She created a sphere with her hands. “Do as I do.”
I made the same shape with my own. Instantly, I felt a pull inside of me, an energy begging to be released. All that energy began to concentrate into a bright ball of pale blue light. My body began to shake as it grew and threatened to escape my grasp. I had to wrench my hands apart for fear of accidentally blasting her to pieces.
In comparison, Lucretia’s ball of energy was small yet far brighter. “Fascinating. Most struggle to make any kind of orb; where as, you struggle with containing it.” She sighed. “Belinda warned me of your potency. Of what you are. I didn’t want it to be true.”
“What am I exactly?” I asked.
She blinked away a few tears. They glistened under the moonlight as they trailed down her cheeks. “Practice containing the sphere of power. That’s always the first lesson. A controlled magical force like that is essential before tackling any other type. Making that ball should be as easy as breathing, and it should never make you afraid. Magic...should be comfortable and safe. Full of love.”
“Even the dark kind?” I asked.
“There is no such thing as dark magic, only dark intentions.” She walked past me, pausing only to touch my cheek with her fingertips. “Practicing here is good. Belinda and Damion will appreciate the effort used to not blow up the mansion.”
And with those words, she left.
Chapter Seventeen
What Can I Say? I’m a Natural!
I dove into learning how to control my new magical abilities. That was the only way for me to keep from dwelling about Lucretia. Because if I wasn’t thinking about magic, I thought about her and how much I missed talking to her. Kind of silly in retrospect because we only had a few encounters together to begin with. A few awesome encounters. And so must have Walter because I noticed him coming around the mansion more and more for his own magical lessons. A few of them we took together, and then he got to enjoy Lucretia’s company alone.
A deep part of me felt played…and angry. Rather than take it out on her, I used it to fuel my study. I’d let them all remember that money wasn’t the only thing that equaled power. While I wouldn’t bite the hand feeding me, I refused to be their toy. Instead, I found ways to get them to do what I wanted. One rumor going around about me was true: I am definitely manipulative and will do whatever it takes to get what I want.
Weeks passed. Somewhere between two or three. I learned fast. Damion marveled at just how quick I caught on to every skill and magical law he taught me about. That was how I won him over. In a matter of days, my mission was accomplished: he loved me.
Belinda took a little more time and patience. She knew I had feelings for Lucretia. It bothered her on multiple levels; I could tell. One of the looks she gave me often whenever I so much as looked at Lucretia longingly reminded me of jealousy. Not quite sure what that had to do with anything, but I used it to my advantage. We spent time together, alone. No, not romantically, but we bonded on a deeper, more intellectual level. I told her about my parents, life growing up, and hopes for the future. I learned how to make her special coffee so that I could treat her to it instead of her having to constantly play the role of servant. Eventually, she loved me too.
And so, in those few weeks that passed, I got deeper into the inner circle. I thought for sure it’d give me a leg up over Walter.
Wrong.
Damion called a meeting, and Walter attended as the family representative. While I worked on her guardians, Walt had been getting involved on a deeper level through Lucretia. I hated it. On a positive note—Damion and Belinda hated his guts too.
Once all of us were seated in the study, Damion got to business.
“We’ve been given instructions from our lord Hades to move forward with the plan to create a gate between worlds. To make our sanctuary for others who are lost or in danger like we are.” Damion’s gaze landed on me and a grin spread across his face. “We’ve discovered that the most potent place to build a magical portal is your family’s farm, William.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Truly?”
“Truly.” Damion clasped his hands in front of him. “We have precise coordinates where we will place the portal. That section will need to be purified with fire. I am going to send you with Walter. Together, the two of you will sneak onto the grounds. Walter, you will draw the portal boundaries.”
“Just do it exactly like I taught you,” Lucretia said.
Walter nodded; their gazes locked on one another.
Damion cleared his throat. “William, all you have to do is unleash your fury. If Walter does his part correctly, everything should evolve seamlessly from there.”
“How much of the land am I destroying?” I asked, trying to keep my voice from shaking too much.
“Probably a great deal of it. The boundaries need to be wide.”
I nodded, slowly…numbly. “I see. My family does not have a backup vocation. This will hurt them. A lot.”
“Belinda and I are prepared to offer compensation. Whether or not that compensation is actually accepted is another thing entirely.” Damion spread his hands out in front of him. “We don’t wish for anyone to suffer here.”
My dad would never take the money, and I’m positive Damion knew that. Dad could go sit on a tack. Mom? I worried for her the most. Somehow, I’d find a way to make sure she stayed okay.
I shook the doubt away and forced a smile.
