A Time for Magic

by Jessa Ford

  “I was born here in Arvendry, like my mother before me and her mother before her. My mother was a baker and owned this very shop we’re sitting in. She ran it after her mother’s passing, which is how she and my father met.” “Your father…” Cora did not want to jump to any conclusions, but could not help trying to connect the dots; it was too much of a coincidence. She knew how the story ended, after all.

  “He was a young scientist. After graduating from Arvendry’s School of Knowledge, he got a job not far from here. He passed this bakery every morning on his way to work, which is how he saw my mother. The way my mother told the story, she wasn’t sure if my father first fell in love with her or her pastries. It didn’t take long for my father to propose, and after a few months my mother and father were married. I was born shortly after. It should have been a normal, ordinary family story; however, things took an unexpected turn.” Malen pushed her chair out and turned around to look in a cupboard behind the table.

  Cora, now engrossed in the stains on her sleeves--anything to keep her mind from racing--looked up to Xave’s eyes studying her, his face still a blank page. “Here it is,” Malen returned to the table and sat an old scroll on the table. “What’s this?” Cora picked up the scroll to study it. “A small detail I left out, though I’m sure you’ve figured it out.” Cora untied the scroll and read the words aloud, “Arvendry Hospital hereby decrees the birth of Malendra Delmarno, Daughter of Malendra and... Nikol Delmarno.” “So, you see,” Xave’s voice was soft but cut through the silence like a blade, “it’s better for me to use my father’s family name.”

  Cora almost laughed out loud. It was absurd. Xave’s grandfather was Nikol Delmarno. Xave, a Time Bender, was the exact thing Nikol was hunting. More importantly, Xave had a connection to the notorious man from their nightmares. She instantly wondered what else he had kept from her. “How...how much does your mother know?” Cora looked at Xave. “About me? Everything. It was her idea for me to leave Arvendry and go to Telgria to live with my father’s family.” “Your father lives in Telgria? Does he know?” Cora suddenly felt like she didn’t know Xave at all. He became almost a stranger to her in an instant.

  Malen looked to her son with a flash of guilt and answered the question. “Xave’s father was Telgrian. We never officially married, so he couldn’t live in Arvendry permanently. I knew Xave could always return to Arvendry, but I made sure he took his father’s family name. I couldn’t risk Nikol finding out about Xave in the event he had a Reading and it produced something Niko wanted.” Cora did not miss how Malen used Nikol’s first name instead of referencing their relation. “And your father?” “I was too young to remember him,” Xave replied with a shrug.

  “When Xave was just over a year old, Dorlyn, Xave’s father, wanted to get married. He didn’t understand why I couldn't let anyone’s name become attached to mine. I feared Nikol would find a way to continue watching. Finally, I broke down and I told Dorlyn who I was--who I really was. He didn’t believe me until I showed him this birth scroll. The next morning, as I expected, he was gone. I knew his family was from Telgria, so when Xave was of school age I sent him north. We saw each other once or twice a year. I passed as much information as often as I could, so that he would know the danger any connection to me posed.” “He left?” Cora asked incredulously. It seemed such a cruel thing to do. “He had to,” Xave held Cora’s gaze, “he was a Time Bender. He had chosen the least safe person in the one place he thought Nikol couldn’t reach him.” Cora nodded, “Of course. He was a Time Bender like you.”

  She sat processing the information she’d received. She looked from son to mother, surprised at the trust they had for each other. “I don’t mean any offence by asking this, but...is it safe to be here?” “Of course,” Xave took his mother’s hand, “Nikol’s crimes are his alone. My mother has sacrificed to protect me every day of my life.” The small gesture of emotion showed Cora a glimpse into the real Xave she had only just begun to understand. He was guarded and mysterious to protect a precious secret beyond his time bending gift: his connection to his mother.

  The trio sat in contemplative silence until the light of day shone bright through the windows and the sound of the city awakening reached their ears. “Perhaps, you both should rest a short while. Cora, we have an extra bed upstairs. It was Xave’s old room, but he can stay in our sitting room while you’re here.” Malen gestured toward the stairs behind them. “I’ll show her to the room,” Xave dismissed himself from the table and took Cora’s tattered bag in hand, leading the way up the stairs.

  As if she had forgotten the events of the last few days, Cora suddenly felt the exhaustion--both physical and emotional--begin to weigh on her. When they reached the top of the stairs, Xave stopped just past the doorway of the first room on the left and turned to Cora. She almost walked into him, but caught herself on the doorframe. “I didn’t tell my mother about your magic,” he whispered, looking down at Cora who brushed her hair out of her eyes as she straightened herself on the doorframe. She suddenly felt very aware of the dirt and grime that were surely covering her face, not to mention the rags that her clothing had been reduced to. Cora wasn’t sure what to say, so she just met Xave’s stare.

  He stepped into the room, closed the curtains, and turned on a small lamp which cast the room in a golden haze. He turned to leave and put his hand on Cora’s arm before he reached the doorway. Again, Cora felt as if she were on fire and she was afraid to breathe. “It’s your secret to tell, if you even want to tell it. You still have a choice. You don’t have to be involved in this. You’ll be safe in Arvendry until Nikol is stopped.” “I... okay, thank you,” she choked out. With that, Xave departed and Cora didn’t move until she heard him reach the bottom of the stairs.

  Cora didn’t struggle to fall asleep for the first time in days. She slept through the hustle and bustle of the morning bakery rush, and finally opened her eyes when the sun was beginning to set in the sky. Cora was relieved to see a small round tub in the room, which went unnoticed before. She filled it and washed away the evidence of her journey to Arvendry, sitting still until the last brown swirl escaped down the drain. The clothes from her bag were nearly dried, so she dressed and descended from her hideaway to find Malen standing alone in the bakery. “Did you sleep well, dear?” Malen placed a large blueberry scone on a stone plate and motioned for Cora to sit.

  Cora looked around at the bakery in the light of day. The walls were a light blue and white swirls of flowers and birds adorned the wall behind the counter. A worn leather chair sat in front of a fireplace, along with the small table and chairs they’d sat at earlier. Based on the noise from the morning crowd, Cora doubted any customers were able to sit and relax. Clearly Malen’s connection to her father did not affect her business. Cora wondered if anyone knew. Malen’s name alone had to be off-putting, even after so much time had passed.

  Cora took a bite of the scone and turned to Malen. “The room is perfect. I want to thank you for your hospitality. I didn’t realize how it must be for you to let strangers in. And I am sorry for thinking it may be dangerous for me to be here.” “No need to thank me or apologize,” Malen smiled briefly, lines forming around her eyes, “if Xave trusts you then you’re welcome anytime.” “Speaking of trust,” Cora paused, pushing the pastry around on her plate, “I think I should probably tell you something--” Malen held her hand up and the lines around her eyes disappeared as her brow furrowed. She began to look older and tired. She turned to face the young girl with concern written across her face. “There are secrets in this world that are precious, do you know that?” Cora nodded in silence.

  Malen moved to wrap up the few remaining items on the counter as she spoke. “Some secrets we keep close, because they are a path to happiness or a cherished memory that we want to hold dear. Other secrets are cold and dark, not meant to be shared.” Cora watched as Xave’s mother walked to the door, locking it. “And sometimes, it is not the secret, but rather the audience that makes th
e knowledge dangerous. There are some things, Cora, that once spoken cannot be unspoken, and the more people you trust, the weaker your secret becomes. Secrets like these can be quite dangerous.”

  Cora considered this, but knew her mind was made up. She didn’t spend the last few days traveling to Arvendry to hide out until the danger passed. Xave didn’t risk what he risked for her to sit and hide. “I understand. And thank you for giving me a chance to change my mind.” Malen took Cora’s hands and sighed. The fear and uncertainty she originally saw in Cora were quickly being replaced by a strength Malen recognized. “Once you make this decision, your life will cease to be your own. You will be putting yourself and your loved ones at risk. You will never be ordinary again.” Cora smiled, “Someone once told me I could never just be ordinary and I’d like to think they aren’t wrong.”

  “I rarely am,” Xave appeared in the kitchen and walked toward the women smirking. He looked refreshed. His hair was wet and hardly wrung out. The smell of soap reached Cora’s nose as he passed her. Cora rolled her eyes at his comment, but he continued, “So you’ve decided then?” “I have.” She looked from Xave to Malen who both shared the same knowing expression. “It may interest you to know I’m also a Time Bender,” Cora couldn’t help but smile when she said the words aloud. “I had a hunch my son wasn’t bringing just any girl home, no matter how pretty or smart she is.” Cora thought for a brief moment she saw Xave’s cheeks turn slightly warmer, but as quickly as she imagined it, his stone-faced expression was back.

  “She isn’t just a Time Bender,” Xave steered the conversation back on course, “she’s a very impressive Time Bender.” His face began to light up as he talked about Cora’s ability, “She’s mastered everything I could teach her in just a few short months. It took me years and sometimes help from Dari to perfect the same skills. More, she’s been using her magic subtlety for probably her whole life, practicing control without even realizing it,” ''Is this so?” Malen looked at Cora. “It is...I just thought I was a good student. I never tried to tap into any gifts, because I thought I was supposed to be a Healer like my parents.” Malen smiled and looked at Xave, “A Healer of sorts, perhaps. I must say, I’ve never seen my son this animated around anyone else.” Cora snorted, “He’s usually worse than this?” Full blown laughter erupted from Malen, while Xave’s eyes narrowed.

  “Perhaps we stay on topic? We have a lot to cover and we need to begin if we have any hope of stopping Nikol." Xave tried to sound annoyed, but Cora knew better. She looked at Xave and his mother, suddenly feeling inadequate for whatever they had in mind. She had barely made it to Arvendry in one piece, after all. “Are you sure it’s a good idea to include me? I did just become comfortable using my gift.” Cora stopped when she saw Malen’s face had changed. The soft mysterious stare she shared with her son was replaced by something that could only be described as cunning. For a second, Cora saw the resemblance Malen had to her father. “Cora, my dear,” the older woman began to close the blinds, blocking the last signs of sunlight from entering the bakery, “you are exactly right. This isn’t a time for planning and plotting. This is a time for magic.

  TWENTY

  Many miles north of Arvendry in the dead of night, Nikol Delmarno watched as a slender woman approached him. He heard her heels clicking as she turned the corner, the echo sharp against the frigid night air. She hid her fear, but he could see it in her actions: the way she glanced around nervously and how her hands twitched ever so slightly when she handed him the card she carried. “I wasn’t expecting it to be you, sir,” she avoided eye contact. Nikol simply took the card and read the information. “I don’t recognize the name from before,” he mused. “Her parents are listed as Healers as far back as three generations. We didn’t see any indication of magical blood in her other tests.”

  Juniper Sniels tapped her fingers together nervously as she spoke. She could almost feel the magic radiating off the man standing in front of her and it made her uneasy. While she didn’t ever feel good giving Nikol information about people who possessed magical blood, she also understood that she wasn’t in a position to deny his request. “How did she evade detection in the Reading?” She tried to sound confident, “We don’t know. The amount of magic present in her blood should have made it impossible to obtain any results other than a magical gift.” “How much magic, Ms. Sniels?” Nikol sneered as he said her name. Juniper took a deep breath, “More than I’ve ever seen in a blood test before. It’s astonishing.”

  “Perhaps she’ll finally be the one I need,” Nikol lit the card ablaze and watched as the embers floated in the air above them. “As always, we thank you for your service,” he moved forward and placed his palm on Juniper’s forehead, closing his eyes. His tall stature blocked out what little light shone in the street and she didn’t dare to breathe. When he was satisfied he removed his hand and left her alone. She was shaking as she tried to regain her composure. She wouldn’t allow herself to feel guilt for what she’d surely set in motion, though she couldn’t help but wonder if she would be forced to pay for her crimes one day.

  Nikol arrived outside the Telgrian walls undetected. “Was it really necessary to take such a risk, Sir? Someone may have recognized you,” Argyn strode forward, staying close to the wall to avoid detection. “I needed to know if she was being truthful,” Nikol clasped Argyn on the shoulder, “You were right. She is faithful to our cause. Her mind did not betray her words.” “Did she give us the information we need?” “Better. We know who the Time Bender is and we have learned they possess a great amount of magic.” “Shall I go after him?” Nikol arched an eyebrow, “Our Time Bender is a woman.” Argyn stopped, “That can’t be. I saw him at Starbury. It was no woman.” “Well,” Nikol began to laugh to himself, “then there are two of them. Clever. This changes things. We’ll need to find them both.” “Should I go to the girl’s family?” Argyn was quick to turn to violence.

  Nikol weighed his options. This may prove to be the only chance he had to get what he needed, so he couldn’t lash out in haste. “No,” he began to conjure wind in front of him while he contemplated their next move, “we’ll use a subtler approach to start. Watch her family, her friends, her old classmates, anyone who has ever uttered her name. I want to know what she values most. We don’t want her to know anything. It may scare off the other Time Bender, and I want them both.” Argyn nodded and began to scale the Telgrian walls to return to the city’s shadows. “To be clear,” darkness churned in Nikol’s eyes, “for now we watch and wait, but if Cora Vaunderly steps foot anywhere near this city, I want her brought to me directly. By any means necessary. If she doesn’t come about by the end of the week, send her a message.”

  ✽✽✽

  Over the course of a few days, Cora found she easily adjusted to life at Malen’s home. She woke early, when she could sleep at all, and helped Malen out with the bakery. Xave was in and out. Some days, Cora didn’t see him until Malen closed the bakery after lunch. She couldn’t help but wonder where he went, but refused to show any interest beyond brief greetings each day. It was like they were back to barely tolerating each other. She almost expected him to snap at her when they did happen to cross paths.

  Infuriatingly, her stomach did a somersault each time she brushed by him or bumped her knee against his when they sat at Malen’s small table. The memory of his kiss flashed before her eyes each time he glanced in her direction. The longer time passed without Xave mentioning it, the more she dreaded the topic coming up at all. He probably regrets it, she told herself each time she found her gaze lingering on the back of his head, or when her ears perked up at the sound of his voice. She had larger problems to worry about, at any rate.

  At the end of Cora’s first week in Arvendry, Xave pulled Cora upstairs without saying anything. She fought the urge to snap at him, but it was just like Xave to nearly ignore her for days at a time, and then whisk her off as if it were completely normal. “It’s time we started your training back up,” he stalked
over to the lone bookshelf in the room and pulled out a large thin book. It was brown and the binding was worn. Cora just watched him. She wanted to scream at him. He acted as if nothing had changed between them, when in reality, she felt as if everything had changed.

  Instead, she took a deep breath and joined him by the small desk in his old room. “Why now?” she asked as he thumbed through the book. The pages were old and yellowed, and she was afraid they may crack if he turned them too quickly. “We can’t stay here forever. Eventually they’ll start looking for a Time Bender in other cities. We have to be ready in the event someone comes for you.” Cora had to admit he was right. She knew this false sense of security could not last. Xave finally laid the book down on the desk and stood back. It showed a map of Arvendry.

  “I’ve been watching the traffic in and out from each gate these past few days. I haven’t noticed anything out of place, but I’m going to continue watching,” Xave pointed to the two gates into Arvendry and Cora leaned closer to see. “I don’t think they’ll be able to get in any other way. The tunnel isn’t well-known, but I’ve been observing that area of the city as well.” “What about over here?” Cora moved to point toward the ports and her finger brushed Xave’s hand. Instantly she pulled her hand back as she felt a bolt of lightning run up her arm. Xave opened his mouth as if to say something, but paused. “I mean what about the ports?” Cora quickly filled in the silence, “Is there any way they can get here by sea?” Xave shook his head, “It’s less likely, but we should just assume someone will come here somehow.” “So, what do we do?”

  A familiar calculating expression returned to Xave’s face. Cora knew by now it meant he had been planning something for some time. “You need to learn how to protect yourself from another Time Bender. As Time Benders, we have a huge advantage over other magical gifts. We can stop a Thought Seeker, Wind Wielder, or Light Wielder in their tracks as long as we can concentrate on freezing and controlling time. The only real threat we face is if another Time Bender is working for Nikol,” he explained. “Are they?” “It isn’t so farfetched to think so. Power is alluring, and he certainly offers it.” Cora sat down on the bed and wrinkled her nose, “Then my original question stands. What do we do?” She looked up at Xave and who was nearly grinning. She didn’t need to hear his plan to know she wouldn’t like it. “You have to learn how to fight, Cora.”