“And what?” croaked out Jasper. “You want some tea? Talk about the old days Like when you murdered my family? Freyne Rothrock…”
“I’m honored you remember,” the Grosvenor toyed. “Even more honored to be here at your end. Go be with your family now…” Freyne lifted a bony hand.
“Oi there. Well, would ya looky at this...” it was a man’s voice, calling out from the shore.
That’s right, they were not invisible anymore. The cloak was gone.
The man pointed at the boat traveling down the river. “Hell of a nice boat ya got there!”
Freyne snarled and scowled. Grosvenor did not like to be seen by the real world. He opened his palm and magicked Jasper’s book into his hand.
“I'll be back for the young one once he's ripe. Enjoy your afterlife, Thorndike.” Freyne vanished in a swirl of smoke-like mist.
The man on the shore shouted something no one else heard. Most likely wondering what the heck he’d just seen.
Colin’s only concern was Jasper. The coast clear, he and Catrina got to their feet and raced over to him.
“What can I do?” Colin asked desperately.
“I’m afraid my luck has run out,” Jasper stated heavily.
“There must be something,” begged Catrina, not ready to give up hope.
“Can I heal you?” Colin was ready to try.
Jasper shook his head. “I’m sorry lad. Sorry indeed as we are not finished. But my long years have now concluded.”
“There has to be something!” Colin shouted. “Why can’t I use my powers to keep you alive?” He tried to remain calm but how was he to do that when the only person who could save his future was dying, right in front of his eyes.
“The boy, Colby, he's a clever one,” sputtered Jasper, not answering Colin. “Tricked me good. Used a weapon I've not seen before.” He coughed, struggling to breathe.
Catrina cried softly, devastated.
“How is there a weapon you've not seen before?” asked Colin.
“I’d heard rumors. Never seen it for myself.”
“What is it?” asked Catrina, sniffling.
“The dagger… it is carved from the bones of a dead Projector.”
Colin sat back, horrified.
“You must get that weapon, Colin. Power like that in the wrong hands… chances are, if they’ve figured out how to steal the power, they’ve figured out how to use it. But that does not mean it can be controlled.”
Colin didn't even begin to know where to start with this information.
Jasper leaned back, his breathing shallow.
“Colin, you can’t save me. This is a wound that cannot be healed. I feel the years now, all the long years piling onto my heart like a heavy stone. I cannot survive this but you… you can. Trust your second soul. Practice. Never stop.” He coughed again, a trickle of blood pouring down his chin.
Colin and Catrina looked on, helpless, as Jasper twisted to Catrina motioning for her to come closer. His speech was labored.
“Keep him on the right path,” his voice gave out, so he eyed her, knowingly. She cast a frightened gaze between Jasper and Colin, succumbing to Jasper’s warning. Colin did not need to ask what the look meant. She would have to take over the job of ending his life should things go badly and he lost control.
Jasper sucked in one final raspy breath, his body, stilling.
Catrina whimpered. But reached up and gently closed his lifeless eyes.
Colin slid off his knees and landed on his butt, still under the belief he was going to blink and all this would be nothing more than a bad dream.
“He’s dead. Jasper’s dead, and it’s my fault.” Colin muttered, consumed with guilt. “I messed up. I left the boat, and they followed me back here.” He might as well exchange his role in this tragedy, with what Meghan had done to him. It wasn’t betrayal, but it was his stupidity in holding in all that anger and not facing it. Not heeding Jasper’s training and letting his power consume him.
“It is not your fault, Colin. Jasper told me he had no idea how you broke through his barrier. He was just as surprised.”
“It’s still my fault. Just because he didn’t expect it… I did it.”
“Well,” she sniffled. “The reality is, Colin, it’s done. There’s no saving him.”
She was right. He got them to their feet with a calm sort of numbness and acceptance. Now, when it wasn’t needed to save a life, magic bloomed again. How was he going to learn to stay even? To live a calm life? He could not afford to have magic working at the wrong time, and not working when he really needed it.
“We’re going into hiding,” Colin told Catrina. He lifted his palm, the single thought, fire. The deck burst into flame. All the living animals Jasper kept on board found themselves on shore. Colin magicked them back to the man who’d caught them drifting by and planted it in his mind to give them a proper home.
Catrina held fast, wrapping her arms around Colin. “Where will we…” her breath caught. He moved them with such smooth movement. One moment on the boat, the next, they were standing in the woods near an ancient looking oak tree. She shivered. It was much colder here. They were no longer in the Bayou.
Warmth crawled over her shoulders, contouring around her body. Colin had magicked a shawl to keep her warm.
“You’re getting frighteningly good,” she whispered.
“Only when I’m calm. In here.” He pointed to his head.
“Then we know what we have to work on.”
He nodded.
“Where are we?”
“My home,” he answered. “The closest thing I ever knew to a home,” he clarified.
Colin nodded to the frozen ground to his right. Jasper’s body appeared.
Catrina sighed, reaching out to Colin. He focused his energy around them, reforming the magical cloak all on his own. One he had control of. He rotated back to Jasper.
“I thought he deserved a proper burial. Somewhere… nice. Quiet. Peaceful.”
He closed his eyes and imagined a tomb deep inside the oak tree and when he opened his eyes, Jasper’s body was gone.
“Look,” pointed Catrina in amazement. The surface of the oak morphed into the sketch of a familiar face. Colin smiled, faintly.
“You’re right. He looks very peaceful,” Catrina said with a doleful sigh.
“I think he’ll like it here,” Colin told her. He’d come back to visit too.
Colin extended his arm, reaching for Catrina. She locked her hand in his.
“It’s winter, so there might not be anyone here, but I want to show you where I spent all my summers before all this magic stuff got in the way. And there’s something I need to find out.” If it was possible.
The magical cloak hovered around them as they walked, an invisible force field of protection. Colin stopped in front of a campsite.
“This is where my sister and I used to camp every summer with our Uncle Arnon in his travel trailer.” The space was empty now, covered in fallen decaying leaves, leaving the impression his uncle’s trailer had never been parked there.
Next, he showed Catrina where the Svoda had camped. Where’d he’d first gotten to know Jae, and learn about magic. He wondered if the wagon was still hidden there, but dare not use more magic for fear of exposing himself.
Snow started to fall, in fluffy wisps of white. Oddly, it hit the magical cloak and slid right down the side of it. He was sure to an outsider it would look strange. But there was no one around. No… he smelled smoke. He looked overhead to see puffs of it hovering far over the trees.
Kanda Macawi was still here.
Nervously, he took them to her driveway, pausing to gaze at her cozy house. It had been so long since he’d stepped foot inside. So long since they’d huddled around her fire pit and listened to her tell stories.
He was surprised she was still here. Typically, she left for winter. Although it was technically just coming into that season.
His breath caught.
&nb
sp; Kanda sauntered around from the backside of her house with a stack of emptied and cleaned out clay planting pots. She was winterizing, which meant she was readying to leave. Colin breathed out uneasily, a tear caught in his eye. This was the closest thing to a home he’d ever had. And he was back.
“Well, here goes nothing.” He extended the magical cloak to cover the entire house and space around it. A second after, cleared his throat to gain her attention, gently.
Kanda Macawi looked up to investigate the noise.
Her natural smile dropped.
The clay pots loosened from her grip smashing to the frozen ground.
She sprang forward, in awe.
A voice called out from the house.
“Everything okay out there?”
Colin’s head flicked to the front door and he swallowed a hopeful breath.
“Actually, you might want to come out here.” Kanda’s smile returned in jubilant welcome. Her eyes glued to Colin and the young woman next to him.
The door opened and a man stepped down the stairs.
He froze. A moment of bewilderment. Which a second later morphed into a giant, satisfied grin.
“I never doubted for a minute, you'd be back.”
Colin rushed forward, met halfway and engulfed completely by his very much living, Uncle Arnon.
CHAPTER 50
Colby sat alongside KarNavan, celebrating their victory. Elisha posted herself by his other side, feasting on raw fish. The next morning, they would return home.
Colby had planned their attack against the Projector and they had pulled it off with ease. He smiled tersely, nodding in perfectly rehearsed motions to those congratulating him on a job well done.
He turned down offerings of food or drink and after hours of this could no longer ignore the sour pit in his stomach, which churned and knotted inside him. He abruptly got up, disappearing into his bunker racing to the toilet. He made it just in time, retching bile until there was nothing left. When finished, he fell back on the floor. Empty. But sick.
Stupid old man.
I’m not a pawn in some game!
My father will make me a king!
Colby realized he was not alone and looked up to see KarNavan standing just inside the bunker. He had forgotten to close the door.
“I see the Young Master doesn't quite have the stomach for killing.” KarNavan stood mockingly in the entrance. “You put on a good show,” he bleated in fake praise.
“I do what I am ordered to do,” warned Colby, rising. “I suggest you do the same, KarNavan.” He chose to ignore the fact that he had used the word young again while addressing him.
“I just wanted to congratulate you on a well thought out plan. I did not think it would be so easy.”
Though his words seemed genuine, Colby threw him a look that said, thanks, but you can leave now.
“So what is the plan?” the Striper prodded. “With the dagger? What good is it now that the Projector is dead?”
“Like I would tell you!” laughed Colby.
“Do you even know? How much does your father tell you about his plans?”
“I know enough. Why don't you leave now,” advised Colby, his patience thin.
“By all means, Master Colby,” KarNavan agreed sardonically. “I wouldn't want to keep you from your regret.” He spun to leave and found his face smack in the path of a pissed off catawitch paw.
Elisha had perched herself right outside Colby’s bunker on the wall that was slowly crumbling over the lack of care and old age. She swiped at the Striper’s face dragging her claws from forehead to chin. It was barely a scratch but KarNavan hissed at her.
“Do not ever treat the Master poorly,” she warned him. “Or next time, I’ll leave scars.”
KarNavan scowled maliciously.
Elisha’s deadly gaze did not leave him until he’d gotten of sight.
KarNavan got back to his treasure hunters and ordered an immediate departure.
“It’s time to move this plan forward.”
They arose and obeyed without question, each of them dissolving into the background and vanishing.
Meghan tiptoed out of her bedroom, down the stairs, and onto the front porch, counting down the minutes to the lifting of curfew. Nona paced around her feet. The cold air bit at Meghan’s lungs, but she barely felt it over the nervous anticipation coursing through her veins as she waited to start her mission, alongside Ivan, to save Bird.
She set down the Magicante, smoothed out her thigh-length black jacket, pushed her long, red-streaked bangs behind her ears, and pulled her gloves snuggly over her fingers.
Each movement meant to pass the last minute until curfew lifted, and keep some sort of calm about her.
The moment the announcement rang out across the island, she raced down the steps and toward the place where she and Ivan were to meet up.
She followed the dirt road, which sparkled with new frost until that road veered off toward the center of Bedgewood and cobblestone lined the streets. Her breath lingered, freezing in midair and she had to remind herself to walk at normal speed, just like she was out taking a morning stroll, and not at all about to do something potentially dangerous, not to mention illegal.
She hoped desperately that the Magicante would be able to hide their use of magic from the Balaton; they would potentially have to use magic to save Bird, and this would trigger the trace alarm.
Ivan had devised a non-magical manner to save Bird, but Meghan had sent him a leaf last night after her meetup with Billie and Garner, and explained she had a better option and the plan was changing. She’d ended with… I got the book back!
He’d replied that he wasn’t happy about changing things; they’d spent a better part of their day, planning. But in the end, agreed her way was probably better. Only probably. He’d never come out and say she was right.
She sped along the street, passing the Jackal Lantern. A light popped on inside and one of the sister’s silhouettes moved about. Meghan let out an anxious shudder. What if the shop owner where Bird was held prisoner was awake too? What then? Their plans worked around the shop being empty. Which Ivan insisted should be the case.
Meghan stopped abruptly, almost passing right by the store. She gawked through the window at the display staring back out at her. Bird fluttered raucously inside a large, rounded birdcage. Next to the cage was an open trunk, displaying other items like books, candles, and any manner of things used on the island. Meghan put her hand on the glass, promising, “We’re going to get you out.”
Bird calmed and landed on a perch inside the cage.
A silhouette appeared next to her in the window.
“You ready?” Ivan asked her. She nodded yes and together, they moved swiftly down an alley next to the store, leading to the back entrance.
“Magicante,” she whispered.
It snorted to life, replying, “Done,” before she even asked her question. Meghan shrugged and gazed at Ivan.
“Fenestra,” he muttered. The door pushed open easily and no Balaton appeared. It seemed as though the book had honored her unspoken request and hidden their use of magic.
“Thank you,” she whispered to it. For the first time, gratified it did not attempt to insult her. It simply returned to its nap. She and Ivan hopped into the shop, shut the door, and froze, listening for sounds of movement. Other than Bird flapping his wings impatiently, there was no other sound. The owners, however, lived just overhead, so they needed to be very careful and very quiet.
“We'd better hurry,” whispered Meghan, racing to the front of the store in short, soft strides. She stopped in front of the cage. “Fenestra,” she spoke, using the same spell to unlock Bird’s cage as Ivan had used to open the back door. She was pleased when it worked on the first attempt.
Bird happily fluttered out of the cage.
“How on Earth did you get in there?” she asked him.
He just shook his beak, indicating, long story.
Nona approached
, keeping her ears open for any suspicious sounds.
Ivan, waited near the back, keeping a lookout, and motioned for them to hurry.
Nona froze, becoming statue-like.
There were footsteps coming down from upstairs.
Ivan gaped at the back door, their escape route, and back to the front of the store where Meghan, Bird, and Nona were stuck. They’d not make it to the back in time. He fled to them, ducking below a shelf and working his way forward.
Meghan sank below a shelf so low it barely hid her.
They had a second escape if necessary, but needed to be together for it to work.
A middle-aged man whistled while creaking his way down a rickety staircase.
Ivan took a chance and crawled in a dash to the next row of shelves, now just one away from Meghan.
The man went behind a counter off to the side, grabbing an apron. He put on a pair of wire-rimmed glasses. He made a funny sound and took them off, squinting and cleaning them with his apron.
Meghan held her breath, Ivan darted again, edging closer. She was ready; she just needed him within touching distance of the book.
The man pushed his glasses back on and looked up curiously as something fell over, crashing to the hardwood floor. Bird had knocked a small box off a shelf, just to Meghan’s side. The shop owner noticed the cage door, which Meghan had stupidly left open.
“Well, how did that…” the man trailed off in a grumble, stepping around his counter to check out the cage. Ivan had this one chance to bust over to Meghan or they’d all be caught. The shop owner’s footsteps were getting closer. She sank down to the floor, the Magicante in front of her. Nona hopped onto the book, so did Bird.
Ivan flattened himself and pushed his body across the floor outstretching his hand.
The shop owner stepped around the shelf peering into the empty cage. He glanced down at the floor, seeing the fallen box. He leaned down and picked it up.
“That’s odd,” he said. “Wonder if I should report this?” He shook his head thinking, how silly. “It’s obvious,” he insisted to himself. “The bird got out and knocked the box over.” He went about his day, preparing the shop for opening. “Too bad,” he mumbled. “Liked that bird, could have gotten a fair price I could have… such a unique specimen.”
The Map, The Dagger, and The Vampyres (Fated Chronicles Book 2) Page 46
