by Diana Nixon
"Why would I do that?" Frederick asked, surprised. He was sitting in a massive red armchair near the window and I took the one opposite him. "I believe that children are always better than their parents," he said, crossing his arms. "And I hoped that neither your brother nor you would ever follow in his footsteps."
"The day I came to Dever, you were here too, remember?"
"Yes, I remember that day. I wanted to see you. You were my worst enemy's son, though you didn't know anything about my war with your father. I don't know why, but I was sure that you would be different, because frankly, Kevin never met my expectations. I thought he would excel Dominic at his gift of possessing magic, but that never happened. Don't think that I wanted to see a new enemy in Kevin, no. Rather, on the contrary. I wanted him to be my ally, the one who would be able to stop the evil your father was spreading all over the world. I'm sorry about saying that, I know you don't want to hear such things about him."
"No, it's okay. Unfortunately, no magic can change the truth," I said, remembering the dreams about my past and the way I wanted to change so many things about it.
"Very true," Frederick agreed. "But you know what? There is another truth as well," he said, looking into my eyes. "You look a lot like him, Evan. And this is a good thing. He's your father, after all and he will always be. All I want to say is that you took a lot from his character as well. You are strong, brave and resolute. And, thank God, all these qualities are reflected in you with new colors, much brighter and better ones. This is what makes you so special. Your father gave you a lot, but it's up to you to decide what to do with all your talents and the goals you want to reach using them. You have already proved that you are different, that you are not him. You don't have to worry about being compared to Dominic for the rest of your life. You have your mother's kindness and mercy. Elizabeth was an amazing woman. I met her before she married Dominic and we used to be very good friends. I had always been sorry about the way our lives changed later. I tried to protect her from him, but unfortunately, I failed. She made her choice and I didn't have the right to stop her.
"Have you ever tried to tell her the truth about my father?"
"I tried, but it was too late. She knew everything. I saw her the day she tried to kill herself. But she never wanted to hear me out, saying that my words wouldn't change anything. I didn't know what she was talking about, and I didn't know that she knew the whole truth about her husband. I keep blaming myself for not stopping her, for not saving her from poisoning herself."
"It wasn't your fault," I said quietly. "It was my father's fault."
"Don't say that, Evan. He did a lot of bad things, but he also taught you a lot and I know that he had always been dreaming about having son like you. You should be proud of your father. He was an outstanding Wizardy. I suffered a lot from his attempts to kill me," Frederick said, laughing quietly. "But he was very talented. One of the strongest magicians I've ever met. And I'm really proud of every fight we had, because every time we tried to kill each other, he seemed to be even more powerful and inventive. His spells were pure masterpieces and every time I survived, he laughed and promised to finish me off next time. He was my enemy, but he deserved any good word you could say about him."
There was a pause and I thought Frederick wanted to add something else, but he never did.
"Thank you," I said. "For everything. You don't know how much I needed to hear everything you have said."
"Don't say thanks, Evan. I told you the truth. The truth you should keep in your heart. And, by the way, I didn't have an opportunity to say thanks for helping Eileen and saving Christian. I know it wasn't easy for you. I don't know what I would have done if I had lost her again."
"It was my honor to help," I replied sincerely. "And your daughter can be very persuasive sometimes, so even if I said no, I'm sure she would have found a way to make me do anything she wanted."
Frederick laughed in response, nodding. "Yes, she's very stubborn and I keep wondering who she inherited that gift from."
Eileen was very headstrong. And I knew it better than anyone else.
"Can I ask you one more question?"
"Go ahead." Frederick nodded.
"You knew that Elena was Marion's daughter, didn't you?"
"Yes, I knew everything about Elena even before the day her father brought her here. All his life he had been fighting the Dragons. That's why Marion left him. She had been already bound with your father by the vows of loyalty, and she couldn't betray the brotherhood, though Dominic never made her do anything she didn't want to. But Elena... she was born after her parents' breaking up. And one morning her father found her at his threshold, wrapped in a sheet. Marion had to leave her there to save her life. But she never stopped loving her. The day you returned to Dever, Marion called me and asked about a meeting. She wanted to know more about Elena and her life. She always knew that her daughter would study here. But she never expected to see her the very first moment you crossed Dever's border."
"Oh, now I understand why she was so thoughtful that day," I said, recalling Marion's behavior.
"She’s a good person and she deserves to be happy."
"And you knew about the Blanche's ability to possess magic?"
"Many people know about that. But they turn a blind eye to the existence of magicians out of the Wizardy clan. They hate thinking that there is someone else able to excel them in their families' gifts. But it doesn't really matter now. We live with that knowledge and we can't change anything about it. There are so many more important things to worry about, right?"
"Right." I nodded, getting up. "Well, thank you once again for that conversation and I'm sure that combining our abilities we will be able to overcome everything," I added, shaking his hand.
"I'm sure we will," Frederick replied. "And, Evan!" he called after me. "Do you know that Patrick has asked Tara to stay in Dever?"
"Really? Why?"
"She will be teaching out first-year students the basics of the Ventura's forecasting."
"So she said yes?"
"On one condition."
"What condition?" I asked curiously.
"That you will stay away from her lectures," Frederick replied, chuckling.
I shook my head, hiding a smile and went to the door. Yes, that was just like Tara and my heartbeat suddenly quickened at the thought that this time we wouldn't have to say painful goodbyes.
Going back to the dorms, I was thinking about my conversation with Frederick. He was right about my father. Dominic was gone and there was no point in being mad at him or to keep criticizing his actions.
I was glad to hear about Tara staying in Dever. Though I couldn't imagine myself seeing her every day and sharing so many things about our life here again. And I didn't know how to act in her presence. I wasn't a part of her life anymore and the worst thing that scared me was the possibility of seeing its vivid confirmation one day, when another smiling Martin or someone else shows up to spend his life with her.
Uh, I so wasn't ready to think about that, so I tried to switch my attention to someone else. Eileen, for example....
Since the moment Alexis died, my feelings for her had become stronger, as if a barrier Marion was talking about was finally broken. I couldn't stop myself from thinking if those two events could be connected somehow. But I was sure Eileen had to feel those changes too.
Standing in front of her room, I felt Tara's presence behind the door. She and Eileen had been spending much time together recently, so now I wasn't surprised, catching them in the middle of another conversation.
"Can I ask you what are you talking about all the time?"
"Can I ask you what happened to your good manners?" Eileen said in response. "Usually guests knock on this door, Evan," she added, nodding meaningfully to the closed door behind me.
"Sorry, love, I keep forgetting that I don't live here anymore." I played my best smile and sat on my favorite couch. "Did Frederick release you from entertaining Catherine?"
"Yes, thank God! And it looks like we both regret leaving her here. Half an hour in her company used more patience and energy than our trip to France! I'm not used to spending so much time with her. She has a million questions! I don't even know how she can be thinking about so many things at the same time."
"We are talking about your mom, Eileen!" I laughed. "You know her, she has always been like that!"
"That's the problem, Evan. I don't think I know her! Poor Dad, he doesn't know what he's putting himself into. Okay, so why are you here? No, let me guess. You felt the bond becoming stronger, right?"
"Exactly. Do you think it has something to do with Alexis' death?"
"I wanted to ask you the same question. And Tara remembered one more thing about the lines on my palm."
"There was something wrong with their color, right?"
"Yes, and we thought that if it was Alexis' and Nora's handiwork, now that they are both dead, their magic won't work anymore.
"Hmm... I haven't thought about that. Have you talked to Darcy about your lines?"
"No, she's busy now, but she promised to come as soon as possible."
"Where's Christian, by the way?"
"Unlike you and me, he has classes to attend."
"Speaking of that... Tara, I heard about your new job," I said, looking at her. "Is that true that you are staying here?"
"Yes, it's true. Patrick asked if I wanted to become a teacher, and you know that it has been my dream since like forever," she said, smiling happily.
"And my presence doesn’t bother you?" I asked, seeing her blushing slightly.
"The only thing that does bother me, Evan, is how to keep you away from my classes," she replied, trying to hide her smile. "That's why I came here. I wanted to ask Eileen to preoccupy your head with the hidden spell's search, so I could freely teach the students, not thinking about you eavesdropping behind my door."
"Why would I interfere in your classes?"
"As if I don't know you, Evan." She laughed, shaking her head. "When I was a student you always sneaked around corners, watching me."
"Well, yes, but everything is different now. Though if you want us to be together again...."
"No thanks, Evan! I'm more than happy with the way everything is now."
"You sure?" I asked, winking.
"If anything changes, you will be the first one to find out," she said, waving goodbye.
When Tara left, Eileen shook her head, saying, "Dever's territory is definitely too small for you two."
"This is going to be fun."
"No doubt," she said, sitting next to me."Tara came here not only because of you. She wanted to talk about Alexis and the visions about her. We don't know how she managed to cross the border without being noticed. And Tara remembered the flower she saw in her hands. What kind of a flower could it be? Do you know any plant able to break through so many magical barriers?"
"There are many herbs that break different magical spells, but I know only one flower that would be able to break through our powerful defense. A mestaphia."
"I've never heard about it before."
"You couldn't have heard about it. It's not just a flower. It's a magical creation. And I knew one person able create it."
"Who was that?"
"Elizabeth Murray."
"Your mom?" Eileen asked, surprised. "But where did Alexis get the flower?"
"I have no idea. Creating mestaphia you share a part of your energy with that flower, as if giving it a part of your own life. Do you know what it means?"
"That the flower can't exist without its creator, right?"
"Exactly."
"But your mom is dead so there must be someone else who knows how to create a mestaphia."
"That's the problem, Eileen. The flower was my mom's personal invention. No one knew the recipe of its creation."
Eileen frowned, thinking about something that I was sure was a copy of my own thoughts.
"I know what you are thinking about," I said. "If my mom were still alive, right?"
"I'm sorry, Evan," she replied, squeezing my hand. "I saw her dying in that accident. I know that it's impossible. And you saw her funeral. That's why I'm sure there is another explanation for Alexis' ability to use the flower."
"I hope you are right."
"There is one more thing I wanted to talk to you about," Eileen said hesitantly. "I can feel Amanda," she added almost in a whisper.
"What do mean?" I asked, puzzled.
"That I can feel her just the way I can feel you or Christian," she clarified. Then there was a dead silence and the two of us staring at each other. She thought I didn't believe her words, but I was just shocked.
"It can't be possible. You are not bound!"
"Well, I thought about that too," she said, getting up. "But now I don't know what to think. Amanda and I always knew when one of us felt bad. We've been best friends since childhood. So I thought that maybe binding Christian and me, Camilla and my father didn't realize that they were also binding me with Amanda. Maybe a part of that spell touched her too. Do you remember the day when you and I visited Tara before my birthday? She said there was a girl who wanted to help me, but didn't know how. And that our bond with that girl wasn't as strong as it was supposed to be."
"Wait," I said. "If that bond really existed, why couldn't we see it?"
"If my assumptions are correct, we can see it now. You haven't seen Amanda and me together after Alexis' death, have you?"
"Well, I haven't. But it sounds odd, anyway. When was the first time you felt her?"
"This morning. I woke up feeling that something was wrong. I listened to myself and realized that my anxiety had nothing to do with you or Christian. Then I called Amanda and she said she had broken a heel on the way to her classes, and fell, bruising her leg. I didn't tell her anything, but then I realized that I could feel every single change in her emotions."
"Jeez, I can't believe that! What time is it? When do her classes end?"
"She will come any minute. But please, Evan, when she comes, don't tell her anything, just try to see if there are any traces of a bond between us, okay?"
"Fine. But what will you do if there's no bond?"
"I don't know. I want to be sure about the bond first."
"She's here," I said, feeling Amanda's presence in the hall.
"Damn it! What the hell is wrong with this day?!" Amanda flared up, coming in. "God, Evan, you are the last person I expected to see! What are you doing here? Don't you have your own room to spend your afternoons in?"
"I'm glad to see you too, sweetie! Why are you so moody?"
"Today I woke up with a horrible headache and immediately realized that the day would be awesome," she snapped. "Then my hairdryer broke and I had to use Eileen's. When I was done with my hair I realized that I was late for my classes, so I rushed to the first lecture without even having breakfast! My heel broke in the middle of my run and I fell. And my leg still hurts! Maybe if I stayed in bed, everything would be different. And now my favorite shoes are destroyed!"
"Let me see the heel," Eileen asked. "Maybe we can fix it."
I knew why she did that. She wanted to touch Amanda so I could see the bond between them, if there really was any.
The moment her hands touched Amanda's I saw a few thin silver lines, just like those that we saw when Marion took Eileen and my hands in hers. But the next thing that happened was the most surprising part of my morning... I felt their bond too.
This is crazy, I thought.
"What's crazy, Evan?" Amanda asked.
"Nothing," I said automatically. "Wait, I didn't say anything..." I stared at her in confusion.
"You said This is crazy!" she repeated my thoughts.
Eileen was watching the two of us wide-eyed, obviously sharing my confusion.
"What's going on here?" she asked slowly.
"Evan is talking to himself," Amanda replied. "See? You've noticed that too," she added, looking at Eileen.
"I didn't say anything," Eileen said, frowning.
"Amanda," I called her mentally, "how do you feel?"
"God, I'm fine, Evan!" She rolled her eyes. "You, guys are acting funny, you know? And why do we need to call Frederick?"
Eileen and I exchanged glances. Calling Frederick wasn't my idea, so I thought that it was Eileen's. But she didn't say anything aloud....
"Amanda, I think we need to talk," I said, coming to her.
"You have two minutes, Evan. I'm going to see Lucas.”
"Stop for a second," I said, turning her to face me.
"What are you doing?" she asked, taking my hands off her shoulders.
Do you hear me? I asked her mentally, looking into her eyes.
"Of course, I do, Evan! Why are you..." She paused, confused. "You... you didn’t say anything," she said quietly. "Did I hear your thoughts?"
I think so, I nodded. My lips didn't move.
"Stop it, Evan!" Amanda shouted, scared, taking a step back. "Stop it right now! Is it one of your new tricks? And why are you defending him, Eileen?"
Eileen and I exchanged glances again. We didn't hear each other's thoughts, but apparently our friend could hear them pretty clearly.
"Oh. My. God!" Amanda whispered. Her face was pale, and her hands were shaking visibly. "I can read your minds! How is that possible?"
"Please, come down," Eileen said, taking her by the hand. "We can explain everything," she added, waiting for my help. Though I wondered how exactly she was going to do that, as I didn't understand a damn thing myself!
"You’d better come up with a really good explanation," Amanda said nervously.
Then Eileen told her about the bond existing between the two of them, and I confirmed her every word, as that was the only thing I could do. And then she said that the bond included me as well. The last part was shocking for everyone. Especially for Eileen and me, as we knew that only two people could be bound by the same kind of ties. And there were the three of us involved.
"Marion said that it was impossible," Eileen said.
"Well, as you can see, it is possible," I replied.
"But you said that the bond between Amanda and me differs from the one you and I share. So the ties are different too."
