My chest throbbed. “We already know what he did.”
“Maybe she got a different strength of the potion,” Gray said. “We won’t know for sure unless we find the Enforcer who did this.”
“I can track him down,” Smith offered.
I gave Smith and Michael a grateful nod as a glimmer of hope took root in my heart.
“I’ll go with you,” Bri told the guys. “Just in case you need muscle.”
“Thank you,” I told the three of them.
“Of course,” Bri replied. “Meet back at Ma’s?”
I nodded numbly, wondering how I was going to tell Ma and Grandma what had happened.
I turned all of my attention on Cora. Her eyes were bloodshot, but Michael had calmed her. I took her hand, the way I’d done when she was a little kid and I walked her to the bus. Gray slung her backpack over his shoulder.
Together, we left the violence of the park behind us.
CHAPTER 39
Ma sat at the kitchen table, holding a small piece of metal that was flecked with dried blood.
Desiree’s tracker.
I had cut out my own tracker three years ago. It was a decision I’d made for myself, but for the first time, I wondered if my actions had somehow prompted Desiree’s.
A tight ache knotted in my chest.
Gray, Yutika, and A.J. retreated into the backyard to give my family privacy. Cora stood against the wall, tears streaming silently down her face, while I told Ma and Grandma what had happened. I didn’t mention that Desiree was the reason why the UnAllied had found my house and almost killed my friends and me. I figured I could share that detail later once the shock had worn off…if it ever wore off.
“Ma,” I said in a hoarse voice.
Ma pressed a hand to her chest. It was the first sign she gave that she’d heard anything I’d just told her.
“Why didn’t I stop her?” Ma whispered. “I should have locked that girl in this house. I should have helped her understand. I should have—”
The tracking chip fell onto the table as Ma covered her face with her hands. Her sobs filled the tiny kitchen and threatened to rip my heart right out.
In my entire life, I’d never seen Ma fall apart. She was the one who was always picking up other people’s broken pieces. It scared the hell out of me to see her like this.
Before I could muster a single word, Ma pushed away from the table and crushed Cora into her arms. The two of them held each other as their shoulders shook.
“Oh, my baby,” Ma cried. “I’m so, so sorry.”
We’d always been the Hansley clan…a unit. And now, one of us had sold out to the enemy. And Cora was magic-less.
“This is all my fault,” Ma said as she held onto Cora. “If I’d stopped Desiree…if I’d kept a better eye on her—”
Ma went still when Grandma Tashi made a small sound. If I didn’t know her better, I would have thought she was crying.
In my twenty-two years, I’d never seen my grandmother shed a tear.
When Grandma Tashi looked up, the light caught on the wetness streaming down her cheeks.
That was what finally undid me. I leaned my head against my grandmother’s bony shoulder and cried with her.
“Desiree is as headstrong as any of the Hansleys,” Grandma Tashi said, smoothing a hand down my hair in a rare display of affection. “All we can do is hope she comes to her senses and finds her way home to us.”
I should have tried harder to bring Desiree home. After everything Ma and Grandma had done to keep what was left of our family together, I should have fought harder for my cousin.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered, the words scraping against my throat like shards of glass.
Grandma Tashi stepped back and held out her arm. Ma and Cora squeezed into the hug, all of us clutching each other.
There was a hole in my heart from Desiree’s absence. I knew it had to be a million times worse for Ma. And Cora…Desiree was her sister. For as much as they bickered, they were best friends.
My family was falling apart, and I didn’t know how to fix it.
A sharp rap at the door made all of us jump.
“Bri, Smith, and Michael know they don’t need to knock,” Ma said, wiping her face on her apron and heading for the door.
A tingling along my spine told me it wasn’t my friends at the door.
“Go in the backyard with everyone,” I told Cora before hurrying after Ma. “Ma, don’t—”
As soon as Ma twisted the knob, the door flew open. Ma stumbled back as three Enforcers stomped into the narrow foyer. I let out a strangled scream as one of the men grabbed Ma’s arm and roughly shoved her against the wall. I started forward, but Ma shouted, “Stay where you are!”
The illusion of a plain wall jutted out right in front of me, blocking me from view. Ma was talking to me, but because I was now hidden, the Enforcer thought the order was for him. I peeked around the wall illusion just as the man gave Ma a shake that made her head flop back.
“I give the orders, not you,” he growled.
“What is the meaning of this?” Grandma Tashi demanded, stalking up to the men. “What right do you have burstin’ in on people in their own homes?”
“According to your records, an Inanimate Illusionist and Medium reside here, along with two minor Magics,” the Enforcer holding Ma said. He shifted his grip on Ma so he could consult a printout he had tucked in his armpit.
“That’s right,” Ma said stiffly. “And may I ask what you’re doing barging in here?”
Instead of answering, the man grasped her arm and held it out so the third man could hover a metal wand over her forearm. He checked the tablet in his hand.
“You’re a relation of Kaira Hansley,” the man said, staring down at his tablet.
My thoughts raced while I tried to figure out what to do. Michael could resolve this situation in a few seconds flat, but he wasn’t here.
I was poised on the balls of my feet, ready to burst through the illusion that was hiding me.
“I’m Kaira’s mother,” Ma said. “What do you want with my daughter?”
“She’s unMarked and suspected of being involved in the explosion at MagLab,” the soldier answered. “Is she here?” He pressed his hand over a bulge in his pocket. When he moved to the side, I saw what looked like a syringe sticking out of a plastic bag.
My blood went cold at the thought of him injecting any of us with the Magical Reduction Potion.
“No,” Ma said stiffly. “So go pester someone else. It’s five o’clock in the morning, and you aren’t invited to breakfast.”
The man holding the tablet and scanner moved deeper into the house, patting the air with his hands like he suspected illusions were at work.
I heard the French doors open, and I knew my friends would soon come to investigate. I had about two seconds to decide what to do.
I transformed my appearance and walked around the wall illusion to hide the fact that there wasn’t actually anything in front of me.
“Mrs. Hansley?” I said in what I hoped sounded like a convincing old woman’s voice. “What’s all this noise about?”
Thanks to Grandma Tashi, I had plenty of experience with surly older women. As I stepped past the mirror in the hallway, I caught sight of my close-cropped white hair, glasses with the dangle chain around my neck, and wrinkled skin. I hadn’t thought specifically about my outfit, but my subconscious had changed my jeans and tank top into a paisley dress that A.J. would have labeled 100% frump.
The rest of my friends entered the hallway from the kitchen. To their credit, not a single one of them balked when they saw their new appearances in the mirror. For some reason, I had given Gray a walker to complete his old man appearance. He was doing his best to hold his hands out and hunch down so it looked like he was actually leaning on the walker. Yutika had one of those giant church hats that movie actresses always wore, but which I doubted anyone had in real life.
Sometimes my illusions ha
d a mind of their own.
“Who are these people?” the Enforcer who was manhandling Ma demanded. The one with the tablet looked down at his screen.
I spoke up before anyone else could.
“We’re the Elders for Magic and Natural Cooperation,” I announced. “We meet every Thursday for breakfast.” And, because I could see Ma starting to panic, I added, “And no one makes a finer breakfast than Ma Hansley.”
“You people Mags?” the one with the tablet asked, untucking his wand from his back pocket.
“We’re Naturals,” I lied smoothly. “And I’ll thank you not to use slang around your elders.”
Nats had no way of knowing whether someone was a Mag aside from their tracker. Since the US Military didn’t allow Mags to serve, there was no way for them to prove I was lying. Unless—
“We’re going to need to see some IDs, ma’am,” he said.
Shit.
“I’ll get them,” Yutika said in a warbly voice that sounded like a mockery of an old person. None of us was going to win an acting award for this performance, that was for sure.
“A little early for breakfast, isn’t it?” the Enforcer who had one meaty hand on Grandma Tashi’s shoulder asked.
“Early bird gets the worm,” Yutika called as she disappeared into the kitchen.
“Ma Hansley, you get rid of these boys right now, you hear?” A.J. said in a voice that was so convincing I had to hold back a snort, despite our dire situation. “I’m gonna lose my appetite with the smell.” He waved his hand delicately in front of his nose. “Do young people not wear deodorant anymore?” He planted his hands on his now-chubby hips. “Are you boys hippies, or something? Tree huggers?”
“Enough of this,” one of the men muttered. “We need to see your licenses now, or we’ll be forced to arrest you.”
“Hold your horses,” I said in a tone of total unconcern. “Young people are always rushing around these days.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Grandma Tashi’s mouth thin into a disapproving line. She never appreciated the stereotypical old person caricature, and we were doling it out in spades. Fortunately, the Enforcers didn’t seem to notice.
“How do we know you men are who you say you are?” Graysen demanded, giving the Enforcers a Grandma Tashi-worthy stare down. “You could be ruffians off the street, for all we know.”
Oh yeah. Definitely not winning any acting awards.
“We are Enforcers of the United States Military,” one of the men said proudly. “Our mission is to protect and serve.”
“Seems like all you’re doing is causing a ruckus in our city,” I said, trying to buy Yutika more time.
“It’s the unMarked Mags, ma’am,” one of the soldiers replied. “They’re the ones who are murdering and looting, and if we don’t stop them, no one will.”
“You can’t punish everyone because of the actions of a few,” Graysen said. From the way his old-man act was slipping back into his normal voice, I knew he wasn’t just playing a part.
The Enforcers were equally passionate and didn’t seem to notice the lapse.
“Magics aren’t the same as us,” the Enforcer replied. “That kind of power is abnormal. If we don’t take it away, they’ll lose what little humanity they have left.”
“This is our city,” Graysen snapped. “What right do you have to play judge and jury?”
I loved him for taking on this fight, but my eyes kept going to the syringes in the men’s pockets. Pissing these people off wasn’t the best idea.
Yutika bustled in from the kitchen, carrying three purses and two wallets.
“Whew,” Yutika said, fanning her face. “It took me a century to find where Gertrude hid her bag.”
Yutika opened the first purse, which smelled like new leather, and took out a driver’s license. She handed it over to the Enforcer with the tablet.
I shot her a look that was part relief and part awe. Unlike my illusions, everything Yutika created was real. She’d just made purses, wallets, and driver’s licenses in five minutes flat.
The soldier squinted at the photo on the license, looked at Yutika, and then returned his gaze to the license.
I held my breath.
The man grunted and passed the license back to her. Instead of reaching for one of the other bags dangling from her arm, he turned to Ma.
“If any of those unMarked Mags turn up, it’s your duty as a law-abiding citizen of Boston to alert the authorities.”
“I’ll do that,” Ma said in a clipped voice.
The men turned and marched out of the house. Grandma Tashi slammed the door behind them hard enough that the pictures hanging on the wall rattled.
I withdrew our illusions, and we all just sagged to the floor. Ma and Grandma went to Cora, who was trembling.
“That was some quick thinking,” Graysen told me.
“I couldn’t have pulled it off without Yutika,” I said, giving her hand a quick squeeze. “You’re amazing.”
“I know.” She gave me a little nudge, but her attention kept straying to the door.
“Michael, Smith, and Bri can handle those guys better than the rest of us,” I assured her. “They’ll be fine.”
“It’s like Atlanta all over again,” Grandma Tashi told Ma in a hoarse whisper.
“I thought we’d be safe here,” Ma said, lowering her head and pinching the bridge of her nose. “I thought if we got our babies out of Atlanta, we’d be okay. And now, look.”
“That’s naïve thinking,” Grandma replied in her blunt way. “Lord knows there’s always more to lose.”
The vise around my chest tightened.
“Desiree will come around,” Ma said with savage motherly pride. “I know she will.”
Ma and Grandma continued to argue quietly as the rest of us tried to collect ourselves. Now that the immediate danger had worn off, my limbs felt rubbery.
We’d gotten lucky, and yet, I couldn’t stop thinking about all of the other unMarked Mags who couldn’t hide the way we had. When the Enforcers knocked down their doors, they wouldn’t be able to talk their way out of being injected with the Magical Reduction Potion.
They’d lose their magic. Just like my baby cousin.
If Gray and I didn’t win the election, there was no hope for my kind.
CHAPTER 40
In twenty-two years, I’d never once seen Ma too upset to cook. She stood at the fridge, talking to herself, as she pulled out about a week’s worth of leftovers. Half a coffee cake, cold fried chicken, and a head of broccoli appeared on the kitchen table.
I nudged Cora, who managed the ghost of a smile.
“Shotty on the broccoli,” A.J. announced.
“Shotty on the ice cream,” Yutika said, drawing an entire tub of rocky road in front of her. She leaned closer to Cora. “But if you want to share, I might be willing to give you a spoonful or two.”
Ma was still in her frenzied fridge-emptying exercise when I heard the heavy clunk of Bri’s titanium steps. Michael’s large frame filled the doorway. He stepped into the kitchen, making way for Bri and the Enforcer she was holding up by the collar of his shirt. Smith followed behind all of them, holding his laptop.
The Enforcer had a black eye that was swollen shut. Blood was trickling from the corner of his mouth, and when his lips parted, I saw one of his front teeth was missing.
Way to go, Bri.
Bri shoved the man onto his knees in front of Cora.
“Tell them what you told us,” Bri ordered.
The man didn’t say anything, so Michael repeated the command. Almost immediately, the Enforcer began to speak.
“Magical Reduction Potion,” he said, looking straight ahead. “100%. Permanent.”
Those words filled my head until I couldn’t think. I could barely breathe.
I had been hoping it was one of the watered-down formulas, and that Cora’s magic would be back in a few days. The fact that my cousin would never create another illusion was incomprehens
ible.
I turned to Cora. The look on her face was one of resignation. She’d already known.
“Oh, my baby,” Ma said, abandoning the fridge to gather Cora into her arms. “My sweet, sweet baby.”
Gray slipped his hand into mine. He knew there was nothing to say.
“Want me to kill him, Cora?” Bri asked.
The Enforcer let out a whimper.
“No,” my cousin said in a small voice. “I don’t want any more violence. Please.”
My heart throbbed. Cora was the best of us. She didn’t deserve this.
Michael Whispered a few words to the man, who raced out of the house without a backward glance.
And then, there was silence.
We all turned to Cora.
She wasn’t crying. It might have been better if she was. Instead, there was a dead, empty look in her eyes that scared me more than hysterics would have.
“Cora,” Ma said gently. “Talk to me, child.”
“I’ll have to apply to the BSMU as a Nat, and I’m not smart enough to ace their entrance exam.” Cora blinked rapidly. “I’ll never be able to help the Alliance.”
I pressed a fist to my mouth to hold back a flood of emotions. I would rather lie down and die than lose my magic, but Cora wasn’t thinking about that. My sweet cousin was mourning her inability to make our city better more than she was grieving for the loss of her magic.
Gray let go of my hand and pushed back his chair. He went around the table and crouched down so he and Cora were face to face.
“You can still get into the BSMU and work for the Alliance,” Gray told her. “If that’s what you want, you can do it with or without magic.”
“I’m not as smart as you,” Cora said in a broken voice. “They only admit Nat students with at least a 286 on their entrance exams. I’ll never get that high.”
“Of course you will,” Gray told her, projecting so much confidence Cora would have no choice but to believe him. “I’ll help you study as much as you want.”
A tentative, hopeful smile stole across her face.
“I’ll help you study, too,” Yutika offered. “I try and keep it on the down low, but I got a 300 on the entrance exam.”
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