by Nissa Leder
“Hello, everyone. As I’m sure many of you know, I’m Lucas Jacobsen, current President of the Sorcery World. It’s an honor to be here speaking to the brightest of our youth,” he says. “It isn’t a secret that the dark forces have been growing in numbers and strength over the last decade. Many of your parents,” his gaze finds me again, “have dedicated their lives to protecting the world against the evil lurking amongst us. Wicklow has always produced the strongest Protectors, but as the darkness in this world continues to strengthen, we must, too.
“After many long meetings and discussions of how best to combat the dark Sorcerers, we’ve decided the only way to keep the world safe is to produce stronger Protectors. In order to do this, we must increase the amount of magic select Protectors hold.”
“How’s that possible?” Olivia asks Micah.
He shrugs.
The President waits until the whispers in the crowd stop. “After many years of trial and error, we’ve found a way to transfer one Sorcerer’s magic to another. This will allow some Protectors to possess the power needed to face the darkest of powers. But it comes at a price.
“For some to become stronger, others must sacrifice. Since Wicklow is the top of the four elite academies, the Council has decided this freshman class will be the first to participate in a magic transfer trial. At the end of the year, the bottom half will relinquish their magic to the top half for the greater good.”
Murmurs and sighs spread through the crowd in a wave.
“This is crazy,” Olivia says.
“But also awesome,” Micah adds. “Just think. We could have twice as much magic as most Sorcerers.”
“Or we could lose our magic all together.”
The President lifts his hand to quiet everyone. “It’s a lot to take in. No one will be forced to participate in the trial. You all will have one week to consider the offer. If for any reason you decide the trial isn’t for you, Dean Waters will set up a transfer to one of the three other American schools. Those who choose to stay at Wicklow will be divided into groups of five. At the end of the semester, you will participate in a series of tests to determine your rank for the final test at the end of the year. The bottom-half groups will fail and give over their magic to the top-half groups.”
I’ve only known I had magic three days, but the thought of losing it sends a surge of panic through me. The sensation of fire burning in my hand earlier felt better than anything ever has. I felt powerful. Like a natural. But everything is so new. I don’t actually know if I’m good or if today was a freak incident, which makes agreeing to the trial a huge risk.
“In one week from today, we will reconvene and those who agree to the terms will complete the required magical contract. Once committed, there is no going back. Not following through with the end of the year exam will result in the automatic loss of magic. Do not take this decision lightly. But know that if you participate, pass or fail, you are crucial to the safety of the entire world.” He turns and steps away from the podium and walks off the stage.
Dean Waters returns to the microphone. “You are all excused for lunch. Anyone who wishes to be transferred can visit my office during school hours and I will get the necessary paperwork started.”
With that, we all head to lunch.
Micah stands and rubs his stomach. “Finally. I’m starving.”
Olivia gets up and rests a hand on her hip. “I don’t know how you’re hungry after learning that if we want to stay at Wicklow, we could lose our magic. For good.”
“I’ve never thought you were a glass-half-empty person,” Micah says.
“I’m not,” Olivia insists. “I’m a practical one. And there’s a 50-50 chance that if we agree to this trial, we could lose our magic.”
“No risk, no reward.”
Olivia shakes her head as they get in the line moving toward the exit.
I follow behind as they argue about whether Olivia is an optimist or a pessimist. As we near the door, Beck finds me. He and Kaz walk toward us, weaving through the students trying to leave the room.
“Grandpa wants to meet you,” Beck says.
“I’ll catch up with you guys later,” I tell Olivia and Micah then follow Beck and Kaz back in the direction I just came from.
We continue to the far side of the room where the Sorcery President is waiting. Kaz lingers a few feet away while Beck and I approach our grandpa.
Despite his resemblance to my dad, it’s hard to accept him as family. Maybe biologically we share blood, but in my eighteen years of life, I don’t remember seeing him once.
“Wren, it’s so great to finally meet you.” He reaches his hand out and shakes mine. “You inherited all your mother’s beauty, I see.” His skin is warm. “How have you been enjoying Wicklow?”
“It’s been a long list of surprises, Lucas.” I’m sure calling him by his name is frowned upon on so many levels, but I’m not ready to address him as Grandpa and referring to him as “Mr. President” feels too formal.
The corner of his mouth curves slightly upward like he’s resisting a smile. “I’m sure it has. Learning you have magic after so long must have come as a shock.”
“As did hearing from brand new friends that my grandpa is this world’s president.” I cross my arms in front of my chest.
Beck kicks my boot and stares me down. I don’t care if he thinks I’m being rude. Grandpa or not, this guy is a stranger. It doesn’t matter how important he is. There has to be a reason my dad has never spoken of him.
“Yes, I imagine that would have been frustrating.” His eyes soften as he looks at me. “But I hope that, with time, we can become better acquainted. I’ve been so honored to spend last year getting to know your brother. I would love to get to know you as well.”
“Wren would appreciate that,” Beck says.
I snap my gaze toward him and glare. “Wren can answer for herself.”
Beck has always had a bad habit of talking for me when he’s afraid I’m going to say something he’ll find embarrassing.
“Maybe we can start small,” Lucas says. “I can take the two of you to lunch in Coast Harbor this weekend. It will give you a chance to see more of our world than just the academy.”
That’s the place Micah’s from. I am curious to see what the Sorcery town is like. “I suppose I can’t say no to free food.”
“Perfect. I’ll pick you up in a car outside Wicklow at noon on Saturday.” A man dressed in a black suit, security of some sort, approaches him and hands him a note. Lucas opens it. “I better get going. It’s been good to see you, Beck, and great to meet you, Wren. I’ll see you both on Saturday.”
With that, he follows his security guard out the side gym door.
“You didn’t have to be so rude to him,” Beck scolds me. “You don’t even know him.”
“Exactly. He’s my grandpa and I don’t know him. At all. Of course I’m going to be skeptical.”
Beck sighs. “Just give him a chance. Okay?”
I drop my arms to my side as I exhale. Beck can’t tell me how to feel, but I know he just wants me to try to get to know the guy. It isn’t too much to ask. “I’ll be nicer at lunch. Promise.”
Kaz walks to us. “So, did I overhear you’re going to have lunch with the Sorcery President this weekend? How awesome.”
“Try convincing Wren that having him as family is a good thing,” Beck says.
“Not sold on grandpa-dearest yet?” Kaz asks.
“I’m still processing that I have magic. Trying to find time to take in that my parents are heroes and that my grandpa is a freakin’ president is just a lot.” I can’t help but think of my date with Kaz. Our kiss had been so innocent, but he’d kissed me, so the night had to have gone well, right? “I’m still waiting to see where the third key leads to.”
Kaz eyes Beck in his peripheral. “I better ask you on a second date soon then, huh?”
“It was Wren you went on a date with last night?” Beck glances in between us with a
disapproving look I’ve seen many times.
I didn’t realize Kaz hadn’t told him. “Kaz offered to show me around Wicklow.”
“The best part of the Academy is its secrets,” Kaz grins.
“Kaz knows more about this place than anyone else.” Beck sticks his thumb in his pocket and nods. “You better get going if you want time to eat, Wren.”
Beck’s classic change-the-subject move.
“I’ll see you two later,” I say.
To keep things from feeling any more awkward than they already do, I leave to grab a quick bite for lunch, regretting I opened my big mouth about the date.
Eight
I make it through my first week at Wicklow.
Bianca and I manage to work together to create a simple potion to freshen bad breath. Thornburn teaches us basic defensive moves in combat. We keep practicing the ardeat ignis spell until everyone in class has created fire in their hands at least once. By Friday, I’m able to channel my inner magic by thinking the incantation only once, which has me hopeful that I won’t suck at Sorcery like I feared.
After sleeping in Saturday morning, I get breakfast with Olivia and Micah.
I thought the lunch and dinner buffets were gourmet, but breakfast puts them all to shame. It makes me regret not checking it out sooner, but that would have required waking up earlier than ideal on the weekdays.
There are so many amazing-looking foods to choose from, but I settle on French toast topped with strawberries and whipped cream, then join Micah and Olivia at a table.
They both went for biscuits and gravy.
“You’re not even going to weigh the pros and cons at all?” Olivia cuts a biscuit with her fork.
“My mind was made up the moment President Jacobsen told us the offer.” Micah sticks a huge bite into his mouth.
It’s weird to hear my last name after the word President.
“You’re not the least bit afraid of losing your magic?” Olivia asks.
Micah finishes his bite. “I’m not going to. I’m going to double it. Maybe you just need a bit more confidence.”
“We’ve only been here for one week. I have no idea if I’m going to do well in my classes,” Olivia says.
“Then you probably aren’t going to have a good career in the Sorcery world anyway. And if you lose your magic, you can focus on your music career like you’ve always wanted.”
They’ve been arguing about this all week. Micah’s been dead set on agreeing to the terms Lucas proposed. Olivia hasn’t made a decision one way or another. She doesn’t want to leave Wicklow, but the risk of losing her powers has her stressed out.
“What about you, Wren?” Olivia asks. “Any decision yet?”
I swallow the huge bite I just took. “I haven’t thought about it much yet.”
Micah laughs while Olivia just looks confused.
“I think you should go for it,” Micah says. “You spent your whole life not knowing about magic. Why not double down?”
“Of course that’s what you’d recommend.” Olivia shakes her head as she stabs her fork into a biscuit.
“What were your plans after high school before you learned about Sorcery?” Micah asks.
“I’m not really sure.” Most kids grew up wanting to be doctors or teachers, some even the president. Their dreams changed as they grew older, of course, but at any moment in time, they could answer the infamous question: what do you want to be when you grow up?
I’ve never had an answer and always hated when anyone asked.
I found humor the best way to avoid any awkwardness. When they’d ask what I wanted to be when I was an adult, I’d reply “alive” and they’d laugh and tell me how funny I was.
“My parents never really pushed me to think about it,” I say. “They always talked about Wicklow, and how Beck and I would come here after high school. I guess they knew that if I made any dreams, they would have been pointless once I learned about magic.”
“It’s not like anyone has to come and hone their magic.” Micah sips his orange juice. “My dad gave me a choice. In fact, he’s always discouraged the Protector route. He said I could learn magic well enough at home and take over the inn my parents own.”
“My parents always urged me to follow in their footsteps,” Olivia says. “Very few turn their backs on our world entirely.”
The conversation fizzles as we turn our focus to our food before it gets cold. I wish I could be as certain as Micah. He’s right. I spent eighteen years with no clue about magic. So if I lose it, I just go back to how things used to be. But could I do that now? Feeling the connection I felt to the power inside of me when I tried the ardeat ignis incantation the first time was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. I was the best in the class at the spell. That has to mean something, right?
After we eat breakfast, Olivia and I return to our room and relax. When I check the time, it’s already 11:30 which means I have to be in front of the academy in a half hour. Something tells me being even a second late will earn a long, boring lecture from Beck.
I’m not sure of the proper attire for lunch with the Sorcery President. There’s no way I’m wearing my school uniform. Jeans feel too casual. Most of my dresses aren’t appropriate enough. Eventually, I decide on the corduroy dress I wore to the opening party the first night, and slip a long sleeve shirt underneath it to make it even more modest.
I arrive in front of the academy with an entire minute to spare.
Beck’s already there, dressed in slacks, a navy shirt, and a plaid tie. “Cutting it awfully close.”
“Yes, I wouldn’t dare be late to a casual lunch date.”
“Grandpa is a busy man. His time is important. Do you know how many people would give a limb to be related to the most important man in the Sorcery world?”
I’m debating between a snarky response and indifference when the black car pulls up exactly on time. The driver gets out of the car and walks around to open the passenger and backseat doors.
“I’ll take shotgun so you can sit by gramps,” I say before heading to the car.
The road to Coast Harbor curves through thick forest. Tall trees tower on each side, blocking out nearly all the sun. Only a sliver of blue sky can be seen directly above.
Beck fills Lucas in on his attempt to join the Mystics. He mentions attending the first night party and speaking to Sebastian, conveniently leaving out that I crashed and the reason he was talking to Sebastian was because he’d come over to talk to me.
Eventually, I tune out their conversation and lose myself in the blur of trees out the window. After about a half-hour of twisting and turning highway, we slow down. A clearing appears in the thick forest and we pass a coral-colored wooden sign with the name “Coast Harbor” painted in white.
The road continues straight to the cutest downtown area I’ve ever seen. Rows of brick Victorian buildings pressed together line each side of the street. The style of the buildings gives a historical feel, but the cars parked in front counteract as a reminder that we’re in the twenty-first century.
The driver slows the car and stops in front of a place called Brimstones. He gets out of the car and opens the door for Lucas. It’s better etiquette to wait and let him open my door, too, but I’m too impatient. As he’s opening Beck’s door, I let myself out.
Beck gives a disapproving stare but doesn’t say anything.
“This was my favorite restaurant to come to when I was a Wicklow student,” Lucas says.
Pots filled with plants hang from the edge of the patio ceiling. Bright pink and purple bulbs stand out from the deep green leaves. Large wooden pots filled with an assortment of flowers sit outside the fenced area.
Hummingbirds hover around the blossoms. Except as I stop and look closer, I realize they aren’t hummingbirds at all.
Lucas notices my interest. “Ahh, yes, I remember being struck with awe the first time I saw the fairies, too.”
Little creatures, with long lean limbs, skin various hu
es of blues, pinks, and purples, and transparent, butterfly-like wings flit around the flowers.
One notices me staring and alerts the others, causing them all to take cover in the leaves.
“They don’t like being gawked at.” Lucas laughs. “Watching them from afar is the best strategy.”
The door swings open as we approach.
As a waitress is seating us—trying desperately not to stare at Lucas—I notice the men dressed in suits already strategically placed in the restaurant. Lucas has more bodyguards than I expected.
She takes us up a set of stairs and seats us in a U-shaped booth at the edge of the balcony, giving us a view of the restaurant below. “I’ll be back to take your order after you’ve had time to look over the menu.”
Since I had a late breakfast, I’m not all that hungry yet. Both Lucas and Beck decide what they want after only a minute of looking at the menu. I skip to the end and browse the soup options. Corn chowder. That will do.
I close my menu and set it on top of the others then look around the bottom floor of the restaurant. Ignoring the bodyguards, I take in the other patrons. An elderly couple chats as they enjoy their meal, taking a bite now and again as the other is talking.
A younger couple coos over their baby sitting in a high-chair at the end of the table between them. The mom spins her spoon in circles, straight into the baby’s mouth.
“Everyone here has magic?” I ask, interrupting whatever Lucas and Beck were talking about.
“Mostly. Or at least are aware of the Sorcery world,” Lucas answers. “Sometimes a Sorcerer will marry an Ordinary. But Coast Harbor is one of many magical towns across the country. Some Sorcerers prefer to live away from the Ordinaries, while others, like your parents, live in the middle of the regular world.”
“And if an Ordinary and a Sorcerer have kids, will they have magic?”
“Magic is a recessive gene, so it’s possible, but unlikely. But if one parent is a Sorcerer and the other is an Ordinary with a recessive magic gene, it could happen.”