by Ella M. Lee
“Got it,” I said. I picked myself up and went back into the bedroom.
I stared blankly at the dresses now hanging in the closet. I’d gone over this with Nicolas and Keisha, but I forgot what I was supposed to wear today.
“The ivory McQueen,” Nicolas said, and I jumped.
He shut the bedroom door and offered me a wary smile. I returned it.
“Are you ready for today?” he asked softly.
“Yes,” I said automatically. “Well… as ready as I can be. Which, for me, isn’t very ready.”
He laughed dryly, leaning back against the door. “Now is not the time to second-guess yourself.” He opened his arms to me and tilted his head. “Come here, lamb.”
I padded across the room to where he stood and let him put his arms around me.
“I failed to remind you yesterday,” he said, “but I do love and admire you very much. I don’t want you to think that I’m not on your side, or that I don’t care about the same things. I am not trying to dismiss you.”
“I know,” I said, but my stomach still churned, because I was pretty sure Nicolas and I didn’t truly agree on the path forward.
I wanted to press “pause” on life for a moment and dig deep into Nicolas’s psyche. More than that, I wanted to dig as deep as I could into magic and pull out the answers we required. I’d told Nicolas before that I loved its mysteries, but right now I bristled at the idea of it hiding the information I needed to help Daniel and my clan.
Cloying bitterness coated my throat at the thought of any more defeat in my life.
Chapter 16
“Fiona, if you please?” Nicolas said for the fifteenth time that morning.
I picked up Ryan’s storm globe, holding it in my palms. Please don’t explode, I thought. This would be the worst time for our problems to manifest, but so far, the magic had behaved.
Channeling my magic down and plucking out a small amount, I funneled it into the glass, shaping it into tiny cumulonimbus clouds. They became heavy with moisture and crackled with electricity.
“As you can see,” Nicolas went on, “Fiona has used first, second, and third standard forms to create a minor weather manipulation…”
The cocktail room from yesterday had been converted into a meeting room, with individual tables for each clan arranged in a semicircle around a presentation stage with a lectern and a huge television screen behind it.
I’d been the center of attention for nearly two hours now, standing in the middle of the stage while Nicolas stood at the lectern. The television currently displayed his presentation slides. Because of the audience here, his terminology was all technical and standardized, making magic sound like some sort of boring mechanical engineering project.
We’d already walked through our magic’s standard features, and we were now on the features that were unique to us: visual mirages, delayed impact offensive moves, and weather manipulation. I’d also demonstrated my limited transmutation abilities, and Ryan had demonstrated what we knew of our healing and empathetic magic so far.
I was relieved to be nearly done listening to Nicolas’s explanations and exhausting myself with magic use. Although my own magic didn’t tax my body to use regularly, today required a certain amount of mental focus and precision that I didn’t normally use for hours at a time.
I was also nervous under the eager and critical eyes of so many powerful magicians. I tried to keep my gaze off them, but I couldn’t help noticing Gemma’s stern expression, Stephan’s unabashed interest, or Xiao’s sour frown.
The Wild magicians were off-putting, as well. The two of them had arrived with only moments to spare before the start of the meeting. Kostas had a broad, imposing presence, dark curly hair, and beady eyes. His familiar, a peregrine falcon, sat on his shoulder, shifting menacingly. Yuki was a small, willowy woman, but the young ball python curled around her left arm unnerved me.
Now that the polite formalities of last night were over, everyone had removed their block-syncs, filling the room with shifting magic. Although each magician kept their magic snapped in tightly to avoid distraction, it was impossible to ignore exactly how dangerous and deadly every single person in the room was.
Having their attention solely on me was stressful.
“What is the activation range?” Stephan asked. “And the coverage?”
Nicolas extended his hand toward me. “Fiona has the largest range of any Lightning magician at nearly five hundred feet, although we believe this particular aspect of the magic can be strengthened over time and with practice. We have not done extensive testing of coverage, as weather manipulation is dangerous for both the magician and for the ecological patterns of the region. It is something we are actively working on in a controlled environment.”
“May we see a demonstration at extended range?” Juniper asked.
Nicolas’s eyes went to mine. “Fiona? Would that be all right with you?”
I smiled. “Of course.”
Wind’s staff members brought our coats, and everyone filed out into the expansive back meadow of the house. It was covered in snow, bright and inviting in the sunlight. In the distance stood some bare sections of dilapidated wooden fencing.
“Let’s do delayed impact and weather together,” I said to Nicolas, pointing toward the fence.
He nodded and turned to the Wind magicians. “Would it be all right if I destroyed that fence?”
Edmond and Flynn exchanged a wary look. Finally, Edmond made a “by all means” gesture with his open palms.
“Ready?” Nicolas asked me.
“Go,” I said.
Nicolas squared himself toward the fence, adopting the tall, elegant posture he often held when fighting. Raising his hand over his head, he snapped his fingers.
A slight whistling filled the air as a tiny flit of electricity arced toward the fence, almost invisible in the bright daylight. It hit the fence with a thunk like an arrow. For a few moments, silence filled the air, and the pinnacle members exchanged looks.
I braced myself, gritting my teeth as a boom shook the air and the fence exploded in a ball of crackling purple tendrils of lightning. Flames erupted, licking the old wood, building and spreading quickly.
I took a deep breath, letting my magic branch out toward the fence, filling the air around it, rising above it. Clouds gathered in an instant, and with a sharp mental push, I forced them to dump a torrent of rain on the fire. It was extinguished instantly.
Kostas clapped, the sound ringing out among the silence. The others nodded approval. So far, we seemed to be getting excellent reactions.
We had carefully planned the strength at which we would display magic. Nicolas was downplaying all of our abilities. In his professional opinion, Lightning was possibly the strongest magic he’d ever encountered, but we didn’t want the other clans to know that. We wanted to appear powerful, as though we could match them, but not as though we could smash them to pieces.
My range for weather manipulation was farther than five hundred feet, and the destructive power behind Nicolas’s offensive attacks was much more forceful.
Every single member of our clan was innovating and making discovery after discovery. It was slow progress, but it was there. Ryan’s work lately had been particularly interesting—he and I had been trying to figure out how Lightning magic interacted with other magics. Before we’d left Water, we’d taken encapsulated static samples of our magic. Ryan and I had managed to quickly destroy Water wards and shields, counteract Water attacks, and unlock Water’s magic-limiting shackles.
Thanks to our existing alliances, we’d gotten our hands on some Smoke, Meteor, and Verdant samples, too. A month ago, Nicolas had used the Smoke magic to create a circle, and I’d unraveled it handily.
Only Ryan and Nicolas knew about our progress with the other clans’ magics so far. It was unheard of to so easily dismantle another clan’s work, without massive power or force or effort. It shouldn’t be possible to undo circles with barely a thou
ght. It shouldn’t be possible to break out of shackles at all. No other clan could do it.
But Lightning was a separate thing altogether, its own miracle.
In fact, the only area where we currently faced massive trouble was in healing. We could heal certain types of injuries and afflictions, but not well. Irina was sure there was some key we were missing, something that could unlock that aspect of the magic, but she hadn’t discovered it yet.
With so much time ahead of us in the long life of clans and magicians, we were sure to discover so much more.
“Shall we head back inside to discuss?” Nicolas asked, and Juniper fell into step at his side as he swept ahead of me toward the house.
I had hoped we’d go right into lunch after we wrapped up our presentation, but instead we were subjected to an extensive question-and-answer session, mostly surrounding our future goals.
As the de facto leader of Lightning, Nicolas once again fielded these inquiries. He’d been calm and poised all morning, explaining our magic with clinical detachment, but now that we were talking about the clan directly, his tone held more passion.
“Lightning started out as an interesting theoretical thought exercise,” Nicolas said, smiling fondly in remembrance. “That it became a reality is a testament to the people who loved the idea, who supported it and worked countless hours at great personal expense to see it through. It started as a single conversation with Daniel, a single moment in time that neither of us knew would lead here. I wish he could be giving this demonstration himself. He deserved that opportunity, and it is a tragedy that he was denied it.
“Lightning’s magic exists in his memory. Its fierceness, brightness, uniqueness—all of that is Daniel. Dan was infinitely curious, intensely empathetic, and singularly driven, as is our magic. What he wanted, and what all of us wanted, was to explore, to push limits, to discover the things within magic that still elude every clan.”
Nicolas allowed his gaze to wander around the semicircle of powerful magicians before him, studying each of them. No one interrupted the tension in this silent moment.
“I will not lie—Lightning magic can be destructive. It has a tendency to insist upon itself, like the magic of Flame and Wild. It also has a stubborn internal structure, like Water or Sky. It can be difficult to manage. But it is not and has never been our goal to use it to harm anyone or anything. Lightning Clan is full of researchers, like the esteemed Smoke and Wind clans, and all that we ask is to be left to discover the depths of what we have created.”
He spread his hands. “Our first year has been trying. Arduous experiments, mistakes after mistakes, and all while being cut off from the greater magical community. For the past year, we’ve been focused internally, and that’s how I see us remaining in the near future. We have not started fights, we have not encroached on territory, and we have not poached magicians from other clans. We are committed to a peaceful relationship with all clans, allied or not. As noted in our précis, we are open to sharing any and all discoveries we make.”
“You are putting forth that your clan intends to stay centrally focused?” Gemma asked.
Ryan and I exchanged a look. “Centrally focused” meant that we were intending to not run outside operations or offer our service to other clans.
Nicolas smiled. “Yes. Our clan has too much to do in order to build our magic’s strength and knowledge. We have no immediate need or desire to split our efforts between ourselves and other endeavors.”
Gemma nodded. “And are you seeking allies?”
Nicolas’s eyes meandered around the room. “Not actively, although we are pleased to have this opportunity to connect with you all. We are hoping that Smoke would be kind enough to assist us in some of our research, and that we could work with Sky to conform to their expectations. I hope I’m making myself clear when I say that we mean to be no trouble at all.”
Renaldo, Sky’s other pinnacle member, said, “I see. So you would like freedom from persecution, and the ability to live quietly on your own?”
“That would be ideal, yes,” Nicolas said.
“And in return, what guarantees are you willing to give in order to prove to us your intent?”
Nicolas offered another genial smile. “That is for the conclave to decide.”
That seemed to be the right answer, because Renaldo’s expression opened up. “Rightly stated,” he said. He stood. “Should we reconvene after lunch to discuss the path forward?”
Lunch was served in the huge, covered greenhouse that was attached to the back of the house. Orchids and lilies lined the walls, drenching the room in musky fragrance. The food was more light refreshment than anything else: finger sandwiches, cut fruit, mango and apple slaw, bruschetta with toppings, small cakes. Everyone loaded up plates and gathered in small groups.
Once again, I let Nicolas and Ryan wander off. My attention caught on a row of white Casablanca lilies. I was just reaching out to touch the delicate petals when a presence from behind distracted me.
I turned to find myself face-to-face with Kostas.
At least it’s not Stephan again. I breathed a quick sigh of relief.
“Hello,” I said, giving him a smile.
My gaze went to the peregrine falcon on his shoulder. It stared down its nose at me with beady black eyes, so similar to its owner’s.
“Hello,” he said. He held out a hand. “Kostas.” Once we had shaken, he pointed to the falcon. “This is Andrea.”
“I’m Fiona,” I said. “She’s very, um, pretty. Where did the two of you meet?”
Wild magicians considered their familiars to be much more than pets, almost partners. It would have been rude for me to imply she was anything less than equal to him.
He smiled, relaxing. “She saved my life out in the woods once, right after my ascension.” He meant his actualization with his Wild magic. “We have been together since.”
Andrea stretched her neck out, reaching toward me, and made a strange noise halfway between a cluck and a mewl.
“She’d like to inspect you,” Kostas said. “Would you hold out your hand?”
I offered my right hand to the bird, and she brushed her beak over it. Gently, she picked over my fingers and tickled my palm. I glanced at Kostas, whose eyes burned with something so close to fondness that my cheeks heated.
“She likes you,” he said.
“I’m glad.”
“Would you come sit with me?” he asked, gesturing to an empty bench in the corner of the room.
“I’d love to,” I said, looking around, relieved that someone was talking to me.
Kostas settled down close to me, and despite trying to suppress the urge, I assessed him for threats. His suit was tight enough that it showed off wide shoulders, thick biceps, powerful and comfortable movements, but it wasn’t fitted as well as some of the other men here, giving him a frumpy look. His wide lips, curly hair and large nose only added to that. Not handsome, at least not in an insistent way, but his expression was kind and open. His English was slightly accented, but not in a way I recognized. European, perhaps, but not at all French or Italian.
He seemed like a man who would roll up his sleeves, unafraid to get dirty, always willing to jump in to help others. His magic heightened that assessment—heavy and opaque, poised around him like it would take only the slightest shift to get it to move or act. Despite being snapped in tightly, like all the magic here, it spoke of quick movement and a strong personality.
A lot like Lightning, it seemed.
I watched him offer Andrea meat from his sandwiches, picking them apart carefully.
“Can I feed her?” I asked.
“That is nice of you,” he said.
I freed a piece of ham from between the bread and cucumber and offered it to Andrea. She plucked it from my hand without biting me, which I appreciated. An involuntary smile came to my lips—I loved animals, and I’d never been so close to a bird of prey before.
Andrea chittered in Kostas’s ear, and
he grinned. “Would you like to hold her?” he asked me.
“Really?” My smile widened.
“Place your arm out,” he said.
I did as he asked, and he lowered his shoulder so that Andrea could hop over to me.
I gasped when she closed her talons around my arm, but she didn’t cut me. She was lighter than I expected, only a couple of pounds at most.
“She likes you quite a lot,” Kostas said.
“She’s sweet,” I said, embarrassed by his attention and affectionate tone.
“Birds are good judges of character,” Kostas said. “I trust Andrea unconditionally.”
“The two of you seem to have quite a bond.”
“And she trusts you,” he went on. “She’s talked to me about you all morning, and I agree with her. We believe in your strength.”
“Thank you,” I said, although I had no idea what he meant by that.
Kostas cleared his throat. “Nicolas Demarais said that Lightning is not looking for allies, but I’d like to offer you that opportunity.”
I swallowed, my heart kicking into a higher gear. “That’s generous. Nicolas has always considered magicians in Wild to be his friends. I believe his group in Water worked with several Wilds. An extension of that relationship would be welcome.”
“I would specifically like to work with you,” Kostas said. “Nicolas is a powerful man, and I respect him a great deal, but you are the heart of the group—that is clear.”
He put a warm hand on my wrist. Although he was ostensibly doing so in order to let Andrea back onto his arm, the smoldering in his dark eyes told me his closeness was entirely intentional.
I smiled at him in uncertainty, remembering Ivan and Xiao and Nicolas and Juniper last night. Did all the pinnacle members have dalliances whenever they could? That seemed weird, given how separate most clans kept themselves, but maybe this was how alliances were formed.
Andrea jumped back to him, and he let his fingers trail down the back of my hand. I shuddered, pulling away quickly.