Wager's Price

by G. P. Ching

  “Juliette did select you, and you have trained, unsuccessfully, for some time now. I’m beginning to believe Juliette selected you to make herself indispensable.”

  Juliette stood. “Sacrilege. You insult me.”

  Ms. D peered over her red bifocals at the enchanter. “The choice is made. Unless Kirsa can demonstrate equal mastery.” She gestured toward the platform.

  Kirsa pushed the table forward, rattling the dishes and spilling the drinks. She stood from her chair, which stayed exactly where it had been and marched to the platform, chasing Hope from her spot with a deadly stare. Clasping her hands, she took a deep breath and began to sing.

  It was a pleasant tune—Kirsa had a believable operatic voice—but there was no magic. The dining hall remained a dining hall, and in the end, she stopped singing before the final note.

  “I thought so,” Ms. D proclaimed.

  Kirsa’s hands balled into fists, her face reddening with what Finn assumed was either anger or embarrassment. Maybe both. She ran from the room, knocking Ravenguard out of the way to get to the door.

  With a deep sigh, Ms. D dragged her heavy chair to the table’s new position.

  “It’s too soon,” Juliette insisted.

  “I’ve made my decision.” Ms. D began to eat again.

  Juliette pressed both hands into her stomach. “Please excuse me. I’ve lost my appetite.” She sashayed from the room, back straight and chin high. Finn stared after her, horrified. Clearly something big had happened. New students never became magicians or enchanters. Ms. D had told them so the first day, and Theodor had confirmed as much. Hope must have had the predisposition for enchanting, just as Finn had a talent for aerial and magic.

  “What are you all staring at?” Ms. D waved her hand. “Eat. Finish your meal. You too, Ms. Laudner.”

  Hope nodded and drifted to the buffet to load her plate. When she finally sat down, Mike patted her shoulder. “That was incredible! Damn, I wouldn’t have guessed you had it in you.”

  Jayden laughed. “That took balls. I have a whole new respect for you.”

  But Finn had a different question. “How?”

  “You’re not the only one with tricks up your sleeve, Finn Wager.” Hope gave him a knowing smile, like she could see right through him.

  Finn balked. Did she know about the cards and his relationship with Theodor? The symbol in his arm did not burn. If she suspected anything, it was not his doing.

  “Michael Carson,” Ms. D called, causing them to pause their forks once more.

  “Yes?” Mike frowned as he responded. Trouble was in the air, hovering like dust over the table.

  “You will take Ms. Laudner’s place in the resilience troupe.”

  Mike’s entire body froze like he was caught in the headlight of a speeding train.

  “What about me?” Jenny interrupted.

  “As you have not been chosen for a troupe, I’m assigning you to the position of stage manager. You will be responsible for the behind-the-scenes operation of our show. Costumes, set design, and the like. Mrs. Wilhelm and staff will train you.”

  Jenny grinned, and Finn watched a flash of jealousy wash across Mike’s face. Jenny’s job was exciting and important. Resilience was an awful fate.

  “I’m no good at resilience,” Mike finally said.

  Ms. D’s cold eyes fixated on his face. “Then may I suggest you work harder at becoming good at it? Or do you need more intensive intervention?”

  Mike’s expression turned from shock to horror. Finn met his eyes but had no idea what to say. What could he say?

  Hope placed a hand on Mike’s arm, her expression suddenly worn. “I’m sorry.”

  Mike shrugged her off, pushed back his chair, and rushed from the room. The look he gave Ms. D as he left could have soldered iron. The one he gave to Hope was almost as deadly.

  “Don’t worry,” Finn said to Hope. “He’ll come around. He’ll change faster now that he’ll be doing it full-time.” He hoped it was true.

  The comment didn’t seem to comfort her. She dropped her fork and chased after Mike.

  “Change faster?” Jayden balled his napkin and tossed it across his plate. “Bullshit, Wager. You’ve been here too long if you think Mike should have to change at all. He was the best. The best of any of us. A truly good person. If you’re more worried about Mike changing than the fact that your friend was just sentenced to weeks of torture, you need to reconsider your priorities.”

  The whispered words settled like a heavy weight over Finn’s heart.

  27

  Lost Things

  When Finn returned to his room, he was anxious to talk to Hope about the Mike situation and how she’d figured out she was an enchanter. She wasn’t there. But something else was—his great-grandmother’s antique Louis Vuitton trunk.

  He plucked a folded white note from the lid.

  * * *

  You are in grave danger. Bring the girl to Murder Mountain. We have much to discuss and little time.

  -A friend

  * * *

  Under the signature was a drawing of the symbol Hope wore around her neck.

  “I’m not sure Michael is going to forgive me for today.” Hope entered the room, wiping tears from under her eyes with both hands. “Oh! They found your trunk?”

  Finn handed her the note.

  “A friend?”

  “Your guess is as good as mine.”

  “They marked their signature with the triquetra,” she breathed.

  “The symbol from your necklace. What does it mean?”

  “It means this friend is someone we can trust. We should go.”

  “Trust a complete stranger who stole my trunk and waited until now to return it? Are you insane?” Finn narrowed his eyes at her. “Not to mention, this ‘friend’ wants us to meet on Murder Mountain of all places. Why don’t we just wear T-shirts that say abduct me and chase after creepy white conversion vans with blacked-out windows?”

  Hope gripped the paper like a drowning victim grips a buoy. “We have to trust someone. We have to take risks.”

  “Why?”

  Hope floundered for the right word. “Did you see what happened today?”

  “Yeah, when did you become an enchanter?”

  “That’s not what I mean. Juliette and Kirsa were irate. And after what happened with Amanda and Paul and what you saw with the clowns, it’s clear this school is dangerous. Whoever this is knows what’s going on. They might know how to stop it.”

  Finn took a deep breath and puffed out his cheeks. “I’m not sure what I saw with the clown. It might have been a dream for all we know.”

  “What? You said it stole my hair.”

  “And we found no evidence that anything I saw was real. Maybe it was a nightmare.”

  “Finn…”

  “And it’s not as bad as I thought it was here. There are good things.”

  “Like that, you can fly?” Hope said, an edge to her voice.

  “And other things. I belong here. I’m really good at aerial.”

  “What if what you saw was real? What if Mike is in danger? He’s not ready for resilience. Don’t we owe it to ourselves to see what this is all about?”

  Finn spread his hands and scoffed. “We’re almost halfway through the program. I don’t want to mess up my chances of getting out on time.”

  Hope plunked on her bed in frustration. “What about the side effects? Whatever it is about this island that gave you… us… these abilities, how do you know it won’t also give us cancer? Drive us insane?”

  “If that’s the case, it’s already done its damage.” Finn ran his hand along the top of the trunk. “Sorry, but I’m not going anywhere. I won’t stop you from going alone, but I won’t help you either.”

  “I don’t think I can do it without you.”

  “Then you can’t do it.”

  With a huff, Hope retreated to the bathroom, slamming the door.

  “Girls.” Finn flipped the drawb
olts on his trunk and chuckled at the stacks of carefully folded sweaters inside. His hand fell on his stash of ADHD medication and a flash of guilt cut through him. Hope had helped him when he needed it most. No. No. This was crazy. He would not throw away his chance at graduating from this place over a cryptic note.

  He shoved the meds aside and raised a sweatshirt to his nose, inhaling the fresh scent of his father’s laundry detergent. His heart sank. He hadn’t thought much of his family since he’d been here, but homesickness came on with a vengeance. His thoughts went back to the day he left, to the last hug his father gave him.

  I left a surprise for you in the trunk.

  He’d almost forgotten what his father had whispered in his ear. Quickly, he removed the piles of clothing, but the phone wasn’t there. Had the stranger taken it? After checking the stack thoroughly, he had an idea. He ran a finger along the edge of the tattered liner. The corner depressed slightly beneath his touch.

  His great-grandmother had been about his age during the Vichy regime in France, World War II. Her parents, Finn’s great-great-grandparents, were Jewish and would eventually die in a concentration camp. They saved Great-Grandma Mimi by placing her in the care of a nun at a Catholic orphanage who they paid handsomely to swear she had been there since birth.

  Great-Grandma Mimi eventually married a German man who became Finn’s great-grandfather. She was famous for saying, “Survivors don’t weep for the dead; they celebrate the living. There is no shame in survival.”

  Finn pressed down harder in the corner. A spring latch popped the section up, and he was able to dig his fingers under the edge. A false bottom. A secret compartment.

  Inside was the most beautiful vision he’d ever seen. His phone! Unfortunately, when he tapped the screen, the battery was completely dead and the included charger was useless here. All the lamps were gas, and there were no outlets in the walls. Didn’t matter anyway; according to Ms. D, there was no cell service on the island. Sorely disappointed, he tossed it back in the bottom of the trunk where it skimmed across the leather into the opposite side. Click.

  A secret compartment opened on impact. Squinting, Finn leaned forward to investigate. Inside, an accordion of yellow paper poked from a small pocket. Finn pulled it out and unfolded the ancient page, the smell of old books filling his nostrils.

  At the top of the paper, Der Unhold was scrawled in tight, neat cursive. Below it was a three-column list of names. About half of the names in the first column were crossed off, but Finn’s eyes locked onto a name in the center of the third: Wulfrid Ravenguard.

  28

  Questions

  And yet another exhibit for the Bizarre Life of Finn Wager Museum,” Finn murmured. He refolded the list and jammed it back into the secret compartment. The name on the list was a weird coincidence. How many Wulfrid Ravenguards had existed throughout history? He’d have to show it to his dad when he got home. He closed the trunk and crammed it under his bed.

  Exhausted, he flopped onto his mattress. “Ah—Ow.” A burning sensation developed in his side, below the interior pocket of his jacket. He dug for his cards. The joker smiled back at him, hands empty. Time for magic lessons.

  He raced out the door and up to the library, where he found Theodor in an unusually contemplative state. Without a word, the magician tossed the card to teleport both of them to his office.

  “I came when you called, but it’s almost sunset. We don’t have much time,” Finn said.

  “I know, Finn. Have a seat. This won’t take long.”

  Finn slid into the student desk at the center of the room.

  “What happened today with Hope Laudner was not supposed to happen,” Theodor said.

  “I got that sense from the way Kirsa and Juliette reacted. Why is it such a big deal?”

  “At Revelations, talented students are asked to become teachers, teachers are sometimes asked to train as enchanters or magicians—like Juliette and me. Enchanters and magicians are sometimes asked to become the performance architect. The performance needs but one magician and one enchanter. Hope will train with Juliette, but Juliette has no position to move into. Ms. Duvall will remain as performance architect. That means when Hope’s training is complete, Juliette must return to the mainland and find other means of existence.”

  “She’ll lose her job.”

  “She’ll lose her power.” Theodor smoothed his mustache with his thumb and middle finger. “Orelon tells me you can fly.”

  “I did and it was incredible. I’m working on having more control.”

  “Your transformation has occurred faster than expected, as has Hope’s. The two of you are breaking records. As you might suspect, this has created quite a stir with other members of the faculty.”

  “Because they don’t want to lose their jobs or their power,” Finn repeated.

  “Now that you can fly, are you looking forward to the day you’ll go back home to Beaverton and never fly again?”

  Finn scratched the back of his head. “It only works here? I won’t take it with me?”

  “Oh, you’ll keep it for a time. Weeks. A month if you are lucky. The longer you stay away, the more it will fade. No one has retained their power longer than a year away from the island.”

  “I see. So Juliette is upset because she’ll lose a piece of who she is.”

  “Well put. Her voice has become an appendage, a crutch. But it is more than that. She will age… quickly.”

  Finn’s mind drifted to the posters Hope had shown him in the library. “What exactly do you mean by that, Theodor?”

  “I was born in 1904,” he murmured.

  Finn chuckled. “It sounded like you said 1904.”

  “I did.” The magician’s expression turned deadly serious. “Revelations Island suspends the aging process. When I leave here, I will die.”

  “Huh? No.” The symbol on the inside of his arm began to burn and he scratched it furiously.

  “You agreed to keep an open mind. I would not lie to you, Wager. I am over one hundred years old, and Juliette is in her late fifties.”

  Finn swallowed hard, the burn fading with his acceptance of Theodor’s words.

  “Juliette won’t simply lose her power if Hope replaces her—she’ll become old.” Theodor sat down at his desk and rested his chin in the web of his hand. “She chose Kirsa as her apprentice knowing that the woman had no aptitude for the subject. She did this intentionally, to maintain her position.”

  “And now Hope is a threat to her.” The revelation sent a chill up Finn’s spine. “But that means, if you leave this island, you’ll die.”

  “Yes.”

  “So, why are you mentoring me? You can’t want me to take over your position.”

  Theodor nodded. “Did you read the book I gave you?”

  “Most of it. Why?”

  “Then you know that Victoria Duvall is also very old. She’s my age, in fact.”

  The truth came to Finn in a rush. “You want to be the performance architect! That’s why you are training me in secret. Ms. D can’t know. You plan to force her out the way Hope is forcing Juliette out.”

  “You are a smart boy.”

  “But why? Don’t you like being a magician?”

  “Victoria hasn’t been the same of late.” He stood from his desk and turned to face the window. “We started at Revelations at the same time, you know. She was an enchanter. Before that, a member of aerial and then an instructor of pyro. I watched her light herself on fire once as part of a performance. It was beautiful. She defied natural law for the sake of her art. Victoria was a genius of the performance arts who mastered every Revelations troupe before she became performance architect.”

  Finn studied Theodor’s profile for a moment. The man stared at the wall with the absent expression of one who had experienced great loss. He recognized it; he’d seen it before in his father’s eyes when they’d talked of his mother. “You… you loved her.”

  Theodor looked at Finn in surprise. “
Is it obvious?” He frowned. “She’s changed. She aged when she took on her current role. That was to be expected. The architect is always of a certain age. But there was something else. Victoria changed after last spring’s performance. She hardly speaks to me anymore. Spends all her time with Ravenguard and Applegate.” He shook his head.

  “What happened last spring?”

  He tipped his head. “I wish I knew.” He leaned against the window frame. “I fear for your safety, Finn. There may be retaliation for what happened today. It is my duty to teach you how to protect yourself.”

  “You mean from Juliette? Why would she want to hurt me?”

  “You and your roommate have proven yourselves extraordinarily powerful. If you can’t see why most of the staff would find that threatening, you haven’t heard a word I’ve said.”

  “Are you saying I might have a target on my back because I can fly and have an enchanter as a roommate?”

  Theodor glanced toward the darkening window. “It’s late. You must go. I will call you tomorrow and we will begin our next lesson.”

  29

  Secrets

  Hope paced her room, arms crossed and fingers tapping her bicep. What she’d pulled off tonight was nothing if not dangerous. Gabriel had given her the powers of an enchanter. They weren’t hers to keep but loaned to her for the duration of her mission at Revelations, for the purpose of extending her reach inside the school. After seeing how Kirsa and Juliette reacted, she was sure she’d made the right choice, hit a nerve, and possibly exposed the enemy.

  But she was also sure that Finn’s experience with the clowns was another clue. There were no accidents when it came to God’s purpose. Finn was her roommate for a reason, and the place he described certainly sounded like the workshop of the enemy. Whoever had left the note on Finn’s trunk must know something, but how could she convince Finn to go? Not only was it risky going alone, but also the note suggested they were supposed to go together.