by T J Kelly
I stared at Chas. I could feel my mouth drop open, but I couldn’t seem to control myself.
No wonder the Taine clan had been nearly invincible. No enemy would ever cloak their spells in Dark since the Taines were a family of dark magicians. They would think there was no point. If they thought about it at all.
The biggest advantage the Rectors had over our enemies was that we could use dark magic, while no dark magician was capable of using light magic. Not the way we could. Our near-balance between light and dark, otherwise known as good and evil, gave us flexibility and an edge over our foes. Rectors could force the element of Dark to power spells despite the fact that our balance was for good. It was our unique talent.
My father once told me that the Taines were a mirror image of our family. Apparently, more than he ever knew. Even though dark magicians could not overcome the power of the darkness inside of themselves to use Light, the Taines had somehow managed to. At least, a little bit. Enough that they had been nearly indestructible for centuries.
Except now that I knew about the Light inside of them, I could use it. The Taines had a weakness I could exploit. I finally had a chance.
Chas had just leveled the playing field. I remained silent as I thought it over, but then I realized what it must have cost him to tell me something like that. “I won’t tell anyone else,” I blurted. “I promise. Not Mort, not Armageddon, none of them. Nobody will ever know what you’ve told me.”
Chas nodded. His life would be forfeit if his family ever learned that he gave the key to their destruction to me. Their greatest enemy.
The secret made the air press against our skins as if the world itself was trying to listen in. Solemnly, we packed up the leftover food and folded the blankets, our interlude over. Chas was silent, probably struggling with mixed feelings about what he had just told me. I would have been if I were him.
Before we left the clearing, I stepped into Chas’s arms. We held each other without a word for several minutes. For that one moment, it was just to two of us alone in the world. Safe.
I lifted my face and said, “Thank you.”
Chas nodded. “I’d do anything for you. This information might help you, but Lia, don’t forget to ask Ged to go with you tomorrow anyway. You have too many enemies to fight alone, even if you do know their secret. And they won’t try to knock you out. Their goal is to kill you. No - they’ll maim you, and then they’ll kill you. I can’t handle that.”
I searched Chas’s face. He looked worried. Scared even. He had grown up under the thumb of Oberon Taine, and that man was invincible in his son’s eyes.
Nothing I could do would make Chas understand that I would never choose myself over somebody else. I couldn’t put others in danger. Armageddon saved countless lives because of his deal with the Council to keep the Irregulars under his control. He had to remain in charge or else all the people he shielded would be exposed. Entering the ring alone was a risk I was willing to take. One I had to take.
So I lied. Again. “Of course I’ll speak to him.”
Chas crushed me in his arms and then gave me a desperate, passionate kiss.
We headed back to the castle. It was time to join the rest of my family and friends. We all knew it was possible that I wouldn’t make it out of the second round alive and every moment left was precious.
It struck me how hard it must have been for them to let themselves love me. The whole time we were growing close, they knew if I lost, every ounce of love they gave me would turn into agony. Yet they hid it so well that I never even thought about it. They decided I was worth it. Gratitude filled me. I would never have made it through the darkness without them.
Chas returned the basket to the kitchen as I ran upstairs to my room. I took a quick shower, washing away my swirling thoughts, and then dressed in gold and brown to make my aunt happy.
My feet fell heavily on each stair as I made my way to the sitting room. Before me was a room full of people I had come to love, patiently waiting for me. Wonderful people who gave me the strength to face the trials in spite of the emotional toll it must have taken.
I stood right outside the door with my hand on the knob, taking one last moment to pull myself together before I joined them. But I couldn’t shake the memories that flooded my mind. How devastated I was when my parents died. My fear when I failed to connect to my magic. The anger that always threatened to overwhelm me.
The way I killed all those birds. How I yelled at my uncle and told him he wasn’t my father. The darkness that always threatened to overwhelm me.
Somehow, at some point, it stopped hurting so badly. Because of my aunt and uncle. And Mort. And Peter and Chas.
Suddenly impatient to see them, I turned the doorknob and walked into the light.
TWENTY-FIVE
We Arrive
Armageddon offered to put a sleep spell on me because he knew with the pressure I was under, I would never be able to fall asleep. I refused, feeling like it would make me look weak. Or at the very least, make me feel weak.
I ended up placing the spell on myself after tossing and turning for hours. Turns out, accepting my uncle’s help wasn’t weak. But refusing it was stupid.
It was a testament to Armageddon’s power and savvy that he landed our carriage directly in front of the competitor’s entrance at the stadium. There was an incredible amount of traffic. If we had to wait in line, I probably wouldn’t make it to the door until the following Tuesday. It was that bad.
My trip to the City to register for the trials was a walk in the park compared to the gauntlet of paparazzi, fans, supporters, hecklers, and vendors milling around outside the stadium. Large televisions surrounded the perimeter of the stadium with speakers blaring music. Since only highly-connected and wealthy magicians could get tickets for inside seats, thousands of people flocked to the expanse of concrete and asphalt outside the stadium to view the competition on the screens.
So many people would be watching me. Thousands in the stadium. Thousands outside. And millions on television.
I had my first attack of nerves.
Peony slid her hand into mine and squeezed. I didn’t know what else she did, but waves of calm overtook me. I smiled at her gratefully.
We pushed our way inside in under five minutes. Chas, Mort, and Peter made a combined shield spell that surrounded us. It was so subtle that I don’t think anyone noticed how it gently pushed everyone aside as we walked past. Only a few reporters realized what was happening, but they couldn’t get through the shield, and their shouted questions were easy to ignore.
We didn’t stop moving until we reached our private suite on an isolated level that was protected by an array of security spells. Extra protection for a competitor’s guests had been added after a nasty incident back in 1956 when a competitor killed the entire family of a rival in the middle of the trials as a distraction. It had worked, too. But the press was so bad the company they won ultimately went out of business. The Council would never let an important company go to waste like that ever again.
The suite also provided a buffer between the families and the excess of emotion coming from the crowds. It was a bubble of calm in the middle of a seething sea of people. Spells muffled the noise as we crossed the threshold. I went along because I still had hours before I needed to check in at the competitor’s station and once I entered the arena, I wouldn’t be able to leave.
The entire wall facing the arena was made of glass. There were tables and chairs arranged in groups in the center of the room, while rows of plush seats lined the windows, providing the best view. In the rear of the suite near the door were two bathrooms and a small kitchenette complete with a refrigerator filled with sodas and tea.
“Fancy,” Peter said, summing up the accommodations with one word. “They even have a wine fridge, and crystal goblets with your family crest etched into the glass.”
I picked up a goblet and noted the scrupulous attention to detail. A true artisan had made them. Leave it t
o Peter to notice the tiny artistic details before he saw anything else. My finger traced the nearly-balanced scales in the dragon’s claws. His delicate, outstretched wings and teeth were so tiny they were barely visible as he screamed his defiance.
“I can’t believe they managed to include every little detail,” I said as I shifted the goblet in the light. The five-pointed star for protection was etched over the dragon’s left wing. Each point symbolized the four elements and spirit. The ancients used Spirit to represent the power struggle between Light and Dark. I had always suspected they crammed those two elements together in the symbol because five was a stronger number than six, but considering how Rectors used a true blend of Light and Dark in our magic, maybe they were onto something after all.
Over the right dragon wing was the Triquetra, three interlocking oblong rings that represented the Morrigan, otherwise known as Fate. She also foretold doom and death in battle. I closed my eyes, sending my thoughts towards my ancestors. It was hard to form a coherent request, so I begged them to help me avoid that whole doom and death thing.
Peony kissed my cheek and then dragged Peter away to order some refreshments. Armageddon slipped out at the same time, but his errand was quick, and he returned a few minutes later with his hands full of papers.
“Here’s the program and the official list of competitors with rankings,” he said. He tossed the packets down on the large table where Mort was sitting.
Chas had been hovering behind me like he was my bodyguard. I turned and smiled at him, holding out my hand. He walked forward, and I tugged him into the chair next to me as I joined Mort and my uncle at the table.
“Where’s the schedule?” Mort asked. My uncle slid one of the sheets to him so he could study it. “Looks like the tasks in round one will be performed this afternoon starting at four o’clock. It’s supposed to last three hours.”
I laughed. I could complete the tasks in less than an hour, and that was with Mort and his friends lobbing fireballs and Earth-shakers at me the entire time.
“Not everyone is as amazing as you,” Chas teased. “When you get done, you can watch your rivals. Maybe heckle them a little. Mock their pathetic efforts.”
Mort shook his head, but a small smile pushed through his serious expression. “That might help demoralize some of the weaker competitors, but I think her best bet would be to finish as quickly as possible and then retire to the waiting area. There are no rules prohibiting her rivals from attacking her as long as she’s in the ring. Lia can use the extra time to meditate.”
I had spent a small portion of each day over the last three months learning to meditate. At first, it was a struggle for me to calm myself, but once I tapped into my power, it became a way to connect more fully to my magic. It helped me settle into it, to wrap it around me so tightly that there was no way to distinguish my flesh from the humming force of magic.
My thoughts drifted as Chas and Mort debated the perfect amount of time to meditate. Mort didn’t know it, but I had found an incantation in one of the ancient spell books that turned my skin into a shield. I struggled with my decision to hide it, but I suspected it would work best if nobody knew I could do it. Since being a Rector had instilled in me a natural sense of discretion, I went with my instincts.
“Good idea,” I said, trying to refocus. “I’ll use the extra time to meditate. I wish there weren’t so many guards and media assigned to the competition area. I’d use the extra time to take a cat nap.”
“You’ll have time for sleep later,” Mort said. “A formal banquet is scheduled at eight o’clock and ends by nine-thirty. You’re lucky - that’s shorter than the last few times they’ve held trials. After that, you’re free until shortly before midnight when the second round begins. They’ve notated that they have security pods available for the competitors.”
I nodded. I could go into the pod and put myself into a meditative sleep and awaken refreshed better than if I had taken a week’s worth of naps.
Armageddon opened the thickest packet of paper. “I already checked the official list of competitors. We already knew the Spinigers signed on as of two weeks ago, just as Lia predicted they would. The Robus clan signed on immediately after they did. Nobody registered on the last day, so we have our bases covered.”
My uncle waved his hand, and a small cardboard box appeared. It contained the dossiers that Mort and Armageddon had worked up about each rival. We had already studied them several times back at the castle, but it felt more real seeing them at the stadium.
The Taines were ranked number one by the Council. I wasn’t surprised. Not only were they one of the most powerful magical families, but they outnumbered everyone else.
I was listed as number two, but that was because of my popularity and the endorsement from Rector Enterprises, not because the Council had faith in my abilities. They had never seen me perform magic and had no idea what I could do. Nobody did.
“The Robus family was ranked third,” Mort pointed out. “There aren’t many of them.”
“Their magic closely resembles ours, so there’s barely any overlap. They only need three people to perform the tasks. If I had to lose to somebody, I honestly wouldn’t mind losing to them.”
The Robus family weren’t bad people. In spite of our historical alliance, they would still come after me in the ring, but I didn’t have to worry about them trying to maim or kill me. If I got surrounded by all of the competitors, I would keep my back to them and hope for the best.
I glanced at the color-coded tabs Mort put in the dossier to remind myself of their strengths and weaknesses. Not like I would forget them after all the drills he had put me through, but he would expect me to validate all information before going into combat.
“The McAllister, Huert, and Mathison clans all dropped out,” Armageddon said. “As soon as they saw you had registered.” Another reason why Armageddon insisted that I didn’t wait until the last day to sign up. It gave the other teams time to withdraw. The fewer rivals I had, the better.
“That’s the good news. What’s the bad?” I wasn’t a pessimist, but business competitions brought out the worst in people.
“Besides the Taines?” Mort asked, waggling his eyebrows. So not cool. “The Council ranked the Unguis and Spiniger families as equally weighted for fourth. Each clan has six members participating.”
I snorted. They did have a legal right to compete for our company, but honestly, their bid seemed more insulting than anyone else’s. Except for the fifth-ranked family. What a horrible joke. The Perdo family was a pack of bottom-feeders.
“I can’t believe they think they can hack it,” I sneered.
“Don’t get cocky,” Mort warned. “The Perdo clan has the second-largest team. Seven members.”
“I’m sure they picked the lucky number on purpose. Maybe they think it will make them more intimidating?” I asked rhetorically. Although I knew they would pull every trick in the book since there was no way they were going to make it through the business tasks. I would have to watch my back since they were the likeliest team to attack me in the first round. I wondered why they even bothered to enter into the competition since they had no hope of prevailing against the stronger families in the second round, but it was too late for them to back out.
We spent the next hour rehashing everything we knew about my competitors and their possible strategies. I was glad to stop for tea when Peter and my aunt finally returned. Peter carried a basket on his back that looked a lot like the one Chas and I had used the day before. I grinned, remembering my perfect day.
◆◆◆
The concourse outside the private suites was kept mostly clear of people by the guards stationed outside. They rounded out the additional security assigned to the families. Their presence was also supposed to keep the peace between rival families if we all decided to take a walk at the same time. That meant nobody objected when I told them I wanted to go for a stroll with Chas.
The open space surrounding the con
course was huge, highlighting the architectural wonders of the largest stadium in the world. Even though the area was lined with massive glass windows, the sun didn’t penetrate as far as the private suites. Instead, it lit up the windows and made the city skyline in the distance look as if it were glowing. I mostly ignored this impressive view so I could look at my boyfriend instead.
“How are you doing?” Chas asked. We were holding hands and strolling along the outer perimeter of the concourse. The crowds had been restricted several floors below and couldn’t tell who we were, so it was almost like being alone.
“Pretty well, considering I’m about to walk into the most terrifying experience of my life.” I gave Chas a lopsided smile.
“You’re incredible, Lia.” We moved around a curve in the walkway where the guards couldn’t see us. He leaned down and kissed me.
“Why, thank you, kind sir,” I said sweetly. “You’re not half bad yourself.”
Chas started to laugh but then froze when he glanced over my shoulder. I turned to see what was going on.
Three men approached. My body tensed. I recognized them. Their pictures were a part of the dossier in our private suite. The three of them were also the subject of several secret files in the secure room at Rector Enterprises.
“How are you doing, little brother?” asked Chas’s eldest brother. “Father was just telling us how much he hoped to see you today.”
“Leave us alone, Adler,” Chas said. He gripped my hand, hard, and held me close against his side. I think he was getting ready to shove me behind him, but I wasn’t going to let that happen. My magic was stronger than his, and I wasn’t going to hide from anybody ever again.
“Aw, now, don’t be like that,” Keaton said. He was third born and the brother tied to the Air element. “People can change their minds, you know. The fact he said your name at all proves that.”
Barrett, Oberon’s second son, gave an ugly laugh. “The fact our dear father said your name without spitting on the floor afterward is a pretty good indication, too.”
