by T J Kelly
Of course, it wasn't remotely normal. "This is great," I said. I rolled the folder and slipped it into my pocket. I would go over it with Mort and Armageddon. "I see they were sent to Madagascar."
"Fortunately for them, they took ill while hiding in one of the small hotels Rector Enterprises uses for our contractors. Our allies saw what was happening and sent them to the head healer. Several of the locals were concerned that was overreaching, but it worked out for the best. Poltens Sanator himself stopped by for a visit and asked that I inform our employees to send anyone else with the same symptoms to the island immediately."
I bet he did. Poltens would have recognized the death curse, especially since we had broken the one on Sera. He knew what to do.
"Adrian, how well do you know the alchemists in your area?" Something in my voice caught Peter's attention. He lowered the paper he had been reading as his brow rose in curiosity.
"As well as any of the other employees. I'm still building solid relationships with them, but have made progress."
I received regular reports from all the department heads. From what I could gather, he was correct. They respected him and were getting to know him well enough to respect his abilities. That always helped with relations between the classes. "Do you think you can identify who knows the most about what's going on in the area? I'd like to know who might not support our cause when the time comes."
"Oh. Yeah, I can do that." He shifted in his chair and then nodded as if he had come to a decision. "Thanks for that," he added. I knew what he meant. We hadn't given him many assignments. He wasn't even an agent. But he was our responsibility and he could contribute. He was healthy enough for that. And I really didn't have any time left to visit every company I owned and form close relationships with the employees so they would confide in me, much less be able to do it overnight. Adrian had been there for months and he had already gotten to know them. He was in a better position to learn the things we needed than I was.
Besides, it was an Irregular's duty to utilize support staff, too. We couldn't do everything by ourselves. My uncle warned us that despite it being contrary to their best interests, up to a third of alchemists supported the side of dark. I didn't think anyone on staff at one of my companies could do that and not be discovered, but everyone was vulnerable to blackmail. "Send me regular reports. If anything comes to your attention but is too nebulous to describe, don't hesitate to come here or summon me to Poland. Not everything we do is concrete enough to write out on a page."
"Got it." Adrian looked over at Peter, then back to me. "I hope you don't mind my saying so, but you guys are getting a reputation."
"Oh?" It was my turn for an eyebrow to raise. Peter set aside the newspaper and didn't even pretend to be doing anything but listening in. "Good things, I hope."
"Yeah. Well, there are some grumblings from competitors. The usual stuff. But the locals follow you in the papers and remember you from your visits. You've done a good job. My only suggestion is to come by for another visit soon. It's been a while and they would like to see you."
Everything I did was a mix of business, social obligations, and my work as an agent. But I was a public figure, at the top of magic society, and therefore a target. With help from my aunt, I had been trying to stay in their good graces. It was easier to implement change, even the kind that was obviously for the better, with high approval ratings. Also, there were potential allies out there. We needed all the help we could get.
"Thanks for letting us know. That's great to hear." It also made me feel better after our earlier confrontation with Oberon. He always left me feeling strange and uncertain. I hated that.
"It is," Peter agreed. He walked to my side and held out his hand. "You ready to turn in?"
"Yeah." I hadn't realized how exhausted I was. It was close to midnight, which wasn't all that late by my usual standards, but I had been hopping back and forth so much that I needed some time to recuperate.
We told Adrian goodnight and then headed upstairs. Peter ended the conversation at the perfect moment. I definitely needed to hide in my bedroom for a while.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Five...
I caught sight of Clarissa out one of the windows as I wandered around the study I had dedicated to all things Rector. We had to trace my entire bloodline and every business document when Oberon was trying to take my company, and I left it set up that way. I mean, I was always a target of some sort. Why bother packing?
But there wasn't anything I needed to read for the fifth time. No impending doom or other major immediate threats to keep my focus away from the one person I truly never, ever wanted to see.
Clarissa couldn't be trusted. Chas could be such an idiot when it came to other people, so it didn't matter how he felt about her. What mattered was what she had done. Or not done.
Shame crept into the swirl of anger and resentment. I had never really tried to assess her myself. I was relying on rumors, newspaper gossip, and the few times I had interacted with her. I narrowed my eyes, enhancing my long vision with Air, and then dove through the spell she used to mask her power levels.
There was nothing suspicious or strange about that. All magicians masked what they could. It kept us safe.
Sickly, goopy waves of tainted honey-like magic swirled around her, rooted deep. Yeah. Oberon had cursed her. The same way he had done to Sera. The question was, did she know?
And had that forced her to take actions she otherwise wouldn't have?
"Oh, whatever," I grumbled. It was a puzzle, and long past time for me to figure it out. Even if she was a rude, spoiled brat who didn't care how anyone else felt.
I trotted down the hallway to my bedroom. There was no way I was going to investigate the perfect Clarissa while wearing a pair of sweat bottoms and a ratty t-shirt like a bum.
May as well go for it. I pulled out a pretty, dusty-blue dress with soft lavender accents in the shape of tiny printed flowers. She had been wearing a summer dress of all things. Well, two could play at that game.
I tugged out the ties and my chestnut hair spilled down my back. I had taken the time to use the new products my aunt ordered for me so there wasn't a smidgen of frizz to change my mind. I took out a small barrette and clipped the locks of hair on each side of my face to keep them out of my way. Then I added some tiny silver hoops to my ears to match my silver star necklace. I combined it with a slightly longer gold necklace with a dragon on it, the symbol of the Rector clan, to help tie in the multi-metal bracelet I always wore. The crystal bracelet that would warn me if Sera was in danger stayed where it was on my wrist, but I didn't worry about matching it. Most people wouldn't be able to see it, anyway.
The mirror hummed as I leaned closer, dabbing on some mascara and tinted lip gloss. I wanted to look good, but I didn't want to look like I was trying too hard. Wearing a dress would already make me stick out. At least, while I was on castle grounds.
"Looking good, Rector," Harris called as I reached the ground floor. He and Seth were entering the castle. "Going anywhere special?"
"No. It just felt like one of those days," I said vaguely, hoping they would dismiss my comment as some kind of girl thing they didn't understand. I didn't fully get it, either, but they didn't need to know that.
"Cool." Harris gave me a look, and I wondered for a moment if he was placating me. "You hungry? We're on our way to the kitchen to grab something."
"I'm good. But I'll walk with you. I've been wondering about something and I'm curious what you think."
"About what?" Seth asked. He had always been such a good sport. Same with Harris. Relief that our short relationship hadn't ruined our friendship flowed through me. Things were going pretty well. If I could just stop thinking about it every time I saw him, that would be even better.
"Clarissa Taine." I didn't say anything else as I took a seat at the table in the center of the kitchen. I would have offered to prepare an awesome meal for the guys, but Seth especially liked plain, boring fo
od. They could make that themselves.
As I hoped, the brothers filled the expectant silence. "She's a snit, right?" Seth said as he rummaged around in the fridge. "I mean, she isn't exactly cruel, but she acts like she's better than everyone. Who wants to hang out with somebody like that?"
"Yeah," Harris chimed in. "I get the feeling she has better friends and a better house and a better life, so why try?"
"She was so obnoxious when Oberon brought her to Rector Enterprises," I added, airing my own grievances. "She acted like my office was all dusty and nasty. I had just burned off all the Earth elements in there to make new furniture so whatever. Clarissa was being a brat. I don't get what Chas sees in her."
The Andersson brothers exchanged a look. Which totally annoyed me. I could tell they were communicating silently, but not because they had a stupid bloodline connection. Oh, no. They were being guys. Clarissa was pretty. So, what? That didn't matter that much. And Chas was deeper than that. At least, I thought he was.
"Nobody trusts her," Harris said, avoiding the subject of her desirability. "That can't be comfortable. Maybe if she felt like she fit in, she wouldn't be so awful."
That really was an insightful comment. And something I should have thought about on my own. "I'm going to make her my friend," I blurted. I had no idea where that came from but it felt dreamy, a little like when my parents had been sending me messages from beyond the veil.
"That ought to be interesting," Seth snickered. He bit into a peanut butter and grape jelly sandwich.
It felt right. And even if I couldn't get her to like me - or as I suspected would be even harder, for me to like her - the effort would still gain me some valuable insight into her and her nasty family. That might prove useful in the future.
"You don't think I can do it?"
"Uh, I think you can do whatever you set your mind to." Seth almost choked on his words, but funny enough, I could sense that he meant them. So I let it slide.
"You're right. I can. And I will." I paused, thinking it over. Not that I had a plan. I didn't. But maybe that was for the best. I didn't want to come across as contrived. "But make sure you guys keep an eye on her. See what she says behind my back. I'll need your help if I'm going to perform some kind of miracle." And with those orders still ringing in their ears, I headed out the door, ready to take on my new mission.
◆◆◆
"I didn't expect to see you in the bee fields," Clarissa said when I approached.
Whatever. I helped my aunt all the time. Just because I had legitimate work elsewhere didn't mean I was lazy. "It's a nice day," I answered, trying to avoid a confrontation. Or to seem like she had scored any points.
"Yes, it is," she replied, then adjusted the floppy straw hat that shaded her face. I wondered why she didn't keep the harmful rays off her skin like the rest of us did. Magicians didn't need to wear sunblock. Or huge hats with adorable clusters of flowers on the side. Pink and white peonies.
What a suck up.
"Need any help?" My offer wasn't elegant or natural, but honestly, I had never acted anything but blunt and idiotic around her, so she should be used to it.
"Your cousin Richard will be here soon," she responded as she tossed the last of the weeds she had pulled from the edges of the field. She wore pretty little gardening gloves that matched her dress and hat. Why couldn't she wear jeans and a stained shirt like a normal person?
"Do you guys work together a lot?" I asked as I followed her to another plot. I was genuinely curious.
"He and your aunt have been teaching me many things," she responded carefully. Everything about her, from her looks to her stance to her tone of voice always seemed so chilly. And planned. There was also a slight, built-in hesitation when she spoke. As if she couldn't respond without reviewing her words. I had noticed it before when she and Chas had met with me and Armageddon on our way to prove Adrian had no claim to Rector Enterprises.
Maybe she was scared. Then I pushed that ridiculous thought aside. She had nothing to fear. Not while she was on my uncle's property, a guest, and not doing anything actively evil. "That's cool."
I spotted a weed growing from under one of the low stone walls surrounding the fields. With a long, even pull from the base of the offending plant, I tore it out of the soil, roots and all, and threw it into the basket. Okay. I wasn't exactly dressed for yard work, but neither was she. If she could look like a lovely Victorian painting while gardening, so could I.
Right when I thought I would have to try another conversation starter, Clarissa spoke up. "I've learned more about embroidery magic than I knew was possible," she murmured. Was she being shy? Oh, my gosh. There was the slightest of tremors in her voice. I wasn't sure if I should talk louder just to show her it was okay, or if she was trying to show me how to behave in a delicate, decorous manner.
"My aunt and uncle are both amazing at it," I said. I tugged out a few more weeds and shifted a stone into a better position. "They do spells with it that make the air crackle with power."
There was nothing boastful in my comment. It was awe. They had so many talents, things they did for Laurus Commodities, that I still had to learn. There hadn't been time. Yet.
"They showed me some finished pieces. They were the most incredible works of art I've ever seen," Clarissa said. She was still speaking slowly. But she seemed a little more relaxed than when I walked up. And her basket was filling with weeds at a much faster rate now that I was there. Maybe helping her with the chore made me seem more approachable.
I couldn't pinpoint when things flipped, but they did. I no longer felt like I was being pushed away. Or judged. Instead it was like I was coaxing one of my aunt's delicate herbs back to health.
My gaze slid sideways so I could sneak a look at Clarissa's aura. There was no sign of deception there. Not only that, but not once had my seer's talent for spotting a lie gone off. Huh. Who would have thought?
"They let me take some of my favorites and hang them in the lobby at Rector Enterprises," I said. She had been there, had seen them and even lit some of the candles nearby. I couldn't help but wonder if she remembered and would say anything.
"I wish I had more time to study them" She sounded wistful. And it was true. She wanted to see more of them. Then she straightened from her crouch and removed her gloves so she could take off her hat without flinging dirt everywhere. Apparently, she was done. I leaned into Earth and pulled all traces of soil from my hands and clothing. "I'm sorry."
She gazed at me with those glittering, stunning blue-green eyes. She looked ashamed, which threw me.
"What for?" If I had learned one thing in my life, it was the quickest way to an answer was to ask the question.
"How I acted. I know you probably won't believe me, but I didn't mean it. I won't make excuses for my behavior, but I want you to know that. And I won't do it again unless I'm around Chas's father." With a jolt, I realized she never said Oberon's name. Not if she could help it. And who could blame her? "Armageddon asked us to behave as we always have. If that man wants me to act like a jerk, I will. But I won't mean it."
A feather could have knocked me over. Not only had she said more than I had ever heard from her before, but she was sincere. She gave me an explanation and apology, not excuses. It was crazy.
"Ah. Well, thanks." I wasn't even sure what to say anymore. It was too surreal.
She lifted the basket of weeds and I joined her as she made her way towards the composting area to dump them. To my relief, my cousin showed up.
"Hey there you two," Richard called. He sketched a bow, nodding formally before giving us a cheeky wink. It brought a grin to my face. I loved his energy. And James. My cousins were cool. None of my worries about them remained. He turned to me with a smile. "Mom wanted me to collect Clarissa. We were going to work in the greenhouse but something has come up and she can help. I didn't know you were out here, but she wants you too."
Interesting. "Where is she?" I tapped into my magic one last time, making s
ure every speck of dirt was gone. I noticed a smudge on the back hem of Clarissa's dress and tugged the Earth out of it for her. I mean, it was a pretty dress. Dirt really showed against the gray and turquoise fabric.
"In the infirmary," he said. We returned to the castle, leaving the basket by the bins. "We have another assignment."
Even more interesting. I guess it was time for Clarissa to show which side she was really on.
◆◆◆
"Yeah, I think I can do that," I said, answering my aunt's query. "No problem."
"Excellent." She pulled a box of our highest quality Rector crystal blanks out of a cabinet. "After we're done, I want to make some crystals into containers for the herbal blends I've been working on with Clarissa."
"Like the ones you made into grenades when facing David Novato," Richard explained. He must have read the mission reports. "That's a great application for crystal."
I loved how something I designed as a weapon could be used instead to help heal others. It usually worked the other way.
"Then I need to suspend them with a Time-freeze," Peony said as she continued her explanation of what she wanted. "The herbal concoctions are too delicate to store otherwise. Clarissa will mix the ingredients with me and then you and Richard load and seal. He's good at the shift differentials. That way you can concentrate on the crystal work."
It was common to use several magicians when working out a new process. Once we ironed out the wrinkles, it would turn into a one or two-person job. Not that I minded collaborating. It was probably one of my favorite things to do when it came to working magic. We would get a lot more done than if we did it on our own, too. And I would have extra time to alter nightlight crystals into healing boosters for my cousins. They still looked like they needed a long, hard nap no matter how much they slept.
We got to work, each with our own tasks until our actions became second nature. Clarissa and Peony mixed the herbs and then pushed them into the crystals before Richard and I took over. It went so smoothly, my efforts were soon no longer needed. The crystal responded to Clarissa better than most. The way it did for Peony even though her family line didn't normally work with it.