Magic's Mark

Chapter 11

As my eyes opened, the first thing I noticed was the steam from the coffee cup.

I pushed myself up to a sitting position, rubbing my face in my hands instantly noticing that the corduroy fabric had left a striped mark along my cheek.

"Yeah, that mark will stay for a while," Taylor laughed.

I wrapped my hands around the coffee cup and instantly felt uncomfortable. Had he noticed the mark on my back when I was sleeping?

"Don't worry, I'm sure your cheek will go back to normal in no time," he sat down in the small arm chair across the coffee table from me. 

I hesitated for a moment, wanting to tell him about the mark but I had had enough of him looking at me like I was a circus freak. I'm a Vortex. Whatever that mark is, he won't know anything about it.

"So what should we do today?" I tried to keep my voice steady and normal.

"I think we should test your ability to use magic," Taylor started.

I nodded my head, he was right. I needed to learn how to control it, especially if Aaron's men were going to keep search for me with their magical compasses.

"But first, I think I need to tell you a bit more about the royal families," Taylor started off.

"Why?"

"You have been thrown into this world, you are tethered to Lucas Mathlow and Aaron Charlet has a hunting order out on you. You are mixed up in the fight for the throne whether you like it or not."

"Why does that matter? As long Aaron's guys don't get me and no one finds out that I'm tethered to Lucas?" The words were easy to say, but just saying it out loud made me realise how complicated it all were.

"That's not all, you have a Grimstaw warrior," he smiled at me weakly.

"Yeah that oath thing," I shrugged my shoulder.

He sighed, his facial expression was a mixture of amused and exhausted, "That oath is the different between life and death in our world."

"Because you die if you are a rogue?" I added.

"Pretty much," he replied darkly.

"Why?"

"That's how our society is organised. We have five royal families, those who do not belong to one of the royals will swear an oath connecting them to the army of that family. Not everyone agrees with it, but that's the way we organise ourselves. Have done for centuries."

"So those men yesterday...?"

"They are Charlet warriors. Aaron is the heir to the Chartlet name. What he needs for his father to step down and retire, is to take the throne in London."

I didn't know what to say so I just nodded.

"Warriors are connected to the family they swore the oath to for life," an intense look played in his eyes.

I finally started to connect the dots, "Your father is the king on the throne in New York, so that means that you're the heir of the Grimstaw royal family?"

He nodded again,"I didn't want to be part of the game."

He looked out into the distance, clearly struggling with how to continue, "My parents are great. They take care of their warriors and they are fair to them. But I never wanted that. They sent me back because they know that the king here is dying. He's been ill for a while. So they wanted me to fight for the throne here."

"But you're not fighting for the throne?"

He shook his head, "I ducked out. I just slipped off and got a job and this place." He gestured around the room, "It's pretty different from where I lived in New York. But at least here, I can make my own decision on what to do with my life."