Chapter 2
Chapter
Two
Devine Country Estate, Twenty-Two Years Ago…
“But why?” I insist as I lift my hand like I’ve seen Anthony do a hundred times. I nearly throw my arm off, trying to make the same gestures, but nothing happens.
“I don’t know. Maybe you’re broken?” Anthony suggests, bouncing a fireball in his hand.
Streaks of light pass over the moonlit field as my brother’s friends play fireball tag. I hear them laughing. They normally don’t let me play with them because I don’t have magic.
But maybe if I try really hard…
Anthony sees one of his friends dart past, and he launches his fireball at the kid’s back, barely missing him. Peter leaps into the air and shifts into his wolf form as he disappears into the shadows .
Anthony crouches close to the ground and motions me to do the same.
“Did you have magic when you were my age?” I whisper so as not to reveal our hiding place.
“I’ve always had it,” he says. “The nanny said, as a baby, I used to levitate and float around the room when I slept. They had to lock the windows, so I didn’t fly away.”
Anthony is seven and has always been wise beyond his years.
My eyes round in wonder at the thought. “Do you think I float when I sleep?”
“I don’t know.” He gives a shrug. I don’t know why he’s annoyed with me. I just want to play with them. “I think you have to wake up really fast and see if you’re in the air.”
I nod. That’s good advice. I’ll try that tonight.
Peter the werewolf comes running back by, fully shifted and howling.
“Did I tell you I’m getting a puppy for my birthday? And a cake as tall as I am with fairies?”
Anthony grimaces. “Gross. You want to eat fairies?”
“No!” I protest.
“Dammit,” Anthony says. “Shh!”
The howling becomes louder, and Peter reappears, charging toward us. My brother becomes serious as he stands from behind our log. He launches fireballs at his friend. I stand next to him and swing my arm with all my might, willing fire to come from my hand. It doesn’t.
Anthony misses several times before finally smacking the wolf on the side. Peter yelps. I see trails of smoke coming from his fur.
Anthony laughs and pulls my arm. “Come on, we need to get to a new position.”
I don’t know what he’s talking about, but I’m happy he’s letting me come. He leads me through the woods, and I struggle to keep up with him in the dark. Streaks of light show on the tree bark as the others battle it out. He comes to a bush near the field and ducks down.
“Maybe I’ll get magic for my birthday. I’ll be six,” I say. “And then I can be immortal like you, and I can go to school with you.”
He scrunches up his nose. “Stay quiet, Tam-tam.”
I mimic his movements, crouching and cupping my empty hand at the ready.
He sees me and gives a soft laugh. “Do you want to try?”
I nod, eager.
He looks around at the field before manifesting a fireball. “Okay, hold out your hand. I’m going to give you the magic and you throw it as hard as you can when you see Peter dart past. He’s the target tonight. Try not to let him see where the fireball came from, or he’ll get us, and we’ll lose.”
Excitement makes me jittery, and my legs jerk as I bounce in anticipation.
“Ready?” Anthony holds the fireball.
I nod and whisper, “Yeah.”
He places a hand under mine and holds me steady as he brings the fireball close. He drops it down onto my fingers.
Fire bursts over my fingers, and I scream at the terrible pain. I shake my hand, but it only makes it worse. I start to run.
“Tamara!” Anthony shouts after me.
I keep screaming.
Suddenly, a dark shadow sweeps in from above, and I’m wrapped in cold arms. The fire goes out against the creature’s chest. I feel my body moving as my feet are lifted from the ground.
“Tamara!” Anthony calls out. “Tamara, where did you go?”
I’m crying and can’t stop.
We land on the ground on a forest path. When I look up, I see my grandfather’s vampire friend. “Easy, child, what’s happened?”
His voice is calm, almost soothing. I know to be careful. Vampires can take over your brain and make you do things. Anthony told me.
“What did you do?” he asks .
“I tried to… cast… off… magic… my hand… but…” I sob as I try to explain.
He takes my hand in his as he studies it before pressing his fist against my palm. The cold feels good against the burn and lessens the sting.
“Ar-are you going to eat me, Constantine?” I ask him, sniffling through tears. “I don’t want to be a snack.”
He gives me a strange look. I see the moonlight hitting his fangs and cry harder.
“Tamara!” Anthony screams in panic.
“Anthony,” I yell back. “Help! The vampire is going to eat me!”
“Hey, stop that,” the vampire orders, with an awkward pat on my shoulder. “I’m not going to eat you. You’re going to be all right. Your grandfather can fix your hand good as new.”
I wish he could fix the missing magic in my hand.
“But why aren’t you going to eat me? Is it because I’m broken and taste bad?” I sniffle.
The vampire is scary. Mainly, I think it’s his fangs. And because Anthony told me that vampires liked to drink people, and I need to stay away from them because I’m people. He also said that I would be a tiny snack to a vampire because I’m so small. Like an appetizer .
But Constantine’s eyes don’t look mean. They’re not kind or anything like that, but they’re not all angry red, as I’ve seen in some of the comic books that my brother showed me.
“Do you want me to eat you, little castoff?” he asks with a small smile. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen him smile.
I violently shake my head no.
“Good, because I do not eat my friends,” he answers.
“Are we friends, Constantine?” I ask in surprise. I didn’t know I had a vampire friend.
“Sure. And you should call me Costin. That’s what my friends call me.” He stands, keeping his icy hand in mind.
“Tamara!” Anthony is closer now.
“Young Anthony,” Costin says to get his attention. “I’m taking your sister back to the house to have her hand looked at.”
“Tamara, are you all right?” Anthony asks, hurrying to me.
“Costin put me out,” I say, using my vampire friend’s name.
“I’ll take her to the house. We don’t need you,” Anthony tells the vampire as he lifts me into his arms and starts jogging through the trees toward the estate .
“Be more careful,” Costin orders behind me.
Anthony ignores him. I cling to my brother, holding tight. I hear him whisper, “I’m sorry Tam-tam. I’m sorry. We’re going to be in so much trouble.”
My hand hurts, but I don’t want to get my brother in trouble. He slows as we come to the estate. The great windows are all lit as if to cast light on the yard outside. I see figures moving around.
“I’m okay,” I lie. “We don’t have to tell them.”
“Let me see.” He holds my hand to the light and tries touching the burn.
I flinch and struggle to keep back the tears.
“No, you’re hurt. We have to tell them. Don’t worry. I’ll take all the blame,” he says. “I should have never let you hold the magic. It could have killed you.”
I cry harder. “I don’t want to be killed.”
“Hey, look at me.” He takes my face in his hands. “I don’t know why you can’t do magic, but I swear to you, here and now. I’m going to find a way to make you immortal like me. You’re not going to die. Okay?”
I nod, believing him. My brother would never lie to me.
He begins walking me inside to face the elders.
“I promise, you’re going to live forever with me,” he swears. “Besides, you’re all right for a little sister. We Devines got to stick together.”
Anthony is so smart. I nod my head and swipe at my nose. “Yeah, we got to stick together.”