A Mastery of Magic

Chapter 8: Oliver

All I f*****g wanted to do was keep her hidden so she stayed safe, away from Ashlyn and the others who were looking for her. I thought I'd done that. I thought being tucked away at the Enchanted Academy would suffice in keeping us both out of harm's way. But too much attention had been brought to the academy, and having Cassandra there added to the academy's publicity.

I snuck between two buildings and looked back to make sure I wasn't being followed. Cassandra could sense our energy, allowing her to locate us within a very large radius. I had to prevent that, so I created a protection spell that placed an invisible reflection bubble around me. I needed to sort things out without any interference.

At the wall surrounding the academy, I pushed a small brick and a hidden doorway opened, giving me access to the other side. I'd created the secret doorway nearly a year ago, thinking at some point we might need an escape route out of the academy if and when things got really bad. The academy was certainly heading in that direction.

I closed the doorway and headed through the woods. Ruby and I had a lot to figure out. The cat was out of the bag, and no amount of magic was going to stick it back in the bag. I hated I had to be so secretive. The last thing I wanted was for Cassandra and the guys to think I was lying or deceiving them. Though when Cassandra caught my British accent, there was no denying I hadn't been completely honest about my past.

The trees up ahead parted, and the ritual chamber came into view. I glanced back once again, finding no one.

The old ritual chamber had stood barren and unused for nearly a decade. Moss grew up the side of the decrepit bricks. Where windows had been broken, wood had been placed to keep out bad weather and wildlife. The front doors were made of teak and had weathered the test of time.

"Ruby," I whispered before entering. I looked at the steps leading to the front door and saw newly made footprints. "Ruby, you in there?"

One of the doors opened, and a hand reached out to wave me inside. Not recognizing the hand, I hesitated.

"Geez, Oliver, get your ass in here!" Ruby said, frustrated. "I'm not going to hurt you!"

"Calm down. Someone's going to hear you." I entered the building and closed the door behind me, coughing when decade-old dust fell from the rafters. The inside didn't look much different than an old church. Two rows of pews lined the center of the room. A lectern sat at the front, and in front of the lectern on the floor was a large circle, a pentagram positioned in the middle. I slid between two pews and sat.

"Are you sure no one followed you?" Ruby sat in the pew across from me and stared at the door. "I know Cassandra was wondering what the hell was going on with me."

"Well, I think Ashlyn showing up pretty much sealed our fate. We have to tell everyone what's going on." I shook my head. "And Cassandra picked up on my accent. We can't keep hiding shit."

"When they find out Edius is my father, they're going to want me gone, Oliver. You know that!"

I shook my head and sighed in frustration. "For f**k's sake, Ruby, I've known them - you've known them - for almost three years. They'll understand. We can't choose who our family are, but we can choose who our friends are. I promise, they'll help us."

"But my father, Oliver. He'll kill all of them." She stood and walked to the pentagram, stopping in the center. I thought she might do something drastic, but then I noticed her crying. "I don't know why he hasn't destroyed them already. It doesn't make sense."

I joined Ruby in the circle and raised my hands, covering us with a cone of silence. I didn't trust Edius, and other than the guys and Cassandra, I didn't trust anyone else.

"Everyone, including Aurelius, knows something is up. We need to go back to the academy and explain what's happened." I looked around the old building. "We can't stay here. My allergies are already flaring up."

"I don't know what to do." She put her head against my chest and cried. "My father's spell over me is so strong that I feel him around me every minute of every day. I've done everything I can think of to break the damn thing, and nothing works."

The more we talked, the more pissed I became at Edius. The man had caused so much destruction and grief. None of us could move on with our lives until the man was dead. "You just have to decide which side you want to be on. Then we'll figure out the next move. I know Cassandra and the others will help us. She's told you herself she would do anything for you."

"I'm sorry, Oliver. I didn't mean for you to spend your entire life protecting me. I should have been upfront with everyone, and now it's all just a mess."

"There's no need to be sorry." I squeezed her in my arms. "I'll talk to Cassandra, and we'll figure out what to do next."

"We need her to find Edius," Ruby said. "She'll be able to reverse the curse he has put on us and our kingdom. I can't fight my own flesh and blood. His spell won't allow it."

I broke the spell around us and stepped from the circle. "Nicolette will help us?"

"She will if she thinks it will get under Cassandra's skin." Ruby moved from the circle, her tears gone. "We need to get Cassandra off campus. It's the only way finding Edius will work. She can't break the spell sitting around the academy."

"I'll speak with her and the guys." I moved to the door. "You find Nicolette and see how she can help." I opened the door and then looked back at Ruby. "It's going to be okay. We're going to be okay. We won't have to run from him much longer."

I left the ritual chamber, devising a plan in my head. Would any of it actually work? It had to. Edius needed to be defeated and Ruby freed from his spell. Me? I had my own problems that would have to wait. At some point I would have to explain my accent and would have to tell the story of my kingdom. I would also have to tell the story of my real father. I wasn't even sure I believed the story. How would they?

By the time I returned to the academy, darkness had fallen across the sky. I snuck back between buildings and found the courtyard packed with students. Those who saw me stopped and scowled, meaning word had gotten around that Ashlyn had come for me and Ruby and had most definitely brought the chimera and other creatures. But had she really? Why do that? My head spun from the confusion.

"Why to go, Oliver?" one of the students asked. He smirked, but when he saw my hands begin to glow, and he backed away and went on with his friends. I lowered my hands and forced myself to relax. Other students watched as I crossed the courtyard and entered the dorm, but none dared confront me with the information that had been passed by whispers.

Would Cassandra and the guys really understand? There were so many things to explain but little time to do so. Our past was dark and muddy, and the last thing I wanted was to get into too much detail. There were questions waiting for me. Cassandra had let Kyler wait to explain. I hoped for the same consideration from them all.

At the top of the stairs I could hear voices behind our closed door. They were all there, waiting for my return. The nerd who had hidden his true self. I started to knock but then put my hand on the doorknob.

"Come in, Oliver," Cassandra said. I'd forgotten to cast a deflection spell around me. "I know it's you."

I entered the room, looking at the floor, dreading what awaited me. "Cassandra." I looked up at the guys.

"Quit being a dumbass," Kyler said and closed the door behind me. The look on his face suggested they'd been talking about me and had come to a favorable conclusion. I hoped my need to delay the details wouldn't be met with disdain.

"You going to tell us what the f**k is going on, brainiac?" Dash asked. "I'm assuming you know where Ruby ran off to. You got her holed up in a basement somewhere?"

"There's a lot I need to explain. And I will, but not now."

"Not a good answer." Braeden took a sip of the drink he was holding. "Why'd she come looking for you and Ruby?"

"Wait, you two knew Ashlyn," I said. "How?"

"We met her at the guild. Ren said someone we knew escaped, but he never gave us a name. Just that we knew her." Braeden grabbed a cookie from the plate on the table and watched me suspiciously as he ate.

Kyler entered the room from the kitchen. "Maybe you and Cass need to go talk. Helped me when all my s**t was falling apart."

Braeden shook his head. "We're all family here. We can help. There's no hiding anything from each other. We agreed to that, remember?"

Cassandra looked at the other guys and stood from the couch. Her face had been pretty stern when I'd first walked in, but her expression had thankfully changed. I really wasn't trying to make things harder on anyone. She put her hand against my cheek, and our lips suddenly came together. "You're one of the loves of my life, Oliver. We're all here to help."

I nodded at them. "All I can say now is I've spent the last several years hiding and protecting Ruby. I'm trying to figure some things out. I'm sorry; I wish I could say more."

"That's why you never let Kyler or I in your house," Dash said. "I get it now."

"Sorry about that. I was only trying to do the right thing."

"Was it even your house?" Kyler asked.

"No." He chuckled sarcastically.

Dash crossed his arms and glared at me. "What about...?"

"Enough for now." Cassandra kissed me again. This time deeper and more passionately.