It was real to me.
Only after my mother’s recent revelation about my father’s history had I stopped to consider that, maybe, I should have started asking questions a long time ago, when Tristan first came into my life. I had naïvely accepted everything without question. My mom was right: all I’d cared about was how to keep Tristan by my side. Now I was beginning to realize how recklessly and stupidly I had been behaving.
I had learned, through Vigil, that magic always came at a price. I’d never bothered to worry about the cost, though, not until this latest power-switch incident. Now I knew better: I knew how careful I had to be around magic. It had the power to consume me and destroy everything I loved; it could leave marks that stayed forever.
I had thought this Gathering was going to teach me how to deal with my magic. That it would make me feel more included, like I wasn’t alone in this supernatural world. But it seemed I was still very much alone, since nobody in this place seemed to have any actual power or practical experience whatsoever. Even Celeste wasn’t showing anything to the group. If I hadn’t witnessed her throwing those light balls during our fight with that evil, sneaky Nicky, I wouldn’t have believed she could do anything, either. Here, she only talked, endlessly, and my patience was wearing thin.
The sun was at its height when we returned to the main house for a lunch break, after long hours of much talking. I hurried to sit with Lizzie in the cafeteria, with the intention of digging up some answers about the cryptic things Simon had said. If I wasn’t going to learn anything about real magic, at least I could try to dig up some information about my father while I was here. That secret Top League seemed like a good place to start digging.
Lizzie was sitting by herself and seemed quite startled to see me slumping in the seat in front of her, with my tray in my hands. “Hey, Lizzie. Do you mind if I sit with you?”
“Y-you want to s-sit with me? Why? No one ever wants to join me.” The shock on her face was quickly replaced by suspicion.
“Why not? We’re friends, right?” I gave her a warm smile to prove I came in peace.
“All r-right. If you say so . . .”
“So, Lizzie, I wanna ask you something.”
“Ah,” she said, with a nod, my question confirming that there was really an ulterior motive for me joining her at the table, besides an alleged claim of friendship.
“I have heard some things, and you seem like the smartest person in the room. I thought you’d be able to help me.”
“Well, your attempt of flattery is a bit obvious, but I’ll take the bait. What do you want to know?”
“Do you know anything about the Top League? Simon told me about it, but I don’t know what it is.”
“Oh, is that all you want to know? That’s not a big deal. Everyone knows about the League.” She noticed me glaring and quickly corrected herself: “Except you, otherwise you wouldn’t be asking. Sorry. I didn’t mean to sound like a smarty pants. Well, it’s like this: there are levels of apprenticeship. First is the Basic Level, for beginners, which I’m assuming is where you are at the moment.”
I glared at her again, and she flustered in apology. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to rub it in your face again. So, as I was saying: first, there’s Basic. You go up the ladder with the help of your designated mentor until you reach Advanced Level. When Advanced is completed, you can continue on your own without mentor supervision. You can act in the field after that, or you can try out for the Professional League, which is only for the most trained – the top notches. It’s very hard to become a Pro.”
“What is Celeste’s level?”
“The Harker sisters are all Pros,” she explained. “And then there’s the Top League, the last and ultimate step on the ladder. Only the most gifted can enter. It is a very secretive group; they only recruit a selected few . . . Simon’s brother is the recruit from Russia. It is the highest honor to be asked to join.”
“Oh. That sounds . . . complicated. Why has Celeste never told me any of these things?” I mumbled to myself.
“You’re still in Basic. You have to climb a few steps first to know more, I suppose. Actually, come to think of it, perhaps I shouldn’t be telling you any of this, after all . . .” She was suddenly very reticent to continue.
“What’s Simon’s brother so famous for? Do you know what he’s done in that League?”
“Hmm, erm . . . I-I don’t really know.”
I narrowed my eyes at her. “Liar, liar, pants on fire.”
She gulped, eyes bugging out behind her thick glasses. “Darn it, I forgot about your sight. Can you really tell when someone’s lying to you?”
“Yes. Always. Come on, Lizzie. I thought we were friends.”
That seemed to hit the jackpot: her eyes glinted with remorse and even a smidgen of fear that I might stop being her friend if she didn’t tell me. “I-I, well, I’m not supposed to know this . . .”
“If someone asks, I didn’t hear it from you, I swear,” I said, tapping the side of my nose, as she had done before, when we first met. “A witch’s vow is serious business.”
She eyed me in silence for a moment before conceding. “All right. So, get this, I heard that everybody in the Top League has some special ability going on. Like, actual real super powers! I know, it sounds ridiculous; these things only happen in movies, right? But there are rumors that they can do some really freaky stuff!”
I perked up on my seat. “Freaky stuff? Like what?”
“Like control the weather, or hypnotize people with a glance of their eyes, or control fire. I heard one of them could even make you go blind with the snap of a finger. I don’t know for certain what Simon’s brother can do, but I heard some rumor saying that he can instill so much fear into your head that you lose your mind. He can literally make you have a mental breakdown. People are terrified of him. He must be really scary.” She shivered on cue.
I had stopped listening the moment Lizzie had said there was someone who could cast fire. I was so excited. My investigations were leading to another person who could also manipulate fire. And not only that, now I knew of a whole group of people who had extraordinary abilities, just like me. I wasn’t alone in this, after all!
Could this mean I may be related to this mystery League guy? Or that maybe he could have a connection to my dad? Could he be family?
My head swirled with too many unanswered questions.
And only one person could give me the answers I was looking for.
Chapter Six
Secret Investigation
“HEY, CELESTE!” I shouted as I ran to catch up with her at the front steps of the main house.
“Oh, hello, Joey.” She turned round to greet me, continuing to walk up to the front doors as she added, “I was heading to my room, to unwind a little before the afternoon activities. You will be working with your band during afternoons, if I’m not mistaken?”
“Yeah, that was the deal,” I agreed, keeping pace with her as we entered the lobby. “We need to get the next album up and running. The record label’s been on our backs, you know how it is . . . But, hey, I wanted to ask you something, before you go take your nap . . .”
“It’s not a ‘nap’, Joey,” she corrected, annoyed. “I will be meditating in my room and preparing for the afternoon meeting.”
“Suuure,” I agreed, trying to hide a smile. She was so going to take a big fat nap; I could see it written all over her tired face. “But before you go ‘meditate’, I was wondering if you could tell me something. I’ve been hearing a few things about these learning levels. Thanks for not mentioning any of that to me, by the way. Everybody is looking at me now like I’m a clueless idiot. But anyway, what’s the deal with this Top League I’ve been hearing about?”
The alarm in her eyes was a pretty big tell that I had hit a nerve. “Where have you heard about that?” she asked sharply.
“Oh, you know . . . around. Why?”
I could almost see the protective walls she was raising b
etween us, trying to block me out of her head. “This is not your concern, Gray. You will learn about it when it’s time for you to know about it, and now is not the time.”
“Celeste.” I narrowed my eyes and focused in concentration. She was never very good at blocking my sight; even after much practice, she still couldn’t raise a proper shield. “What are you hiding from me?”
She sighed, sensing I wasn’t going to let this go. “You will learn about levels of apprenticeship in due time, Joey. That’s why I’ve asked you to come to this Gathering, so you can advance in your lessons. You don’t need to concern yourself with Top League matters for now.”
“Is there by any chance a mention of a Gray enlisted in that League?” I hazarded a guess. If there was a guy with fire powers there, maybe we could be related, I wondered again.
“How in God’s name do you know that?”
I couldn’t tell her that I had discovered someone in the League had fire powers, and that this ability could connect back to me. She didn’t even know I could cast fire, and, since she was so full of secrets, I decided it was best to keep this one to myself.
“I had a hunch. Plus, it’s kinda written all over your face,” I explained, pointing to her eyes to let her know I was reading her. She huffed, irritated, and shifted her eyes away.
“I told you to stop reading me, Joey.”
“So? Is there?” I pressed.
“Maybe.” She glanced around the lobby to see if anyone could be eavesdropping. “We are investigating this, Joey. They are a pretty secluded group, we don’t know much about what goes with them, but we are trying to find out. I think there’s been mention of an old member named Gray, but listen . . .” She lowered her voice and looked around one more time to be sure it was safe to talk. “Stop asking questions. It will only draw attention to yourself, and the Top League’s attention is not a good thing to have. I’ll let you know when we have something concrete to share, okay? Leave the detective work to us Pros, all right? We’ve got it covered. Now, focus your energies on learning. And stay out of trouble!”
“Fine,” I harrumphed.
“And, for the last time, stop reading me! I told you it is rude and intrusive and very annoying when you do that,” she snapped. She patted her clothes and gave an indignant pout before swiftly changing topic. “Anyway, how is Vigil doing? Have you heard from him lately?” she asked, looking everywhere but my face.
“Last time I saw him was on my wedding day in Italy. He’s retired from work now.”
“Oh, yes, I know. He told me.”
“Did he, now?” I quirked a curious eyebrow and watched her fluster.
“Well, hmm, yes, he visited me a little while ago. To see how things were going after that whole magic glass ball problem. He was very excited about taking some time out and enjoying his new life. Said he liked the concept of retirement very much.”
“Hey, funny thing, huh? First thing he did to enjoy his new life was to come visit you.” I tried hard to stop the smirk from showing on my face.
“Well, yes, it was very thoughtful of him to check on how I was doing.” She kept brushing invisible specks of dust from her clothes and avoiding looking at me.
It seemed my intergalactic friend was developing a new crush after his brief stint inhabiting this little blue planet. I could picture oddball Celeste and clueless Vigil together: perhaps a strange pairing, but the most adorably weird couple ever!
“He told me he was going on a quick tour of the world now, exploring our planet and all,” I said, and watched her perk up at the news. “But I reckon he will be back soon from his travels. He seemed eager to come back as soon as possible to spend some time with a friend, to drink some tea and chat about cosmic philosophical stuff.” He hadn’t actually said those words, but he’d hinted as much and I knew those activities where his favorite pastime as was Celeste’s. “I wonder who that mysterious friend could be?” I asked, wiggling my eyebrows suggestively at her.
I didn’t think Vigil understood the concept of a date yet, but he had inadvertently set himself up for one without knowing. Maybe that was a good thing: ignorance could sometimes be bliss. In Vigil’s case, it certainly avoided a whole lot of awkwardness. He acted the most weird when he was trying to mimic human behavior without entirely understanding what it was he was supposed to be doing.
“Erm, well, he might have mentioned tea during his last visit, I can’t quite recall,” she lied blatantly. “I do love tea and good, stimulating conversation.”
“I’ll bet you do.”
She blushed ever so slightly and cleared her throat. “So, hmm, I’ll be waiting for you again, early tomorrow, Joey.” The change of subject was not so subtle this time. “Do try to arrive on time for breakfast, yes?”
“Actually, Celeste, I was thinking that maybe I could switch groups? That way, I’d be able to do other activities and learn more from your sisters. I mean, why stick with only one Harker when I have two other amazing sisters available?” I had exhausted my interrogatory options in Celeste’s group, but maybe I could discover more amongst Arice’s buddy bunch.
Celeste paused and mulled over the idea. “That is actually a very good suggestion, Joey.” She gave me a proud look that said, I’m so happy you are taking this seriously and applying yourself. “You can attend Luna’s meeting group tonight, then!”
Luna happened to be coming through the front doors of the main house at that precise moment. Celeste called out, “Luna, come over here!”
“Actually, I was thinking more about Arice—” I tried to correct her, but Celeste was distracted, calling over to Luna.
“Luna, listen! Joey will be joining your group this evening. She wants to learn more about the secret ways of the Mists and the Moon. Isn’t that great?”
“Cool beans,” Luna replied. “See you at eight, then, Gray. We meet here at the front doors. Bring a jacket; it gets cold here at night. Don’t be late!” she instructed, and waved a hand before carrying on her way through the lobby.
And that was how my doomed fate with the Glitter Coven was set for the night.
“So, did you find out stuff about your dad?” Tristan asked, as soon as I was back in our cabin later that afternoon.
Josh was sitting on the other couch a little further away from Tristan, and stopped air banging on his imaginary drum set to hear the latest news. All the boys knew about my secret quest to discover more about my father’s history.
“Yeah, I discovered a few things, actually.” I told them what I knew, and slumped down on the couch next to Tristan. “But Celeste ordered me to quit asking questions because she was already on it. She said I should stick to the program and focus on learning ‘witch stuff’, and let her worry about the League,” I muttered sulkily.
Tristan wrapped his hands around me and pulled me into his arms. “I’m sure you’ll find a way to continue your detective work without Celeste finding out.”
“What? You’re not going to scold me for wanting to disobey Celeste’s orders?” I asked in dismay.
He chuckled. “A year ago, I certainly would have. But now I know better. You always do what you’ve got to do, Joey, no matter what people tell you. I’ve learned that the hard way. Now I know the best thing to do is leave you to it, be prepared for if things go wrong and always be ready to help you out of trouble. Knowing your history with magic, trouble will certainly come. But that’s all right. I know I used to get mad at you for getting into trouble, but now I understand it’s the best thing.”
“It’s the best thing?” I asked, astonished. “Really?”
“Of course. You always mess up when there’s magic involved. But your first time messing up was the best thing that’s ever happened to me, remember? I am your first magical mess. How can I complain about it now? It was the best thing for me!”
“You sure make life much more interesting. Things are never boring around you!” Josh agreed. “I personally think having magic like you two have in your lives is kind of incred
ible, to be honest. I’m hoping some of it will eventually rub off on me. It’d be cool, messing up with magic like you do.”
“Seriously? I thought you guys hated it,” I said to Josh.
“We don’t hate it!” He laughed. “Harry and Sam get a bit scared, sometimes, but that’s because they watch too many horror movies. But we all think it’s cool. Seriously.”
“So you won’t mind if unfortunate magical accidents happen around here?”
“Are you kidding? We’ve been betting on how many days it will take for things to get ‘bumpy’ in this place! Harry’s bet on day one, so please try to be careful for the rest of today. Tomorrow you can be as reckless as you wish.” He crossed his fingers and gave me a hopeful look. “Don’t worry, Joe. If something happens, we’ll be here to help you. We’ve got your back. Right, Halloway?”
Tristan gave a firm nod. “You have all my support to disobey Celeste, buttercup.” He gave me a tight hug. “If you want me to help you with anything, I’m here for you. I can break some rules, if you want me to. I know how you feel: I don’t know anything about my father, either. If there’s anything I can do to discover more about yours, I’ll do it.”
“I can’t believe this. You, breaking rules and encouraging disobedience . . .” I mumbled in shock. “Can you please tell me who are you? And what did you do to my Tristan?”
Both boys laughed hard at me. “You happened, sweetheart,” Tristan said, leaning in to give me a kiss. “You’re a bad influence. The best bad influence there is.”
“Maaan, you are good with the romance crap,” Josh said teasingly. “I should take notes, here; it’s like a gold mine of epic lines for chicks.”
“It’s good ol’ romance, Fifties style!” I praised, with a huge grin.
“Come on, you love fools. Let’s go to my cabin. The guys are waiting for us to have lunch together.” Josh chuckled, standing up.
“Oh, I already ate in the camp cafeteria. You guys go ahead. I’ll take a quick nap here while you eat. I’m knackered! Celeste made me get up at the crack of dawn today; it was still dark when I left the cabin. You wake me up when it’s time to work on the album, all right?” I said, rubbing my eyes tiredly. “Oh, but I won’t be able to work late this evening because I have a meeting with Luna and her group at eight.”