Authors are creative beings, so we can have muses. I have one time had creative block (worst month ever. I so wanted to create something and just…couldn’t), but my muse is pretty happy with the diverse projects, since I always have several going on and old ones we can go back to just to refresh ideas or for fun. However, in 2021, my muse and I started working on a story about a witch and a vampire and just…wouldn’t let go of it. For nearly six months, I focused on nothing else but witches and vampires. We jumped to other stories for a bit, but it was always right back to Alex Corana. I knew it wasn’t going to be ready by the summertime, not even with all the writing I was doing (lots of ideas, but they would have to be across multiple books). Rather than try to pull the muse off the witches and vampires, because I’ll be honest, I was having a good time, I just went along for the ride and accepted I wasn’t putting out a book in 2022. It’s not quite so fixated now, but I promise there will be plenty of witches and vampires and (Mild Spoiler!) some other magical beings as well.
Chapter 1
“Mail!” came the call.
I trudged up the stairs from the basement level and headed to the front of the house. The house was a three-story sprawling building, home to me, my father, and about two dozen people at any given time. It was one of sixteen properties owned by our witch clan, House Corana. My father, as Master of the clan, oversaw everything. I heard his voice before he headed up the stairs, probably to look through whatever mail had arrived for him. Tate, the man in charge of communications, had my stack ready for me. I picked up my mail and thumbed through it.
“You also got a phone call.” Tate held out a note with a name and number written down. At the top of the page was the symbol of our clan, a crest with a sickle in the middle, the blade enhanced to be a C for Corana. That same symbol sat over our front doors, that one shiny silver with the blade of the sickle in crimson and the handle in black. “House Valtree is hosting the next gathering. It’s in a month.”
I noted the smirk on his face. “All right, what else?” I demanded.
“Dame Valtree’s son called with the message. He was really hoping you would come.”
I rolled my eyes. “I hope you didn’t promise I would be there.”
“I would never presume.”
“Then you’d be a step above Brandy,” I muttered. “And Diana. And whoever set me up on that blind date last month.”
“You still haven’t found out?”
I pierced him with a stare and sketched a truth sign in the air. My magic glowed purple as the spell took effect. If he lied, it would tell me. “Do you know who it is?”
“I know it wasn’t me.”
The truth sign glowed a bright green. “Was it Brandy?”
“I don’t believe it was your cousin Brandy, no.”
I latched onto his statement. “Then it was one of my cousins.”
“I would like to plead the fifth.”
“That’s only in court, and only if it self-incriminates.”
He seized the phone as it rang. “House Corana.”
“This conversation isn’t over,” I warned as I dissolved the spell.
Tate just grinned at me and covered the phone. “I don’t think that helped you very much,” he whispered before going back to his call.
I had twenty-six cousins in this city alone, two first cousins and the rest of them second or third cousins, so he had a point. At least I could rule out Brandy.
I headed down the hallway to where another of my cousins was. Kathy, daughter of my aunt Maria, was the Public Representative for House Corana. Her door was closed and the light was off. I knocked just in case and got no response. I tried the door to leave my papers for her on her desk, but her door was also locked. I’d have to give the file to her later. Next stop was across the hall where the accountants worked.
“You’re going to drop something,” Marianne said, hurrying over to help as I tried to dig out one folder from the pile. “Which one?”
“The big one.” I held the pile as she carefully pulled it out. “Thank you.” I looked closer at her hands. “Nice nails.”
She beamed. “Thanks! Annalie and I went yesterday,” she said, referring to her twin. “You should have come.”
“I was working on this.” I passed the folder to the waiting accountant. “All the final breakdowns for the Gratharty job, the dealership on 82nd, and the boutique on South Oakland. I’ve notated the hours of everyone who worked, so all we should be waiting for is the final payment from each of the clients.”
“Gratharty just paid.” Olive held up a check. “It arrived in the mail a few minutes ago. They’ve paid in full, so I’ll process payment and close out that file.”
Marianne had left me to go by the copier, but she rejoined me with whatever she’d been copying. “You should let us take you out,” she said. “When the official announcement is made.”
“I’d like that,” I said sincerely.
“Congrats, by the way.” She bumped me, smiling. “You’ll be a great heir. And, bonus points, you never have to change your name. Are you going to make your husband do it? Or will you hyphenate?” The head of the clan often changed their last name to be consistent with the House name, if they didn’t follow family lines. My father was the Master of our clan, but he was already the son of the previous leaders of the House, so he hadn’t had to change his name. Masters chose an heir to succeed them, and my father had finally chosen me to be the heir. When he stepped down, I would become Dame Corana of House Corana.
“That depends on my feelings for my mythical husband that I may or may not ever find and my opinion on his last name.”
“You should try looking harder.”
“Why? Apparently others do it for me.” I happened to look at her face and saw an expression cross it. I pointed at her. “You know something!”
“Gotta get these copies delivered,” she blurted out before disappearing.
The accountants in the room were snickering quietly.
“It’s not funny,” I said.
“It is funny. That’s why we’re laughing,” Olive said.
I gazed narrowly at her. “Do you know something?”
“Not who set you up. I do know it isn’t Kathy, if that helps.”
That would have been a surprise, but I wasn’t ruling anyone out. People always managed to surprise each other. “Do you know where Kathy is? She wasn’t in her office, and it was locked.”
“I think she left a little while ago. I’m not sure why.”
“Okay. Thanks.” I straightened my smaller pile and got back to work.
I made my way through the house, distributing more files and folders before heading up to my own office. As I walked up the stairs, I passed my thirteen-year-old cousin Brandy who had a vexed look on her face. “How’s the game coming?” I asked. Brandy had discovered Maze Runner and devoted plenty of hours to playing it, but she’d hit a hard level.
“Poorly,” she sighed. “I can’t get past level ninety-nine! Diana’s giving it a try.”
I chuckled. “Would you like a hint?” I’d played Maze Runner when it was first out so I knew exactly what the problem was with Level 99.
“No. I’m going to figure it out.” She looked aggravated though. “How long did it take you to figure it out?”
“I was stuck on it for a week before someone else figured it out. It took me five tries to get it right.” I saw Annalie coming down the hallway and picked out a folder from the pile in my arms. “Annalie, this is the final contract for the magical updates at the city prison. The bid needs to be submitted by Friday.”
“I’ll get that done,” she said. “And congratulations on being chosen to be the heir.”
I smiled. “Thank you.”
“When’s the formal announcement?”
“My father wanted to talk to the others first so they’d be prepared when the announcement is made.” There had been five people left who had wanted to be the heir, and I knew there would be disappointment, but I hoped to assure all of them that I would do this job well. I’d pretty much been doing it already, which was why I didn’t think many people would be surprised. “I think he’s planning on announcing it next week.”
“When are you going through your trial so you can be the heir?” Brandy asked.
“I don’t know,” I answered.
“Are you scared?” Brandy asked curiously. “Being human for a while has to be somewhat scary.”
“There is more to being the leader of a clan than using magic,” I told Brandy. “Going through the trial is the reminder that magic is a tool, not the answer to every problem. Being without magic for a few weeks or however long my trial lasts is a lesson more witches could probably stand to endure.”
Brandy sniggered. “I know a couple witches I’d like to make human for a few weeks. Kathy is at the top of the list. I don’t care what Aunt Maria says, Kathy needs knocked down a few pegs. Even my mom says so.”
Aunt Dina had never been shy about sharing her opinion though she usually softened it a bit for her brother and sister. Even so, my father admitted that being Master hadn’t lessened Dina’s propensity for tongue-lashings when she thought her brother deserved it. “I somehow doubt your mother said that in front of you.”
“She did,” Brandy insisted. “I wasn’t spying this time!”
“You and Diana have a habit of spying, so excuse me if I have trouble believing you,” I said. The two teenagers were constantly getting into trouble lately.
“We wouldn’t have to if anyone told us anything! Like how mad Aunt Maria was when you were named heir instead of Kathy. Uncle Andres told her and Kathy yesterday. Mom said Maria was fuming mad.”
I didn’t doubt that. Aunt Maria had always favored her daughter and told her for years what a fine heir she’d make. When her husband had died, she’d devoted all her energy to her daughter and, in my opinion, had spoiled Kathy too much since she ‘didn’t have a loving father figure in her life’. But I needed to get Brandy off this topic sooner rather than later. “Where is Kathy? She wasn’t in her office,” I said to Annalie. It was quite possible she was avoiding everyone to avoid me. I figured the sting of losing had taken her down the few pegs Aunt Dina had said she needed.
“Aunt Maria sent her on an errand. I think she’s gone to get her hair done again. Ever since she went blond, she’s always at the salon. Are you going to go blond?” she wanted to know.
Considering my hair was so dark brown it occasionally looked black, I didn’t even want to think about how much work that would take without magic. “I like my hair color fine, thank you.” I handed Annalie another file. “When Kathy gets back, give her this and tell her the ad has been approved, and she can get that sent out and published. How are we doing on collecting items for the back-to-school donations?”
“The notebook donations have been confirmed. Kathy was working a new line with shoes. I have three hair stylists confirmed for haircuts and I’m hoping for at least three more. Once the ad goes out, we’ll have donations coming in and we can go out and buy pencils, backpacks, markers, glue, folders, and whatever else is needed. Tate said someone local called and asked what businesses needed to do to donate supplies, so we might have another corporate donor.”
“Excellent. You keep running that.” I looked at Brandy. “Are you going to watch our teams play tonight?”
“You bet! Team Corana is doing awesome,” Brandy said enthusiastically. “Are you coming?”
“I’m going to try. Aunt Maria was supposed to be getting the snacks. See if she needs any help before the games. What time do they play?”
“The boys play at six and the girls play at seven.”
“I should be able to make it, but I have a lot of work to get through.”
“You should totally come. We’re going to stomp Team Valtree,” Brandy said with a grin.
“Since when do you not like House Valtree?” Annalie asked.
“I like the clan. I don’t like their mascot. The Valtree Ducks? Seriously? What a lame mascot. It’s not like House Valtree has anything to do with ducks.”
“House Corana doesn’t have anything to do with eagles,” Annalie pointed out.
“Yeah, but our symbol is a sickle. I get why that can’t be on a kid’s uniform, but an eagle is still way better than the ducks. Who’s ever been scared of a duck?”
I didn’t bother to hide the smile. “Go check on the food for tonight. And try not to antagonize another witch clan. We’re on good terms with House Valtree, and I’d like to keep it that way.”
Brandy rolled her eyes. “Fine, whatever. We’re still going to stomp them.” And she headed off muttering about quacking and ducks.
“I hear House Valtree is looking forward to staying on good terms with you as well,” Annalie said coyly.
I pointed at her. “Don’t even start. I’m not dating Dame Valtree’s son.”
“I applaud him. He’s the first to reach out, and you aren’t even official yet. His initiative is excellent.”
“You’re my least favorite cousin,” I told her.
“Liar,” she said playfully. “I’m well aware I’m among your top three favorite cousins.”
“If you set me up on that blind date, you’ll fall right behind Kathy,” I responded.
She held up a hand. “I swear under a truth sign that I didn’t.”
“But you know who did because your twin knows.”
“And though you are also among my favorite cousins, I’m bound by sisterhood to keep my twin’s secrets, even from my almost-heir.”
I applauded around the files I was holding. “You managed to say that with a straight face. Good for you. I see your high school acting skills are still working.” I started to walk past her. “I will take you up on that truth sign offer,” I added breezily as I passed.
Annalie quickly changed the topic. “Treyson was looking for you,” she said, moving hastily down the stairs. “He’s probably waiting by your office.”
“Thanks,” I said, though she probably was too far away to hear me. I snickered.
Treyson was indeed waiting at my office, which was just down the hall from my father’s office. “Question for you, Heir Corana,” he said, grinning.
“That’s not official,” I said. “But thanks. What did you need?”
“It’s about the Power Source,” he said. “I know it’s pretty much between me and Franklin to be the next in line. I also know Hartson isn’t planning on stepping down any time soon, but when he does, do you pick the next Power Source or does the Master or does Hartson? I need to know who to be nice to.”
“Unfortunately for you, all three of us weigh in on the decision.”
Treyson squinted his eyes at me. “You’re not going to play favorites and pick Franklin because you two are friends, are you?” he asked.
“Of course not. And I’m not going to pick strictly on which one of you has a single half-second more power. If you want to be the Power Source, you have to be able to control the power, not just have it.” A skill I’d worked on much harder than anyone knew. “Being the Power Source is not about being the Most Powerful Witch in House Corana. I’d recommend you do more shadowing and reading up on what the job entails. Franklin has nearly two years on you in training.”
“I don’t care if he does have an iota of more power than I do. I’m going to beat him and be the next Power Source,” he bragged.
I raised my eyebrows at him. “Then you should get training. Because that’s what Franklin is doing right now.”
Treyson bolted off. I opened my door and dropped the files I still held.
“Alex?” A head popped in my door. “Got a second?”
“Sure. What do you need?”
Judy stood in the doorway, her graying hair up in a bun and wearing her usual pearl earrings. No matter what outfit she wore, and it was usually classy, she always wore pearl earrings. “I’ve got a problem with a client who’s refusing to pay. He claims we damaged his yard.”
“Did we damage his yard?”
“No. He’s claiming our magic killed the grass. We weren’t using any kind of magic that would have affected grass.”
“Did he have the yard spelled to grow or did he use anything magical on his yard that might have mingled with our magic?” I questioned.
Her brow wrinkled. “We were working on the windows. It shouldn’t have bothered his yard at all. He swears that yesterday it was green and today it’s browning and dying, so he’s not paying us for the work we did.”
“Any ideas?”
“He’s not a likable man. If something did happen to his yard, either he did it to get out of paying or someone else did it.”
“Take Harris with you to get soil samples. Test it for things magical and non-magical that might have affected the grass.” Harris was good with unraveling spells and science in general. If the ‘witch nerd’, as he called himself, couldn’t find something, it was a real mystery. He’d gotten his doctorate the same year I’d graduated from college, so he knew his stuff.
“He said we’re not allowed to step foot on his property, and he’ll call the police if we do.”
I sighed. “Then call the police, and ask for a civil standby. Have them attempt to mediate for us, at least to get payment or a soil sample to determine if we are at fault. Whether we are at fault or not will determine where we go from here. If the soil samples don’t tell us anything, you might see if there are any video cameras around that catch part of his property.”
“Do we investigate or do we let the police investigate first?” she asked.
“That would depend on how involved the police want to be, and whether the client is trying to press charges against us. I can…” I checked my watch. It was almost ten. “Actually, can I get back to you in about thirty minutes?”
“Ah, it’s time for your morning meditation, isn’t it?” She waved me off. “Go. I’ll call the police, and Harris and I will get it figured out one way or another.” She stepped out, closing my office door.
Alone, I quickly sorted the files on my desk, then walked over to my corner to meditate. Meditation was frequently used to help keep control over our magic and everyone in the clan knew that I set time aside every morning to meditate. Now that I was going to be heir, the meditation had another purpose. Each witch had a bond to the House, and it was my job as the heir to ensure the bonds were secure and to know what each bond looked like. I could see if witches were low on magic, were using magic, and could get a sense of what spell was being cast through the connection. My father had already cast this spell, allowing me a deeper connection with the clan and the people in it.
I settled myself, closing my eyes and opening myself up to the magic. I felt the presence of each person in the house, their magical identities popping to life as I scanned through the connection of each witch to the house. Slowly, as I concentrated, the color of each came into focus. Each witch had a unique color to his or her magic. Franklin was indeed practicing, his bronze color vividly clear. I saw the green of Treyson’s magic as he, too, started to practice.
Suddenly, an icy wind swamped me, and magic surged through the connection to me. My magic rose in defense but not quickly enough. Blackness draped over me. I couldn’t breathe. It took me two attempts to draw in air before I realized what was happening, and I staggered upright and for the door, my magic fighting this spell. I slammed into the wall and managed to gasp in a single breath before the spell blocked my throat again. Nothing I was doing was working, and my panic wasn’t helping. I flung open the door and nearly fell. I had to get to my father. He was the only one who could save me.
The world was fading to gray very quickly. I made it the seven steps to my father’s office and my magic blasted it open a moment before I fell.
“Alex!” My father jumped up from his desk and raced to me.
There, a hole in the magic. I jammed my magic into that hole and pushed, widening it, my magic straining. Air wheezed in. “Spell,” I gasped. “Throat.”
I felt my father connecting to the house. “House Corana!” he called through the link that bound every witch together. “Break the spell on Alex now!”
I felt the magic as every witch in the vicinity focused their attention on me. Those who were too far away sent their magic to my father who was working with me to hold the spell open. I felt as if someone was squeezing my throat, and I poured my power into fighting it, wave after wave of magic, giving myself a small passageway of air as my throat constricted with the spell. The magic my father was using combined with mine and forced the spell to hold. Others were creeping their way into the spell, searching for flaws and cracks as they threw spells at it.
Suddenly, there was a weakening in the spell. “Heat!” I heard someone yell. “Use heat to burn it!”
I felt warmth bathing the inside of my throat, and the spell relaxed just a fraction. There was a clenching, as if the person using the spell knew they were about to lose, and I slammed my magic back in retaliation, a blow of desperation because I was on the verge of passing out. Between my blow and the heat the others were using, the spell splintered and broke apart.
I rolled to my side, gulping in air. My father rested his hand on my shoulder. “You’re all right,” he said wearily. “You’re all right.”
My hand covered my throat. I didn’t feel any marks. It wasn’t cold, but I still shivered.
“Alex!” Feet were storming up the stairs.
My father grabbed my arm. “Up,” he said in a low tone. “Don’t let them see you like this.”
Despite that I was still shaky from the attack, appearances mattered, especially from the newly-named heir. I let my father pull me to my feet and found my calm mask right as Brandy rounded the corner, tears in her eyes. “Alex!” She threw herself at me, holding me tight. “You’re okay! I’m so glad you’re okay!”
My father was moving, picking up his wallet and a key from his desk, grabbing a jacket as well. “We need to go now,” he said.
I knew what he meant. By everyone focusing that intently on me, they would have realized how much magic I put into that final blow and how much work it took to hold off the spell. I’d never told anyone exactly how much power I had, and my father had helped me to hide it. They were going to start figuring out I had more power than I let on, and they weren’t going to be pleased.
I hugged Brandy back. “I am okay,” I said, my voice coming out normally. No scratchiness, no rasping, nothing to show I’d nearly been strangled to death. “Thank you for helping, but I have to go.”
Brandy looked confused as she let go and stepped back. “Go? After you were just attacked? Shouldn’t you stay where it’s safe?”
That depended on what she considered ‘safe’.
I followed my father out the door and down the stairs. The witches were gathering there, including my family. Aunt Maria looked infuriated. “She’s still alive?”
“Alex, I was so worried we weren’t going to stop it in time!” Annalie threw her arms around me.
Franklin was standing behind her, an ashen tone to his skin. “That last blow…that came from you. That was…”
“Powerful.” Aunt Maria’s tone was enraged. “Too powerful. You shouldn’t have been able to do that!”
“Someone just tried to kill our heir and you’re worried about how much power she has?” Marianne snapped.
“She isn’t supposed to have that much power! She shouldn’t be heir if she does!”
“We’ll discuss this later,” my father said firmly, guiding me out of the house.
Shaken, I let him direct me to his car, and it wasn’t until we were half a mile away that I spoke. “How did someone attack me like that?”
My father gripped the wheel tightly. “I don’t know. I will find out. I will find out what spell it was and how it got to you.”
I pulled down the visor to check the mirror. It showed no marks on my throat. No bruises, no discolorations, no symbols, nothing. It was as if the attack hadn’t even happened.
Much as I knew I should have been worried about the spell, I couldn’t stop myself from asking. “Are you going to make someone else the Heir?”
My father shook his head. “No. You earned it. No one can deny that you earned it. I made sure of it. Everyone I asked the opinion of agreed.”
“That was before they knew how powerful I was.” I remembered the ashy tone to Franklin. Had he been worried about me, or had he realized that I might be more powerful than he was?
“Do you want to be the Power Source?” my father asked.
“No.”
“Do you want to be the Heir?”
“Yes.”
“Then you will be.”
Twenty minutes later, in a run-down, industrial part of town, my father parked the car. I climbed out, sending him a questioning look.
“Some things are easier to hide if you don’t know to look for it,” he said cryptically, and led the way to a building that said ‘Certified Weapon Permits’. I had no idea what we were doing here.
Inside, there was a man at the scarred, metal front desk who looked like he’d break five of your bones if you referred to him as a secretary. My father held out his ID. “Andres Corana,” he said. “To see Mr. Dobrijevic.”
The man pulled out a square device and set it on top of the desk. “Palm,” he said, scanning the ID with a black light.
My father put his palm down on the square and a minute later, there was a beep. The man set the black light down and replaced the device somewhere below. “Confirmed.” He picked up a phone. “Mr. Dobrijevic, Master Andres Corana is here to see you.”
“Alex will be joining me,” my father said as he tucked his ID away.
“With a guest,” the man added.
There was a murmur on the phone and the man hung up. “Mr. Dobrijevic will see you.” He nodded to the door on the right. “Through there.”
My father led the way, resting his hand on the handle. The door buzzed, a second buzz joining a moment later, and then the door opened. I walked in, and the door closed behind me with an ominous thunk.
“Papa?” I murmured as I took in the room. “Where are we?” This looked like the vault of a bank. The run-down, industrial look had disappeared. Cracked linoleum became smooth tile. Industrial gray metal and beige paint became warm wooden tones and cream paint. The deep, rich, dark brown and red desk was much wider, nicer too.
A thin man dressed in business attire entered from the other side of the room, carefully closing the door. “Master Corana. A pleasure to see you again. This must be your daughter.” This stranger looked at me through pale blue eyes behind wire-framed glasses. “Alexandra, isn’t it?”
“I go by Alex,” I said. “Nice to meet you.”
“Alex, this is Ivan Dobrijevic.” I bowed slightly in acknowledgment of the introduction as my father continued, “Mr. Dobrijevic, we need our box, please. And the witness of the trial.”
“Of course. Make yourselves comfortable.” He crossed to the door he’d just entered from, and after typing in a code on the keypad, the door opened and he left us alone.
“Papa, what are we doing here?” I asked, confused as my father sat in one of the padded chairs.
“This place is…Mr. Dobrijevic prefers that we call it a bank. He stores valuable items, usually magical items, and ensures they are kept safe. He’s just gone to get our lodestone.”
My eyes widened as I took a seat as well. “Our lodestone is here?” That explained the security. “Are many lodestones kept here?”
“I don’t know. Privacy and secrecy are important. We don’t ask and they don’t mention anything. The lodestone isn’t the only thing he has of ours, but this is where I’ve kept it for the most part for the past eleven years.”
That explained the security. The lodestone was precious to the clan, the only item that kept a clan in existence. If the lodestone was lost, stolen, or destroyed, it meant the end of the clan unless a new lodestone could be created to replace it. That wasn’t a simple task, so every clan took measures to ensure their item was either kept secret or safe. Mr. Dobrijevic had earned a great amount of trust if he was the holder of our lodestone and the witness to my trial.
The trial presented an entirely new set of problems. Before this morning, there would have been no issues with my undergoing the trial, and the clan would have rallied around me to ensure I was protected while I had no magic. Now, however, there was dissent over the strength of my magic. Once the trial started, it couldn’t be stopped, which was why my father had gotten me out of the house so quickly. But when we returned, I wasn’t sure the clan would ensure I was safe. I especially wasn’t sure I’d be protected if someone had already attacked me once. I’d been in my own house where I should have been safe with the full strength of my magic behind me. If that wasn’t enough to protect me, having no magic meant I’d just put a large target on my back. Unless no one knew where to find me.
My father’s mind was obviously following the same track. “What do you want to do about your trial?” he asked.
“I can’t go back to the house. Until we know who tried to kill me, I need to go where they can’t find me and the clan needs to be prepared for more attacks. They won’t focus on that if they’re focused on me. I don’t know if this was an attack against me personally or an attack against our clan. If I take myself out of the picture, you can focus on figuring out what happened.”
“You need to be someplace you’re protected. There’s not just witches you have to be careful of. There’s vampires as well.”
His point was valid. Witches and vampires did not get along. If vampires learned a witch heir was alone and vulnerable, they’d take every advantage of that situation that they could. I was well-known to several vampires and vampire seethes. I’d need protection from them as well.
“I can send you to your mother’s family,” he suggested. “I’m sure they’d love to spend time with you again.”
I loved my maternal grandparents, but I took after my mother in appearances, and they thought it was cute to call me by my mother’s name and turn me into a carbon copy of the daughter they’d lost. My father and I had grieved terribly when my mother had died, and them treating me as if I was a replacement didn’t help. As such, I limited face to face time with them. I didn’t relish the thought of spending weeks there with them pretending I was their daughter.
A terrible idea rose in my brain, one that I knew my father would call madness if I said it aloud. Many would. They’d be right. But I couldn’t turn to my own people right now, so that meant I’d have to take a gamble. “I need to not be Alex Corana,” I said. “I need to be someone else.”
He nodded. “I have some blank IDs in the box as well. How much cash do you need?”
If things went well, not much. “How much cash do you have on you?”
He pulled out his wallet. “A little over three hundred.”
I held out my hand. “Then that much. Once the trial starts, you go back to the House, and I’ll figure things out on my own. I’ll monitor my emails, so you can let me know if you find anything, and I’ll let you know if I need help.”
He handed me the cash. I tucked it in my pocket. “Do you want dropped off somewhere?”
“Is it going to be a problem if I’m seen leaving this place?” I questioned.
“No. As long as you leave and don’t cause any problems, Mr. Dobrijevic can handle himself and his business.”
“Then I’ll walk. We’re close enough to a bus line that I can get where I need to go.”
The vault door opened and Mr. Dobrijevic returned with a box. It looked just like a bank box. Setting it on his desk, he settled behind it. My father and I rose, crossing to the desk. My father rested his hand on the box, his magic flaring briefly, and the box clicked open. Opening the box, my father withdrew a stack of blank ID cards, passing one to me.
If Mr. Dobrijevic felt anything at seeing my father with a stack of blank ID cards, which was highly illegal, he said and showed nothing. What made it even more illegal was the sticker my father had that would mark this as a real ID. Leaning over the desk, I set my driver’s license next to the blank card, resting my fingers on both of them to infuse them with magic. Then lifting my hand off the real ID, the magic of the card followed it, creating a transparent copy hovering in midair. This was the tricky part. Ever so carefully, I edited the details. The less I changed, the easier it was, so Alexandra stayed the same, but Corana became Carson. My birthday changed only the year, since it would be easier for me if I was younger. The address was changed as well, since I needed not to be associated with the Corana House, and became not only a new street address but a new city. A few more tweaks and I moved the image to the blank ID card soaked in magic and laid the image down, creating a fake license for myself. I eased my magic out and the image held. My father laid the state-issued sticker over the ID to mark it as valid. I repeated the process with the back, which required little tweaking.
With the fake ID done, my father withdrew the most important item in the box. The lodestone for House Corana.
Our lodestone was a necklace with a silver chain, an old-fashioned clasp that could be magically locked, and a pale blue stone. It wasn’t a valuable stone, not a sapphire or something others would want to steal for that reason, but the amount of magic in this stone would be worth more than it would be if it were a diamond.
“As the stone passes to you, so will the clan one day,” my father said. “Take the time to learn the clan, the people in it, and become a Dame your clan can trust.”
“I will.”
“As you endure your trial, learn humility and patience and to be careful and wise with the use of magic. Remember that power is not the strength of the clan. May you discover during this time what you can contribute to your clan and discover how others can contribute as well, in both your strength and your weakness. Do you accept the trial?”
“I do.”
My father hesitated, breaking from the traditional words. “Baby girl, I want to warn you now,” my father said quietly. “The more powerful the magic, the longer it tends to take. It was three weeks before I got my magic back and your power outstrips mine.”
“The family is in danger,” I said. “I’d have to do this sooner or later.”
“Yes, but if they find you, you won’t have your magic to help. You’ll be as helpless as a human.”
“It’ll be okay, Papa,” I said firmly. “I’ve got this.”
He gave a sad smile. “Sweet girl, you have no idea what’s coming.” He handed me the chain. “But neither did I. And this is your choice and your right.”
I settled the chain around my neck, sealing the clasp. I felt the wash of magic covering me, and I nearly panicked; then all magic disappeared. I couldn’t feel anything. I couldn’t feel my magic or my father’s or anything besides the softly glowing blue stone.
“The test has begun,” Mr. Dobrijevic said. “I have witnessed it.”
There was a faint hint of magic, which meant it should have felt much stronger. Humans couldn’t feel magic unless it was very strong, and I was now essentially human.
“Thank you,” my father said to him. “That’s all for today.”
Mr. Dobrijevic inclined his head. “Good day to you, Master Corana. Heir Corana.”
“Thank you,” I said.
He pressed a button on his phone. “Two exiting,” he said.
A minute later, we had exited to the dingy lobby, and the door sealed behind us. We walked out of the building, where I handed my father my wallet. My phone had been left in my office. All I had was a little over three hundred dollars, a fake ID, and a lodestone that was holding my magic. It was four blocks to the bus stop. I had no idea when a bus would get there, but I needed to go on my way. I needed to find a place to stay before nightfall, and it was starting to mist. I didn’t have a raincoat or an umbrella, and I wanted to get someplace dry in case it started really raining.
“Where will you go?” my father asked.
I’d already considered it. “Someplace no one will expect,” I said simply. “Tell the family whatever tale you’d like. I won’t be reaching out to any of them until I know it’s safe.”
“I’ll find out what happened,” my father vowed. “And it would ease my mind if you’d message me every once in a while to tell me you’re safe. That’s all I ask.”
“I’ll try,” I said. I hugged my father, then I turned and walked into the mists, alone.