Page 7

“Again, Tobias. With feeling.”

Mother’s voice was calm, but the contempt radiating off her was like a miasma, thickening the air inside her office till it was suffocating. Rows of heavy books lined the walls, and the portrait of mother hanging behind her desk stared down at me with the same look of disappointment.

I did as she instructed me, pressing out the aura of my magic until it butted against the presence beside me—a boy with wide, violet eyes and fuzzy lupine ears that rose from the crown of his head. The boy bristled at the contact, his tail of purple fur puffing up to twice its normal size and his lips trembling as he stared back at me.

Taking a short breath, I gave the order, the heat from my magic spiking.

“Kneel.”

A burning sensation ignited in my throat as power suffused the word. The boy didn’t move in response. He merely watched me, his dark, orb-like eyes reflecting my own tortured expression.

I had failed. Again.

Mother clicked her tongue. “No, no, no. This will not do, Tobias. Again.”

“Could I have a moment to ? —”

A sharp sting bloomed across the back of my legs, and I swallowed the words. Mother flicked the end of a thin whip back into her hand with a smooth flourish, her expression frigid.

“Again.”

I blinked away the building tears, taking a deep breath as I expanded my aura once more, wrapping around the other boy. His eyes—lavender at the edges—stared back, not in defiance but… disappointment?

He didn’t seem that much older than me. Even with his pointed, furry ears and the claws protruding from the ends of his fingers, our similarities far outweighed the differences.

Except, of course, he was an Unseen. Part of the lower class of Magi. And I was an Adored. It was all the difference that mattered to most.

Especially Mother.

“Kneel.” My voice cracked around the word as another surge of heat filled my throat, but the Unseen didn’t budge, his sad eyes trained on me.

Mother’s hand gripped my shoulder, her long nails biting into my skin even through my shirt. “You are not trying hard enough, Tobias.”

I didn’t argue. I knew better than to talk back to Mother. People had disappeared for far less around the chateau.

She bent at the waist, leveling her cold gaze with mine. “You know why this is important, yes?” The stench of her perfume was cloying, her face close enough that I could feel the heat of her breath.

“Yes,” I whispered, wishing I could look away.

“Our family has a duty,” Mother continued. “And even though you are a male, that doesn’t excuse you from that duty, do you understand?”

I nodded.

“That’s a good boy. Now, show me your strength.”

My hands clenched into fists at my side. The aura of my magic expanded from me, wrapping around the Unseen boy tight enough that his posture straightened. This was my chance—to show Mother that I belonged to this family. That I could be useful, even though I was only a male.

All I had to do was focus.

“Kneel.”

The heat in my throat smoldered like coal, and the Unseen’s knee buckled for a split second, but then it straightened again, the boy’s eyes squinting to a glare.

“Enough, Tobias,” Mother sighed, releasing her grip on me.

“Please, Mother,” I pleaded, acrid tears stinging my eyes. “I can do this. Give me one more chance.”

“Enough.”

She crossed behind her desk, settling into the plush leather chair before resting her elbows on the edge of the polished wood. When she turned her gaze back to me, it took everything I could not to shy away. “Perhaps the fault lies with me, Tobias. I expected too much. You may share my blood, but you only inherited a fraction of my power. Your unfortunate disposition has made you a liability, and I’m beginning to fear there’s no place for your weakness here.”

Fear swelled in my gut. No place for me here? What did that mean?

“I can do better.”

“No, child, I don’t think you can. And that’s what troubles me. Your sister can bend a dozen soldiers to her will, and yet you struggle with even the basest of creatures.” She motioned at the Unseen boy, causing him to flinch.

Mother continued unbothered, “How can you expect to garner the respect of our community if you lack the resolve to demand it from them? I can assure you, child, they will not give it willingly. You must take it from them.”

I didn’t have an answer.

“A reminder, then. This is what true power looks like, Tobias. Observe.” Mother’s gaze shifted to the Unseen. “Step forward.”

No magic was necessary for the boy to do as he was instructed, his steps silent as he approached the desk.

“Kneel.”

A wave of pure heat washed over me as the Unseen dropped to their knees in a fraction of a second, a grimace washing away his stoic expression.

If Mother felt any strain from the terrifying display of magical strength, she didn’t show it. The lines of her face were smooth, the smallest hint of a curl at the corners of her mouth. It was the closest Mother had to a smile most days.

“You may leave us,” she said, motioning a dismissal to the Unseen boy. With a brisk nod, his body shimmered, the faint halo of light obscuring his features. Then he vanished completely. Mother didn’t move from her seat, but her gaze drifted over to me, and I couldn’t help but cower under the weight of it. She reached into a drawer of her desk, pulling out a long wooden pipe, which she ignited with a wave of her hand. After taking a long drag, she exhaled a cloud of purple smoke that smelled of lilac and maple. “Weakness is not a flaw easily overcome, Tobias. It takes dedication. Sacrifices. An unwavering spirit. If you truly wish to take your place in this family and sit at your sister’s side, you must prove that you deserve to be there!” She took another long inhale, the smoke billowing from her wide nostrils. “Now, tell me. Do you believe you possess the resolve?”

My knees quaked. Even at ten years of age, I knew that I didn’t. I wasn’t special, like Lenny. Like Mother. I was just a boy. What could I possibly do?

“Y-Yes, Mother.”

Rising from her seat, she moved around the desk to tower over me. “You are so fortunate, child, to have a mother who loves you enough to speak the truth to you. There are those in our community who believe that males are to be coddled, nothing more. But I know the value of being underestimated—” She hooked a sharp nail under my chin, pulling it upward to meet her fiery gaze. “A tool with a subtle edge can carve deeper than anyone expects. Hone your edge, child, and you will earn the privilege of being at my side as I lead our people into a new chapter of prosperity.”

The power of her words smothered me, squeezing the air from my lungs as I nodded in agreement. I had been training my entire life to please my mother. To make myself useful to the Greene family.

“I’ll make you proud, Mother.”

She offered me a rare smile. It was not something of warmth nor affection but more of a tight-lipped grin, pulling at the edges of her taut face. But I lapped it up, nonetheless.

“Yes, child. You will.”

A knock on the door spared me from my mother’s attention long enough that I was able to suck in a breath.

“Enter.”

The heavy oak doors swung open, an older Unseen holding it ajar as a woman glided gracefully into the study. She wore robes of pale blue that shimmered at the edges, embroidered with threads of gold. The clothing billowed out from the woman’s full frame, giving her an air of importance before she even opened her mouth to speak. Her dark skin contrasted the pale fabric that framed her face, the rest of her head wrapped in a tight-fitting habit.

The Unseen cleared his throat, announcing, “Her Eminence, Saint Sancha, Cardinal of the Hallowed Church.”

Mother moved from my side to greet the Cardinal, dipping into a low, seasoned curtsy. “Apologies, Your Eminence. My afternoon has run off, and I find myself behind the clock.” She motioned for me to join her, and I quickly did so, bowing as I’d rehearsed a thousand times before. “This is my son, Tobias.”

“Source’s blessing be upon you, child,” the Cardinal responded, her voice a deep contralto. Her dark eyes watched me with an amusement I didn’t understand. “You have grown in the Source’s favor since last we met.”

“Thank you, Your Eminence.”

“Tobias was just leaving,” Mother continued, ushering me toward the door.

The Cardinal nodded as I passed her, then addressed me. “Tobias, my new acolyte is waiting in the foyer, and I worry about the trouble he’ll find if left alone for too long. Perhaps you would be kind enough to show him around the chateau? Even the grand cathedrals of the Cradle pale in comparison to the Greene estate.”

I looked to Mother, and she gave me the slightest of nods.

“It would be an honor,” I replied, bowing once more before leaving the study. The Unseen attendant closed the door behind me, slipping back into an invisible state.

Glancing around the foyer, I spotted a boy standing at the base of the grand staircase, staring up at a marble statue of my great-grandmother. He was dressed in the same pale blue as the Cardinal, a tunic and billowy pants that pooled at his feet. Unlike the Cardinal, his skin was fair, and his hair was crimson with streaks of white blond. He didn’t look much older than myself, which meant he had also not yet come of age.

I took a steadying breath before approaching, muting my anxieties as Mother had taught me to do.

A first impression was the first opportunity to gain the upper hand.

“Do you find the statue to your liking?”

The boy turned to face me, his eyes wide but a look of amusement twisting his features. “Quite,” he replied. “There are few in our cathedral that could rival its beauty.”

“I’m glad it brings you joy,” I said, giving a small bow. “That is my great-grandmother, Adoracious Greene. She built this place.”

The boy bowed his head in return. “I’m Cirian,” he introduced himself, then leaned closer, lowering his voice, "Tell me, Tobias. Do you know the reason for the Cardinal’s meeting today?”

“No,” I admitted. “But it’s not really my place to know such things.”

Cirian nodded, folding his arms across his chest with a frown. “Aren’t you curious?”

“Why should I be?”

“Because knowledge is the most important currency.”

I raised an eyebrow. “I’m not sure I follow.”

With a sigh, Cirian deflated. “You’re hopeless.”

Heat built behind my cheeks. Mother’s disapproval was one thing, but I would not suffer the sting of this louse’s rejection. I needed to move quickly.

“The Cardinal asked me to show you around the chateau,” I said, pushing down the squirming sensation in my gut. “We could start out in the gardens where ? —”

“No, thank you,” Cirian scoffed, his eyes rolling. “I am not interested in the unholy opulence of your family, Tobias Greene.” His gaze moved from me, focusing on something across the foyer. “Nor the slaves you keep in your halls.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” I questioned, irritation modulating the practiced volume of my voice.

Who did this Cirian think he was?

“It means fuck off, pretty boy,” Cirian muttered, his gaze drifting back up to the statue.

There was an undercurrent of darkness in his expression now, I realized. And a radiating contempt that clouded my mind till I turned on my heel and stalked away from the strange boy.

* * *

“—warned you this could happen! We’re lucky he’s still breathing!”

Bastien’s voice was the first thing to break through my consciousness, his words ringing in my ear, vibrating with anger.

“Yeah, yeah, cut the phony self-righteousness and tell me if his brain is officially pulverized or if we can wring any more info out of it.”

Lorelei was just as charming as always. Good to know that I couldn’t escape these two, even in death. Or whatever happened to me.

“Could you keep it down, please? You’re ruining my nap.”

Bastien let out a deflated sigh, and Lorelei sucked her teeth.

“Tobias?” his voice was closer now. “Can you hear me?”

“I can hear both of you just fine now please shut up.”

A dull, droning noise under the conversation and an occasional jolt told me we were back in the town car. I cracked an eye open to catch a very concerned Bastien looking down at me.

For someone who claimed to be excited to put my back in my grave, he sure did seem worried. It twisted his brow and carved lines across his beautiful face. I had to actively stop myself from reaching out to smooth the lines with my fingers.

“Look, we didn’t completely melt his brain. Maybe he can finish walking us through the night?” Lorelei craned her neck to peek through the divider between the front and back of the town car. Her eyes lacked any of the concern that filled Bastien’s.

“What happened to me?” I asked, attempting to sit up. The world lurched under me, my head spinning, so I quickly abandoned the idea and fell back onto the cushioned bench.

“You fractured.” Bastien’s hands worked the buttons of my shirt, unfastening the top half and peeling back the fabric to uncover the gem embedded in my chest. He held his palm over it, eyes closed as he muttered a string of words that buzzed in my ears like a swarm of insects. A painful, searing heat forced the air from my lungs with a gasp as the gem glowed white-hot. Bastien frowned. “The strain from your magic use caused the gem to crack,” he explained, pointing to the edge of the gem where a fissure ran along the facet.

“So, is that it? Am I going to die again?” I asked, my voice unusually calm for someone asking about their life ending.

I guess the second time around, anything would feel old hat.

“It’s not a structural fracture, thankfully,” Bastien replied, pulling his hands away and taking that insufferable heat with him. “And a trace of my magic managed to stay contained. So, no. You’re not going to die. Not yet, at least.”

I was relieved at the news. Or maybe relieved wasn’t the right word. There was more time now. Time to figure out who killed me and what happened to Lenny. I needed to know that she was okay. I didn’t think I could give up my second life before I was certain she was safe.

“What did Lynette say to you?” Lorelei asked, seemingly unconcerned with the state of my well-being. “The two of you were talking just before the shadows ejected us.”

Lynette’s soundless words replayed in my mind. Her frightened expression was burned in the back of my eyelids when I closed them.

“I don’t know. I couldn’t hear her. She did mention you, though.” I looked up at Bastien, his brow furrowing as I locked eyes with him. “She said it was too bad that we’d broken things off. It sounded like… it was a recent incident.”

Something flickered behind Bastien’s eyes, but he quickly reined in his reaction, expression wiped clean.

“Was it?” I pressed him, desperate for the answers I’d been trying to parse out. “Recent, I mean?”

“Yes,” Bastien replied, his voice even.

“What else did she say?” Lorelei interrupted.

“Nothing.” I watched as Bastien’s shoulders relaxed a fraction. “There was a lot happening all at once, so it was hard to focus.”

Bastien averted his eyes from me, staring out the window with his jaw clenched. I knew that reaction. It felt familiar. What was he hiding?

“How long has it been, Bastien? I haven’t been able to sift through that part of my memories yet.”

“A little while,” Bastien replied, still not looking at me.

He didn’t elaborate further or offer any details.

“We’re not here for you two the drudge up a lover’s quarrel,” said Lorelei, turning around to face forward once again. “We’ll be arriving at the Cradle shortly, and Bastien needs to prepare.”

“The Cradle?” I echoed. Even with my memories in shambles, I could recall the seat of power for the Church of the Source. “Why on earth are we going there?”

“Because that’s where Cirian is,” answered Lorelei, flipping through her notebook. “And at this point, he’s the best lead I have.”

“But they’ll never let me set foot on their holy ground,” I argued. “Or Bastien, for that matter. The Hallowed won’t tolerate a Reviled in their midst or his reanimated ex.”

“We’re aware,” Bastien replied, rolling up his sleeves past the elbow. “That’s why I have to build a Veil around the two of us before we enter.”

I stared after him in disbelief. Bastien was powerful enough to create a Veil for both of us at the same time? The magic required to obscure someone’s identity was no small sum. The Adored aren’t even able to perform such illusory magics, and the most powerful of the Hallowed struggled to uphold a convincing glamour longer than a few minutes. Just how powerful was Bastien’s magic? And how did he keep it concealed from me the entire time we were together?

“You’re staring,” said Bastien, folding his hands together in the shape of a seal. The air around us began to prickle with the electric sensation of magic.

“I am.” I didn’t shy away when he glanced over at me.

“Why?”

“Because I’m trying to understand how I didn’t see your magic before. There must have been so many signs I missed. Or maybe I wanted to overlook them. Either way, I’m sorry.”

Bastien shifted his hands, forming another seal as motes of light burst into existence, hovering over my body like fireflies. “I’ve concealed my magic my entire life, Tobias. A Reviled like me can’t just flaunt their power. We have to be cautious. We have to be certain of who we can trust.”

“Which means you didn’t trust me.”

It wasn’t a condemnation but more of an acceptance on my part. Whatever happened between me and Bastien, I was almost certain it was my fault.

Had I been unfaithful? Did my work for Mother interfere with the relationship? Was there something more insidious lurking beneath the pile of jumbled memories rolling around in my head? It was maddening, going through the endless what-ifs and scenarios. I needed Bastien to fill in the gaps for me.

But what did it matter? I was dead. Or at least, I would be dead again soon. There was no use in spending what little time I had sifting through the shambles of a life already passed. I should focus on the task at hand—finding Lynette.

Bastien and I were over. I needed to accept that.

“For what it’s worth,” muttered Bastien, his voice low. “I would have told you about me. Eventually. But it seems like fate had other plans for us.”

A flare of heat swelled in my chest under the sparkling gem.

Bastien continued his work, stitching together the Veil through a series of seals. By the time the car came to a stop, sweat beaded on his forehead. His hands, which had been twisted into unnatural angles during the spell weaving, relaxed, and he let out a deep sigh. The air around us shimmered for a moment longer, then stilled, and Bastien’s visage blurred at the edges, morphing his appearance into one of a man that I didn’t recognize.

Deep wrinkles set into his usually smooth face, his eyes lightening to a pale blue, and a scraggly grey beard protruded down from his chin.