“Now!” Beth yelled.
Josh summoned a final burst of wind. Beth swiped with her sword. The scarab screamed and fell back, exposing an opening. Kaylee charged. She raised her hand. The electricity sparked and snapped.
The scarab turned on her, hissing. Its eyes met her own.
But it wasn’t the scarab anymore.
“Kaylee?” Brendan said.
Kaylee’s throat seized. No. It wasn’t possible. Brendan was—he was—
“Kaylee?” Brendan said again.
But he looked so real that she wanted to reach out and touch his intact face, so unlike the crushed, bleeding mess it had been when he’d died. When she’d—
“Kaylee!”
Jade’s shriek jolted Kaylee back. There was no Brendan. There was only the scarab.
Its clawed hand slammed into her throat. Kaylee choked, seeing white spots. The scarab hissed, closing its grip. Tiny legs skittered up and down her skin. Pincers pierced at her flesh.
It’s not him, Kaylee told herself. He’s dead.
And why would that be?
Because I—
Kaylee thrust the ball of electricity into the scarab’s face. The connections in the air ignited, coursing in an intricate pattern, feeding straight back into her attack, building in power.
The scarab’s hand melted away. Its body puddled until there were only individual scarabs left twitching on the ground.
But still the magic grew around Kaylee. Her stomach clenched as she tried to wrestle it back. This was the feeling of overwhelm. The feeling of losing control, as she had with her storms. As she had when Brendan had forced the Slayers’ dark magic into her. Too much. Too wild. Too uncontrollable.
Kaylee reined the magic back towards her. She drew it inside and held it there like a furious animal, the entire time her stomach tearing at itself. She clamped down harder, until the feeling fled and her magic receded back where it’d come from.
“Vas Ventir, Mar lo se!”
The beetles that had been scuttling in every direction were pulled back towards Edwin. Little by little the black swarm vanished into the jar he held until there was nothing left and Edwin was able to cap it. He held it up.
“Thought we might need this,” he said proudly.
In an instant Jade was by Kaylee’s side.
“What happened? You let that thing touch you!”
Kaylee moved her mouth, but the words wouldn’t come.
“I thought you had your elemental magic under control,” Josh said. Tygus was glaring at her from behind him, as if she was the threat.
“I did,” Kaylee managed. “I mean, I do—”
“It didn’t look that way to us,” Beth said.
“She’s trying,” Jade snapped at them. “Believe it or not it’s a lot harder than it looks.”
Beth snorted and sheathed her knife. She and Maddox helped a disoriented Dylan to his feet. “Let’s scram, you guys. Now.”
“What happened, Kaylee?” Jade asked in a smaller voice.
“Nothing happened. I screwed up. Sorry.” Kaylee stood. Jade searched her face. She could read her better than anyone, but Kaylee made sure her expression was blank. She couldn’t tell Jade she’d seen Brendan’s face again. Jade thought she was over that. Kaylee thought she was too. The guy was a psychopath. Sadistic.
Dead.
You didn’t mean to do it, Jade had said.
But did that make it any better? She had barely held onto her powers that night with the Slayers and it had almost cost her friends their lives.
Now she was losing control again.
“I said move out,” Beth repeated. “We got what we came here for.”
She, Maddox, and Dylan hurried off towards the van, parked hidden across the street. Josh didn’t move.
“If there’s a problem, we need to know about it,” he demanded, eyes narrowing. “I know our elemental powers are a little finicky—”
“You don’t know anything,” Kaylee snapped. “Stay out of this.”
Tygus’ glower deepened. Josh snorted.
“Sure, whatever you say. But I hope you figure out whatever it is before you really hurt someone.”
“Too late for that,” Kaylee whispered as he and Tygus walked off.
Jade put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “We can talk more later. If you want.”
“Thanks.”
Jade nodded and followed the others.
When Kaylee looked up, Edwin was staring at her, his head half-cocked, his eyes deep and unreadable. He didn’t say anything. He didn’t ask if she was okay or what her problem was. He just stayed with her. And for that Kaylee was immensely grateful.
“Come on,” Kaylee said, leading the way back across the vacant parking lot. “Let’s go home.”
Chapter Three
Edwin’s family’s mansion sat on a hill overlooking Scarsdale, in probably the nicest neighborhood in the city. The gates were wrought iron. Marble statues were more common in front yards than discarded children’s toys, and there was a distinct difference in the air Kaylee could only describe as ‘wealth’. Either that or badly burned pizza.
It had been two days since the scarab attack. By now, Kaylee had almost forgotten the nightmares she’d had since that night; frightening visions of teeth and claws, dark magic and a dead boy’s face that wouldn’t leave her alone.
Once school was out she and Jade booked it to Edwin’s house and up the long, winding path to the front door. Tibbs, Edwin’s morose butler/housekeeper let them in and led them to a room in the back of the house that Kaylee had never been to. It was a library, with floor to ceiling bookshelves, full of neatly arranged titles ranging from cracking, ancient spines to the latest thriller release.
“Misses Richards and Azuma to see you, Master Edwin,” Tibbs droned when he let them in.
Edwin, curled in the nearest leather armchair with his face stuck in a book, grunted.
“Translation,” Maddox said in the chair across from him, “thank you.”
Tibbs inclined his head and backed out of the room, closing the door behind him.
“You think this is the best place to do that?” Jade asked Maddox as he used his lacrosse stick to toss a ball back and forth to himself. Maddox grinned, flipped the ball again, and caught it, his stick barely missing a pricey-looking globe on the nearby table.
Kaylee trailed her hand across the spines of the books. “All these are Alastair’s?”
Edwin grunted. Kaylee cocked an eyebrow. She noticed the neatly arranged wooden desk near the window, every item on top of it meticulously arranged. “I should have guessed. Based on the state of Edwin’s room there’s no way his library would be this neat.”
Edwin snorted.
“Translation: very funny,” Maddox said.
“I’d like to hear Edwin say it,” Kaylee said.
“Edwin will be with you momentarily,” Edwin said, burying his face deeper into the book. Maddox laughed.
They were quite the pair, Merlin and his Protector, Kaylee thought. While Maddox’s bulky body and wide shoulders were splayed across most of his chair, Edwin’s lanky, slender frame molded to his spot like water. His hair was curly brown to Maddox’s straight black. And, if you got close enough to Edwin—which Kaylee had a couple times—there was the faintest splatter of freckles on the bridge of his nose beneath the bridge of his glasses.
Edwin shut the book with a snap and Kaylee jumped, realizing she’d been staring. Maddox fumbled with his lacrosse ball and narrowly missed skewering a nearby oil painting.
Edwin’s eyes settled on Kaylee, drinking her in. “How are you feeling?”
“Why wouldn’t I be feeling great?”
“I don’t know. Why wouldn’t you be?”
Kaylee glowered at him. He stared right back.
“I’m fine,” Kaylee said.
“And I bet even if you weren’t you probably wouldn’t tell us, would you?”
“Annnnyway,” Jade said as Kaylee made for
a sharp retort. “Edwin, what have you found?”
Edwin finally pulled his eyes from Kaylee. “What makes you think I found anything?”
Jade nodded to the book in his hand. “You were reading. In Alastair’s library. Which means you were probably looking for something related to the Slayers and Lesuvius.”
“Am I that easy to see through?”
“Clear as glass,” Maddox said brightly.
Edwin ran his fingers down the ridges of the book. “I haven’t come up with anything yet. At first I thought this guy with the scarabs might have been involved with the Slayers somehow. Maybe they’ve been trafficking dangerous creatures similar to what they were doing with the illegal spell components last year. But the Convocation, at least here, hasn’t actually been attacked by any magical beasts.”
“Except for the sphinx in Mantinoba,” Maddox said.
“Or the grindylow outbreak in Florida,” Jade said.
“But both times, like with the scarabs, the creatures only attacked when we went after them,” Edwin said. “And the Slayers weren’t behind them.”
“Plus, you told me most Slayer activity has moved west,” Kaylee said.
“For now. It’s only a matter of time before they swing our way again.”
“So they’re not using creatures, then,” Jade said. “Then what’s it going to be this time?”
Edwin cracked the book, but he was clearly not reading anything. “Not sure yet. I have a feeling it’s going to be magic-based again.”
“We stopped their last spell,” Kaylee said. “We’ll stop this one.”
“That’s why they won’t do another spell,” Edwin said. “At least not the same exact type. Too unstable. Not a high enough guarantee of success. I’m thinking they’ll use an item to concentrate their power. Something powerful. Something the original Slayers tried to use back when they were still part of the order of St. George.”
“The Convocation would have hidden or destroyed anything that powerful a long time ago,” Maddox said. “We’re safe then.”
“But if they were to find something,” Jade said, “you think it could be…” she extended a hand towards Edwin, “…what?”
Edwin uncurled from the chair and carefully replaced the book on the shelf. “No clue. As great as the texts are in here, nothing’s…taboo enough to give me any ideas. Either about a possible item they could use or Lesuvius. For that info we’d need to go…somewhere else.”
He glanced at Kaylee. She knew exactly what he was thinking. Baba Menorah, their magic instructor and immensely powerful Merlin, had a secret, spell-guarded room they’d snuck into once. It hadn’t gone well. They’d managed to make it past the sentient rug guarding the place and even find the counterspell Edwin had used to defeat the Slayers last November. But when Baba had caught them she’d made it clear the next time they entered the room without permission it would be their last.
Kaylee believed her.
“That option’s out,” Edwin said, mirroring her thoughts. “Until I can get access to similar text there isn’t much more I can learn about that, or Lesuvius.”
“I thought I made it explicitly clear you were not to investigate anything relating to him,” Alastair said, stepping into the room.
Maddox scrambled to sitting. Jade stood. Even Kaylee found herself straightening.
Alastair Dumas, Edwin’s father, had the kind of presence that commanded attention. And for good reason. He was head of the Scarsdale Convocation. He also dressed the part, always wearing a charcoal-colored, three-piece Italian suit that only magnified his authority. It was either that or the dragon-kin in him. Though Kaylee knew he was a powerful forest dragon-kin, she wasn’t quite sure what his powers could do. Much like the true strength of Baba’s magic, she wasn’t sure she wanted to find out.
“Well?” Alastair said, looking at Edwin. “What did I say?”
Edwin faced his father, shoulders squared. The two held their positions for a couple seconds before Edwin casually gestured to the book he’d just replaced.
“We weren’t looking into him, but if we’re talking about the Slayers his name is going to come up.”
Alastair gruffly nodded. “He’s heading the Slayers for now. That’s all you need to know. Miss Azuma, Mr. Rudd, your instructor decided to have lessons out by the pond today. Please go join him.”
Jade and Maddox nodded.
“Oh, and Dylan and Beth gave me their report from the other night. They said you both handled yourselves well under pressure and adapted to the situation. Jade, this speaks highly going into your Tamer test next year. Maddox, I may have to recommend your test be moved up, too.”
“Thank you, sir,” Maddox said, inclining his head.
“Yeah, thanks,” Jade parroted. When she inclined her head, Kaylee caught her brief dark look.
“Edwin, you too, please,” Alastair said once Jade and Maddox had left. “Tibbs would like some help cleaning the second dining room. This would be a good chance to practice inanimate animation magic on some of the mops.”
“Sure,” Edwin said. He paused beside Kaylee. Up close she could make out each line of concern etched in his face.
“You sure there’s nothing you want to tell me?” He said in a low voice. “I’m not buying that ‘I’m okay’ act for a second.”
“Edwin—”
“I looked into cases like what happened to you, where someone’s forced to take on more magic than they can handle. Granted the cases were for Merlins, but the application’s the same. They said the victims experienced hallucinations, lost control of their powers—”
“Edwin, please—”
Edwin leaned in, “Saw things that weren’t there. People that weren’t there. Sound familiar?”
Kaylee’s breath caught. He knew. Of course he knew. After training so much together he knew her almost as well as Jade, and now he’d figured it out. It was a horrifying relief. And yet…not. Because her guilt…that was still hers and hers alone.
“You can always talk to me, you know that,” Edwin said. “When you’re ready.”
“I know that,” Kaylee said. “And…I just…I will. Later. After I figure this out.”
Alastair cleared his throat. “Tibbs is waiting, Edwin. You can see Kaylee after.”
Edwin squeezed her hand, sending a rush of warmth shooting up her arm. “Just don’t wait too long. See you soon.”
Alastair’s gaze lingered on the doors after shutting it behind Edwin.
“Am I in trouble or something?” Kaylee said.
Alastair lay his suit jacket across the back of his chair and settled on a corner of the desk. “No, not precisely. In that same report, Dylan and Beth also described your little…episode.”
Kaylee stiffened. Episode? Way to make her sound like a psych patient. Was that what her dragon-kin powers had been reduced to? Moments of total control interspersed with spastic outbreaks?
“It was the first time that’s happened, Alastair,” Kaylee said. That she’d told them about, anyway.
Alastair held up a placating hand. “They didn’t condemn you for what happened. In fact, they praised your ability to control the magic when it got loose.”
“But there’s still a problem,” Kaylee guessed.
“Yes.” Alastair sighed. “Losing control isn’t the problem. It’s just a symptom of an underlying issue. You’ve done immensely well training with Baba—”
As if on cue, the study doors burst open and Baba Menorah strode in. Kaylee couldn’t have been more shocked than if she’d fallen through the ceiling. It was one thing to see the portly, stringy-haired old grouch actually out in public; it was quite another to see her wearing something other than her normal, ratty bathrobe. In this case, canvas jeans and a corduroy shirt, with boots two-sizes too big, their tongues flapping with every step.
Baba made herself at home in one of the leather chairs. She propped her boots up on the center table and pulled out a flask.
“Baba…” Alastair said w
ith a strained grin. “Glad you could make it.”
“Not happy to.” She took a swig.
“I’ll have to ask you to refrain from drinking in my study. We have another room for that across the house.”
“By all means, ask away,” Baba said, taking another sip. “You tell her yet?”
“Tell me what?” Kaylee said.
“I was getting to that,” Alastair said. “Kaylee, you’ve done well controlling your powers under Baba’s tutelage—”
“I’d call it passable,” Baba said. “But acceptable.”
“—but the truth of the matter is we believe you’ve reached the limit of what Baba can teach you.”
“The…limit.”
“Your dragon-kin elemental magic is strong, girl. Very strong,” Baba said. “Like ‘Stair said, you’ve kept it pretty much under wraps, save for a stray lightning bolt here and there. But that’s not enough. You need another trainer. Another dragon-kin. Preferably one with similar elemental magic to yours.”
Kaylee looked between each of them. “You mean I won’t be taking lessons with Edwin?”
Baba snorted into her flask. “Told you she wouldn’t take it well.”
Kaylee clamped down her fingers, which had begun to grow warm with sparks. “I’m in control, if that’s what you mean. But…”
This wasn’t supposed to happen. Sure, not too long ago just the thought of training with Edwin had infuriated her, but they’d been through a lot since then. She’d helped him become a better Merlin, and he’d helped her when the struggles of being a dragon-kin and Slayer’s target were too much. They’d fought together, nearly died together. It was the kind of mutual experience that tended to bring people closer.
Kaylee touched the small wooden charm around her neck. Edwin had made it for her to help her calm down when their training had grown overwhelming. The magic in the charm had long since worn off, and though Edwin would usually only recharge it before a big test, she wore it all the time anyway.
“Have you told Edwin?” Kaylee said.
“No,” Alastair said.
“It ain’t like you’ll never see the boy again,” Baba said. “Don’t be so dramatic.”
Breathe, Kaylee told herself. Murdering Baba wouldn’t help anything. “I’m not being dramatic.”
Dragon's Curse (Heir of Dragons: Book 2) Page 2