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Sunlight glared through my window, turning the black behind my eyelids red. Pulling the blanket over my head, I tried to go back to sleep. The book I had been reading the night before was on the floor, bent at the spine. When I couldn’t find sleep again, I gave up and threw off the covers, rubbed my eyes, and sat at the edge of the bed. Other than my boots and socks, I was fully clothed. I stifled a yawn as a rapid, nervous knocking echoed through my room. With heavy eyes, I trudged over to the door and pulled it open. A frightened boy stood there, avoiding my gaze. He couldn’t have been older than seven.
“The master needs you.” His voice trembled as he spoke. “He is waiting in his office.”
Once the boy’s message had been delivered, he spun around and sprinted out of sight. I watched him go until he was lost behind a stone corner. I’d noticed that during my time here, a lot of the other kids were reluctant to be around me. I wondered if it had something to do with the attention I’d been receiving from Master Adkins. I didn’t mind it though. I was used to feeling alone. It was second nature to me.
I closed the door, slumped against it, and thought about what Thena had said the night before. Before it could grab hold of me, I bent down and started cleaning up my room. I straightened the blankets on the bed, put my clothes away, and pulled my socks and boots on. Finally, I retrieved the fallen book. I wanted to wash up but knew I wouldn’t have time for that. Master Adkins had never sent for me this early before. I needed to hurry.
Racing through the halls, I received annoyed looks from the kids I bumped into. I knew they were glaring long after I passed, but I didn’t care. I continued on until I stood outside Master Adkins’ door. Taking a deep breath, I gently tapped on it.
“It’s open. Come on in, Jaxon.”
The office looked different. There were no maps on the wall, no books stacked on his desk, and no uneaten food in the corner. It was only Master Adkins at his desk and a single chair sitting opposite him.
“Please sit.”
He waited for me to get comfortable before continuing. He looked nervous.
“What is it?” I asked.
“The council has arrived early,” he announced. “They would like to interview you this afternoon, refusing us any time to prepare. For this reason, I wanted to meet with you one last time. I will answer any questions you might have.”
My eyes wandered the room as I thought. Currently, all the questions I had revolved around magic and I didn’t think that would be a good topic to bring up. Was it really as dangerous to talk about as Thena had said? However, if Master Adkins was willing to discuss it with me, this may be my last chance. I decided to take it.
“What would happen to someone who used magic?”
The question caught Master Adkins off guard. His answer was carefully constructed.
“They would be put on trial. Magic is a serious crime, but not one we have had to confront in many years. Officially, all magic is banned. It is not taught nor studied in any recognized institute. However, that will not stop those who are adamant about learning to harness it. They are aware of the laws, as well as the consequences of defying them. They keep themselves, and their desires, well hidden. Why do you ask?”
Guilt washed over me as tears flooded from my eyes.
“What happened?” Master Adkins asked.
“I don’t know,” I cried. “I had my eyes closed. I didn’t see anything.”
I was in hysterics. The thought of being put on trial for something I couldn’t help scared me. The master brought his chair around the desk and sat next to me, putting a consoling arm around my shoulders. “Tell me what happened.”
“It all happened so fast,” I said as I proceeded to recount the events from the night before.
The story began when I left the Institute and ended with my search in the library. When I finished, Master Adkins reached down and picked up the book at my feet.
“Well, your first problem is the book. Even if you could read it, you would find nothing about magic in here. Second, our library is devoid of most mentions of magic. If you wanted to study that, you would have to travel to Gregorii. Even then, most of the books and scrolls regarding magic are kept under constant guard. It is all under tight lock and key.”
And the mention of the word key, another question slipped out of my mouth.
“What is a summoner?”
Master Adkins was visibly surprised by the question. “Where have you been?”
I didn’t want to implicate Thena’s family in whatever this was, so I remained silent. After a few moments, Master Adkins responded.
“I will respect your wish to keep this secret. I can only assume you are trying to protect those you care about, but I must warn you. You have mentioned two things that most don’t know or avoid like the plague. Those who know of them, know enough to fear them. Secrets like these can do one of two things. Or both. They will guide you down a dark path from where there is no return or they will garner attention that will most likely get you killed. Given the amount of time you have been here and the questions you have asked, I would assume this is not by chance. And since you have brought up the subject, I will do my best to explain what a summoner is. Perhaps this knowledge will give you some insight into why it is so dangerous.”
Master Adkins stood up and paced his office. “A summoner is a simple medallion. By itself, there is nothing wrong with it. Long ago, while magic was still in practice, wizards and witches would enchant small trinkets and items with a spell. The effect would lay dormant until the intended target touched it. Had I picked up the item instead of the intended target, nothing would happen. This made delivering it easy and practical. People would pay good money to have someone cursed or injured when it was nearly impossible to trace it back to them. Once the ruse was discovered, charms against these curses were created, rendering the trinkets and the spells useless, though the concept was still used. People began using medallions and coins as summoners, or calling cards, if you will.”
“What’s a calling card?” I asked.
Master Adkins moved to his desk and picked up a small bronze coin. “Imagine that I am the leader of a secret organization but I wanted to keep my identity secret. I couldn’t tell anyone who I was. I would need a symbol. The summoners began to represent people. When a member of my organization received one of my summoners, they would know that I was calling them to my service. The trick is the spell. If someone else picked it up, it would look like a worn coin. When the intended person touched it, the image would appear.”
“So, if someone I know has one, and there was an image on it, they might be a member of a secret group?” I asked.
“Not likely. As far as I know, summoners have not been used in over two hundred years. Akalis used them quite frequently, but since his banishment, there hasn’t been a need for them.”
I glanced at my feet. Uncle Williams seemed to know enough about them to be scared. “Couldn’t someone still be using them?”
“You are asking some curious questions, Jaxon,” Master Adkins said, studying me. “There is only one group I could think of who would use them. We know them only as the rebellion. They want to see magic brought back to Odrana. They are unable, or unwilling, to admit to the damage it once caused us. Now, let us move on. I would like to clarify some things we talked about yesterday. About you and the scroll.”
I nodded nervously. The fear I had felt yesterday was still fresh in my mind.
“Jaxon, I must impress one thing on you first. I do not think you are evil. After you left yesterday, I pondered on the words of the scroll. They simply say touched by darkness and evil. In retrospect, I have been touched by evil. Everyone has. Being touched by evil does not make one evil. Evil is all around us. Remember, evil is a choice. But there is also good all around us, and that is what I see in you. There is no need to be scared. Trust in who you are, not in what a piece of paper, written many lifetimes ago, may say. Do you understand?”
Again, I nodded but remained silent.
“The scroll will be brought up in your interview. Be ready for it. If you show fear, they will see it. I will not be able to protect you in there but have faith. Everything happens for a reason. Now, before I send you on your way, do you have any other questions for me?”
There was one question I wanted to ask, but I was afraid of the answer. But it needed to be asked.
“What is the purpose of this interview?”
The answer was like a punch to my stomach.
“To decide your fate.”
“What does that mean?” I asked.
Tears formed in Master Adkins’ eyes. “I didn’t want to tell you this because I knew it would cause you unneeded worry, but they will decide if you should continue to live. I have done what I can, but they do not know you as I do. So, when you go in and meet them, just be honest. The truth is the best thing for you.”
Leaving the book behind, I stood up and walked to the hall. Master Adkin’s didn’t try to stop me. The announcement had left me speechless, thoughtless, and dumbfounded. Not watching where I was going, I stumbled around the Institute. At the back of my mind, fighting for a voice among my other chaotic thoughts, was Father. His face floated into the void of nothingness at the front of my mind.
“What am I going to do?” I asked, hoping for a response.
I had been so hopeful about my life here. Now it all hung in the balance of what this council would say. They had the power to take everything from me, and all because of what a scroll written hundreds of years ago said. What I needed right now was someone to talk to. I desperately wanted to be with Father. He would know what to do. No, probably not. Father understood life in the wasteland, not in Arden. In a way, things were simpler there. You knew exactly who was trying to kill you and why.
As my mind took me deeper and deeper into thoughts of self-pity and despair, I found myself right back at Master Adkin’s door. I’d walked a complete circle. But now, Kya stood outside the office, talking frantically. I quickened my pace but Kya turned and stormed towards me before I got there. I waved at her, opening my mouth to say hello, but she held up a hand to silence me.
“Do not believe anything they tell you here, Jaxon,” she huffed, cheeks red with fury. “You think they care, but they don’t. Trust me.”
She stomped out of sight, leaving me watching until long after she was gone. I hoped she might come back.
“It would seem that everyone’s fate is decided for them,” Master Adkins said.
“What’s wrong with her?” I asked.
“That is not for me to say. However, I fear Kya has started down a path from which there may be no return. She has let darkness and anger seep into her soul. What she needs is a good friend. She needs you, Jaxon,” he said, then changed the subject. “How about we get something to eat before we meet with the council?”