The Legacy: The Weight of Magic, Episode 2 Page 2

  “Why? You hated my dad. Why do you care about me?”

  “Your father and I had some disagreements. But we never hated each other.” Nathan pointed at the couch. “Let’s sit down.”

  “I don’t want to sit.” I gazed at him. “I came for answers, and I want to hear the truth. I want to know what happened.”

  “I know you have doubts about me. I could see it in your eyes every time you looked at me in the last two weeks.” He moved closer and took me by my arms. “Nicky, I wish I could have saved them. But believe me, there was nothing I could do.”

  My eyes prickled, and I looked down. He let go of me.

  “Vincent and I, we fought on the same side. I’ve known your father his entire life.”

  My eyes flew up at him, and he nodded.

  “Yes, I know Logan told you my little secret. I wasn’t trying to hide it from you. From the rest of the world, yes. But never from you.” He folded his hands behind his back. “As I was saying, I always knew you father. I wasn’t a member of the coven. I’m a free man and have never bound myself with obligations. But we had mutual goals and a mutual enemy, and I was with them. I knew them all,” he said, grief in his voice. “Vincent and I had a lot in common. So believe me when I say, losing your father, all of them, was one of the darkest days of my life.”

  I couldn’t believe that the guy talking to me was the same Nathan I had met a couple of weeks ago. His tone was serious, and there was no arrogance in him, only compassion and understanding.

  “Who killed them?”

  “The Order of Kenneth. An order of dark witches and warlocks. The Callahan are the key to something very powerful. The Order watched Vincent his whole life, hoping to get it.”

  “The coven knew about it?”

  “Of course they knew. It was their duty to protect Vincent.”

  “Why didn’t I know? Why did he keep me in the dark? Was it because I wasn’t a witch?”

  Nathan chuckled. “You’ve been a witch since you were seven.”

  “What?” I stared at him, my heart hammering.

  “Your father put a spell on you to block your powers.”

  “I don’t understand. Why would he do that?”

  “He was trying to protect you. You’re a Callahan. Your father kept your existence a secret. Nathalie was cloaked from a locator spell from the day she got pregnant. That’s when your dad sent her here with Bree. If the Order knew Vincent had a daughter, they would come after you. That’s the reason he didn’t tell you the truth. And he didn’t want you to live in fear your whole life. So he blocked your magic, because you’re as powerful as him, and if you’d used your magic all those years, he was afraid they would sense you, make a connection, and track you down.”

  “Dad lived here in River Stones too. If they were watching him, wouldn’t they be watching his house?”

  “The house you live in was your mom and dad’s home. But it wasn’t their house. Officially, they lived in New Orleans. That was the reason they were away all the time.”

  “What?” I gaped at him. “I can’t believe this.”

  “They loved you very much, Nicky, and they were doing everything to keep you away from danger.”

  “Away from danger?” I shouted. “If I’m that powerful, then I should’ve been there, fighting with all of you. I could have helped. Maybe I could’ve saved them!”

  “No, you couldn’t!” Nathan shouted back. “Who do you think we were fighting against? Witches like Connie? You would be dead just like the rest of them.” He started pacing.

  I sat on the couch, grabbed the edge of my seat, and sank my fingers deep into its leather.

  Nathan stopped.

  “They have captured the Callahan before and tortured them to death, but never got any information. Believing that Vincent was the only Callahan left, they couldn’t do it to him. They needed him alive.” Nathan sat on the couch across from me. “The coven changed the places of their meetings as often as they could. They have been using a cabin at the foot of the Smoky Mountains for only a couple of months, and they were sure the place was safe for a while. This attack was a total surprise. Your parents weren’t far away from the cabin, and they planned to join the others the next day. When Vincent got the message, he called me, and the three of us took off. But we were too late. When we arrived, there were bodies all around the cabin. Most of the coven was already dead.

  “Your father covered Brian and ordered him to get Kate and Sam out. We kept fighting, but they were still too many, and we knew we had no chance. After Nathalie was killed . . . ” Nathan looked down and shook his head. “When at the end it was just me and Vincent, Vincent ran into the cabin, and I followed him. He rushed into the kitchen and unplugged the gas hose. I realized what he was planning. If we ran, they would run after us, and to make the plan work, we had to stay inside and keep them busy.

  “They grabbed us, and that’s when we found out the reason of the attack. They’d gotten themselves a mind reader.”

  “Like Connie?” I asked, clenching my shaking hands together.

  “Oh, no. Connie can only see what’s on the surface. This one was very powerful. He dug deep into Vincent’s mind no matter how hard Vincent tried to fight him. They weren’t going to kill him. They were going to take him with them because they still needed him, but your father couldn’t let them get away with everything the mind reader had learned.” Nathan took a deep sigh. “Vincent glanced at me, then at the window behind me. Then he pointed his hand at me and punched the air. I flew out through the window, and then I heard his Incendio.”

  The tears rolled down my face. So it was a gas explosion after all.

  “I waited for the ambulances, and when they took Vincent to the hospital, he still had a pulse, but he was unconscious, and the doctors said he had no chance at all. I called Alan, and then came back to get Bree. But then . . . It was too late.

  Nathan walked to me, took my hands and pulled me up.

  “Your mom and dad loved you so much.” He put his hand on my shoulder as I stood looking at the floor. “They knew it could come to this, and they were worried about you.” He removed his hand and pushed it into his pocket. “Your father was angry with me those last few days. I hadn’t been in River Stones for a long time, and I didn’t tell him I was coming back. I knew if I did, he would start lecturing me to stay away from you.” He paused for a second, then said, “That branch you burned next to your school, it happened because I broke your father’s blocking spell.”

  “Why?” I asked, wiping my face.

  “I wanted to see what you’re capable off. I wasn’t putting you in any danger by doing so, and I knew he would put the spell back. But I’ve always argued about it with him. I was always against his decision to block your powers; I thought it would be better if you knew how to use them. The reason they wanted you to stay away from me was because we had different views on magic and how to use it, and they were afraid that I would be a bad influence on you. But they knew that if something happened to them, I would be the only one who could protect you. And I made them a promise to keep you safe. I’m here for you, Nicky. Whatever comes next, I’ll stand by your side, and we’ll face it together.”

  “Whatever comes next?” I gazed at him. “The mind reader and the others are dead. No one knows about me. I thought it’s all . . . I thought that was the end.”

  Pressing his lips together, Nathan shook his head.

  “No, Nicky, I’m sorry.” His black eyes locked on mine. “For you, this is just the beginning.”

  5

  “What do you mean?” I sat back on the couch.

  “I mean, the main problem isn’t solved.” Nathan sat down too. “Sooner or later the order will find a way around, or find you, to get what they want. We can’t let that happen. You’re the last heir of Callahan, and you’re the only one who can finish this. You need to carry on your father’s work.”

  “Nathan, what work?” I stared at him, bewildered. “I don’t know
anything. I don’t even know how to control my magic.”

  “You have me for that. I’m gonna teach you. And your grandmother will help as much as she can.”

  “How? You said if I use my powers, they might track me down. What if they . . . there’s only a few of us. We wouldn’t be able to fight them.”

  “We lost the coven, and your parents. But the Order suffered great losses as well, and they’ll need time to recover. That’s going to take a long time, during which you should learn as much as you can.”

  I sat thinking for a moment. About my mom and dad. About how hard it was for them to carry on their mission and worry about me all the time.

  “Dad said you know everything about us, about our history,” I said quietly.

  “Not everything. But I know a lot, yes.”

  “So you should know about the oak.”

  “Your Family Tree? Yes.” He nodded. “I’m one of the few who does.”

  “I’ve been going there every day since Dad died.” I bit my lip. “I was trying to talk to him. I wanted to know . . .” I sighed. “I mean, I had so many questions. But he never replied. Do you think he’s there? And if he is, can he hear me?”

  “I don’t know, Nicky. Only Callahan can answer that question. But even if he’s there and he can hear you, I’m not surprised he didn’t answer.” He smiled. “If he did, it wouldn’t be like listening to him through the best quality headphones, you know. You would hear some words or phrases. And you would keep going back day after day for more. Your dad wouldn’t want that for you. He would want you to heal. To move on. And also to get ready, so you can protect yourself. When the time comes, I promise, you’ll get all your answers.”

  “At least tell me what it is the Order is looking for. What do they want from us?”

  “Not today. Today you’ve learned enough to keep you up all night.”

  There was a knock on the door.

  “Yes,” said Nathan.

  The door opened, and Mr. Lancaster’s head showed up in the gap.

  “Dinner is ready.”

  “Thanks, Alan.” Nathan got up. “That’s the first good news all day.”

  As the two of us reached the door, Nathan stopped.

  “Nicky, you’re not scared, are you?”

  “Who, me?” I chuckled. “You’re the one who should be scared. You better be a good teacher, or you know,” I shrugged, “I might hex you by accident.”

  “That’s it. I resign.” He grinned.

  I sat thinking about the conversation with Nathan while we drove home after dinner, and Gran just glanced at me from the corner of her eye from time to time.

  Nathan was right. I had to start healing. But the pain in my heart wouldn’t go away just because I decided so. Right now, even though I knew my mom and dad were gone, it still felt like they were at one of their coven meetings. And with time it might get worse, because subconsciously, I would expect them to come back, as they usually did. I’d look out my window and expect Dad’s car to drive into the front yard and Mom to get out and smile at me as she always did when they returned from one of their trips.

  But then I thought about Kate and Sam. Seeing them every day would be a constant reminder that it would never happen because there was no coven and no meetings. There was still that house in New Orleans Nathan told me about. But it wouldn’t work as an imaginary reason for my parents’ absence. I had no associations with it because I never knew it existed.

  So the only way was to face the truth, go through the pain like Kate, Sam, and Gran, and help each other heal and get stronger.

  6

  I had no secrets from Connie. That was why the next day on our way to school, I told her about Kate and Sam, and about my conversation with Nathan.

  “So you still don’t know what it was they wanted from your dad?” asked Connie.

  “No. We didn’t get to that part yet.”

  “Well, the important thing is, you’re safe. And you have your magic now. I’m sure in no time you’ll be using Nathan’s lessons to kick his own ass.”

  “Can’t wait,” I grumbled. “Or to make fun of him. I’ll put a spell on his shoes and watch him jump with each step.”

  “I know that spell.” Connie grinned. “It’s called So You Think You Can Dance.”

  When we arrived at school, I introduced Connie to Kate and Sam, who we met next to the lockers.

  “This is my best friend Connie.”

  “I’m sure you already know our names,” said Sam.

  “I do,” Connie smiled. “It’s nice to meet you guys.”

  “She’s like us,” I said to avoid using the word witch with so many ears around. “You don’t need to be careful when she’s around. She knows everything.”

  “That’s a relief,” said Kate.

  During the class, I noticed that Kate and Sam breathed easier than the day before. To adjust to a new school was already hard enough, and after everything that happened, I could only imagine how lonely they felt in a new town, away from their homes, from their friends.

  Jess caught up with me during lunch when I was on my way out of the classroom.

  “Didn’t get a chance to say hi this morning,” he said, then nodded toward Sam and Kate, heading to the cafeteria with Connie. “Making new friends? They seem nice.”

  “They are. Their guardian is a friend of my Gran. She asked me to show them around, help them to adapt.”

  “Guardian? You mean—”

  Damn. And I was so happy with the version I had just created.

  “Yeah.” I sighed. “Don’t tell anyone, okay? It’s hard enough without—”

  “Sure. I get it, Nicky. You don’t have to explain.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Let’s get something to eat,” he said, changing the subject.

  After school, when we all headed to the parking lot, I noticed Kate’s mood had changed back to sad and the frown had returned to Sam’s forehead.

  “Listen,” I said to Connie when we stopped next to her car. “Maybe we should invite them to the Grill. They could do with a little time—”

  “Hey, guys,” Connie called before I could finish. “Want to play some pool?”

  And that’s why I love my Connie.

  Nathan didn’t say anything about when we were going to start our lessons, or when he was going to fill me in with everything I should know. But we had exchanged phone numbers, so now it was much easier for him to find me.

  Not that he had a hard time with it before.

  “Where are you guys from?” asked Connie as we sat waiting for our cappuccinos and croissants.

  “Brian and I, we’re from New Orleans,” said Sam. “And Kate is from Tennessee.”

  Kate nodded beside him.

  “New Orleans,” Connie said with excitement. “Always wanted to visit that place. It must be hard for you to move here.”

  “It is. Don’t get me wrong. I like this town, and we’re very lucky to have you guys,” said Sam. “But of course, I would like to go back home.”

  “Then why did Brian bring you to River Stones?” I asked.

  “The main reason is for all of us to get to know each other. We’re the only ones left. The journey ahead of you won’t be easy. You should know who you can trust.”

  “How long have you been in the coven?”

  “Reasonable question.” Sam smiled.

  “Oh, no, I didn’t mean . . . I was just wondering how much you know?”

  “We can’t speak about it here.” Sam looked around. “We know as much as we need to know, and we know how important your mission is for the magical world. Our parents gave their lives for it. Now it’s our job to help you carry it on, and maybe finally finish it.” He took a sip from his cup. “And back to your question. I was in the coven for a year. But Kate . . . it was her first meeting.”

  “Oh God, Kate.”

  “Yeah.” Kate nodded. “That’s how lucky I am.”

  “Guys, I’m so sorry. You must be thinki
ng . . . I wish I had been with you, helping.”

  “Thank God you weren’t. It wouldn’t have changed anything. Believe me, I know. I was there,” said Sam. “If it wasn’t for your dad, we would be dead just like the rest of them.”

  The waitress came with the order, and Sam paused.

  “But we won’t stay here too long,” he said as the waitress left. “This is your safe place. With us here, there’s too much magical energy for a small town. It might attract some unwanted attention.”

  The part about magical energy didn’t sound very convincing, and the fact that Sam turned away his eyes when he said it only added more doubt to that theory.

  “So it’s not dangerous for you to go home?” asked Connie.

  “Nathan thought it might be. He said first he has to check our places, make sure it’s safe for us to go back.”

  “You mean for you,” said Kate, staring into her cup. “For me he has a different plan.” She brushed back a strand of hair hanging along her cheek and looked up at me. “My mom and dad divorced nine years ago. He kept in touch for a while, but then he disappeared, and we haven’t heard from him for three years. Now Nathan wants me to go and live with him. He just hasn’t found him yet. He spent all of last week searching.”

  The tone of her voice made it clear that she wasn’t happy with this decision.

  “Why Nathan? Isn’t it up to Brian?” I asked. “He’s your guardian.”

  “They decided it together.”

  “Kate, you’re not going to live with your father forever. It’s only until the end of the school year,” said Sam, trying to comfort her. “You’ll be eighteen by then, and you’ll be free to go wherever you want.”

  “Nathan is here,” said Connie.

  I glanced at the entrance and saw him walking toward us with Logan. Connie’s face brightened the moment she saw him.

  “Hi, guys,” said Logan.

  “Is everything okay?” I asked Nathan, looking into his tired eyes.

  “Everything is fine,” he said, forcing a smile. “And before you ask, no, it’s not a hangover. At least not yet. I just had a night-long trip, that’s all.”