He laughed humorlessly. “There are no secrets at Ackley Institute. Especially not with other delegates’ kids here.” He pulled his communication crystal out of his pocket and turned it over in his hands. It’s smooth opaque surface glinted dully. “Sometimes I’m grateful for these things, but sometimes, I wish we didn’t have them. You never know what news they’ll bring.”
Ivy chewed her lip. “So, what does this mean?”
Neil hunched his shoulders. “For now, nothing. The nominations will continue for four weeks.”
“Hmm.” Ivy looked a little disappointed, but she pulled out her poetry book and took a seat next to Gray.
I shuffled over and took an empty seat next to Neil and dug around in my bag to avoid eye contact. “So.”
That was my brilliant greeting? Stupid.
“So,” he answered in kind.
My hand touched on my assignment, but I kept digging, keeping my gaze glued to the inside of my bag.
His sigh brought my gaze to his face. “I’m worried about Gray.”
Ivy pointed to something in her English book, eliciting a smile from Gray that still failed to soften the rigid set of his shoulders.
I reached a hand up to twist my finger in a lock of hair. “He seems tense.” He spent the last fifteen years trying to live up to Neil’s prodigy status. With Neil's nomination, how would he ever catch up?
“He took it kind of hard this morning when he found out—totally shut down on me.”
“I imagine his feelings are...complicated.” I snuck a glance at Neil. “And you? How are you doing?”
He rubbed his forehead. “I’m not sure. Ask me again when this is all over.”
Without permission, Henry’s words spilled from me. “Sometimes it’s those who have no desire to lead who make the best rulers.'” It didn’t cheer him up. “You said yourself having someone on the throne would help the country, especially considering how crazy everything is now.”
“Yes, but I wasn’t talking about me.”
I bit my bottom lip. Fair enough. I hadn’t expected it to be him, either.
Chapter 12
I sat in the library next to Neil, Ivy, and Gray. We laughed and joked quietly while working on our homework. I struggled with a particularly difficult page of Old Andar translations Henry had assigned.
“Can anyone help me with this?”
No one offered to help.
“Hello?”
My friends were gone. I spun around when the door creaked, but no one was there.
“Why didn’t you help?” Ivy’s voice came from my right, and I let out a surprised scream.
“Ivy!” I whirled to face her, putting a hand over my racing heart. “Under all the elements, you scared me,” I cursed, taking a deep breath.
“Why didn’t you help us?” she repeated mechanically.
“What do you mean? I was the one who asked for help.”
Her pupils dilated until the only color left was a faint purple ring around the black.
“Ivy?” I hesitantly reached a hand toward her.
“You did nothing.” Gray’s voice came from my other side, and I spun around again.
“Gray, look at Ivy’s eyes. I think there’s something wrong with her.” I turned back to Ivy, and Gray put his hand on my shoulder. “Do you see it? They’re black! Why are they black?”
His hand squeezed my shoulder.
“Ow, Gray. You’re hurting me!”
His eyes were black like Ivy’s. “You let this happen,” Gray said tonelessly, squeezing harder.
I twisted out of his grip and scrambled away from the table.
Like life-sized puppets, he and Ivy stood and walked toward me with jerky steps.
I took off running for the door, only to run into Neil’s open arms. “Neil, there’s something wrong with Gray and Ivy!” I exhaled hard, but relaxed when his arms surrounded me. “What do we do?”
Neil slowly lowered his head to face me. His bottomless black eyes stared at me, his arms a prison I couldn’t escape.
“You are useless now, Emmie. But join us and you can become strong. Join us.” Neil’s arms slowly tightened around me, threatening to cut off my air.
Terror slowly clawed its way up my throat and burst free in a shrill scream.
“Emmie! Emmie, wake up!” Ivy shook me by the shoulder. “Wake up. It was just another nightmare.”
“No! I won’t join you!” I flailed my arms to push her away.
“You’re fine.” Ivy sat on the edge of my bed and pulled me into a hug, rubbing my back and murmuring comforting words.
We sat like that for a few minutes longer before I finally took a deep breath and pulled away.
“Now, do you want to tell me what happened?” Ivy’s worried blue eyes scanned my face.
“I can’t stop thinking about Celia and Andley and what Josh said about magical zombies. I freaked myself out,” I admitted sheepishly.
Ivy chuckled. “Well, I have to admit, it is pretty freaky.” She placed a hand on my forehead in a motherly gesture. “Are you feeling better now?”
How could I have ever mistaken that emotionless zombie Ivy for the real one? My best friend would never do anything like that. I took a deep breath and smiled tremulously. “I’ll be fine now. Sorry I woke you.”
She gave me one more searching look.
“Really, I’m okay. Thanks for waking me up.” I smiled at her as she crossed the room and snuggled back into bed. Determined to think of something else, I recited the names of all fifteen delegates and their specialties until I fell asleep.
The week passed uneventfully, and I strolled into Henry’s class on Aerisday with a bounce in my step. Not only was it the last class of the week, but I looked forward to Howie’s visit over the weekend.
“What’s got you so chipper?” Henry put down his paper and looked at me.
“Can’t a girl just be in a good mood?”
“Nope,” he responded immediately. “The female mind is much too capricious to simply be happy. There must be a reason behind it.”
“You have such a high opinion of girls,” I muttered. Henry opened his mouth to say something, but I cut him off, “I’m excited for the weekend. It’s been too long since I’ve seen him.”
“Him?”
“Yes, the visitor is a man.” I put my bag on my seat and rummaged for my homework.
“A man?”
I barely held in a laugh at his wide-eyed gaze. “Yes, I do know a few of those.”
Henry could act like such a dad sometime. Which was funny, since Howie practically was my dad. But where was the fun in telling him that?
“So what’s the plan for today?”
I finally found my assignment and placed it on Henry’s desk. Since I’d been so bent on researching about the missing girls, Henry finally made it homework.
“I actually wanted to cut classes short today,” Henry admitted.
My mouth fell open. Henry cutting classes short? “Why?”
“Headmistress Elsie is leaving tomorrow on some urgent business, and I’ve been asked to help out with a few things.”
“What kind of urgent business?”
Henry studied me.
I cleared my throat and put on my most trustworthy and mature expression.
He sighed. “There’ve been quite a few accusations thrown around regarding the kidnappings, and last night a few Magicals from Ender and Ra had a skirmish along their border.”
I stayed silent, giving him the chance to fill in the blanks.
He looked at me expectantly but caved after a minute. “A few people were wounded.”
“So, Headmistress Elsie was asked to heal them?” She was a gifted healer but being important enough to be called away from school was another thing entirely.
“She’s known for her even temperament and fair judgment. That’s almost more useful than her healing in situations like these. A report came in about a girl using her Air Magic to attack some Magicals in Ra. That
was more fodder for the flames due to the kidnappings. Distrust is high. Tempers are higher. And more and more scuffles are happening every day.”
My earlier happiness deflated. “How long will Headmistress Elsie be gone?”
“A few days, at least,” he answered. “Multiple healings will take lots of energy, and she’ll need time to rest so she doesn’t overexert herself. Plus, they’ll want her to help with the discussion afterward.”
That was putting it mildly. Even at school, tension between kids from the east and west was growing volatile. It was probably much worse outside of Ackley.
“I hope she hurries back.”
I took her presence at school for granted. She was as much a part of Ackley Institute as the red brick buildings, my weeping willow, or Henry’s class.
“Me, too. But in her absence, I’ve agreed to take over a few of her duties. We’ll cancel sparring today.” He held a small stack of papers toward me. “I’ve prepared a packet for you to work on this weekend. You’ll turn it in when we meet again on Luxday. It’s nothing too strenuous, since I know a lot of the other teachers are buckling down for the end of term exams.” He glanced at the clock.
I held back a groan at his reference to the tests. And Luxday. Luxdays were the worst. “All right. “I’ll go to the library to work.”
“Thanks, Emmie. I know I can trust you to be responsible.” He smiled and strode out the door.
I followed him out, falling behind in the wake of his long-legged stride. When he turned left, I turned right to head for the library. My homework distracted me, and by the time I walked back to meet Ivy for dinner, I had almost completely forgotten about Headmistress Elsie’s imminent departure and my feelings of unrest. The promise of Howie's visit the next day lightened my steps.
Despite it being morning, and Noxday even, I woke bright and early. I passed the time by cleaning our room—something Ivy and I rarely did—and working on homework. After everything that’d happened, tedious activities like that were calming.
Around lunchtime, Ivy and I met Gray and Neil in the cafeteria.
Neil glanced at his watch. “I think he’ll be here around two.”
Gray shook his head. “I think he’ll be here earlier than that. Sometimes, he likes to say one thing and then do another to surprise us.”
I giggled and slid into the seat beside Gray. “That’s you you’re thinking of.”
“Morning, boys.” Ivy plunked down next to Neil.
They both turned to me with surprised expressions.
“Since when are you Miss Sunshine?” Neil asked.
I punched him in the arm.
“She’s been like this all morning,” Ivy groaned. “She even made us clean our room.”
“No,” gasped Gray. “Not your room!”
“I’m sure it was time.” Neil’s wry smile earned a glare from Ivy and a chuckle from Gray.
After we finished eating, Ivy declared it was time for a ‘much-needed nap’ while the rest of us wandered the grounds, killing time. Unlike me, she usually went home to her grandmother during the school holidays, so she rarely spent her breaks with the Mastiffs like I did.
True to Neil’s prediction, around two o’clock, I glanced over my shoulder toward the school gate for the millionth time, but he still wasn’t there.
“Why is Dad coming from Headmistress Elsie’s office?” Neil’s question drew my gaze to the opposite side of campus.
Gray grinned. “Maybe he got in trouble and was called in.”
Headmistress Elsie was still here? She must be planning on leaving soon.
Howie and Headmistress Elsie shook hands before she went back inside. He turned around, spotted us, and strolled our direction, his security magicals trailing behind him.
“Howie!” I ran and threw my arms around him.
“Emmaline, it has been too long.” He kissed the top of my head, arms wrapping me in a comforting hug.
I couldn’t stop the huge smile from taking over my face, but I remembered to step out of the way so Gray and Neil could also hug him. After all, he was their dad. Despite that, he’d always treated me like his own daughter, and I loved him more than my own father. A small twinge of guilt pricked my heart, but I shook it off. Dad never even gave me the time of day, much less a visit.
Neil stepped out of his dad’s hug and gave him a meaningful look. “I’ve been expecting your visit.” He glanced back at Headmistress Elsie’s office. “Why were you speaking with the headmistress?”
“We’ll talk about that later. First, I’d like to spend some time with my kids.” Howie patted Neil’s shoulder and dismissed his security with a wave of his hand.
Gray threw an arm around his dad. “Let me give you the grand tour.” He steered him toward the quad.
I hurried to cut in front of Neil and claim Howie’s other side, earning a light flick from Neil on the back of my head.
“You act as if I’ve never been here before, boy.”
“I’m just being polite, since it has obviously changed a bit since you went to school here a hundred years ago.”
Howie smacked the back of his head. “Show some respect, boy. I’m only forty-nine.”
“Yeah, Gray. Respect your father.”
Howie turned and gave me an appreciative smile, and I held onto his arm. When he turned away, I stuck my tongue out at Gray.
Neil leaned forward and whispered, “Behave.” His voice was so close it gave me goosebumps.
I shook my head. “Besides, Howie visits us every year.”
“Huh.” Gray tilted his head to the side and looked at his dad. “I guess you’re right.”
Howie and I shared an exasperated look before he gave Gray a fond smile. “Where’s Ivy?”
I laughed. “She’s probably asleep again. She said to tell you hi, though.”
“Asleep at this time of day?” Howie tapped his watch meaningfully. “She’s missing out on so much.”
“Apparently, Emmie woke her quite early this morning.” Neil grinned at me.
“Glad to hear someone was excited to see me.” Howie gave me a warm smile.
The shadows lengthened during our stroll around the grounds while Howie quizzed us about our classes, and each of us reported on school. It was one of my favorite things about his visits, even if it came with a bittersweet joy. I could pretend that I was a normal girl, talking about school with my dad.
The afternoon flew by, and, too soon, it was almost time for him to go home again. “Boys, do you mind if I have a few minutes alone with Emmaline?”
They both agreed, but then shot me twin questioning looks. I didn’t have any idea what Howie wanted to talk about without them, so I shrugged.
Neil gestured to the far side of the courtyard. “We’ll be by the fountain.” He grabbed Gray by his collar and hauled him away.
Turning to Howie, my giggle died. Concern wrinkled around his eyes. My heart stuttered. He’d never given me such a look before.
He stroked his chin and gazed at me.
I joined him on one of the stone benches. “Is everything okay?”
He smiled. “Yes. Well, no.” His smile dimmed. “I’m not sure, actually.”
“Well, okay?”
He chuckled. “Look at me. I thought about this the entire trip here, and now I’m fumbling around like a young boy.”
I smiled at the idea of a young Howie, picturing Neil’s crooked smile, Gray’s straight nose and lanky body, and Howie’s tweed vests and big, bushy, white eyebrows.
“The truth is, I’ve been worried about you lately.”
“Worried about me? Why?”
He gripped my hand tightly. “I’m sure you’ve heard about the girls who disappeared. The thing is, they’re all your age. Once I realized someone was specifically targeting your age group, I couldn’t help but be concerned.”
“It’s okay. I’m safe here at school.”
“I’d like to believe that, but I can’t help but worry. Ever since that attack on th
e school I can’t help myself.”
“Headmistress Elsie said they placed more enchantments around the school, and there haven’t been any attacks since.” I squeezed his hand.
“You’re so important to me, Emmaline, like the daughter I never had.” His gaze turned watery as tears gathered, sending an ache through me. I leaned in and gave him another hug before I teared up, too. “You’re important to all of us.”
I wasn’t sure who was included in his ‘all,’ but considering my friends could be counted on one hand, I choked on a laugh. He pulled away with a solemn expression, pushing something into my hands.
“What’s this?” I examined the letter curiously, turning it over with both hands. My name was written in small, curling script across the front, and it was folded and sealed with some sort of emblem.
“A letter for you.”
I laughed a little. “Yes, I gathered that much. But who is it from?”
“It’s from your parents.” He stared at the letter in my hands, his face a curious mix of hesitation and excitement.
I crinkled the corner of the envelope in my fist. Another letter from Herb and Lilian. “Why aren't they giving it to me?”
“Because they asked me to.” He took a deep breath and put a trembling hand on my arm. “Emmie, promise me you won’t open it until your sixteenth birthday. They didn’t intend for you to read it until you were old enough.”
“But that’s still a few cycles away. Why give it to me now?” The paper in my hand crinkled in my tight grip. What was in this letter?
He rubbed his face with his hands in a move Neil used far too often. Suddenly, he looked every bit the forty-nine years he claimed as his age. Ever since his bound one had passed away two years ago, he looked like he carried more and more responsibilities and less happiness.
“With all the things happening right now, I guess I’m worried. If anything were to happen to me, I just wanted to make sure I gave it to you.”
“Why would anything happen to you?” I grabbed his hand again, feeling protective.
“Why does anything happen to anyone? Why did something happen to those girls? I’ll feel better knowing the letter is in your hands.”
Unleashed Magic (The Chronicles of Andar Book 1) Page 15