“I don’t know about that,” I sigh. “Ella doesn’t seem best pleased, and she doesn’t even know the half of it yet.”
“Don’t be silly. She’s only upset because she feels responsible for you being mixed up in Augur business,” she says, making her tea and sitting down at a stool with it. “I would offer, but I know you don’t really drink tea,” she adds, and I nod, smiling at the familiarity we have with each other.
“I chose to be part of this. She shouldn’t feel responsible for anything. None of it is her fault.”
“Curtis, when you’ve lived sixty years, you’ll be telling teenagers this yourself. The best thing you can do is talk to her. I’m no love expert; David’s father and I divorced years ago, you know,” she adds. I didn’t until Agnes told me earlier today, as I hadn’t liked to ask. “But I like to think I understand how you all work. You’ve been under my roof long enough for me to know that you’d do anything for each other, so don’t let secrets divide you, alright? More communication will only make you stronger,” she says, taking a sip of tea.
“Thanks, Beryl,” I say, standing up and giving her a peck on the cheek.
“Curtis!” Ella bursts in, tears streaming down her face.
“What happened?”
“I saw it. Oh, God.” She wraps her arms around me for the second time this evening as she sobs. The vision must have been horrific to have set her off like this. Worse than it was for me.
“Hey, hey,” I soothe, “it hasn’t happened yet. We’ll figure it out, okay?” I say with a confidence I don’t feel.
“Why don’t you two go up to the second guest room,” Beryl says. “First floor, third door on the right.”
I nod gratefully at her and take Ella upstairs to a bedroom that would probably fit perfectly in a five-star hotel.
Thick curtains hang over a window that looks out onto the street below, and the double bed has so many cushions it looks like a display in a department store.
“It was awful. I felt it as if I were really there,” she says, trying to wipe tears from her cheeks. I remember experiencing Mumbe’s hallucinations before. They felt real, just as though I were really there, and no doubt his power took whatever Agnes saw and turned what had felt like a dream to me into a full experience for everyone else. Fiery inferno and all.
“We’ll get out of town, okay? As far away from Edward and the Magic Circle as we possibly can,” I say, sitting on the edge of the bed with her and cupping her face in my hands.
“We need to find Agnes first,” she says, wiping her nose on her sleeve.
“What? Why?”
“What do you mean ‘why’? Because she’s my sister and I need to make sure she’s safe,” she says. I think about Beryl’s advice and swallow my apprehension. I have to tell Ella everything.
“Damn it. There’s something else I need to say, and you aren’t going to like it.” I take a deep breath. “Agnes actually asked Gio and Marco to keep me away from you.”
“Why would she do that?” Ella asks incredulously.
“Because she thinks that I’ll stop you from leaving somehow, which I know is ridiculous,” I add quickly as she starts to protest. “I know that she and I don’t always see eye to eye, but since she had that vision she’s been trying as hard as she can to keep us apart. She even had Gio incapacitate me with that vision of hers, and I lost something like three hours while I was unconscious on their sofa afterwards.”
“She must think that if we’re apart, then that will stop it from coming true,” Ella says quietly.
“Well I managed to convince Marco to help me, despite her best efforts. She doesn’t know I’m here, and I’ve no idea where she might be,” I admit.
“She’s only trying to prevent it from happening,” she says, defending her sister. “It makes sense, in some weird way.”
“Yeah, but there’s no way I would let anyone get in the way of me protecting you,” I say, running my hands down her arms and taking her hands in mine.
“Curtis, I don’t need you to protect me.”
The immediate frustration and annoyance I feel at those words surprise even me.
“You think I don’t know that?” I scoff, “Ella, you are the strongest person I know. I’ve said it before. You could have had any Augur guy who crossed your path and literally any of them could have stopped Edward from hunting you down. But I couldn’t,” I say bitterly.
“Is that what this is really about? You think you aren’t good enough or something?” She’s angry, but I don’t mind. Some selfish part of me wants her to be. Deep down, I actually think I kind of like it.
“I just think that one day you might turn around and realise what a horrible mistake you’ve made. I can’t be of any use to you, especially if you spend the rest of your life trying to shield me from things. So many times, I’ve asked myself why you haven’t dumped me for someone stronger,” I huff.
“Like who?”
“Well, like Giovanni for example.”
“What? You’re joking?”
“Of course I’m not. He’s liked you since the restaurant. Marco even said Agnes probably roped him in knowing that he still has feelings for you. It sounds stupid to say it aloud, but I worry that maybe you’d be better off with someone like him.”
It feels good, relieving even, spilling my guts and all the fear and anguish. I look into her eyes, wet with tears of frustration. Or maybe at the thought of losing me. She makes me nervous and exhilarated, happy and terrified all at the same time. I couldn’t actually imagine life without her now.
“Oh, Curtis, you idiot,” she says softly, slapping me on the arm but without any venom behind it. A sad smile spreads across her face. “I don’t want anyone else. I don’t LOVE anyone else. You don’t have to be an Augur or have powers to be strong. And you don’t have to look after me either. You have nothing to worry about.”
Feeling vulnerable and seeing her be so open with me makes my heart thud in my ribcage, just as if we’re alone together for the first time. I take her chin gently between my fingers and pull her lips to mine. She runs her hands over my chest and slides my jacket off my arms.
“Nothing?” I murmur between kisses.
“Nothing at all. You’re mine,” she whispers, kissing me back. Who cares about the world outside right now, anyway? In this moment I’m exactly where I need to be.
*
I wake up disoriented. It takes me a moment to recognise my surroundings and what woke me up in the first place. The gentle hum of my phone vibrating in my pocket somewhere. Ella sleeps beside me, and I try not to wake her as I fumble around on the floor for my jeans.
The screen lights up the room, and I hasten to answer it.
Mum. Not the best time to speak, but I can’t put her off any longer. I slide the screen to answer the call.
“Mum, I’m so sorry I missed you,” I whisper, not wanting to disturb the household. I hear a sob on the other end of the line. “Mum? Everything okay?” My first thought is that she’s hurt, or that someone has gotten to her. Could Edward have stooped so low as to use my parents as bait for Ella? “Mum?” I begin to panic.
“I-I’m so sorry C-Curtis, it couldn’t wait,” she manages, her voice quivering and completely unlike her. “I k-kept calling, and I didn’t want to leave a message like this.”
“What’s the matter?”
“It’s Dad, Curtis. He’s had a heart attack.”
CHAPTER 8
The shock hits me like a sledgehammer to the gut.
“Is he...?” I don’t want to finish the question, unsure of how I’ll react to the answer.
“Alive but unconscious. He’s in hospital. I’m sorry, love, I didn’t want to bother you, but I thought you should know. You’ve been away so long, and I was wondering if...” Now it’s her turn to trail off, as I hear her struggle against another wave of tears.
“I’ll be home as soon as I can,” I say, feeling my own voice start to crack. I want to speak to her more, but Ella i
s stirring, and I don’t know if I can involve her right now. “I’ll see you as soon as I can,” I whisper. I hang up the call and rest my head in my hands, fighting back angry tears that threaten to break through. Ella’s gentle hand touches my shoulder, and she pushes off the covers, shifting around to the edge of the bed to try and look at my face.
“What happened?” she asks quietly.
“My dad, he’s in hospital. I need to go home,” I say, trying to control my voice.
“Of course. I’ll come with you.”
“No, no, Ella. I can’t keep you in London for a day longer. I told Agnes I’d get you out, and she didn’t believe me. If you come with me now, that will only confirm her concerns,” I say, pulling on my shirt and jeans and forcing myself to be logical.
“You’re being ridiculous. I’m not going to leave you now, when you need me the most. You keep telling me that you want to be there for me and help me, but I need to do the same for you. I’m going, end of argument.” She stands up, grabbing her own clothes and dressing quickly. I can see that I’m not going to win the argument, but right now I don’t have the energy to even try. I know I need her with me. I’d be lying if I said I wanted to go alone, and as selfish as I feel, I can’t bring myself to push her to stay.
“You’re right,” I say, throwing on my jacket. I rub the sleep out of my eyes and check the time. It’s only 11:30 PM, so I wasn’t asleep for long, but if we leave it too late, we’ll miss the last train. As we head downstairs, I hear voices in the front room and wonder if I should explain myself, but Ella pushes herself past me and puts her head round the door first.
“Curtis has had some bad news, and we have to see his Mum,” she says quietly.
“Want us to come?” I hear Lou ask, and I feel a little warmth inside for the gesture.
“No, but thanks. Do us a favour though,” she says, dropping to a whisper. “Don’t tell Gio and Marco yet, will you? They might complicate things if they start trying to track us down.”
“No problem,” I hear Jer reply. “Let us know if you need anything.”
We leave the house as quietly as possible, Ella grabbing her handbag and coat on the way out the door.
The walk to the tube is short, but I feel like every step takes an age, like I’m travelling through some kind of dream land. It’s not until we’re on the tube that I can face speaking, and Ella lets me have my space.
“I should’ve been there for her,” I say miserably, slumping down in a vacant seat. Thankfully the train isn’t packed, and she sits next to me, threading her arm through mine.
“What could you have done?” she asks.
“I don’t know, but at least Mum wouldn’t have had to be alone...” The guilt rises within me again. What do I feel guilty for, exactly? Leaving Mum and being with Ella? Or being with an Augur when I know that my family, or at least Dad, would bitterly disapprove? That’s never bothered me before, so I don’t know why it would now, but it does.
Ella takes my hand, and I cling to it like a lifeline, trying to find something else to think about.
Discarded newspapers lie on the floor of the carriage, and glimpses of the headlines are worrying. I pick one up and we read it together in disgust.
“Damn it. It looks like Augur registration is becoming a thing,” I say quietly, taking in the front-page article.
“That was faster than I thought,” she murmurs, picking up another tabloid which only confirms the same news: the law comes into effect this week, and Augurs need to register now or face a penalty. The front page bears a hideous picture of the Magic Circle emblem graffitied onto a wall and dripping as if freshly sprayed, while ‘Normal is Natural’ protesters stand in the background. The whole thing makes for quite a scene.
‘NEW LAWS FOR OUR SAFETY’ reads the headline.
“What do you think the penalty will be?” I ask, horrified that we missed all of this happening before we were ready for it.
“Prison would be too expensive. Maybe a fine?” We read the rest of the article with grim resignation.
“I feel like we’ve gone backwards rather than make progress,” I mutter. “After everything that happened last year, you’d think that with no more Magic Circle terror attacks and Munday out of leadership, people might calm down.”
“I think Munday’s complete meltdown made people even more scared. They were satisfied with pointing the finger and making us feel like crap, but he made the threat of Augurs real to them. No more back alley attacks and discrimination. Now they want blood.” Ella takes the newspaper out of my hands and flings it on the seat next to her, groaning. “This isn’t helping to convince me to leave town right now. If anything, I want to show people all the good we can do. That’s what the Duke wanted.”
I clench my jaw at the mention of him, but I say nothing in case something I’m going to regret comes out of my mouth.
“I don’t think you ever saw what his plan was overall, did you?”
Apart from risking your life—and mine—and getting his own back on Munday for reasons still unknown to us? That’s what I want to say, but instead I shake my head.
“He had plans to put us in the rough areas and improve them with our powers. Show people that Augur magic can be used for good and not just destruction. He even paid for buildings to be restored that were damaged by the Magic Circle and started a charity.” She rests her head on my shoulder, and I rest mine on top.
“I didn’t know any of that,” I say quietly.
“Realise that now. I can see why you’ve never liked him, honestly, I can. To you he probably just seemed like some pompous dictator telling us all what to do and risking our lives for him.”
“Pretty much,” I agree.
“But do you realise that, apart from saving us all when the Facility collapsed, we actually agreed to be a part of his plan? Not just because he gave us a roof over our heads and stuck by us, but because he wanted Augurs to do well in life.” I can see her watching me in the reflection of the carriage window opposite, gauging my reaction.
“Sure,” I say, unwilling to talk about it further. I don’t want to pick apart all the weird things that he’s done for what I consider is a personal agenda.
“You don’t sound convinced.” I see her reflection frown.
“It’s not that, Ella, I’ve just had a lot to process today, okay? To be honest, I don’t know what to think about anyone anymore. The only people I feel like I can trust right now are you and our closest friends. After what Agnes put me through today, I feel... lost.” I rub my eyes and sense that she wants to say something, but she stays quiet, perhaps just letting me work through it.
The journey isn’t actually too long, and we get out at Hampstead, taking the fifteen-minute walk to my house and passing our old workplace, Gregorio’s. Building work is nearly done, and you can’t even tell that there was a fire there only a couple of months ago, but I can’t contemplate going back to work there now. I hope Mr. Gregorio isn’t expecting us to, either.
We stop instinctively, staring at the newly-painted facade.
“Feels like a lifetime ago that I asked you to that concert,” I say as we stand outside, peering into the darkened windows.
“Tell me about it,” she says, pulling me away after a few moments.
My street is the same as always, and when we turn down it my eyes begin to sting. I take a few deep breaths, and Ella squeezes my hand. Before revealing ourselves completely, we check for signs of life in Edward’s house, knowing that it would be a huge risk to step out into the street light if he were there.
“I doubt he’ll be there if he’s running the Magic Circle,” Ella whispers, but I want to take caution all the same. We peer around the side of a telephone box that sits on the end of my road. The house is in darkness, and I take a deep breath, grateful to avoid a confrontation.
“He must have moved back in with Cassie,” I whisper, and Ella nods, looking equally relieved.
I pull out my wallet where I’ve been keepi
ng my house key and have barely opened the door before the breath is knocked out of me by Mum in a strong hug.
“Hi, Mum,” I say, hugging her back and hearing her begin to sob all over again. I clench my jaw and try to show some strength. It’s no good me losing it as well.
“Oh, Curtis, I’ve missed you,” she says eventually and wipes her eyes with a soggy tissue. “But what the hell happened to your face?” She frowns.
“Oh, this?” I point to my bruised cheek. “I just annoyed someone with a good right hook,” I say, and she shakes her head at me.
“Always getting into trouble,” she mutters, stroking my cheek gently. I stand there for a few moments taking in my mother’s appearance. The dark circles under her eyes, the hair that is sprinkled with more white than I remember, and the overall defeated expression. I’ve never seen her anything less than strong and confident, and I realise this is probably what I’d be like if anything happened to Ella. I turn to look at my girlfriend, the epitome of strength. Would she fall apart if anything happened to me? If Agnes’s vision came true?
I don’t want to think about it now, and Mum clears her throat gently as if to prompt me from my train of thought.
“Oh, sorry. Mum, this is Ella,” I say, and Ella steps around me through the door with her hand outstretched.
Mum looks at her hand, and I worry for a second that she isn’t going to take it. That somehow she knows she’s an Augur and thinks, like Dad, that they’re all evil. But she surprises us both by grabbing Ella by the arms and pulling her into an embrace.
“Nice to meet you properly, love. Thanks for taking care of my boy.”
Ella murmurs a response, and Mum leads the way into the kitchen. As soon as I step through the door, a dark ball of fluff leaps into my arms catching me by surprise.
“Woah, nice to see you too, buddy,” I say to the cat who mysteriously turned up on my house last November and seems to have made it his permanent residence.
“You never named him, so I did it for you,” Mum says, putting the kettle on.
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