Unleashed Magic (The Chronicles of Andar Book 1)

by Laura M. Drake

  Without Gray, I would’ve never survived classes. Although they tried to pretend like everything was normal, all of the teachers were tense and distracted while preparing for the upcoming final exams the following week. When we sat in Literature, Ivy’s absence hit Gray all over again when Mr. Harper talked about Rewis Dene's poetry.

  When we separated for lunch, I hesitated with my tray before sitting. Normally, no one wanted to sit by me, but my brush with danger had increased my popularity. Under other circumstances, I might have enjoyed not being invisible, but I couldn’t handle being with the other students right then.

  I walked to Henry’s classroom instead, knowing he’d allow me to eat in peace.

  His gaze flicked to my tray and back to me. “Today, we’ll have class in the library.”

  “We will?” We’d never done that before.

  “I know you’ve been busy researching the crystals and it’s time I helped you. Old Andarian can wait.” He didn't have to finish his thought. Old Andarian could wait. Neil couldn’t.

  I blinked to dispel the gathering tears and opened my milk bottle to busy my hands.

  “We’ll head over when you’ve finished eating.”

  I sat and scarfed down my food, finishing everything in five minutes. “Done.” I threw my trash in the bin and shouldered my bag.

  “All right, let’s go.” He led the way out the door to a library that greeted us with empty tables.

  We researched for a few hours before Henry broke the silence. “Emmie, what can you tell me about when Gray was in a coma?”

  I raised one shoulder in a shrug. “Not much more than I already have. Why?”

  “I've been talking to a few of the other teachers about it.” His quiet voice was loud in the library.

  “Gray’s fine. You should focus on Neil.” I kept my gaze on the page in front of me.

  “That's exactly it, Emmie. Do you realize there were only supposed to be three ways to save Gray? Three ways, none of which were available to us at the school, and yet, somehow, he's fine.”

  “I know. Only someone in his family, someone else with Light Magic, or his bound half could’ve healed him.”

  Henry eyed me.

  I coughed. “I might have, uh, overheard the teachers talking about it.”

  “You don't fall under any of those three categories, and yet, you were the only one there and, somehow, Gray is better.”

  I closed my book, marking my place with my finger. “I don't know what to tell you.”

  “Can you walk me through what happened that night?”

  “Well I snuck—I went to visit Gray in the infirmary.”

  Henry gave me a disapproving glare, but didn't interrupt.

  “I talked to him about how everything had fallen apart, and then I got really tired. I couldn't walk back to my room, so I climbed onto the bed and fell asleep.”

  His finger tapped a dancing rhythm on the tabletop. “You just got tired all of a sudden?”

  “Yup, it was really weird.”

  “And nothing happened that caused it?”

  “I don't know. I talked to Gray.” I closed my eyes and tried to think back. “Oh, and I grabbed his hand.”

  “You touched him?” Henry glanced at me sharply.

  “It wasn't a big deal. I just held his hand. No need to freak out.” Geesh, it was like Henry thought any sort of contact at all with the opposite sex would lead to Binding.

  Henry shook his head impatiently. “You don't understand. You had contact with him.”

  “So? Gray and I touch all the time.” I flushed. “I mean casual touches.” Somehow, that didn't sound any better. “Like when he puts me in a headlock.” It still sounded somewhat odd, but at least it didn't imply Gray and I were in some kind of relationship.

  The silence grew while I contemplated the mystery of Gray’s healing. If Gray didn’t heal himself, did I do it?

  I gasped in excitement. “Do you think Gray and I are actually related? It would explain so much. I mean, Gray’s practically like a brother, and Howie’s like a father to me, anyway. It seriously makes so much sense.”

  I bit my lip. But I couldn’t handle Neil being my brother.

  At the same moment, Henry burst out, “Emmie, did you Bind with Gray? I thought for sure after all our lectures about it, there was no way you’d do something so foolish, but it’s the most obvious explanation. How could I have missed it?” Henry ran his hands through his hair twice.

  “But they’d know if I was that close.” My words tumbled over Henry’s. “Maybe I’m more like a distant cousin. A really distant cousin who could still heal Gray.”

  “You’re always spending time with those Mastiff boys. Of course, you’d fall in love with one of them. But Binding, Emmie? Really?”

  We both stopped and exchanged a confused look.

  Henry smiled faintly. “You think you’re part of Delegate Mastiff’s family?”

  “Did you just ask if Gray and I were bound?” I almost laughed.

  We both spoke at the same time. “That’s ridiculous.”

  A real smile broke out over his face.

  I couldn’t help my answering grin, even though I was still a little weirded out by him thinking I was in love with Gray.

  Henry grew serious again. “So, if you’re not bound with Gray—”

  I shook my head furiously.

  “And since you aren’t Delegate Mastiff’s daughter—or any relation...”

  My breath caught at the seriousness of his expression.

  “Emmie, I think you’re a Light Magical.”

  Chapter 15

  “I’m not a Light Magical. I couldn’t have healed Gray,” I protested. “I've never been able to use magic.”

  “True,” Henry agreed. “But we know you have it.”

  I gestured to my gray tie. “Then what does this mean?”

  “It means your magic wasn't identified during the Inquiry, and the teachers didn't know where to place you. You wouldn’t be allowed at Ackley if you were a Mundane.”

  “I might as well be,” I muttered.

  Henry ignored my complaints. “It's the only thing that makes sense.”

  “You really think I’m a Light Magical? Why would that reveal itself now?” Could it be true?

  “I'm not sure what to think. I’ve never heard of anything like this before.” He glanced around the library. “Where’s Gray now?”

  The clock read half past the hour. “I'm not sure. He’s fifteen minutes late.”

  Henry’s leg bounced. “I need to talk to the other teachers about this.”

  “You can go now.” I gave him a small smile before returning my focus to my book. “I’m sure Gray will be here any minute.”

  “No, I don't want to leave you alone.”

  We went back to reading.

  A few minutes later, he glanced at his watch.

  Two minutes later, he did it again.

  I sighed. “Really, it’s fine if you need to go before he gets here. I won’t leave the library.” I smiled and tapped my book. “Besides, you’re making it hard to focus.”

  He ducked his head. “Sorry. I'm anxious to talk to the Headmistress.”

  “About your theory?” My hands shook as I turned a page. What if he was wrong? I sucked in a breath. What if he was right?

  “Yes, she needs to know.”

  I took a deep breath and clenched the book in my hands. There wasn’t time to worry about that. My main focus should be the crystal.

  When Gray walked through the door, Henry shot from his chair. He gave me a searching glance before saying goodbye and patted Gray on the shoulder, but didn’t slow his steps.

  Gray collapsed into his vacated chair.

  “Hey.” I finished reading another paragraph. When Gray didn’t respond, I closed my book.

  His face had the same haunted look from when we got the news about his mom’s death two years ago.

  The pounding of my heart echoed a foreboding feeling, and I pu
t my hand on his arm. “Gray?”

  His hand twitched, and he came to life.

  The anguish on his face tore at my heart. “Gray, what is it?”

  “My dad.”

  My heart pounded even harder. “What about him? Did they find him?” Don’t tell me more bad news.

  “He took my dad.” His voice was emotionless, but his eyes held all the pain of that thirteen-year-old boy at the funeral. “The school was alerted when a man matching the kidnapper’s description was seen near the house. The headmistress would’ve called both Neil and me in to tell us, but—” His gaze cut to the Arresting Crystal in the corner of the room, and he buried his head in his arms.

  It wasn’t fair. One person should never have to go through so much suffering.

  “What if he does to my dad what he did to Celia?”

  We’d find him. The words traveled up my throat before getting caught on my lips. I closed my mouth, trapping the words inside and swallowing them before I could make promises I had no idea how to keep.

  Gray hid his face beneath his arms.

  I sat there with a useless comforting hand on his shoulder and no words to share.

  He sat up, my hand falling from his shoulder. “I need to go.” He pushed back his chair and stood.

  My breath caught at the hopeless look in his eyes. That wasn’t the Gray I knew. “Okay, I’ll come, too.”

  “No.” He shook his head. “I need to be alone right now.”

  “Where are you going?”

  He didn’t reply.

  “Promise me you’ll be safe.” A feeling of dread pulsed through me with every beat of my heart. How much more could we lose? He was the last thing I had.

  “I’m going to go to my room.” He shrugged. “There’s not really anywhere else I can go.” Our freedom was another casualty of the attacks.

  “Okay, I’ll be here if you need me.” My hands twisted in my lap. Gray was always doing something for me. Was there nothing I could do for him? My fledgling magic wasn’t the only thing that made me useless.

  “Thanks, Emmie,” he said softly.

  The letters on the page in front of me swam before my eyes. I wiped away my tears, but they still trailed down my cheeks relentlessly.

  I tapped on the door.

  “Come in.” Headmistress Elsie’s voice didn't sound upset, so her summons probably wasn't due to bad news. Good. I couldn’t deal with anything else right then.

  I slipped inside, and the door shut quietly behind me. “Good evening, Headmistress. You asked to see me?”

  “Hello, Miss Lyland. Thank you for joining me today. I know you've been busy.” Neither of us mentioned why. It was easier not to speak of it. She gestured to the seat in front of her desk.

  I perched on the chair.

  She laced her fingers together and watched me. “Henry told me he talked to you a few days ago about Mr. Mastiff coming out of his coma, correct?”

  I nodded. “He did.”

  “And he told you that you might be a Light Magical?”

  I shrugged. “He mentioned that, but I didn't believe him.”

  “Why not?” She leaned back in her chair and folded her hands in her lap.

  I swallowed. “I mean, if I was a Light Magical, I would’ve been accepted to the Light Academy after my Inquiry, right?”

  She pursed her lips and stared with unfocused eyes. “Your Inquiry was...unusual.”

  All those years, and I still flushed at the reminder.

  “Nevertheless, with the evidence that has come to light, you certainly belong in my Academy. No one else would’ve been able to give Gray energy to heal himself.”

  I stared at her without responding for a few seconds. “I really healed Gray?”

  “We believe so.”

  “But I haven’t done anything like that before. I’ve never even been able to access my magic. Are you sure it was me? Could Gray have drawn the energy from me in his sleep to heal?

  She shook her head. “No, that’s not possible. A Magical has to be conscious to direct their magic. While Gray's body would’ve wanted to heal himself from the coma, he had neither the strength nor the will to do so.” She leaned toward me across her desk. “Do you realize what this means, Miss Lyland? You’re the first Magical in history to come into their magic at fifteen instead of eight, and you used it without any training.”

  Not the most ideal achievement to be remembered for. “But I don’t know how to use my magic.”

  “It’s all right. That’s what the classes are for. Tomorrow, we will have a short ceremony in the auditorium to welcome you to the Light Academy similar to the ones the Grades Ones go through, and once we get the paperwork straightened out, you’ll start attending classes with Mr. Mastiff. I think everyone will be relieved to have an excuse to celebrate.” Her lips quirked in a small smile before returning to her solemn expression.

  Her words barely registered. I belonged in the Light Academy. Or so they said. After being told the opposite for so long, I couldn’t squash the wriggling worm of doubt that told me they were wrong.

  “—I know how close you and Mr. Mastiff are, so I thought it would be special if he presented your white tie to you.”

  “All right.” I’d missed the rest of what she said.

  She looked at me with a slight frown. “I’m sorry we can’t do more to celebrate right now. We still don’t know what implications this has for the Magical community, but with everything going on...” She trailed off and rubbed her eyes.

  I shook my head. “That’s okay.”

  “Well if there's nothing else, I need to return to work.”

  I stood.

  “And Miss Lyland, good luck.”

  Her words were a live wire, shocking me back to reality. I gave a curt nod and turned to walk back to the library. Finding an answer was what really mattered.

  The next day, my stomach wanted to rebel, even though I hadn’t eaten breakfast. I sat in the same wooden chair from seven years ago with my hands clenched into fists in my lap, trying to keep my expression smooth. There were too many people staring at me.

  Gray sat next to me, his head high and a small smile on his lips. But permanent lines of sadness were etched on his face.

  I tried to mimic his posture: shoulders back, hands casually resting on my knees, and head high. When my hands shook on my knees, I went back to clenching them. The faces of the audience all blurred together, and I took deep breaths.

  Headmistress Elsie amplified her voice. “Lately, it feels like all we've had to share is bad news: the missing girls, the attacks, the recent kidnapping of students from Ackley Institute.” Her voice broke, and she took a deep breath, making eye contact with different students. “But even in times of trial, there is much to be grateful for. It's easy to be thankful for blessings when life is going well, but your true test of character is to be grateful when you're in the midst of afflictions. For in life, pain will always find us, but it is up to us to choose how we react.”

  The students watched her silently.

  “So today, we have gathered to celebrate the new addition of a Magical to the Light Academy.”

  I could almost see the whispers charge from one end of the benches to the other.

  “Mr. Gray Mastiff, the representative for the Light Academy, will welcome its newest member.” She smiled gently at Gray. Would I ever have that connection with her?

  I turned to the faculty section, and Henry shot me a blinding smile.

  The shaking in my hands subsided a bit. No matter what happened, I’d always have Henry.

  Gray stopped in front of Headmistress Elsie, clicking his heels together and saluting her with two fingers. He flicked his fingers out and accepted a white tie from her hands, then turned to me.

  I stood and the world swam around me. I filled my lungs with air and walked toward Gray, refusing to look anywhere but at his bright eyes. The few steps were endless.

  I pressed both palms in front of my chest and bowed slowly b
efore reaching out to accept the tie from him, but he subtly shook his head.

  He pulled on the end of my gray tie until it fluttered to the floor, settling into a pool in front of me.

  With that weight gone from my neck, I stood straighter. Seven years worth of bullying couldn’t be shed so easily, but it was the start.

  He looped the white tie around my neck and tied it for me before giving me a slow grin. Placing his hands on my shoulders, he turned me around.

  Most of the faces in front of me looked like blurs, but a few came with sharp clarity. A warm glow of affection flowed through me when Henry discreetly wiped away a few tears. A flash of satisfaction as Lukas’ face scrunched in disbelief. And a jolt of shock when Herb and Lilian, sitting near the front, clapped for me.

  Seeing them happy and smiling suddenly made me remember a memory from my childhood. I must’ve been about two or three, an age well before my lack of magic became apparent. The memory was fuzzy but brimming with affection and acceptance.

  My mother picks me up and spins me around, enveloping me in her faint vanilla scent. Her smile beams down at me, full of love, and I snuggle my head into her neck. “Oh, my sweet, dear Emmaline.”

  I giggle as she tickles me.

  “My two favorite girls.” I peek over her shoulder. My father is striding toward us. He’s tall and slender and has brown hair like mine, but his face is blurred like a photograph left out in the sun. He puts his arms around both of us and squeezes. “If I can always have you two in my arms, that’s all I’ll ever need.”

  I shook my head and waved, but the moment was too bittersweet to enjoy. If I smiled much longer, my face might crack. All I’d ever wanted was to belong in an Academy like everyone else and to have my parents really love me. I had magic, and I was finally the daughter they’d always wanted, a daughter they could be proud of.

  When I walked off the stage, Mom and Dad navigated through the hordes of students to greet me. “Honey, we’re so proud of you! Congratulations.” Mom kissed my cheek, and Dad nodded.