Guardians Book One - Magic Rising

Chapter Forty Six

Lady's fingers were gripping Pes' arm a little too tightly, but her expression was otherwise calm. "I wish I believed this was safe, or wise," she said, quietly. "And yet I believe we cannot deny the very customs of humanity, of what makes us, of..." her eyes trailed to the small, plain jar her mother had placed on the coffee table. "Of what Father would wish, I am certain. To be one with the world in ceremony again."

Her eyes rose to her mother's face, the face of the woman who was now two thirds of her parentage. Kath wondered how she felt about that. As ever, her face betrayed nothing. "I will obviously allow no harm to come to you." Her jaw set.

"This is where Kath can help us, be our first line of defence, in fact," said Vicky, and her expression was sad, and distant, the twin pain of the loss of her husband and the Lord's vessel. "Her senses will tell us what is gathering in the air." She raised her eyebrows at Kath, who nudged the large parcel containing her armour with one foot. She was glad she'd picked it up after work.

"I'll see what I can...See," she said, and the weak joke at least elicited a smile from Vicky and Pes. Lady rose, and Kath was alarmed to see her tremble just a little as she did so.

"Kath, I believe you wished to speak to the Lord and my mother?"

"Yeah, but you can stay, I mean, it's nothing much," she said, but Lady shrugged.

"It is uncouth to mistrust one's allies," she said. A knot Kath hadn't quite acknowledged untied itself in her stomach. I guess it would be kinda strange to talk about what I'm for, while she's here. And that's kind. The old flush of guilt at her previous conduct stung her for a moment, but she pushed it aside. That was the past, now. She hoped.

"Pes, will you come with me?" said Lady, meeting his deep, dark eyes. As always, something passed between them Kath could never quite read or encroach on – nothing magic, just personal. He smiled in the way he only ever did for Lady.

"Of course," he said, and followed her into her bedroom, not quite touching her, not quite apart from her. Vicky watched them go, and her expression was every bit as complex.

"The Guardians have become as people," said the Lord with her soft voice; clearly Vicky herself did not wish to expand on her thoughts on the pair. "I am not sure I ever intended this, but if they can live on, they will make excellent teachers and mentors."

"You aren't sure?" said Kath, the knot retying itself with new thread. I never thought. If magic dissipates, what'll happen to these people – beings – who're made just to contain it? What the hell will Lady do without Pes? Without the entirety of her magic, even? Not that she can use it, but it's a part of her. As much as what I want to ask, about what'll happen to me...

"I believe it depends on them, and on the strength of the belief that formed them," said the Lord, and the borrowed blue eyes were glowing again. "And, daughter, I believe you had a similar question for me?"

Kath coughed, awkwardly. "It's kind of been on my mind. I hope this isn't rude. But. If everyone has magic...what'll...happen to me?" The question hung in the air, endlessly stupid-sounding once verbalised, and Kath fidgeted in her chair. "It's stupid, I know, but like, my powers are nothing specific, right?"

The Lord eyed her for a long moment. "Kathleen," they said at last. "Understand you are of my blood as much as Lady. And I was the First, the one who touched everything. Just because now each element is contained, you cannot wield it, does not mean, once loosed, that you cannot."

Kath stared, taking this in. "You mean I'll get everything?"

"It is what I felt, that first time," said the Lord, simply. "Nothing was divided. It may be so now but to you, that will not be the case. You will feel the division but it will mean nothing to you."

"Guh," said Kath, her voice strangled. "No, wait, you mean I will get...all the magic? Everything? Every single element?"

The Lord laughed. "The potential for it," they corrected. "As with everyone, you will have to learn it. But for you, that will come more naturally. And then you can teach others. And then – what you do will be up to you. If there were less people in the world, it would be easier, I admit this to you. Yet even now, you can reach all the Guardians if you want, because your affinity for them all is equal. Have you not tried to call to Lady through the water, rather than through your voice?"

"Been a bit busy learning how to See," Kath whispered, a huge and terrible future crashing down on her, made none the less enormous by the casual way the Lord had stated it, as though he'd expected her to already know.

"What you have learned is useful for battle and calling distant Guardians, it is true," they mused. "You can now, for the sake of poor terms, read their minds, can you not? Read the movement a fraction before it occurs? And regularly, and well?" Kath nodded mutely. "You can sense affinities. You can call through the elements to the formless Guardians, such as Day." Her head jerked again, like a puppet on a string. "I am afraid this is just the beginning." They smiled. "If you do not mind the comparison, your powers are somewhat like that of my brother's – and my own, which is why we simply do not meet and battle with magic, the two of us. It is most likely a mercy that is not possible."

Kath was glad she was already seated.

"It is a good trait in you that you do not seek to consider how those powers can be used to command the world that could be at your feet," said the Lord, again incongruously blasé.

"How d'you know?" Kath said, a mirthless grin stretching her lips. "I might be planning some kind of world coup."

The Lord simply smiled, and Kath rolled her eyes at herself. He can sort of read my mind, I guess. Great! She tried to push away the more embarrassing thoughts in her head.

"As to what will happen to me," they carried on, "Depends entirely on vanquishing my brother." For the first time, their lips fell, and Kath could see it was the Lord's expression more than Vicky's.

"I'm...sorry," she managed, awkward in the face of it, and the Lord simply sighed.

"We shared a body, daughter, you and I, also. You understand what my brother is – I felt that. You understand my love for him is not removed simply through his actions. I wish I could have done more. I never meant for him to feel thus, that I loved him less. We were one; twins; twin souls. Yet it is too late for regret. I am aware the world has changed immeasurably. This is why I believe the only way is forward. Yet I am still...human. This is why, I believe, also, this ceremony is important. For us all."

Kath felt something in the air, although she couldn't quite place what or even from whom it came. She shivered, her eyes pulled back to the ashes jar.

"Bring weapons," she said, suddenly, surprising even herself.

The Lord smiled. "I shall prevail upon those who can, to do so, as well." They gave her another uncanny stare. "You are the future, daughter of mine. My last blood."

"Well, there's the rest of my family," said Kath, slowly, hating to admit it. Not that it's Ben's fault. She sighed, a very familiar ache starting up in her chest. "Sure, not my – father, I guess, he's not your relative, but..." She sighed once again. Maybe it's petty but they spent all their lives telling me I was mad and a waste of space and I should mind Ben instead and now they'd get magic?

But the Lord was frowning. "Kath. It is important you know that there is only you. I cannot say why – except that your mother rejected my gift of her own choice."

"And Ben?" Something was nagging in the back of Kath's mind, but she couldn't quite remember it. Something someone had said to her? About Ben?

"I cannot feel him," said the Lord, staring her down so darkly Kath couldn't formulate the question she was dying to ask in response. Huh? Why? For the first time, she was afraid of the person sitting before her.

A merciful knock at the door distracted them, breaking the tension.

"Ah, Wisdom and Innocence," said Vicky, her face relaxing as she took back her body completely. "Lady will be glad."

She rose to answer her daughter's front door, leaving Kath staring after her.

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