13. Chapter 13
13
K ade’s mother had sharp brown eyes that seemed to stare deep into Kelly’s soul. She ignored Fabian’s presence as she spoke in a very proper English accent. “Kelly, so very nice to meet you. Keegan has already told me much about you. He left out your knife-throwing abilities, however.”
She pulled the blade effortlessly from the wall and walked to them.
Kelly fidgeted, not knowing what to do in the presence of Kade’s mother. Then she realized something. “Keegan?” she asked, turning from his mother to Kade.
“Aye, ’tis my birth name. I changed it decades ago to be modern. Mother hasnae come to like it just yet, so she still calls me Keegan.”
“You should be proud of your name, son.”
“I am, Mother, but I also understand the changing times and dinnae wish to stand out in the current world.”
“Yes, yes, we’ve been through this.” She turned to Kelly again. “Come here, my dear. Let me see you.” She handed the knife to Kade and held out her hands to Kelly, welcoming her.
Kelly looked at Kade for reassurance, and he nodded to her. She took the few steps to his mother, her hands meeting those that were outstretched to her.
Kade’s mother smiled at her genuinely, with understanding and welcome. “My name is Siri. Please do not call me ma’am or any of those other stupid titles. And for the love of all things, do not reference that horrid technological voice.”
That made Kelly laugh. “Never used that technology, so no worries there.”
“Very well, then. I would welcome you, but this is Keegan’s home, not mine; I just stay here and enjoy it when he is not around.”
Kade brought his hand to his heart as if wounded. “Ye mean to tell me it is not enjoyable in my presence?”
She only smiled at him, but the smile was filled with love, not hate or spite.
Turning back to Kelly, she asked, “What of your powers, then?”
“Apparently, I am a timekeeper with a, um, something toward earth and water.”
Siri raised her eyebrows in surprise. “My, my, Keegan, you were right.”
“What do you mean?” Kelly turned to Kade. “What were you right about?”
“After ye left my hotel room in Dallas, I called my mum to talk to her about ye. I wasnae sure about ye, but I kent ye had some sort of special abilities.”
“Uh huh” was all she could manage.
“Forgive Keegan. He is not always the best at making others feel welcome or comfortable. I am happy to have you here, and I look forward to getting to know you. Why don’t we talk later when you have some time?”
Kelly hesitated but tried to hide it. “Yes, I’d love that.”
“Let Brodric know when you’re free, and he will find me for you.”
She let go of Kelly’s hands after a slight squeeze and kissed Kade on the cheek. “Nice to see you all. Fabian, you look well, as always.”
“You as well, Siri.”
She left without another word, leaving the three of them to the room.
Kelly wanted to slap Kade. “What in the ever-loving hell was that? You let me throw a knife at your mother? I know you knew she was there, and you had the chance to stop me.”
He brushed it off. “Dinnae fash, she would have dodged it even if ye had been aiming for her. She is a vampire, and yer a mortal.”
“That is not the point!”
He looked at her in confusion.
“Oh, forget it. Fabian, can we start our training for today? Kade clearly doesn’t understand the situation.”
“Of course,” Fabian replied with his usual kindness. “We will need to have training karambits made for you so you do not cut yourself. For now, we will start with meditation and some basic martial arts and self-defense tactics. You need to learn to be aware of every small thing around you. I will be around to protect you, but I should not have to warn you of a threat; you should be able to detect those on your own.”
He went to the center of the room and laid out two mats, then sat on one and gestured for her to sit on the other.
“I will leave ye to it, then,” Kade said, making his way to the door.
Fabian nodded to him as he left. Turning to Kelly, he asked, “Have you ever practiced meditation?”
“Not really, but I do breathing exercises on a pretty regular basis.”
“That is a good start. I will lead you through the first few meditations and then back off slowly from there. Different people focus on different things when they meditate; breathing is probably a good place for you to begin. As you learn more with Ginna, we will transition to magic.”
They spent the next hour meditating, if you could call it that. Somehow, Fabian knew just when her mind started to wander and would gently guide her focus back to its rightful place. Her mind typically wandered all over the place, so that guidance took place about every few minutes. Fabian’s tone never grew impatient, though, and she felt like she was getting a little better when he announced that they were done with meditation for the day.
“How in the hell do you do that?”
“What?” he asked casually.
“How can you tell when I’m not focusing?”
“Subtle changes in your breathing and heart rate.”
“You can hear my heartbeat?”
He shrugged. “Yes. Not as well as a vampire, but I do have enhanced senses.”
Her face must have given her frustration away.
“In time, you will get used to all of this. Ginna will likely start with an overview of each race and our abilities. From there, she will go into our history and legal structure. This will be your new normal before you know it.”
“I thought she was teaching me about my power.”
“You must not get ahead of yourself. The small amount of power you possess right now will not allow you to do anything. You must know the abilities and weaknesses of those around you as well as their history to understand how to live and fight with or against them. Knowing another gives you much more of an advantage than a weapon or magic ever could. Arcane wars are won or lost up here,” he said, pointing to his head.
“So I won’t get to use any magic at all until I’m bonded? You just said I would be able to focus on it to meditate.”
“What you think of as magic is insignificant. Your current ability is the equivalent of a faucet that drips every few seconds. You bleed it into the air around you, just enough to let others know you are around, but they can’t tell anything other than the fact that you’re a mage. Even then, they have to know what they are looking for. What you felt when Ginna was reading your abilities was her magic, not your own. That spark you get in your fingers is about all you will have until you are bonded. It is plenty to focus on during meditation, but it is nothing outside of that other than a flag to show others you are easy pickings.”
“This is going to be the longest ten years of my life,” she thought out loud.
“Ten years to an immortal is nothing. There are many reasons mages cannot be bonded when they are young, all of which you will learn about. Now, let us get back to your training. You have a full day ahead of you.”
Fabian put their mats away and went on to explain some basic self-defense moves and how to target weak points on the human body. They practiced moves over and over again until he felt she had them down. Then they practiced more.
When they were done, Kelly was sweaty, but not worn out. Her training over the past year had prepared her well for something like this, and she was proud to be able to go a couple of hours with Fabian without getting tired.
“Maybe tomorrow we will bring Kade in and let you practice on him. It would be beneficial for you to learn how to defend yourself against a vampire, and I will be able to critique your actions more effectively.”
The thought of beating up on Kade was enticing to her for some reason. “I’m up for that,” she said with a smile.
“Careful what you wish for, Warrior. He is faster and stronger than he lets on.”
“I can handle a challenge.”
He shook his head. “You will learn not to take on challenges you cannot win. Ego will lose battles and lives. Go wash up and call your father. Then you will need to find Ginna.”
Brodric was suddenly in the doorway, holding a towel and a small box.
“I swear you have a sixth sense, man. You just appear when you’re needed.”
He smiled proudly, holding out both items. “Keen ears and years of learning how to serve others, madam.”
She took the towel, wiping the sweat from her face and neck, and then noticed that he was still holding the box out to her.
“What’s this?” she asked as she took it from him.
“Your phone, madam. It has a local area code to Dallas so your father will not be concerned, and international service is included. You have unlimited data as well.”
“This really isn’t necessary. I don’t need my own phone; I just need to make one call.”
“Kade said you would say something like that. He insists, so there is no sense in trying to say no.”
Of course he would insist. Stubborn vampire. “Right, well, thanks.”
He bowed and turned to go back upstairs.
Kelly followed him up the stairs and then found her way back to her room. When she entered, she noticed her things were on the bed. Fabian must have had someone get them for her, but she hadn’t expected them to arrive already. He and Kade were on another level with promptness. Business or personal, they seemed to make things happen within minutes or hours. Yet another thing for her to get used to, but she was thankful for their actions and precautions, even if they felt overwhelming.
She showered quickly and put on clean clothes and then sat on the bed to call her dad. When she typed in his number, it brought up a contact that had already been entered into the phone. She would be sure to ask Kade how he had her dad’s number; add sneaky to the list of words that described him.
She hit the phone icon to call him and held the device up to her ear. The line rang a few times, making her think he might not answer. She was suddenly desperate to hear his voice and talk to someone who wasn’t showing off a new power every five minutes—someone she truly knew.
“Hello?” came his gruff voice on the other end of the line.
“Daddy!” she said with a bit too much excitement.
“Kelly, hey kiddo. You haven’t called from this number before.” There was a hidden question in his voice.
“Yeah, um, I got a phone. So you can save this number.”
Now he sounded hopeful. “Oh, great. Does that mean your blog took off? Or did you get a job? I haven’t seen you post anything for a few days, so I was wondering what you were up to, but it sounds like things are going well.”
Great, she hadn’t prepared for this. She didn’t want to lie to him and tell him she got a job, but she obviously wasn’t going to be posting on the blog for at least a little while.
“Um, yeah, I got an opportunity to try something new. I don’t know if it’ll work out, but we’ll see.”
Please don’t ask what kind of opportunity, please don’t ask , she thought, knowing better.
“What kind of opportunity?”
Fuck.
“Um, well, it sort of has to do with that big story I was chasing. I can’t say too much about it yet.”
“Uh huh.” His tone let on that he knew she was bullshitting him a little.
She changed the subject quickly. “What have you been up to?”
“Oh, you know, this and that. Trying to get ready for Christmas.”
“Shit, Christmas, yeah. That’s next week.”
“What hole have you been hiding in? Christmas is in three days.”
Apparently, she had been in a hole.
“I guess time got away from me with everything going on.”
“You’re still coming over, aren’t you?”
So much for this being a nice chill conversation with her dad.
“Uh, yeah. I should be. As long as nothing comes up with this new thing.”
“Now, hold on a minute, they better not make you work Christmas. This new trend of businesses not respecting holidays is fucking ridiculous. Why would you want to work for someone like that?”
“It’s not like that, Daddy. You know the news doesn’t stop.”
Oh, good save there! Keep going I want to see where you take this.
And now her inner voice was back. Great.
He grumbled out an “uh huh,” making it very clear that he didn’t agree.
“I’ll check and let you know about Christmas, okay?”
“Sure. Anything else new with you besides this opportunity?”
She closed her eyes, wishing she could say more. “No, that about covers it.”
“Uh huh.” He paused, letting his knowledge of her hiding something sink in like any good parent would. “I’m glad you got a phone. It’s not safe out there, and you need a way to call for help if something happens.”
Kelly started to tell him nothing would happen and then remembered the past few days. Anything could happen.
“I know, Dad. I’m careful.”
“Right. Your curiosity has never gotten you into trouble.”
Oh, you have no idea.
“I am your daughter.”
He laughed. “Yes, you are.”
There was a long pause. She didn’t know what else to say. There was so much she wanted to tell him, and he would think she was insane if she mentioned any of it.
“I’ll call you tomorrow to let you know about Christmas.”
“Sounds good. I’ll talk to you later, kiddo.”
“Bye, Daddy.”
She pressed the icon to disconnect the call and threw herself back on the bed. Maybe Fabian would have some advice on talking to her dad without lying to him. And then there was the whole Christmas thing. In her mind, she’d still had a little time to figure it out, but in reality, there wasn’t time. Asking Kade to fly her back to Dallas for Christmas was out of the question. There was no way for her to pay him for a plane ticket, and the cost of one trip in that jet of his had to be more than the cost of the average car.
Her dad was going to be so disappointed that she couldn’t make Christmas dinner. There were not many people whose opinions mattered to her, but her dad was one of them. He had always supported her, even when he knew she was making a mistake.
To avoid dwelling on the situation, she got up to find Ginna so they could begin studying. No one was in the dining hall, and she didn’t want to venture down to the training room. Remembering the pool room, she decided to head that way. If no one was around, she could at least sit and enjoy the natural light.
She walked into the room and noticed the chairs she and Fabian had sat in earlier. She sat down in one And was about to lay her head back and close her eyes when she realized Siri sat at the other end of the room.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize you were here. I can leave.”
Siri waved her hand in dismissal. “Don’t be silly, my dear, this room has space for the both of us. Is now a good time for our talk?”
“Sure. All I have left for the day is studying with Ginna, and I haven’t seen her.”
“I can hear her on the phone down the hall. She can find us when she is ready for you. Why don’t you come down here and sit with me? That way we’re not talking across the room.”
Kelly did as Siri asked, curious to see what this talk would entail. It seemed strange that Kade’s mom would take such interest in her.
“Would you like anything to drink or eat? I can have Brodric fetch something for you.”
“A cold water would be great, thank you. But I can get it myself.” She hated asking someone else to do something she was perfectly capable of.
“Nonsense. Serving others makes him happy. He is here by choice; nothing binds him to us.”
Kelly just nodded. What could she say to that?
Siri dove right in. “You must know that I have no issues with you; however, I need you to know the situation you are getting yourself into.”
“I appreciate your concern, but Fabian and Kade have filled me in.”
“Yes, I know they have. But I don’t think they’ve done any of this the justice it deserves. You see, my dear, in recorded Arcane history, there has never been a mage who was discovered in the human world. On top of that, you’re a timekeeper with an affinity to two elements.”
Kelly liked Siri, but this felt pointless. “I don’t understand the big deal. It’s the first time it’s happened—so what?”
Brodric arrived with their drinks, silently handing them over, then disappeared.
“See, that’s the problem, Kelly. In the human world, first times are no big deal. In the Arcane world, first times just don’t happen. We’ve been around for thousands of years, living under human noses. We have historians who have been with us from the beginning and have excellent skills in recording the exact events of history; some of the actual accounts would blow your mind. If the upper Council finds out about you, they will descend on you in a heartbeat. Then you have others who will find out about you and try to take control of you. Until you are bonded, you will be hunted by the best of the best in our world. Then, after you are bonded, every existing necromancer will be sent to defeat you, even if you do not wish to stir up any trouble. You could decide to be a fucking librarian, and they’d still send people out of fear.”
Siri paused, and Kelly stared at her, waiting for more, but she didn’t say anything else.
“What exactly is it you think I should do then? Are you telling me to walk away?”
Siri waved her hand again in dismissal. “No, my dear, not at all. I just want you to be aware of what you’re dealing with. You have an uphill battle to fight for the rest of your days. You are already being hunted, and that will continue, day in and day out. You cannot take your safety for granted, and when you are around anyone else, you put them in danger too.”
She paused, taking a sip of the blood Brodric had brought for her. Kelly’s stomach did a somersault at the sight. Siri continued, “I think you should do exactly what you’re doing now, with a few extra precautions. Keegan is a calculating man, and he can lead you in the right direction if you let him. Fabian is a skilled warrior and will protect you. You chose an interesting mentor, but I believe she will be a good fit in the end. Just remember to be more aware of your actions and the consequences they may bring. Expect an attack anywhere at any time, never make a decision without considering how vulnerable it may make you and those around you, and study as hard as you can. The sooner you are bonded, the better off you will be.”
“Right, so, no pressure then.”
Siri missed the sarcasm or didn’t acknowledge it. “There is all the pressure in the world. But I have every confidence in you.” She smiled genuinely at Kelly. “Oh, I almost forgot, take care in dealing with the Council. I’m sure Keegan has not mentioned it, but his father held his position on the Council and was killed recently. Keegan took the position out of duty and I think, in part, to find out what happened to his father. I have never trusted the individual members completely, although the organization as a whole is trustworthy. Do not tell anyone in the Council anything about yourself.”
“No worries there. I can’t say I was fond of any of them. Fabian was the only one who was actually nice to me.”
“Politics at its finest.” Siri stood then, facing Kelly. “I am always available if you need anything; my number has been programmed into your phone. Just be careful, please. I cannot bear to lose my son.”
With that, Siri turned and walked away.