 
BOOK ONE OF THE WIZARD QUEEN AT SIXTEEN SERIES

DESECRATION

PART ONE

FORBIDDEN MAGIC

HADLEY HOLT
PUBLISHER'S NOTE

This is a work of fiction. All of the names, characters, places, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

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DESECRATION

Smashwords Edition

Copyright (c) 2014 by Hadley Holt

Published by: Angela Cavener & Associates LLC

Excerpt from CONSECRATION

Copyright (c) 2014 by Hadley Holt

Published by: Angela Cavener & Associates LLC

All rights reserved.

Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

eISBN: 978-0-9915173-0-5
DESECRATION has been released as  
a serial, which means it has been split into  
separate parts to be purchased individually.

This is the FIRST of three parts.

Please visit the author at:

www.hadleyholt.com
What readers are saying about...  
DESECRATION?

"Desecration is an addictive book! I could not put it down, and I was done before I knew it! It was exciting to join the main character Addie and her besties on their adventure, including magic, girl power, danger, and forbidden romance! I cannot wait to dive into their next wizardly adventure!" —Karen L., Publisher's Advance Reader

"An engaging tale that will lead you on an exciting path of discovery with a little bit of everything: romance, mystery, terror, humor, and a new twist on the world of wizards! You'll find yourself turning page after page to keep the story going. Wonderful 1st book of a series that I hope lasts a long time!" —Brandi C., Publisher Advance Reader
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Acknowledgements

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 3

CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 5

CHAPTER 6

CHAPTER 7

CHAPTER 8

CHAPTER 9

CHAPTER 10

CHAPTER 11

CHAPTER 12

CHAPTER 13

CHAPTER 14

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
This book is dedicated to my family,  
who believes in my dreams.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

I love you.
Acknowledgements

I don't know of any writer who does it all on their own, and I'm no exception. I have family, critique partners, friends, beta readers, and coworkers who have encouraged me, and have rooted for me. They've believed in me, even when I had those moments when I didn't believe in myself (and we all have those moments).

I thanked my family in my dedication, but I want to thank them again, now. I'm grateful to each family member, but I'd like to give a special thanks to Brandi, Nathan, Elizabeth, Kyle, Christina, Mary Lois (Mom), Amy, Rob, Ann, Sylvia, and Kat for continually encouraging me, offering to read, art direction, beta reading, and all-around being vested in my writing. I'll add a thank you to Parker just because he makes me smile and I make him laugh (he's a toddler).

I'd also like to thank my long time critique partner, the talented Diane Kelly (author of the Death and Taxes series and the new Paw Enforcement series), as well as my wonderful critique partners: Muffet Frische, Sherrel Lee, Angela Hicks, and Trinity Blake.

I had so many kind people offer to beta read for me, but I only had time to enlist a few for this project (I'll have more people to thank next time). I'd like to give a special thanks to the ultra-experienced professional beta-reading Karen L. Thanks also to the awesome Linda W., Linda M., Diann L., and Nicole M.

And to my amazing friends who are always in my corner Linda M., Linda W., Diann, Isabel, Sylvia, Tammy, Muffet, Kim, Marion M, and Sharon.

I'd also like to thank two authors who have generously guided me (intentionally or otherwise), Kathleen Baldwin and Liliana Hart.
CONTRIBUTORS

Editors:

Content Editing: Elizabeth Lloyd

ello2013@gmail.com

Copyediting and Proofreading: Lauren Sweet

writerservices@lauren-sweet.com

Cover Artist:

Cover Artist: Nathan Reinhardt

nathanr.carbonmade.com

Stock Art:

Dreamstime

Published by: Angela Cavener & Associates LLC
CHAPTER 1

I am a DESECRATION

"I don't really matter. I'm only a girl."

"You did not just say that!" My best friend worked her neck in classic Izzy-style. Her eyes, green at the moment, glinted with outrage. The shaking of her head caused unruly red curls to escape from underneath the hood of her cloak.

"Well, it's true," I argued back. "We've been through this so many times, Izzy. You know the guys are the ones that count. They're the magic wielders and we...just aren't. We're the mothers and the party planners."

"Ha! You're hopeless, Addie." Izzy shook her head. "You only see yourself as a future wizard breeder. I refuse to buy into that way of thinking."

"It's the way it is," I said with a sigh, because it was our reality and it just wasn't going to change.

Izzy huffed. She began pacing back and forth in the glorified broom closet that was our favorite school hideout, her feet clacking against the concrete floor. There wasn't a lot of room, but Izzy made the most of the space she had. I knew my friend was only starting to get riled up.

"Adriana Marquesa Victoriana Evangelista, it's your birthday, too!" She speared me with a glare. "Don't you watch norm television? Wizards are stuck in the dark ages, and you know it! At least norms make an attempt at equal rights for women, but wizards don't even try, and I am tired of it."

I had a moment of paranoia. What if our little hideout in the school basement had an eavesdropping spell? I looked around the tiny room—not that I'd be able to see a spell even if there was one.

With relief, I remembered my other best friend, Hugo, had promised there wasn't any magic in the room. Izzy and I were probably safe. Besides, no one ever came here. Even the norm janitors didn't use this room anymore. I sighed and plopped down on the industrial-sized overturned bucket, one of two that served as our seats. In between the buckets sat a wooden crate that made a good card table or a place to set our lunches. Izzy and I had spent many lunch breaks in this small, dingy room. It wasn't anything to look at and it smelled faintly of ammonia and mildew, but it meant privacy, which was a precious commodity to both of us. Living in a wizard keep was how I imagined it would be in a norm college dormitory—people everywhere, all the time.

I pressed the button to unlock my lunchbox. The intricately scrolled golden case, imbued with magic, opened like a flower blooming. A silver thimble-sized sphere morphed into a mug of steaming hot cider, and the bronze cylinder lengthened and folded out to reveal Chicken Cordon Bleu with steamed broccoli. Yum!

"Hello! Knock-knock! We're talking, Addie!" Izzy waved her hand in front of my face. "And you know I'm right." She gave me a half-smirk.

"Izzy, you have to be more careful about what you say!" I shot her a stern look. My lunch forgotten, I ran my hand over my own cloak, pulling it tighter around me as if it would somehow protect me from Izzy's sacrilegious and dangerous opinions. It wasn't as though I hadn't heard them all before, but lately she was so passionate about everything. It was starting to make me question things. And questioning wizard society wasn't a prudent pastime for me. I was the daughter of the High Chancellor. My father didn't appreciate or, more accurately, tolerate anarchy of any kind.

"Hello again, Addie. I keep losing you today. I was saying that Hugo has told us we're safe in here."

I could have argued that we couldn't know for sure unless he checked the little room every day, but I didn't bother.

"Anyway," Izzy continued, "as I was saying, I've really had it with wizard society. I mean, we're the most technologically advanced society in the world, but we're more antiquated when it comes to the genders than any third-world country. You have to see that, Addie." She stopped pacing to tug her cloak off, casually tossing it across the room.

"Izzy!" I gasped.

"What? I detest our cloaks. Besides, newswomen don't wear cloaks, and that's what I'm going to be."

"Yeah, sure you are." I'd heard this a dozen times, and the shock had long since worn off. I'd gone through the list of cons with her so many times it had become my mantra: being ostracized, censured, and ultimately retrained, which was a euphemism for having your personality magically stripped away in order to be reconstructed into the perfect robot wife.

"I am! You just watch me. I'll do the first big wizard exposé. The norms will be riveted by the shocking truth that we are living among them, and running their top companies, yet the female wizards are merely glorified baby-makers with no magical powers to speak of."

With a shake of her head, Izzy's red curls transformed into deep brown soft waves, her eyes flashed from her genetic green to ocean blue, and her skin darkened into a South Beach tan. She effortlessly wielded the one power open to wizard girls: glamours.

"This is Isadora Van Horn with News Five, coming to you from the secret stronghold of the North American Wizards' Guild hidden in the heart of the Catskills behind a magical veil. Adriana Evangelista of the house of Nostradamus—" Izzy stuck an imaginary microphone in my face— "is it true you are part of a secret wizard society where women are basically breeders with arranged marriages who take care of households, throw parties, and make babies, and that's all?"

I decided to play along. "Yep, I sure am." I pasted on a big, fake smile and batted my eyelashes.

"And do you see the pathetic irony of it all, Miss Evangelista? Your society spawned geniuses like Galileo, Archimedes, Copernicus, Nostradamus, Da Vinci, Sir Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, Merlin, and Prospero—not to mention the fact that most of today's famous "tech wizards" are actual wizards. Within a society continually positioned on the cusp of modern technology, why is it that these women are possessions, sequestered in their homes and schools behind an impenetrable magical veil, while wizard men go out into the norm world every single day?"

"The men protect us from the Sorcerers. They have the magic to keep us safe." Frustrated, my lips tightened. I always had to remind Izzy about the tradeoff for our safety.

"Isn't it true the female wizards are immune to magic?" newswoman Izzy persisted.

"No, that's not correct at all. We are immune to the offensive magic of wizards such as energy bolts. It is believed that we might possibly be immune to a sorcerer's minor dark enchantments, but it's an untested theory. In the end, we are vulnerable and wizard men have the magic to keep us safe. So we obey the rules and take care of them in return."

With another dramatic sigh, Izzy sat down on her bucket, her glamour melting back to her usual red hair and green eyes. "You're no fun. You don't have a rebellious bone in your body. What am I going to do with you, Addie?"

"Put up with me anyway." I fluttered my eyelashes and tilted my head, going for a little comic relief. Although we had our occasional disagreements, I wouldn't trade either of my best friends for anything in the world. They were like the sister and brother I wish I had.

"Well, I guess I'm stuck with you, and since I am, let's talk about this birthday extravaganza tonight. How do you think it will play out?"

"Father and Mother will probably give me a new designer dress and a gift certificate for a chaperoned shopping spree. And, of course, you'll go with me to New York City and help me spend lots of money."

"Of course I will," Izzy said with a big grin that evaporated a moment later. "But tonight will really be your twin brother's show."

"Please! It's always The Zarius Show," I blurted.

"At least you're admitting it. I'm sorry, Addie, but he's the worst of the spoiled brat wizard boys we know. He thinks he's all that because he knows he'll replace your dad as the High Chancellor of the Wizard Council."

"Yep, and he'll be the center of our birthday celebration for sure. After all, he turns sixteen—"

"So do you, Addie."

"—so he'll be formally recognized as a wizard. If all goes as planned, his familiar will bond with him."

"And yada, yada, yada...Zarius, Zarius, Zarius. At least it's a party and we don't have to wear our cloaks. Yay!" Izzy waved her hands in the air and then turned her brilliant smile on me. "What are you going to wear, and are you going to glamour your eyes and hair to match?"

With my pale skin, light brown hair, and hazel eyes, my natural coloring bordered on boring. "I'm sure I'll glamour. After all, I don't have much going for me without it."

"Addie, give me a break. You're gorgeous! Glamours or no glamours, you're beautiful."

"So says my biased best friend."

"That's not true. I'd give anything to have those big exotic eyes of yours."

"Anyway, I don't know what I'll be doing until I see what kind of dress my father and mother are giving me. I'll decide on my glamours then."

The sound of footsteps outside sent my heart racing. If Izzy got caught without her cloak on school property, we'd both get detention for a week. And worse, my father would murder me.

"Your cloak!" I whispered. I stretched out my hand as if I could somehow grab Izzy's cloak from several feet away.

In answer to my thoughts, Izzy's discarded forest-green cloak flew across the room, coming into my open hand.

I blinked at my hand and the cloak I clutched in my fist. My knuckles went white and my outstretched arm began to tremble. A thunderous drumming echoed in my ears and my limbs, and I realized it was the pounding of my heart.

Finally, I met Izzy's shocked stare. We gaped at each other for a moment. Then our gazes whipped back and forth between the corner where her cloak had been and my hand, where it currently was. And then to the door, which fortunately remained closed.

I realized I'd stopped breathing. Gasping for air, I dropped Izzy's cloak like it was on fire.

"Addie," Izzy gasped, "you just did magic." She pointed a finger at me. "You just did MAGIC!"

"No. Shhh! Don't even say that." I shook my head spastically, then clutched it between my hands. "No! No! No!"

"Yes, yes, yes! You did," she sang back.

"It didn't happen. It couldn't have." I kept shaking my head so vehemently that I started to get woozy. "I'm a girl. It's impossible!"

"It is impossible. But you did it anyway."

I couldn't seem to stop shaking my head.

"Ha! Your brat of a brother would look like such a total idiot right now. Bet he couldn't do what you just did; his magic hasn't come that far yet."

"No," I said, still in major denial. I could hear my father's voice ranting: a woman wielding magic is a desecration!

"There's some prophecy about this..." Izzy tapped her palm against her forehead several times. "Hugo mentioned it a while back. Shoot! I can't remember."

"I can't be part of some prophecy—my father will kill me."

"Yeah, he isn't exactly the understanding type," Izzy agreed, drawing her brows together. "That's why we can't tell anyone about this. You'd be a virtual prisoner of the council, and you could even be retrained."

I was sure my brain would explode at any second. In a single moment, I'd become the antithesis to every precept of wizard culture, a desecration of our beliefs. I couldn't even begin to fathom what was happening to me.

"I mean it, Addie. We can't tell anyone about this—well, except for Hugo. Seriously, they'll poke and prod at you and find some way to control you. I'm sure of it."

I didn't keep secrets from my parents. I always did what they expected of me. "Maybe my father wou—"

"Wouldn't cart you off to be retrained?" Izzy cut me short. "I'm sorry, Addie, but don't kid yourself. Your father is the head of the council, and he's the most uncompromising of all when it comes to enforcing the wizard laws. The illustrious Manfred Evangelista will do whatever needs to be done to protect wizard-kin, even if it means treating you like a lab rat. A pampered lab rat, maybe, but caged up all the same."

I closed my eyes, shutting everything out. "Maybe it was some random wild magic that just happened by, like Fae magic," I suggested unconvincingly.

Izzy raised a single eyebrow, achieving a look of utter incredulity. "Really?"

"Okay. Not wild magic. I think you're right. We need to keep this quiet until we know what to do about it."

"Just Hugs," Izzy reminded me, using the nickname we'd given our friend.

"Yes, Hugo, but no one else."

Izzy's expression transformed from sober to exuberant. "This is amazing. You have magic." She shook her head and kept smiling.

The bell rang, signaling five minutes until the end of the lunch period. I pressed the "close" button on my lunchbox, my meal morphed back into miniature size, and the box folded in on itself. I hadn't eaten a single bite.

We both stood, Izzy wearing a look of pure exhilaration, while I'm pretty sure I looked the polar opposite.

"And, Addie, try not to make anything fly across the room anymore. No more wish magic." She smirked at me. "Pretty sure if that happened during class, it would be a dead giveaway."

"I'll try." Great. I hadn't even thought about it happening again. But what if I couldn't control it? I didn't want to be retrained or trapped in a laboratory, never to come out.

Happy sixteenth birthday to me!
CHAPTER 2

Things Need to Change

I sat in my Familiars' Nutrition class, waiting for the last bell. At each desk, a 3D holographic lesson illustrated the various ways to address the dietary choices of wizards' familiars.

I was momentarily afraid I would fail my finals, because I hadn't paid any attention in this class or my household budget class. And forget about Early Wizard Development; I couldn't remember a word the teacher had said about handling toddler boys and their burgeoning magic.

"Who can tell me whether a weasel is a carnivore, an omnivore, or an herbivore?" Madame Rossini asked.

As usual, Lucia Amador raised her hand, wearing a serene smile while she waited for her name to be called.

Madame Rossini sighed as she glanced around the room. "Would anyone else like to answer?"

But no one else lifted their hand. Why did they need to? Lucia always answered.

Poor Lucia. She sat behind me, and I turned around to look at her. Today, in particular, it felt somehow important. I searched hard for the old Lucia in her eyes, for the girl who used to be the class clown with the biting humor, who used to glamour hot pink and neon green streaks into her hair, and who never ever backed down from confronting a bully. I couldn't find even the tiniest remnant of the Lucia I'd known.

Earlier this year, Lucia had finally done the unthinkable: she'd fallen for a norm servant and hadn't even tried to hide it. Her parents caught the two of them making out and shortly after that, Lucia disappeared from school for a week. When she returned, she wasn't Lucia anymore. She was a model wizard girl, courtesy of the council's retraining program.

Thinking of the old Lucia always made me think about my own dark secret. I had a crush on a norm, a human boy I'd known for most of my life. I knew I could never act on my feelings; no one could ever know how I felt about Rory Devlin. But I couldn't get him out of my thoughts; when I least expected it, his face would pop into my mind. I'd envision the wide dazzling smile that reached all the way to his amethyst eyes, making me long for something I couldn't even put a name to.

"Okay, Lucia?" Madame Rossini relented.

Her voice brought my attention back to Lucia.

"The weasel is a true carnivore," Lucia said robotically. "It's not an omnivore and there is some argument as to whether omnivore is even a valid classification."

Instead of engaging Lucia in a discussion on that point, Madame Rossini simply said, "Thank you, Lucia." And with that she gave up on further class participation and went back to her lecture while the holograms continued to project on each desk.

My mind returned to endlessly bombarding me with images of Izzy's cloak flying into my hand, a knot of dread churning in my stomach.

Finally, the last bell of the day chimed, making me jump in my desk chair. Izzy and I met back at our lockers. We were carried out of the school in the sea of other cloak-covered girls, bursting out of the girls' wing at the same time the boys spilled out of the Wizards' wing.

We made a beeline for our ancient and sprawling live oak tree on the west side of the school campus. In a couple of minutes, Hugo approached with his usual good-natured smile, complemented by his white teeth, olive skin, and glossy black hair. He wore a blue polo shirt and black pants. That was the boys' uniform—a white shirt with navy pants or a blue shirt with black pants. The girls always wore cloaks, which supposedly helped insure the boys wouldn't be tempted to stray from their arranged marriage plans.

As Hugo neared, he looked quizzically down at Izzy, and then me, and back again. I glanced at Izzy, and sure enough, her eyes glittered with excitement and she couldn't contain the mischievous grin splitting her lips. She was obviously dying to spill everything to Hugo. I, on the other hand, would very much have liked to pretend the cloak incident had never happened.

My life had been thrown into a maelstrom, and I allowed that to sink in for the first time since lunch. Sweat beaded on my upper lip and a chill crept up my neck, prickling across my scalp. What would happen to me? Would the magic shrivel up and die if I ignored it?

Lucia's vacant eyes haunted me. Was that my future? I leaned against the oak tree, swallowing down the panic clawing its way up my chest to my throat.

I admitted to myself that the life I knew, the future I thought would be mine, could be utterly annihilated by the magic awakening inside me.

"What? What happened?" Hugo shot Izzy a huge grin. "Tell me everything and don't leave out a single detail."

Hugo and Izzy hadn't noticed my temporary meltdown. I'd managed to contain it. "Not now," I cautioned in a whisper, gulping down the rest of my panic. I glanced around the school grounds swarming with students. "Not here."

"Oooohhh! It's a big, friggin' secret." Hugo rubbed his hands together. "Can't wait."

"You'll never believe it, Hugo!" Izzy actually did a little happy dance.

"Let's get out of here, then." He nodded his head toward the forest. "I'm dying to hear what's going on."

Watching Hugo's face, I saw his smile slip away, replaced by a carefully neutral expression. The muscles in his jaw clenched.

"Oh, look, if it isn't Hugo and his girls."

I knew that spiteful voice coming from behind me. I lived with its owner and unfortunately shared his DNA. I turned around to see my twin brother Zarius, flanked by his two minions. As today was my brother's sixteenth birthday, he wore his formal black wizard robes, accentuating his pale complexion. His shoulder-length light brown hair was identical to mine, and I stared into eyes the same shade of hazel as my own. He stood only a couple of inches taller than my five-foot-six height.

Bartholomew, to his right, was almost six feet tall, with short hair the color of a roach. He was unremarkable, with a slightly flat nose and a prominent jaw. Roderick, with his golden blond hair, was a few inches taller than Zarius. Girls found his perfectly symmetrical features attractive, but I couldn't get past the calculating glint in his cold gray eyes.

Roderick and Bartholomew weren't as much wingmen to my brother as they were his own personal chorus: they simply chimed in and agreed with whatever came out of his mouth.

"Really, Hugo, I think you're in the wrong classes," my brother taunted. "I'm pretty sure you should be attending Cotillion Planning and Fashion Basics 101." He chuckled at his own cruel humor, glancing at his friends to confirm their parroted amusement before returning his gaze to Hugo. "I'm confident your real talents are being wasted."

"It's just like you're one of the girls, Hugo," Roderick chimed in, right on cue.

"Yeah, a pretty little girl," quipped Bartholomew, demonstrating his biting wit.

I stared at my brother. I wanted so badly to fight back, but he would make my home life a living hell if I drew attention to myself.

"Let's get out of here, please," I whispered to my friends. I probably could have shouted it and Zarius wouldn't have acknowledged my presence. I was beneath his notice.

"We all know the truth, Hugo," Zarius spat.

"I know the truth, too." Izzy stepped forward, wearing a brave but brittle smile. "Hugo here is betrothed to Briana Primrose." She smiled sweetly at Hugo. We secretly knew that marriage was the last thing he wanted, but Briana was the prettiest girl in the North American Wizards' Guild and everyone knew it.

"Hugo has an arranged marriage," Izzy paused for effect, "just like you do, most esteemed Wizard Zarius Evangelista. Now, let me think, who was that to?" She tapped a single finger against her temple. "Ah, yes, you are betrothed to Winifred Melbourne."

Our marriages were arranged in the first few years of our lives. Everyone but me received regular updates and pictures of their future spouses on a secure wizard website. Poor Winifred lived in Australia, falling under the rule of the Oceania Wizards' Guild. Having seen her pictures, we'd hoped she'd grow into her nose at some point, but so far the only thing growing was her circumference.

Izzy had struck a sharp blow to my brother, and it wasn't exactly nice to Winifred, either.

"You better watch that mouth of yours, Isadora Van Horn." Zarius glared at Izzy with dark malice. I'd been on the other end of that look, too, more times than I wanted to think about.

"That mouth of yours is going to get you in big trouble someday." Zarius turned and stomped away, his chorus falling in step behind him.

Each one of us knew what "someday" meant. It meant that Zarius would get even when he became the High Chancellor.

"Most esteemed Wizard," Izzy yelled at his retreating back, "I only stated the facts. A girl shouldn't be punished for telling the truth."

"Izzy, you shouldn't provoke him like that," I said quietly. "He will get even." I stepped closer to her and met her eyes. "Believe me."

"Ug! He just makes me so furious!" Izzy clenched her fists, shuddering with anger. "I don't understand how he can be your twin. The two of you are like night and day. He's viler than a troll's toe-jam!"

"Addie is right." Hugo put a big hand on Izzy's shoulder. "Izzy—don't go and have a tizzy. You need to be careful with Zarius. A few words won't hurt me." Hugo tried for a smile, but it failed to reach his eyes.

I looked up at his looming, melancholy face. The thing was, at six foot four, Hugo had several inches on Zarius and enough muscle to pound him into the ground if he wanted to. Honestly, he probably had enough magic to do it, too. But Hugo wasn't into intimidating anyone. He'd only fight back if forced to defend himself and he had no other options.

"But you can't help who you are, Hugo," Izzy said softly.

"Let's not talk about it, okay? The way I am doesn't matter in the end. It's pretty much an exilable offense, so I'd prefer for this topic to stay between us. I'll be a good little wizard. What other choice do I have?"

Hugo started walking away and we joined him.

"Things need to change, Hugo." Izzy's gaze shifted to me. "And I know just the person to make those changes."

"Who?" I asked, curious who she thought could make those kinds of sweeping changes to our society.

Izzy wiggled her eyebrows at me.

I frowned back at her, perplexed. She just kept staring at me, her smile getting bigger and bigger.

"What, me? You think I'll change things?" I sputtered, stopping in my tracks.

"Yeah, you just might." Izzy shot me a knowing smile.

What? Why was she thinking that? Did it have to do with the prophecy she'd mentioned earlier? If it did, Izzy had it all wrong. I wasn't anyone who could revolutionize the wizard way of life.

"Okay. That's enough." Hugo cut into the conversation, stopping and turning back to look at us. "You're both talking in code. So do we talk about whatever this is at the waterfall?"

"Yep," Izzy agreed. "To the waterfall. Then we'll tell you something so unbelievably monumental—I'm talking totally epic. As in history-making."

"You're kidding me, Izzy. Right?" Hugo asked.

Izzy just gave Hugo a wide smile.

Hugo turned to look at me. "She's kidding, right?"

"I only wish she was." I sighed in resignation.
CHAPTER 3

Please, Be a Fluke...

"Hugo, are you sure we aren't being followed?" Izzy asked in a hushed voice.

Hugo stretched his arms out sideways and his head fell back as he closed his eyes and chanted under his breath. A gorgeous halo of aqua-blue light surrounded him in a cloud of sparking electricity. It was breathtaking. Stunned, I sucked in air.

Hugo straightened up. "What is it, Addie? Are you okay?"

I swallowed hard. "Sorry, just choked...on a gnat." I couldn't tell him anything yet, and I had no idea what had just happened. Was it possible I'd just seen his magic working? Come to think of it, hadn't I seen a light green glow around my lunchbox earlier? The box was imbued with magic. Had I seen its magic, too?

Hugo glanced around. "Well, there's nobody anywhere near here. There's a couple of deer, and a black bear with her two cubs, but don't worry, they aren't too close."

Hugo had a rare talent for sensing sentient beings, whether they were a person or an animal.

In a few more steps along a barely visible winding forest trail, we came to what we called our waterfall. Hugo had warded the area to discourage any human, wizard, or sorcerer from entering the forest immediately surrounding the waterfall. And now, I could actually see the ward. It was a huge dome-shaped barrier of translucent shimmering energy. I squelched the urge to run my fingers along its exquisitely iridescent surface.

"Give me a few seconds to reinforce my ward," Hugo said, again stretching out his hands.

He'd explained the ward to us when he'd triggered it a few months ago. It wouldn't exactly keep intruders out if they wanted in, particularly if they were powerful wizards or sorcerers. Instead, the ward acted almost on a subconscious level, kind of like subliminal advertising in reverse, sending out the message you don't want to come this way. And so far, it had worked. Izzy and I recognized our friend was very talented. Although as girls we had very limited knowledge of magic, from what we'd heard peripherally, Hugo seemed fairly powerful for a wizard his age.

We wound our way down the path to the waterfall. Ours was not a huge waterfall, more a gentle flow of water down a meandering slant of stones and moss disappearing into a subterranean river.

Our waterfall always infused me with tranquility, and today at least that hadn't changed. I imagined tiny fairies flitting in the spray of the water and nearby in the flowers, or sunning in the dappled rays that dotted the soft moss. Now, out of the corner of my eye, I thought I caught glimpses of tiny firefly bursts of light. Was it possible I'd seen fairies or pixies? Of course I hadn't. The stress of the day was just getting to me.

"Earth to Addie," Izzy called out, waving me forward as she disappeared behind the waterfall. While I'd been daydreaming, Hugo and Izzy had walked all the way to the hidden path behind the waterfall. I quickened my pace to catch up with my friends.

I edged along the rock ledge to the small crevice behind the falls and sidestepped through the narrow opening. Outside the cave, our meandering waterfall was louder, but inside, behind the rock wall, it was muffled to a softer, even soothing sound.

By the time I caught up, Hugo had already lit the two wizard lanterns in our little cave. Over the years, we'd smuggled in all kinds of things, like the lanterns, a small stash of food, folding chairs, a folding table, a folding cooler, even a couple of folding cots. I guess we had a whole folding theme due to the small cave entrance. In fact, if Hugo grew much more, he wouldn't be able to squeeze in unless we did a little excavation on the entrance, or if we learned to fold him.

"Honestly, Addie! Knock, knock. Are you home in there? I just asked you to give Hugo a little demonstration."

I stared blankly at Izzy. Did she really want me to do magic again when I wished I'd never done it at all? Couldn't Izzy just let me be in denial? That was sure where I wanted to be. After all, I was the daughter of the High Chancellor. I was supposed to be the model daughter and ultimately the model wife and the model mother, not some kind of desecration to our whole way of life. "Demonstration?" I squeaked.

"Addie!" Izzy pulled her hood off and cocked her head. "You know, something like you did earlier..." She did a you-know tilt of her head.

"Ha!" My laughter echoed off the rock walls of the cave. "I can't do that again."

"How do you know if you don't even try? Just concentrate and believe."

"What the heck are you two talking about?" Hugo threw his hands in the air. "Enough already, spill!"

"You'll see in just a second," Izzy told him, and then turned my way. "Just do it."

"This is ridiculous. It was just a fluke," I said dismissively as I sat down in one of the folding chairs.

"Do it, Addie!" Izzy ordered.

Maybe I needed to give it a try to stop her from pestering me. When it didn't work, maybe she'd stop. I looked around the cave. What should I try? I'd left a bottled water on the folding table and I was thirsty. I concentrated, silently telling the bottle to come to me, but nothing happened. I stared at Izzy and shrugged.

"Try harder," she said stubbornly.

Okay, I'd have to give it more of a try to get her to give up. In my head I imagined the bottle floating over to me. I commanded it in my head. Nothing happened. I gave Izzy another shrug. "Nothing, Izz. I tried."

"You didn't try hard enough, Addie. Try to feel whatever emotions you were feeling earlier."

One more shot and I was so done. I thought of the panic I'd felt in the abandoned broom closet. I'd desperately wanted that cloak in my hand. I tried to feel the same emotions as I imagined the water in my hand. I even let that same urgency surge inside me, but still nothing happened. I tried once more, and this time I allowed the panic to build inside me, but channeled it into determination. In the next instant, the water flew at me, and it came so fast and hard that I ducked my head. The bottle flew past me and slammed against the cave wall, sending up a spectacular splash as the lid popped off from the impact. And this time, I saw my magic in a dazzling arc of deep, royal blue light.

"What the—?" Hugo yelled. "What the hell was that? Did you do that, Addie?"

"She did!" Izzy exclaimed with excitement. "She did it! She did it again!" Izzy jumped up and down.

I sighed and slumped further into the folding chair, resting an elbow on the chair arm and propping my head against my fist. This meant it hadn't been a fluke earlier.

"Addie, that's big magic. Do you realize the sheer physics behind that? I can't even perform telekinesis on that scale yet. I'm still working on moving dominoes around a table."

"How would I know?" I muttered. My ability to stay in denial was being ripped away from me.

"This is huge!" It was Hugo's turn to pace. "It is epic."

"I told you!" Izzy exclaimed. "It's history in the making." Izzy beamed at Hugo.

It's a desecration, I thought to myself.

"We can't tell anyone yet," Hugo said in hushed tones, as if anyone could hear us.

"We already figured that one out," Izzy agreed, rolling her eyes.

"What are we going to do?" Hugo asked Izzy.

"You're asking me? I don't know, but we have to keep Addie safe. You know what could happen to her."

"Council prisoner, a lab rat or she gets retrained," he replied.

The catchphrase from the Virgin Mobil commercial ran through my head: it's time to retrain your brain. I swallowed back a hysterical giggle.

"See, Addie?" Izzy met my eyes. "We've got to keep this quiet."

As if I needed telling. "Why do you think I would tell anyone when all I want is for it to go away?"

Izzy and Hugo both started pacing back and forth in opposite directions.

"Hugs." Izzy paused in her pacing, meeting him in the middle. "Didn't you tell me about some prophecy about a wizard woman with magic?"

"You don't think...Addie? I mean it could be—" Hugo glanced from Izzy to me. "But that would mean—"

"Just spill it already!" Izzy yelled.

Hugo turned serious eyes on me, and then Izzy. "Addie might be the Millennial Wizard Queen!"

"I thought so. But what does that really mean?" Izzy asked. "I can't remember what you told me."

"Let me look it up to make sure before I say anything else. But maybe Addie will change things." Hugo glanced my way and then looked back at Izzy. "She just needs more...confidence."

Izzy put her hands on her hips. "Tell me about it! She needs more fight, too."

They just kept talking as if I wasn't there; as if there were something to be done to change me. I couldn't blame them, really. I'd never been a person of action. That had always been Izzy. I was, other than my friendship with Izzy and Hugo, the model daughter and student. I wasn't cut out to be a wizard queen, whatever that was, or the agent of change they were making me out to be. I didn't like to cause trouble. I didn't want to be in trouble.

"I say for now we all lie low about this," Hugo suggested.

"Sounds like a plan to me." I finally added a few words to the conversation. "I need to get through this party tonight."

"Uh-oh," Hugo whispered.

I stood up, not liking the sound of that. "Uh-oh? Hugo, what do you mean by uh-oh?"

"Well, I was just thinking about what happens to wizards on their sixteenth birthday."

"Zarius will be formally declared a wizard," Izzy responded.

"And his familiar will come forth and bond with him," I finished.

"Exactly," Hugo said, going a little pale, like he'd swallowed a worm. "What if a familiar presents itself to Addie?"

I laughed and shook my head. "Hugo," I paused, then laughed some more. "That's ridiculous."

I glanced at Izzy to see if she was as amused as me, but her eyes were wide with dread. "Addie, you're a wizard, too, and it's also your sixteenth birthday."

"A familiar could come forward and choose you," Hugo concluded.

I shook my head like before, but stopped laughing altogether. "I think it's safe to say that would be really bad. As in really, really bad." Could today really get that much worse?

Hugo and Izzy only nodded. They chose that moment to finally stop talking.
CHAPTER 4

That Could Get You Killed

We walked out of the cave in silence, until we approached Hugo's dome-shaped ward. I remembered I'd wanted to talk to Hugo about it.

"Hugo, I can see your ward."

He paused, his eyebrows furrowed in an incredulous look. "You can see my ward?"

"Yes. It's beautiful. It has a shimmery, translucent pearl color."

"Are you saying you can actually see magic?" Izzy asked.

"I think so."

"Oh, man." Hugo wiped his palm across his forehead and then stared at me, dazed. "Earlier, when I was using my magic, could you see it?"

I nodded. "It was a glowing aqua color."

"My favorite color!" Izzy chimed, clapping her hands together before dropping them to her sides, pausing as her cheeks went bright red. "Sorry. The girly-girl got loose for a second."

I laughed. Even at a time like this, Izzy could make me laugh.

"My magic was aqua?" Hugo asked, standing a little straighter. Not waiting for a reply, he continued, "Wow. I thought it would look green..."

"Okay, explain green vs. aqua," Izzy prodded.

"Well, it's all pretty theoretical," Hugo said.

"What do you mean by theoretical?" I asked.

"It's been so long since anyone could see the color of magic. It used to be a more common magical talent. In fact, one of the most famous wizards who possessed that ability was Leonardo Da Vinci."

"Of course, Da Vinci could do it. He could do almost everything." Izzy smiled brightly. "He was my ancestor, after all."

"Hugo, don't get her started on being in the house of Da Vinci, please," I begged, using my best long-suffering voice. We started walking again, and I ducked to avoid a low-hanging branch.

"Darn, I forgot. Sorry, Addie." Hugo winked at me.

"Oh, you two just stop. Get on with it, Hugo," Izzy demanded, but with a grin.

Hugo laughed. "Okay, Da Vinci created the first color wheel of magic. But the most amazing thing is if a wizard can see magic, he—" Hugo stopped mid-sentence, glancing at me with a guilty half smile, "—or now, that would be she, can tell if the magic is sorcery. A sorcerer's magic is red, blood-red, or maroon, and the most powerful and darkest sorcerers have streaks of black in the red, or even solid black."

"So you can tell if someone is a sorcerer when they use their magic," Izzy restated in a hushed tone. "That's amazing."

"And—" Hugo grimaced my way— "dangerous, too."

"Why dangerous?" I asked. "I mean, if you could actually know if someone were a sorcerer, you could warn people. Maybe you could even see when someone is changing into a sorcerer."

"Exactly!" Hugo exclaimed. "Supposedly, when they're changing, their magic could have streaks of a muddy-rust color, like the mix of red and green, or streaks of dark red or maroon. Do you think a sorcerer would want you to reveal them or detect when they're transforming? Not on your life. In fact, they'd probably do just about anything to prevent it."

I stumbled and righted myself. I didn't know how much more "good" news I could take today.

"She'd be a big threat." Izzy quietly breathed the words. "They'd want her out of the way."

"Yeah, that's why there aren't many wizards who can see magic." Hugo paused, his eyes downcast. "Not many who have survived, anyway. They were usually killed before they could pass their gift on to their children."

I fell against the trunk of a pine tree. "Oh Shih-Tzu! This just keeps getting better and better."

"It's bad! She cussed," Izzy silently mouthed at Hugo.

"I'm sorry, Addie." Hugo stepped closer to me, his features softening with sympathy. "I know this must all be very hard to hear, and we don't mean to scare you, but we want you to stay safe."

I sighed. It was overwhelming. Having magic made me a desecration and could get me locked up, and now being able to see magic could get me killed. And on top of that, there was the whole enigmatic wizard queen thing. By Archimedes' screw, I didn't want any of this. Why was it happening to me?

However, being in the dark about things wasn't going to help me survive this. "Hugo." I stared up at him, and the pity on his face almost undid me. "I need to hear the rest. What about the color spectrum of wizard magic? Why did you think your magic would be green?"

Izzy nodded her encouragement, patting my shoulder.

"Okay." Hugo sighed. "The weakest wizard magic is a pale green, usually for a young wizard just coming into his magic. As a wizard grows, the green gets deeper, more vivid. And depending on the wizard's innate talent, it can even get into the aqua and then blue spectrum, with the most powerful being a deep royal blue."

"So you're pretty powerful for a young wizard?" Izzy asked.

"Apparently so, but I didn't realize it."

"So what about witches, human mages, and shamans?" I asked.

"White witches can be white or silver. And both human mages and shamans are gold or amber or even topaz."

"What about the Fae...fairies or pixies?" I asked.

"Let me think." He grimaced as he tried to remember. "I believe pixies and fairies break the rules and have rainbow opalescent colors to their magic."

"What about dark witches or mages?" Izzy asked.

Hugo tapped a finger to his chin. "They fall more in the black spectrum." Hugo tilted his head, apparently considering things. Then his eyes met mine. "Could you see the color of your own magic, Addie?"

I blushed and stared down at the pine needles covering the ground before returning Hugo's gaze. "Yes."

"What color?" Izzy asked with a gasp.

"I guess you'd call it...royal blue," I replied with a sigh.

"The most powerful," Hugo whispered.

I only shrugged.

"That settles it," Izzy proclaimed. "Hugo, you are officially Addie's tutor for Wizarding 101. She needs to learn as much as possible, as quickly as possible."

Part of me wanted to disagree, to deny everything and pretend none of this was happening, but my survival instincts kicked in. "I guess I do need you to teach me if I want to stay alive."

"Okay," Hugo agreed. "I'll do it. What was it my grandmother used to say? In for a penny, in for a pound."

"By the moons of Galileo, what does that mean?" Izzy blurted.

"I don't know," Hugo said with a shrug. "But it seemed fitting."

Izzy gave Hugo a particularly dramatic eye roll and then noticed the watch on her wrist. "It's late! We need to hurry and get to the transport pads."

Hugo looked up at the sky. "You're right."

And with that, we rushed back toward the school campus and the transport pads.

By the time we returned to the school, the lines for the pads had died down.

I used the transport pads almost every day of my life, but I never stopped respecting what could go wrong. I'd heard too many horror stories as a child.

Transport pads were positioned all over the wizard stronghold, and connected to other strongholds. The pads also connected wizards to various countries around the globe. I guessed it was something like "beam me up, Scottie," on Star Trek. A person was split into particles and transmitted to their destination pad, where they were reassembled. The pads, like so much of wizardry, involved an intricately interwoven balance of physical science and magic.

The pads at the school had a near-perfect safety record; there hadn't been any accidents for over twenty years. Being a pad operator was an important position for young wizards as they worked their way up the ladder of wizard responsibilities. Hugo's brother, Horatio, was a pad operator at the school. He attended the university in the early morning, then interned at Allied Alchemy International until he reported to the pads in the afternoon.

We always waited in Horatio's line. Unlike so many of the other entitled young wizards, he was nice to all three of us. And Horatio loved his brother. It was easy to see in the way he looked at Hugo—there was love there, and fierce protectiveness, too. No one, not even my brother, messed with Hugo when Horatio was around. Sometimes, I was almost jealous of Hugo for having a loving brother. I didn't know what that felt like. But Hugo had other things to deal with. Really tough things. I could never begrudge him that kind of happiness, even if I was the tiniest bit envious.

My brother pretty much hated me. My mother was all about taking care of my father and brother. And as far as my father goes, well, he doted on me, but it wasn't like what Hugo and Horatio shared. It didn't feel like it was the same kind of love at all.

"Hey, three musketeers, aren't you all cutting it a little close today, what with the party tonight?" Horatio asked as we made it to the front of his line.

"Lost track of time," Hugo answered.

"You better not be late to the party, little brother," Horatio warned as he ruffled Hugo's hair. He was only able to manage that because he was one of the few people taller than Hugo, which pretty much made him a giant.

"No worries. I'll be on time," Hugo assured Horatio.

"Okay, little Nostradamus, let's start with you." Horatio smiled kindly. "You probably have the most to do to get ready, since it's your birthday, too."

I couldn't help but smile. "Thanks, Horatio." Aside from Hugo, no other wizard male had acknowledged today as my birthday, even though everyone knew I was Zarius' twin.

"Be careful, Addie," Izzy warned as she gave me a quick hug.

I nodded in reply.

Horatio tilted his head, his eyes curious, but he didn't ask why I would need to be careful.

"Call me if you need to talk," Hugo added in a hushed tone. "We'll see you tonight. We'll be there for you, Addie."

"Whatever's going on, I'm not asking," Horatio said. "Better if I don't know. So happy birthday, little Nostradamus."

And with that, Horatio chanted under his breath and pulled the lever.

Everything faded away until my mind and sight reassembled to the familiar view of my parents' home, the Nostradamus keep. The first thing I heard was Zarius taunting my secret and forbidden crush, Rory Devlin.
CHAPTER 5

Crushing on a Sorcerer?

"I grow tired of seeing Lady Acacia's human pet," Zarius sneered. "Must you accompany her on every visit to my father?"

Zarius said the word human as if it were a vile insult. Norms were important to the everyday running of wizard society. They performed the jobs that wizards didn't want to be bothered with. Ours was a symbiotic relationship. Besides, I didn't think of Rory as a norm. He was just Rory. That was the problem. I had to regularly remind myself that he was a human and therefore out of bounds to me.

"It is as my lady desires, sir wizard," Rory calmly replied as I rounded the corner, walking toward them. "Would you have me disobey the Lady Acacia?"

"Of course not." Zarius rolled his eyes and as he did, Rory gave me a secret wink, flashing a quick half-grin before turning his attention back to my brother.

In the aftermath of that grin and the mesmerizing depth of his amethyst eyes, my stomach did that familiar flip-flop and my heart beat a little faster.

Rory Devlin stood at least six feet tall, and the sun glinted off the golden highlights of his chestnut-brown hair. He was dressed like other norms, in a uniform of solid black, but the clothing did nothing to hide the muscular definition of his shoulders, chest, and thighs.

As usual, I had to remind myself that Rory was totally off limits. But at the moment, I wanted to do something, anything, to thwart my brother's harassment.

Rory appeared composed and collected, but I noticed the telltale clenching of his jaw.

"Why don't you make yourself scarce like the other norms?" Zarius suggested, but using a tone that implied a command.

"Lady Acacia asked me to wait here by the doors."

"Rory, it is so nice to see you," I said as I got closer, desperate to distract my brother from his rant. I wasn't usually this bold, but I reached out to shake his hand.

Rory turned his now tentative amethyst eyes my way, but didn't lift his hand. I had an instant to wonder at the mortification I'd feel if he didn't return my handshake, before his hand came up and took mine into his. His large tanned hand enveloped mine with warmth. The way it curved around mine made me wonder what it would feel like to be enfolded in his arms.

"You dare touch my sister?" Zarius closed the distance between himself and Rory.

I dropped Rory's hand, realizing my unbelievable mistake as my brother's accusation sank in.

"Norms do not touch wizards."

And boys didn't touch girls! How could I have been so stupid as to put Rory in that position? What had I been thinking? I hadn't thought.

Rory closed his eyes for a second, his expression betraying that he'd known what would happen when he touched me. "My apologies, sir wizard." He met Zarius' angry glare with a calm gaze. "I did not wish to embarrass your sister by not returning her kind welcome."

"Women do foolish things. It's a man's job to ensure that certain boundaries of propriety are not crossed, and you, human, will pay for crossing that line." Zarius raised a hand, chanted under his breath and hurled pale green magic at Rory.

"Zarius! No!" I moved to throw myself in front of Rory, as wizard girls are immune to offensive wizard magic. Before I could act, a translucent purple barrier of light enveloped Rory.

Pale green magic deflected off the barrier with a pop, and fizzled out like a cloud of green fireflies dying.

Zarius didn't see what I'd seen. I'd noticed the slight waving gesture of Rory's left hand. Rory Devlin had wielded purple magic, a shield. What did purple mean? Hugo hadn't mentioned it, but blue and red combined to make purple. Could it also be a sign of transformation into a sorcerer? But how could Rory be transforming into a sorcerer when he wasn't even a wizard to begin with?

"Next time I will do something about this, but I find myself distracted by preparation for my party tonight," Zarius said, obviously believing his magic had not worked. He turned his gaze on me. "Adriana, go inside the house."

Zarius left after spouting off his order. He didn't wait for me to obey. He simply assumed I would. And normally, I would have, but I didn't, not today. Maybe never again.

I stared at the dissipating purple shield, which evaporated in a haze of purple sparkles around Rory Devlin. Was I crushing on a sorcerer? When I shifted my eyes to meet Rory's, he was studying me warily.

"Is something wrong, Lady Adriana?" Rory probed.

"No, why do you ask?" I smiled, but didn't think it was terribly convincing.

"You were staring at something next to me, or maybe surrounding me," he suggested, eyes narrowed in speculation.

"Just startled by my brother's actions. But, Rory, since when did you start calling me Lady Adriana? You know you can call me Addie."

"I don't think it's appropriate anymore," Rory replied, his features going blank, almost aloof. "You're sixteen now, and we're not children anymore."

"Rory, please don't let my brother get to you."

"It's not just him. People will expect us to follow certain social rules, now."

"What if I don't want to?" Even I could hear the petulance in my voice.

"Who are you, and what have you done with Addie Evangelista?" Rory smiled at me, sending those familiar, pesky butterflies fluttering inside my stomach.

That's what his smile always did to me. He was the cutest boy I'd ever seen. If I was being totally honest with myself, the truth was I'd had a crush on him since, well...forever. Not that I could act on it like a normal human girl. Not if I didn't want to be retrained like poor Lucia Amador. Rory, as a human, was forbidden to me, but after what I'd just seen I had to acknowledge he was something other than human. Regardless of what he was, I'd been entered into an arranged marriage with someone I'd never met. Any way I looked at it, Rory was taboo.

I realized I hadn't answered his teasing question. "It's just plain old me, Rory. I haven't changed." Only after the words left my mouth did I realize what a huge lie that was; unintentionally so, but huge. I had changed. I couldn't even comprehend how much I'd changed today.

"I wouldn't say that," Rory countered. If I didn't know better, I might say he was flirting. "There isn't anything plain about you, Addie." He studied me as if he'd never really looked at me before.

Trying to ignore the woozy giddiness that his gaze caused, I argued, "I know I'm plain. You don't have to say otherwise."

"Addie, there's nothing plain about you," he repeated seriously. He looked at me a few more seconds. "I shouldn't have said all that." He shook his head, frustration showing in his face. "I don't know what came over me. But there's something different about you today; I don't know what it is. And you, the girl who never breaks the rules, tried to rescue me. But Addie—" he bent his head, his face coming so close I could feel his breath on my lips— "I don't need rescuing."

I pulled back a little, needing to catch my breath, and thought about the fact that Rory had wielded magic. I'd seen it, even though he shouldn't be able to use magic any more than I should. Then I remembered what a bad position I'd put him in. "I'm really sorry. The handshake was a horrible idea. I don't know what I was thinking. I was so embarrassed by my brother." I bit my lower lip. "Okay, I wasn't thinking."

"It was kind of nice, holding your hand. But if I didn't know better, I'd think that Izzy finally convinced you to come over to the dark side," Rory teased, shooting me another one of his devastating smiles.

For a few heartbeats, I forgot everything but his smile, and when my brain started working again, I thought about the irony of Rory mentioning the dark side, since his magic was purple. Although Hugo hadn't said anything about purple, it was the byproduct of mixing blue and red. Could it be that Rory just might be on his way to the dark side?

Not if I had anything to say about it.

Step one: I needed to find out exactly what Rory Devlin was—human, human-mage, or wizard—and step two, I needed to make sure he didn't become a sorcerer if that was where he was headed. I remembered I hadn't replied to Rory, but honestly, he had that effect on me, so he should be used to my delayed responses. "She hasn't convinced me to go to the dark side, yet, but the night is still young." What was that? Had I just flirted, too?

A wider smile split Rory's handsome face. "Glad I'll be coming tonight, then. I wouldn't want to miss that for the world." Rory shook his head as if waking up, his smile of a second before gone.

His drastic shift had me glancing around to see if Zarius had come back outside, but no one was there. The speedy shift from a dazzling smile to this serious expression was dizzying. "What's wrong, Rory?"

"Addie, speaking of the party—like I said, you're sixteen now and we're not kids playing around anymore. There are rules, and I've been out of line today and I'm sorry." He shook his head, his expression one of regret. "I really can't believe I'm saying this, but your brother is right. You shouldn't associate with me. You're a wizard. I'm not. And you're betrothed." He looked away, swallowing. "But it's hard, when I'm around you," he muttered so low under his breath that I almost didn't hear him.

Did he just say what I thought he said? Did Rory Devlin like me? As in really like me, like me? I'd always adored him... but didn't I need to grow up and face the facts, like he was saying? Instead, I fought back. "Betrothed? My betrothed is missing in action. He's not in my life, and probably won't ever be."

Rory brushed a single tanned hand through his golden-brown hair, seeming to force back his frustration. "So if it's not Falcon Voltaire, it will be some other wizard, Addie. You're the daughter of the High Chancellor. You'll marry a wizard, and an important one at that. Period. End of story." His frown transformed into another smile. "But you're making this hard, Addie Evangelista. Where did this fighter in you come from?" And he touched that same forefinger to my chest, pointing at my heart. "I like it," he said in a hoarse whisper. His touch made my heart pound harder and faster. And he could feel it, which made his smile grow bigger.

Feeling a little overwhelmed by everything, and I mean everything, I stepped back. Clearing my throat, I paused a moment, glancing down at his black Nikes before I looked up to meet his amethyst eyes. "I still want to talk about this, but I need to go in and get ready for tonight."

He squared his shoulders and nodded. "You're right, but we probably shouldn't talk anymore."

"What is it that norms say? Bull crap! We will talk. And I saw you do magic, Rory Devlin. We have a whole lot to talk about."

And I turned and left him, but not before I saw his mouth gape open.
CHAPTER 6

In Very Deep Shih-Tzu

For hundreds of years, the Nostradamus keep had housed our family and our ancestors before us. Construction of the stronghold had started not long after the time Columbus accidently landed on the shores of North America. Our ancestors believed this land would provide more freedom, taking them far away from the strictures of the Catholic Church and the persecutions of the Inquisitions.

Due to the magical veil that surrounded the stronghold, not even the Native Americans knew of our presence in the land, though there were tribal tales associated with our few ancient encounters.

The keep's initial structure was massive and much like the old castles or the great halls of Europe, but it had been added to countless times over the years. Many types of architecture, both known and unknown to humankind, formed the sprawling structure.

I knew my father would be expecting me, so I headed straight to his study. Luckily, it was not too far from the front entryway. As I was late, I was jogging, and almost ran straight into Lady Acacia as she was leaving my father's office. I came to a skidding stop, which earned me a frown from my father.

"Adriana, we do not run in this house!" my father scolded. "You very nearly knocked down Lady Acacia."

Lady Acacia, who'd deftly sidestepped me, smiled good-humoredly. "No harm, Manfred." She glanced back at my father. "I can remember doing the same at our keep when I was young."

"She's too old for such impropriety," my father insisted.

"It's her birthday and she has a party to go to. Let's chalk it up to that," Lady Acacia said. She bestowed a winning smile on my father, and then turned her smile my way. She wore a crisp, professional gray pinstripe suit and her dark brown hair was pulled back into an elegant chignon. She studied me with eyes the color of...amethyst. I don't know why it hadn't occurred to me before, but her eyes were almost identical to Rory's. Purple eyes weren't as rare in wizard genetics as they were in human DNA, but for Lady Acacia's and Rory's eyes both to be the same shade of amethyst seemed to be more than a coincidence.

"Happy sixteenth birthday, Adriana," she said with genuine affection.

I returned her smile, thanked her, and curtsied. Our society continued to observe formalities that were antiquated by human standards.

With a nod, Lady Acacia left us, her heels clacking softly against the marble floors. I watched as she slipped her cloak on and covered her head before stepping outside. Something about watching her cover herself made me think of Izzy's outrage.

Lady Acacia was the only wizard woman who worked at Allied Alchemy International, a globally diversified company with branches tied to all kinds of cutting-edge technology. Through hard work and a quick mind, she had earned promotions into a management position within the company. Although as a woman, she wouldn't ever reach a senior executive position, she had earned the respect of many high-level wizards, including council members and my father. She had the freedom, like all wizard men, to pass through the magical veil and go out into the human world and conduct business each day. She'd achieved enormous success, but here in the stronghold, she was expected to cover herself with a cloak like all other wizard women. I'd never thought twice about it before today, but now it saddened me.

And then, perhaps paradoxically, I turned to face my father. "I'm sorry for my behavior, Father."

"And?"

"And for being late," I finished with a downcast look.

"Adriana, it's not like you to behave in this manner. Don't make a habit of it."

"I won't, Father."

He pivoted and walked into his study, waving me inside. "Now come into my office. I have something for you."

As I stepped into his study, I saw a beautiful gown hanging from the cherry wood ladder that leaned against one of several vast bookshelves.

The fabric of the dress mesmerized me. It was a charcoal gray taffeta that shimmered with peacock jewel-tone highlights of blue, green, purple and smoky bronze, depending on how the sunlight hit the fabric. The full-length gown was simple and elegant, with a high empire waist from which the sparkling fabric moved in tailored sleek lines down to ankle length. It wasn't a little girl's dress. It was a lady's dress. And I realized my own ash-brown hair and smoky hazel eyes would complement the dress better than any glamour I could choose. The dress was beautiful.

"You look stunned, daughter. Do you dislike this dress?"

I gasped. "I love it! It's perfect." I remembered how, earlier, Izzy had been embarrassed about letting her girly-girl loose. Mine was totally running amuck, and that felt familiar and comfortable.

"Ah! That's a relief. I thought for a moment you hated it."

"It's amazing."

My father sat down on the small settee across from his desk and patted the cushion beside him. "Come sit with me and we will talk."

I sat next to my father and waited.

"Your mother would be here, but as you know she is very busy with the last-minute arrangements for tonight. I have another gift for you," he said as he handed me an envelope. "I thought you and Isadora might enjoy a good shopping trip in New York City."

I held the envelope to my chest. "Oh yes! We would love that. Thank you so much, Father." It had become an annual event, and was the only time I was allowed to leave the stronghold.

"You can coordinate with Tristan on the particulars. Of course, you'll need an adequate wizard escort. Although you are growing up, Adriana, I'll always keep my baby daughter's safety as a top priority."

I nodded as expected, staring up at my father's face. I watched him as he appeared to be formulating his next words.

After everything that had happened today, I found myself feeling hopeful that maybe someday I could tell my father the truth about myself. I took a moment to really look at him. My father, the High Chancellor of the North American Wizards' Guild, appeared as if he'd stepped from the cover of GQ Magazine. He had the same light brown hair and hazel eyes as Zarius and I; his hair was short, cut in a simple but current style. He'd already changed into his severe black tuxedo.

"As today is a milestone for you and your brother, your future has been on my mind. I have been long concerned about the state of your betrothal."

Oh no! This could not be good. Today of all days, I didn't know if I could handle one more change. My stomach sank as if I'd swallowed a smoothie full of iron pellets.

"Adriana, we have tried, but we cannot locate your betrothed, Falcon Voltaire. His parents disappeared under mysterious circumstances."

Apparently, even my father couldn't bring himself to say that the "circumstances" may have had something to do with sorcery.

"In our history, there has been little precedent for overturning a betrothal contract, but I'm working on it. I believe that ultimately I will get it ruled invalid."

Maybe this wasn't so bad. After all, Falcon was a virtual stranger. I'd supposedly met him once when I was four years old, but I didn't even remember it.

"I've been considering a young man whose betrothed was lost in that tragic accident last January."

I knew of only one boy who fit that situation—my brother's wingman, Bart.

"Bartholomew Magnuson is of the house of Archimedes—"

"Bart?" I shot to my feet before I could think better of it. "Bart Magnuson? Father, no!"

My father rose, towering over me. "What are you about, young lady? First you are late, and now you dare to talk back to me? To question my judgment?"

Usually, my father's glower would have me quaking, but I just couldn't take one more thing today. "Father, have you ever spent any time actually talking to Bart?"

"No, but your brother holds him in very high regard." In the very next instant, he seemed to realize he was justifying his position to me. His eyebrows drew together in a scowl, and his face reddened. That almost never happened. "Enough of this!" He didn't yell, but he might as well have, for the impact his biting tone had on me. "Nothing is final, but you will be happy with whomever I choose for you."

A tremor ran through my whole body. "Father." My voice shook, but I continued, blurting out the words as quickly as I could. "I regret having to say this, but Bart is spiteful, and he's as dense as a pile of bricks. You would surely find yourself with dim-witted grandchildren were I to marry him. Your line would be forever tainted with a diminished IQ." I knew my words were uncharitable at best and, more accurately, cruel, but they were also completely true. Most importantly, though, my words represented an open challenge to my father's authority.

My father stared at me in horror, as if I were morphing into a sorcerer right in front of him. He was a man used to controlling a council of some of the most powerful wizards in the world, and at this moment, he appeared too shocked to respond. Marching across his study, he returned to me with my dress and thrust it at me. "Be off, Adriana, and consider yourself lucky that I'm allowing you to attend the party tonight. Say not one more word that would make me change my mind."

My heart hammered in my chest, and my knees almost gave out at the realization that I'd openly defied my father. But as I snuck a peek at him before exiting through the study door, I saw that he was deep in thought. Maybe he would reconsider Bart. I wasn't sure, but I really and truly hoped so. The only thing I was absolutely sure of was that I was in very deep Shih-Tzu.
CHAPTER 7

A Party Fit for a King

By the time I walked into my bedroom, my heart had started to beat at a normal pace. I think I might have been more shocked at my behavior than my father was. What had I been thinking of, defying my father like that?

Turning on the television, I distracted myself watching Ellen. She helped me feel almost normal. Hugo, Izzy, and I loved to watch her show and fantasize that we could blend into the everyday human world, hold everyday norm jobs, and play every-day practical jokes. We imagined how it would be to have relationships with whomever we wanted to be with.

I wondered why the Board Authority hadn't thought to ban Ellen from our televisions. A lot of movies, television shows, and ebooks were banned by the wizards' Communications Board Authority. At the top of the list of forbidden books and movies was the Harry Potter series, because it depicted female wizards with actual magical abilities. They didn't blink an eye over the cable series Sex in The City because they knew girls in our society wouldn't even consider that type of sexual promiscuity due to the threat of retraining. The Board seemed to focus on the clothing and shopping aspects, and disregarded the fact that the women in the series held important jobs such as a journalist, a lawyer, and a marketing executive.

So, we could watch Sex in The City, but wizard society might collapse if wizard girls imagined themselves to be like Hermione Granger. After all, if a "Muggle" girl could manage to obtain magical powers, then wizard girls might start believing they could wield magic, too. And then where would our society end up? In complete and total chaos, or so they led us to believe. I was only just beginning to question it myself.

The reality was we watched about anything we wanted to watch because of certain enterprising and determined young wizards who set most of us up with underground stations of banned programing.

I happened to glance at the clock on my nightstand. Uh-oh! The party was going to start in twenty minutes. I'd been distracted again, lost in my own thoughts, which wasn't particularly unique for me, but it was happening more than usual today.

Because, as of today, I represented everything the wizard council sought to prevent. I, Addie Evangelista, the daughter of the High Chancellor, was the nightmare that lurked in the mind of each and every esteemed council member.

And I needed to focus on getting ready for a party—and fast.

I took a quick shower. Sitting at my dressing table, I glamoured on thicker eyelashes, a little eye liner, a slight tan, plum lips, and a light smattering of sparkles on my eyelids to match the shimmers in my dress. I left my hair down, sweeping back small side-sections into a small pewter and rhinestone hair clip.

Lastly, I slipped my dress over my head. It slid on, settling on me perfectly. My father might have given it to me, but my mother had undoubtedly picked it out. Going to my closet, front and center, I found matching high-heeled strappy sandals. When it came to running a household, planning an event, or accessorizing an outfit, my mother never forgot the slightest detail.

To avoid running into arriving guests, I took the back way to the ballroom. The structure of the keep stretched a mile long, with lengthy, winding corridors. There were doorways that opened to shortcuts using dimensional folds, but I preferred to walk, even in high heels. It took me a good five minutes to get to the ballroom.

As always, my mother, with Tristan's help, had the ballroom looking resplendent. It would befit any head of state, but it was mostly for Zarius, and also for appearances. My father's position of High Chancellor was pretty much like being the wizard president of North America, including both the United States and Canada.

The thirty-foot-high ceiling glimmered with rainbow shimmers from the flickering lights of the five massive chandeliers dripping with thousands of individual crystal prisms. In addition to the chandeliers, hundreds of free-floating golden and silver wizard lights sparkled like hovering stars, twinkling across the full length of the ballroom. Every few seconds a screech would ring out as an owl, or hawk, or kestrel would soar through the air, adroitly weaving in and out of the wizard lights.

Silver and gold linen-covered side tables were filled with every kind of extravagant food and drink imaginable. An enormous sixteen-tier birthday cake stood as the centerpiece, lit with enchanted candles. The wax would not melt or the wicks lose their flame, until the right moment.

For familiars, stands and perches of varying heights held bowls of water, cream, raw meats, vegetables, and grains.

"Oh! Adriana, there you are, darling," my mother called as I walked toward her. Her eyes only landed on me for a moment, and she nodded her approval. "Lovely, dear," she said distractedly. I could see her mentally checking off an item on her special event checklist. Adriana dressed and here—check.

My mother was, as always, radiant. Her theme tonight was gold. Her white-blond hair was glamoured to a shiny gold, and upswept into an artful arrangement of curls and sparkling golden pins. Her dress was a cascade of bright and burnished golden tiers, and she'd chosen to transform her sky-blue irises to a soft topaz. Even her skin sparkled with the faintest touch of luminous gold dust. The chandelier and wizard lights showed her off to perfection.

This was the type of event my mother lived for.

And obviously, she hadn't talked to my father, or I'd be in trouble with her, too. Her checklist would have been more along the lines of: give Adriana a censuring look to uphold Manfred's displeasure—check.

My mother glanced around, her eyes holding the barest hint of anxiety. "Adriana, dear, have you seen your brother?"

Yes, too many times today. "Not lately." Thank goodness.

"Hmmm, I wonder where he could be."

My mother's majordomo, Tristan, walked up to her. "May I be of assistance, Lady Clarissa?" he asked with a respectful nod.

"Tristan, have you seen Zarius yet?"

"No, my lady, I have not," he responded in his usual professional manner.

Tristan was one of the few wizards on staff. He was from a minor wizarding family and probably hoped to make and use connections with a core family. That's what I'd heard my father say, anyway. The keep's staff was primarily composed of norms, except for Tristan and our head chef, Christophe, whose culinary skills really were magical, and then some.

"Tristan, please be a dear and fetch Zarius for me," my mother requested, but continued to search for Zarius amidst the household staff, the hordes of family members and their familiars assisting with the festivities, and the musicians milling about the ballroom.

As my mother was looking for Zarius, she didn't see the fleeting grimace on Tristan's face, but I did. Apparently he dreaded encountering him, too.

"If I may suggest, Lady Clarissa, I may be of more immediate assistance to you if I were to send a locator-message probe to master Zarius, while I continue to help you with last-minute details."

"Yes," my mother agreed. "That's a good idea, Tristan."

Wearing a black tuxedo identical to my father's, Zarius finally made his appearance as the orchestra started playing, right before my mother and father positioned themselves before the ballroom doors. We commenced greeting guests. My father was closest to the doorway, then Zarius, my mother, and lastly, me. I didn't particularly care about the lineup. I was just glad the arrangement helped me avoid eye contact with my father, and my brother.

After a hundred or so guests and familiars passed by, Lady Acacia entered the ballroom with Rory by her side. As Lady Acacia's guest, he was one of the few norms in attendance tonight. He wore a pewter-colored tuxedo, an almost perfect complement to my gown. When he first saw me, his mouth dropped open with undeniable appreciation. I had to admit, it was a pretty gratifying expression. Then, he quickly remedied that lapse, and gave me a polite smile.

"Lady Adriana, you are lovely tonight," Rory said quietly.

"You are, too." I felt the heat of my blush, as once again words escaped my mouth before my brain registered what I was saying. But he was gorgeous in his tux.

Within the next few seconds, Lady Acacia and Rory were swept forward by the tide of guests continuing to move through the massive ballroom entrance.

We greeted arriving guests for over an hour more before we were allowed to break away.

"Adriana, remember to circulate," my mother directed.

Forget circulating—I needed to find Hugo and Izzy. I searched through the crowds of formally dressed guests in their glittering full-length gowns and sober tuxes. Through the myriad of familiars—the bears, coyotes, foxes, monkeys, wolves, dogs, panthers, and cats of all sizes as well as the owls, falcons, eagles, and other feathered familiars, I looked for my best friends. Finally, I found them.

Rushing toward my friends, my mind whirled with all I had to tell them since I'd seen them a couple of hours before. I couldn't bring myself to tell them about Rory's magic, though. I was pretty sure they'd assume the worst if they thought about what purple magic might mean, but I just couldn't see Rory as evil. There had to be some other explanation...unless the truth was that I wouldn't let myself see him that way. If that was the case, was I putting others in danger? Was I risking anyone's life by believing in him? I needed answers, and to get them I needed access to wizard libraries and computers.

One thing I would tell Izzy and Hugo about was the argument with my father. Someone should get a kick out of that story, and Izzy and Hugo were the two people in the world who definitely would.
CHAPTER 8

In For a Penny, In For a Pound

I threw my arms around Izzy in a big hug, and gave Hugo a quick hug, too, although technically I wasn't supposed to touch a wizard boy who wasn't my betrothed. Hopefully no one saw us in the crush of people. I was taking all kinds of risks today.

"Whoa. Down girl." Hugo stepped back, his face set in a nervous grimace. "What was that about?" he asked, glancing around to see if anyone had seen us.

"Sorry." Chagrined, I apologized to Hugo. "Wasn't thinking. I really needed hugs from my two best friends."

"I don't think anyone saw anything," Izzy assured us with a quick grin.

"That's my third time today to be totally inappropriate."

"Oh, do tell," Izzy smirked, arching an eyebrow.

So, I told Izzy and Hugo an abridged version of what had happened with my brother and Rory, and then I told them about my argument with my father, including the permanent lowering of the family IQ. As I predicted, Izzy squealed and high fived me for what she called my new found spunk.

"You need to be more careful, Addie," Hugo warned. "But go you. The thought of you with Bart sends chills up my spine."

"Exactly," I agreed.

Over the next couple of hours, wine was poured, trays of food devoured, and the cake was cut. Both Zarius and I blew out candles. Wizards had adopted the custom of singing the Happy Birthday song, and I couldn't help but notice that most of the party-goers inserted Zarius' name. A few exceptions sang my name, including a handful of relatives who regularly had to put up with Zarius in the keep and, of course, Izzy, Hugo, and Rory, who belted out my name.

At one point, I noticed my father speaking to Bartholomew Magnuson and his father. I wasn't sure, but I thought my father might have rolled his eyes when he turned away. I was probably imagining it. Surely the great and dignified Manfred Evangelista would never roll his eyes.

While Hugo and Izzy made a trip to the dessert table, I searched for Rory in the crowd.

Occasionally, I caught Rory staring at me. Sometimes, he had that same look of wariness I'd seen in his eyes earlier in the day. At other times, he had an intent look that made me feel like he was fighting an internal battle. Probably the same one I was fighting. Every time I caught him staring, he quickly glanced away, pretending to pay attention to someone or something else.

An idea struck me—an awful, amazing idea that I had no business contemplating. I studied the entrances to the various balconies dotting the length of the ballroom. People moved in and out of those doorways, but behind the dessert table there was one balcony entrance that no one was using. I caught Rory's glance and motioned with my head for him to follow me. I discreetly waved at him as I stepped outside onto the balcony. Each balcony had an outcropping to protect its occupants from the wind, which also meant privacy. I waited, wondering if he dared come.

Adrenaline from what I was doing sent my heart racing. This pretty much broke every rule in the book and meant retraining if I got caught. Girls didn't rendezvous with boys, and especially not norm boys. Although Rory was anything but a norm.

Just when I'd lost my nerve and was about to go back inside, Rory parted the brocade drapes and stepped out onto the balcony. For a few seconds we only stared at each other. Rory's amethyst eyes pierced me with an intensity I'd never seen before. I hadn't really planned what would happen when he came out.

"You look really pretty—all grown up," Rory said, his demeanor serious.

"You look pretty, too." My cheeks burned with heat, and I cleared my throat. "I meant handsome, or..." I leaned my head back and sighed. "I'm not good at this," I admitted, even though it was painfully obvious.

"I don't want you to be good at this," Rory said with a lopsided grin. Then his eyes turned stark, almost grim. "You know we shouldn't be here."

"Yes. If we get caught, I'd probably be retrained," I agreed. "And you'd—"

"—have my memory wiped and be permanently exiled, or worse," Rory said, as he closed the distance between us.

My breathing quickened. I wasn't sure if it was the fear of being caught, or the dizzying feeling I had when Rory was close, or maybe both.

He held up his hand. "May I have this dance?" he whispered, his expression soft, but his eyes fixed on mine.

My eyes went wide for a moment, because he'd just upped the risk level of what we were doing into the stratosphere. But honestly, wasn't this secretly why I'd wanted Rory to meet me on the balcony? This was the birthday present I most wanted in the deepest, hidden part of me. And besides, what had Hugo said earlier? In for a penny, in for a pound.

I surrendered my hand into Rory's. His bigger fingers enfolded mine as he enveloped me within his embrace. As with all good wizard girls, I was well-trained in the art of ballroom dancing.

We danced one song, two songs, three songs, and Rory glided me around the balcony. Exhilaration trilled through me, and the breeze whipped through my hair as Rory smiled down at me.

The next piece of music was slow and romantic, lilting out to the balcony from the orchestra inside. I leaned my head against his broad shoulder, and he rested his chin on the top of my head. We swayed together, our bodies so close I could feel the beating of his heart.

Being with him was forbidden on so many levels, but it felt so right to me.

The music stopped and a garbled announcement filtered out to us.

I didn't ever want this to end. I blinked several times, as if to wake into the real world, the world where there could be no us.

"You slip inside, Addie," Rory suggested. "I'll follow in a couple of minutes."

I nodded and slid inside through the drapes.

Spotting Izzy and Hugo, I walked over.

An air of anticipation filled the ballroom with an accompanying wave of whispers. Then, a hush swept across the massive room.

"Where did you go off to?" Izzy whispered.

"I'll tell you later."

"And now, please welcome the Knower of Familiars, Master Bertrand," Tristan announced into a microphone in front of the orchestra.

And in that split second, my heart started thrashing inside my ribcage, and beads of perspiration broke out across my upper lip.

How had I forgotten about this moment? How had I so completely denied it might be coming? What if Hugo and Izzy were right? What if a familiar chose me? No, surely not.

Master Bertrand, the only Knower of this generation, walked forward. Amidst all the colorful ladies' gowns and dark men's tuxedos, his velvety white robes made him seem like some exotic mystic straight out of our history books.

His own familiar, a great snowy owl, rode his shoulder. A red-tailed hawk screeched as it soared above his head, a ferret peeked out of a large fold in his robes, and a black panther slinked beside him. In his wake, a gorgeous white arctic wolf followed, his noble head held high, his glacial blue eyes almost glowing in the shimmer of the wizard lights.

My father and Zarius moved to greet Master Bertrand in the center of the ballroom.

"Welcome to the house of Nostradamus, Master Bertrand." My father's voice resounded throughout the ballroom.

"I bid you greetings, High Chancellor, and I bring potential familiars to bond with your son on this most auspicious occasion. Tonight, I have several potentials who have chosen to accompany me, along with my own Bia of the Snow Owl Clan, of course. The potentials include: Caelia of the Black Panther Tribe, Hadrian, above me, of the Red-Tailed Hawk Cadre, and last, but certainly never least, the noble Cheeva from the White Wolf Pack."

Gasps of awe sporadically erupted throughout the room. It was extremely exceptional for a white wolf to become a familiar, so it was a rare and revered honor to be chosen by one. Even wizard girls knew how uncommon white wolf familiars were. We were trained in the care and feeding of all familiars, both common and exotic.

An angry chirping came from Master Bertrand's mid-section. "Ah, Piri of the Ferrets, I do apologize for my negligence. And now, you have been introduced to all of our potentials. Wizard Zarius Evangelista of the house of Nostradamus, please come and greet the potential familiars."

Zarius, who'd changed from his tux into traditional black wizard's robes, confidently strode forward and began the process of greeting the potentials. The red-tailed hawk landed on Master Bernard's free shoulder.

Zarius moved from familiar to familiar, giving each one a nod of respect, the traditional formal greeting, and staring into their eyes for a few seconds without blinking.

Dread churned in my gut, and fear made my legs go wobbly. I just knew this would not end well for me. I started slowly pushing back through the crowd, Hugo and Izzy moving with me.

"It's going to be okay, Addie," Hugo whispered, giving my shoulder a reassuring squeeze, but I could see the worry lines on his forehead. "Just take deep, slow breaths."

"I want a familiar to choose you," Izzy whispered near my ear. "But at the same time, I don't, because that would pretty much blow the lid off of everything."

I couldn't manage to vocalize what I wanted to say—that's not helping, Izzy.

On top of that, our proximity still felt way too close to what was going on. I retreated deeper into the crowd of partygoers, blinding myself to what was happening. Hugo, as the tallest, would have to keep me updated on what was going on.

"The ferret crawled up your brother's arm," Hugo told me.

"Piri has chosen you, Wizard Zarius!" Master Bertrand's voice boomed with excitement.

I might be a girl, but even I knew that while Master Bertrand recognized every familiar was sacred, and to be chosen was written in the stars, most wizards were not as enlightened as the gentle Bertrand. Others saw it as prestigious to be chosen by impressive animals as familiars. A ferret was not the kind of familiar my brother felt entitled to. I knew he might just get so angry he would lose it.

"Your brother looks really mad, Addie."

A few heartbeats passed. "What's happening, Hugo?" Izzy asked.

"The white wolf is moving forward. Your brother is smiling. It's the greatest honor of all to be selected by more than one familiar. Zarius looks relieved."

I heard more gasps and whispers echo through the ballroom.

"Addie." I heard the panic creeping into Hugo's voice.

My knees almost buckled with the resurgence of dread inside me. I swallowed hard. "What? What do you see?" I panted.

"The wolf passed by Zarius, and it's moving through the crowd."

"He's not coming this way. Hugo, please, please tell me he's not coming this way."

"I'm sorry, Addie."

"Should we run?" Izzy asked.

Right at that moment, the crowd parted in front of me to let the white wolf through.

It was too late.

I stared into a pair of glacial blue eyes, almost glowing against the wolf's thick snowy white fur. Everything in its bearing spoke of a single-minded purpose, communicating its unquestioning destination—me.

The wolf stopped directly in front of me, sat down on his haunches, and stared at me, unblinking.

Master Bertrand followed, and my father wasn't far behind. I watched the fleeting shock on my father's face fade into an expression devoid of emotion. The flinty hardness in his eyes provided the only clue that he hid darker emotions behind his practiced façade of composure.

Bertrand scratched his jaw, looking between my father, the wolf, and me. "Well," Bertrand said affably. "I have not seen this before. Perhaps it is because Zarius and Adriana are twins."

The wolf stared at me, his eyes transforming to a hazel identical to my own. I lost myself within his eyes, forgetting everything else. In the next instant, I found myself running through the forest, racing past trees, jumping over fallen logs, the wind moving like fingers caressing my fur. In the next heartbeat, I fell back into my own body, stumbling with the dizziness of the blindingly fast shift.

Wide-eyed, I glanced away from the wolf, and met my father's eyes, which burned with anger—and something else. Was it fear?

"I have never seen anything like this," Master Bertrand said again. "Cheeva has formed some kind of connection with your daughter, High Chancellor, but it can't be as her familiar."

"Of course it's not the connection of a familiar, Bertrand," my father agreed with calm conviction. "Adriana is a girl, after all. She is not a wielder of magic."

I gulped down the lump lodged in my throat.

"No!" Zarius' yell reached my ears as he stomped toward us.

Zarius, please, please don't make this worse! I silently pleaded at my brother.

"Merlin's curses." Izzy whimpered into my ear.

"The white wolf can't choose my sister. She's nothing but a stupid girl." Zarius hissed at Master Bertrand as if it was somehow his fault. "Make the wolf choose me, Bertrand," he ordered.

"We don't command familiars, Wizard Zarius," Bertrand replied apologetically, arms outstretched in supplication. "They have their own free will to choose who they may. It is the way it is. It is the way it has always been."

"I don't care. The wolf made a mistake, and you need to fix it," Zarius insisted.

My father moved up behind Zarius and clutched his shoulder. His knuckles went white with strain as he squeezed hard, eliciting a soft squeak from my brother, ironically similar to the sound the ferret had made only moments before.

"Enough." My father bit the word out so quietly that few could have heard him.

"Master Bertrand," my father's voice boomed out, "my deepest thanks to you for bringing these fine potentials and for facilitating the connection of a familiar to my only son. I'm sure, as you say, that Cheeva feels a connection to my daughter because she is the twin to my Zarius. No doubt this has something to do with the essence they share from birth. In good time we will sort this all out, but for now, let's enjoy the food, wine, and music that my lovely wife, Lady Clarissa, has arranged for us all."

I searched for and found my mother just as she managed to stop wringing her hands together. She gave my father a tremulous smile, which quickly transformed into the overly bright smile of a gracious hostess appeasing her guests.

Surreptitiously, I watched as my brother stomped off, only turning back to pierce me with a glare so full of hatred that I instinctively reached out for the wolf at my side. Cheeva moved in closer to me. I felt the vibration of his deep growl, the sound of it lost in the din of the party.
CHAPTER 9

Why in the World?

"I need to get away from here," I moaned to my friends.

"Okay," they said in unison, and moved to follow me.

"I'm sorry, but I...I need to be alone. I don't know—I think I need to cry...or melt down, or something. If I don't come back in thirty minutes, come find me in the apple orchard on the stone bench."

"All right," Hugo said.

"If you're sure you want to be alone?" Izzy conceded, concern and reluctance written all over her face.

I nodded as the first tear escaped.

I was near one of the mirrored exit panels that the household staff used to bring food in and out. With a slight push, I disappeared behind the panel with Cheeva walking beside me. Staff members stopped in stunned silence as I passed by.

In a couple of minutes, I was out the door, with tears streaming down my face. Pulling off my high heels, I gathered my dress up in my fist, and ran toward the orchards. I couldn't bring myself to acknowledge the wolf at my side. I just needed to be away from the keep and all of those people with their shocked and mortified expressions, my father's the worst of all.

I ran through the various gardens lit by lanterns and strings of white twinkle lights. Finally, I slowed to a jog as I approached my destination. Leaving behind the lights of the keep and gardens, I paused to let my eyes adjust to the night. I could have probably made my way blindfolded to my place in the apple orchard; I'd been there so many times. It was nearly a full moon and the stars shone brightly in the ebony of the night sky, giving me plenty of light.

I started down the second long row of trees. This row led to a bower formed by a variety of flowering trees and shrubs, inside of which sat an ancient stone bench shaped like a crescent moon. It had been in that spot for as long as my family had held this land. The semi-circle of stone could seat at least six people, but it was usually just me and occasionally Izzy and Hugo. I sat down on the bench, swiped at my tears, and allowed the beauty and serenity of this place to fill me with calm.

The small area was its own natural garden, and it was at its most beautiful this time of year. Spring came late to the Catskills, so now, in late May when much of the country was entering into early summer, here in these gently rolling mountains, the fresh blooms of spring were in abundance everywhere. I lit a candle I kept by the bench. Even in its dim illumination and the light of the moon and stars, the blooms glowed with new life. A profusion of forsythia sprang up in brilliant sprays of effervescent yellow. The fragrance from the delicate blooms of Heaven Scent Magnolia perfumed the air. The whites and pinks of cherry blossoms and dogwoods, the magenta of the redbuds all enveloped me. I closed my eyes, breathing slowly in and out, serenity beginning to seep into me.

A slight weight and warmth pressed against my knee. I opened my eyes to see the white wolf resting his flank against my legs, and his head against my shoulder.

"Cheeva?"

He raised his head and nodded.

"Why in the world did you ever choose me? Don't get me wrong, I'm honored, but you've really complicated my life, and it was already getting massively complicated."

I waited for some hint of an answer, but there was nothing. "Aren't you supposed to be able to communicate with me?" I asked him, but got no response.

Cheeva's crystal-blue eyes met mine and there was a deep, fathomless intensity in them. I stared back, remembering earlier when I'd lost myself within his eyes. As I stared more deeply, his eyes transformed once again to match the color of my own.

"You will learn to hear me, Queen of Chaos."

I shot to my feet. "Queen of Chaos?" I shook my head in denial. "That sounds really, really bad, like I'm evil incarnate; like I'm the villain of an awful science-fiction horror film."

Cheeva moved his head from side to side and tapped one paw on the bench. I was sure he wanted to connect with me again, but I wasn't ready for more of that.

In the next instant, Cheeva swiveled around on all fours, standing rigid, his muscles tensed to pounce. A warning growl rumbled from his throat.

"Addie? Are you in there?" Rory called. "Can I come in there with you?"

Relieved, I sat back down on the stone bench. "Yes, come in."

Cheeva stopped his growling and sat on the ground, the heat of his flank pressed comfortingly against my leg.

Rory parted the branches and slipped into my bower.

The sight of him centered me somehow. My fears, although still there, seemed to slightly diminish. Thoughts of being held by him earlier as we danced made me smile in spite of my troubles.

With a subtle flick of his hand, Rory surrounded us in a shimmering ward. Presumably having learned and practiced magic in secret for his whole life, it must have been second nature for him to protect his words by warding.

His eyebrows rose as if unsure of his welcome. "I was worried about you."

"Join the crowd." That earned me a confused frown. "Izzy and Hugo are worried, too. For that matter, heck, so am I."

Rory nodded in acknowledgement, and then his amethyst eyes fell on my wolf companion. "So you have a familiar?" Rory gave Cheeva an assessing stare.

"I'm a girl, Rory. I'm not supposed to have a familiar."

"I think that's exactly what the white wolf is," he said as he slowly sat down next to me.

"Maybe," I admitted with a nod of resignation.

"And earlier, you said you could see my magic," Rory added.

"Yep, I did."

"So that would make you a wizard girl who can wield magic?"

"Yep, I am." I added a shrug.

"Isn't there some prophecy about this?"

"Yep, apparently there is."

"Addie!" Rory threw his head back, chuckling with frustration. "This is getting old." He turned to me, his eyes serious. "Talk to me."

I turned to take a look at Cheeva. He didn't seem the least bit agitated by Rory's presence or by his outburst. Wouldn't my familiar be concerned if I were sitting alone with a sorcerer-in-the-making? It seemed logical that Cheeva would be growling or even attacking Rory if I were in any kind of danger.

"Addie?"

"Okay." I turned back around and sighed. "I found out today that I can do magic. I think I might be this supposed wizard queen, but only Izzy and Hugo—and, now, you—know about it."

Rory ran a hand through his thick hair, and I wondered if it was as soft as it looked.

I tilted my head, biting my lower lip. "Well, that was before a white wolf familiar chose me in front of a few hundred wizards, including all of the North American council members. They might be figuring things out about now."

Cheeva made a sound that wasn't quite a whimper, but close.

Rory peered down at me, his eyes narrowing as though he was thinking hard. "You know, maybe they won't figure this out. They think this has something to do with you being Zarius' twin. If you just act like you normally do, oblivious to everything—"

"What?" I interrupted, sitting up straighter and pivoting toward him.

"Oh! Sorry! I didn't mean that like it sounded." Rory cringed.

I raised a single eyebrow. "You mean you didn't mean it like you said it?"

"No, I meant you should play dumb. Not that you are dumb or are oblivious."

"Okay, I guess," I muttered, but secretly, I admitted to myself that I had absolutely and always been oblivious. I'd let Izzy be outraged for the both of us, and even for Hugo. I'd always just gone with what was expected, and I hadn't questioned it. Now I seemed to be fighting back all the time, even right now, with Rory.

"My point is," Rory continued, "people believe what they want to believe and they see what they want to see."

It was true that I certainly had.

"Lady Acacia watches a lot of self-improvement, business-type programs on PBS," Rory continued. "Anyway, she was watching this marketing thing about paradigms. Basically, the message was that people believe what they want to believe and they make the information conform to their belief set. Wizards will want to believe you have no magic, so they will believe it. I think it could work."

"Wow. That's really...cerebral. In school, I study how to run a household and staff, how to deal with an unruly wizard toddler, how to make the most of my glamours, how to plan a party—"

"I get the idea, thanks," Rory said with a laugh. "But do you get what I'm saying? The wizard council might believe what they most want to believe."

"Maybe." He was starting to make me think it was possible, if I didn't go around challenging every authority figure in my life like I just had with my father.

"Well, it's not like any of them can actually talk to Cheeva. Also, that same strategy has always worked for me until today. But since you could actually see my magic, then you had what's called a paradigm shift. You believed that as a human, I had no magic, but you were faced with irrefutable proof that I had magic, so you had no choice but to shift your paradigm."

I wanted to talk about that very topic with him, but instead I blurted, "Okay, it's official, no more PBS for you, Rory Devlin." And we both laughed a little at first, and then we couldn't stop laughing. My laughter bordered a little on the hysterical side, but it felt good to let the tension bubble out of me. And I couldn't stop. My stomach ached and tears squeezed out from the corners of my eyes.

"Well, I was all worried about you," Izzy yelled over our laughter as she pushed into the bower. "But I guess you're just fine." She crossed her arms in front of her chest. "I thought I'd find you crying, not laughing like crazy." But her scowl was turning into a reluctant smile as I hiccupped, trying to get my laughter under control.

"Yeah." Hugo followed her in. "Your thirty minutes are up, so we came to rescue you." Hugo gave me a meaningful glare, his lips pursed to express the irony of the situation.

"Would it make you feel better if I told you I was crying at first?"

"A little," Izzy and Hugo chorused.

"Hey," Izzy blurted. "I felt unwelcome coming into the bower. I had to make myself keep moving forward."

"Me, too. What's up with the ward?" Hugo asked.

Rory and I exchanged quick glances.

"I wanted privacy," I began tentatively. "It must have been wish magic."

Hugo stared at me for a minute. "That makes sense," he finally conceded. "And we really need to talk. I researched the wizard queen prophecy and I couldn't exactly talk to you at the party."

"But first," Izzy interjected, "I guess the proverbial cat, or more accurately the wolf, is out of the proverbial bag, now that you have a familiar." Izzy whirled around to stare wide-eyed at Rory, as she realized she had potentially let the cat out of the bag.

"It's okay, Izzy. Rory knows everything."
CHAPTER 10

Queen of Chaos – Slap!

"What do you mean, Rory knows everything?" Hugo and Izzy exclaimed in unison.

I filled in my friends, and then, Rory and I took turns telling Izzy and Hugo about our plan. Neither of us mentioned that Rory wielded magic. He and I needed to have a good understanding about what had happened and, more so, what he was before we brought anyone else into that situation.

So we shared the approach we'd devised in response to tonight's events, based on the current wizard "paradigm." I'd try to hold back my newly found tendency toward rebellion and try my best to act like I always had before today—oblivious.

Cheeva would be my constant companion. I knew there was no one who would bar him entrance anywhere in the stronghold. Wizards knew that familiars weren't just animals. They were at the heart of our magic, so Cheeva would be going to school with me, which would be unprecedented in the girls' wing. The good news was that school would only be in session for another week. Even wizards got a summer break.

"So can you and Cheeva talk yet?" Hugo asked from his side of the stone bench.

"Well..." I turned my head to glance at Cheeva, who sat nonchalantly by my side. "We haven't exactly talked. He did manage to convey to me that I'd have to learn to hear him..."

"And?" Izzy recognized that I had more to say and was impatient to hear the rest.

"And, he called me the Queen of Chaos." I just let that sit out there to see what reaction it got.

"Uhhh...that doesn't sound too good," Rory observed.

"No, it doesn't exactly leave me feeling warm and fuzzy," Izzy agreed.

"Oh! Gosh!" Hugo slapped his forehead three times in succession.

"Hugo!" I surged to my feet. "What's wrong?"

"I recognize that!" He stood and started pacing. "Crap!" He slapped his head again. "I've heard that. Queen of Chaos," he said. "It's on the tip of my tongue!" Slap!

"Stop hitting yourself, Hugo!" Izzy ordered.

Which Hugo completely ignored as he slapped his head again. "Why can't I remember? Queen of Chaos." Slap! "Queen of Chaos!" Slap!

Cheeva did that confused-canine back and forth head-tilt thing.

"Okay, Hugs, you're creeping me out," Izzy said, trying a kinder, gentler approach.

"Me too," I said. "I probably need to know what you've heard, seeing as I'm supposedly the actual Queen of Chaos and all, but please stop hitting yourself." Not knowing what else to do, I sat back down and let Hugo do the pacing and slapping for both of us.

"Okay, I've got it! It's that ancient prophecy..." Hugo ran both hands through his hair. "I researched the Wizard Queen thing before the party, and by the way, I'm pretty sure that's you. And this has something to do with the prophecy."

"Oo-kaay. Check, and check," I added unhelpfully, to which Rory responded with a silly lopsided grin that made my heart take a lopsided beat.

Hugo barked out a self-deprecating laugh. "Of course it has to do with the Wizard Queen." Slap!

"Stop that!" I yelled as I shot to my feet.

Rory sent me a your-friends-are-crazy look.

Ignoring me, Hugo continued, "We also studied this in my first year of intermediate wizardry. It's THE prophecy."

"What's the prophecy?" Rory asked.

Hugo closed his eyes in concentration as he recited, "And in the modern age of humankind, a Wizard Queen shall rise. She shall bring forth the downfall of the wizard-kin. In league with one whose blood runs with both wizardry and sorcery, they shall split open the Tree of Justice, releasing chaos upon the earth, and the death of all we know."

"Um, ah, speaking as the potential wizard queen, that sounds totally horrible!" It was my turn to pace. "I mean, I'm never going to do anything like that. I can't. I couldn't." I noticed that Cheeva watched me walk back and forth. "By Prospero's perfidy, maybe I should just turn myself in now and—"

"So," Izzy interrupted my rant, "where does the Queen of Chaos come into the prophecy?"

"I didn't see it at all in my research today when I memorized the prophecy, but when I heard it, I knew I'd read it before," Hugo explained. "Two years ago, when I studied the prophecy for the first time, it was a footnote at the bottom of the text. It said that the Wizard Queen is also known as the Queen of Chaos."

"Pretty amazing memory," Rory told Hugo. "Maybe next time you can manage it without concussing yourself." He grinned at Hugo.

"Back on topic, guys," Izzy ordered.

I sat down.

"Addie," she said, "I'm sure it's all some kind of...a translation thing?" Her smile was more of a grimace.

"That's always a possibility with any prophecy from an ancient text," Hugo agreed absently. "Things are definitely lost in translation, and there is always a bias based on who was translating the prophecy. For instance, chaos might mean something like a social upheaval." Hugo sat back down next to Izzy. "We need to start digging into that possibility. I volunteer to get that party started."

Cheeva stood and barked. If I knew how to listen to him, I'm sure he would have had something really vital to share with us.

"Okay, then." Rory stood up. "It's time to activate Operation Oblivious." His teasing grin made me laugh in spite of everything.

Laughter really was the best medicine. "Okay. I think I know my part. I've only practiced for it my whole life."

"You sure have." Izzy smirked and patted me on the back. "I'll be your acting coach. I'll let you know if you drift out of character."

Hugo stood up, too. "And I'll start digging into the various translations of the prophecy."

I held up both my hands, showing my crossed fingers. "I hope this works. Cross your fingers!" And everyone held up their crossed fingers.

As we left the bower, I was no less anxious and afraid, but I didn't feel alone. Today, the world I'd known had tumbled down on top of me. I knew I could never go back to who I'd been only yesterday, but I had amazing friends, and that was more than a lot of people had.

As we walked back toward the keep, I remembered I'd wanted to tell Hugo something. "Hugo, I saw Zarius use his powers today."

Hugo's wide grin split across his face like he knew what I'd say. "Do tell, Addie. What color was it?" He feigned polite interest, but his eyes glinted with mischievous glee.

"Why, it was the palest of pale greens, Hugo," I said with a little more enjoyment than I'd intended.

"I just adore the new spunky you, Adriana Evangelista!" Hugo smiled all the way back to the keep.

And at that moment, I did, too.
CHAPTER 11

Operation Oblivious

The party was over; my friends all went home. I managed to sneak off to my room without running into any family, which was a major accomplishment. With several generations and branches of the family living in the keep with us, it was nothing short of miraculous to get to my room without a single encounter. My immediate family was the patriarchal family, with my father as the patriarch of the entire clan, or the Head of the House of Nostradamus.

The keep was like a large luxury apartment complex with numerous wings, kitchens, and dining halls. In recent years, we'd added several workout rooms with saunas, and indoor swimming pools, and more.

Our media rooms combined the latest audio-video technology with enchantments to create 3D movies and interactive games which produced an ultra-authentic virtual reality experience.

A few years back, after one of our older wizards had a heart attack while gaming, the council initiated a requirement to possess an up-to-date health certification to participate in the more adventurous, rigorous, or violent movies and games.

Many of the keep's inhabitants utilized the other magical conveniences of the keep as well. The shortcut doors led to dimensional folds, providing near-instantaneous passage to various parts of the massive keep. The falling sensation of the folds made me queasy, so I tended to avoid those. The main kitchen had enchanted food dispensers imbued with inherent magic that allowed the user to order up a variety of meals, drinks, and treats.

My father preferred traditional multi-course meals prepared by our chef, Christophe, and served by the norm staff in our family's personal dining room.

In typical wizard fashion, there were machines which provided custom-designed clothing. Through a complex combination of mechanical engineering and magical properties, the machines utilized floating probes to take body measurements, and then cut and sewed clothing to the desired specifications.

In addition to my father's library, the keep had a central wizard library to which women were prohibited entry. There were a few other ceremonial rooms in the Nostradamus keep that were also off-limits to any female. I had no idea what transpired in those rooms.

As astronomy was an important foundation of wizardry, the Nostradamus keep boasted its own observatory. Luckily, its use was open to everyone. I'd spent many a night stargazing in that room when no one else was in the observatory. Other than my bedroom, it was hard to find alone time in a keep so full of people.

I couldn't even keep track of the number of inhabitants. Between immediate family, extended family, and staff members, there were over three hundred people in the keep on any given day. Of course, only some of the staff permanently lived within the walls of the keep. Other staff members came and went on the transport pads each day.

The norm staff came in from several of the surrounding small towns of Phoenicia, Boiceville, Hunter, Tannersville, Catskill, and even Woodstock. Most of the staff members were descendants of families that had been working at the stronghold for generations. Each human was enchanted by a spell that prevented them from revealing anything about wizards or the stronghold to any outsider. They literally couldn't speak, or write, gesture, or communicate in any way that would divulge information about our existence. In the hundreds of years the keep and the stronghold had existed, no staff member had ever revealed the secrets of the wizard-kin.

On the way to my room, I had encountered at least ten of the household staff, but fortunately they left me alone. I usually said hello or asked about their family, but tonight I made a beeline for my room.

When I walked into my room, I watched Cheeva look around and I wondered what he thought of it. I tried to see it like he would. I guessed it was a little girl's room, full of pinks, purples, dolls, lace, and frills.

I walked over to my shelves and studied my fairy figurines. Each one was intricately designed and handcrafted, and each had its own unique enchantment. When I tapped the head of my rose fairy, she peeked out from under the brim of her rose blossom hat and the sweet scent of roses filled the air. When I ran a finger over the head of my water fairy, she thrust her arms into the air and a holographic spray of water burst into the air above her like shimmering opalescent fireworks. I had twelve fairies in all, gifts from my parents on each Yule celebration. It was our tradition, one of the few times each year when I felt a sentimental connection to something my parents did for me. Usually, their attention was on the running of the keep, the stronghold, wizard politics, entertaining, and preparing Zarius for his future.

Aside from my fairies, which I could never part with, I realized I'd grown out of this little girl's room. It wasn't really me anymore—not that I actually knew who I was after today.

Nope, I didn't know who or, for that matter, what I was now.

I went to my desk to check my iPad for emails on the highly secure wizard intranet. In this huge house, it wasn't unusual for my mother or father to communicate with me through emails. Sure enough, I had an email waiting from my mother that read, "Addie, email me when you are back in your room and ready for bed."

I replied, "I'm in my room, safe and sound, and getting ready for bed."

I received an immediate reply. "Good. I'll see you at breakfast, eight-thirty a.m. and don't be late. It will only be the four of us."

I sighed. Usually after a big party, we had guests or extended family members at breakfast the next day. Since this was limited to immediate family only, that meant I had a family meeting in the morning. It would be the first skirmish in Operation Oblivious. But for the moment, all I wanted to do was take a shower and fall into my bed. At least tomorrow was Saturday and we didn't have school. I set my alarm so I wouldn't be late for breakfast.

Suddenly, exhaustion caught up with me, weighing me down all the way to my muscles and bones. So much had happened today. It felt like a week had gone by since I woke up this morning. I trudged into the bathroom, took my shower, and brushed my teeth. Changing into a soft cotton nightshirt and my favorite Hello Kitty pajama pants, I stepped out of my bathroom.

Cheeva walked straight to the shower door and waited there.

I blinked, and then rubbed my eyes. "Cheeva, do you want a shower?" I asked, slightly incredulous. I opened the shower door. Sure enough, Cheeva walked into my shower, which had large slate tiles and a built-in bench. He sat down and waited for me.

"Okay." I thought about the logistics of giving Cheeva a shower. I pulled out an extra towel and then walked into my long closet and dug my bathing suit out of a drawer. "Just a minute," I called to Cheeva. Closing the closet door, I put on my bathing suit. Then, I helped Cheeva shower. I dried him off and then I rinsed off, again. I put my pajamas back on and dried my hair.

Finally, a half hour later, and well on my way to a state of zombieness, I practically fell onto my bed. I tucked my teddy bear, Cuddles, into the crook of my arm and rolled onto my side. I didn't even blink an eye when Cheeva hopped onto the bed and lay down beside me, with his head on the other pillow. I held up my teddy bear to Cheeva. "Cheeva, this is Cuddles and he's not a chew toy. Cuddles, this is Cheeva and I guess he'll be sleeping with us every night." I didn't even comment on the perplexed tilt of Cheeva's head. I just closed my eyes and fell to sleep, feeling safe for the first time that day because Cheeva was with me.

* * *

BOOM!

I sprang up to a sitting position on my bed, my heart racing frantically inside my chest. Cheeva leapt out of the bed, growling as he searched for the threat in my room.

Through my window, I watched as lightning branched out, illuminating the sky.

I counted silently: one-thousand, two-thousand, three-thousand—

BOOM!

I flinched. Perspiration beaded on my upper lip.

Cheeva stepped over and peered at me, his head tilting to the side.

Embarrassed, I sighed. "I'm afraid of thunderstorms," I admitted to my familiar. Electricity exploded wildly across the sky once more. "One-thousand, two-thousand—"

BOOM!

I started breathing in and out too fast. I began to see stars hovering in front of my eyes. I was hyperventilating. I tried to breathe slowly in and slowly out, covering my head with a pillow. Although I tried to ignore the storm and think of something else, my mind went to the memory of where my fear of storms began. I'd been five years old, and in my bedroom, this very room, huddled in bed, staring out the same window during a thunderstorm. The lightning had come too close to the keep and finally, a flash of lightning was so bright that it blinded me, and the boom of thunder shook my room like an earthquake. A groaning crack split through the night and glass shattered as a huge tree branch crashed through my window and landed on top of me, pressing me down. Rain blew in through the window and soaked me. I tried to cry out for help, but I couldn't breathe. The weight of the branch was suffocating me, and the pain—I remembered the pain-laced panic.

Even at five years of age, I knew the keep was a massive structure and I was terrified that no one would get to me in time to save me. I struggled to suck in air, but my world began to fade to black. In the haziest part of the memory, I saw my father burst through the door and use his magic to pull the branch off of my body.

* * *

The alarm blared way too early. I could have easily slept a couple more hours, especially with the warm fuzzy furnace sleeping next to me, making me feel extra cozy. Since I wasn't going outside of the keep or our wing, I didn't have to wear my cloak. I slipped on black slacks and a conservative shirt of cornflower-blue silk. It had an attached sash at the neck that I tied into a loose bow.

I pulled my hair back into a ponytail, knowing it made me look a couple of years younger, and also that my father would be pleased with that overall look.

I noticed Cheeva pacing back and forth. "Oh no! I'm sorry, Cheeva. You need to take care of business, don't you?" I glanced at my clock. Already feeling guilty for not thinking about Cheeva's needs, I heaped more guilt on myself with my next words. "I sorry, but I hope you can, ummm...hurry." And we both jogged to the closest outside door. I let Cheeva outside to answer nature's call and waited.

My foot tapped with nervous energy as I stared at my wristwatch. This wasn't a morning to be late. My father absolutely loathed it if one of us was late to a family breakfast, and the last thing I wanted this morning was to make him mad. Luckily, Cheeva trotted back inside in less than a minute.

We made it to the private dining room with two minutes to spare. Zarius hadn't arrived yet.

Minor victory.

My parents both gave me a curt nod.

"Good morning, Adriana," my mother said, giving me a slight smile. She was dressed in an elegant pantsuit, her unglamoured white-blond hair swept into a bun, her eyes their normal shade of blue.

"Good morning, Mother," I said to her, and then turned to my father. "Good morning, Father."

"To you, too," he replied in a distant tone that made me wonder if the source of his displeasure stemmed from the Bart disagreement or if it was the disaster of Cheeva choosing me, or perhaps both.

My parents took their plates and selected breakfast food from the sideboard. Learning from my earlier blunder, I took a plate and filled it with bacon, eggs and a thick steak. Then I set it on the floor next to my chair. Next, I took a cereal bowl and filled it with water from a pitcher, and set it next to the plate on the floor. Cheeva nodded at me, his crystal-blue eyes rewarding me with a look of approval. He sat next to his food and waited.

I noticed my father had stepped away and was staring at me, a pensive look on his face.

"Did I do something wrong, Father?" I asked.

"No, on the contrary, daughter, I approve of your actions."

My father's familiar had died only a few months ago. He'd been incredibly close to Jarvis, an osprey. He hadn't taken the time to bond with another familiar, and I wondered if that was because he still mourned Jarvis.

Zarius came skidding into the dining room just as my watch read eight-thirty. Without sparing a glance at anyone, he started loading his plate with food and then sat down.

I'd finished filling my plate as well, but I stood by my chair, waiting for my parents to sit down.

"Zarius!" My father scolded in his quiet, authoritative way. "Your mother has not been seated. Where are your manners?"

Zarius dropped his fork and stood up, not meeting my father's eyes.

Just then, Piri the ferret scampered into the room, and in moments was perched on Zarius' shoulder, chirping.

"Zarius, has Piri eaten today?"

"I don't know," Zarius replied.

Uh-oh.

My father let loose with a long-suffering sigh. "Zarius, I will never say this to you again, but you do not ever eat until your familiar has food to eat as well. Jarvis has only been gone for a few months. How could you have forgotten what you have seen me demonstrate for most of your life?"

The muscles in Zarius' jaw tensed. "I apologize, Father."

"Your sister took care of Cheeva before she got her own food."

Had my father really gone there? Zarius turned toward me, which meant he turned away from our parents so they couldn't see the hateful glare he speared me with. I returned his glare with what I hoped was a pleasant smile, which my parents could see. That only seemed to make him angrier. Great.

Zarius went to the sideboard and made a plate of fruits and cereal for Piri.

"Zarius, did you even attempt to research the care of your familiar last night?" My father touched the tips of his fingers to his temples as though Zarius was making his head hurt. He then glowered at Zarius. "Ferrets are carnivores. You must feed Piri meat."

So far, Zarius was the center of all the negative attention that I'd assumed would be directed at me this morning. Given my brother's perpetually cruel behavior, I couldn't find it in myself to feel sorry for him. Piri I felt sorry for, but not Zarius.

Besides, I was sure my turn in the negative spotlight was coming at any moment.

Once we were all seated and we'd had a chance to eat for a few minutes, my turn came.

"Adriana, are you speaking with Cheeva?" my father asked, and something about the way he said the words made the hair at the back of my neck prickle.

"Speaking with the white wolf, Father? What do you mean?" I asked, going for as oblivious as I could.

"Have you bonded with him?" My father's eyes had an intense, almost scary quality.

"Father!" Zarius shouted with outrage.

"Quiet, Zarius," my father commanded with a steel edge to his voice. "Let your sister answer."

I'd known it for the trick question it was, because if I had bonded with Cheeva, that would mean I could wield magic, and my father certainly knew that. But I hadn't been prepared for my father making me feel like a murder suspect being tricked into a full confession. I mean, sure, parents always tried to trip you up, it was their job; but this didn't feel like a father-daughter thing. It sent shivers of dread up my spine.

I reminded myself again of Operation Oblivious and let loose a little trill of innocent laughter, hoping I wasn't overdoing it. "Oh, you mean bonding like with a familiar. Cheeva can't be my familiar, Father. I'm not a wizard. I'm sure it's exactly like you said last night. It must have something to do with being Zarius' twin. What else could it be?"

"I agree with you also, Father," Zarius added, obviously pleased with my answer. "It must be because of me somehow. Cheeva will probably come to me eventually."

My father narrowed his eyes, studying me with a penetrating scrutiny I'd never seen before.

"Mother?" I shifted my attention from my father.

My mother looked my way, her smile slightly brittle. "Yes, dear."

"Can you let me know when we can take our shopping trip to New York City?" I smiled excitedly at my mother and then my father before meeting my mother's eyes again. "Perhaps you and Isadora's mother can figure out a date that would be good for all of us. Should I ask Tristan to coordinate with each of you? I can't wait to go shopping!" And I did like to go shopping, but I was trying my best to channel my behavior from the previous year, when we'd shared this almost identical exchange.

"Yes, Adriana. Please coordinate with Tristan. I do always enjoy our shopping trip to New York City and Woodstock, too." My mother smiled at my father with relief in her eyes and he nodded, returning her smile with a discreet one of his own.

Score.

I took a bite of my waffle and stole a glance at my father. He caught me and I smiled at him. "Thank you, Father. I can't wait to go shopping, and the dress from last night was absolute perfection. I've never had a dress I loved more!" And actually, that was true.

"It made me feel more mature—even elegant. Mother, I think it's time that my room is updated to reflect that I'm not a little girl anymore."

My mother looked expectantly to my father, waiting for his reply.

"I think our Adriana makes an excellent point," my father said. "I'll increase the budget for your shopping trip to include a remodeling for Adriana's room."

"This will be so much fun," my mother said with true pleasure.

Talk about hitting two birds with one stone! I knew this would make my father believe I was the same me I'd been a few days ago, and at the same time, I got to remodel my room. Score, again.

Besides, I loved the shopping trip for more than just buying new things. It provided me time with my mother that I didn't otherwise get. We would eat at restaurants and attend plays together. We'd have time to talk and laugh. I loved that time with her, and of course, Izzy, too.

I smiled at both of my parents, and finally, my father gave me a real smile that reached his eyes. He gave me the smile that said I was everything he wanted me to be: his good little girl who wanted to shop and plan parties and marry whomever he wanted me to. It said he was confident I would do and say the right things and wear my cloak and that I would never embarrass or challenge him again.

But Rory, my friends, and I knew the truth. I was the Queen of Chaos, and whatever that meant, it sure didn't mean I deserved that smile from my father.
CHAPTER 12

Your Magic is The Wrong Color

After breakfast and the successful completion of Operation Oblivious: Phase One, I hoped to find a way to talk with Rory alone. I needed to speak with him about his magic. According to everything Hugo had told me about the color spectrum of magic, Rory probably wasn't human and I had a sneaking suspicion that his mother wasn't the norm housekeeper, Mrs. Devlin. How in the world was I supposed to talk to him about that? Most importantly, I needed to make sure he wasn't on his way to becoming a sorcerer.

As luck would have it, Lady Acacia showed up accompanied by Rory for an early Saturday meeting with my father.

Lady Acacia met with my father in his library and I walked toward Rory across the stretch of marble floor in the grand entryway.

"Lady Adriana," Rory said with a formal bow, "greetings to you." As today was Saturday, Rory wore dark jeans, his black Nikes, and a purple polo shirt that matched his eyes.

"And to you, Mr. Devlin, as well," I said with a nod, as I put on my cloak. "Can you go to the apple orchard with me?" I whispered. A thrill zinged through me at the thought of spending time with Rory, today.

"Yes," he whispered back, flashing me a smile.

We slipped out the front entrance. Fortunately, after breakfast Zarius was laying low, so I didn't think we would run into him, but I momentarily crossed my fingers just in case.

Cheeva ran ahead of us. At one moment he loped, and in the next he leapt and ran, like a puppy frolicking in the sun.

I laughed out loud and smiled at Rory. Amused as well, he returned my smile, but as our eyes locked, his smile faded into an intent look, making me think of being in his arms last night when we'd danced together.

My steps faltered, but I caught myself and jogged after Cheeva. Rory followed us.

Together we snuck back out to my bower in the apple orchard. I sat down on the stone bench and Cheeva parked himself by my side. Rory leaned back, propping his elbows on the back of the bench, and taking in the view.

In the light of the sun, the colors were alive with vibrancy. The crisp coolness of the morning air pricked my skin with a refreshing chill, pleasantly offset by the mild warmth of the dappled sunshine peeking through the trees. My cloak regulated my temperature, be it hot or cold, but allowed me to feel the enjoyable aspects of the weather. Sometimes I wondered what other magical attributes my cloak possessed, and whether or not all women's cloaks had locator enchantments. I suspected they did.

A short gust of wind sent dogwood blossoms floating around us, gently swirling down, shifting my thoughts back to the beauty of the morning and the happy contentment in sharing it with Rory.

Where the golden rays of the midmorning sun hit the flowers, the petals sparkled as though coated in millions of tiny, dazzling crystals.

With a small wave of Rory's hand, a shimmering globe of magic surrounded us. I contemplated the purple of his magic. Instead of the muddy maroon streaks Hugo had described, it surrounded us in translucent shimmers of lavender-purple, reminding me of Rory's eyes. For a moment, I stared at his glittering ward, believing it couldn't contain any evil. It was an extension of Rory and it protected us and gave us privacy.

Rory sat down next to me on the stone bench.

Feeling unusually daring, I pulled the hood of my cloak off my head. The breeze picked up strands of my hair, making me feel carefree, which was only an illusion.

Turning to face Rory, I gazed up into the eyes of the most handsome boy I'd ever seen. And he was sitting here, in this place, at this time, with me.

It's not that Rory looked "model" perfect. I wouldn't want him to. He had a strong jaw, and a chin with a deep cleft worthy of any superhero. His cheekbones were high and masculine and he had a guy's nose, a little prominent and proud, and not perfectly straight, but it fit just right on his face. And when he smiled, it wasn't small either. It spread wide and broad across his face, showing his white teeth. His smile lit up his whole face, and his eyes sparkled in the sun.

He was smiling at me like that right now and it took my breath away.

A big, dumb answering smile stretched across my face. I couldn't seem to stop smiling as long as he was smiling at me. However, I did remember to start breathing again.

Everything else melted away at that moment; nothing but Rory seemed to matter.

He reached over my lap, his arm brushing my thigh as he held his hand out toward Cheeva, allowing the large white wolf to sniff it.

Rory looked at me expectantly and I realized he'd asked me a question. "I'm sorry. What did you say?"

He smiled indulgently at me and I felt my cheeks heat up. "I asked if you thought Cheeva would mind if I petted him."

"Oh." I took a deep breath. "I honestly don't know. Familiars aren't tame and they're not pets." I quoted what I'd heard so many times at school.

"Cheeva," Rory met the white wolf's glacial blue eyes. "Can I scratch behind your ear?"

Cheeva didn't show his teeth or growl, so Rory gave him a good scratch behind his ear. Cheeva pushed his head against Rory's hand with a low groan of contentment.

"Well, I guess you have your answer. He seems to really like it. I mean, who wouldn't?" Oh crap! Had I really just said that out loud? Shih-Tzu!

One side of Rory's mouth slowly tilted up into a half-grin. "I don't know. Do you want me to scratch behind your ear, Addie?"

"Oh stop!" I made myself sound teasing as I batted a hand at him. In actuality, I was equal parts mortified and obsessed with visions of our stolen dance on the balcony last night.

Cheeva set his head on my lap, closing his eyes as Rory scratched the back of his neck.

For a little while, we both enjoyed just sitting there together under the golden morning sun, as the crisp morning breeze lazily danced around us.

Cheeva fell asleep.

"Well, here we are, again," I finally said, breaking the silence, knowing I needed to talk to Rory about his magic, but desperately wanting to hold onto the contentment I was feeling.

Rory's smile transformed to a thoughtful expression. "Just yesterday, I was determined to avoid you," Rory said, his eyes going darker as his gaze met mine. "And then last night, all I wanted to do was kiss you."

I convulsively swallowed. I felt myself lean closer, as if I'd ventured into Rory's gravitational pull. But then Lucia Amador's blank eyes flashed in my head and I pulled back a little. "Things are complicated right now." I stared down at my hands before meeting his eyes once more. "But I'm glad you're here."

He shot me another one of his killer grins. "Yep, here we are. I'm in the middle of whatever this craziness is, and it's where I want to be...here with you, Addie."

I glanced away, too embarrassed to meet his eyes. "And it's where I want you to be, too." I swallowed hard. Even if there was never any hope for Rory and me, even if we could never be together, I wanted to be with him, now. My life had just fallen into a thrashing sea of pandemonium, and I wanted him to help me navigate through the stormy swells. It felt somehow right.

I looked up into his eyes, giving him my best carefree grin. "Hey, phase one of Operation Oblivious went well." I felt the need to lighten the mood. "Breakfast was a success. I think I just might be back in my father's good graces. And there's a bonus prize! I get to remodel my room."

"Score."

"Hey, that's what I said to myself, too! Great minds and all."

"Well, I kept my fingers crossed." Rory held up his hands, showing me his crossed fingers. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to eat breakfast and get dressed with your fingers crossed?"

He said it with such a poker face that I nudged my shoulder against his. I was having fun just goofing around with him.

But then, his eyes met mine, turning solemn. "The more time I spend with you, Addie, the more I want. And I know it's wrong."

"Not to me," I said, swallowing back emotion again. But it was a big fat lie I was telling him—and myself, for that matter—and we both knew it. Eventually, this would be a colossal, even gargantuan problem.

Rory moved to the other side of the bench so he could face me across the semicircle of stone. It felt suddenly cold without him next to me.

"So you could see my magic, huh?" he asked.

Okay, this was supposed to be what I'd wanted to talk to Rory about, but he'd been the one to bring it up. Maybe part of me wanted to stay truly oblivious, not just faking it. But since he'd started it, I plunged in. "Before I tell you about what I saw in your magic, why don't you tell me how it is that you have magic when you're a norm?" Supposedly.

"Lady Acacia says I'm a human mage."

"Well, you're not," I said dismissively, and I realized I'd completely botched the conversation before it had really started.

"What do you mean?" His frown and voice betrayed anger and maybe even hurt feelings.

I sighed. I wasn't any good at this. "Your magic is the wrong color for a human mage. Look, I'm sorry about the flippant way I said that. Why don't you tell me about when you first realized you had magic?" I wasn't above pleading, and I gave him my best puppy dog eyes. "Please, Rory."

Rory tilted his head; a skeptical expression furrowed his brow before he exhaled hard. "We're definitely coming back to that, Addie. But okay, I'll give." Rory ran a hand through his hair. "I was maybe seven or eight years old when I first stumbled upon my magic." He sat back, resting his elbows on the top of the bench. "As you've heard, my mother started working for Lady Acacia when I was a baby. I never knew my dad." He paused to stare off into the distance for a moment. "He abandoned us, before I was born." His eyes met mine and I could see how his father's actions still hurt him. "Lady Acacia took us in. Both my mom and Lady Acacia have homeschooled me. The Lady noticed my magic almost as soon as it started to surface. I'm pretty sure my first magic was what wizards call 'wish magic.' If I wanted a toy or food, it started levitating over to me."

Yep, I could relate, I thought, but I wondered if human magic started the same way. Somehow, I doubted it.

"Because I didn't hang out with other kids, I thought it was all just normal stuff."

"That's a lot of power at a really young age," I said quietly. "Hugo says there's big physics behind that kind of magic-telekinesis. Even Hugo hasn't worked his way up to moving anything big." What did it mean that Rory's magic was that strong at such a young age? I had no idea. "So yesterday I saw you shield from my brother, and I've seen you ward twice. And it was always pretty instantaneous. Did you even chant?"

"I've been doing spells like that for years now. It works even if I chant in my head."

I happened to know that only really powerful wizards could pull that off.

"Even though Lady Acacia doesn't wield magic," Rory continued, "she has access to her father's library and a translation amulet, so she's taught me a lot."

"Translation amulet? I want to get back to that, but, Rory, if your magic is human, like a shaman or a mage, why do wizard spells work for you?"

Rory scratched his head as he considered my question. "I hadn't thought about it," he said. His frown deepened.

All my life I'd heard that each kind of magic worked differently, from a mage, to a shaman, to a wizard, to a witch.

I stared at Rory for a second. I knew this topic was bothering him. Maybe if I got less personal for a minute. "And that translation amulet you mentioned, I think that definitely sounds like something I need to get my hands on." And I meant it. Between my situation and Rory's, I had a lot of vital research to do and I couldn't wait on Hugo to do all the work. He had his own life to live and his own problems to deal with.

"Maybe Hugo can get you one. With the amulet, Lady Acacia has helped me figure out a lot of spells. But I can only learn with her help. I can't exactly talk to anyone else around here. Lady Acacia said wizards wouldn't tolerate a mage in the midst of their stronghold. I can't exactly hide it from you anymore, but, Addie, it needs to stay between us."

I agreed, nodding my head. "I haven't told anyone, and I won't. I promise, Rory. And you know I need you to keep my secret, too."

"I will. I promise." Rory smiled that big smile of his. "I almost didn't say anything to you about it, because I knew you would keep my secret."

"You, too," I said, wrapped up in the dazzling power of his smile.

He tilted his head quizzically and I realized I hadn't made any sense.

I blushed because Rory made me ditsy beyond belief. "I meant that I knew you'd keep my secret, too." I huffed, frustrated with myself.

Rory winked at me and my mouth curved in what felt like a goofy grin.

Rory looked off in the distance and then met my eyes again. "While we're talking about this, it's strange," Rory mused. "But Lady Acacia is unbelievably anal about me avoiding any magic that could even remotely result in harm—not that I would do anything like that. But she constantly reminds me. It gets kind of old."

"I bet," I said nonchalantly, but my stomach lurched. Did Lady Acacia know something? Was she afraid that Rory could become a sorcerer? Was she trying to prevent it from happening by steering him clear of any kind of magic that would tempt him to go dark? No way! There had to be another explanation for the purple magic, and besides, it wasn't muddy with red or black streaks. It was a translucent lavender-purple. Was it possible that Rory was the one referenced in the prophecy whose blood ran with both sorcery and wizardry? But I couldn't ask anyone about this. I'd officially promised Rory I wouldn't tell anyone, which included Hugo or Izzy. I had to get my own translation amulet.

"Sometimes, with your brother," Rory broke into my thoughts, "I'm really tempted to do something to him with my magic—not just a ward."

I felt my eyes widen.

Rory laughed. "Don't worry, Addie. I don't mean I'd hurt him with my magic, but I'd like to bind him from hurting others. Yesterday, when he hurled magic at me, I don't know what he meant to do to me, but it wasn't anything good."

"I don't know why he's like this." I closed my eyes and bit my lower lip in frustration. Sometimes I, too, wanted my brother to feel a little payback for the cruelty he'd heaped onto others, to learn a lesson if nothing else.

"But my point is that according to Lady Acacia, even messing with someone's free will, like in a binding, is something I have to steer clear of."

"Maybe I can lock him in his room. I wouldn't be using magic, then."

"Well," Rory said, mischief twinkling in his eyes, "since that doesn't involve using my magic, I could probably help you lock him up."

I giggled with a snort that had us both breaking into a fit of hilarity. Cheeva lifted his head, roused from sleep by our loud laughter. He tilted his head to one side and then the other, which made us laugh all the more.

Then I thought about how even Rory, who was supposedly human, had a huge head start over me. "You know a lot more about all of this than I do."

"You'll learn. I'll teach you what I know. I'm sure Hugo will, too," Rory said. He raised his eyebrows. "So now that I've pretty much spilled my guts to you, it's your turn to bring me up to speed. Make sure you include the explanation of why you think my magic isn't the right color to be human magic?"

Uh-oh. I forgot we'd have to circle back around to this topic. For a second, I thought about how to respond. I stood up to start pacing, but then sat right back down on the bench.

"I know you came into yesterday's events kind of late in the day. I think you picked up on the fact that even though I'm a wizard girl, I have magic. And I didn't have magic until yesterday on my sixteenth birthday, so all of this is completely new to me. It began yesterday with wish magic for me, too. And then I realized I could actually see magic—its different colors. Apparently that's an extremely rare and dangerous ability..."

"Dangerous?" Rory stared at me intently, or perhaps protectively.

"Yes. Hugo explained it. Because I can see the color of magic, I can tell if someone is a sorcerer or if someone is turning into a sorcerer."

Rory nodded as understanding dawned. "And that's the last thing a sorcerer would want."

"Exactly. That's also why it's a rare talent. It tends to get people killed."

"Okay, so we can't let that happen. But how did Hugo know what colors correspond to different types of magic?"

"It was documented in ancient wizard texts by Leonardo Da Vinci."

"I bet Izzy loved that," he said with a chuckle.

"She sure did." I laughed, too.

"So, what color is a sorcerer's magic?" Rory asked.

"Deep red, maroon, or a combination of red and black."

"And a human mage?"

"Well, it's supposed to be some shade of gold or amber," I replied.

"And what color is my magic?"

That was the crux of things, although he hadn't asked about the color of wizard magic, and I wasn't volunteering it. I didn't want him putting that particular two and two together. I was pretty sure he'd understand that red and blue make purple. "Your magic is a beautiful lavender-purple." It didn't have dark red and there wasn't a hint of black. He wasn't a human mage, but maybe he was something else.

I looked up at Rory. A slight smile curved his mouth at what I'd said, but then he grew serious again.

"So I guess purple isn't the right color for a human mage."

"Hugo may not remember everything perfectly," I said hastily. "And the information is pretty old. It could be wrong. It could be Da Vinci didn't know there were different flavors of mages. Or maybe you're something different or new?"

He squinted at me, tilting his head. "There's something you're not telling me."

I sighed. What was I going to say? "Like I said, this whole magic thing is new to me. Wizard boys are prepared their whole lives for this, but not wizard girls. We're pretty much kept in the dark. But yes, there's something Hugo said about the colors that I need to research before I tell you something that could be wrong. I'm probably totally off base. So please, no worries for now."

He stared at me through narrowed eyes for the span of a few heartbeats, but then reluctantly nodded.

I knew I'd do anything to make sure I didn't let him down. In my heart, I knew Rory wasn't evil and he wasn't turning evil, either. He couldn't be. I'd bet my life on it and, maybe, that's exactly what I was doing.

Cheeva's ears perked up. He stared intently at the wall of branches and leaves. He'd heard something, or someone.
CHAPTER 13

Reckless Abandon

"Hello, again," Hugo said as he pushed through foliage to enter the bower with Izzy trailing behind him.

"Your wards are a pain," Izzy accused, staring at me, but the ward wasn't mine.

"It's wish magic. I can't control it," I said with a shrug, not happy about lying to my friends.

Hugo made a hand gesture and with a chant under his breath, his opalescent ward surrounded Rory's ward. He probably didn't trust a ward that he believed came from my wish magic.

Regardless, I was pretty confident that no one would hear us now.

"People are starting to talk," Izzy said without preamble.

"I'm sure they are after last night," I answered with a sigh.

Izzy glanced from me to Rory and back to me, again. "Are we interrupting something?"

"Since when has that ever stopped you?" Hugo arched an eyebrow at Izzy.

"Well, it hasn't, but I thought it would be good to know if I'm third-wheeling or something." She dropped down next to me on the bench.

"I'm glad you're here," I chimed in.

Izzy absently scratched Cheeva's head. I was relieved he didn't chomp down on her hand. She obviously had not paid attention in Familiars 101.

"And you're not interrupting anything, Izzy." I recalled her implication. "Lady Acacia had a meeting with my father, so Rory and I came here to talk," I explained.

"Well, I'm dying to know what happened this morning at the Evangelista family confab," Izzy urged.

"Then why didn't you call?" I asked, and then realized I didn't have my cell phone. I had a bad habit of forgetting it. It was very un-teenage girl of me.

Izzy rolled her eyes.

"Okay, I forgot it, again."

"Oh really," Izzy deadpanned. "What a shocker!"

"Uh-hum," Hugo cleared his throat. "How did it go this morning? Give, give, give!" Hugo sat on the end of the bench a couple of feet from Rory.

"First, Hugo, while I'm thinking about it, do you have an extra translation amulet I could borrow? I'm going to need one to do research, and soon."

"Actually, they're pretty expensive. I only have one and I need it every day for school. And Horatio is still in classes, too, so he uses his all the time. I'm not sure how we can get our hands on one."

"I'd hoped it would be easier than that," I said with a sigh.

"You don't happen to have a bunch of money stuffed in your mattress or anything, do you?" Hugo asked with a half-grin.

"Unfortunately, no stash hidden anywhere," I replied, "but I really need an amulet, Hugo. Can you help me figure out a way to get one? I wish I didn't need to pull my friends into this mess, but I don't have anyone else to turn to."

"Look, Addie," Hugo said solemnly. "I understand and I'll try to figure out how we can get an amulet for you."

"Thanks, Hugs. I really appreciate it."

"Hello!" Izzy groaned. "Family confab?"

"Oh yeah. Sorry." And I quickly told them every little detail about what happened. There was a lot of laughing and several no he didn't comments about my brother.

"I don't believe it!" Izzy barked out a laugh. "You're actually getting your room remodeled? That's awesome."

"Hey." I shook my head, smiling in disbelief. "If I didn't know better, I'd swear you wanted me to be found out."

"Of course not, you pixie-head!" Izzy slapped my shoulder. "I just can't believe you went from being suspected of having a familiar to getting your bedroom overhauled. Don't get me wrong—it's amazing! I think I'm going to have to start taking lessons from you."

"And, don't forget the most important thing," Hugo added.

"What?" Rory asked.

"Zarius totally blew it," a smirking Hugo replied.

"Yeah, well," Rory agreed, "that karma is a—"

Cheeva growled.

"What is it?" Not that I knew how to communicate with Cheeva yet, but we all sat up straighter as Zarius entered the bower, scowling as he pushed through the wards.

"Thought I'd find you here," he jeered. His eyes narrowed. Piri ran from one shoulder to the other, chattering incessantly. "Oh look, the gang's all here." He gave each one of us his stink eye. "I felt those wards. That proves you all are up to something. And I'm going to find out what it is."

"What can we do for you, Zarius?" I asked, biting back a challenge and channeling my former obliviousness. My stomach flip-flopped with anxiety, and I patted Cheeva. He growled quietly, the rumble vibrating against my leg.

"Father wants you, Adriana, and—" Zarius' glare shifted from me to Rory. "Lady Acacia is leaving and needs her pet human. And, I volunteered to personally find you both. I suspected the two of you would be out here, all alone."

"Well, as you can see," I gestured to my friends, "Rory and I aren't all alone out here." Forget the fact that we had been moments before.

"Nevertheless, I think I need to let our father know you are spending too much time with this human. I don't think he'd like it. Yes, I'm pretty sure he won't like it at all. And lately he's been asking me a lot of questions about Bart. I think I know why." Zarius' mouth twisted into a vindictive smirk, as if he knew a secret I didn't know.

"You are such a tool, Zarius Evangelista," Izzy blurted.

"Like I said yesterday, Isadora—" Zarius stepped toward my friend and we both stood up to face him— "That mouth of yours is going to get you into a world of trouble one day."

"And, as Izzy said yesterday," Hugo interjected calmly, standing so that all six-foot-four of him invaded Zarius' space as he stared down at him, "a girl shouldn't get in trouble for telling the truth."

Zarius backed away from Hugo, his face turning red with fury.

Rory burst out laughing. "Izzy's right."

Without another word, Zarius spun around and stormed off.

Izzy threw her arms around Hugo. "I really, really love you, Hugs. You are the bestest bestie, ever!" She turned to me and gave me a quick hug. "Well, you are the bestest bestie, too."

I smiled as sincerely as I could, but inside dread began to form at the revenge I knew Zarius was brewing up for me.

As we walked back to the keep, I told Hugo and Izzy about how my father had talked to Bart at the party and how I thought he might have rolled his eyes.

"Surely," I said, "my father won't betroth me to Bart."

"His father is on the council," Hugo pointed out.

I stole a glance at Rory and noticed the muscles clenching in his jaw.

* * *

Hugo and Rory went home. After all, they couldn't exactly come in: they were boys, and visits from boys were strictly forbidden. Meanwhile, Izzy walked with me towards my father's library. My stomach churned with anxiety about my father summoning me to his office.

"It's going to be okay, Addie," Izzy said, but she didn't fool me. She was almost as nervous as I was. "I'll wait here for you." She sat on a settee outside of the office door.

At least I'd have Cheeva by my side. He bolstered my courage a little, but it was ironic that the white wolf had put me under suspicion in the first place.

I couldn't imagine what my father wanted to discuss. Anything about shopping would be coordinated by my mother or Tristan. Had I been wrong about what had happened at breakfast? Was the real interrogation about to begin?

Since Zarius had just now threatened to say something about Rory, I was fairly sure he hadn't had time to make good on that threat. I still had that to look forward to. However, any way I looked at it, I just couldn't see how this conversation could amount to anything good.

I gulped hard as I knocked on the library door.

"Come in," my father called.

I opened the door. "Hello, Father. Zarius said you wanted to discuss something with me."

My father's stare shifted from me to the huge white wolf. A deep furrow formed between his brows, as if seeing Cheeva made him question everything all over again. Great.

"Take a seat, Adriana." He sat behind his desk, waving me into one of the two plush armchairs facing his desk.

My heart sped up.

"Adriana." He said my name like a reprimand.

My heart sped up more.

"I do not want you to think that what I'm about to tell you in any way condones your poor behavior yesterday."

He couldn't mean Cheeva choosing me, as that wasn't anything I actually did.

"Are we clear, Adriana?" He glowered at me.

Whoops! I hadn't answered without hesitation as expected. If I wasn't careful, I'd blow Operation Oblivious. "Yes sir, we are."

"That's better," he said, steepling his forefingers in front of his mouth. "I have reconsidered Bartholomew Magnuson as your future betrothed. What I also want you to know is that I would have interviewed him before making any decisions and I would have found him...lacking."

Yes, but what if my father had promised me to Bart when I was little? He wouldn't have known Bart was "lacking," and I would have been stuck with him anyway. It wasn't fair that no wizard ever got to marry for love. It wasn't right.

"Adriana!"

"Yes, sir."

"Pay attention, daughter. As I was saying, in the future, you will trust that I will make the right decisions for you and for this family. You will respect my judgment and you will not challenge me again. Is that clear?"

"Yes, sir." I nodded dutifully.

"There is time to sort this all out. The overturning of your betrothal to Falcon Voltaire could take quite a while." His focus shifted once more to Cheeva and then returned to me. "I've sent for a seeker to consult about the white wolf. I want to understand why Cheeva has attached himself to you. I'm sure you would like to understand it as well."

Oh Shih-Tzu! What would a seeker see? Would he know I have magic? "Um—" I choked. "Ye-yes sir."

"It seems that Seeker Quinlan cannot make it to the stronghold for three or four more weeks, so it should not interfere with your trip to New York."

"Yes, Father. Whatever you think is best." I swallowed hard. "But—" I heard the hesitance in my own voice, "—even though I don't know why he chose to be with me, I am growing fond of Cheeva."

"Do not get attached to him, Adriana. He is not your pet. He is a powerful familiar. I'm sure when this is resolved he will end up bonding as your brother's familiar."

I knew in my heart that wasn't true. It would never be true. "Yes sir," I whispered meekly.

With a nod, my father dismissed me, looked down at papers on his desk, and started writing notes as though I was already gone.

I walked out of my father's office feeling like things could have gone worse, and then they did.

Zarius walked by, snickering as he knocked on my father's library door. He'd warned me. He was about to try to make sure I didn't see Rory anymore.

What could I do to stop him? I tried to think of anything I could do or say, but there wasn't anything. I was just as powerless as I'd always been. Being able to levitate a water bottle wasn't going to help me stop my brother. Some wizard queen I was.

By the Claw of Copernicus, why was I stuck with a brother like Zarius? He was such a jerk. Part of me wanted to collapse on the floor and cry right then and there. I wasn't ready to lose Rory. I'd liked him for so long and now he liked me, too. I knew I'd have to give up Rory someday, but not yet. Not now, when we were just starting to get close.

My thoughts shifted to the prophecy. Was it possible that my and Rory's lives were intertwined by destiny?

Izzy jumped up, ran over, and wrapped me in a big bear hug. "Did you survive?"

"Yes, and there won't be any betrothal to Bart."

"Hey!" Izzy patted my shoulder. "That's absolutely fantabulous!"

"But Zarius is in there telling my father that I'm having some kind of illicit relationship with Rory."

Izzy wiggled her eyebrows at me. "Well, are you?"

"Izzy!" I whacked her shoulder. "Of course not."

"Sorry." She snickered. "I was curious. Let me rephrase that—your brother is a total troll-butt," Izzy said in a hoarse whisper. "So, anything else with your dad?"

"Yes," I whispered back. "He's calling in a seeker to see why Cheeva chose me."

Izzy slapped a hand over her mouth, her eyebrows shooting up. "No!" The shout was barely muffled by her hand.

"We have to be quiet, Izzy!" I whisper-shouted.

She nodded her head in spastic agreement. "Hey, at least it isn't like it was a couple of hundred years ago when the Nostradamus keep had seekers running around all over the place."

"There is that," I agreed.

The more I thought about Zarius in there with my father, the more furious I got. Right now I felt more powerless than I ever had before, and I supposedly possessed super-strong magic inside me. I needed protection from him. I needed to be equipped with the knowledge to defend myself.

I needed a translation amulet!

"Izzy, you want to do something really stupid and dangerous?"

"You bet," she said, without even a second's hesitation.

"That's why I love you. You're my own personal Don Quixote!" I started walking.

"Not sure if that was a compliment," Izzy said, following me. "But what is our mission, since I've already decided to accept it?"

"We're running up to Zarius' room to steal a translation amulet."

Izzy halted mid-step. "Um, Addie, there's getting a backbone and then there's reckless abandon. I didn't mean I wanted you to concoct a spur-of-the-moment, harebrained scheme destined to fail."

I turned and jogged toward my immediate family's bedchambers. Cheeva paused, but then followed after me.

I glanced back at Izzy and mouthed, "Are you coming or not?"

She shook her head, rolled her eyes, and with a huge sigh, jogged after me.
CHAPTER 14

Spiteful Maneuverings

As we stood outside Zarius' bedroom door, fear momentarily paralyzed me. Izzy was right. Charging forward with this foolhardy escapade reeked of more than recklessness. It was pure crazy.

But damn it! After years of putting up with Zarius, and especially his spiteful maneuverings yesterday and today, I needed to control something! Anything! Even if it was my own temporary insanity.

"Do you think it's safe to open his door?" Izzy whispered.

"No," I replied.

To which Izzy shot me an impatient look, crossing her arms over her chest.

I shouldn't have dragged Izzy into this. It wasn't fair. "Izz, why don't you go home and leave this to me. I had no right to pull you into this."

"Forget that," she blurted. "If you're doing it, then I'm doing it, too."

I could tell Izzy wasn't budging. "Then we better do it fast," I said. "I'm counting on the fact that my brother believes that no one else in the world would dare mess with him."

"You're probably right about that," she said, but she didn't take the next step.

I reached for the doorknob and waited a couple of seconds. Nothing happened. I opened the door and paused for another few heartbeats, but still nothing happened.

Izzy ran into the room. "We've got to hurry. He could be finished talking to your dad by now."

We both ran to Zarius' desk and started rifling through the drawers. She took one side and I took the other.

"What does it look like?" Izzy asked.

"I have no idea! I guess it looks like an amulet."

"You really put a lot of planning into this, Addie," Izzy said with a huff. Her searching became as frantic as my own.

I could hear my heart pounding in my ears and I started to hyperventilate. "It's got to be here somewhere!" I didn't even try to whisper this time. "Where, where, where?" I ran trembling hands through my hair. Calm down and think, Addie. Where would I be if I were Zarius' translation amulet?

"His pants!"

Izzy shot me an incredulous grimace, like I had finally and officially lost it.

"The pants he wore to school yesterday," I explained as I ran full out to his closet.

The maid hadn't been here yet and sure enough, there were uniforms in his clothes hamper. Still, panic threatened to overcome me. Absolutely sure Zarius would show at any second, I almost yelled to Izzy that we needed to escape. But instead I searched through his pockets with shaking hands.

My fingers wound around a cold metal object about the size of a pocket watch. Had I really found it? I pulled it out and studied the intricately carved amulet.

This had to be it! FINALLY!

"I found it!" I called as I ran back into the bedroom, where Izzy had continued her search. I thrust the amulet upward in a victory wave.

Izzy turned wide, panicked eyes on me. I swiveled to face the closed bedroom door and listened. Over the low rumbling of Cheeva's growl, I heard the sound of a ferret chattering before the squeak of the door knob turning.

Then, the door opened.

My heart slammed against my ribcage.

Fleetingly, I wondered if a sixteen-year-old could have a heart attack. I'd put my heart through a lot in the last twenty-four hours.

Zarius' entrance had happened in less than a second. I didn't even think to hide the amulet. I just stood there like I was facing a firing squad and there wasn't any way out.

There wasn't any way out.

We'd been caught red-handed and it was all my fault.

Izzy and I would be retrained. Images of Lucia Amador's vacant eyes flashed in my mind. I gulped hard.

"What the hell!" Zarius blinked once, twice, and shook his head in total astonishment. His gaze darted from my guilty face to Izzy's guilty face, to the amulet in my hand.

"Hey there." I gave Zarius an awkward half-smile, half-grimace with a mini-finger wave. Hey there? Really?

Clearly, I didn't think well under pressure.

"What are you doing in my room?" He scanned his room. From the looks of things, it was safe to say we'd ransacked it. He shook his head one more time and stared at the contents of my hand. "That's my amulet."

Izzy shot me a look that said your brother is a real mental giant. But I knew the truth. He wasn't stupid—just shocked. He'd be over that soon enough.

And I so hated being right.

A malicious smile slowly turned up the sides of my brother's thin lips. Nonchalantly, he stroked back wispy hanks of his hair behind his ears. Even his ferret stopped chattering. "I don't even know if I need to understand why you broke into my room to steal my translation amulet. The simple fact is that you did. I think that's quite enough." If possible, his vindictive smile grew wider. He enjoyed torturing us just like he enjoyed torturing anyone he had power over.

"A friend needed it," Izzy blurted out.

Zarius only chuckled. As if he had all the time in the world, he pulled his cell phone from his pocket. He then proceeded to repeatedly rap his fingernails against the back of the case, relishing the clicking sound as if it were an instrument of torture.

Which it was.

Zarius narrowed his eyes at Izzy. "Looks like that someday has come a lot sooner than I thought it would, Isadora Van Horn."

In that instant, Izzy's expression transformed from terrified to enraged. A smile mirroring Zarius' curved her lips. In an obvious attempt to one-up him, she arched a single, perfectly-shaped red eyebrow.

His smirk faltered, but then resumed almost as quickly. "What, Isadora? Do you really think you can concoct some story that will make all of this go away?" He motioned toward the mess in his room and then resumed his confident sneer. "I think not," he gloated in a parody of politesse, as if they were playing a game of chess and it was her move, but he had his checkmate ready.

"Well, since you asked so nicely, Zarius. Why, yes, I think I do," Izzy said demurely.

"And what would that be?" Zarius opened and closed his fingers in a bring-it-on gesture.

I glanced back and forth between them. I couldn't imagine there was any possible way to talk us out of this mess. I had no bribe that would sway my brother, nothing I could exchange for his silence. I didn't even have any sibling blackmail stories to tell my father. Zarius was too careful for that.

Izzy patted one slender finger against her lips repeatedly, but Zarius just waited patiently like a mountain lion waiting for a rabbit to emerge from its winter burrow.

"Well," Izzy began calmly, "thank goodness Addie happened along when she did. I let you trick me into following you to this part of the keep. Then, you pushed me into your room and proceeded to have your way with me. Addie came along and stopped you just in the nick of time."

My mouth dropped open in unadulterated disbelief.

THIS IS THE END OF  
PART ONE OF... DESECRATION.

To find out what happens to Addie, and her friends, please purchase Part Two of DESECRATION, Book One of the Wizard Queen at Sixteen Series.

Below, please find an excerpt  
from Part Two of DESECRATION:

Part Two Excerpt...

SSCHHHRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEESCCHHHH!

An unearthly hissing shriek passed over my head, followed by the THWOP of immense wings pushing gusts of air down. My hair whipped against my face, blinding me. Adrenaline surged through my body, instantly morphing my sorrow into heart-pounding dread. Another sweep of massive wings and a demonic hissing cry whooshed over my head.

A terrorized scream tore from my throat as sharp talons brushed at my hair.

Frantically, I patted the ground, searching for the flashlight. In my mindless panic, I didn't even think to form a shield. My hand felt the cool metal of the flashlight. With trembling fingers I turned it on. Pulling myself onto my knees, I pointed the flashlight above me in a frenzied wave, creating a nightmarish beam of light wavering in the air over me. An expanse of ghostly white wings wove between the trees, blinking in and out of the light.

The unearthly hissing screech started up again. Fear jolted me, and I stumbled, careening onto my side. Desperate to see the creature descending, I rolled onto my back to keep my eyes on it.

This was it. I was going to die with Rory hating me and me hating myself. Some sorcerer had sent a ghostly winged demon to kill me.

WOOF. Cheeva barked. It dawned on me that it wasn't a particularly menacing bark. In fact, it was a friendly, almost playful sound.

I turned to where Cheeva was staring. In the beam of the flashlight, which now lay on the ground, a beautiful barn owl landed on the forest floor a few feet away.

I slowly sat up, blinking my eyes. I studied the owl. It had a pearly ivory underside. An outline of soft brown feathers formed a rounded heart around fathomless black-brown eyes.

LINKS TO PURCHASE:

DESECRATION PART TWO

DESECRATION PART THREE
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Hadley Holt is...an author of paranormal and fantasy YA (Young Adult) who has always loved to write. She also nurtures an incurable fascination with all things supernatural and fantastical. From a young age, she imagined stories about dragons, wizards, witches, ghosts, shape-shifters, vampires, and other magical creatures. As life often does, it blessed Hadley with family - a hunky husband and amazing children, and with family came a rewarding career. Hadley spent many years in the not-so-magical world of finance and mortgage banking, but the stories were always there in the back of her mind, demanding to be set free.

Thanks to the housing market crash, Hadley finally realized her dreams. She now breathes life into her magical tales of reluctant young heroes finding their inner power to stand up against terrible creatures and even more terrible odds

Connect with me online:

hadleyholt.com

facebook.com/hadley.holtauthor

twitter.com/Hadley_Holt

LINKS TO PURCHASE:

DESECRATION PART TWO

DESECRATION PART THREE

Thank you for reading DESECRATION, and if you liked it, I would appreciate it if you would encourage others to read and enjoy this book by recommending it to your friends and writing a review.
