Six

Bolstered a little by Gavon's confidence in me, I was able to stomach returning to the house. He'd pointed out a few chapters I should work on—summoning and such—but I was just glad that someone was listening to me. Now that I wasn't on the verge of freaking out, I might be able to communicate with Jeanie better. I just needed to catch her in a good mood so I could explain my feelings to her.

The lights were on in the house and I hurried up the steps. The time on my phone said nearly eight and I'd left a note, but I couldn't help feeling like I was walking into a trap. 

"Hello?" I called.

"In here, Alexis."

Crap. Alexis wasn't a good sign. I left my primer on the staircase and walked into the living room, where Jeanie was sitting with Nicole and a gray-haired woman who was facing away from me. 

Jeanie cleared her throat. "Lexie, come in here and say hello to Gram." 

"Gram?" I blinked, not moving into the room. 

I'd never met my maternal grandmother. She'd call on birthdays and other important holidays, and it was always the same. How were grades (top of my class), was I playing any sports (no), was I otherwise doing well (yes). 

"Well, girl, put your tongue back in your mouth and come in here," she barked, and my legs moved of their own accord—out of fear or magic, I wasn't sure. 

I stood in the center of the living room and pressed my hands into my sides, so I wouldn't offend her any more than I already had. 

Gram studied me like I was hopelessly underwhelming her. She was maybe mid-fifties, but she carried herself like a woman who was used to having others do as she said. Her sweater didn't have a yarn out of place, her black shoes even intimidating as they shone back at me.

"Hullo, Gram," I said after a moment of silence.

"Sit."

I sank into a nearby chair. 

"Jean tells me you've been having some trouble with your magic," she said, placing her wrinkled hands on her knees. "Seems to be pouring out of you, isn't it?"

I glanced down at my hands, grateful they weren't purple. "What do you mean?"

"Jean, I'd say that you should have Nicole whip up a calming potion for the girl. She's obviously distraught from learning about her magic."

"I already did, Gram," Nicole replied softly. 

"And?"

"It worked last night, but—"

"I don't think calming draughts are what she needs," Jeanie said, perched on the edge of her seat. It was the first time I'd ever seen my aunt look so eager. I compared the two women, and could see where Jeanie got her short temper. 

"And what do you think she needs, Jean?"

"I think she needs to come up to the compound for a few days. Be around her own kind and learn—"

"No," Gram replied, a lot harsher than I'd have expected. "That won't be necessary."

Jeanie made a noise then seemed to consider her words carefully. "Mom, it would be very helpful if you'd let Lexie have some one-on-one time with someone up there." 

"Up where?" I asked, glancing at Nicole. 

"The Carrigan Clan has a compound in the northeast," Gram replied, her hawklike eyes focused on me. "It's where the rest of your family lives."

"There's more of us?" I asked, now looking at Jeanie. Growing up, all I'd known was her, my sisters, and the telephonic voice of Gram. But if there was a bigger family out there…

"I will consider your request to come up for Thanksgiving, but you will take care of the girl's magical surplus in the meantime. She seems relatively fine to me."

I found it rather off-putting that this woman was making assumptions about me when she'd known me for all of a minute. Nicole must've read the look on my face because she silenced me with a shake of her head. That turned my annoyance to curiosity. Why was everyone bowing to Gram like she was some sort of god? 

Her Royal Stuck-up-her-buttness stood and smoothed the lines of her black skirt. "Happy birthday, dear." She waved her hand, and a crisp fifty dollar bill appeared in my hand. Then she was gone in a puff of dark gray smoke. 

Jeanie let out a loud breath and offered me a smile. "Sorry about all that. I would've told you Gram was coming, but I didn't know where you were."

"Just out for a walk," I said, pocketing the cash. "So who wants to explain what the hell that was? How come she's so…demanding?"

"Gram's the matriarch of all the Carrigans—including the extended family. She's used to barking an order and getting her way."

"Magically?"

I'd said it in jest, but Jeanie nodded. "Any group of magicals is powerful. They harness the power of their members to enforce their rules. So because Gram is our Clanmaster, we're all bound by what she says."

"Sounds like the old bag needs to retire already."

"Alexis!" Jeanie bellowed. 

I jumped at her ferocity and expected Gram to return at any moment to flay me or something. Then I remembered that I was talking about her mother. "Sorry, Jeanie."

"Mom's…special in her own way. She does love us, but she's never really been the touchy-feely kind."

That probably explained why Jeanie wasn't that way either. "So why did she come all the way down here? Just to give me fifty bucks? She could've mailed it."

"I asked her to come down and check on you."

My eyebrows shot upward. "You did? Why?"

"Because I was worried about you!"

"Uh, so why did you let me go to school then?"

"You seemed fine this morning. I thought you'd just gotten a little overexcited," Jeanie said. "But then Nicole tells me you're transporting yourself and…" She shook her head. "Look, Lexie, I'm a bit out of my depth here. When I got my magic, it wasn't nearly as explosive as yours."

"And neither was Marie's," Nicole added. "But it looks like everything's settled down anyway, right? You haven't had any more episodes."

I furrowed my brow, but said nothing to contradict her. I wasn't eager to bring up my lunchtime mishap, which might've been parlayed into another lecture about doing magic at school. And as many questions as I still had about magic, I wanted my answers to come from someone a bit more patient. All Jeanie seemed to do was lecture about what I wasn't supposed to do, and Gavon at least let me finish my sentences before responding.

Besides, it seemed like Jeanie and Gram had still been keeping some secrets from me, so I felt justified in keeping a few from them. 

"So exactly how big is our family? And what is this compound thing?"

"Our clan's pretty big," Jeanie said. "It's one of the largest in the US. Most of our closer family lives in Salem." 

"So…do I have other aunts and uncles?"

Jeanie shook her head. "But you have some great aunts and uncles, close cousins."

"Why did we move down here if everyone else is in Massachusetts?"

Jeanie shrugged. "Too cold up there. I like the Florida winters."

"But—"

"And besides, I can get to Gram's house in the blink of an eye," Jeanie said, but she didn't quite meet my gaze. "I'm starving. How about we try at that birthday dinner again?"

I didn't buy for one second that Jeanie had voluntarily uprooted us from a mystical compound of magical family members to some Podunk town in Florida, but it was clear that any discussion was over. Jeanie either ignored or deflected all my questions during dinner, and when I asked her if she'd show me how to use magic, she straight-up told me she wasn't the best person for the job and she'd keep pressing Gram to find someone to tutor me.

Later, when I asked Nicole the same questions, I got about the same response, except at least Nicole had a good excuse.

"Lexie, I would if I could but, I really…can't." She glanced out the door. "Jeanie, or even Marie would be better—"

"Marie?" I said, blankly. "Little Miss Let's-Give-Lexie-A-Heart-Attack? Like she'd teach me anything. Why can't you help?"

"Because like I said, I don't have the same kind of magic as you do," Nicole said. "I'm physically incapable of summoning, charming, whathaveyou. So as much as I'd like to help you…I truly, honestly can't." She blew air out between her lips. "Jeanie's working on Gram. I'm sure she'll change her mind soon."

That night, I lay in bed and let all my questions circle my head. My life was like a giant, magical puzzle, and Jeanie and Gram were keeping a few key pieces to themselves. Which, of course, led to more questions about why they felt it more prudent to keep me in the dark. 

Even more frustrating was that I felt unsettled. Everything I knew to be right was on its head, and no one, save Gavon, was empathetic to it. Jeanie had always been short, but for her not to help at all was hurtful. Nicole seemed to want to help, but since she didn't have magic or whatever-it-was, she was handcuffed. And forget Marie. 

The only person giving real, honest answers was Gavon, but I was limited to hoping he'd show up to deal with my neurotic whining. And the questions currently taking up the most real estate in my brain—those about Gram and the clan—he probably wouldn't be able to answer.

The glow of my magical spell book caught my eye and I wondered if, perhaps, I'd find something of value inside. It wouldn't tell me why Gram had been lying to me, but it might help in some way. 

I flipped through the book until I saw a section that looked promising.

A DISCUSSION ON CLANS 

AND GUILDS

A CLAN is a group of Magicals bound by blood. It is inherently less powerful than a Guild, as a Clanmaster generally may not choose who will and won't be inducted. 

A GUILD is a group of Magicals assembled through INTRODUCTION and then INDUCTION. 

INTRODUCTION to a Guild may happen when a Magical has learned to toddle, or a Guildmaster may set an older age. If the Magical has shown a preponderance for a magical specialty, he may be tested in a formal INDUCTION ceremony. Once a Young Magical's Master has determined the Magical is of age to be a useful member of the community, they will be formally introduced based on the laws set down by the Guildmaster. 

The collective power of the CLAN or GUILD is sourced by the powers inherent in its membership to enforce its governance. A member of the Guild or Clan will be Magically compelled to adhere to these rules. 

Well, I thought, that explains the butt-kissing. A magical compulsion, I read a little further, meant the person was physically restricted from doing whatever was against the rules. So even if Jeanie and Nicole had wanted to tell me the truth, they couldn't. 

That still didn't mean I wasn't irked that Gram had made such a stupid rule.

I found a blank page in one of my discarded notebooks and began to jot down all the inaccuracies and questions I had. I was under no illusion that anyone would actually answer any of them, but perhaps if I knew what I didn't know, I could construct a line of discussion. 

Why did my magic go haywire? 

Why did it take me fifteen years to meet Gram? 

Why am I not allowed at the compound yet? 

And the biggest question of all: If I didn't have magic for the first fifteen years of my life, why not tell me sooner?

I stared at the paper for a while before I realized how late it was. If I wanted to be halfway awake for school tomorrow, I needed to go to sleep. So I folded up the paper and used it as a bookmark in the primer before crawling into bed. 

If I'd thought I'd have more clarity on my magical life puzzle the next morning, I was sorely mistaken. I'd tossed and turned most of the night, dreaming about a rocky beach in Massachusetts and Gram pointing at me and telling me I was evil and would bring ruination to our entire clan. The dream had been so vivid that I'd actually asked Nicole if Gram hated me, which she'd assured me wasn't the case. 

Making matter worse, Marie kept talking with Charity about how weird I was the whole way to school. There was an uneasy feeling in my gut. My mind kept replaying the dream and splicing it with meeting Gram and the questions I had about myself.

"Miss Carrigan," Mills said, snapping me from my reverie. 

I bolted upright and tried to look interested. "Yes?"

"What are the benefits of the Acts of Trade and Navigation?"  

I swallowed, glancing at the chalk on the board and wishing that he wasn't standing in front of the answer. Then I looked down at my paper.

I had transcribed the entire chalkboard. 

And magically highlighted the answer. 

Score one for magic.

"Er…" I swallowed and hoped my magic was right. "The colonies could only trade with the English, and all goods and services had to go to England, versus any other trade."

"Good, and how was that a positive?"

I glanced down again, "It was a positive because…it meant more shipbuilding for New England. Chesapeake tobacco had a monopoly in England?"

"Very good." He beamed at me, and I tried to feel guilty for using magic, but I didn't care. Sure, I wasn't supposed to at school, but…being able to magically transcribe everything? That was a game changer. 

Mills had moved on to pepper another student with questions about mercantilism, and I flipped through my notebook happily. No more hand cramps, no more racing with myself to write down everything that was on the board before class started. There wasn't any puffing or poofing. There was no way that I could screw—

My thoughts ended abruptly when I realized that the chalkboard was completely blank.

I'd erased it.

"Crap," I whispered. 

My first thought was to remain calm, or else I would start shooting magical laser beams out of my fingers. 

My second thought was to observe the room and make sure all the students were stuck in their usual early morning stupor. It was a good thing we had history in first period, or else I might really be in trouble. And Mills' back was to the chalkboard, so he hadn't noticed his hour's worth of work had been completely erased. 

I took a long breath and remembered what the book and Gavon had said about controlling magic. Think about what you want and it'll happen, I told myself. I envisioned the words on the page and an invisible piece of chalk writing on the board. 

I opened an eye and saw one sentence written. 

"Crap!"

My time was running out, my anxiety was getting worse (and my fingers growing a little purple), so I knew I had to do something fast. I envisioned my magic "selecting all," like I would on my laptop, then "control+c" to copy and "control+v" to paste onto the chalkboard. 

I cracked open an eye—the writing had returned, exactly as it had been, just as Mills turned around to reference it again. I slumped in my seat and exhaled silently. That had been a little too close. I supposed that I wasn't quite ready to do magic at school, or at least, transcribe my notes. I opened my notebook and searched for the first blank page. 

The only problem was the entire notebook was blank. All the notes I'd taken since the beginning of the year were gone. 

I closed my eyes and wished for the undo button.