Divided by Magic

by Rebecca Danese

  "Look, I needed to prove that it was really you before I said my piece, hence the power cut and the breaking and entering. I’ve been trying to find a way to get to you for a while now and couldn’t believe my luck when you started going out with my neighbour," he nods sideways at me.

  "You mean to say that you living next door to me was a coincidence?" I ask in disbelief.

  "Kind of. I knew she was in the area. I’ve been looking for Ella Chisholm for the best part of five years, after I found out what had happened at the facility," he says and the look of shock on both of our faces is hard to hide. "I know about the facility for reasons that I can’t go in to right now, but the important thing is that you, Ella, are in incredible danger."

  "Tell me something I don’t know," she says, sounding almost bored. I notice that the glowing in her fist has stopped too, so she’s obviously not feeling like she’s about to attack a defenceless Augur. "If you’re really not here to hurt us then you can wait downstairs while I put some clothes on and start from the beginning." I realise that she’s still clutching the duvet around her middle and apart from it being like a fridge in the house it’s not the best circumstance to have a meeting. "And put the power back on, will you? It’s bloody freezing," she says and waves us both out the door.

  Five minutes later, our uninvited guest is in our kitchen, the kettle has boiled and despite wanting to smash him over the head with it, I’m handing him a mug of hot coffee. The cat decides to accompany me rather than stay with Ella, and as we sit in the kitchen with an air of awkwardness around us, he stares at the intruder from a spot on the kitchen counter with a look more disdainful than he’s ever given me. It makes me feel quietly smug to know the cat is on my side.

  "So," I say, breaking the silence, "do they call you ‘Edward’ or just ‘Ed’ for short?"

  "Honestly, mate, no offence, but I have zero intention in being friendly with you," he says and sips his coffee loudly. That annoys me almost more than the fact that he broke into my house. Luckily, before I can make a nasty remark in return, Ella walks through the door in jeans and a thick jumper, her hair tied up in a loose knot.

  "So, ‘Edward Clarence’," she says, making inverted commas with her fingers, "why would the Duke’s son, of all people, be hunting me down?" she throws herself into a kitchen chair like a sulky teenager and pulls the cup of coffee I set down towards her.

  "What? The Duke as in the Duke?" I ask.

  Edward sighs and barely acknowledges the question at first, but a look of daggers from Ella seems to prompt him to open his mouth.

  "Yes. The Duke. Secretly an Augur and head of the Society, as you guys like to call yourselves. The ones who think they’re saving all of Augur kind by stealing sensitive information from the government in order to prevent the exposure and registration of Augurs everywhere. AKA my father," he explains grimly.

  "But you ran off and joined the Magic Circle, didn’t you, Ed?" Ella says rather than asks. I had guessed as much, what with the black hoodie and criminal disposition, but knowing that he’s also the Duke’s son makes it a hell of a lot more disturbing.

  "I’m not here to talk about me," he replies, his jaw tensing and his hand tightening around the grip of his coffee cup.

  "So, what are you here to say?" she says impatiently.

  "Listen, I know you don’t like me and you don’t have to, but the Magic Circle know everything, I mean everything that the Society, and my father, are planning. From his plan to leak the information about Carlton Munday to the press today, to him planning to use your boyfriend for the dirty work," he nods at me, again acting as though I’m not able to hear him. That’s news to me and I try hard to mask my surprise.

  "Even if that was true, and I’m not saying that it is, how could they possibly know that?" Ella asks him.

  "Because your little group isn’t as tight as he would like it to be, just like the Magic Circle is made up of a few people wanting to fight for Augurs’ freedom and the rest are just lunatics and idiots who like to blow stuff up." I scoff at that statement.

  "How could anything the Magic Circle does actually result in freedom for Augurs?" I ask him incredulously. He shoots me a look that only confirms his dislike for me.

  "I wouldn’t expect you to understand, Normal. Honestly, you people think you’re so much better than us, but Normals are worse than Augurs. You’re more violent, vindictive and ready to attack anything that comes near you. Like wild animals almost, but less intelligent." The insult is so childish, I know I shouldn’t rise to the bait, but I stand up abruptly, ready to punch him right in the nose. I’ve never been much of a fighter, but his whole bravado makes me want to smash his perfect teeth down his throat. He rises slowly, like someone trying to calm an angry puppy, breaking into a smirk as he does so.

  "What are you going to do? Scowl at me to death?" his smile has no warmth to it at all.

  "You can get the hell out of my house, for a start," I realise my voice is rising.

  "Or what?" He steps towards me, and as he does I can see the resemblance now between him and his father. Cold and calculating eyes, thin lips and although Edward’s pallor probably isn’t helped by his nicotine habit, he has the pale skin of someone that could only be descended from a long line of British ancestors. His accent is that of someone who has been well-educated rather than my slightly more softened Londoner.

  "Or I’ll call the bloody police, for a start," I say indignantly.

  "What, and have them arrest your girlfriend too? I don’t think so, ‘mate’." He has me there and he knows it. We don’t need the extra attention, and even if I told them he’d broken in he could probably say he saw suspicious Augur activity from outside the window. Ella would be arrested and tested or worse, because even if it wasn’t public use of magic the police probably wouldn’t hesitate to find a way to make it seem worse than it was. Whilst I try and think of a clever retort, Ella has pushed her way between us, both hands giving off a subtle glow that everyone can see.

  "When you two have stopped with the ‘who can be most irrational’ contest, I’d like to get to the bottom of your reason for breaking and entering so that we can get on with our lives," she chides us like small children. Edward stares at me with all the disgust he can muster before sitting down in a huff. To my credit, I hold my own until he looks away, feeling like this is in some way a small victory for me, as juvenile as it sounds.

  "As I was saying," Edward continues almost as if he was never interrupted, "there’s a leak in your little group and someone is telling all your plans to a member of the Magic Circle. The reason I know this is because, despite what you guys may think, we’re actually not all just a disorganised bunch of criminals."

  "Why are you telling us all this?" Ella asks the question that I’ve been thinking.

  "Because, as much as I might resent my father’s efforts to control people, when I heard what happened to you all those years ago and how you lost your parents, I did vow to myself that I would do what it took to take down Augurism. It’s been the only thing that made sense to me over the years.”

  I try not to scoff at his suggestion that he has any kind of moral compass.

  "So why did you leave and join the Magic Circle?" I ask, trying not to sound as critical as I feel. Edward glances at me and narrows his eyes, as if sizing up whether or not to say anything more.

  "Because, at the time, they were doing something about the problem. And because of my girlfriend..." he trails off and studies his cup for a moment. I feel like laughing at him for leaving his family, and probably a hefty inheritance, for the sake of a girl. But how is that any different to me getting involved with Ella and the Augurs, really? The answer is that it isn’t really different at all, and I almost —almost —pity him.

  "Look, five years ago the Magic Circle was a fairly organised group of intelligent Augurs who had members in key political positions. They were genuinely trying to make situations better for the rest of us and wanted to help Augurs everywhere. They levi
ed for the prohibition of magic to be lifted, and although it’s still illegal in London and other major cities, it’s not anywhere else. That was them, although they weren’t calling themselves the Magic Circle at that point, or not publicly. I joined off the back of a bad argument with my father about how, no matter how good his intentions were, he was more interested in PR than people.

  "But then we lost our leader and things got out of hand. The executives appointed to hold the group together end up disagreeing and arguing, and everyone wound up going in different directions. That’s when the attacks started happening and, rather than making peace between Normals and Augurs possible, they are making things worse, without a doubt."

  "You say ‘we’ and ‘they’ like you haven’t quite figured out whether you’re in or out," Ella observes.

  Edward pauses again before answering. He’s like a pot that is ready to boil over at any moment, the slightest change of temperature and he could explode. But to my surprise, instead of blowing up and telling her to keep her nose out, he replies sadly. "To tell the truth I haven’t. Cassie — my girlfriend — well she left a couple of months ago and I’ve been on the fence ever since."

  Ella gives him a sympathetic look, but I’m not convinced.

  "So, is your being on the fence the reason that you’re here?" I say, trying to take the irritation out of my voice.

  "Pretty much," he shrugs. "Look, thanks to someone in the Society, everyone in the Magic Circle knows that the Duke is planning to use you to expose Carlton Munday’s connections to Augurs, " he says nodding at me. This time I can’t hide my expression. "Yes, that’s right. The fact that you’re on board and have been accepted, at least tentatively, into their group isn’t out of the goodness of their hearts. It’s because from the moment my father found out about your existence, he planned a way to use you." He leans back in his chair and crosses his arms while I digest that information. I look at Ella for answers, but she frowns and gives me a look that says, ‘news to me’ so is no help.

  "You think that the Duke wants to use me, a Normal, to expose Carlton Munday to the press?" I ask incredulously.

  "That’s right. I would go and tell you to see him just to prove my point, except that’s exactly what I’m here to tell you not to do," he says matter-of-factly.

  "But that’s crazy. He didn’t even know I existed until yesterday," I retort.

  "I don’t think so. He knew that there was a Normal starting to get involved with Ella from the moment it happened. I told you, the Society is full of holes, and someone is keeping a very close eye on you both."

  Ella keeps silent for quite a while, obviously working through his argument in her head. She inspects the inside of her coffee cup whilst chewing her bottom lip — something I’ve seen her do several times when she’s thinking hard.

  "Whether I believe you or not — and I’m not saying that I do — the only way to really prove it is to actually go and see the Duke ourselves," she says finally.

  "Don’t do that! That’s the whole reason for me coming here!" Edward bursts out.

  "Ed, listen, we appreciate that efforts you have gone to to track me down, but I don’t really see what choice we have. We can’t just up and disappear just because Curtis may or may not be sent on an errand for the Duke. It’s illogical and there’s much more at stake," she tries to reason.

  "But you’ll be doing exactly what he wants you to! I know that if Curtis carries out even the simplest part of his plan it will end up in disaster," he bangs his fist on the table and it makes the cups rattle.

  "How can you possibly be sure of that?" Ella argues.

  "Because I know him! His end game always has been and always will be for Augurs to end up not just equals with Normals but in charge of them, ‘like in the old days’ he always said to me as child. My entire life I’ve had it drummed into me that Augurs are the superior race and therefore should be running the world. But because we’ve always been the minority, we’ve been squashed by our sheer lack of numbers and the fear and hate that Normals have created against us. It’s not Carlton Munday I’m worried about, it’s you," he points fiercely at her. I can’t read Ella’s expression to tell whether she’s worried, scared or angry. A mix of emotions seems to cross her face as if she’s internally wrestling with herself. I notice that her fingertips are glowing faintly again and I’m not sure if this is because she feels threatened or just can’t control it.

  "Look, you don’t owe me anything," he says, trying to calm his voice down, "but — God, they’re going to kill me for saying this — at the last Magic Circle meeting I heard that they needed you for the next step of their plan."

  "Did they actually say her name?" I ask him.

  "Well, no, they said, ‘the power-source,’ but there’s only one of those that I’ve ever heard of, and that’s Ella," he replies defensively.

  "Doesn’t prove anything," I point out, although it’s not sounding good and even I can see that it would be stupid not to be more careful right about now.

  "Arguing about it isn’t going to make a difference," Ella says abruptly, getting up and putting the cups in the sink. "I appreciate your time, Edward, and your consideration. I can imagine that tracking me down and coming here was a big risk for you and I don’t want you think that it was a waste, because it wasn’t."

  "So, you guys will get out of town?" he asks hopefully.

  "I don’t know what we’re going to do yet," she admits and looks at me, but I’m no help at all right now.

  "Let me put it this way: if you don’t, then bad things are going to happen, that much I know. If you were just to disappear one day and cut all your ties to the Society they’d be stuck. Although they haven’t directly asked you to do anything yet, I could bet my life that whatever they’re planning will require your powers." He makes a move to leave, through the front door this time, and barely says goodbye as he walks down the path, lighting up a cigarette when he gets to the front gate. I close the door and turn to look at Ella, who looks tired and serious now.

  "What do you want to do?" I ask her.

  "Have a shower and breakfast. Then we’ll have to figure out what our next move is," she says, climbing the stairs. I make a bowl of cereal and sit in the kitchen while I wait for her, pushing thoughts around in my mind like an intricate pattern of marbles. The Duke and his prodigal son are the first thing I think of. Their poor relationship isn’t actually that different to mine and Dad’s. He’s heavily opinionated and thinks only of himself. The Duke seems to be similar in so many ways, but with a lot more power, money and influence.

  If the Duke really wants Augurs to take over, how on Earth could he do that? Carlton Munday, the politician that has rattled all of the Augurs and is threatening their security, is the obvious target for both the Magic Circle and for the Society. And here we are, Ella and I, stuck in the middle of all of it without knowing what to do. The thought of running away somewhere suddenly becomes the most appealing option, particularly when it’s her they’re after. I know that no matter what happened, she would never use her powers to hurt people, but she could be put in a position whereby she didn’t have a choice.

  "Do you think it was him who set fire to Downing Street and Gregorio’s?" I ask her as she comes back downstairs, hair damp from the shower.

  "I doubt it. If he’s half in and half out, I doubt he’d do something as risky as that. Bear in mind they have more than a hundred members."

  I think about the Society, no more than about twenty members from what I could see if you include Mulberry and the Duke. How the hell do they stand a chance?

  "Wow, some deep thoughts going on there," she comes in and taps her index finger on my temple. I take her hand and kiss it and she slides her other arm round my shoulders from behind in a hug.

  "I love you, Curtis," she says quietly, her face resting next to mine.

  "I love you too," I say, but I can’t push out a feeling of dread that is starting to form in the pit of my stomach.

  "We�
�re going to be okay, you know that, right?" she says, pulling away and coming round to perch on the side of the kitchen table so she can see my face.

  "I hope so," I sigh, and get up to go shower. "Help yourself to cereal or whatever you want," I say as I walk upstairs. I wish I could believe her, but I can’t shake the feeling that something bad is about to happen.

  CHAPTER 10

  An hour later we’re standing outside the Duke’s townhouse, and I feel like I’m going to be sick.

  "Are you sure about this?" I ask, searching her face for any sign of doubt.

  "Positive. Despite what Edward said, this really is the only way that we can be sure of the Duke’s intentions. I don’t like the secrets and the hiding, and he’s been kind to me since I ended up here, so I think this is the right thing to do." She looks confident and resolute, so despite my feelings I know I’m going to have to go along with it, unable to convince her otherwise.

  Mulberry opens the door with his usual sharpness and lets us in. He isn’t as dismissive of me this time as he was before; he actually asks me for my coat rather than asking Ella, and I think maybe I’m coming up in his estimation somehow.

  We’re shown up the stairs to the Duke’s study, and my phone goes in the bowl just as before, right before we enter the room. The Duke isn’t at his desk but is instead sitting in an armchair with a book by the fireplace which is roaring away, making the whole space warm and cosy.

  "Ah, Ella, my dear. Come in, come in and have a seat," he snaps the book shut and places it on a table, standing up to greet her and giving her a kiss on each cheek. "Curtis, good to see you again, lad," he shakes my hand and gestures for me to sit down also, and we each sit in a large armchair. "Well, I did hear most of the account of yesterday from Jeremy. That dear boy came over late last night to tell me what you had discovered at the hospital and the restaurant, but I assume you want to give me your own account of things?" he looks at Ella expectantly and I realise that I am once again relegated to letting her do all the talking. She doesn’t give away any of the real reason that we’re here in her account of yesterday’s events, nor does she leave any details out. I’m slightly embarrassed and horrified to hear her description of how we managed to distract the police at the scene of the fire, but she makes me come off well in it, as if I was the sole reason for them getting the all-important information they were looking for.