Neophyte / Adept (28 page)

Locke called to me. Lia went on without me. She was in no
mood to speak with any of the werewolves, she said, apart from Gaven. Locke was
one of the Team Leaders. An alpha. I realized that could be seen as a stepping
stone to being elected Head Wolf.

“You have a note,” he said, handing me a slip of thick
cream-colored parchment. It had been written on with a nib. I thanked Locke,
who looked at me with his secretive eyes, but he wasn’t a Wiccan, so I didn’t
have to worry about that––and broke the seal, opened the note.

“Dear Halsey,”
it
began. I went away to a corner to read it.

“You have until New
Years––and then I will expect you at my home.
Remember––I’m watching you. And keep a lookout for my man. He will
come to get you.

VR”

Veruschka Ravenseal.
The seal was an ornate waxen R. Veruschka said she was leaving after the finish
of the ceremony. So I guessed this was it. She must be packing to leave.

I folded the note and put it in my pocket. Back at our
dormitory, the werewolves were also getting ready to leave the Gathering. I saw
Ballard, but he didn’t look at me.

Instead I laid down on my bed and pulled out my parents’
copy of the
Magus Codex
. I put my map
of the Gatheringplace and the note from VR inside of it, when I was interrupted
by a knock at my door. “I just wanted to say goodbye,” said Lux.

“You’re leaving?” I said. I got up out of my bed
to––shake his hand. Our dormitories were like prison cells.

He saw me holding the book, with the papers sticking out of
it.

“I see you’re modifying your codex. That’s good,” he said.
“They’re ‘all different, accordingly.’” He smiled at me.

I didn’t know what to say to Lux. I think we had been
intensely interested in each other, if however briefly, and then we sort of
came to our better senses.

“You were a really great teacher,” I said, as if that cut
through all of that stuff that was between us.

“You know, I envy you,” he said to me.

“Why?”

“A brand-new Wiccan––Chosen at the Gathering, no
less! There aren’t many who can say that.”

I supposed.

“Well––you take care,” he said.

“Wait. Don’t go,” I said.

He turned back around.

“Yes, Halsey?” said Professor Lux, expectantly.

I didn’t have anything to say. I wanted to ask him about his
Mark. I wanted to tell him that he was a world-class Crafter and that he didn’t
have to run away from his magic anymore––just because of whatever
had happened. Instead, I just shook my head and said, “Nothing.
I’ll––I’ll see you later. Okay?”

“I have no doubt of it,” he said, and bid me farewell. It
was foolish of me to think that life could stand still. That we could always
have potential without ever having to
do
anything.

Lux’s awesome Wiccan arm waved goodbye at the door and he
was gone. I stood there with the book in my hands. I didn’t know what to do.
Flipping through it, I turned to the section on Marks.
Distinguishing Marks and their features.
I studied them all. Some
of them were so beautiful-looking I could hardly stand it. I definitely had
Mark envy.
Belladonna. Deadly nightshade.
Vittoria’s Mark was a flower.

Chapter 24
– Birthright

Wiccans more
interested in the politics and ramifications of Hiving, would do well to
consider the following. A House is a Hive, with one queen bee. She’s in charge.

I put my book down. No wonder Veruschka Ravenseal was so
nasty––she could afford to be. She was Mistress of Ravenseal, one
of the Three, elite. It was just as Lux had said.

Somewhere I found myself reading about Hiving. I wanted to
see what Lia had been talking about earlier today. It was getting pretty late
at night, and we had a big day tomorrow. Everyone was leaving. I looked down
the page, to find an interesting paragraph.

If a House of thirteen
or greater does not Hive, that House is in contravention of the Rules. One of
two things will happen. Either its parent coven will come to its rescue, and
the Houses, combined*, will make one Super House, in which case we have war. Or
the vampires taking it upon themselves––as stipulated by the 1887
Convention––will come to rout out that House.

There was a footnote:

*If a House elects a leader, and that leader creates
multiple affiliate covens, then a Storm of Covens is said to exist, and all
such Houses shall be forfeit.

Which I guessed meant the Lenoir would come and kill them. I
was beginning to understand it all, now. Ravenseal had satellites. Affiliate
covens.

Pendderwenn, for instance.

But, to the outside world, it appeared House Pendderwenn was
independent.

It wasn’t.
If a
war broke out––

If it ever broke out––Ravenseal would
contract
. Lux was right about that. He
had told me that once before. Ravenseal was bigger than it looked because it
controlled
House Pendderwenn. But
secretly.

How many Houses were beholden to Ravenseal, anyway? And was
that Veruschka’s endgame? To control the Wiccan world? Whatever it was, it
sounded like the Lenoir were sanctioned by the Houses to police the supernatural
world. A concession no doubt to their size. I wondered how many vampires there
were.

I was beginning to see the secret side of Wicca and I didn’t
like it. It freaked me out. I snapped shut the book. The dust flew into my
nose, making me sneeze. Lia turned above me, then went back to sleep.

I sat up in my bed and took one of the candles. Asher had
never shown up. Wherever he was, it must be important, because he had never let
me down before. Then, reconsidering, I blew the candle out and went to sleep. I
had learned my lesson about wandering.
You
always meet people
, I told myself. Asher was right––and
Selwyn––and Gaven––and everyone. It was unsafe to walk
around the Gathering at night. I was also beginning to suspect, with so many
factions, that the world itself was a dangerous place. Rome, more than ever,
felt like a bastion against all that.

I believed in the werewolves. In Ballard and Lia and us. In
Gaven and all them. I suddenly understood why it was so important they did what
they did. Rome was a foothold. A place of safety. A fire in the Night. It was
Rome. And we were safe by it. It was worth fighting for.

I zonked out. Epic me had said her piece. But as I slept I
had this uneasy feeling, like I wasn’t safe. Like none of us were.

I was on my Gambalunga again. Ballard and I were going
somewhere. I knew because my mind did the thing where the moon became my
headlight again. So the moon was Ballard and the headlight was my Gambalunga.
Which meant that we were going somewhere. I mean obviously we had someplace to
be. But the weird thing was, we weren’t moving. It was like we were standing
still. It was one of
those
kinds of
dreams. And since when did Ballard ever want to do anything with me, anyway? We
were practically strangers.
What was I
doing to myself?

When this light snapped on.

It wasn’t a lightbulb going off in my head or anything like
that, but I definitely saw stars. “Murgh,” said Lia. “Mrngargh. Nargh!” she
said.

I woke up. The lights were on in our dormitories and our
door––Lia’s and mine––was open. Asher was standing
there. “I thought you stood me up,” I said, groggily, and then sat up in my
bed.

Asher said, “There’s no time. Get dressed. Both of you.”

Lia said, “Why? What’s up?” But Asher had left. We looked at
each other and did as he told us. I slipped into my robes. Lia did not. She put
on her leather riding pants and her fire-red racing jacket. “Just in case,” she
said.

We collided with the other werewolves, who headed from the
dormitories, out into one of the hallways. Locke, Leander and Liesel were
directing them, as was Paolo––

Lights were on down the hallway, shouting, loud noises.

“Where do you two think you’re going?” said Locke. He
snapped his fingers at us, getting our attention.

Lia said, “We have carte blanche, remember?”

That put him in his place.

Locke soured at once. “I don’t think Gaven
meant––” he said.

But Lia and I went on without him. The rest of the
werewolves looked like they were mustering, the Team Leaders organizing them
into groups. “What’s going on?” I shouted at Lia, who was racing ahead.

Pretty soon we found out exactly what was going on. We
turned a corner and a huge ruckus greeted our eyes. Veruschka Ravenseal was
standing there in her traveling robes. She looked like she was ready to depart.
Gaven and Ballard were also there, as were the Heads of Houses Coven and
Harcort. And so were the twins and the Lenoir. Maria was with Pier Alexander.
Pier Alexander smiled at me and made strange clicking noises, which I guessed
Maria could interpret. “Look who’s here,” he said. “Two Wiccan Initiates. What
fun.” Something about his demeanor suggested Pier Alexander was above it all.
He wasn’t the only one. Maria seemed to be smiling in an ambivalent way, too.
She had that Mona Lisa look again, which must’ve meant she was trying hard not
to laugh. “Does someone want to tell us what’s going on?” said Lia.

“Yes, yes, I would like to know that, too,” said Mariska
Coven. Her hair was a mess––green bits of fluff going
everywhichway. Mine must’ve not looked any better. I put my hood up. Ballard
looked at Lia and I, but left it for Gaven to explain.

“Pendderwenn is dead,” he said. The air seemed to go from my
lungs. “We heard a strange noise and came to investigate––”

“Who found the body?” asked Maria Lenoir, cutting through
Gaven’s explanation.

“I did,” said Ballard. He looked at her, waiting for her to
respond. She didn’t. Just smiled.

“We think the rooms should be searched––and this
traitor––found.
Yes.”

“Yes,” said the other twin to his brother. I had never heard
them speak before. It was almost a hiss. Veruschka had her hand up to her
throat.

“Absolutely not,” said Fanishwar Harcort.

Maria looked at her.

“The mind and our personal space is inviolate. That was
agreed upon. Remember?” said Fanishwar, looking at Maria’s marigold eyes with
her blue ones.

“We could read
their
minds,” said the twins. They had delicate voices, almost a whisper. It was like
they were speaking to each other. We weren’t involved. By
their
, I took it the twins meant everyone’s minds at the Gathering.

“I agree,” said Maria at once.

“I won’t allow it,” said Gaven. The twins looked at him, but
he just stared right back. Gaven wasn’t the type to be intimidated by anyone.
Not even by them. Even if they
were
from the Master House.

It was a moment before I saw the half-open door and realized
who must be behind it. Julius Pendderwenn. Dead.

“I––” I said.

“You wanted to say something, Halsey?” said Gaven to me.

“Maybe if we checked––the body,” I whispered,
“it would tell us who––
who
killed him
. Pendderwenn...” I said. My voice constricted; I could barely
talk.

“There is no need. We have already performed that search,”
said one of the twins. He held up three hairs. They were short, black, fine.

“Whatever it was, tore him apart,” said Maria, and stifled a
grin. “Are you sure we can’t just
peek
?”
she said to Gaven.

“None of my people did this. My word should be good on that
score. As for any further molestation of our minds––” He looked at
Lia and me. “I won’t allow it,” he said. “Not unless you wish to upset me.” He
said it more delicately than even the twins.

“No,” said Maria. “I don’t wish to do that.”

“Then good,” said Gaven. “I suggest we continue to patrol
the halls. And the delegates inform your Houses to prepare for departure.”

Veruschka looked at me.

“Unacceptable,” said one of the twins. “Let us use
them
.
They
will find your killer.” They had spinning red eyes. I realized
the effect was a trick of
my
eyes––but I couldn’t help it. They bothered me big time, the twins.

“I don’t think you heard me,” said Gaven, and stood forward.
I noticed, as he spoke, Ballard break off from Gaven, and circle to a position
on the other side of the invisible circle they were making around the twins.
Lia did also. Maria smiled at the unconscious aggression.

Something tingled in my fingertips.

“Careful, dog. If you draw a line between us, we might just
step across it
,” said one of the twins,
and smiled. I looked at his evil face, which seemed to come alive. As he said
it, his brother
manifested
as well.
They were unnatural, creepy-looking things. They gave me the heebs.

Gaven neither flinched nor attacked. But stood his ground.

“Only something like you would threaten so broadly,” he
said. “I want you out of my city immediately. This Gathering is over. Is that
understood?”

“When we say it is,” said the twins. “But you are right. We
will go.”

“And Pendderwenn?” said Veruschka. She looked through the
open door. Now that it was time to draw lines,
to pick sides
, so to speak, it was clear who she was siding with.
She was siding with the twins. They were from the Master House, after
all––somewhere she wished to be.

“A Wiccan of no measurable import, and or skill,” said the
twins. “Why someone would wish to murder him is a mystery to us.”

“He was a number two. Adept. Perhaps they want to give
Pendderwenn House to a third. You know, a fledged Wiccan Elder,” I said.

“They?” said Maria Lenoir.

“Pendderwenn House is extinct,” said Veruschka Ravenseal,
cutting me off. She turned her hardened expression upon me. “Julius was the
last of that House. There are no more Pendderwenns. He will be given a proper
burial, of course?” she said, turning to Gaven.

“Of course,” said Gaven. “We are very near our gravesite.”

Via Appia Antica, he must’ve meant––or the
Columbarium. I didn’t know.

“I should think so,” said Maria. “We are standing in it. Are
you two satisfied?” she said to the twins.

“This mystery isn’t worth solving,” they said. “We leave for
Prague at once. Oh, and here are your
hairs
.”

The twin holding them, dropped the black hairs. They
fluttered down to the ground. Looking at his brother, he said, “They almost
look like cat hairs, don’t they? What do you say,
Il Gatto
?”

They left, but not before Gaven said “I want your
things
gone from Rome––take
them with you.”

The twins hissed something, but whatever it was, I didn’t
hear it. I was too busy looking at Ballard. He seemed to be looking at me for
the first time in weeks. But instead of saying anything, he tapped Gaven on the
shoulder, who nodded, listening to what Ballard had to say.

“Pendderwenn had no family, is that correct?” said Gaven to
the Heads of the Three Houses.

“And no friends,” said Veruschka Ravenseal. “He was a
mediocre wizard. You can bury him immediately. The Wiccan rites must be
performed, of course.”

“Of course,” said Gaven. The other two Mistresses nodded, as
if this made perfect sense.

Maria said, “Well, I’m leaving. Congratulations on another
wonderful Gathering, everyone.” Which was weird, because for some of us, it was
our first.
And our last...

“Yes,” said Pier Alexander. “It’s so nice to get together.
Let’s go, my dear.” He put his arm out for her to take it.

“Oh, and Halsey.” Maria caught my attention before she left.
“Asher wanted me to tell you something, but I’ve forgotten it. Oh, he says
you’re a very powerful young lady, and––I guess that’s it. Ta-ta.”

“Yeah. Chow,” said Ballard.

“Woof!” said Maria to Ballard.

She left us there.

“Did they ever get a pick?” I asked, but Lia shook her head.
“The Lenoir never chose an Initiate,” she said.

“So I guess they’ll be taking Asher back with them?” I said.

But she pointed over my shoulder. At Maria’s leaving, Pier
Alexander and the Mistresses had gone as well. I was glad to see the back of
Veruschka Ravenseal, who gave me one last reproachful look before leaving. A
look that said everything it needed to. She would be expecting me in Prague
sometime soon. I had little more than a fortnight to get my affairs in order.
Asher tapped my shoulder, as I turned around, and I gave him a gigantic hug.

He said, over my shoulder, to Gaven, “So––is
that it, then?”

I released Asher. Gaven was nodding. “We just have to take
care of the body,” he said. “I have to warn you. It’s pretty badly slashed up.”

“So you don’t think it was them, then?” said Asher.

“It’s too bad you can’t look into the minds of the dead to see
evidence of who their killers may have been,” said Gaven. “Halsey, Lia... I
have to say, if you don’t have to see this... I don’t think you should.”

Lia nodded. I picked up the three hairs. “These were on the
body?” I asked.

“I’ll take them,” said Gaven.

“Come on,” said Lia. She took my hand, and we went back to
our dormitory, but not before I dropped the hairs into Gaven’s outstretched
hand.

* * *

Lia was restless. “I can’t
think
. And that
poor
man,” she said. We listened as the Team Leaders continued breaking up the
werewolves into groups. Locke’s voice sounded above the rest. (“Patrol in
groups. Use your noses. Sniff this monster out.”) They barked in
acknowledgement. Suddenly the voices cut out.

Lia snorted. “He’s not staying around to be picked up by
you lot
,” she said to herself.

“Locke seems competent,” I said. “Although he isn’t exactly
the nicest person...” It sounded like they had just transformed, changed into
werewolves. Snuffling instead of shouting. I wanted to go see.

“How do you communicate with each other when you’re in your
wolf forms?” I asked.

“Sorry, kid. That’s top-secret. And
seems
is right,” she said. She was back thinking about Locke again.
“I can’t just sit here,” she said. “Don’t you want to
do
something? Or, I don’t know, get into a fight, or something?”

“Honestly, I don’t think I’m powerful enough yet,” I said.
“Even
you
were chosen before me.” I
laughed.

Lia snorted.

“What is it?” I said.

“Gaven.
He said
they all got together––the other werewolves. You know, at the
Colosseum. Anyway,
guess
who they
wanted to pick?”

“Who?” I said. “You mean at the Gathering?”

“You,” said Lia. “They wanted to pick you as their
Initiate.”

“Me?”
I said. I
couldn’t believe it.

Lia nodded.

I didn’t know whether to be flattered––or...
Maybe that settled it. Maybe I
was
supposed to be a werewolf––or well some type of shapeshifter. The
dreams couldn’t be wrong, could they?

“They were giving me all kinds of crap. The one thing about
a pack,” said Lia, “is there are no secrets. Too many ears out, and tongues
wagging.”

Ears out, eyes out.
I waited for her to vent some more.

“According to my brother,” said Lia, laying back in her bunk
bed, which was above mine, “wolves have sharp instincts, terribly sharp, like
their teeth, and werewolves even more so.”

“What do you mean?” I said.

“You know, you say that a lot,” she said. But she was only
joking. “I’ll tell you what I mean.
You
and me.”

“What about us?” I said. I sat up in my bed and looked up at
her. “You’re not angry with me about something, are you?” I said.

“No, no, no. Nothing like that,” said Lia. “That’s Ballard
who’s like that. But he’ll grow out of it. I hope. Gaven expects big things
from Ballard. And that’s always difficult. Take us for example. First we were
potentials, and now, look at us, one of us may be Her, this Chosen One;
although if you ask me, His Hotness, Mr. Lux, is right about that, and it all
sounds like hokum. But maybe some hokum with some truth. There are dark days
ahead for us. I can feel it. But
you
know what I mean.... Maybe I only
showed
because you showed up.”

“Lia...” I said.

“That’s their theory, anyway. The other werewolves. And the
Wiccans seemed to know about it, too. They sent that Invitation to me. And to
you. They’re keeping track of us, Halsey. How did they know I was causing wall
sockets to explode and my microwave to blow up? They didn’t see me accidentally
craft, did they?”

“Did you?” I said, genuinely awed.

She looked down at me, nodding. “You must’ve shown, too,”
she said.

I shook my head, but she said, “Maybe you just don’t know
it.”

“Your Mark is more formed than mine,” I said. “I was never
able to do anything. Why did they want me, The Sons and Daughters of Romulus...
if you could do all of those things?”

“Well, that’s it, isn’t it?” said Lia. “The other werewolves
have been taking me for granted, you see. But Gaven figured different. He
didn’t want to take any chances on somebody else picking me, so he blew his
pick on me. To protect me. Which is why some of the
werewolves––Locke, for instance––have been calling for
his head––
and
his
Headship.”

“You mean they don’t want him to be Il Gatto, anymore?” I
said.

“Correct,” said Lia. And already, Halsey, they are
positioning themselves, for who will replace him. So instead of worrying about
this Gathering, Gaven has to look over his own shoulder, at his Pack. And it’s
not fair. It’s not fair at all. What you and I need to be is like
this
.” She entwined two of her fingers
of her Wiccan W. “Strongass and together. You know what I mean?”

“Lia...” I said.

“I know right.”

“No. Look,” I said.

“What?” she said. She looked what my head was pointing at.
Which was at my Mark. I had brushed the sleeves back.

There, in the darkness, where it was just the two of us, my
Wiccan Mark flowered silver bright. It
was
a flower. Faint outlines of petals twisted up my right arm, wrapping themselves
around my forearm, like a sleeve, almost.

It was an orchid.

My fingers tightened and this heat raced up my arm. It seemed
to energize my entire being. I had swirls and flowers, and my
Mark––I was either Grace or Goodwill.

“Lia...” I said, “it’s my Virtue.”

The orchid was twisting away from me like it was reaching
for the sun, but there wasn’t any to be had; it writhed and twisted,
newly-formed and alive. When I looked at Lia her jaw was hanging open.

It was full of the aether, the Mark, the source of my Wiccan
power. My delta was on
fire
. It
burned like liquid ore; my gut clenched. I had to grit my teeth; but as fast as
it came the pain receded. It traced through my body, like forged steel hissing
in water––
forging me
.
Until it glowed and I put my robe sleeve down. I felt like I could do or be
anything. It was awesome. The fire in my veins was gone. But as it had passed
something new was there, I didn’t entirely understand yet. “Okay. That. Has.
Never.
Happened. To. Me,” said Lia, and
meant it. She was nearly falling out of her bed.

“I nearly melted,” I said, gasping and breathing heavily.

“That must be what it’s like to be a Neophyte and to have
your Mark. Your
real
Wiccan Mark,”
said Lia.

I nodded.

Is that what this was? Did I have mine now?

“No one can know,” I said to Lia. “Not even Ballard, not
anyone. If tongues waggle, I’ll rip them out.”

“No. I swear. It’s just between us. Promise,” she said.

“Sister swear,” I said.

She did her two-finger thing again––and winked
at me. There was an energy in her bright eyes. “We’re going to need that
power,” she said to me.

“Lia. The world is getting ready to shift. I can feel it
also. What I thought was important, isn’t,” I said. “And what I never thought
about before has suddenly become important. These people can’t be trusted.
They’re all of them dangerous. And something more. I can’t explain it, but Rome
is the key. That’s why they all wanted to meet here. To look it over. I think
Gaven knows this. But he’s careful who he lets in on his secrets. You’re right
about that.”