pretty loud sigh," Sebastien whispered, plunking down next to her.
"Guess I didn't hear it myself."
"I could take your mind off your troubles for a few minutes."
She was thinking a few hours would be better. And that set off a red beacon all over her face that matched the brightness of her hair.
"Sometimes it feels like too much. Like, how can this even be real? Or my life? Sometimes… I wish it wasn’t. You know? Isn’t there someone else that can do it? But there isn’t. Literally so. I am the only person who can destroy the Stone and end this battle for power."
"No pressure," Sebastien joked gently. He rubbed the back of her neck—the permanent tension building there worried him.
"Part of me wishes we’d just jump up and storm in and get it gone. No planning. No sending out scouts." She shook her head. "Bad idea written all over it."
"The waiting and the planning is hard to get through," he agreed.
"Going in unprepared is stupid. It’s a sure way to fail. And that is something I don’t want to do. We get one chance at this. So when we do it, we need to go all in with as much backup as we can get. If we fail, and my father disappears with the Stone…"
"Who knows if we’d ever find him. He’s an absurdly patient man."
"I’d still be immortal, so I guess we'd play this dance over and over and over." A rather sadistic thought. "I don’t want to fail Sebastien." It was hard to admit she feared failure. So many lives and futures were at stake. And there were few words of comfort to offer.
They made their way back inside.
"Figured you’d want to go be with Maria." Meghan noted the closer they got to Ivan, the deeper the worry lines in his cheeks deepened.
"Trying to get rid of the big brother, are we?"
She chuckled. "More like wondering why you're stalling. You don't have to babysit me, you know."
"I'm not going to sleep anyway. Are you—doing okay? Really?" She was clearly responsible for some of those worry lines.
"As I can be. Trying to not think about things too much to be honest. It just makes it all harder, all this sitting around and waiting."
"One of these days, a day I’m looking forward to, I will wake up to the morning sun, in my bed, without a thought about what terrible thing is happening today."
The Queen, The Mirror, and The Creation (Fated Chronicles Book 5) Page 12
