by Rin Grey
Jocelyn, of course, seemed unaware of Gemma’s distress. And unsurprised by Elizabeth’s announcement. “I suppose it’s possible,” she admitted grudgingly. “That is, if you are who you say you are.”
Elizabeth made herself turn away from Gemma’s tearstained face, and back to Jocelyn, grasping at the distraction her comment offered. What did who she was have to do with being a mage? Magical ability was hereditary, of course, but Jocelyn clearly had none. Were there other Salinga’s who were? Possible, of course, even likely.
Not her concern though. She blocked out the avalanche of feelings that assaulted her at the possibility.
“Of course,” she said, covering her feelings with a mocking grin. “The mage part though, is easy enough to prove.” She held up her hand and a tiny flame appeared, hovering just above her palm. She let it burn on nothing for a moment, then extinguished it with a thought. “Is that enough proof for you?”
Jocelyn stared at her, her eyes wide, and a little calculating.
Her hand went to her wrist, touching an elaborate tattoo that encircled it.
A pattern that was intimately familiar to Elizabeth. It exactly matched the one on Sean’s wrist, although his was more faded.
What the freck? Of all the places she’d expected to see that tattoo, around the wrist of a Salinga wasn’t one of them. Jocelyn’s hand was covering part of the design, but there was no hiding it. The pattern wasn’t just similar, it was identical.
Why? How?
Although she had asked Sean about the tattoo once, he hadn’t been forthcoming. In fact, he had gotten quite defensive, and refused to discuss it. So obviously it meant something.
It occurred to her Jocelyn just might be more forthcoming, although somehow she doubted it.
Especially not given her niece’s obvious hostility.
When she saw Elizabeth’s sharp eyes on the tattoo on her wrist, Jocelyn berated herself for her instinctive habit of touching it. Touch wasn’t necessary for the magic to work, or so she’d been told.
She hesitated, staring at the flame hovering above the woman’s hand.
The magic itself didn’t surprise her. And unlike Gemma, she had no fear of it by itself.
But that the woman was claiming it had something to do with her lack of ageing…
If she was telling the truth, she must be a powerful mage indeed.
It was hard to believe any of what she said was the truth. Gemma seemed convinced, but the reality seemed so impossible.
Well, there was only one way to find out.
Her hesitation was only slight, before opening her mind to him, and saying, “Sir? Are you there?”
“Yes, Jocelyn,” the voice replied.
Jocelyn hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to say.
“You want to know if she really is Elizabeth Salinga?” The voice seemed to read her thoughts, making her uncomfortable as it always did.
“Yes,” she replied, wondering what his answer would be.
She’d only met him once, when she’d first taken on the role of the head of the Salinga offices. He looked as old as Elizabeth should have, but she knew from talking to Evelyn, that he had looked that way for her lifetime, and probably even before that, making him even older than he appeared.
Thinking about his age helped her guess his answer even before he replied.
“She is who she says she is,” he confirmed.
“But how?” The thought was out before Jocelyn even considered the fact that he probably wouldn’t answer. Without the need to verbalise, thoughts translated to communication with less deliberation.
“That is a question you will have to ask her,” he replied, unsurprisingly.
Jocelyn smothered a sigh, “Do you want me to let her help?”
“That decision is yours. But I suggest you do. She is the only one who has any chance of finding him, much less bringing him back.”
“You mean you know where he is?” Jocelyn asked indignantly.
“Yes.” Nothing more.
“But you’re not going to tell us?” Jocelyn asked in resignation. She didn’t expect he would. This was exactly his way, giving orders, yet never helping when they needed it.
“He is not in any danger and I am not allowed to interfere. He is your family, it is up to you to find him.”
Well, knowing Mitch wasn’t in danger was some relief at least. It would be handy if she could tell Gemma that, to stop her panicking, but explaining would pose more problems than it would solve.
He’d spoken that way before… ‘not allowed’, as though there were some greater power guiding his actions. The thought was concerning enough for Jocelyn to push it away quickly. She didn’t want to think about someone more powerful than he was.
The conversation was over in seconds. No one else in the room had noticed anything more than a brief pause.
Elizabeth was still staring at her, or more specifically at the tattoo around her wrist. For a moment, Jocelyn had a discomforting thought that her aunt knew what was going on.
Then she told herself not to be silly, she was just waiting for a reply to her question. “I believe that you’re a mage, yes.,” she said briskly. She wasn’t quite ready to give acceptance to who she was yet, her mind still denying the apparent truth. “What I would like to know is what you’re doing here?”
“I’m here to help find Mitchell,” Elizabeth said, as though the answer should be obvious.
It surprised Jocelyn. This woman had left her infant children. Now she expected her to believe she’d come back, just because her grandson was missing? Jocelyn raised an eyebrow. “Why do you care?”
Elizabeth said quietly, “Mitchell is my blood, and while he was safe, I stayed out of the family’s business. But he’s not safe now, so I’ve come to remedy that.”
“You’re welcome to join us if you wish, but you’ll have to excuse me if I don’t quite trust you yet.”
Elizabeth laughed. “I would be suspicious if you did. So what is the situation?”
Jocelyn considered her for a few moments. She had so many questions, but now wasn’t the time, especially not with Gemma’s worried eyes on her. “How much do you know?” she asked eventually.
Elizabeth shrugged. “Mitchell has disappeared, that’s all I know.”
Jocelyn would have liked to ask how she knew that much, but now wasn’t the time.
She filled Elizabeth in on the details they had, which were sadly lacking. “Mitchell has been missing since last night. He went up to bed as usual, and he wasn’t there when Gemma woke up this morning. His window was open, but there was no sign of a scuffle. That’s all we know.”
“So he might simply have run away?” Elizabeth asked.
“What possible reason would he have for running away? I don’t think that is a genetic trait.”
To give her credit, Elizabeth didn’t do more than raise one eyebrow at Jocelyn’s not so subtle dig at her past. “What is your assumption then?”
“It’s most likely a kidnapping, although how they got him out of the house without a struggle is beyond me. Perhaps they lured him with the promise of something. Either way, we’re just running through a list of possible suspects now.”
Elizabeth took a seat, even though none was offered, and listened to the list of suspects. Although she didn’t seem to be paying much attention. Jocelyn noted that her eyes widened at a casual reference to Mitchell being her declared heir.
That wasn’t surprising. A male heir was unheard of in the Salinga family. Even those who didn’t understand the family’s goal or why the matriarchal line was so important, knew that. Jocelyn bit back a sigh. In all honesty, it wasn’t that clear to her either. How were women going to be able to save the world any better than men were? What did it matter how close they were to the woman who had started all this?
She’d be a lot more able to make decisions if he’d just give her a little more information to go on sometimes. But the voice hadn’t been any more forthcoming about why he�
��d chosen Mitchell than he had been about where Mitchell was now.
Gemma wasn’t paying any more attention to Jocelyn’s words than Elizabeth was. In fact, she looked like she was about to burst into tears again at any moment. Jocelyn wondered why she was bothering to explain.
Merron, Jake and Cyril, the three men she’d hired for just this kind of occasion, were paying attention though, so Jocelyn continued for their benefit. They were the ones who she was counting on to find Mitchell. Gemma was only here because she’d insisted on it, and Elizabeth certainly hadn’t been invited.
She wasn’t quite convinced Gemma’s mother would be as helpful as the voice seemed to think she would be.
“Since we have no clues to go on, I can only suggest we check out each possible suspect, beginning with the most likely, and see if we can find something,” Jocelyn finished.
Elizabeth interrupted. “While your men are doing that, can I see his room? Maybe I can pick up something you might have missed.”
Jocelyn frowned. She could excuse Elizabeth for not knowing her, but since it seemed she had to accept she was, in fact, part of the family, she had no excuse for not understanding the respect Jocelyn was due. “I highly doubt we missed anything,” she said frostily, “but feel free. I’m sure my men can manage without you.”
Elizabeth ignored the implied slight, and simply nodded.
An idea occurred to Jocelyn. “You can take Gemma with you. I don’t want her left alone. If someone has kidnapped Mitchell, it is entirely possible she is also a target. Do you think you’re capable of that?”
Jocelyn would be able to move much faster without her.
Gemma gave a shiver, but Elizabeth just laughed dryly, and said “Are you expecting an attempt from a powerful mage?”
Normally, Jocelyn wouldn’t have hesitated to suggest it was possible. But her own mages somehow seemed lowly compared to the power Elizabeth claimed.
When Jocelyn hesitated, Elizabeth said with certainty, “I’m sure I can handle it. If that is all right with you, Gemma? I can go by myself if you would prefer.”
Gemma hesitated, then nodded. “I’ll come.”
Chapter 6 - Answers
Gemma walked slowly towards her house, next to her mother.
It was frustrating, to be walking away from whatever it was Jocelyn was doing to find Mitch, but Gemma wasn’t too sure she could help. This all felt like it was out of her hands, as it had been since the day Jocelyn had named Mitch heir.
If someone had kidnapped him, then it was to get at Jocelyn. And getting him back would probably mean threats or fighting. Gemma couldn’t help with those. She had no knowledge of either.
Not that she was doing anything more useful going home with her mother. Jocelyn was right, they’d already looked over Mitch’s room, and there was nothing to help them here. This was just a waste of time.
Unless her mother could see something they couldn’t. She was a mage, after all.
Her mother was a mage.
The label frightened her. And the flame she had produced, even for that brief moment, brought all her childhood terrors to light. She had been petrified of fire ever since that day. To watch this woman create it with a thought, to realise that was what had happened on that fateful day…
She might seem to have control of it now, but she certainly hadn’t back then.
She willed her mind to ignore the frightened doubts of her internal child. She had to concentrate on finding Mitchell and if her mother’s magic helped them in any way then she would welcome it, she told herself fiercely.
“Do you think Mitchell was kidnapped by any of those people Jocelyn was talking about?” her mother asked.
Gemma considered her question for a moment, then shook her head. “I don’t think so. I know Mitch is her heir, but no one really believes he will ever take her place. He’s just a placeholder until someone else has a girl child.”
Elizabeth nodded. “I was quite surprised when Jocelyn said he was the heir. Are there no other girls to take the position?”
“Apparently not,” Gemma said. “I’m too old, and after Tasha and her daughter died, they would have to go back five generations to find a girl. Apparently that was too far for them.”
“I’m sorry,” her mother said quietly.
Gemma sighed. “It’s not your fault, your being here wouldn’t have stopped Mitch from being named heir.”
“No, I’m sorry I didn’t come home when Tasha died.”
It was hard for Gemma to think of her older sister, who had been like a mother to her, without a lump in her throat. The house fire that had killed her and her family had only added to her fear of fire. “She would have loved to see you,” she said quietly.
Elizabeth was silent. Gemma snuck a look at her, quailing a little at the stern look on her mother’s face. It wasn’t directed at her, but she wasn’t quite sure how to handle it.
Instead, she changed the subject. “Amily is pregnant, if it is a girl, everyone says she will become the heir. She’s closer to the matriarchal line, everyone said it should have been her anyway. I don’t care, I just want Mitch to be free of it.”
That broke her mother’s silence. “You don’t want Mitch to be the heir?” She raised an eyebrow.
Gemma couldn’t even begin to guess if she disapproved or not, and she didn’t care. “No,” she said firmly. “I don’t care about the prestige the position offers, even though Jocelyn seems to think it’s a huge honour. Especially not if it means he’s at risk of being kidnapped.”
Her mother smiled. “I don’t blame you,” she agreed. “So what do you think has happened?”
“I don’t know!” Gemma said in anguish, feeling helpless. “I know he’s been stressed about something lately, but he wouldn’t talk to me. I never thought it was bothering him enough that he would run away though.”
“I doubt it is that simple,” her mother said. She put her hand on Gemma’s arm. “We’ll find him though, I’m sure of it.”
Gemma nodded, her mother’s words comforting her a little, even though she wasn’t convinced by them. Her mother might be a mage, and her lack of ageing might be impressive, but there were some things even she couldn’t be sure of achieving.
Weren’t there?
They reached the house, Gemma opened the door and led Elizabeth in. “I suppose there is no need to show you around. Mitch was in my old room.”
Her mother nodded and headed up the stairs.
Gemma paused, taking a moment to collect her thoughts.
It had been quite a morning.
Elizabeth stared around Mitch’s room.
It was small, just big enough for the bed, with a colourful, hand sewn, patchwork quilt, a cupboard to contain the boy’s clothes, and a shelf containing a few books.
Jocelyn was right, there were no physical signs of a struggle, nothing out of place at all.
But Elizabeth could see what the others hadn’t been able to.
The air that hung apparently still in the room crackled with an energy only those who could see beyond the mundane would sense. Unlike the peaceful, breathtaking beauty of the magic that filled the Dome though, this residue was chaotic and tumultuous.
The feint disturbances in the particles and their structure were blatantly uncontrolled—the signs of someone who was manipulating magic without knowing what they were doing. Elizabeth glanced around again, looking for any physical signs of misuse, but could see none.
Apparently he had more control of his temper than she’d had.
From Gemma’s comments about something bothering him, she’d been almost certain of this part. What she was really looking for took a little more searching.
They’d covered their tracks well, she’d be very interested to learn how, but not well enough. Underneath the unpractised magical disturbances were feint remnants of more magic, magic that showed more control.
The fact that she could already guess what manipulation they had been working made it easier to see the d
isruption of the particles where they had moved their disintegrated bodies out of the room.
She sighed heavily and turned to see Gemma watching her anxiously. There was no point in trying to hide the truth. “He’s in the Dome, Gemma.”
Gemma drew in a sharp breath. “The Dome? But why, what would they want with him? How do you know?”
“He has magic, I can sense it. That’s probably what he’s been stressing about. I can also feel the magic from those who took him, though they tried to hide it.”
Gemma looked stunned and frightened. “So Jocelyn was right, he was kidnapped!” Her voice shook.
“Not necessarily. He could have gone willingly, Gemma,” Elizabeth said gently. She didn’t want to alarm her daughter, but if Mitch really was a mage, she needed to understand.
“Why would he do that?” Gemma wailed.
Elizabeth hesitated. She hadn’t intended to go into this. Not for her benefit. But perhaps her own experiences could help Gemma understand what her son was facing.
“The manifestation of magic is terrifying, Gemma. It comes on you totally by surprise and you have no control over it initially. You can do things that scare you and you become afraid of hurting those you love. When someone offers you a chance to learn to control this frightening force, you feel like you have no choice but to leave.”
Gemma stared at her, her eyes wide. “Is that why you left?” she asked quietly.
Elizabeth winced. There was no hint of accusation in Gemma’s tone, but the words stung anyway. And the answer was unavoidable. She nodded.
The urge to explain everything welled up in her.
By contrast, Mitch had it easy. Even if he hadn’t expected to develop magic, at least he knew that magic existed in the world. It had been just a fairytale when her magic had started manifesting. She’d been among the first, and far older than usual too.
Back then, there’d been nowhere for a mage to go. No one they could ask to explain what was going on. No one who could teach them to control this overwhelming power.
But this wasn’t about her. It was about Mitch. She needed to focus on that.