Concealed (Unbound, Book 4)

Chapter Forty-Four

I stared at my phone ringing on the table and didn't move to answer it.

We'd eaten breakfast and relocated to the library to decide on how to handle everything. Maible confessed that her mother was planning on telling her father everything, which is why she'd left the house. We'd just begun to dissect the reasons for and against telling Devland and, as if sensing himself being the topic of conversation, he called.

"I say we tell him we know," Maible said, ignoring the ringing. "I want him to know that I am unbound so that I can practice openly, and Nora can stop cloaking me."

"I say no," I said. "It's better to keep things need-to-know, and Devland doesn't need to."

"I agree with Nora," Calin said.

"Of course, you do." Maible rolled her eyes and then looked at Islene. "What do you think?"

"Well, one of the reasons to hide it before was because we didn't know who was responsible," Islene said. "I have to believe—or I want to, at least—that Devland wouldn't hurt Nora, but we don't know what he's capable of."

"Yeah, well, I remember the charms he gave me to help me continue to forget," I said. "That was harming me, and we don't even know why he did it."

"I told my mom to tell him," Maible said, raising her chin in defiance. "I want him to know everything, and I told her that you unbound my abilities before I came here, so it's too late to hide it anymore."

I looked at Calin beside me and then Islene.

"Maible, we should talk about this more," Calin said softly, coaxing. "Will you call your mom and ask her to hold off talking to Devland?"

"No." Maible shook her head. "I won't go back to acting powerless now that I know the truth, and I want Nora to stop cloaking me. I've spent my whole life learning about the Craft, remaining dedicated even when I couldn't practice it. It isn't fair that I can't use it now that I have it."

Wasn't fair?

Obviously, I was the older sister.

I looked down as my phone began to ring again and sighed when Devland's name popped up on the screen.

"Answer it," Maible said and stood. "I have to call Brant and cancel lunch plans."

I raised an eyebrow. "Are you planning on telling him too?"

"Eventually, but not over the phone." Maible picked up her cell phone and walked out of the library without looking back.

I sighed and grabbed my phone, hitting answer in frustration. "What?"

"Is that any way to answer the phone?" Devland asked through the line.

"Depends on who is calling, so yeah. In this case, it's the perfect way," I said.

"When are you coming home?"

"When I turn eighteen," I said quickly, thinking of my mother's house in Briarville.

"Nora—"

"What? You asked." I rolled my eyes at Calin.

"When are you coming back to the Manor?" Devland asked. "We need to talk."

"About what? Maible?" I asked, cutting to what I knew he wanted to discuss. There was no other reason he would call since I couldn't remember the last time that he had.

"You know?"

"Know what?"

"Nora."

"Yes, I know. I am the one who discovered it, Devland," I said. "I know you bound Maible to hide your transgressions. Is that why my mother left you?"