“No, I think it’s only you.”
“You think you have me figured out, don’t you? You think you know me?” Theo asked, sitting up and leaning forward. There was a glint in his eyes, maybe anger or maybe a challenge.
I looked him in the eye. They were such a unique gray color; now that I looked closer I could see hints of purple and blue.
“I don’t think anyone knows the real you. Not even yourself,” I murmured.
“You’re smarter than I gave you credit for. Maybe it’s your child-like looks that make you seem so young.” He sat back, crossing his legs at the ankles.
“I do not look like a kid,” I defended. “I’m practically eighteen.” Theodore didn’t know it but that was a sore spot with me. I did look like a little kid. I just had an overall young look to me. The only curves I possessed were the ones on my hips.
“I think your attitude makes you seem younger too,” he commented, his words digging into me like he’d intended.
I shook my head, my teeth grinding down, and sulked into the bathroom fighting tears.
This whole situation was entirely overwhelming and dealing with Theo wasn’t exactly easy. I wanted everything to go back to normal. I wanted to be home, with my dad, joking with him or reading a book. I took it all for granted. I never imagined a life when I wouldn’t have that. Now I didn’t know this place where we were going or the people or anything.
And on top of it, a bunch of evil enchanters were chasing us—chasing me.
All I wanted for my eighteenth birthday was a cake and maybe a gift card.
Not this.
I didn’t want to be an enchanter. I didn’t want to be chosen. I didn’t want any of this.
But I had no choice, and that was the suckiest part of it all.
I leaned against the closed bathroom door and took a breath. I wanted a shower, but I didn’t have my bag. I sighed and reluctantly opened the door.
Theo was standing on the other side, one hand poised to knock, and the other holding my bag. He smirked.
“Here, doll face.” I snatched the bag from his hands and slammed the door in his face.
He cackled on the other side, completely unaffected by my rudeness.
I took a long time in the shower, wanting to avoid Theo. I had never met someone who made me so crazy. He was infuriating. But yet, I couldn’t stop the stubborn attraction I felt toward him.
I shook my head back and forth.
There were more important things to worry about.
Getting out of the shower I pulled on the same pair of sweats and t-shirt I had worn before and slipped out of the bathroom. Theo was nowhere to be found.
Not finding him, I sat down on the bed.
“Hey, doll face.” He winked from the floor.
I squealed in fright and reeled back.
He chuckled. “You scare easily.”
I put my hand to my racing heart. “Why are you on the floor?”
“Since the thought of sleeping with me is so appalling I decided I’d sleep on the floor.” He spread his arms so that I could see the blanket and pillow. I knew the floor of the hotel was the furthest thing from comfortable and I instantly softened.
“Theo, I’m sorry.” I shook my head. “One bed is fine. There’s plenty of room for both of us.” There really wasn’t much room but we could make do.
He grinned and grabbed the blanket and pillow before hopping in the bed. “I knew you couldn’t wait to get me in bed.” His smile was cocky.
I narrowed my eyes at him and turned the light off on my side of the bed. I wondered why they always bolted lamps to the tables in hotels. Did people really try and steal the ugly brass and flowered lamps?
“Goodnight, Theo,” I said, scooting under the covers.
“Night, doll face,” he purred in the darkness as he turned the other light off.
My eyes stayed open and I prayed for sleep.
“Wake up, we gotta go.” Theo shook me awake.
Apparently, I had been able to sleep.
I opened my eyes and the late afternoon sunlight blared into the room.
Theo was freshly showered and shaved. It was funny; I hadn’t even noticed how much dark scruff coated his cheeks until it was gone.
I rubbed my eyes and grabbed my duffel bag, disappearing into the bathroom to change. I really hoped that once we got to the manor I would have access to new clothes. I only had three pairs of jeans and three shirts in my bag, plus the one pair of sweatpants.
I brushed my hair and my teeth before slipping on my black flip-flops.
“Let’s roll,” I said to Theo.
“A roll in the sack?” He smiled slowly, his eyes flicking from me to the bed and back again.
I punched his arm. “You know what I meant,” I said and hated the red staining my cheeks. If he noticed, he didn’t comment.
We climbed in the car and sped off. Hopefully, we wouldn’t have any more visits from The Iniquitous. That had not been fun.
“How much longer until we reach Seattle?” I asked.
“Approximately ten hours.”
Ten more hours and we would reach the safe house. The place where I was supposedly supposed to be safe as the name implied and learn to control my magic. Suddenly, I wanted to tell Theo to turn around. But I knew it was my silly nerves getting to me. After all, I was about to enter a place full of magical beings. I sighed. I was one of those magical beings now.
Well, I guess I’d always been, but I hadn’t known it.
“Do we use wands?” I asked, breaking the silence.
Theo snorted and the orange Mountain Dew he had been drinking spewed across the dashboard. I grabbed a napkin off the floor and tried to wipe it up. I might not have been as in love with this car as he was, but I did want to keep it clean—it was too nice to destroy.
“In case that wasn’t answer enough,” he motioned to the mess he had made, “the answer is no. We don’t use wands. Have you seen me use one?”
“No,” I replied. “But you said you’re twenty-two. I thought maybe younger enchanters had to use them or that maybe since you’re a protector it’s different.”
“No.” He shook his head, his curls shaking in every direction. “You actually say most spells silently.”
“So, how long does it take to learn?”
“About three years. Some enchanters are different and it takes more or less time,” he explained. “My sister is your age, so you’ll be learning together.”
“Why are you my protector? What makes you a protector instead of a regular enchanter?”
Theo groaned and snapped at me. “Can we not talk about this right now?”
He framed it as a question, but I knew it was a statement.
I would have to wait to get my answers because I certainly wasn’t going to be getting them from Theodore.
We stopped to eat and get gas. Theodore didn’t want to eat in the car, so we pulled into a 24-hour restaurant. The place was empty except for a lone waitress and the cook. Theodore slid into a booth, and I slid in across from him.
The waitress came over and handed us menus while snapping her gum.
“I’ll give you a minute,” she said, before going to chat with the cook.
“What do you think you want?” asked Theo as he perused the menu.
I ignored him. I was still mad that he wouldn’t answer my questions.
She came back, and I ordered a waffle. Theo ordered two waffles, a plate of scrambled eggs, and bacon.
“How do you eat so much?” I asked, shaking my head when the waitress set our plates down fifteen minutes later.
“I’m a man, and a man needs to eat.”
Oh, so he could answer that question, but I couldn’t ask him why he was my protector? When I got to the safe house I would have to see if I could have a new protector. Someone nice who listened to me and answered my questions, not this bull I was stuck with.
Chapter 7
THE SOUND OF THEO’S VOICE broke into my thoug
hts. “We’re almost there.”
I could see the city of Seattle appearing in the distance. The skyscrapers rose high into the sky and even higher I could see the Space Needle. What amazed me the most were the mountains in the distance.
Instead of heading into the city, Theo turned down a hidden lane just off one of the highway exits. I found myself mesmerized by the tall trees. They seemed to go up for miles. A light mist started, covering the windshield.
“I definitely didn’t miss the rain,” Theo muttered as he turned on the wipers. The headlights cut through the darkness. “Whatever you do when we get there, don’t show any fear,” he warned.
“Why?” I asked, worried why he’d say such a thing.
“Fear is a weakness. Some of these people … They would take advantage of that.”
“You don’t trust them,” I stated.
Theo shook his head and toyed with his lip ring. “I’m your protector. It’s my job to trust no one except me. Be careful, okay?”
“You’re going to be here, right? You’re not leaving, are you?” I asked as a surge of panic hit my veins.
“Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere.” He winked and all seriousness was gone from his face and he was back to his normal self.
The thick trees opened up and a huge brick manor appeared. My jaw dropped. If I didn’t know better I would think royalty lived here. The place was huge. A four-story gothic manor. I didn’t know how anyone ever found their way around.
There was a circular driveway, but Theo bypassed that and drove into an underground garage hidden by the trees and landscape. The garage was full of black Lincoln SUVs.
Theo parked the Porsche and turned to me. “Show time.”
I followed him through an underground tunnel. The floor and walls were made of stone and every so often a sconce lit the way.
We came to a set of rickety wooden steps that led to a large wooden door. Theo’s muscles strained as he opened the heavy door. “Come on,” he whispered.
He closed the door behind us. We now stood in a large hallway with marble floors, brown walls, and thick wood moldings.
“This way.” He motioned me down a similar corridor. I got the feeling he didn’t want to get caught, he was too edgy and on guard. He turned down another hallway and glanced over his shoulder. This place was built like a maze and I was already turned around. There was no way I’d ever be able to find my way back. I found myself gawking at the walls. They were covered in pictures that I could only assume were different enchanters. Most had a regal, stuffy look to them. But one picture made me stop in my tracks. The girl was only a few years older than me. Her blonde hair was long and she wore a fancy dress. But what resonated with me the most was the look of sadness in her face and eyes.
I tore myself away from the picture and jogged to catch up with Theodore. Suddenly, he stopped, and I slammed into his back, falling to the floor.
“Shit,” he said, and I knew it wasn’t because I ran into him. His expletive came because of the five sets of eyes staring us down. “Busted,” muttered Theo.
A man stepped forward. I knew instantly from the way Theo bristled that this must be Victor Antonescu. He shook his head back and forth and stared at Theo. Theo broke the eye contact by helping me up.
“What do we have here?” asked Victor as Theo let go of my hand.
Theo gave me a look and I remembered his words. Don’t show fear.
“Mara Pryce,” I said and stood straight to show I wasn’t intimidated.
Victor looked between the two of us. “My office, now.”
Theo was sprawled in one of the leather chairs while I sat primly in the other. Victor had sent us to his office and we had been here for about ten minutes, but he hadn’t come in. I figured they were discussing the situation as a group first. I wondered what they were deciding.
I leaned my head back and was surprised to find that there was no ceiling. I could see the night sky—every star and every cloud. But how could that be? This was the first floor.
“It’s a charm,” said Theo, noticing my furrowed brow.
I nodded. Of course it was a charm. I should’ve known.
Theo looked at the door and then back at me. “Watch,” he whispered. He held his hand out, palm up. A bird made of fire appeared on his hand and took flight. It did a lap around the room before returning to his hand and turning to ash.
“Wow,” I murmured.
Theo grinned and brushed his hands together to get rid of the ash.
“They didn’t know I was coming, did they?” I asked him.
He opened his mouth to reply but at the same time the door finally swung open.
Theo straightened in the chair and sat back with his shoulders squared. His jaw was clenched tight, brows drawn.
“Well, well, well,” Victor intoned as he strode into the large office and sat behind the desk. He steepled his fingers and pressed them to his lip. “Theodore Meyers, sneaking out of the manor without our permission. Why am I not surprised?”
“I don’t need your permission. I live here, it’s not a prison.”
“Ah,” said Victor and his eyes glittered, “but living here is a privilege. A privilege that can be revoked at any time. We might be here to house enchanters in need, but we can deem anyone unworthy of stepping inside these walls.”
“And where would I go?” retorted Theo.
“That is not my concern, boy,” Victor snapped. Theo rolled his eyes. “I want to know why you left.”
Theo rolled his eyes again. Victor snarled.
“Mara was in danger. I’m her protector. Blah, blah, blah. You know all this.” He sighed, and leaned forward clasping his hands. “I honestly don’t know why we’re even discussing this.”
Victor snarled, his lip flaring. “You did not have permission to leave the premises.” His face turned a garish purple color and a vein pulsed in his forehead.
I was beginning to see what Theo had meant about this guy. He was clearly power hungry. He might’ve been a part of The Committee, but I also didn’t see how he could have so much say over someone leaving and returning. If Theo lived here—which he did—surely he was allowed to come and go?
“And I knew I wasn’t going to get it. So, I left,” Theo said calmly.
Victor turned red with rage and pointed his finger at Theo. “Boy! You need to learn to respect your elders. You can’t just do whatever you want.”
Theo rolled his eyes. “The Iniquitous were after Mara. I needed to get to her.”
Victor narrowed his eyes. “How would you know that?”
Theo leaned across the table to Victor. “I’m a special protector. I’m tied to her in ways most protectors only dream about,” he whispered savagely.
I got the impression if Theo didn’t think he would get in endless amounts of trouble he’d slit this man’s throat in a heartbeat.
Victor seemed at a loss for words. He finally turned his beady brown eyes on me. “So, you’re an enchanter. How old are you?”
“I’ll be eighteen in less than two weeks.”
Victor harrumphed. “We’ll get your accommodations set up. Since you’re almost of age you will be expected to begin training. There are several others here your age and older so you won’t be training alone.” He turned to Theo and sighed. “Since you’re no longer a child it’s not like I can punish you, so you can go.”
“I’m not leaving this room without Mara,” he growled, his body bristling.
Victor sighed. “Fine then, wait here while I get a key for her room.”
Theo nodded, and Victor left the room.
“Stop freaking out. Everything will be fine.”
“How do you know I’m freaking out?” I asked.
“That doesn’t matter,” he dismissed me, “but you need to calm down. Be strong.”
I could see Theo’s protector mojo kicking in. As soon as we walked into the manor, he had changed. He wasn’t joking or calling me doll face. Instead, he seemed almost … scared
. But I was sure his annoying habits would soon kick in and he’d be back to his same infuriating self. I hoped. The normal Theo surprisingly stressed me out less than this one—he was too on edge and jumpy.
Victor returned and sat back down once more. Now that I wasn’t as scared, he didn’t seem so intimidating. He was red faced and on the heftier side. His dark hair was receding and he had a thick black mustache that curled on the ends. It reminded me of Victorian times, as did the pocket watch in his jacket pocket. He was constantly dabbing the sweat from his face with an old-fashioned hankie.
He handed a key to me. “Theodore can show you to your room.”
I stared at the key. “I’m surprised there’s not like a magic word or something to open the door.” The key was an antique skeleton key weathered with age.
Theo’s lips turned up, but Victor seemed unaffected. “We try to keep things as normal as possible since we don’t come into our powers until eighteen. You’re both free to go.” He waved his hand. The door swung open on its own. I wanted to say, “so much for normal,” but I chose to keep my mouth shut. I didn’t think I wanted to know what the punishment would be for back-talking a Committee member.
Theo and I stood to leave.
“Miss Pryce,” called Victor. I turned back around. “I apologize for not introducing myself. I’m Victor Antonescu.” He stretched his hand out for me, and I took it. “Welcome to Eldson Manor.”
Chapter 8
THEO LED ME THROUGH THE twisty manor. I really hoped someone eventually gave me a tour; otherwise, I’d never find my way around.
He led me up a massive staircase that was done in plush red carpeting. The walls were a dark stained wood. Stone statues seemed to be everywhere, along with paintings, making me feel like I was in a museum and not a home.
I guess it wasn’t really a home, though, and more of a safe haven. A community of people lived behind these walls.
“There are a couple of classrooms, The Committee’s offices and sleeping quarters, and the dining hall all downstairs. Sleeping quarters for everyone else is second level. That’s all you really need to know right now.” When we got to the top of the steps, he pointed to the left. “Your room is this way. I think he purposely put you as far away from me as possible.”
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