The Legacy: The Weight of Magic, Episode 2

  THE LEGACY

  THE WEIGHT OF MAGIC BOOK 2

  Lana Melyan

  Copyright © 2019 by Lana Melyan

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual locales, organizations, events, or persons living or dead is entirely coincidental.

  Lana Melyan

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Also by Lana Melyan

  1

  I stood in the woods with my eyes closed, pressing my palms to a thick trunk of the Family Tree. I had heard the spirits before, and hoping to talk to my father, I came here every day, called his name, and waited for him to answer. But he never did.

  I stepped back, brushed off the moss and the bark husks from my hands, and walked away. I came out of the woods and I glanced up and down the empty road, then got in my car and started the engine.

  It had been two weeks since my parents died. The official version was a gas explosion. But I didn’t believe that. I still didn’t know what happened, and not because no one wanted to tell me, but because I didn’t want to hear it, so I didn’t ask.

  I wasn’t ready yet.

  “I’ll be here when you are,” Nathan had said a few days ago when he stopped by to check on us.

  During those days, I didn’t go to school, I didn’t talk much, and I barely ate. I slept a lot. Or I wished I did. I would take a pill, and it would help me to fall asleep, but not for long. I would wake up an hour later with my head throbbing from the nightmares and visions of my parents, who disappeared every time I tried to talk to them. Then I would take another pill.

  That was why I finally let Gran deal with it in her own way. Last night she put a pouch of mixed herbs under my pillow and brewed a potion for me to drink. It helped. I slept for five hours, and when I woke up, we had breakfast together.

  When I drove to the Family Tree today, I had decided that if Dad still didn’t answer me, I would give it a rest for a while.

  I stopped the car in the front yard and walked into the house. Gran was waiting for me in the kitchen.

  “You’ve been gone for a while. You must be hungry,” she said quietly. “Let’s eat.”

  I stared at my plate while I ate. After we finished and started on the cleaning, I did what I had been so afraid to do for all these days. I looked into my Gran’s eyes.

  She had been waiting for it, and the moment our eyes met, she gulped for air, and her pain-filled, swollen from crying eyes filled with tears. Then we stood crying, wrapped in each other’s arms.

  I let myself drown in my pain, and all this time Gran stayed next to me every minute, pulling me to the surface.

  It wasn’t just about me. My Gran lost her son, and it was my turn to be strong, to help her deal with her grief.

  I told Gran I was ready to go to school and it was time for her to go back to work. Every small distraction would give our minds a break, which would help us take a breath. And even if that breath came out as a deep sigh, it would still help loosen the tension in our chests.

  2

  Next morning, after I dressed up and did my hair and makeup, I stood in front of the mirror and closed my eyes.

  “I can do this,” I whispered.

  I remembered everything I had told myself last night. People will stare, some out of compassion, some out of curiosity. Don’t look at them. Don’t look sad. Smile if you have to. Then go to your classroom, find your seat, and you’ll be okay. I opened my eyes.

  “I have Connie. I’ll be fine.”

  Connie, Jess, Leia, and Dave had all came to the funeral, and I hoped there was no one else at school who would want to rush to me with their condolences. The thought alone made me nauseous.

  I heard a car outside and went to the window. It was Connie. She offered to drive me to school, and she promised not to leave me alone even for a second.

  “I’ll be fine,” I encouraged myself once more, and I went downstairs.

  “Here,” said Gran, handing me a travel mug filled with coffee.

  “Thanks.” I kissed her on the cheek.

  “You look good,” said Connie as I got into the car.

  “Just promise you’ll poke me every time I space out.”

  “You got it.” She smiled.

  I took my time getting out of the car when we arrived. And the moment I did, I felt the familiar tingle on the back of my head. I turned and looked at the road.

  Nathan’s car was parked in the same spot. He stood leaning on the hood, his hands crossed over his chest.

  “What’s he doing here?” I glanced at Connie.

  “He thought you could use all the support you could get.”

  “How is he planning to support me? By putting a spell on me or something?”

  “Or,” Connie tilted her head, “by hexing someone, if he has to.”

  “I’m a witch now. I can take care of myself. And how did he know I was coming today?”

  “I told Logan. Logan told him,” Connie said quickly, a guilty look on her face.

  “Logan is still here?”

  “I don’t think he’s planning to leave. At least not in the near future.”

  I gaped at Connie. “You don’t mean—”

  “Oh no.” Connie shook her hand. “It’s not about me, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

  I glanced at Nathan again.

  “If he showed up to distract me by pissing me off—”

  “Then yay,” Connie raised her thumb up, “it’s working.”

  Looking serious, Nathan put his sunglasses on, got into the car, and drove away.

  I didn’t know why his appearance bothered me. Or maybe I did, and I just didn’t want to admit it to myself. Wherever my mom and dad were the day they died, he was there with them. I knew he was immortal, but the fact that he came back and they didn’t still troubled me. Knowing they hated each other made me doubt him, and every time I thought about it, or when I saw him, the same question popped into my head: Did he do anything to save them?

  But it wasn’t his fault I didn’t know the answer. He was right there, waiting for me to ask all the questions. And maybe he knew what I was thinking, and he showed up to prove he had nothing to hide.

  We started toward the school, and I did as I had planned. At least halfway. I couldn’t get rid of the grim expression on my face, but even though I felt people’s stares, I didn’t pay attention to anyone. I just walked looking forward.

  As soon as we reached the lockers, Jess, Leia, and Dave stepped in with their warm welcome and cheerful comments that helped remove the deep frown from my face.

  The bell rang, and Connie and I started down the hallway. Next to our classroom, I saw two unfamiliar faces. A guy and a girl. The guy’s gaze moved up and down the corridor, and the moment he saw me, his eyes narrowed. I held his eyes until he smiled politely and looked away. The girl seemed less confident. Looking annoyed, she shifted from foot to foot, not really focusing on anything.

  Even though they didn
’t talk or look at each other, it was obvious they were together.

  Brother and sister?

  We walked into the classroom, and when we took our places, Mrs. Donovan came in leading the guy and the girl from the hallway.

  “Good morning,” she said. “I want you to welcome our newest students. Kate Parker and Sam Morgan.” Then she glanced at the two of them and said, “Please, take your seats,” and pointed at the empty desks at the end of the room.

  So not brother and sister, I thought as they walked to their seats amid the curious looks.

  I felt Sam’s eyes on me from time to time during class. But it wasn’t just him. Kate kept staring at me as well. They must have heard about the accident and were trying to figure out if I was that girl whose parents had recently died in a gas explosion.

  And just like that, my frown came back, and so did the lump in my throat.

  When Connie and I reached the parking lot after school, I saw the new students, Sam and Kate, heading to the same car. Strange. They didn’t look like a couple. Maybe they were neighbors? Sam unlocked the car, and Kate pulled the passenger door open. Before getting in, she glanced at me over the cartop.

  “Nicky?” Connie called from inside the car.

  “Okay, that was weird,” I said, sliding onto the seat.

  “What was?”

  “Our new classmates stared at me the whole day.”

  “I thought you said you’ve prepared yourself for those kinds of reactions.”

  “No. This was different. Their looks weren’t the compassionate or curious kinds of looks. They were the, I know what you did last summer kind.”

  “You know what?” Connie threw at me a serious glance. “I think I’m doing a lousy job here. I can’t even distract you from a simple alien invasion. I’m taking you to the Grill. We could both use some refreshment.”

  I felt tired, and I wasn’t in the mood to go anywhere, especially to a noisy and crowded place like the Grill. But Gran was at the bookstore, and I didn’t want to return to my empty house and sit there alone with my heavy thoughts.

  We had coffee and cold juice while we talked at the Grill, and I tried very hard to keep the smile on my face. Connie had done the best she could to support me during the past two weeks, and I didn’t want to disappoint her with the poor progress I had made in my healing process.

  But my thin source of energy drained out less than an hour later. I suggested that Gran might want to close earlier than usual today and asked Connie to drop me at the store.

  3

  I walked into the store, and as the heavy door closed behind me and shut off the bustle of the street, I heaved a sigh of relief.

  Gran turned her head from where she stood next to the bookshelves with a young woman

  “Nicky?” She looked concerned. “I’m glad you came, honey.”

  I sank into the armchair next to the window, leaned back on the soft cushions, and closed my eyes, enjoying the calming quiet and the fact that no one was staring at me.

  A few minutes later, I heard Gran walk past me with the woman, then their muffled voices and the clacking of the cash register. When I heard the tinkle of the doorbell, I opened my eyes.

  Gran came out from behind the counter and threw a quick glance at the back room. Then she stepped closer to me, and I saw the familiar bitterness in her eyes.

  “I want you to meet someone. Come.” She headed to the back room.

  I drew myself up and followed her, feeling a little nervous.

  The moment I walked into the room, I stopped dead. Kate Parker and Sam Morgan sat at the table. And there was also a middle-aged man. All three of them got on their feet.

  “Hello, Nicky,” said the man.

  I couldn’t bring myself to answer. I stared at Gran instead.

  “Honey,” said Gran quietly. “This is Brian Carter. He was a friend of your dad and mom.”

  “I’m sorry, Nicky,” said Brian. “I’m so sorry for your loss.”

  The lump in my throat came back, choking me. I swallowed.

  “Are you from the coven?” I asked.

  “Yes.”

  My eyes moved from him to Sam and Kate and then back to him.

  “No,” said Brian, answering my unspoken question. “They are not my kids. I’m their legal guardian.” He paused, then cleared his throat and said, “You see, their parents died too that day. The whole coven did. We are the only ones left.”

  I clenched my jaw and looked at Gran. Then I glanced at Kate and Sam, and the tears burned my eyes. Both of them looked down.

  “Kate lost her mom,” said Brian. “And Sam, like you, lost his both parents.”

  I had no words, and even if I did, I wouldn’t be able to speak them. Standing in shock, I suddenly realised that I knew nothing, absolutely nothing about that day. My parents died, and I didn’t even know how, because I was afraid to know the truth. I was hiding behind the official lie. I hadn’t realized there were other people suffering from that day’s events, but unlike me, they were facing their grief, not running from it.

  “We moved here,” continued Brian. “It’s better if we stay together for a while. We wanted to talk to you, but Bree just told me that you don’t . . . well.” He cleared his throat again. “We can meet later. When you’re up to date.”

  “I’m sorry, guys,” I whispered, brushing off my tears, too ashamed to look at Sam and Kate.

  The three of them started toward the door. Sam put his hand on my shoulder as he passed.

  “We are sorry too.”

  Gran walked them outside, while I stood pinned to the spot, making a decision.

  Then I poured myself a glass of water, gulped it, and went after her.

  “I need to see Nathan. Now.”

  Gran nodded. “I’ll drive you.”

  “I’m sorry, honey,” she said as we drove. “Their arrival was a surprise to me too.”

  “I saw them at school today. Kate and Sam. I sat with them in the same classroom the whole day, and I had no idea . . .”

  I thought about what I’d just heard. The whole coven died. It meant there was a fight. Who were they fighting? And then Brian said we are the only ones left. Did that mean Kate and Sam were in the coven too? They were my age. And if they were in the coven, it meant they were there, fighting by their parents’ side, while I sat here not even knowing what was happening or what did my parents die for. Why did my mom and dad keep me in the dark? Even if I wasn’t a witch then, shouldn’t I at least know what it was they were fighting for?

  Gran slowed down and turned to a familiar green alley, which I knew for sure had no exits and lead straight to Mr. Lancaster’s mansion.

  “Gran, why are we here? You said you’d take me to Nathan.”

  “And that’s exactly what I’m doing,” said Gran.

  “Gran,” I burst out. “What the hell is going on? This mansion belongs to Mr. Lancaster. What has Nathan to do with him?”

  “Alan lives here, and he’s the owner on paper,” said Gran calmly. “But the mansion doesn’t belong to him. It belongs to Nathan Cain.”

  “Hm, I see now,” I scoffed. I watched her drive around the green court and stop the car in front of the stone stairs to the front door. “And of course,” I muttered, “this also means that all this time Mr. Lancaster knew who we were.”

  “Yes. But, Nicky, that isn’t what’s important.”

  “That isn’t what’s important?” I shouted. “I’ve lived a lie my entire life. You all kept me in some safe, soaring bubble, and now, after it burst, dropping me on this bumpy road, I bruise myself with every step.”

  Gran closed her eyes and took a deep breath before she opened them again.

  “Nicky, I’m sorry. I know how hard it is for you. But I want you to remember why you are here. You came here to find out the truth because you think you’re ready. If you open this door and walk through it, there’s no way back. So, I’m begging you to think again. You have to be strong for this, and right now you’re to
o emotional and still very sensitive. If you need more time, say so, and I’ll turn around and take you home.”

  “Oh, I’m not going anywhere,” I said, clenching my teeth.

  I pushed open the door, slamming it behind me as I got out, and marched up the stairs.

  4

  I reached for the doorbell, but the big, dark-brown door opened before I could press the button.

  “Hello, Nicky,” said Mr. Lancaster, standing in the doorway. “Please, come in.”

  I walked inside and stopped in the middle of a hallway facing a large living room with high ceilings. I glanced at the corridor to my right, which had a dark-wood staircase with a carved banister on its side, leading to the upper floor. The corridor on the left side ended in double doors with a stained-glass panel.

  I glanced back at Gran, then moved forward. I’d been here before, long ago, and when I walked into the living room, I looked to the right, where I knew the big fireplace was.

  Nathan stood next to it. He turned around and started toward me.

  “Hi, Nicky. I’m glad you came.” He put his hand on my back and led me to the stained-glass doors. “Excuse us,” he said as we walked past Gran and Mr. Lancaster.

  Behind the stained glass doors was the big library I’d heard so much about. The bookshelves running along the walls were parted by tall windows. On one side of the room stood an antique desk with a tall, carved chair. On the other, two leather couches sat looking at each other with a low, narrow table in between them.

  “You came to school today,” I said, stopping next to the desk. “Why?”

  “It was your first day back, and I wanted to make sure you were okay.”