by Rain Oxford
1. Why are my mental powers not affected by the elementals?
2. How can these four kids use mental powers that aren’t affected by the elementals?
3. Who is powerful enough to hurt so many elementals?
4. Why am I having visions with my siblings?
5. Is the person who cursed the school also the one who wrote letters about Remington?
There was a simple explanation for the second one, even though I couldn’t answer the first one. I didn’t like the idea, but any answers would make the picture a little clearer. As soon as I left my room, I felt like I was doing the right thing.
I took my notebook with me back to the East. On the way to the infirmary, I heard a commotion towards the stairwell. Since everyone was supposed to be in class, I decided to check it out, only to roll my eyes when I got there. “This is the wrong time to be skipping class to make out,” I said, startling the two teenagers.
They broke apart and Savannah squeaked. Anthony blushed and tried to pull up his pants discreetly. “We were just talking about homework,” he lied.
“I don’t think Mr. Whittaker has suddenly started teaching sex-ed.” I wasn’t surprised since they were teenagers and Hunt’s anti-intimacy ward was down. “There are still monsters and crazy elementals around, and I don’t think you want to run for your life with your pants around your ankles. Go to class.”
They nodded and ran off in the direction of their classroom. I made a mental reminder to have Ms. Bounds address the situation. We didn’t need the fall of Hunt’s ward to be known as the “Paranormal Baby Boom.”
I continued to the infirmary, but Dr. Martin wasn’t there. That was fine, though; it gave me the time to read the kids’ minds. Better yet… I pulled my ring out of its pouch, slipped it on, and put my hand on Mandy’s head. I was instantly thrown into a vision.
* * *
I saw her eating breakfast with the other three. I wasn’t seeing through her eyes, though, because I wasn’t in her head. I tried to direct the vision towards the person she worked with, but my intuition stopped me. I let the vision flow naturally.
“I don’t think we should do this,” Mandy said.
Leesa scowled. “It’s our entire purpose for being here. I’m not going back home. I want to learn magic.”
“If we don’t do it, she’s going to kill Haylee. My sister can’t do what we can,” Benny said.
“I don’t care about Haylee, I just don’t want to go home,” Nancy said. “My step-dad hates me. He called me a freak. My stupid bitch mom never told me why I could do magic. Veronica saved me. She told me about my magic. She promised to teach me to use it.”
Veronica. I finally have the name of the person behind this. How far does her influence go, though?
“She’s right,” Leesa said. “We’re not regular wizards. We weren’t invited here and taught to do magic like them. We’re special. This is our chance. We finally have a teacher, and she’s giving us the entire school to practice on. We just have to keep them in their cage and we can do whatever we want.”
“But they’re nice here,” Mandy insisted.
“That’s bullshit. They’re strangers, and that makes them the enemy. They’re not like us and wouldn’t understand.”
“Why are we better than them? Why did she choose us?”
* * *
I woke from the vision sensing danger, with my mark tingling. Rhonda was in the room with me. It’s always something here. She patted Leesa’s chest for a moment and then walked past me towards the cabinet. When she pulled out a syringe, I groaned. “Would you stop trying to wake everyone up?”
She didn’t acknowledge me.
“I don’t have enough salt to line everyone, so you’re going to have to scram until you’re sane.” I pulled the shaker out of my pocket and sprinkled it on her. She dispersed, and the syringe shattered on the floor.
A second later, Dr. Martin entered to see the mess. “Déjà vu.”
“Can’t you put up some kind of trap to protect these people from Rhonda?”
“Of course I can. I thought helping Darwin break the curse was worth all of my energy, but I can stop that to guard the growing pile of unconscious bodies I’m supposed to care for. What do you want?”
“Can you do a DNA test?”
“Of course.”
“I need you to see if any of these kids have any blood connection to me.”
“I will need some of your blood.”
“I thought they use saliva.”
He pulled out an empty syringe and an antiseptic wipe. “If you want me to do it the human way, it’ll take a couple of weeks. If you want to do it my way, I’ll have it ready in seconds.”
I rolled up my sleeve and sat on the empty exam table. “Don’t take a drop more than you need for the test. I’m not lunch.”
“All the work I do for you and you have to be so stingy,” he muttered.
“I have to be ready to fight. I can’t do that if you suck me dry.”
He cleaned the area and withdrew some blood. “Do you need a bandage? Maybe some stitches?”
“You’ve been spending too much time with Darwin,” I said, taking a cotton ball and pressing it to the small bead of blood.
He added several drops of my blood to four different test tubes. Afterwards, he took a small sample of the children’s blood and added them to the test tubes, only one student per tube. Then he pulled out a potion from his cabinet and added the appropriate volume to each glass. Once that was done, he capped the tubes and shook them. They all turned identical shades of blue.
Dr. Martin pulled out a color guide and compared them. “Congratulations, you’re not the father.”
I sighed. “So they’re not my siblings?”
“Oh, they are. They’re your half-siblings, to be exact.”
“Fuck.”
“Or they’re your cousins.”
“You can’t tell by that test?”
“I can tell you’re not their parent or full sibling, but you are closely related to them. I can run a better test, but it will take a few days.”
I hesitated. I had DNA test results in a box in my mother’s house that would tell me with absolute certainty if Vincent was my father or not, yet I never dared to look. Knowing that there was a tiny chance of Vincent being my father instead of John was the only thing that made me able to look at myself in the mirror. Well, it also helped that I looked like my mother. If I found out for certain that the monster, who apparently spread his seed like wildfire, was my real father, I wouldn’t be able to stand using my magic ever again.
“No.” I would continue to assume that John was my father and let the hope sit in the dark, comforting me. Nevertheless, I had to focus on what I knew.
The kids in my visions and these four not-students were my blood, John had a lot more children than anyone was aware of, and they were all in trouble.
Chapter 11
I was walking past Mr. Whittaker’s class when the door opened and he stepped out. “Everyone, keep on as you were.” He shut the door behind him. “I’m glad I caught you. Are the rumors true?”
“It depends on what they are.”
“Did the council really pass a law that mixed paranormals can’t mate?”
“Yes.” I wouldn’t tell them against Remy’s wishes, but I wouldn’t lie.
“You and Ms. Hunt were going to fight them when the school was cursed?”
“We were going to confront them, yes. Who told you?”
“Someone said they heard someone talking about overhearing Dani tell you and Ms. Hunt.”
That sounded like Darwin’s work. Mr. Whittaker returned to his classroom. I went to the North to talk to the twins. However, they were in class when I reached them, and I didn’t want to make it look like there was a problem, so I decided to wait.
Not used to someone wandering the North’s halls during class time, Mr. Yuun found me and asked me to join him in his office. “I need to talk to Jamie and Jason when
they get out of class.”
“Of course. I would like to talk about council matters and don’t want to be overheard, but it shouldn’t take long.” I followed him back to his office. As soon as he shut the door behind him, he said, “You grew up outside the paranormal community, right?”
“Yes.”
He nodded and gestured for me to sit. I did and he sat on the other side of his desk. “Times haven’t really changed for most paranormals in the last few decades, but it’s a different matter for wizards. We used to be a lot more secluded. Hunt’s schools existed when I was a child, but I couldn’t attend because my parents were terrified we would be discovered and destroyed by humans. We didn’t have covens, packs, or tribes. The council was a government to be feared rather than a family to belong in.”
“What about the Golden Dawn?”
“That’s basically all we had; exclusive clubs, a few schools, and books. Now we have better ways to protect ourselves against humans, so more of our children can experience community. Wizard children had to hide their magic in the privacy of their homes, or never practice at all. The results could be deadly. Logan Hunt is a major factor in the decline of accidental deaths and suicides by wizards in the past twenty years.”
“That makes a lot of sense. I’m not sure if you’re trying to make a point, though.”
“My point is that the council isn’t our pack. We protect each other at the schools. Wizards, shifters, and fae, students, teachers, and staff. If you need help, we’re with you.”
I nodded. “I appreciate that. I felt that way about the university students when we fought together against the original council.”
“Why did you come here?”
“Because of Remington,” I said automatically. “I mean, she needed teachers and another assistant principal. Don’t worry, though; I will defend this school against any outsiders.”
“I know. Some of the teachers were concerned about your behavior regarding four students in particular, but I understand that you know what you’re doing when it comes to the council. Anyway, the students should be let out for lunch in just a moment, so I won’t keep you.”
“Thank you.” I reached their classroom just as the bell rang. As the children exited their classroom, Jason and Jamie saw me and separated from the group. “Is there a private room where we can talk?”
“Our room should be empty because everyone is at lunch,” Jason said.
“Where is Haylee Rower?”
“Who is she?” Jamie asked.
Veronica just used Haylee to make Benny cooperate, but she hadn’t been there either. For some reason, Benny didn’t or couldn’t make me remember the children who weren’t there before. It made sense that the twins were immune as well. Nevertheless, Haylee was in danger.
We entered the boys’ room and I closed the door behind me. “We need to talk about the person contacting you.”
“We don’t know. She’s good at hiding herself,” Jamie said.
“She’s scarier than the shadow man,” Jason said.
“Can you recall all instances of her and I’ll try to pick up any clues.”
Jamie rolled his eyes. “Whatever. But don’t think you could do it if we didn’t let you.”
I didn’t argue with him. We sat on the floor in a triangle and the twins closed their eyes. I invaded both of their minds. Veronica never talked to them both at the same time, though. They were too strong together.
They did share dreams of the tower, however. Veronica wasn’t causing our dreams; our siblings were. Maybe the siblings that Veronica has kidnapped are calling for help.
The teachers wanted to separate the boys because they couldn’t control minds apart, but Jamie wouldn’t allow it. I made a mental note to discuss it with Mr. Yuun, because I wanted what was best for them, their classmates, and their teachers.
I saw from Jason’s perspective first. He was sitting in his room, writing a letter to his mother. He tried to hide it from his brother because he knew Jamie would make fun of him, but he missed her. Despite her fear, she loved them. Jason understood, as it was the same for him. He feared his brother, yet he loved Jamie. He just wanted his brother to love him back.
“You shouldn’t be here,” a voice said.
Jason spun around and fell out of his chair with shock. “Mom!”
She looked exactly like Elizabeth Vegas, and her voice was identical. I knew better, though. My intuition warned me through his memory that she was terribly dangerous. She smirked. “No, I’m not your mother.”
“Who are you, and why do you look like her?”
“I figured this would help you understand the offer I’m here to make you.”
“Offer?”
“You are so young, with so much potential. You’re wasting it at this sorry excuse of a school. I can teach you far greater magic. I can help you achieve the power you were born to wield. You’re special.”
Jason didn’t want to be special or powerful. He just wanted to fit in and be loved. For this reason, he didn’t even have to think about it. “The school is my home.”
She sneered. “You don’t believe that. You know you don’t belong here.”
“Maybe I don’t, but maybe someday, I will.”
She sighed. “Too bad. You’re too young to know a good deal when you hear one. Think about it. I can give you everything you’ve ever wanted. I can also be your worst nightmare.”
With his brother at a distance, he didn’t have the power to read her mind. However, he knew a threat when he heard one; his brother was always threatening him.
He thought she was targeting him because he was lonely and miserable, when she was actually targeting him because he was John’s son. Fortunately, she was going about it the wrong way. If she went to him and told him that she would unite him with siblings who knew what he was going through and would accept him for who he was, he might have been swayed.
“I can be patient. I’ll give you a few days to think it over.”
“Who are you?”
“My name is Veronica.”
I felt a strange push (similar to my intuition) that expelled me from the vision. However, when I opened my eyes in the boys’ room, there was nothing unusual.
“Did you learn anything?” Jason asked.
I shook my head. “She looked like your mother. I don’t know how people can do that. Krechea, Gale, and undine were the only ones I had seen disguise themselves as another person.”
“Who is Gale?” Jamie asked.
“He was a human who hated magic and married a demon. He also cursed my heart. The point is, she has powerful magic or access to it through someone. She’s after John’s children, probably to use them just like John planned to.”
“She hasn’t talked to you?” Jason asked.
I shook my head. “Jamie, show me your first encounter with her.”
“I don’t have to,” he snipped.
“No, you don’t, and I won’t force you, even though I could. Veronica looks to me like the kind of person to go after your loved ones. How would you feel if she killed your mother because I couldn’t stop her, and I couldn’t stop her because you wouldn’t let me look into your mind?”
He sneered. “I don’t care about her.” He was lying, but I didn’t bother to call him on it.
“Jason, then. What if she killed him?”
He scowled. “She won’t.”
“I have a lot more experience with people like her than you do. She will find your weaknesses and use them against you. I know you don’t like to think you have weaknesses, but you do.”
“Fine.”
Jason looked so relieved.
I didn’t give Jamie a chance to change his mind. Unlike with Jason, I had to push through a wall of anger. His magic naturally tried to block me out, but mine was much more developed, and I easily overcame it. He reluctantly focused on Veronica, so the vision wasn’t clear at first.
Jamie was standing outside in the daylight, facing off against Kita,
surrounded by ten other students of various ages. The hyena shifter shouldn’t have been fighting a kid as young as Jamie, but I had no doubt he provoked her like no one else could.
Jamie taunted her with trash talk, not because he had a problem with her but because he wanted to fight and Kita was known for her short temper.
She barely touched him, but it was enough for him. He couldn’t fight her physically, so he used his magic on her. At that point, I realized that he wasn’t angry with her; he was angry with himself. Jamie had seen other wizards do magic unintentionally. However, he wasn’t here because he had powerful skills in magic; he was here because his mother couldn’t deal with him. Even Jason was trusted to be on his own, yet everyone expected the worst of Jamie.
Since he could remember, his actions and words were taken negatively. The truth was that he was full of aggression. He hated how people treated him, and that just made him act out more. He had decided very early in life that he would never be trusted or loved, so he might as well be respected and feared. To achieve that, he would prove that his worst was more than anyone could imagine. He created a shell of hate and fury, like fire, and refused to let anyone in.
It infuriated him that he couldn’t fully control his magic without Jason. Jason always took the brunt of Jamie’s fury, because Jamie couldn’t hate him. Jamie wanted to drive Jason away from him from the time they were infants because he instinctively knew he would hurt Jason, but he also couldn’t let Jason go.
Jason loved Jamie, and because of that, Jamie would never let him go, even though he wanted to. So Jamie focused that aggression into his magic and could achieve rudimentary mind control without his brother. He could basically stun someone with fear for a few minutes. He was determined to develop magic alone.
He used this effect on Kita and she froze. Kita wasn’t used to reacting to fear this way and fought his power. Her aggression wasn’t as bad as his, but she was more than twice his age.