Blackwood: The Dynasty Series Book One

by Marian Gray

  I urged my tongue to move but instead I stared with blank eyes, caught in between shock and terror. It was already intimidating enough to converse with a wizard outside of my family, but the attraction made my mind cloud. He was gorgeous. The sound of his voice, the pale hazel in his gaze, his robust physique—his presence overwhelmed me.

  He continued despite my lack of reply, “I was skeptical when I saw Ann Darby’s name on it, but I gave it a try anyway. If you’re interested, I definitely recommend it.”

  “Ann Darby?” My tongue was in knots.

  “The author.”

  “Ah, yes.” I nodded as embarrassment slid from head to toe. Her name was printed on the front cover, larger than the title. “How obtuse of me.” My gut buzzed with nerves. “Do sorcerers interest you?”

  He rubbed his lips. Callouses marked the tip of his thumb and side of his index finger, unusual spots. “Yes, I guess they do. With the exception of Mad Merlin Syndrome, their power and abilities are limitless. They don't require tools or incantations to manipulate their magic. Then you throw in the taboo of their existence, and it captures my attention. What about you?”

  I had the book in my hand, so it must have struck something inside of me. “Never thought about them until today.” Nor had I ever heard of them.

  The sports star grinned. “What’s your name?”

  I placed the sorcerer book back on the table. “Kim. Yours?”

  He cocked an eyebrow. “Elijah Harlow.” His tone held an air of surprise.

  “I probably should have known that, huh?”

  “No.” He shook his head. “It’s nice that you don’t.”

  I swallowed hard. The urge for him to touch me rushed over my skin. The heat in my cheeks built to a warm blush. I wanted to feel his hands trail down my body.

  “You’ve got a bit of an accent in your voice. Where in the south are you from?”

  I didn’t have an accent. “Virginia. Where are you from, Mr. Harlow?”

  “Mr. Harlow?” A soft chuckle left his mouth. “Just Eli will do.” A small smile climbed onto his lips before he replied, “I’m from just a bit north of you, Massachusetts.” His eyes stared at me for a brief moment, calculating. “I’m sorry if this comes off as conceited, but you really have no idea who I am?”

  “No.” I shook my head. “Well, kind of, I think. My uncle told me you play holmgang, but that sums up my knowledge.”

  “Interesting.” He glanced down before meeting my gaze again. “So, I’m assuming then that you live amongst the mundies. What brings you to Brick Row?” Mundi. I had heard Uncle Hank and Aunt Margot use it several times since I came to stay with them. It referred to individuals who didn't possess any magic at all.

  “School supplies.” I held up my folded list.

  “What year are you?”

  “First. Well, going into first.”

  “Kim, did you get the books yet?” I heard Aunt Margot’s voice call out to me.

  I turned to her, she was only a few steps away. “Not yet. I was just talking to—”

  “Elijah Harlow.” Her eyes flew open and jaw swung unhinged to meet her neck.

  “Yes.” The word slithered out of my mouth in a whisper.

  “Oh my.” She giggled. Her body almost floated off the ground. “You’re really talking to—” Her large brown eyes ran from me to him. “It is such an honor and esteemed pleasure to meet you.” She held out her hand in high wizard fashion.

  He took it with a gentle grip, and his lips met the top of her glove. “It’s a pleasure to meet you as well.”

  Her eyelids fluttered from his touch. “I’m Margot. Kim’s aunt.” A stupid grin split her lips. “I don’t want to take up your time, but would you be willing to give me your autograph?”

  “Absolutely.” His demeanor remained relaxed and friendly but shook off every ounce of flirtatious allure.

  Her hands clapped together, and she nodded. Her stare fixed on him.

  “Do you have something for me to sign?” He prompted her.

  “Oh!” She sucked in a deep breath. A panic flew across her face. “I just have this.” It was a rudimentary student notebook, complete with calendar and appointment tracker. “Sorry, Kim.” She handed it over with a pen.

  “Anything in particular that you want me to write?”

  Her gaze searched the shop, hoping to find the right tag line. “I have no idea. I never thought I’d meet someone like you.”

  His hand etched something across the page. He handed the notebook back to Aunt Margot, but his eyes didn’t part from mine. “It was nice meeting you both.”

  “And you as well,” Aunt Margot blurted out. Once he had left, she turned to me. “Such a nice man, no? So pleasant and with manners too.”

  “What did he write in the notebook?” My curiosity climbed out of my throat.

  She opened the hard cover and held it a distance from her face, so her eyes could focus. “I never thought I’d meet someone like you, Elijah Harlow.”

  Chapter Seven

  Her lips pursed, emphasizing the light peach fuzz that grew along the upper ridge. A faithful tan leather purse tucked under her arm in a hard embrace between elbow and ribs. With each step, she stiffened a bit more. Her buckle toe flats glided across the airport floor with poise and indignation. My mother had yet to speak more than a few necessary sentences here and there since I had announced my attendance at Ivory. Her silent protest had held strong for the month and a half I stayed at my uncle’s, and I didn’t expect her to crack here. Not now that my disobedience was at a hallmark high.

  “Which elevator is it?” She pushed the words though gritted teeth.

  “I don’t think it matters.” I readjusted the stuffed backpack on my shoulder.

  She pivoted to the left and headed toward the nearest elevator. Her pace quickened.

  I followed behind, wheeling a large suitcase that held half my body weight. “But I don’t think you’re allowed to go down with me.” It defied the wizarding mantra of secrecy.

  “Why?” She glanced over her shoulder at me.

  “Well,” I began as my feet took an extra skip to keep up with her, “because you’re not—”

  “A witch.” Her flats halted just before a pair of elevator doors and swept around to face me. “Might as well just call me a flup. I’ve heard it enough in my life that it doesn’t hurt.” A flup was an individual born into a magical family without powers.

  My lips didn’t move to confirm or deny. I guided my eyes away from her not wanting to stare it the depths of her disappointment.

  “Then this is where I leave you.” Her fingers wrapped around her purse, their tips turning white. “You know, I’ve looked forward to this moment since you started school. Raising a child as a single mother and being able to send her off to college with all of her limbs intact is just as much of an accomplishment for me as you getting accepted into college.” Her hand rubbed her forehead, stemming off a building headache. “This is supposed to be a happy moment. But at the end of the day, I’d rather you be sitting on the couch, drugged out of your mind with needles hanging out of your arm than go to this Ivory place.”

  My mind glossed over. “How can you think that let alone say it?” I wasn’t sure which angered her more, my acceptance of magic or my outright denial to obey her wishes. “Children grow up. I have to grow up. We’re not parental appendages. We are our own people. I’m sorry if this doesn’t follow your fantastical narrative of life that you’ve conjured in your head, but it doesn’t mean you have to be cross with me. I have done nothing wrong. I’ve just made a decision as an adult that concerns my life.”

  Her toe tapped on the tile, signaling her irritability. “But you’re not an adult. You think that the tick of a clock from 11:59pm to 12:00am suddenly makes you an adult.”

  I shrugged. I wasn’t sure what it made me, but I knew it gave me power. “According to the laws of this country and society, yes. Eighteen is the age at which someone becomes a legal adult.”


  “It doesn’t mean you possess the capacity to think like an adult or make proper decisions.”

  “We can just agree to disagree.” My hand tightened on the handle of my over-sized suitcase. I shouldn’t have agreed to let her take me to the airport, but I would not let her swindle this moment from me. “Goodbye, Mother.” I lifted my foot and took a step toward the elevator, but she side-stepped, blocking me.

  “I wish you the best of luck with this, and I want you to know that when this turns bad, you can always come to me.” Her fine-lined hand landed on my shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze.

  I shrugged her grasp away. “Thank you for the well wishes.” My body buzzed with a strong need to flee. I stepped around her, wheeling my luggage to the elevator. Her eyes rained down on me as my finger pressed the down button.

  “I’ll have Uncle Hank check in on you regularly,” she said like an officer addressing her soldier.

  I nodded my acknowledgment as the elevator doors slid open. “Bye, Mother.” I stepped into the car, and my finger flew to the basement indicator, followed by three prompt rings of the bell.

  She didn’t reply but stayed planted just outside the car. Tears built in her eyes. I thought I saw them spill over when the doors shut between us but I couldn’t be sure. I shrugged off her sorrow, allowing the heavy weight of my decision to wash over me as the elevator carried me down to the tram station. A pulse of excitement swirled in the pit of my stomach, mixing with the acrid apprehension that had been there since I left the house.

  This was it. This was my time, and I couldn’t allow the unresolved tension between me and my past life dictate my future. My mother, James, and Virginia were behind me now.

  The elevator doors opened into a cave train station. Per my uncle and aunt’s directions, I walked myself and my belongings to a small kiosk tucked away to the side. It was manned by an older gentleman. His arms barely reached the top of the counter. “What can I do for you today?” A sincere joy filled his voice.

  “I need to make an exchange from USD to ARC.” I passed two hundred dollars into the gold tray that dug itself in the counter’s surface.

  “In any particular denomination?”

  “No.” I shook my head. “Just an assortment, please.”

  He nodded and slipped several types of bills into the tray. They ranged in length and were dressed in metallic colors. “Just as a reminder, the Committee of Coin under the authority of the International Chamber of Magical Affairs pulled all coins out of circulation at the beginning of this year. Therefore, your exchange is not exact. To combat this, Transmuter Currency Exchange factors your loss into the exchange fee.”

  “Ok, thank you,” I mumbled, unsure of the expected response.

  “Your receipt.” He smiled, placing a card in the tray. It was similar in size to a business card.

  My fingers plucked the card from the tray, and I stepped to side, eager to re-equip my wallet with arcs instead of dollars. It was obvious from the amount that I held in my hand that the arc was stronger. Four times stronger to be exact. Once my shiny bills were tucked away, I purchased a ticket to the Ivory U. Station. The teller insisted on reminding me that this was a seasonal station, and I would need to purchase a return ticket with her if I was not planning on remaining for the full semester.

  When I reached my designated platform, a young man rushed over to me. “Have you tagged your bag yet?”

  “No.” I shook my head.

  He pulled a handful of baggage labels from his pocket. “Please state your name clearly.”

  “Kim Blackwood.”

  Within a matter of seconds my name, destination, and starting platform were scrawled across the soft plastic marker. He slapped the tag onto my larger bag and reached for the handle. “Remember, to peel from the edge when removing your identification information from your luggage.”

  “How did it know where I was going?” My hand was reluctant to release its grip on my bag.

  His eyebrows raised, scrunching his forehead into several lines. “Umm…” He glanced down at the ground, and then at me as though my question were something very odd to be asked. “I’m not exactly sure how it works. I just collect the suitcases. I’m sorry I can’t be of more assistance. Do you mind if I load your bag on the train at this time?”

  I swallowed hard, releasing my grip. His white gloved hand fitted around the bar, and he wheeled the big bag away. His heels hit the stone floor with noticeable vigor, eager to create space between the two of us.

  “Don’t worry about it.” I heard a voice beside me. “I think it’s weird too. But it’s just daily life to them. They don’t question it. Kind of like how we don’t question needing a driver’s license as a required form of identification at a lot of businesses.” I glanced to the source of the masculine voice, spotting a tall, lanky kid. Large circular-framed glasses rested on the bridge of his nose. Their gold color contrasted well with his dark skin. “My name’s Eddie by the way. I’m an Ivory summer semester student as well.” Two thin arms folded across his chest.

  “I’m Kim.”

  “Nice to meet you, Kim.” He smiled with an unabashed kindness. “I was beginning to worry that I’d be alone on this platform when the tram arrived.”

  I glanced around and noticed that we were the only two people waiting on platform two. Someone around our age stood at the far end, but I couldn’t be sure if the person was a student or station employee. “I guess Roanoke isn’t a hot spot for wizards and witches.”

  “At least not for ones who grew up outside of the Chamber’s ever watchful eye.”

  I cocked an eyebrow. “What do you mean? I thought the summer semester was just to help students who didn’t grow up with magic to catch up to those who did.”

  “That’s what they want you to believe,” he was quick to say. “I didn’t grow up with spells and potions displayed out in public. I was raised off the magical grid. My parents cut ties with the Chamber years before I was born, but they still practiced magic at home. Now I have to enter as a summer student.”

  “How does your family live off the grid?” It seemed impossible to do anything without the Chamber catching wind. They owned the governance hall in the middle of Brick Row, regulated wand purchases, notarized and released licenses, owned the magical world’s single source of news, monitored double door travel, recorded family lineage, and supervised higher education. They had a finger in every pie.

  “We live like mundies.” He shrugged. “We aren’t subscribed to the Emporium nor do we use the Chamber Post. We never registered with the local bureau when we moved. We just kind of went rogue. My mom’s the only reason I was documented as a wizard. She was afraid that keeping my name off the books would bar me from attending a magical university. The wizarding world is a strange and weird place.”

  “I guess you could say I grew up off grid as well but not on purpose. My mother’s a flup. My uncle was the one that registered me. He’s anti-Chamber too, so I’m not sure why he sent in my information.” Perhaps it was solely so I could attend university as well.

  His faced brightened at the confession. “It just proves my point. The summer semester exists for the Chamber to indoctrinate us. I wonder if the freshmen starting in the fall semester really know that much more than we do. You can’t even legally own a wand until you’re fifteen, and even then it’s just a junior version. A full-fledged power-producing wand isn’t available until you're seventeen.”

  I understood his point, but I didn’t feel slighted by having to attend a summer semester. To me, it was an early escape. I didn’t have the stamina to last another two and a half months in the same town as my mother. Especially with James moping and scowling over my departure. “I guess we’ll find out just how much more advanced they are when the fall semester rolls around.”

  A heavy whistle sounded as a burst of vapor puffed out from the tunnel connected to the number two tram line.

  “Well, this is it,” Eddie declared. “Want to sit
together?”

  “Sure.” I smiled.

  Chapter Eight

  The tram glided to a halt in the single platform station.

  “We’re here,” Eddie commented as his face pressed to the glass window.

  My heart pumped with a hard thud, knocking on the inside of my ribs. I peeked over his bony shoulder. My eyes met towering pines and a sea of green. Fauna flourished with rampant pride, threatening to overtake the stone platform. “Looks like we’re in some kind of forest.” All magical universities were situated in undisclosed locations with only their country of origin made known to the public.

  “How many coniferous forests are there in the mainland?”

  “I couldn’t tell you. But one thing is for sure, we’re not in Virginia anymore.”

  A clink of metal sounded behind us. I turned my head to see the tram door folding inward. A cool rush of air swept into the car. Wisps of oceanic salt and pine filled my nostrils.

  “Ready?” Eddie asked as we both gazed into the deep green wilderness.

  “I hope so.” My stomach fluttered with anticipation.

  Eddie exited first, and I followed close behind. Uneven flagstone tiled the platform floor. The silver path poured into a tunnel buried beneath a mountainside. Its cylindrical mouth was trimmed with white rock. The arch stood sturdy despite the spruce trees nestled atop its back. Their long roots dangled over its block face. On either end of the tunnel front, tall tower houses rose into the tree tops. Their heavy lamps provided light for passengers.

  A sharp whistle blew from the tram, announcing its departure. My foot stepped forward, placing more room between me and the puffing locomotive.

  The movement brought my breath out. I hadn’t realized I was holding it.

  A thick timbered door attached to the right tower creaked open and a slender woman slid out. A large smile stretched across her face, highlighting the crows feet that sprouted from her cool blue eyes. Short legs carried her to us as the clipboard in her hand swung in time to her step. Her bottle blonde hair floated down just past her shoulder with a hard heated curl at the end.