Chapter Eight
The only thing worse than having your first kiss stolen by your rich and arrogant magic mentor is being unable to tell your best friend about it.
While it wasn’t technically my first kiss (thank you to chapped-lipped Alex in eighth grade who kissed me on a dare), it was still the first real kiss I had experienced.
Or at least thought it had been real in the moment.
I had walked home in a daze, the memory of Alaric’s lips on mine causing a confusing whirlwind within my mind. The ring thrummed, as if echoing the truth I hated admitting—that my feelings for Alaric were tangling deeper, like two trees whose roots had begun to merge.
On the one hand, I was grateful for his help—he literally saved my life in a way, protecting me from my inability to control my newfound Bloodwright abilities and from being detected by the Stonebound.
But on the other hand, he was an arrogant asshole, and I was now feeling even more regret at the fact that Uncle Dan couldn’t be my mentor.
I understood why most Bloodwrights kept the mentor and apprentice relationship in the family—much less complicated.
I walked into the apartment mentally, emotionally, and physically exhausted.
I had an English paper to outline and a ton of math problems to do, but the only thing that I could manage was falling into my bed, uniform still on, barely having the energy to kick off my shoes before my face hit the pillow.
I slept hard for several hours before a soft rustling and dip in my bed woke me up.
I glanced through my half-shut eyelids, not too surprised to find Tiffany sitting on my bed, her hand brushing my hair out of my face.
“Long day, huh?” She chuckled, taking in my current state. I glanced at my bedside clock, groaning to find it was already 10 p.m. and I hadn’t started any of my homework.
I sat up, rubbing my eyes. “You have no idea. Is Uncle Dan home?”
Tiffany sighed dramatically. “What do you think?”
My heart tugged with disappointment for Tiff. “Is this normal? Like does he usually work these many hours?”
“It’s gotten worse over the last year.” She admitted, picking at her silk bathrobe. “The current district attorney is thinking about retiring soon, and I think Dan is trying to put his name in the ring for running.”
“Not to pry,” I replied softly, pulling my legs underneath me, giving Tiffany more room on my bed. “But does he really need to work this much?”
Tiffany chuckled. “No, he really doesn’t, but ever since I met him back when he was in law school, he’s always been a workaholic. Ambitious and driven. It was one of the many things that made me fall for him.”
I smiled, noting the way her hazel eyes lit up when talking about Uncle Dan. She really did love him.
“Tiff, can I ask you another question?” I maneuvered myself closer to her on the bed, a familial warmth drawing me closer to her.
Her eyes creased as she smiled. “Of course, honey. Anything.”
“How come you and Uncle Dan haven’t had any kids of your own? You’d make an amazing mom.”
As soon as the words left my mouth, I regretted them. The warm smile that lit up Tiffany’s face crumbled in pain, her eyes leaving mine to stare at the floor, her teeth chewing on her bottom lip as if she were trying to stop herself from crying.
“Please forget I said anything.” I squeezed her hand, which was still holding mine. “It’s none of my business.”
“Of course it’s your business.” She looked up then, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “You are our family. That makes it your business.”
I nodded, giving her as much time as she needed. She took a deep breath, dabbing at the corner of her eyes before she continued.
“That is very sweet of you to say. That I would be a good mom. I . . . I wanted to be a mom so badly, but it just doesn’t seem like that is in the cards for us.
” She smiled then, her hand on mine seeming so soft and delicate.
There were years of hopes and dreams behind her unshed tears.
Most likely long nights in and out of hospitals and doctor’s offices.
Of all the people in the world, Tiffany should have been allowed to have a baby.
“I’m sorry, Tiff.”
“That’s alright.” She stood, her eyes now heavy with fatigue as she pushed her broken dreams to the wayside. “I just wanted to check in on you. How are your headaches?”
I felt guilty as I turned the ring over on my finger, knowing I couldn’t tell her the truth after she had just told me her own truth.
“All gone. I think it was just stress from moving and everything.” It made me wonder how Dan managed it: to be married to someone but not able to tell them everything about your life.
“Good,” she replied, relieved. “If you feel anything off again, let me know, okay?”
“Okay,” I agreed, standing to get ready for bed. I planned to wake up early to work on my homework, noting how my eyes were still too heavy and my mind too muddled for pre-calc.
Tiffany headed towards my door but paused in the doorframe. “I know this was not anyone’s choice, but I want you to know that I am glad you are here, Mari.”
Her eyes glistened with unspoken emotion, and I could see that my presence really meant a lot to her; that my life and experience mattered to her on a deeper level.
“I am too, Tiff,” I agreed, genuinely happy to have such a compassionate and caring woman in my life. No one could replace Nana, but Tiffany made my new life feel a little better, more normal.
I woke up early the next morning, attempting to catch up on all the homework I had been too exhausted to do the night before. As I was finishing up my pre-calc problems, a text pinged through. Assuming it was Sara-Kate, I pulled it up, ready to ask for help before school this morning.
Unknown
It’s Alaric. I won’t be at school
today, but meet me at the location
I’m about to send you tonight at 8pm.
Don’t be late.
Mari ????
Okay. Care to share
why you won’t be at school?
Unknown
Above your paygrade.
I rolled my eyes at his sarcastic response.
Fine, he could keep his secrets. I saved his number in my phone as “Tall, Dark & Grumpy ??” as a small act of rebellion.
I smirked, putting my phone away as I got ready for the day.
I waffled over the heart emoji, but left it there before I could overthink it.
For whatever reason Alaric was skipping school today, I wasn’t going to complain.
A day to try to be normal and get some distance from my new magic mentor would probably be for the best.
The day flew by in a whirlwind of classes, catching up on homework, and much-needed girl time with Sara-Kate during lunch.
It was strangely refreshing to spend a whole day not thinking about Bloodwrights or the Stonebound, but about homework and the upcoming winter formal that Sara-Kate was desperately trying to convince me to go to.
I felt almost like a regular high school student.
At least until the memorial service after school.
The headmistress had come over the intercom during lunch, announcing that the last period would end early so students could make their way to Ashe Gilmore’s memorial service at the Presbyterian church down the street. I looked at Sara-Kate who looked like she was holding her breath.
Though I didn’t know Ashe, I knew Sara-Kate was grieving, and if I couldn’t tell her the truth about what was happening to me, then the least I could do was be there for her.
I reached across the table, taking Sara-Kate’s hand in mine. “We’ll go together.”
“Really?” her eyes glistened with unshed tears. “You’d go with me? You didn’t even know her.”
“But I know you and I want to help. If going to the memorial after school will help you heal, then you’re stuck with me.”
Sara-Kate squeezed my hand, and then we agreed to meet in front of the school right after school to walk over together.
Now, the sky was darker, thunder rolling in the distance as the earlier sunshine disappeared.
Sara-Kate and I huddled together as we followed the crowd of teachers and students making their way to the old church.
Its stonework cracking in places where long branches of ivy had taken over.
We shuffled in, the large sanctuary echoing our footsteps as students made their way to their seats.
Sara-Kate led us about three rows from the front on the left side, at the end of the aisle.
She still held my hand tightly, sniffling a little as we took in the altar where a large school portrait stood front and center, surrounded by hundreds of flowers.
Soft piano music trickled overhead as the headmistress, Dr. Duvall, went to the podium to begin the service.
While this was a somber occasion and I tried my best to focus on Sara-Kate and being present for her, but that proved to be much more difficult than I could have ever imagined.
My previously normal day of being just Mari and not an emerging Bloodwright quickly dissipated as soon as I walked into the church.
From the moment I crossed the threshold, a deep humming started in the pit of my stomach and the ring around my pointer finger heated so sharply, I had to muffle my yelp of pain behind a cough. It hadn’t cooled but seemed to pulsate to the rhythm of my pulse, begging for my attention.
I ignored it as best I could, shoving my hand under my thigh where we sat, trying not to shift uncomfortably every minute to ease the ache in my hand.
But while it felt like the ring was heating, the air around me cooled significantly.
I could see my breath blowing out of my nose every time I exhaled, and I had to fight the urge to shake violently, pulling my jacket tighter around my torso.
But as I glanced around the church, Sara-Kate and the others seemed perfectly normal.
No one was trembling with cold, or could see their own breath.