The look on Gavon's face was response enough.
Cyrus nodded to him, and, giving me one final look, disappeared in the haze of black smoke.
"Who is that?" I asked.
"James, this match is over," Gavon called over my head, ignoring my question. "Go home and wait for me there."
"I'd love to," James said, brushing himself off. "But you took away my magic, remember?"
Gavon waved his hand, and James disappeared in a cloud of purple.
"Who is that?" I repeated.
"Nobody," Gavon said, with a forced smile as he gently touched my forehead. "Are you hurt?"
"He's not nobody," I said. "He told me he was your friend."
Gavon's hand tensed. "You spoke with him?"
"Yeah. He gave me the creeps."
"What did you tell him?" Gavon said, an edge in his voice.
"N-nothing. Just that you'd been sparring with me." I watched his face shift. "W-was that bad?"
After a few moments, he smiled. "No, it wasn't bad."
Somehow, I didn't think he was being entirely truthful with me.
23
Without Gavon giving me a healing potion, and with Marie still grounded and without magic, the next morning was a rough one. Invisible bruises covered every inch of my body, and I needed two extra cups of coffee to get out the door.
Surprisingly, my magic wasn't totally depleted, and by midday, it was back to humming under my skin. The pain was still there, but it only reminded me how much I wanted to get back out there. Something about James' arrogance made me more eager to show him up. With a little practice, I could run circles around him.
But when I arrived at the sparring beach, Gavon wasn't there. I waited almost an hour, releasing some practice spells across the water and hoping there weren't any ships out and about, but finally had to admit that he wasn't coming, and I went home.
I tried to concentrate on school, but my anxiety about Gavon was too distracting. Had Gavon's "friend" done something to him? Was there a problem back in New Salem? I didn't know what was so illegal about our match, but Cyrus had seemed a little too pleased about it. There was some backstory there, and it had been clear that Gavon did not consider Cyrus a friend.
When I arrived at our beach the second night and he didn't, my concern went into overdrive. This time, I waited for two hours in the freezing cold, practicing my attacks against an invisible opponent to keep warm. When I finally stopped and checked my phone, it was nearly ten at night.
I slumped down into the white sand and kept frustrated tears at bay. Why he wouldn't come, at least to tell me why he hadn't been there. But there wasn't a note or a message or anything of the sort. It was so unlike him that I began to really worry something bad had happened to him.
Finally, I gave in and transported myself back to my room. When my feet touched down on carpet and the warmth of our heater hit my skin, my ears filled with the sounds of yelling from downstairs.
"Ugh, perfect," I said with a heavy roll of my eyes. Normally, I would've stayed in my room to keep out of the crossfire, but I'd skipped dinner earlier, and after running around the beach for two hours, I was ravenous. So I readied myself for battle and crept down the stairs.
Marie and Jeanie were going at it in the living room, with Nicole in the center trying to play referee. I'd almost made it to the bottom step when I heard what they were arguing about.
"What part of 'grounded' do you not understand? You aren't allowed to spend the night with your friends!"
Crap.
Marie's gaze swept to me and I knew in an instant what she was going to say.
"Yeah well, Lexie's been talking to Gavon."
The air in the room turned thick as Nicole and Jeanie's faces grew pale and their gazes slowly turned to me. I kept my place on the staircase. Perhaps if I stayed still, they'd think I'd turned into a statue and forget all about me.
No such luck.
"Alexis, is that true?" Jeanie asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "Gavon…has he…have you seen him?"
I dipped my chin once in a nod, and all the air was sucked out of the room.
"Marie, to your room, now. Alexis, in the kitchen. Do not argue with me."
I marched down the rest of the stairs, meeting Marie on the last step. The look of triumph on her face was even more nerve-racking than Jeanie's quiet words. If Marie had something to gloat about, I was really in trouble.
The walk through the living room took decades. I passed Nicole and chanced a half-smile at her—if she returned it, maybe things wouldn't be so bad. But she looked right through me, shock and…a little fear on her face.
I gulped and hurried into the kitchen to await my fate.
I waited for almost half an hour, worry gnawing at my empty stomach. Finally, I got up and made myself a sandwich, chewing silently as I strained to hear the conversation in the living room. But they'd either mastered the art of whispering, or Jeanie had charmed the room to be impervious to eavesdropping.
I finished my sandwich and magicked the plate into the dishwasher, resuming my place at the kitchen counter to await my fate. I supposed it was a good thing I still had my magic. If I was really in trouble, Jeanie would've taken it by now.
Movement caught my eye and Jeanie appeared in the doorway of the kitchen without Nicole. I always felt better with my sister acting as a buffer between Jeanie and I, especially when I was in trouble. But I put on a brave face as Jeanie wearily sidled up the counter.
"Lexie, I need you to tell me how you met Gavon McKinnon."
I sucked in a breath. "I met him on my Magic's Eve."
Her eyes widened, but she didn't respond immediately. She seemed to be tempering her response. "And what happened then?"
"He…well, he gave me a book. A magical primer. He said it would help me learn how to use my magic."
"And was he very concerned with that?" Jeanie asked, almost too calmly. "You learning how to use magic?"
"Not at first. Jeanie, who is he? And why are you so—"
She held up a hand to silence me. "I'll answer your questions. I just need to know what he's done."
"He hasn't done anything except show me how to use my magic, something neither you nor Nicole ever bothered to do." I shouldn't have added that last part, but I'd reached my limit on lies from Jeanie.
Jeanie squeezed the bridge of her nose. "Lexie, that wasn't my… Why didn't you tell me you'd met him?"
"Why should I have?" I said, folding my arms over my chest. "He didn't do anything but help me."
"Lexie, he's dangerous."
"Because of his Warrior magic? I have it too, you know."
"Not be—" She glanced at me. "How do you know what that is?"
"Warrior magic? The Separation? The tear? He told me all about it," I said, secretly pleased I'd learned so much of something Jeanie had kept from me. "When he took me to New Salem—"
She jumped out of her chair so fast that it toppled over behind her. "He took you there?"
"Y-yes," I said. "After Thanksgiving, when Gram—"
"Oh God, when you were gone…no wonder I couldn't find you." She ran a hand over her face and cursed. "Lexie, this is bad. What did he do to you?"
"He didn't do anything," I said, standing up. "Actually, he healed me. I'd lost control of my magic and collapsed, and so he took me to New Salem to heal me. Then he took me right home." I folded my arms across my chest and pursed my lips. "He was worried that you would worry about me."
"I'm so sure he was," Jeanie said with a bitterness I did not miss.
"What's the big deal?" I said, raising my voice. "It's not like he's trying to take over the world or anything. The guy reads investing strategy books—"
"Oh, really? You think you know him so very well?"
"Yeah, I do—"
"Lexie, he's one of them. He's their leader."
"There's no such thing as the Separatists! That was three hundred years ago!"
"Oh really? Then why is your mother d
ead?"
Whatever was on my tongue died, and I could only stare at Jeanie with my mouth agape.
"Gavon McKinnon showed up right outside our compound," Jeanie said. "He befriended your mother—our whole family. Promised that he meant no harm. Then when he found out your mother was having a Warrior, he…"
I opened and closed my mouth. That couldn't be right. Gavon wasn't that person. Gavon, the man who knew gravity was due to inertia and loved old books. Gavon, the man who had seemed so concerned with making sure I was healthy. Gavon, who wanted me to mend fences with my sister.
"There were a thousand opportunities for him to hurt me, and he never did. In fact, he kept healing me!"
"Lexie, you have to believe me, he is bad. I don't know what he's after—"
"Is that why Gram wouldn't let me into the clan?" I asked. "Because of Gavon? Because he wanted me dead? Or because he wanted me to join his little club?"
"No, Lexie—"
"You know, maybe that's not such a bad idea," I said. "Gavon's the only person around here who seems to understand me."
"Lexie, you have to believe me that—"
"Why should I? You and Nicole have done nothing but lie to me. For what? Because some old woman in Massachusetts who doesn't seem to give one crap about me said so? And Gavon's never lied to me—"
"Every word out of his mouth has been a lie, Lexie, you have to understand."
"No, you have to understand. All you do is yell at me and tell me I should control my magic. How could I have controlled something I never knew existed? You didn't do a damned thing to help me since I got my magic—"
"Alexis, watch your mouth—"
"And Gavon's had all the answers—"
"He's using you—"
"For what?" I said.
"He's dangerous!"
"Yeah, well, according to Gram, so am I," I said, throwing my hands up. "I heard your little conversation. She's scared of me. Scared I'm going to dethrone her or whatever."
"She's not… That's not…"
"Maybe if Gram got off her high horse and actually talked to me, she'd know that taking over her spot as the chief whatever of a group of magicals who never bothered to show up my entire life is the last thing I ever want to do. In fact, I don't even want to be in her stupid clan."
"Don't say that, Lexie," Jeanie said. "That's your family."
"No, that's your family."
I stood and walked to the kitchen door, needing to get out of this house and process this conversation in private.
"You aren't allowed to leave this house, Alexis. You're—"
"Don't you dare try to ground me," I shot back. "You aren't my mother."
Jeanie's face went slack and her eyes widened.
When no more words came, I transported myself to the sparring beach.
I was shooting fireballs before my feet touched the sandy ground. Adrenaline and anger were coursing through me and I released ten before I stopped, welcoming the dip of magic and the quick rejuvenation. I was healing faster now; I almost didn't need Marie anymore.
I plopped down on the sand and stared at the waves crashing in the moonlight, echoes of the argument with Jeanie running through my brain.
I wasn't surprised that they thought Gavon was something he wasn't. He'd been too evasive, too clearly trying to hide his presence in my life from them. But I'd never gotten an uneasy feeling from him, I'd never felt like he wanted to hurt me.
I glanced around, expecting to see his purple puff of smoke any second, but then realization washed over me. Gavon hadn't been coming the past few nights. Either something had happened to him, or I'd done something to screw up our good thing.
I had nowhere to go. Nicole would probably take Jeanie's side. Even if Marie had her magic, she wasn't going to help me anymore.
Frustrated tears spilled down my face and I hastily wiped them away. I was a Warrior. We just did what needed to be done. If I needed to figure out a way back to that tear, I'd do it. If Gavon was in trouble, I'd help him however I could.
I stood and brushed the sand off my pants and closed my eyes, concentrating on finding the compound with my magic. As soon as I found a deserted spot, I sent my body to join my magic, landing on the rocky soil of the shoreline.
"Crap on a stick, that's cold!" I screamed into the snowy air. I charmed my hoodie to warm me, but my skin was still frozen by the wind and ice shooting off the water. I threw the hood over my head and wrapped my arms around myself, immediately regretting the decision to come here.
The storm was dying around me, the icy pelting turning into a soft drizzle until there was no more precipitation. A magical dome had been erected around me, protecting me from the elements. But the dome was dark gray…and I didn't have to guess who'd created it.
"Fancy seeing you here," Cyrus said, as if it wasn't surprising at all. "Has Gavon not taught you how to keep the rain off of yourself?"
I closed my mouth and swallowed the screaming desire to run as fast as I could in the other direction. I was a Warrior, after all, and we didn't run away from our problems.
"What's happened to Gavon?" I asked, my voice echoing in the magical dome.
"Happened to him? Oh, dear girl, nothing at all. Guild business has been keeping him away."
He's their leader, Jeanie's voice echoed in my brain, but I shook my head to clear it. "So he's not hurt?"
Cyrus laughed, and the hairs on my neck stood straight up. "Who would hurt him, dear?"
You. "It's not like him to be away for so long."
"I can take you to talk to him yourself, if you'd like."
My head was screaming danger-danger-danger, but I was torn by indecision. I could walk around the beach forever, looking for that tear. There was no guarantee it hadn't been charmed by Gavon to be hidden from people. And although Cyrus was slimy as a snake, he was my ticket to New Salem.
"Well?" He held out his hand.
Finally, my smarter half took over, and I shook my head. "Just…tell him that I'm ready for our next lesson. I've got to be getting home."
"Ah, well, I tried."
24
It was dark and cold when I awoke. I had no memory of what had happened in that magical bubble. Or how I'd ended up lying face-up in this room. Or why the hell my head ached as I sat up.
I was in a cell of some sorts. My hands slid over damp, slimy stone as I pushed myself up. From what I could see in the dim light, the small room was made entirely of stone except for a small, barred window.
Something else was wrong—my magic was gone. Panicked, I struggled to find the hum beneath my skin, but couldn't find it.
"Good morning." Cyrus's voice boomed in the cell, and I glanced around looking for the source. The cell door was shrouded in darkness, but I heard it squeak open and my kidnapper appeared in a small trickle of light.
I had a million questions, but I kept my mouth shut. If I could find Gavon, maybe this would all be okay.
"I do apologize for the headache, but I doubted you would come willingly," Cyrus said to my silence. "And since you've got an important day today, I wanted you to put your best foot forward with the Guild."
That, I had to respond to. "Wh…what's happening today?"
"Your introduction day," Cyrus said. A far off reminder, Guild politics, introduction day was….
"I don't want to be inducted!" I cried, springing to my feet then groaning and bracing against the cell wall as my headache thudded in my skull.
"Dear, you're a year away from that," Cyrus drawled. "At least. Your introduction day is simply…showcasing your powers for the Guild to consider you for membership."
"Whatever," I snapped, my hand coming to cover my heart. "I don't want that. I don't want to be part of your stupid Guild, and I don't—"
"You don't have a say in the matter," Cyrus said. "Your father promised you to us when you were born."
A thud fell in the back of my mind.
"F…father?"
Cyrus stepped into my cell, practi
cally salivating at my shock. I hated him more. "Come now, don't tell me it's a complete surprise? You never knew your father, and suddenly upon Magic's Eve, you receive a visit from an older man who takes a particularly fatherly interest in you and you don't even question? Not to mention you both have that particular shade of Warrior Magic?" Cyrus laughed softly. "Gavon said you were the smart one."
I had considered it, dreamed and hoped about it. It had been staring me in the face since the moment I met him, and despite all the lies Jeanie had fed me, I knew the truth.
But somehow…this felt wrong. Gavon wouldn't promise me to the Guild.
Except that explains why he's been training you all this time, the voice in my head said.
Were Jeanie and Nicole right?
It didn't seem possible. Not Gavon.
Cyrus chuckled, presumably at the confusion on my face. "We've been waiting for this day since your birth. Since your two sisters were duds—a potion-maker and a healer, how embarrassing for him."
Shock turned to anger. "Don't you dare talk about my sisters like that."
His hand connected with my cheek and I flew off the stone bench.
"You will not talk to your Master like that," he bellowed, his voice echoing in the chamber. "Gavon was kind—most in the Guild would have killed the potion-maker at birth and impressed the healer into training. But I will not be so gentle."
"M…master?" I whimpered, slowly removing my hand.
"When you are introduced tomorrow, you will become my apprentice," Cyrus said, standing straighter and turning to leave. He paused in the doorway. "That is, if you survive the introduction match."
The door slammed shut, and I couldn't breathe.
Master? Introduction?
Gavon was my father.
I'd known, but I hadn't let myself believe I'd be so lucky. He was everything I'd ever wanted a father to be. In the back of my mind, I'd envisioned him putting his arm around me and explaining all the reasons why he'd been absent the last fifteen years and they would make perfect sense. I would forgive him, and he and I and my sisters would move in together and…
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