Page 59

“That’s highly-debatable.”

“It’s not. You’re allowing your fear of yourselfandthat which others hold toward you to skew the reality here. It’s hurting you. Just like separating your power is. You’re not beingyou.”

“Pops—”

“If you want to look at it from the angle of other beings fearing you, if it will help you to recognize how detrimental your current approach is, then let’s do that. Consider the fact that the longer your power remains ununified, the more volatile not only those separated parts will become, but thatyou’llbecome. It will be increasingly difficult to reconcile your power as a whole when it’s finally returned to you. It could compromise your control over it. It’s a similar sensation to suddenly unbinding somebody after a long period of time. Something that happened to Jaxon. It caused him a great deal of pain, and he even lost his way for a while. None of us want anything like that to happen to you. Nor can we allow it, given that you are being watched so closely. We can’t give them any reason to take action, for them to believe their fears could actually transpire and become reality.”

“If that happened to Dad, why isn’thehere telling me this?”

“Because he’s with Cornelius.”

“What? He’s off-realm now too?”

“Yes. Assisting with his extreme knowledge base where the matter at hand is concerned, because it’s become… unduly complicated.”

Yeah, despite Dad being younger than everyone in my family, he was actually well-versed in a great deal because of inheriting Draco’s centuries of knowledge as part of a spell that the bastard forced on him in order to turn him dark. Thedarkaspect hadn’t succeeded in the end, although it had caused a whole lot of grief for my family. But something had remained from it and, fortunately, it was the knowledge thing.

“I thought he was in the thick of it with the Lupan Stabilization Unit?”

Dad ran a werewolf organization that had begun as a means to restructure the wolf pack system after it had been decimated when Draco had risen and caused so much chaos. He and Grandma had actually taken months and months to locate and see to rogue wolves all over the supernatural world. Since then the organization focused on territory protection, integration support and cultural restoration. I knew Dad was working on a New Pack Registry initiative right now. It was a major deal, so him leaving to travel off-realm was really strange timing.

“This took precedence. But he won’t be away long, so not to worry.”

“And Mom?”

“You know she’s conflicted when it comes to all of this. She wants you safe. She’s also had similar issues that you now do, when it comes to trusting in her great power. She suffered through that for years on end. AndI’mthe one who helped her through it. So we all agreed amongst us that the best person to see to this matter, at least at first, is me.”

“Not to mention, you absolutely love your magic and your power. You’re more comfortable with it than anybody. It’s who you are.”

“I do embrace it, yes. And I can help you to do the same. We’ve come to a point where you must, Ari. Denying it is no longer an option.” He gestured at the birthday present from Grandfather. “Cornelius made this for you as something to aspire to. He knew it wouldn’t be immediate. We all recognize that. But wedoneed to make a start right here and now.”

“He wants me to become part of the Guardian Movement?”

“Not necessarily. What we all want is for you to embrace your potential and we believe a big part of that involves safeguarding others. That doesn’t need to be with the Guardian Movement directly. You know that Grandma operates outside the confines of the institution and she’s out there still helping lost ones throughout the supernatural world. Your mom continues her work with the Covens via the Arcane Ascendancy Council.Again, outside the Guardian Movement. There is a lot you can do. However, doing nothing and hiding yourself away isn’t an option we will allow, nor one you should believe good enough for you.”

He was saying a lot, but there was also a lot hewasn’tsaying.

“They’ll come for me, won’t they? That’s what you’re also worried about?”

“If you handicap yourself worse than you already are with separating your magic, it may be seen as an in by certainoutliersand detractors, yes. Especially the speciests out there who don’t believe certain creatures should exist on this plane—hybrid haters, those sorts.”

“You’re already controlling so much and protecting me, aren’t you?”

“You’re my daughter, I’d do nothing less.”

“But it’s becoming impossible to keep it all at bay now. Me reaching magical maturity was a tipping point, wasn’t it? You’ve all been trying to keep it off my radar so as not to panic me, but it’s become unfeasible now, right?”

He came to me and took my hands in his. “It’s just best that you take back your power and veer off the road of denial. It’s no longer an option for you. Not if we’re to keep you safe. And we can all see that you’re not happy. We thought that attending Maven Academy would help you to come to terms with your Celestial heritage and your abilities, but it has gone another way for you entirely. This is your final year, and you need to make a change.” He squeezed my hands gently. “We all wish we could do thisforyou, but we can’t. It’s up to you, Ari. However, we can help you. But you have to let us.”

Now the way I was approaching things was hurting them, the people I loved most in this world.

He was dancing around that aspect, but it was still apparent to me. My family was in pain for me,becauseof me.

It was the last thing I’d wanted.

It had been bad enough just thinking about what it would do to them with what I had planned once I was done at the Academy, but I’d kidded myself into believing that they’d come to recognize that it was for the best.

Hearing Pops now, though, everything he was saying, it was undeniable that it wouldn’t happen that way. They’d never accept me cutting myself off fully like I intended—the only way the world would truly be safe from me and what I was. Hell, the only waytheywould be safe, because if I ever lost control at this stage, now that I’d reached magical maturity, it would be them who’d have to try to stop me—the only beings strong enough to even attempt it.