21. Nora
21
Nora
M usic and good-hearted conversation swelled the air. Glasses clinked together, sloshing ale over the sides and spilling onto the floor. All I could think while watching the display of vibrant smiles was, “glad I’m not the one cleaning it up tonight.”
While for my own leisurely activity I wouldn’t choose to spend time at a bar, I endured for Melody’s sake. Kenzie refused to join, not wanting to be associated with magic supporting folk. She didn’t say that in words, but she didn’t need to—it was laced in her tone. Melody had forced a smile to be polite, but I suspected it’d hurt her feelings. I hoped she’d be reassured of my support by joining her here.
At least this establishment didn’t sweat old ale from its pores like The Thirsty Tankard, and the pretzels were salted nicely. We arrived a bit early, not expecting the level of merriment that greeted us. Melody and I scoured the jovial faces amongst the crowd and whispered to each other when we spotted someone we knew.
“I wonder what magic they possess. What if it’s the same as mine?” The glint in her eyes told me that’s what she hoped.
“I don’t know,” I answered honestly, stuffing another complementary salty twist into my mouth.
Her lips pursed as her gaze perused the attendees, and her feet bounced in place at our tall table. The golden shimmer of her hair glinted from our tiny tealight. Eucinda wisely never allowed Melody out at such establishments unattended, and since she nor I held interest in bars, Melody never frequented. To her, this experience would be thrilling for many reasons.
“Do you think they’ll show their magic?” she asked without breaking her assessment of the room.
“Would you show yours?” I drew my lips in tight, knowing what kind of reaction that question would elicit.
“NO!” She peered around, as if someone could have heard, and was mortified.
I lighted with laughter. Being here was a big step in itself that I was proud of her for.
“Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the weekly meeting of Magic Supporters. We are thankful you have the grace and bravery to commune with us tonight,” the woman who’d handed out the flyers shouted from the small stage. Roaring conversation quickly dulled to quiet whispers, all eyes drawing to the presenter.
“For those of you joining us for the first time, I hope you find our group kind and supportive. Now, not everyone here will wear a banner that indicates their support or possession of magic, and that is to be respected if we are to run into each other outside of these walls. What matters is that we make ourselves known to the world. Allow them to see that we are not monsters who hide in the dark, or seek evil, or to inflict pain.
“Some of us were born with magic flowing through our veins, others have been gifted. Regardless, the choice was never up to us. We’ve been placed on one side of a drawn line that existed long before we did. Well, most of us.” She winked to a salt-and-pepper-haired man who stood near the stage. He chuckled, clearly one of the oldest in the room.
I hadn’t been aware of ever knowing someone magic born, though I’m sure I did. That realization prodded me with a touch of shame. My attitude toward magic had mostly been impassive. It didn’t affect my life at all, and a person without magic could be just as deadly as someone with, so what should anyone care?
Perhaps that had been the wrong attitude.
Others in the room joined in the laughter, and all at once, any notion that the world could perceive this charming group of people as anything other than lovely pricked at my spine. Yes, the destruction of Argora Vale was deplorable, horrendous. But the actions of one group shouldn’t stain the reception of the rest.
I glanced at Melody, who listened intently, soaking in this group of strangers that shared something with her, something she’d been taught to hide. She’d always mentioned it to suitors, though, when things showed the possibility of becoming serious. I admired that about her. She wouldn’t subject herself to be with someone who wouldn’t accept her fully. She knew her value and wouldn’t dim her light for anyone.
“Do we meet others in their anger against us?” The woman encouraged the crowd for a response by raising her arms outward.
“No!” they shouted in unison.
“Do we remain bitter towards those who choose not to understand us?”
“No!”
“Hate will never be cured with more hate. Our treatment is unfair at times, yes, but we are responsible for forming the connections that will change the minds of this generation and the next!”
A round of clapping roused from the attentive crowd.
“Do we need to change an entire village?” she raised her voice.
“No!”
“Change starts with one connection at a time. It’s not required daily, not even weekly. Even if one connection in our lifetime decreases fear, we are doing a service to all of Highcrest. So, if you care to, find someone new in the crowd and share part of your story and what brings you here. Sharing with those whom we know share our values gives us a safe place to do so and lets us practice for interactions we’ll face in the real world.” She ended by clapping above her head with a smile that made the room feel a tad warmer. Immediately the crowd dispersed, and the rumble of conversation picked up again.
“Should we?” Melody leaned over the tall, rounded table top, glaring at me with a mischievous twinkle in her eye.
I chuckled. “Hey, I’m here to follow your lead.”
She beamed, and I watched as she scoped the crowd for a target. Not surprisingly, she took herself to the host of the event. I smiled. The man that’d been poked fun at during the welcome speech stood off to the side, clearing some bar stools out of the way. I took myself over to him on determined feet. If Melody was being brave, I’d support her by doing the same.
“Hi, I’m Nora.”
I extended my hand toward the surprisingly fit and toned middle-aged man. His silver hair was shorn close to his head, and his dark eyes reflected some nearby flames. He greeted me with a warm smile that reminded me of Odion’s.
“Hi Nora, I’m Sverik.” He extended his hand to meet mine, and we shook. “I haven’t seen you here before. Is this your first time with us?”
“It is. So you’ve been coming here a long time to recognize fresh faces, then?”
His light laughter floated between us. “You could say that.” There was a twinkle in his eye that made me feel welcomed here, something I hadn’t seen in a while. Being taken out of higher social circles and thrust into poverty years ago made the world look at us differently, though we hadn’t changed.
He continued, “I’ve been at these meetings almost every week for five years. I know just about every person in here. Besides new faces.” He winked while holding a handsome smile.
My eyes went wide as I turned to address the room. “There must be forty people here. My sister and I must stick out like a beacon to you all if everyone here is as familiar.”
“For the most part. There’s about five people I don’t recognize, which is a really good turnout rate. Sometimes we go months without meeting anyone new. Those months feel a tad discouraging.” Sadness crossed his eyes for only a heartbeat before it faded. He sank back into a soft, lighthearted grin.
“I’ll admit, I pass by your congregation often in the markets, but never really gave much thought to attending.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t call it a congregation. That makes it sound like some sort of religious extremist group.” He furrowed his brow while still holding a smile.
“My apologies, I didn’t mean to offend.” The last thing I wanted to do was leave a less than cordial first impression for my sister’s sake.
“It’ll take more than that to offend me, dear.” He chuckled, crossing his arms, accentuating the bulge of his biceps, visible through his almost-too-tight short-sleeved shirt. “May I ask what finally caught your attention?”
That pesky little twinge of guilt returned. If it’d been up to me, I would have ignored them as I always did. “My sister took interest today. Normally I don’t leave her alone in the markets but I had some—” I paused, choosing my words carefully, “ — business to attend to.” Flashing a quick smile, I hoped that’d bury that topic quickly.
“Maybe you should leave her alone more often. She has good instincts.” He swung his hand to clap on my shoulder.
A laugh rattled in my throat over the thought, probably sounding as nervous about the idea as I felt.
With a softening smile, he said, “Truly though, however you came to be here, I know everyone in this room appreciates it.”
I glanced around. “It’s a pleasant surprise to see how many people are in attendance. There are quite a few faces I recognize but never would have associated with magic. It’s never really talked about. I guess people would rather avoid the tension.”
He gave a thoughtful nod, pursing his lips. “That seems to be the prevailing sentiment over the past few years. Less outright hatred, and more of a neutrality. I can only pray we continue to travel up the scale. Maybe one day get overwhelming enthusiasm at the mere mention,” he teased, but I saw what lay behind his bright eyes. A true hope.
“Is he bothering you, Miss?” A woman with white muddling her swept back brown hair emerged through the crowd, joining Sverik at his side. The dark skin around her eyes wrinkled as she gave him a coy smile and wrapped her arms around his waist.
“Nora, this is my radiant wife, Sharla.” He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. He wouldn’t be considered tall, but she was definitely considered short. I wondered if she even reached five feet tall.
“Hi Nora, lovely to meet you,” she said.
“You as well, Sharla. He wasn’t bothering me at all, don’t worry. Besides, I think I could take him,” I teased, but honestly believed that was a real possibility. I hadn’t been training for nothing. She chuckled as I added, “This is my first time here.”
“Well, we are so happy to have you. I’m an herbalist, so if you ever need something, feel free to ask. Oh dear, it’s Mrs. Gallagher. Please excuse me.” A sudden bout of seriousness erased the delight on her features, and she departed immediately.
That name was familiar. I kept my attention on Sharla until she hugged Mrs. Gallagher, and swallowed the lump that instantly swelled in my throat. The woman wouldn’t know me, but I knew of her. I might have even trampled some of her petunias by accident. The area beneath her eyes was puffy, and my heart cracked at the sight. I’d seen a few relatives of missing persons over the months. Sometimes they’d roam the market, handing out flyers with puffy eyes full of grief, asking if anyone had any information.
I knew that feeling all too well, myself. Watching her navigate the room, being greeted by caring friends, a loving support system in her time of need, forced an unexpected heat to prick behind my eyes. I tore away my gaze before it made my vision blur. “So, Sverik, are you from South Harbor?”
“No, actually. Sharla and I only moved here about six years ago. We’re originally from Windguard.”
It wasn’t often I ran into those from Windguard. Anyone who moved from that kingdom generally possessed enough wealth to avoid the slums of Highcrest. “Oh, what brought that on?”
He broke our stare, dropping his gaze and laughing lightly toward the floor. I hadn’t anticipated his reaction. My question clearly made him uncomfortable, and I worked quickly to recover. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to pry.”
“No, no, it’s fine. We left because the divide of magic remains strong there. The longer I remained, existing like this…” He snapped his fingers, and a flame extended from the tip of his thumb like a matchstick.
I couldn’t contain my shudder of laughter at the unexpected, incredible sight. “Oh my stars!” My hand slapped over my chest. “It doesn’t burn you?” Concern wrinkled my forehead as I became lost in the trance of the mesmerizing fire.
His amusement shone as brightly as the conjured flame licking at the air. “No, that’d be mighty unpleasant.”
“Nora!” Melody’s call drifted over the voices. She waved me over with her delicate, frantic hand, and I returned my gaze to Sverik.
His fire fizzled into nothing before he slid his hands in his pants pockets.
“It was so nice to meet you, Sverik, but my sister beckons.”
“Glad you stopped by, Nora. Hope to see you again.” He dipped his head in farewell.
Throwing my hand up, I gave an awkward wave before weaving through the bodies toward Mel. A couple of men stood in the midst of the crowd, facing each other but not speaking. The bald man with thick black facial hair didn’t take his eyes off me as I maneuvered past. He opened his palm that I noticed held a small crystal before he closed his fingers around it. Maybe it was an anxiety thing, holding it for comfort that it would ease his hesitation for showing up to a place like this. The other, with shaggy brown hair, glanced at me briefly before glaring wildly around the room again.
I was grateful my beautiful sister had found other company to entertain, since not all attendees seemed as receptive.
“Tryssa, this is my sister, Nora,” Melody said as I joined.
The woman who had garnered Melody’s attention in the first place stood before me, her sandy blonde hair falling loosely over her shoulders. Smile lines deepened around her mouth as she extended her hand and we shook. “Wonderful to have you join us, Nora. Your sister tells me you had no hesitations attending tonight.” This woman radiated charisma in a way that had me questioning how she hadn’t already changed the mind of every citizen in South Harbor.
“No, I did not. I was just speaking with Sverik and mentioned to him that we’ve always been accepting of magic.” I smiled at my sister as she wrapped her gentle hands around my arm and briefly pressed her temple to my shoulder.
“You might just be the girls to save this kingdom from its gluttonous history of hate.” Her eyes sparkled as they passed between us.
I huffed a sarcastic laugh. “We are in no role to offer such change.”
Tryssa narrowed her eyes in an assessing way. “Do not underestimate how crucial your role as the next generation is. If more and more young people such as yourselves imbue this mindset, within your lifetime, you might see great strides in the reemergence of magic. And how the kingdom will be blessed by that. Are you two attending the prince’s events?”
The gleam in her eye made me consider just how historic it would be for the next queen to be a vocal magic supporter. The significance of that would reshape the destiny of this kingdom. Usher in a new dawn after a century of bleak night.
The former King Antoine and Prince Nicholas did not outwardly endorse magic to the masses. Instead, they let indifference divide and fester. Cowards. If anyone had the ability to create a drastic change, it was the royals. But of course the current prince would remain silent on the matter, just as he’d done with the kidnappings.
My thoughts turned to that golden sculpture of a man, drawing people in with his charming good looks like flies to a web, only to leave them immobilized while he sat back until he feasted on their attention and devotion while offering no lifeline.
His smile lingered in my mind, a brilliant flash of pearl white. Soft, yet masculine. Warm, yet blazing. It took a moment to sever the memory.
“I am, along with my other sister, but Nora—”
“We are,” I interrupted. Melody’s gaze burned my skin, taken aback by what I’d said. “We are to attend a ball next.”
Neither Eucinda nor I had mentioned to the girls that I would be attending as something other than chaperone, and they hadn’t pieced it together while I’d been fitted for an equally elegant dress as theirs.
“A ball, how delightful. I know a couple of our girls went to the luncheon but haven’t heard anything about an invitation to a ball. Seems you are the lucky ones to make it through,” Tryssa said, her hopeful enthusiasm raining down upon us. She, too, must realize the significance of a magic supporter on the throne.
Melody lifted on the balls of her feet, her blooming excitement palpable from the idea that she’d passed a round of royal scrutiny. I fought off the idea that my interaction with the prince had somehow contributed to our invitations.
Melody had been perfectly calculated in her approach. Surely she was the one who made an impression. I’d been lucky that I hadn’t been removed for being so bold. My stomach twisted at the thought of having to see him again. This time would be very different. I would be vying for his attention. At least, portraying the appearance that I was.
The idea made me want to lose my pretzels.
“Excuse me, ladies, I must make the rounds. It’s been an honor having you here.” Tryssa gently gripped both of our hands with a beaming smile before she disappeared through the crowd, and my eyes met with another’s. A purple glow radiated from the elderly woman’s stare. Her long, silver hair flowed well past her shoulders, and before I could note anything else about her, she stepped toward me.
Melody said something, but my attention was rapt on the woman intent on us.
“Hello, Nora,” she said when she approached. Her voice sounded like it emanated from her soul. A soul that somehow knew mine. Recognized it in a room of strangers. Sought it out. I would have shivered from the intensity and strangeness if it weren’t for the gentle kindness that bolstered her words.
“Who are you?” I questioned, bypassing her greeting.
“Nora,” Melody whispered in reprimand, unimpressed by my lack of manners.
“I am Evenita,” she replied coolly.
“How do you know my name?” For a moment, no one else existed around us. The sounds of the guests quieted as I remained intent on learning the answer.
“ Nora, ” Melody chastised again. “I apologize for my sister. We are simply overwhelmed from meeting so many lovely people tonight.” She tried to recover my informality.
“I know many things,” Evenita said, a portrait of beneficence. “I see the futures of those I come across.”
In a den of magic wielders, I’d put myself in a perilous position. My knowledge of magic was limited, but even I had heard of seers. A rare type of witch, most of whom had fled before the world turned against magic. They were spoken of when they’d taught us about the fall of Argora Vale, vilified for choosing not to prevent the fall from happening in the first place. A witch with enough magic in them to turn their eyes that unnatural of a color.
A seer might very well know my intentions for aiding the assassination of the prince, the very cause Alejo and Gregory invited me to be a part of. The air in the room suddenly thinned, becoming too warm from all the bystanders—potential witnesses who would support this woman without a second thought.
She possessed magic. I didn't. These were her people.
I couldn’t risk Melody learning of my intentions. She was too good, too pure. She would only try to stop me, to speak reason to my ambitious, potentially suicidal delusion. Her tender heart might even go so far as to turn me in. Sentence me to a punishment less harsh than death. My frantic heart plummeted into my whirling stomach.
“Lovely meeting you, but we must go.” I grabbed Melody’s hand with haste and tugged her behind me. Within moments, we exited the tavern. I gulped down a giant breath, but not even the fresh air gave me relief.
“What was that about?! Nora, that was so rude!” Melody tried getting my attention, but I could barely hear her. It’d been a mistake to go there, I hadn’t thought it through. Granted, on the list of reasons I might have come up with, running into a seer would not have been on it.
“I need to go home. I’m not well,” I lied, carrying myself with great speed away from that place as I wiped my increasingly slick palms on my pants.