Blackwood: The Dynasty Series Book One

by Marian Gray

  Adriana lifted her purple leather tote handbag from under her seat and withdrew a small notepad. “No longer than thirty minutes.” She flipped open the violet cover, exposing lineless, pearly white stationery. She placed the swatch of paper in the center of Cecil’s desk. Her dark almond eyes rose to him. “Guillermo should be here when we’re close to finishing. He’s getting a couple shots of the campus right now.” She didn’t give him a chance to respond before returning to me. “Now, be sure to speak clearly, and if we come across a question you don’t know the answer to, just do your best. Ok?”

  I nodded as my insides tightened. I wasn’t doing anything wrong, but something about this whole arrangement was unsettling.

  “All right, please state your name.”

  “Kim Blackwood.” Black ink sprouted from her notepad, filling in the heading with my name.

  “And you are the great-granddaughter of Miriam Blackwood, correct?”

  “Yes.” I nodded.

  “Did you ever meet Miriam?”

  “No, she had passed away by the time I was born.”

  “I see. So, who was it in your family that carried and maintained your rich magical heritage?”

  “My uncle—well, great uncle.”

  “Interesting. And why do you not attribute this to your mother? She is the one between your two parents that has the Blackwood name, correct?”

  “Yes, her name is Kara Blackwood, and she unfortunately was never very interested in magic.” I took care not to use the word ‘flup’. It carried a negative connotation. “Not like my uncle anyway.” I watched as the ink bled with my words. As soon as it dotted my sentence, italic words popped below my quote.

  Who is her grandmother and what happened to her? What is her father like? Is she close to her Great Uncle Henry?

  “Why does it prompt you with questions?” I feared it would lead her down a path of questioning she wouldn’t have otherwise thought to take.

  “Please stay on topic. The notepad is only here to record your words.” Her dark eyes dropped to the item in question. “Strike the last two lines.” The words smudged into blotches of onyx ink. Her attention jumped back to me. “And what of your father? How has he handled being married into your family as a mundi?”

  “I couldn’t tell you.” I shook my head. “They were never married. I’ve never even seen his face.” I glanced at the notepad again, waiting to see what it insisted she asked next.

  Adriana slid the pad of paper closer to her and turned it so that the top flap blocked my line of vision. “Interesting. Then you were raised solely by your mother? That must have been very difficult for both of you. How do you feel about the blatant absence of your father?”

  “It is what it is. He’s never been a part of my life, so I guess I just never developed the void most do when a parent just vanishes.”

  “And you’ve never tried to seek him out? Never asked your mom about him?”

  “Sure.” I scratched the back of my head. “When I was younger.”

  “And?” She urged me onward with the story. “What happened?”

  “He’s rather difficult to find.” I leaned back in my chair. “From what I understand, my parents didn’t even have an established relationship. They were more like ongoing lovers, passing in and out of each other’s life whenever the tide allowed. When my mother found out she was pregnant with me, she told him. He wanted nothing to do with it, but my mother refused to have an abortion. She’s never said it, but I imagine the whole ordeal was devastating. He ignored her throughout the pregnancy, and she cut all contact once I was born—at least that’s the story I’ve been told.” I took in a deep breath. “And that’s how I came to be.”

  “That’s quite a tale. You’re mother must be a very strong woman.” Adriana glanced at the notepad before continuing. “Was she supportive of you attending Ivory?”

  “As much as she could be.” Our last moments together flashed through my mind. Her anger. Her confusion. Her feeling of betrayal. Her need for control.

  Adriana nodded. “Yes, I imagine there must be some limitations for a flup parent.” Her gaze flicked to her notepad and back to me. “Was she proud to see one of the family return to Ivory? What was her reaction when you received your acceptance letter? Then again I supposed she must have been expecting it when you first displayed your magical abilities as a child, given that your family has automatic acceptance into Ivory.”

  The question caught me off guard. “She wasn’t any one emotion. A mixture of sorts really—shock, surprise, disbelief.”

  “Really? Not happiness or joy or pride?”

  “When I received the acceptance letter, she still didn’t know I was a witch.”

  Adriana’s eyebrows shot to her hairline. “That would make this whole thing a surprise. Why did you keep your powers hidden from her? Are you afraid of your mom? Or perhaps there’s another reason?”

  I shook my head. “I didn’t keep it hidden from her. I didn’t know I was a witch either.”

  “No?” Adriana grinned. “But your great uncle must have. Otherwise he wouldn’t have registered you with the Chamber.”

  She had done some research before coming here to interview me. “You’re right.” I shrugged my shoulders. “He did.”

  “And what were his motivations for keeping this a secret from the two of you? That’s quite a betrayal of trust.”

  “I’m not sure.” Knowing my mother’s vile outlook on magic and the community, he had given me a choice through his deception—a chance to be a witch. I imagine my mother wouldn’t have allowed him or Aunt Margot to come within a hundred yards of me had she known I possessed the ability to perform magic.

  “Can you tell me why you think he might have kept it a secret? I understand it’s a guess which is fine. We’re just talking. I’m only here to tell your story.”

  “I truly have no idea.”

  “All right, then.” She leaned back, eying me like a shark with wounded prey. “I know you haven’t been here but two days; however, I’m curious about your initial thoughts of Ivory. Does it feel like home? Do you feel innately connected to the community here? Your great grandmother was often quoted saying that Ivory felt more like home than anywhere else she had ever lived.”

  It certainly didn’t feel like home. Home was my life in the mundi world under my mother’s roof and rules. This felt like comfortable freedom. “If anything I feel relieved. It’s the first time in my life that I have a chance to be a witch and not hide it. I never really felt like I fit in with the mundies.”

  She nodded her understanding. “Do you believe you’ll attend Ivory for all five years of your university education?”

  “Absolutely.” I had never even considered shopping around and looking into other schools. This was where I needed to be.

  The office door’s knob creaked as it was twisted from the other side. The hinges swung open to allow a tall, dark man entrance. A bulbous-lensed camera rested against his chest, held there by a thick foam strap that wrapped around his neck.

  “We’re almost finished,” Adriana told him. From his equipment, I knew this was Guillermo, the photographer. “Now, Kim, do you have any plans or anything in particular you wish to accomplish while at Ivory? Essentially, how do you plan to extend the family legacy?”

  My jaw bobbed open several times to speak, but I couldn’t find the words. I hadn’t come here with any set goals in mind, nor did I know what ‘legacy’ my family had carved for me to add onto. One thing was certain though, they adored my great grandmother. “I guess I kind of just want to get good grades for now.” My hand raised and fussed with my hair.

  Adriana pressed her lips together to hide her amusement. “And what are your thoughts on Lili Banach’s arrival in the fall semester? Are you intimidated at all?”

  My brow scrunched. “I’m sorry. Who?”

  “Lili Banach. The university president’s granddaughter.”

  “I’ve never met her. I have no idea who that is.”<
br />
  Adriana and Cecil Greaves shared a moment’s glance before she continued, “Since the founding of Ivory, there has been a rather robust rivalry between your two families. They are both very strong and have done remarkable things, but it goes without saying that whenever a Blackwood and Banach attend the university at the same time, there’s struggle for dominance between the two. How do you plan on confronting Lili Banach?”

  An awkward chuckle dribbled down my lips. “You can’t be serious?” I glanced to all three faces, none of which found the question amusing in any way. “I’m a summer student. I know nothing about magic. How can you expect me to carry on some old rivalry with this Banach girl?”

  “So then you are choosing to forego this tradition?” There was marked disappointment in Adriana’s voice.

  I shrugged, my shoulders heavy with helplessness. “I couldn’t take part even if I wanted to.”

  “See what I mean?” Greaves jumped in. “She’s a different sort. Not at all like the others in her family. Then again, Henry wasn’t particularly courageous or competitive either. Maybe the lionheart is dying out just like the magic.”

  The insult stabbed my pride. I sunk further in my chair but said nothing in rebuttal.

  “Let’s end it there.” Adriana nodded and snatched her notepad without a second thought. “Guillermo, are you ready to go? We only have about twenty minutes, so we need to make these count.” She started to stand, but paused mid-action. “Actually, I have one more question.” Her dark eyes fixated on my forearm. “How did you get that scar?”

  Chapter Eleven

  The first week of school passed with little complication. The workload was heavy but manageable. Every evening I attempted to ingest more information than my brain could obtain. But the nightly study sessions with Eddie and Sara mitigated the educational stress. Eddie did the majority of the studying while Sara did the majority of the talking.

  “Name seven of the thirteen metals used in wand creation?” Eddie asked me. His eyes beat down into the textbook.

  I sighed, leaning back on my hands. The soft, cool courtyard grass beneath my palms tickled the skin. “I don’t know. Silver, gold, platinum, copper, and—” My mind dried.

  “And?” Eddie repeated my last word.

  “Just name any other common metal you can think of,” Sara offered.

  “I don’t know.” I shrugged. “Nickel?”

  They both nodded.

  I shook my head. “Brass? I can’t think of any others.”

  “No, brass is not one of them.” Eddie sighed. “Iron, lead, steel, zinc, rhodium, iridium, palladium, and tungsten are the others.”

  “Rhodium, iridium, palladium, and tungsten—of course, why didn’t I think of those? I can’t wait for both augmentation and casting to get over this whole wand lore and creation subject.”

  Eddie cocked an eyebrow. “You should learn it. If two classes are teaching it, then it must be important.”

  “Good ol’ Father Tutor Eddie,” Sara mocked.

  Eddie shot her a playful glare. “I don’t get it.” He turned to me. “How did you pass your wand licensing test without knowing any of the metal or woods used in wands? I mean, half the test is about wood and metal interactions.”

  “Well, that’s the problem.” I scratched the back of my head.

  “What?”

  “Can you two keep a secret?”

  Sara sat up straight. “Yes. Absolutely we can.”

  “I didn’t exactly take the wand test.”

  She leaned toward me. “What do you mean?”

  “My uncle used a friendly connection to get me my wand.” I held out the ancient stick for them to see.

  “It’s a black market wand.” Eddie mused allowed. “Because it’s also a restricted wand. Since I first saw it, I’ve been trying to piece together how you got approval for a restricted wand. But the short answer is: you didn’t.”

  Sara glanced at Eddie from the corner of her eyes. “For someone who loathes the Chamber and all their regulations, you sure have a strong grip on the rules.”

  “If you’re going to defeat them, then you need to know them well enough to master the loopholes.”

  I grinned at him. “If only I had your brain, Eddie.”

  “No.” Sara shook her head. “He’s too smart for his own good. It’s exhausting just watching him.”

  Eddie beamed, relishing each bit of praise. “Thank you, ladies, but you haven’t seen nothin’ yet. We’re just beginning—I’m just heating up.”

  “Ugh. How can you be so motivated?” Sara fell back onto the crisp grass. Her sunglasses blocked out the bright sun, as the large frames swallowed her face. “I’m already ready for the summer semester to be over.”

  “What are you talking about?” Eddie’s brow lowered and forehead wrinkled. “We haven’t done anything but read textbooks.”

  She swished her arms and legs over the grass, mimicking the motion needed to create a snow angel. “It’s too intensive.”

  “I don’t know.” I shrugged my shoulders. “It feels similar to high school.”

  “I wouldn’t know. I went to school in Sicily.”

  “What were you doing in Sicily?” Eddie’s voice jumped.

  Sara sat up and shot Eddie a look of disbelief. “I’m Sicilian. You don’t hear my accent when I speak?”

  “Lots of people have accents in this country. It doesn’t mean they're foreigners.” He presented a reasonable defense.

  “Why did you decide to come to Ivory instead of going to a university in Europe?” I redirected the conversation to avoid a minor squabble.

  “To make my grandmother happy. She’s eighty years old and worried about losing our traditions.” Her face drooped upon admittance. A small sadness grew in her eyes.

  “What do you mean?” I pressed.

  She sucked in her lips, apprehensive. Her fingers twirled and tugged at the grass. “My parents are both flups. I’m an only child born to two people who are both only children. If I wouldn’t have gone to a university, then it all would have ended with me. At least that’s what my grandmother said almost every day.”

  “You make it sound as though you didn’t want to go to college at all,” Eddie commented.

  Sara sighed. “Well, I didn’t. I wanted to chase an internship with the Chamber.”

  I stretched my legs out in front of me. “Which one committee?” They had seven if memory served me right.

  “Committee of Culture, Media, Sport.”

  “Also known as the Emporium’s domain.” Eddie scowled. “Speaking of the Emporium, they contacted me and wanted a statement about you, Kim.”

  “What?” My eyes widened.

  “Me too,” Sara added.

  “I never mentioned either of you during the interview. I swear.”

  “I guess they did their homework. I doubt it was that difficult to discover that the three of us are friends. We spend almost every evening together. But I turned down the limelight opportunity.” Eddie winked at me.

  “And they let it go just like that?”

  “Yes.” Sara was quick to confirm.

  “They hounded me for a few days. Even offered money at the end.” He turned his attention to Sara. “Why didn’t they do the same to you?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe my ‘no’ was more powerful, and they knew I wouldn’t budge.”

  “Oh, right. That must be it!” Eddie teased.

  Monday morning hit before I had time to recover from the previous week. Yawn after yawn spread my mouth wide as I yanked on my clothes. I threw my backpack over my shoulder and reached for my wand, but my fingers enclosed around paper instead.

  A small package address to me had arrived. It was dressed in plain white paper, and whatever it contained was flimsy.

  There was a small note attached to the front. I flipped the top flap of the card open.

  You need to read this. I’m sorry.

  - Sara

  The apology stung. A pulse of fear ran
through my body.

  I tore the corners of the package. The tape peeled away with ease. My hand slipped inside and retrieved what looked to be a news article. It was dated for today.

  Blackwood Legacy Returns to Ivory was etched across the top in bold black letters. Below the headline, a picture of me smiling with Cecil Greaves at my side swallowed the majority of the page.

  Death of a Dynasty

  By Adriana Ojeda

  Ivory, University of Magics—The girl before me isn’t what I expected, but I don’t think she’s what anyone expected. Her straight hair is an ashy brown color, stopping just above the elbow. Almond-shaped blue eyes rest uneasy on any surface but another’s face. Her voice is meek and hesitant when slipping past her shaky lips. And unlike those before her, she doesn’t illuminate the room with an alabaster complexion but fades into the background behind her olive-toned cocoon. She, I am told, is a Blackwood. Three generations removed from the great Miriam Blackwood, and it shows. Both on the surface and in spirit, Kim Blackwood is the harking of the end.

  But the erosion wasn’t as sudden as we all would like to believe. In between Miriam and Kim, there has only been one other magic wielder: Henry Blackwood, Miriam’s youngest son. While attending Ivory, he adopted a lackluster, carefree attitude. His professors viewed him as ambitionless and squandered talent, for the wizard possessed amazing power but never found use for it outside of daily activities. Henry faded into the mundi world a few years after graduation and has remained hidden from the magical community ever since.

  Then came something that has never before been seen within an esteemed family—a generation absent of any wizards or witches. Kim Blackwood’s mother, Kara, is a plain flup and raised by a flup herself. Her knowledge of our world is plebeian in nature. To add to the disparity, Kim’s father is an unknown, a big question mark in her life. She has never met him, seen him, nor can she even recall his name. The man was a passing lover that ran as soon as Kara revealed her pregnancy, leaving the promiscuous mundi as a single mother to a little girl, whom she wasn’t even aware was a witch until the Ivory University acceptance letter arrived in the mail.