Marks of the Past - 16

Chapter 16

Nik avoided me like the pox for the rest of the walk. 

I didn’t blame him, of course. Kyle’s condition, Nik’s unplanned lapse into unconsciousness, Nik’s new insane moment - all of these had one common factor: me. 

My so-called “loneliness”, however, lasted mere minutes before I gave up and silently called out for Mark. 

He appeared at my side less than a second later, his dark hair rumpled and equally black eyes rimmed red as though he’d been crying. The entire tips of his fingers were gone now, withered away to ash. 

“Do you need something?” he asked, voice barely masking bitterness.

I shrugged, but I tried to focus on sending my thoughts to him through my head. I’m scared, Mark.

“Oh?”

You saw what happened to Nik, I assume. Both in the carriage and on the road just now. Do you have an explanation for it?

Mark thought for a moment. “What happened in the carriage was the beginning stages of how one generally summons a ghost. It involves thinning the lines between life and death. Whoever is speaking to the ghost is put into a sleeplike trance that allows them to get close to the ghosts. I’ve never seen it used like that before though.”

And the fingerprints? 

“Temporary. They’ll fade within a week - only if a person has prolonged exposure to the afterlife do the marks begin to stay.”

Wait … do all marks have a relation to the world of the dead?

“You’re asking because of your scar.” He paused for a while, considering an answer. “Your scar - I believe - is an indication of the connection between the two of us. So yes, when I am finally sent away by the Cursebreaker, your mark will disappear.” 

I let out a sigh of relief. My entire life, I’d wanted nothing but to be freed from the chains of the scar on my face. 

Even if I couldn’t get rid of the magic within me. 

And what just happened to Nik?

Mark blushed - something new for him. “I’m not quite sure, Leila. I thought you could only drain magical people, but it appears that you saw something about his personality that you desired and tried to drain it from him. When you came in close contact with him …”

That’s right, I realized. Nik had been relatively normal until he’d come to walk with me and when he’d laid his head on my shoulder, he’d started to act all weird.

So I can never touch anyone again or I risk killing or draining them, I finished. 

Mark gave a small sigh. “I never wished this on you, Leila, I hope you know that. But the sooner we get to the Cursebreaker, the sooner we can remove me from you.”

But my magic will stay.

“And? Kyle has the Hidden Arts and look how he turned out.”

He’s been in a coma for six months - which is my fault, actually. I don’t see where you were going with this.

“Fine, you’re right. Kyle was a terrible example. But just think, when this is all over you won’t have your scar anymore. You can find James, get your family back. Fulfill your dreams because touching people won’t kill them anymore.”

My magic will stay, though.

“The Hidden Arts aren’t a curse, Leila. They’re a gift. I’m afraid I’m running out of time, though. The longer I stay in this world, the more pain it causes me. I won’t be of much help anymore. Remember - your magic is a gift!”
Then he was gone and I nearly walked straight into Nik.

It took me a moment to realize we’d stopped and I forced myself to step away from the others. Just to be safe. 

We’d arrived at what looked like a nice, two-story house. The porch creaked under our feet and the wind whispered through the trees. I could smell smoke drifting from the chimney. Surprisingly enough, the light streaming out from the windows was artificial and not candle produced. I didn’t think Miryir had electricity. 

Nik hesitated in front of the door for a minute, knuckles poised right in front of the wood. When he knocked, the sound seemed to crack like a gunshot. 

The door flew open a few moments later and a fair haired woman stared out at us. 

Her eyes widened as she took in Nik and then her gaze drifted to Kyle, still slumped over Jonah’s shoulder. 

“No,” she said firmly. “No. Go away.” The woman began to close the door but Nik stuck his toe between the frame and the door itself. “Stop it, you’re not wanted here. Go away.”

“Just wait and I’ll explain,” Nik began, the woman now repeatedly slamming the door against his foot but to no avail. “Mom-”

“Mom?” Chelsea interjected. 

Nik turned to give us a sheepish smile and the woman - Nik’s mother - stopped for a moment. 

“Well, guys, welcome to my childhood home!”

I wasn’t sure what was worse - the disgusted looks that Nik’s father was sending us or the taste of the tea his mother had quickly prepared. 

Once Nik had introduced us to his mom - Simone - he’d barged into the house and led us straight to the sitting room where his father had been reading by the fireplace in a large chair. Nik had plopped down on the couch without a second thought, propping up his feet on the coffee table. 

“I’ll make some tea,” Simone had said before disappearing into the kitchen. 

Jonah then draped Kyle across another armchair and took his seat next to Nik on the couch. Rave, Chelsea, and I had sat on the rug instead. 

Nik’s father had carefully placed his book on the table beside his chair, peering at each of us through thick-rimmed glasses, his scowl deepening with every passing second. We’d sat in silence until Simone passed out teacups full of steamy liquid. She then took her place standing behind Nik’s father. 

“So,” Nik’s father began. “Son. What are you doing back in Miryir? I thought your treason was enough to keep you away.”

Nik ignored him, taking a sip of his tea daintily and nearly spitting it out. I couldn’t blame him - it was probably one of the worst things I’d ever tasted. 

“Who are your friends?” Simone asked politely. “Do you want to tell us how all of you met?”

“I’m sure you’d like that, wouldn’t you?” Nik retorted, voice spilling over with bitterness. 

“Don’t talk to your mother that way,” his father spat. “Apologize.”

“No,” Nik argued. “You’re the one who practically disowned me after you sent me off to war. I’m not the one who needs to apologize.”

His father snarled but Simone placed her hands on his shoulders. “Monty, darling, shouldn’t we talk without fighting for a bit? I’m sure Nik has a very good excuse for bringing all of these … friends here.”

“Friends,” his father - Monty - scoffed. “All I see is a dead boy, two siblings with magic they shouldn’t have, some monster, and …” His eyes stopped at Chelsea. “You might be acceptable. Are you Nik’s girlfriend?”

Chelsea spat at his feet in response. 

I, on the other hand, was trying not to focus on the fact that he’d called me a monster. He called Kyle dead, he’s obviously wrong. 

Kyle’s as good as dead, the pessimistic part of me argued back. 

What about Jonah and Rave? Do they really have magic that they aren’t supposed to possess? 

Well, James did say… 

I cut off the thought before I could dwell on it. That was a problem for another time. Right now we needed to convince Monty and Simone to let us stay here.

“Father,” Nik interrupted, voice cold. “My friends and I need a place to stay for a little while. You don’t have to talk to us, approve of us, or even acknowledge us. But we’re staying and you’ll let us because it’s the least you can do for your son.”

“See,” Simone gave a nervous giggle. “We can all get along…”

“Enough!” The shout made me jump and I realized that Monty had slammed his hand on the armrest of his chair. “Simone, we can’t let these … children stay with us. Knowing Nik, they’re probably fugitives.”

“But dear, one of them is dying-”

“And I bet our son was the one who killed him.”

“It’s just for a little while. And then they’ll be gone.”

Nik stepped in. “Father, I promise that this is the last thing I’ll ask of you. Just let us stay here for two weeks at the most. Then we’ll disappear.”

Monty groaned. “Fine, but,” he shifted his gaze from Jonah to Rave to me, “tomorrow I am going out and buying the king’s new magic-resisting cuffs. The two siblings will wear them. And I want that other monster of a girl on a leash.”

“What?!” Nik and I burst at the same time as Jonah said, “No way.”

Monty shrugged. “Those are my terms. I don’t want the two magicians doing magic - especially when it’s forbidden in Miryir. And that other girl has a scar which can only mean bad things. I want her chained at all times so I don’t end up murdered in my bed.”

“Jonah and Rave rarely use their magic, and Leila has never hurt anyone,” Nik argued, fuming. 

“Those are my conditions,” Monty said firmly. “It’s either that or I kill all three of them right now and turn the rest of you in for treason.”

Nik looked like he was struggling to keep from murdering his dad. As much as I wanted to sit beside him and assure him that I would be fine, I couldn’t risk touching him again. Part of what Monty had said was true. 

I was a danger. 

“It’s fine, Nik,” I said softly, trying to push away the picture of Monty’s gleeful smirk. “If it helps Kyle, I’ll do it. No harm done, right?”

“Leila, you’re not wearing chains. Chains are for prisoners and murderers. You’re neither,” Nik said, shaking his head. “Father, this is absurd-”

“The girl has already agreed to it,” Monty said, sending a pointed look at Rave and Jonah. “What about you two?”

“Fine,” Jonah replied after a long moment of silence. “We’ll do it.”

“Guys, don’t let my dad push you around-” Nik started, but his father cut him off with a wave of his hand, obviously pleased. 

Monty then stood, brushing off his pants. “There are guest rooms upstairs - pick whichever you’d like. Tomorrow morning I’ll have the chains and the cuffs ready. Until then, goodnight.”

Then he and Simone strutted out of the room, leaving the rest of us in stunned silence. 

“Well that went well,” Nik remarked, his fists clenched at his sides and his mouth drawn into a frown. 

“Hey, at least we have a place to stay,” Jonah tried, but even he couldn’t hide the dread that we all felt. The price for our stay at Nik’s family home would be the freedom of all of us. Jonah and Rave would be unable to use their magic - which wasn’t exactly terrible unless someone discovered we were here and forced to fight. As for me and the chains… 

“You don’t have to wear what he buys,” Nik said to Jonah, Rave, and I. 

“If we don’t, he’ll kick us out and then we’ll be stuck toting Kyle around with us,” Jonah pointed out. “Besides, it’s not that bad. Right, Rave?”

The tiny girl nodded, but she was staring at her hands like she couldn’t imagine losing the ability to speak to plants. This, of course, was all assuming that what Monty bought would work. 

“What about you, Leila? Are you going to let him put chains on you?” Nik’s eyes were begging me, pleading with me to disagree. 

“I have to wear them,” I said quietly. “It’s for Kyle.”

Nik swore under his breath and slumped back against the couch. “So you guys are all just giving up?”

“Nik, really … ” Chelsea began, but the glare he sent her made her shut up. 

“Fine, if you all want to take the coward’s way out - be my guest. I really thought you were my friends.” Then he got up and stormed away. 

“I should go after him,” Jonah started.  

I shook my head. “No. The best thing we can give him right now is space. This has to be a lot - coming back home to find that your parents hate you.”

“What do you know about Nik’s life?” Chelsea scoffed. 

I shrugged, trying to ignore the sting of her comment. It was true - maybe I didn’t know Nik well at all. But I understood what it felt like to be practically disowned by someone I thought had loved me. 

“Listen, we need to get along while we’re here-” Jonah began, but Chelsea cut him off. 

“I’m not going to just sit here and pretend everything is okay, Jonah. Because it isn’t.” Her voice was thick with irritation and she sounded like she was on the verge of tears. “Leila did something to him - I don’t know what it was but it wasn’t normal.
“What are you saying then?” I asked her, trying to keep my voice level when in reality my stomach felt like I’d swallowed burning embers. 

“I’m saying that maybe Monty was right to put you in chains.” 

She looked at me, bright eyes burning with fiery rage. I stared right back, my mind drifting to what had happened to Mark when I’d been furious with him for suggesting I ditch the Shadows. 

Now he was dying again, and I was pretty sure he wouldn’t go to the land of the dead when the ashes finally consumed him. 

I broke my gaze, fear trickling down my spine as I realized the same thing could happen to Chelsea. She gave a smug hmph before standing and walking in the direction Nik had gone. 

“She didn’t mean it, y’know,” Jonah said after she’d disappeared. “Chelsea can get pretty vicious but most of the time her anger is just pent up. You heard about her brother, right?”

I gave a slight nod. “He died, right?”

“One of them did,” Jonah corrected. “The older one left her entire family for dead. It was a big Court scandal. She’s been bitter about it ever since, but I won’t tell you much else. It’s not my story to share.”

I nodded again, completely understanding his hesitation. “What about you?”

“What do you mean?”

“Do you have any cool life stories you’d like to share? I mean, you don’t have to but…”

“Our grandfather was one of the first mentalics to publicly show his magic,” Jonah explained. “He taught me everything I know and he was the one to encourage Rave to learn elemental magic.”

“He used to tell us stories about how magic would one day be accepted by everyone and praised,” Rave whispered. “He said that if it didn’t happen during his life, he hoped it would happen during ours.”

“Why did you choose earth magic?” I asked her. 

Rave shrugged, but Jonah grinned when he answered for her. “Think of all the elements for a moment. Fire is dangerous but hard to control, water is pretty adaptable but you can’t do much with it. Air is everywhere, but it’s one of the hardest to master. Earth, though - earth is the silent killer. You wouldn’t expect it to be as dangerous as it is - especially in Rave’s hands.”

“The earth magic reminded me of myself,” Rave simplified with a small smile. 

Unsure of what to say in response, I sat quietly and waited. Finally, Jonah stretched and yawned, arching his back like the stray cats that sometimes begged for food at our door. “I suppose we should head to sleep. Tomorrow we have to get our restrictions.”

The cuffs and the chains. 

“Of course,” I agreed. “But it’s for Kyle, and that makes it worth it, right?”

“I hope so,” Jonah replied with a sigh before grabbing Kyle and disappearing down the hallway.