Conrad Edison and the Anchored World (Overworld Arcanum Book 2) (20 page)

"There are two types of immortality, Conrad." Galfandor closed the book of letters and filed it back on the shelf. "The most common kind that vampires, Daemos, lycans, and so forth possess simply gives them a long life and lasting youth unless they are killed." He headed for the door, still speaking. "The rarest of the rare, means the subject is unable to be killed by any means."

"Even chopping them into little bits?" I asked.

Galfandor nodded.

I thought about the lycan, Brickle, who Ambria, Max, and I had inadvertently fed to a demon. "What about if a demon eats their soul?"

Galfandor paused in the hallway and pursed his lips. "What an interesting question. I suppose if I find someone truly immortal, I will ask them."

"So, the Glimmer Queen and her people can die if someone kills them?" I asked.

"Unless proven otherwise, I would say yes." Galfandor led me to the foyer. "Your parents may discover a fountain of youth and long life in the Glimmer, but that does not make them indestructible."

Thinking of my traitorous, evil parents sent a quiver of anger through my shoulders. "What's the most certain way to kill them?"

Galfandor regarded me, lips and eyes flat. "I certainly hope you don't intend to hunt your parents, Conrad." He put an arm on my shoulder. "I believe you should concentrate on your studies and let the adults handle this matter."

I wanted so badly to trust him, but what if he really didn't mean to do anything about my parents? Whatever held him back from helping with the Goodleighs might prevent him from helping now. It seemed best to agree with him for now and see what happened next.

"Yes, sir." I hesitated to burden him with another problem, but didn't know when I would next see him. I tapped my temple with a finger. "My parents' soul shards have been talking a lot more and it worries me."

The headmaster took out his wand and pointed it toward my head. "May I?"

I nodded. "Will it hurt?"

Galfandor chuckled. "Not at all." He twirled the wand and tapped it to my head. I felt a slight tingle and saw a bright flash broken by two dark silhouettes. Galfandor grunted thoughtfully.

I waited a moment for an explanation. When he said nothing, I asked outright. "Will I be okay?"

"I can't rightly say, Conrad." Galfandor tucked away his wand. "The reason you hear them speaking more often is because the soul shards are slowly melding with your soul."

I flinched. "Melding?"

"Yes." He folded his arms. "The process could take months or years. I can measure you again in a month's time and perhaps determine how long you have."

The last phrase sent a cold chill into my stomach. "Will it kill me?"

Galfandor hesitated before answering. "I believe it depends." He squeezed my shoulder. "The demon that preserved your living curse also separated the three souls inside your body, keeping them from merging over time. If that had happened, the dominant soul might have overcome the others." He took back his hand and shrugged. "It is difficult to say. While I see no immediate threat to your well-being, it is possible that the soul shards could become dominant if not kept in check."

I felt sick to my stomach. "The shards could take over my soul?"

"Yes, Conrad." Galfandor sighed. "But the possibility is unlikely, so long as you nurture your soul with your own experiences and remain strong against the invaders."

"Can't you remove them?" I asked in a plaintive voice.

"Unfortunately, I know of only one way."

He didn't have to finish that thought. "Death."

Galfandor's eyes tightened. "Yes." He offered a smile. "Feed your soul with knowledge, with laughter, with friendship, Conrad, and I am confident you will emerge the victor."

I didn't share his confidence, but it gave me all the more reason to study hard and make my own life. I had to be the stronger soul. I swallowed the knot of fear in my throat and forced a smile. "Thank you, sir." It seemed there was nothing more to say, so I walked toward the door.

"Conrad," Galfandor called after me.

I turned around. "Yes?"

"I believe what Cora said about you." When I returned a puzzled look, he clarified. "She found your tortured soul for a reason."

Salt stung my eyes. I turned away, the door now a blur in my wet vision. "Goodnight, sir."

"Good night, Conrad," he replied.

I left the house. The pink rays of the late afternoon sun failed to warm me as I flew my broom for home. A deep cold anger hung heavy in my chest because my parents dominated my thoughts. Knowing they were alive and well hung over me like a black cloud filled with lightning that could strike at any time. They'd already tried to kill me twice and they would never stop until they got the rest of their souls back.

Why can't Galfandor do something about them?

It seemed so unfair they should be alive while the one person who'd loved and believed in me rotted in a grave. For now, I'd do what Galfandor suggested and concentrate on school. But I'd use my spare time to study what made the Glimmer people immortal and what could make them mortal again. A deep ache worked into my jaw, and I realized I was grinding my teeth.

I hate my parents so much.

I arrived home to find Blue in the yard next door playing rocket darts with Harris, Lily, and Baxter. She hit a bull’s-eye and burst into cheers.

"Conrad!" She dashed over and gave me a hug I found difficult to return with any enthusiasm. "This game is so much fun. Do you want to join us?"

My mood hung like a wet blanket around my shoulders. "Not now."

The others waved at me.

"Come on, Conrad," Harris said. "You look like you could use some fun."

"You should be celebrating that you passed the exam," Lily added, her face flushed with happiness.

I mustered a wave. "I'm tired," I mumbled, and went inside the house.

"Hang on," Blue said, and ran after me. Her forehead pinched with worry. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." I didn't want to talk about it. Her annoyingly happy presence just made me angrier. I ran up the stairs and closed the door behind me.

"Conrad, why are you angry?" Her voice cracked with hurt. "Do you want to talk about it?"

I buried my face in the pillow and ignored her until she went away.

The next morning, I packed some food and flew back to the crack in the world to lay in wait for my parents. A second-story window in the ruined mansion provided me with a good view of the grove hiding the fissure. Only a battered leather chair remained in what might have been a bedroom during better days. It, the dusty marble floor, and rotting draperies were only sad reminders of the mansion's past glory.

Rather than stare idly out the window, I brought several basic magic textbooks with me and spent the time reading and practicing spells. If I wanted to have a chance against my parents, I needed to accelerate my learning. I needed to know what they were doing in their search for immortality. I wouldn't beat them by brute force, but by stealth and cunning.

I hoped I was up to the task.

"Where have you been all day?" Ambria asked the moment I returned home that evening.

"Practicing magic." The half lie slid easily from my mouth.

She frowned. "Without Max and me?" Her eyes widened. "Did you go back to the Glimmer?"

"No." I tried to go upstairs, but she grabbed my arm.

"Conrad, we should tell Galfandor what happened to us."

"I already did." Once again, I tried to leave.

"When?"

I told her about my conversation with him. "My parents want immortality, not help from Naeve."

"Well, it's certainly better than what we thought," she replied.

My fists tightened. "Those murderers are the last people who deserve immortality, Ambria. The curse they put on me killed Cora!" I yelped her name, like a dog struck by a car.

Ambria's forehead creased and her eyes misted. "I agree it's awfully unfair, but if your parents hadn't done what they did, you never would have met Cora."

The cause and effect didn't matter to me. Anger and pain filled me and the effort of bottling it up made me feel like I was going to explode.

"We never would have met, Conrad." Ambria pressed my hand between hers. "You wouldn't have saved all those other kids, and I would have been sold into slavery."

I looked out the window and saw several adults in the Ashmore's backyard. A tall man who vaguely resembled Harris hovered over a smoking grill. Another man kicked a black-and-white checkered football with Baxter and Harris while Lily spoke with two older women.

I thought his parents were dead.

Harris saw us through the window and motioned us over.

Ambria grabbed my arm and dragged me toward the front door. "Let's go have some fun."

The last thing I wanted to do was have fun.

Self-pity is for the weak
, Della said.

I bit back a retort when I realized she was right. Feeling sorry for myself; wallowing in pity would be a waste of time. I had to push forward through the pain and be ready for the next time my parents tried to hurt me.

"Fine," I said, and followed Ambria outside.

"I'd like you to meet my Aunt Kara and Uncle Louis," Harris said when we arrived, and it suddenly made sense why Harris resembled the man.

"What a pleasure," Kara said. "Harris told us all about how you two solved the final puzzle for the entrance exam."

"He's lucky to have a friend like you." Louis patted my shoulder. "You're a good lad."

Harris clapped my shoulder. "Hey, let's go kick the football." We ran over to Baxter.

I expected the boy to say something rude, but he simply booted the ball our way, his face flushed with pleasure. I wasn't good at kicking, but managed to keep up with the other two boys. Blue showed up later and joined us instead of hanging out with Lily and Ambria.

"You're really good," Harris said to her.

She bounced the ball off her knees then punted it off her head at me. "It's because I'm a lycan."

Harris grinned. "Maybe you could turn me into one so I'll be a better player."

"Me too," Baxter said.

Blue flushed and looked at me. "Would you like to be a lycan, Conrad?" She grabbed my arm and pretended to bite it.

I jumped back and the others laughed.

Later, everyone sat around a large picnic table outside eating the sausages and vegetables Louis had grilled.

At some point, I realized my anger and sadness had faded away, replaced by a strange feeling I didn't quite recognize. Even though these adults and children weren't family, I felt like I'd temporarily found a home, a place I belonged.

"What focus will you choose, Conrad?" Louis's question snapped me from my thoughts.

I hadn't given it much thought since we didn't have to choose for two more years. "Umm, I don't know." I chewed my lower lip and thought. "Elemental, maybe?"

"Almost no one chooses potions anymore," Baxter's mother lamented. "There's a shortage of good apothecaries these days."

"I might go with healing," Lily said. "Supplementing it with potions would be ideal."

"You're such a smart lass," Kara said.

Lily's father smiled proudly. "Healing would be a wonderful choice." He hissed air between his tongue and teeth. "Most of the good healers vanished in that fool's quest to conquer Seraphina, and the Overlord killed those who didn't agree with him."

"Let's not talk about that now," Lily's mother said, directing a worried look at Harris.

But the mention of my father only seemed to fuel Harris. "I want to be a Magitsu master someday, so I'm going to focus elemental like Conrad."

Louis ruffled the boy's hair. "You'll do us proud, lad."

"What's Magitsu?" I asked.

"It's a magical martial art," Kara said. "It nearly died out after the Blue Cloaks were trapped in Seraphina along with the rest of Slade's army, but there are at least two masters left in Eden."

"I want Master Kanaan to teach me," Harris said. "Everyone says he's the best."

"How powerful is he?" I asked.

Harris's eyes widened. "He killed Seraphim with nothing but wands." He flicked his hands around as if fighting invisible monsters. "There's a story about him fighting a demon lord named Karak and winning."

"I thought he killed a demon overlord," Baxter said.

Lily sighed. "You two always make the stories sound better than they were. If you'd read the actual book you'd know that Kanaan fought Karak, but the great Banisher herself, Emily Glass, sent him back to Haedaemos."

Ambria met my eyes and I could tell she felt as out of place as I did for not knowing much of Overworld history. At least none of these people seemed to notice or care, and that made it okay by me.

"Does Kanaan live in Queens Gate?" I asked.

Harris shook his head. "No, but he comes to town once a year to recruit graduates from the university for the Blue Cloaks."

"He's got a long way to go before he rebuilds," Baxter's father said. "There's too much money in being a freelance battle mage these days."

Louis snorted. "With the Arcane Council nearly broke, that's no surprise. They can't afford to pay themselves, much less the military."

The conversation soon turned political and I stopped listening. It became clear to me what I had to become if I were to one day defeat my parents.

A Magitsu master.

It seemed strange, me sitting here thinking about ridding the world of my parents while Lily and Baxter sat happily next to theirs. Even Harris acted as if his aunt and uncle were his true parents. I looked at Ambria and saw the uncertainty on her face as she listened to the others swap family stories. She looked at me and a smile cleared away her troubled look.

Ambria and Max weren't my flesh and blood, but they were my family. I couldn't bear it if something happened to them. They were the reason I had to end my parents once and for all.

Chapter 17

I divided my time over the next week and a half between watching for my parents at the crack in the world, studying, and having fun with my friends if for no other reason than to pretend everything was normal.