by R. L. King
Stone mostly continued to stay silent, observing the interplay between the three of them. He allowed more of his tension to ebb away; he could tell Jason and Verity still weren’t entirely comfortable with the new situation, but he’d expected that. Ian represented a big change to their established lives, and big changes always required adjustment. At least, though, he didn’t sense any strong suspicion in either of them, even when he surreptitiously switched to magical sight to observe. Jason couldn’t hide it from him, and Verity, though she was getting better at aura control, still had a hard time with it around Stone.
Ian, even more surprisingly, seemed completely relaxed around Jason and Verity. Stone had feared the boy might feel ganged up on as his father sprung these two new people on him without much preparation, but his aura remained calm and untroubled and he even seemed to already be opening up a bit to both of them. Perhaps Verity’s closer age and Jason’s easygoing, laid-back style had put Ian more at ease than Stone had thought.
See? his little inner voice said, and even managed to sound smug. Have a little faith. You don’t have to play everything so close to your vest all the time.
Initial indications were running in that direction, he had to admit. But he wasn’t ready to relax completely yet. He wondered who would leave first, and which uncomfortable conversation he’d have to have tonight. Either way, it didn’t seem he’d get away completely unscathed.
As it grew close to ten, Jason glanced at his watch. “Well, I should probably get going. Got an early day tomorrow.”
Verity looked reluctant—she obviously wasn’t ready to leave yet—but she took the hint with grace. “Guess that means I’m off too, since Jason’s my ride. Ian, it was great meeting you. I’m looking forward to having a chance to talk more.” She grinned. “Still not quite getting used to the idea of Doc having a son, but I’m sure that will change fast.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Ian said, returning her smile. “You two took it a lot better than Dad did.”
She chuckled. “Not surprised. So—want to do lunch tomorrow, so you can get your homework out of the way?” She cocked a thumb at Stone. “He gets cranky when you don’t do your assignments on time. You might get detention or something.”
“Can’t have that,” Ian agreed. “Yeah, tomorrow’s great.” He gave her his phone number. “Call me and we’ll figure out where.”
“Let me see you out,” Stone said quickly, rising from his chair.
Ian remained seated at the table as he followed his two friends to the entryway. “I know we need to talk later,” he said before they could speak. “That was—possibly not the best way to handle the introductions, but you’ve got to admit: there really wasn’t a best way. It was going to be a shock no matter what I did.”
“Yeah, that’s the truth,” Jason said, glancing down the hall toward the dining room. “Wow.”
“I like him,” Verity said. “I think we’ll get along fine. Change is good, right?”
Stone drifted back to the dining room, deep in thought, to find Raider perched on the table, purring as Ian scratched his ears. “Well. You’ve certainly made a good impression on him.”
“Better than on them, I think.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t say that.” He sat back down, but the cat remained where he was. “Can’t expect them to be on board right away when I spring something that big on them without warning, but they liked you. You’ll see.”
“Maybe.”
“Trust me—they did. I think you and Verity will get on well. I’m glad you’ll have a chance to chat with her without me around.”
His easy grin widened. “Yeah. I want to hear more about this story of you and Mom and Rocky Horror.”
“Yes, well,” Stone said sourly, “you’ll have to ask Verity about that. You’re not getting it from me.”
Ian gave Raider a final skritch and stood. “Anyway, I should clear out too. Thanks for introducing me to your friends, Dad. It means a lot to me. Makes me feel like you’ve accepted me.”
“Ian—I have accepted you. You’re my son.” He took a breath. “I was—still am, to be truthful—a bit overwhelmed, but I’m also…more pleased than you can imagine. I’ve never been any good at showing that sort of thing. It always feels awkward and insincere, so you’ll have to forgive me if it looks like I’m stumbling about like an idiot. But you’ve got to believe me. I’m glad you’re here, and I’m looking forward to getting to know you.”
“Even if I wash out as a mage?”
Stone gripped his shoulder. “Ian, I don’t give a damn if you’re a fantastic mage, a mediocre one, or no mage at all. It doesn’t matter—I’m happy we found each other regardless.”
Ian gave him an odd, sidelong glance, almost as if he were evaluating not only his words, but any hidden meanings that might be present. “Yeah,” he said at last, in a faraway tone. “Me too.”
38
“So, tell me everything.”
It was after midnight. Ian sat across from Blake at a tiny table in a San Jose club. The music was so loud they could barely make out what each other was saying without reading lips. Ian had called her from the car after he left Stone’s place, and she’d proposed the meeting that same night.
“His friends were freaked out,” he told her. “He hadn’t told them anything about me, so I was a complete surprise. It was funny watching them gape.”
“Yeah, Stone always was annoying that way—he loves his secrets and his reveals. I think he’s a frustrated actor. Anyway, so you got along with them past the initial shock?”
“Oh, yeah. You know me—I can get along with anybody. He wants me to have lunch with his old apprentice, Verity, soon. To compare notes, that kind of thing.”
“He probably hopes she can get through to you, so you can stop riding the magic short bus.”
“Yeah, you know, I’m getting really tired of that whole routine.”
Her eyes glittered. “I get it. You want to show Daddy you’re not hopeless. But trust me—as long as he thinks you’re useless as a mage, it’ll be easier for you to get the drop on him when the time comes. And remember—you don’t have to impress him. In less than a month he’ll be dead, and he won’t matter.”
Ian didn’t answer. He looked down at his drink.
“Ian…” Blake’s tone took on a warning edge.
“What?”
“You’re not having second thoughts, are you?”
“What? No, of course not. I just wish we could get on with it. It’s the waiting that’s bugging me.”
She fixed him with a steady, probing gaze. “Patience. I get it—I’ve never been that great at being patient myself, but in this case, we need to be. You haven’t seen him in action yet. If he figures out you’re up to something, he might even kill you. And believe me—if he wants you dead, there’s not much you can do about it, especially if he surprises you. So it’s in your best interest to keep him happy.”
“You really think he’d kill me? So far, I haven’t seen any sign of that. He hasn’t even gotten angry.”
“Oh, yeah. This is still the honeymoon. He wants to make a good impression on you because you’ve just found each other. Trust me—give him some time to get comfortable with you, and you’ll see a different side of him.” She sighed, and her gaze skated away. “I still think about my friends sometimes—the ones he killed. We used to have a magical group back in San Francisco, when I wasn’t too much older than you are now. We got together and did all kinds of rituals. They were good guys. You would have liked them, I think. Especially Miguel.” Her expression hardened. “But you won’t ever get the chance to meet them, because Stone murdered them. He almost murdered me. Don’t tell me about what a sweetheart he is, Ian—that only lasts until you do something to piss him off.”
Ian studied her, switching on magical sight. He didn’t care if she noticed; there was something about her he couldn’t put his finger on, but this time he couldn’t see any indication she was lying. “Yeah,” he said at las
t. “Okay.”
“I know,” she said, and now her voice held sympathy. “He’s good. That’s why he’s such a snake—because he’s damned good at hiding his intentions. Just keep the goal in mind, and don’t forget, even if you don’t care what he did to my friends, he’s the reason Bobby killed your mom. If he hadn’t shown up and tried to start something with her again, she’d still be around.”
Ian had forgotten about that. He stood in an explosive motion. “I need to get out of here. Need some time to myself.”
She waved him off. “Yeah, have fun. Go find a nice guy to fuck or something. But keep your eye on the goal. And be careful with the apprentice. She’s young, but she’s smart, and you can bet your ass she’ll be reporting everything you say back to Stone.”
“Oh—yeah. Forgot to tell you something else. I think she and Dad might be together.”
“You’re shitting me.” Blake couldn’t hide her reaction that time—she didn’t know that. And she didn’t look happy about it. “How do you know?”
“I don’t. They didn’t do anything specific to make me think so—it was just an impression. And you know I’m good at those.”
“You’ve got to be wrong this time. Last time I was around her, she had a girlfriend.”
Ian rolled his eyes. “Bi’s a thing, you know.”
Her eyes narrowed, and a brief look of anger crossed her face. Then she shrugged. “Whatever. Doesn’t matter to me one way or the other. If it’s true, all the more reason to be careful.”
“Yeah. See you later.” But when Ian took a quick glance back over his shoulder as he left the club, he couldn’t help noticing the anger was back.
When Blake got back to her loft, Razakal was standing near the window, staring down at the sparse late-night traffic.
“You need to watch the boy,” he said without greeting. “He’s growing suspicious.”
“Yeah, I got that.” She poured herself a drink and threw herself into a chair opposite him. “I think I’ve got him under control, but I can see Stone’s already working his magic on him. We may need to move the timetable up a little.” With a hard smile, she added, “Don’t worry, though—it’s not like he’ll be able to reveal anything, even if he wanted to. That oath is rock-solid.”
“Yes,” Razakal agreed. “But in any case, you know I would not object to moving the timetable. His power is so enticing…I want it. And I grow weary of waiting.”
Blake glanced down at her tattoos, watching them crawl and writhe as they always did when he was present. She could feel his intensity, almost like a tangible force pressing on her from inside and out. She wanted to give Ian and Stone as much time as possible to bond—the deeper the connection between them, the more satisfying it would be when the betrayal came—but she had to balance that desire against the danger of trying to hold Razakal off too long. At some point he would simply refuse to be stalled any longer, and would insist on taking what was rightfully his regardless of Blake’s wishes. If he did that at the wrong time, it could prove inconvenient at best, and deadly at worst.
“Okay,” she said. “Point taken. I’ll talk to Ian and let him know we need to move things along. I’m sure he’ll be happy to hear that, since he’s been wanting it all along.”
“Happy…for a short time.” Razakal sounded satisfied. The glowing red pinpricks in his eyes grew in intensity until they obscured the blackness.
“Yeah, well, nothing’s guaranteed, is it?”
39
Stone stopped by Jason’s agency the following afternoon after his class was over. He’d already called Verity and asked her to meet them there.
“So,” he said, pacing the office, “Go on—have a go at me for dropping such a bomb on you without any prior warning. I deserve it.”
“I wanted to last night,” Verity admitted. “That’s not exactly the kind of thing you just spring on somebody without any warning. A new haircut, maybe, or a surprise trip to Mexico or something—but a long-lost son is a little different.”
“Yes, well, he didn’t exactly give me much time to prepare,” Stone said. “Bombshell aside, though—what did you think of him? Don’t spare my feelings, either. He’s going to be part of my life now, which means you’ll probably be seeing a lot of him. Best if we work out any lurking issues early.”
“I like him.” Verity lounged in Jason’s guest chair. “He seems a little overwhelmed by everything, but that’s not surprising. He’s cool.” She grinned. “Even if you hadn’t checked out his story magically, I’m not exactly skeptical. You two look a lot alike. He dresses better, though.”
Stone shot her a sideways glance.
Jason grinned. “Al’s worried you’re gonna dump him for the younger version, V. Stone 2.0.”
“Sod off,” Stone muttered, but then shook his head, amused. “Actually, I’m glad you two are going to get to know each other. Verity, I’m hoping you might chat with him and give me any thoughts you might have about how to improve his training. Don’t tell him this, but I’m concerned.”
“Why is that?” Jason asked. “What did he mean about being a ‘remedial magic student’?”
“Just that. I wouldn’t put it that way, of course, but I know he’s frustrated, and so am I. My initial examination of him to evaluate his magical potential revealed that he’s nearly off the charts for a mage of his age and no training. Unless I misread the results, his potential is higher than yours was when we first met, Verity—and yours was quite high. I’m not surprised, given his lineage, but…well, he’s not performing to anywhere near the parameters I’m expecting to see.”
“Is that a problem?” Verity asked. “I mean—everybody’s different, right? Maybe he’ll take longer to catch on. You said he was raised in a really religious family—maybe he has mental blocks about magic being sinful or something, even if he doesn’t actively believe it.”
“It’s possible, I suppose, but given his experience with his stepfather, I’d be surprised if he hadn’t actively rejected that sort of thing.”
“Sometimes it doesn’t work like that, though,” Jason said. “People can have blocks about things that they don’t even realize. Look at all the sexual hang-ups people have. Maybe something happened when he was too young to remember it. Might just take some time and care to get past it.”
“Are you even sure he wants to learn magic?” Verity asked.
Stone frowned. “Why wouldn’t he want to learn magic?”
She shrugged. “I know it’s the most important thing in the world to you—that you can’t even imagine why anybody with magical potential wouldn’t want to maximize it. But some people don’t. You told me yourself—there are a whole lot of minor talents out there who don’t want to do anything more than the bare minimum. They don’t want to put in the work for the rest of it.”
“But Ian isn’t a minor talent,” Stone protested. “That’s the way it works in my family, for whatever reason: the Talent breeds true through the male line, and seems to grow stronger with each generation. Even putting aside…certain unexpected factors in my case, Ian’s baseline potential should be higher than mine.”
“Yeah, but Doc…” Verity got up and joined him where he was examining Jason’s whiteboard. “That doesn’t mean he wants to use it. Or that you can make him, if he doesn’t want to.”
“She’s right,” Jason said. “If you push too hard, you might have the opposite effect. I’ve seen kids like that. I went to high school with one. Everybody kept going on about his ‘potential’—about how he was a genius, and how he could have gotten into any college he wanted to. His parents were obsessed with it, kind of like those sports parents who force their kids to play so they can get some kind of vicarious high out of it. They signed Ronnie up for all kinds of extracurricular activities, AP classes, accelerated college courses while he was still in high school. You know what happened to him?”
Stone shook his head.
“He never even went to college. Last I knew him, he was working at a shoe s
tore in Ventura and getting high on weekends. And he was happy. His parents weren’t, of course. We lost touch, but I heard he got married a couple years later and they had two or three kids.”
“So you think I’m pushing Ian too hard?” Stone demanded, resuming his pacing. “I’ve barely had a chance to get to know him. How can I be pushing him too hard?”
“Maybe you should have given it a little more time before you even told him about magic,” Verity said. “I don’t know—he did call me, and we’re supposed to have lunch tomorrow. You want me to see if I can get him to tell me anything? Maybe he’ll be more comfortable talking to me, since he doesn’t need to worry about impressing me.”
“I’d appreciate it.” Stone sighed. Could they be right? Was he pushing Ian too hard, too soon? “I suppose you have a point—I thought I was giving him a gift, telling him about magic. Opening up a whole new world to him. And he does seem frustrated that he’s not catching on as quickly as he’d like.”
“That might be real frustration,” Jason said. “Or it might be that he thinks you want him to catch on faster, so he feels like he’s not living up to your expectations.”
“Give it some time, Doc,” Verity said gently. “You’ve only just met him—you’ve got the rest of your lives. You’re still going to care about him if he doesn’t end up as the mage you want him to be, right?”
“Of course I am.” Stone’s answer was immediate.
“Let him know that, then. It sounds like he’s had a pretty rough life, and a pretty bad experience with father figures. Maybe show him they’re not all like that.”
