There was no stomping, no noise as I moved, slipping through the house like a silent thundercloud, promises of fury building as I made my way to his workroom. This was a place I had seen few times and had been allowed to tarry fewer. That hardly mattered now.

  The door opened easily at my touch, and I closed it behind me. He sat there, leaning over several vials of one substance or another, a notebook open before him. He looked up, blinking in surprise and sitting back, eyes widening as he registered my expression.

  “Percival, why are you here?”

  “What exactly do you think you are doing?” I snarled.

  “Whatever do you—”

  “Kaylee,” I said. “Do you think you can throw her away? Your daughter, my sister? What foolishness entered your thick head to lead you to that plan?”

  “That’s nonsense boy,” he retorted, “and I am your father. You will address me with—”

  “The respect by which you have comported yourself,” I spat in response, teeth grinding. “Do you think me a fool who hadn’t noticed? I knew before I could speak the words, as do Grandfather and Grandmother. No, I held my peace since I was assured she was safe, biding my time until I could do right by her, and you think I’ll allow this?”

  “You’ll allow?” he said, bass seeping into his voice. “This is my home, and I will say what is allowed. I will see that there is propriety, and it is clear I must correct your behavior.”

  I felt the spell wrapping around me, something he’d cast, something quick, something to bind. With a flex of my will and an internal push, it shattered like paper-thin glass. My training proved its usefulness, and I was upon him. My sword, the one hidden within the cane that he himself had made for me, slid from its sheath and stopped an inch from his face.

  “Propriety? How about I take my sister to our grandparents after carving her name into your forehead? What will your propriety say then? Oh, I imagine the rumors will be terrible, and Mother would want to know, too, wouldn’t she? They offered, you know, when I was still small. Told her mother to come to them if they ever needed help. I’m sure they would take us in without a second thought.”

  He didn’t try to cast again. There were rules in this world. Wizards and priests were terribly powerful, but once a physical magic user like myself got in melee range, it was over. No spell would stop me before I could slice him to ribbons, and we both knew it. One chance was all I’d needed.

  “Son,” he said, voice coming down, “calm yourself before you do something you’ll regret.”

  “If I were not in control, you would not be able to speak,” I said through gritted teeth. “So, what will it be?”

  His eyes searched mine, then looked around for some way out, but there was none. I would make good on my threat, and he knew it, somewhere deep down. There was also some shame there, a tinge, like he understood on some level that what I was doing was what he should be doing to himself.

  “Put the blade down, son. If …” he seemed he was going to say something but changed his mind. “The girl can stay.”

  With a swift movement I withdrew my blade, slipping it into the cane where it belonged. He sat back down, almost falling into his chair. I could see his hand tremble slightly, the shock of what had just happened still sinking in.

  “I do not care if you speak to her, or acknowledge her, or anything else, but should you try anything like this again, I will take time out of my busy schedule to personally teach you how to unfuck yourself.”

  That might have been the first time he’d ever heard me curse, but he didn’t acknowledge it. He simply continued sitting there. I turned, leaving him to, honestly, I didn’t care.

  The door was open, cracked, and as I approached, I heard the sound of heavy breathing, saw the small eye just behind it. I opened it and stepped out into the hallway, shielding Kaylee with my body from our father’s view until I could pull the latch closed behind me. Her eyes were saucers, flicking between me and the door behind me.

  “Come downstairs,” I told her as gently as I could. “We’ll talk. Everything is going to be okay.” Poor girl must have had quite the day, and this was not the best way to learn this kind of thing. Though, would there be a better one? I didn’t know.

  “Your … my …” she stumbled.

  “Yes, now let’s go. I’d rather not have this conversation overheard. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of you.”

  She blinked again, and her eyes settled on me, on the small, pained smile I knew I wore. With that, she let me lead her down to my workshop, where we could finally talk as we should have long ago.

  Chapter 35

  ✶

  Between Siblings

  Please, sit,” I said to Kaylee as I closed and locked the door; no reason to risk someone else overhearing us.

  “Um … sir, I really don’t …” I gave her a look, and she sat.

  Sitting in the presence of your employer was considered inconceivably rude for someone like a maid or member of staff. There were exceptions—jobs that needed to be done sitting down—but for the most part, they stood when we were around, a measure of respect, I think.

  “You can also drop the polite speech, at least in here and for now. We may have to pretend for others, but now that you know the truth, there’s no reason to when it’s just the two of us.”

  “You’ve told me that we’re related, but not how you know. How do I know this isn’t just something … I don’t know.”

  “People don’t think little kids listen, but they do. I did, and my memory is sharper than you’d believe. Consider also how if I’d been wrong, our father would’ve simply told me such, rather than that embarrassment. If you’re truly worried, we could have a priest check. That is well within the remit of their abilities.”

  She was still in shock, it seemed, still trying to process, taking her time. I let her. There really was no need to rush.

  “So, I’m a noble?” she asked.

  “No, not legally, at least. Barring an act from the king, even if you did get confirmation from a priest, without Father recognizing you officially, you’d be considered illegitimate. You could push for that, but if you do, I’ll warn you that you’ll be a pariah. Without that paperwork signed by him, I’m afraid that no well-to-do family would hire you; and while Grandmother and Grandfather Shadestone would surely take care of you, they won’t be around forever.”

  “That seems terribly unfair,” she said.

  “It is,” I agreed. “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be, it’s not your fault. Is there truly nothing you can do though?”

  “I’m afraid not. He has to be the one to sign those papers. If your magic manifested fully, we might be able to put pressure on him, but unless it does.” I ended with a simple shrug. That was all I could give her at the moment.

  “I’ve heard there are medicines that can,” she suggested.

  “Then you’ve also heard that those drugs are fatal. Not once have I heard of anyone surviving long after taking them to increase their power. A few years at most before it burns your body out and you die. Personally, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t take such measures.”

  “Perhaps it would have been better to not know,” she mused.

  “Perhaps, but now you do, and now at least I can make moves to help you that I couldn’t before. Father might be worthless on this account, but I won’t toss you aside, and one day I will be in charge of the family’s estates. Until then, I can at least help you without having to make up reasons or excuses constantly.”

  “The items you gave us …” Good. She was smart, thinking about things.

  “… were really only for you. I made the others just to hide the fact that I wanted you to have a proper weapon and shield, should something happen when I wasn’t around.”

  “Thank you,” she said. “That was kind.”

  “You don’t need to thank me. Taking care of you is my job.” As I said it, I thought back to a fictional character who’d told a foolish man the very reason older brothers are born first.

  She snorted, “I’m pretty sure taking care of you is my job, or it was.”

  “Still is. Father may be many things, but foolish enough to think I would make a threat rather than a promise isn’t one of them. You don’t need to go anywhere, and if anyone tries to make you, contact me and I’ll handle them.”

  “Even the lady of the house?” she asked, referring to my mother.

  “If I have to explain things to her, I will. She’ll be furious, but not at you. May make things more complicated in the long run, though, so I’d rather not just yet.”

  “I see.”

  Plans upon plans began to form in my head, but as they did, I realized there was one question I hadn’t asked.

  “What do you want?”

  “That’s … I hadn’t even considered it. I don’t know.” Kaylee looked at me, and I understood. She was still in the processing stage. She’d need time.

  “You can stay as you are, working as you are, though with more backing from me. If I can get enough power both politically and financially, I might be able to force father to acknowledge you one day. That could be difficult, but possible.” Even as I said it, I realized I knew several of the biggest players in the country, including the king, at least in passing. Those connections might one day serve to fix her situation, but that would be a major request.

  “And then?”

  “Well, you’d be able to stay either with us or with our grandparents as a full member of the family. It would be quite the adjustment, but it would be a good life.”

  “I understand. If I wanted that, what would I need to do?”

  “The very best thing you could do would be to unlock your magic fully, and properly. There are no guarantees for doing so though.”

  “I don’t suppose you have any advice on that?” she asked.

  “Well, you use fire, right?” I asked, already knowing the answer. At her nod I continued. “Perhaps a greater understanding of how fire works and what it is would help.”

  I grabbed a small writing board from one of my drawers and began to scribble, not a normal commoner’s understanding of fire from this world, but what I knew of it. Perhaps I’d not gone too deeply into chemistry on Earth, but what was well understood by high school students eclipsed some of the best theories this world commonly offered.

  I told her how fire was a chemical reaction and explained oxidation as well as I could remember it, about basic atomic structure and how those reactions worked. Honestly, it was a bit of an information overload, but I simplified it as best I could. By the end her eyes were dry and slightly confused.

  When we finished, we walked back toward the servants’ quarters, a place I needed to pass on my way to my room anyway. She went in, and only a moment later Mrs. Rider came out, looking at me with an expression I’d not seen on her in several years. Clearly, she too had something to say.

  Chapter 36

  ✶

  Unhappy Housekeeper

  Young lord, I’ve held my peace for a long time, but there are limits,” Mrs. Rider began.

  “Excuse me?” I asked, a bit taken aback by her tone. I’d been angry earlier, and she knew it and got out of my way. Now I was in a different mood, so she knew she could get away with saying whatever was bothering her.

  “No, no I won’t. For quite some time I’ve seen how you favor that girl, seen how you look at her when you think others aren’t watching, but tonight is beyond what I can overlook, my lord. I cannot have you in … relations with one of the maids. If it got out, it would be a scandal, and I’m not beyond bringing this to your mother. Your father perhaps listened to you, but I’ve known her a long time, and I assure you, she’ll agree with me on this.”

  I was honestly taken aback. That she’d noticed I favored Kaylee wasn’t too much of a surprise. It wasn’t like I was hiding it or anything, but that she thought that we were, well, doing what teenagers were wont to do was something else. I also had to stop myself from laughing, because that would have been truly inappropriate.

  “Mrs. Rider, I believe you’ve misjudged the situation,” I informed her as calmly as I could.

  “Oh? And you didn’t confront your father, causing him to inform me the girl would be fine to stay, before running off with that girl into your private room for nearly an hour? Do tell me that isn’t what happened.” I had to give it to her; from an outside perspective it was suspicious.

  “You do know that her mother was my nursemaid and nanny, correct?” I asked.

  “I … I hadn’t really thought of it, but that doesn’t mean …” she began.

  “Or that through my childhood I spent much time with the girl?” That wasn’t too true, as we’d been separated after a couple of years, but she didn’t know that.

  “Hm.”

  “Mrs. Rider, my interest in Kaylee isn’t of the nature that you seem to believe. When we were young I viewed her, well, almost as a younger sister, nothing more. My anger stemmed from those feelings, not any infatuation. And, as for the time in my workroom, I was giving her advice on magic, so she could hopefully grow, should she encounter problems when I’m not around.”

  The best deceits were sprinkled with truth. I couldn’t tell her that Kaylee really was my sister, but I could tell her that we’d been childhood friends and that I’d come to view her as such. The magic part was partially true as well, as I’d given her a fair bit of advice on combustion.

  “Then you’ll have no issue with me taking her to the Temple of Lovers tomorrow to have her examined?” she challenged in a whisper.

  “None so long as she doesn’t, but should I find that you harass her about it, I’ll be quite cross.”

  Priests, as far as I knew, could detect a number of things, and if one wanted signs of sexual relations, it was possible. The Order of Lovers were experts in all kinds of magic related to such, and if anyone could, it was them. Mrs. Rider doing as she’d threatened would put that to bed once and for all, and allow her to douse anything the other staff were saying as well.

  This sort of invasion of privacy would be unheard of on Earth, but here it was merely frowned upon. While it would be a scandal for a noblewoman to be asked such a thing, maids and their employers getting into bed together was, too, but the privacy of staff was basically zero. Without some knowledge of their superiors they weren’t supposed to have relationships at all, though many did.

  Added onto that Kaylee’s age, younger even than me, and the suggestion was invasive, but not altogether unheard of. Mrs. Rider probably even counted as some form of guardian since Kaylee’s mother was at the main estate.

  “Then I shall,” she declared.

  “Take the cost from the house’s funds, Mrs. Rider,” I informed her before turning, “and keep in mind what I said about being cross.”

  Kaylee

  This was horrid, and I wanted to crawl into a corner and die. Mrs. Rider had been absolutely up in arms last night, taking me off into her office for a full interrogation once she’d finished speaking to Lord— no, my brother. She seemed convinced beyond reason that I had been with him, an idea that made my very skin crawl, and had been quite clear about what she would do if I refused to join her on this little trip.

  Her plan was to go to the lady of the house, consequences be dammed, and inform her of her suspicions. That alone would cause me to lose my job, and who knew what else would come of it when she came down upon me and most certainly my mother too. That was, unless I proved that I was innocent.

  The housekeeper had even taken my uniform last night “to be laundered,” which meant she was checking it, of course. Neither of us said it, but both of us knew. That, too, was such an invasion, I wondered if she’d dare if she knew the truth. Dreams of living like a noble flashed through my mind sometimes. Anyone would want that, wouldn’t they? To not labor and struggle and break yourself to keep others comfortable? It seemed too good to be true.

  It also made a sort of sense. Mother had never talked about my father, telling me only that she hated to think about it. She also had no magic of her own, so mine was seen as a blessing, but if I was the child of a mage, that would’ve almost been a given.

  “Greetings and welcome,” a priestess said as she approached us, looking at me. “Come to get the young miss a Lover’s Mark?” a priestess asked as she approached us, looking at me. She couldn’t have possibly been more wrong.

  I turned crimson, feeling it fly up my cheeks. Those marks, as they were called, were magical tattoos, made to prevent pregnancy, pretty much the opposite of why I was here.

  “No,” Mrs. Rider answered. “You see there’s been an … accusation about my ward here, and I’d like to settle it if possible.”

  The priestess gave me a long look before nodding. “Please come with me.” When the housekeeper tried to follow she was motioned back. “Only her.”

  The robed woman was tall, half a head above me, and walked with purpose to a small, private room. I’d been to temples very few times and had seen priests for medical treatment fewer still.

  “Thank you for keeping her from coming,” I said as the door shut.

  “It is standard practice, as are the questions I’ll be asking you next. I should inform you that I won’t lie, but I also won’t force anything on you if you don’t want it.”

  “Ah, thank you,” I murmured.

  “Have you been assaulted in any way? At your age that’s a real concern, and if you have, tell me now and I’ll help you.”

  “No,” I spat out.

  “If the man was older, that’s an issue too.”

  “What? No, nothing like that.”

  She gave me a long look. “You can tell me; you’re safe here.”

  “I really haven’t—”

  “Having problems with a boyfriend then?”

  “I— What? No.”

  “Very well, if you’re ready, I can examine you, assuming that’s all right with you?”

  “Well, if you don’t, it’ll cause big problems. Do you … need me to undress or anything?”