She waved a hand in the air. Sparkling light appeared out of nowhere, surrounding her like a halo. It was a very basic spell, perhaps one of the most basic. Light could be bright, perhaps even blinding, but it couldn't cause any real harm. Most parents preferred to use light spells to teach their kids because the risk of accidentally starting a fire or injuring themselves was minimal.
And she was right. I couldn't even do that.
“Your sister has magic,” Dad said, firmly. It was a tone that promised punishment to anyone who dared to disagree with him. “She just cannot access it. Being at Jude’s will help her to develop her magic.”
I swallowed, hard. “Dad ... I can't go.”
“You will,” Dad said. “The family needs the trinity.”
“We have a weak link,” Alana muttered.
Dad gave her a long considering look. “Do you still want to go to the party tomorrow evening?”
Alana winced. “Yes, Dad.”
“Then be quiet,” Dad ordered.
He looked back at me. “Caitlyn, I understand your concerns,” he said. “Be that as it may, you do have magic. You have to be trained to use it.”
“I don’t,” I said, miserably.
Alana had told me that I’d be disowned when I turned twelve, if I didn't show any signs of magic. I didn't want to believe her, but I’d always worried. She’d certainly made it clear that she would disown me, when she became head of the family. Her great and terrible future would be blighted by a powerless sister ...
“You can and you will,” Dad said. “Your mother and I are in agreement. You and your sisters will enter Jude’s after the summer holidays.”
Bella looked ... nervous. “We could learn from you instead ...”
“You’re growing older,” Dad said. “And there are limits to what we can teach you.”
“And we have to make friends and contacts,” Alana added.
“Quite right,” Dad agreed.
He launched into an explanation of the problems facing our house, the same explanation he’d given me earlier. I barely heard a word. My sisters had spent the last four years tormenting me with magic, but now ... now I was going to school. Jude was a good school, according to my parents, yet I’d heard horror stories from some of the apprentices. If you had strong magic, the school was great; if you were weak, you were picked on by everyone else. And the teachers did nothing to stop it. Alana and Bella wouldn't have any trouble - the family name would make up for any problems - but me ...? I’d be lucky if I wasn’t permanently trapped as a frog by the end of the first week.
Alana poked my arm. “Pay attention.”
I looked up. Dad was looking back at me, annoyed.
“Now, there will be some specific accommodations made,” he said. “Alana, Bella ... you will not discuss your sister’s problems with anyone. You will both be under a binding spell to make sure of it.”
“But Dad,” Alana protested. “I ...”
“The matter is settled,” Dad said, firmly.
Alana shot me a nasty look that promised trouble. A binding spell wasn't particularly dangerous, not if cast by a skilled mage, but it was a very blunt way of saying that my father didn't trust her to keep her mouth shut. It was an insult, in many ways. And I wouldn't put it past my sister to figure out a way around the binding. Dad wouldn't risk putting a strong spell on his daughter. If nothing else, Mum wouldn't let him.
I tried, anyway. “Dad, I can't work magic,” I said.
Dad cocked his head. “Do you want to work magic?”
I nodded. I’d wanted it ever since I’d understood that my parents were magicians. And I still wanted it. The power Bella wasted so casually ... what could I do, if that were mine instead of hers?
“Then this is your best chance,” Dad said, seriously. He clapped his hand on my shoulder, reassuringly. I knew he meant well, but ... “The tutors are the best in the world. They can teach you.”
“Your last chance,” Alana said.
I shook my head. I’d never been able to get a spell to work, not one. There were people with no talent who could do better than that. But me? I couldn't cast a single spell.
Perhaps I should run away, I thought. It was a tempting thought. But where would I go?
Dad clapped his hands together. “Caitlyn, you can go,” he said. “Alana, Bella; I have some other matters to discuss with you.”
I nodded, then turned and left the study. My sisters were going to hate me after today. The binding wouldn't hurt them - Dad would see to that - but it would be humiliating. I’d find it humiliating too, if someone had cast such a spell on me. And they had ...
Revenge, I promised myself. Alana might have magic, but I wasn't going to bow the knee to her. I wasn’t doing anything else until bedtime, so I might as well plan revenge. And then see if I can give her a fright.
Smiling, I hurried back to my room. I had some thinking to do.
Chapter Three
My mother has a foolproof way of getting us out of bed in the mornings. The bell sounds at eight o’clock, followed by the bed shaking - and eventually pitching us out of bed, if we haven’t managed to scramble out before it’s too late. It was a surprise, therefore, when I awoke the following morning and discovered that it was nearly ten. My mother had clearly decided to let us sleep in for once. I knew it wouldn't last.
I sat upright, muttering words I wasn't supposed to say under my breath. It hadn't been a nightmare, then. I was going to Jude’s, like it or not. My sisters might not be able to tell anyone about my problem, but it would become impossible to hide my lack of magic the moment I tried to cast my first spell. And then ... I looked around the bare walls, feeling despondent. A simple spell would be enough to decorate the room any way I wanted, but I couldn’t cast it. And my parents had flatly refused to let anyone else cast it for me.
I glanced up as there was a sharp knock on the door. The wards surrounding the room would have alerted the maid as soon as I awoke.
“Come in,” I called.
The door opened. Lucy stood there, beaming. She had always been a morning person, while my sisters and I hated being woken to go to school. I blinked in surprise as she held out a tray of cereal, pancakes and juice. Breakfast in bed was very rare, in our household. We were normally expected to stagger down to the dining room before we were allowed to eat.
“Your mother said you could have breakfast in bed,” Lucy said, answering my unspoken question. “She thought you might like it.”
“Thank you,” I said. Mum had always said I had to be nice to the servants. “Where ... where are my sisters?”
“Miss Bella is still abed,” Lucy informed me. She put the tray on the bedside table and smiled, rather dryly. “Miss Alana has already left the hall.”
“Off to buy yet another dress,” I muttered. Alana bought a new dress for every party, even though she already had enough to outfit every girl in the class. “Do you know when she’ll be back?”
“I believe Sonja will be doing her hair this afternoon,” Lucy said. She bowed. “Will that be all, Miss?”
“Yes, thank you,” I said.
I watched her go, then opened my drawer and removed the magic sensor. It wasn't much of a Device, to be honest, but I’d designed and built it myself. All it really did was vibrate in the presence of magic, alerting me to any traps someone might have left in my vicinity. I wouldn't have put it past Alana to hex my food, if she was still mad at me ... I shook my head, ruefully. Of course she was still mad at me. I’d ruined her plans to be a social butterfly just by existing.
The device didn't move as I waved it over the food. I put it aside, took a long swig of juice and then tucked into the pancakes. Cook had done an excellent job, as always. I was a little more reluctant to finish my cereal, but I knew better than to leave it. Mum would have noticed and told me off, then banned me from eating pancakes for a month. My mother is very keen on healthy eating.
I put the tray to one side as soon as I had finished, then
showered and dressed before hurrying out of the room and heading down towards the forge. Alana could be relied upon to spend hours shopping for clothes - I’d once seen her try on everything in the store - but I needed to get my trap in place before it was too late. If she came back too soon, all was ruined. I passed through the secure door and headed on downwards, passing through two more sets of warded doors. Dad would know where I was going, I was sure. He just wouldn't know why.
The forge itself is really more of a large workshop, with everything needed to make Devices of Power. My father and Sir Griffons were in a sideroom, talking about something; one of my father’s apprentices was standing in front of his desk, carefully hammering out a piece of metal. Apprentice Brian was kind, I had always thought. He wasn't a particularly strong magician - certainly not compared to my father - but he was good with his hands. He’d made quite a few Devices of Power that had lasted for several weeks before starting to show signs of decay.
“Hi, Caitlyn,” he called. “You alright?”
“I’m going to Jude’s,” I said. I opened one of the drawers and dug through it to find my stash of makeshift Devices. “Do you have an etching knife?”
“Ouch,” Brian said. He reached for the knife and passed it over to me. “You’d better be careful there.”
I looked up and saw very real concern in his eyes. Brian hadn't been told anything about my power, or lack of it, but he wasn't blind. He would have noticed, I was sure, that I’d never cast a spell. Maybe the forging would make up for it ... or maybe not. No Device is unbeatable, whatever you may hear from the forger. Only Objects of Power are unbeatable - and even they have their weaknesses. A smart man can outwit someone wielding one and beat him easily.
“I will,” I said. Maybe I should run away. I did have some brewing skills ... I just couldn't make the potions work. But my father would track me down, easily. “Do you have any advice?”
“Try not to annoy the upperclassmen,” Brian said, after a moment. “And don’t annoy your Dorm Head.”
“Thanks,” I said, rather sourly. “Anything else?”
Brian shrugged. I shrugged back, then turned to work on my little project. Forgery had always been an interest of mine, ever since Dad thought it might just serve as a key to unlocking my powers. Alana and Bella had never shown any interest in learning the skill, but I had. It was the closest I had come to real magic. I carved runes into the metal, then shaped it carefully. Brian kept a wary eye on me as I worked. It was annoying, but I didn't blame him. Dad would never forgive him if something happened to me in the forge.
“That’s a complex piece of work,” Brian said, when I had finished. “Do you want me to check it?”
“No, thanks,” I said. I gave him a smile. “It should be fine.”
I took the Device - and a couple of others I had made earlier - and stuck them in my knapsack before hurrying out onto the lawn. My mother’s herb garden lay on the other side, a vast collection of plants and suchlike she used to brew potions. She’d taught me how to harvest them, years ago, but the knowledge had never really been useful. Any fool could harvest herbs, with a little care. Getting the more exotic ingredients had always been a pain. I pitied the men who hunted basilisks and manticores for their skins. One or two dead beasts were enough to make a poor man rich, if he survived the meeting. Manticores were nasty.
The pond sat on the far side of the garden, teeming with life. Small fish, frogs ... even water snakes ... my sisters and I had refused to visit for a long time, after hearing that they were being bred for potions ingredients. A single small frog can supply enough material for a dozen potions, if prepared properly ... I pushed the thought aside and knelt down by the pond, watching for my chance. The frogs were bred and trained not to run when a big hand reached down and grabbed hold. Suppressing my revulsion, I scooped up the frog, dumped him into my knapsack and hurried back to the hall. Time was not on my side.
There was still no sign of Bella as I reached the fourth floor, but I wasn't surprised. I knew from past experience that Bella would stay in her bed as long as possible, unless Mum decided she’d slept long enough and ordered the bed to tip her out. There was no sign of Alana either. I hoped that meant she was still out shopping. Getting caught sneaking into her room would be disastrous. I tapped the door, making sure she wasn't in, then pulled the first Device out of the knapsack and held it against the doorknob. It revealed nothing. I was careful, anyway. Alana had been told not to hex her door - the maids cleaned the room every week - but I didn't trust her to listen to our mother. She knew I was probably planning revenge.
I pushed the door open, very carefully. The room was brightly lit - warm sunlight streaming through the windows - but quiet, very quiet. I glanced around as I inched forward, holding the Device in front of me like a wand. Alana had decorated her room in a manner fit for a queen, red and gold everywhere. I couldn't help feeling a stab of envy as I studied her bed and wardrobes - and the piles of clothing that lay everywhere. My parents had rewarded her for every spell she’d learnt to cast, while I ...
Not now, I told myself, sharply.
Alana’s trunk - a deceptively simple wooden design - was sitting by the side of the room, seemingly out of place against the gilt decor. The maids wouldn’t dare touch it, even to dust the lid. I held the Device close and tensed as it vibrated. Alana could have used almost any spell to protect her most treasured possessions, but I had a feeling I knew which one she’d used. She had a habit of messing around with transfiguration spells.
I removed the second Device from my knapsack, braced myself and held it against the golden clasp. If I’d gotten something wrong, I was about to find out the hard way. There was a brilliant flash of light - just for a second, I saw the image of a surprised-looking frog hanging in the air - which faded rapidly. I smirked and removed the frog from my bag, dropping him on the floor. Alana would know, of course, that someone had been in her room. But would she realise that that frog wasn't me?
I slipped back out of the room and closed the door, very quietly. There was no other way out. The frog wouldn't be able to escape. I put the two Devices back in my knapsack - the spell-drainer was already burned out, judging by the smell - then settled down in a nearby cupboard to wait. It wouldn't be long, I hoped, before Alana returned home.
It was nearly an hour, according to my watch, before I heard her shrill voice echoing down the corridor. I couldn't help feeling a stab of sympathy for whichever maid had been asked - ordered, more like - to accompany her. Taking Alana shopping was a thankless task. And then I heard Alana giggle. She thought she had caught me.
“Leave the bags here,” she ordered. I didn't have to strain to hear her voice. “I’ll take them inside later. Go tell Travis you’re back.”
“Yes, Miss,” Sonja said.
I felt another stab of sympathy as Sonja hurried away. She was a nice girl, I thought, but she was clumsy. Travis had probably ordered her to escort Alana as punishment for something, although I found it hard to imagine a crime that merited that level of punishment. It was definitely cruel and unusual. I smiled at the thought, then listened carefully as Alana opened her door.
“Well, little zero,” Alana said. I had a mental image of her rubbing her hands together in glee. She’d done that years ago, when she’d turned me into a frog for the first time. “You do look a sight, don’t you?”
My sister loves to gloat. And, if I had been turned into a frog, I would have had no choice, but to listen. She went on and on, mocking my lack of magic and threatening all sorts of hexes ... and then cast the counterspell, dramatically. I forced myself not to giggle as I heard the sound. Nothing happened, of course. There’s no point in trying to counter a spell that didn’t exist.
Alana screamed. I covered my mouth to keep from laughing out loud. The spell she’d used was very basic. She certainly hadn't learnt anything too complex, yet. It should have been easy to remove the spell. Instead ... I heard her sputtering, repeating the spell time and time aga
in. It was useless, of course. And yet ... she was clearly having problems trying to understand what had happened. Her protection spell had triggered, of course. She knew someone had been turned into a frog.
Except I forced it to discharge instead, I thought. The trick had been simple enough, with a little preparation. And my sister would never even consider the possibility. The spell had snapped, but it had snapped at nothing. She can't tell the difference.
The door opened. Alana hurried out of her room and down towards the sitting room, where my parents would be having lunch. I slipped out of the cupboard and followed her, glancing into her open door to make sure the frog hadn't been left behind. Her voice echoed up the corridor as she spoke to Dad, begging him to undo the spell. The panic in her voice caused me a pang of guilt, even though she’d done worse to me. My parents might be disappointed in my lack of magic, but they wouldn't be pleased if I’d been seriously hurt.
The Zero Blessing Page 3