Chapter 12

I sat down, not sure whether the bench would really hold me. It did and I relaxed.

“Have a drink,” Tanner said. “I didn’t know what you liked.”

I grabbed an orange soda. Sunkist was my favorite.

Tanner took another swig of his Dr. Pepper and looked at me. “I don’t know where to begin, so I’ll ask how much you know about our history?”

I shrugged. “Nothing.”

He shook his head. “Okay, let’s just say that we’ve been walking this earth for many, many centuries. To my knowledge, we were around long before Christ.

“Before He came along, we got along with everyone fairly well. We were the healers and Magicians everyone turned to for all kinds of stuff. However, even before the beginnings of the organization of the Christian religion, there were those who feared us and killed us on sight. Some of us would be helped out by those who knew us and trusted us, but because we could do things no one else could, fear turned more and more of the general populace to the mindset of our extinction.

“And just so you know, Christianity is actually one of the youngest religions around but it’s not the only one with trust issues. We’ve had to face the same sort of thing in other parts of the world; Asia, the middle east, and Africa. The Law of Secrecy and the current Council are still in their infancy by comparison, but a necessary step to ensure we aren’t wiped out.”

I shook my head. “But what about Freedom of Religion here in America?” I asked. “Wouldn’t we be protected under that?”

“Are you kidding?” he snorted. “Do you really believe individuals will stand by and let us practice Magic openly even here?” he shook his head. “No, in fact, we know about two factions who are dead set on making sure we go the way of the Dodo.

“The first is known as the Assembly. They’re made up of family and friends of our Fonti.”

I sat up straight hearing that. “Wait, our Fonti?”

Tanner nodded. “Think about it. What would you think if your sister got involved with someone who didn’t want to get married and was rumored to be a womanizer, but your sister was so infatuated with him that she didn’t want to face the truth?”

I frowned, hard. “You do realize I’ve been worried about that very thing?”

He nodded. “And rightly so. Which is why you don’t want to tell your Fonti too much about us. If something happens and you have to let them go, they might pull a full one eighty and hate you as much as they currently love you. Hell hath no fury...”

I nodded. “But you said the Assembly is made up of their families and friends. My girls haven’t told anyone anything about me.”

Tanner studied me. “How much have you told them?”

I couldn’t meet his eyes. “I’ve been honest with them, and surprisingly, they’ve all believed me.”

His brow furrowed. “What?”

I looked up, my explanation ready. “It’s no excuse, but what do you tell someone who you’ve shared memories with?”

His expression shifted. “What are you talking about?”

“Just what I said: every Fonte I’ve bound to me have ended up seeing some of my memories and I’ve seen some of theirs.”

He shook his head. “That’s not possible, not unless you did it on purpose.”

I guffawed. “Do you really believe I know how to do that?”

He studied me and then took another swig of his soda. “Probably not consciously, but if it’s a natural talent, an innate ability, then it’s possible.”

“Jordan said it is,” I said, suddenly sober. “Do you think I’ve been doing it on purpose?”

Tanner studied me. “Magic is directed by focus of intent. Did you intend to share your memories with them?”

I shook my head. “I wouldn’t do that to anyone.”

“Then why do you think you did?” he asked.

I shrugged. “It’s been the same thing since the Finale of my Initiation. Whomever I’m binding with floats off the ground, orbits around me a few times, and then stops with an amber light over her chest that fills my vision. I relive their memories and wake up as if I had passed out.” What I didn’t tell him was that each time it happened, I had passed out for longer and longer periods of time, but that didn’t seem important at the moment.

“That happened during your Finale?” he asked.

I nodded. “And with every Fonte I’ve added since then.”

He shook his head. “That shouldn’t happen.”

I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, I’ve been told that, but it has.”

He shook his head. “Grab another soda. I need to make a call.”

He went into the office with his cell phone in hand. I was sure I knew who he was calling, so I pulled out my cell phone and called Jordan.

She answered on the second ring. “Please tell me you’re done already,” she said.

I shook my head and said, “Tanner, the trainer, is calling Dalton. At least I think he is.”

“Why?”

I sighed. “I told him about the memory sharing with you and the others. He knows you all know about me, and believe I am what I am. I don’t think they’ll be worried about you, but the others could be in trouble.”

“Where are you?” she asked.

“At a warehouse near an airfield off I-20 and South Collins,” I said. “Why?”

“Because if the Sheriff decides we know too much, we may end up coming there to have our memories modified.”

“I thought that was illegal,” I said.

“Not when it comes to the Law of Secrecy,” she said. “If they believe anyone outside of our community knows too much, then they’ll do whatever is necessary to keep your secret.”

“It’s your secret too,” I said, getting angry.

“Not anymore,” she said. “I’ve got to go.” And she hung up.

Tanner came out of the office just then and saw me putting away my phone. We both knew what the other had been doing, so he changed the subject. “Back to the Assembly,” he said, resuming his seat. “As far as we’ve been able to tell, they watch us. We don’t believe they’re a major threat, but then they’re smart enough to not have any meetings larger than a half dozen people at a time. We’ve tried to find them to ensure our safety, but it’s proving very difficult. For every group we find, there are a dozen more we don’t know the whereabouts of.”

“If they’re just watching, why worry?” I asked.

“It’s the Law, Seth,” he said flatly. “I know it’s difficult to understand now, but we believe they’ve been responsible for some of our people disappearing.”

“You mean kidnappings?” I said.

“In a manner of speaking,” he said. “Someone will go missing for a few days and then show up without realizing they were gone at all. I think some kinds of drugs were used to make them forget they were kidnapped in the first place.”

“What do you think they’re doing?”

“It’s hard to say,” He said. “No one has had any injuries. No implants, no viruses or diseases. Nothing harmful, just the missing time.”

“You said that was one faction, what about the others?”

“Well, we believe there is a sub-faction connected to the Assembly,” he said. “We think they’re the ones doing the kidnappings, and in some cases, killing us.”

“How can you be sure?” I asked.

He shook his head. “The Law of Secrecy keeps us safe but it also hinders us. If we were to use Magic to find out who these assassins were, then we’d be opening ourselves up to more hits, more murders, more of the things we’re trying to avoid.”

Then he leaned onto the table towards me. “What you really have to ask yourself is, is there anyone out there who’d want to hurt you? Were there any boys who fancied the girls you chose as your Fonti? Have any of your Fonti mentioned worried family or friends? Those are the sources of trouble. They are the reasons we have to have secured places to talk and why we don’t tell our Fonti much if anything about ourselves.”