Page 19

“Madame Greene? To what do we owe the pleasure of your presence?”

I looked up from my coursework—a boorish set of fractions that I couldn’t care less about—to see Mother standing at the door of our schoolroom. Lynette looked up as well, her face mirroring the same curiosity as mine.

What was Mother doing away from her office? She rarely ventured into the schoolroom while we had our lessons.

She entered the room in the same haughty circumstance that followed wherever she went. “Good day, lady Bask. My apologies for interrupting your lesson, but I will be taking over from here.”

Our tutor paled, bowing her head. “Of course, Your Grace. Please forgive me if there has been any oversight on my part ? —”

“You may wait outside,” Mother replied, not looking at the woman.

Bask bowed once more, abandoning her lesson and leaving through the still-open door. Mother hovered by our work table, eyeing the formulas scrawled on the chalkboard. She ran her hand along the edge of the table, her nails digging into the wood. “I have a lesson for you, my children. Put away these silly calculations and pay attention, now.”

Lynette and I shared a look of worried confusion but did as we were told.

“You’ve been taught about the birth of the Magi, correct?” Mother asked, moving to the chalkboard and picking up the eraser with a look of disdain.

“Yes, Mother,” we replied in unison.

“Tell me what you know,” she ordered us, wiping the board clean from our previous lesson.

“The world was full of only mortals before the Awakening,” Lynette answered. “They didn’t take care of the land or each other very well, and there was a lot of fighting. Ms. Bask called them ‘wars.’”

“That’s right,” Mother replied, now picking up the chalk and drawing a large triangle on the board. “And after the Magi were created during the Awakening, they quickly ended the suffering of the mortals, showing them that there was more to live for than killing one another. But this is not all of the story, dear children.”

“It’s not?” I asked, my curiosity piqued.

“Far from it. To the mortal eye, all Magi are equal, each of them gifted with magical talent through the Awakening. However, we know this isn’t exactly true.” Her hand drifted from the top of the triangle down to the bottom two points. “After all, there are plenty of Magi who lack the skill to cast more than the most basic of spells. And yet, there are those who have been given the responsibility to rule, to guide the Magi with their vision of what is possible.”

Mother stepped back from the board, displaying her diagram. At the precipice of the pyramid was the Adored. Beneath them, forming the base two angles, Hallowed and Unseen.

“As you can see, the Adored are chosen to lead. We are predestined for greatness, children. Given the gift of influence, we can shape the future and steer it towards a brighter tomorrow. A second Awakening. Now, I’m curious. Can either of you tell me what role I fill?”

We both raised our hands.

“Lynette.”

“You’re the leader of the Council of Magi. They help make decisions about rules that Magi must follow.”

“That’s right,” Mother replied, a smile devoid of warmth creeping onto her face. “A role that you will inherit one day, Lynette. It has been the duty of our family since the first Awakening. Our history goes back nearly a thousand years.”

Lynette raised her hand again.

“Yes?”

“How did our family become the leaders of the Adored?”

Mother’s brow furrowed. “It was a decision made long ago, Lynette.”

“By who?” she pressed, leaning forward in her seat. “Was it the mortal leaders? Because we learned about them from Ms. Bask, and a lot of them were bad people.”

“Does it matter?” asked Mother. “Adored have the power to unify the Magi. It is only just that we are the ones who lead them. The mortal leaders are no longer a concern of ours.”

“But couldn’t someone from the Hallowed or one of the Unseen be just as good at leading?” Lynette continued her questioning.

This actually garnered a laugh from Mother. “The Hallowed would never leave their precious sanctuaries long enough. They simply lack the backbone, dear. And the Unseen are not equipped with the higher mindset required. Their magic is primitive and affects their composure. How can they expect to remain level-headed in the face of adversity?”

“So, they have to be servants?” I asked, Lynette giving me a nod of approval. My mind was on Azzy and his father. Would he still want to be my friend if he didn’t work for my family?

“They have found their role in our society,” replied Mother, her tone curt. “Just as we have.”

“And who tells them it’s their role to serve?” I asked, getting caught up on the flawed logic. Maybe it was Lynette’s presence, or perhaps the burning need to keep Azzy close by, but I would have never questioned Mother like this before. “Because you’ve always told us that our role is to lead, but what if there was something else we wanted to do?”

“Because that is what is expected of you,” Mother snaps. “Society guides the roles of each of its members ? —”

“But you guide society,” Lynette interrupted. “You hold the power. If you wanted to, you could change things. Could make it so that the Unseen could do more ? —”

“That is enough,” Mother cut Lynette off, the air growing heavy around us as power emanated from her. “You will sit down and cease these questions at once!”

The magic of her Command washed over me like a smothering wave of heat, spurring my body into motion as I straightened in my seat, my jaw clenched so hard that I was sure I would crack a tooth if I held much longer.

Lynette struggled against the Command, her ability to resist far greater than my own, but she, too, eventually succumbed to our mother’s wishes. Once silence fell over the room, Mother returned to the chalkboard.

“I don’t know where you are getting these impossible ideas from, but it is clear you’re your education must be amended. And I am just the person to take on the task.” She straightened her blazer, tugging on the ends and dusting off a bit of chalk. “Where was I? Ah, yes. My role as the leader of the Council means that I must make difficult decisions, as will you one day, Lynette. I have one of those decisions that needs to be made today. Would you like to hear what it is?”

I couldn’t open my mouth, so I nodded instead, but Lynette remained perfectly still, eyes staring daggers at our mother.

“Out there,” said Mother, pointing to the window. “Is a group of rebels who want to see nothing but the destruction of our way of life. These monsters would do harm to our family in the name of what they seek, and if they are not stopped, they will destroy everything we have worked for.

“And as if that wasn’t disturbing enough, I have been told that there is someone here in the chateau who wishes to align themselves with this cause. As the madame of this house, I have a duty to protect those who dwell here. So, what should be done about this most personal betrayal?”

The pressure holding my jaw shut slackened, but Lynette was the first to speak.

“Does it matter what we say? If you don’t agree, you’ll silence us again. Just like you do all the others.”

Mother exhaled an exasperated breath. “Lynette, one day you will stand in my place, and you will understand the weight of our charge. I only wish to prepare you for that moment.”

“Then listen to me, Mother. Please, at least consider the course of action.”

“What would you have me do, daughter?”

“Spare their life,” Lynette replied, standing from her seat. Mother loomed over her like a mountain, but she didn’t falter. “Show mercy. Try and speak with them, to understand what it is that drives them away. Then you can make your decision.”

Mother pondered Lynette’s words for a moment her arms crossed as she shuffled her weight from one foot to the other. Was she actually considering it?

“What of you, Tobias?”

I flinched at the mention of my name, looking up to find both of them staring.

“M-Me?”

“Yes, you. What would you have me do with this dangerous individual? Tell me, would you feel safe walking the halls of your home if you knew someone could be lurking behind every corner, just waiting to slip a knife into your back?”

I shook my head. “I don’t want to be afraid.”

“Ah,” Mother cooed, leaving Lynette’s side to come and crouch beside me so she was at eye level. “You’ve stumbled on something, Tobias. Therein lies the solution.”

“What solution?” I asked.

“Fear. It is a powerful tool. Used correctly, it can inspire even the most devout rebels to abandon their ideals.”

“But, Mother,” Lynette started, but she faltered as Mother rose once again to her full height.

“I will take your counsel into consideration, children. Lynette, you have my word that the individual’s life will be spared. At least, I will not order it to be taken from them. And Tobias, I will make sure that the ideals which radicalized them are dismantled from the ground up, even if I must tear them from their mind bit by bit.”

Lynette turned to me, a look of horror on her face.

Mother clapped her hands, her lips curling into a cruel smile. “A wonderful lesson, children.”

* * *