Chapter 25

Dalton unlocked and opened the door. Emma and Leanne stood there. Leanne said, “Um, Sheriff? Joyce wants to talk to you.”

Dalton nodded, gave me one last glance, and then left with Leanne. Emma came in followed by Jordan, who had been standing around the corner behind her. Jordan closed the door behind them and Emma walked over to me.

Emma looked back over her shoulder at Jordan. “Would you please tell her to get off my back?”

I arched an eyebrow and looked between the two women. “What happened before I woke up?”

Emma sighed. Jordan smiled, but her smile was evil. “When we came in, I was angry. For that matter, so was Erica. I think she wanted to hurt Emma more than I did. It took a lot for the Sheriff to hold both of us back from strangling her in her sleep. We didn’t know what happened after Erica left, so we were all assuming Emma did something that resulted in knocking you both out.”

I looked up at Emma. I knew that wasn’t the case, but there was something else that made Emma afraid of Jordan and Erica. I looked at Jordan again. “What did you do when she woke up?”

“We jumped her,” Jordan said. I could tell she wanted to smile again even though Emma was looking at her. “I only meant to pin her to the bed, but Erica punched her in the gut. Any fight she had was gone after that.”

I shook my head and kept my comments to myself.

Emma had a grim frown and looked at me. “What did the Sheriff say?”

I looked up. “That I’m your Padrone,” I said.

There was a flicker of surprise on Emma’s face. “You mean ... what we did...?”

I held up my hand, silencing her. “Don’t say anything. The method is guarded by the Law of Secrecy, even from other Magi.”

Jordan stepped closer with a confused expression. “Why?”

I shook my head. “Dalton gave me a rundown of what it all means. The method is the only thing we’re not allowed to talk about.” I gave Emma another meaningful glance with that.

Emma sighed and shook her head. “It seems like secrets are all we have anymore.”

Jordan looked up at the taller woman. “I’m sure there’s a good reason, otherwise Seth wouldn’t keep the secret.”

I nodded. The scenarios Dalton suggested were enough to make sure I did that, but I wasn’t worried about the method. There were other aspects of this I had problems with.

Before I could say anything about it though, Emma nodded at Jordan and asked, “Should we talk about this with her here?”

I nodded. “Yes, I trust her judgment.”

Emma looked at me. “But she’s not a Magus anymore.” There was no attitude about it, just a statement of fact.

“I understand that most Magi don’t tell their Fonti their secrets,” I said. “But you saw the light show before we passed out. If I’m right, you even had a short dream about me before you woke up.”

She stared at me. “How did you...?”

I nodded to Jordan. “The same thing happens with my Fonti when we forge a bond. Only my mark doesn’t touch theirs. They do ... something else.”

She looked between the two of us like trying to keep up with a face paced tennis match. “I’ve never heard of anything like that.”

I shook my head. “Don’t worry about it right now. Just know that Jordan and the rest of my Fonti all know. They also keep the secret mostly because they know no one would believe them anyway.”

Emma looked worried. “So, then that dream I had. Did that really happen to you?”

“It wasn’t a dream,” Jordan said. “You experienced some of Seth’s memories.”

Emma thought about that and then looked at me. “Did you see some of my memories?”

I nodded. “Yes. I saw you talking to a patient and his daughter. I know how you use your Magic, Emma. I also know the Council wouldn’t approve.”

Jordan glanced at me, but I kept my focus on Emma.

“I have no intention of telling them anything,” I said.

Emma’s look of concern turned to a frown. “The road to hell...”

I sighed and shook my head. “Why would I tell on you? I don’t have any reason to. I even approve of your methods. You’re discreet, you don’t do it all the time, and not even your patients know. If I’m right, you were only driven to this point of desperation because of the Lockdown.”

She blinked and looked a touch embarrassed. “I still try to. Sometimes I have a patient meet me at a small café south of Interstate Twenty. The Lockdown ends at the Interstate as if someone mapped it out that way...”

Her observation reminded me of the scale model back at the school. Interstate Twenty was the southern border of the model. What if the model followed the same layout as the Lockdown, or vice-versa? I needed to talk to someone about that. Dalton might understand it, but Tanner would probably be a better option to work it out with.

“Anyway,” Emma continued, “last week, a patient I was going to meet had a heart attack before he arrived. I’m sure you saw the accident on the news. It was a five car pileup on the interstate. If I had been able to heal him at the hospital, that wouldn’t have happened.”

“As a doctor, you know that someone in his condition could have an attack at any time,” I said. “So stop lingering on that. I’m sorry you couldn’t help him, but that doesn’t give you the right to do what you tried today.” I nodded down at her leg. “And now you’ve tied yourself to me.”

She frowned. “I had no idea you had the power to do that.”

I shook my head. “Nor did I, but this is the situation we’re in. I only wanted to return your power, which it looks like I’ve done. I would consider letting you go, but according to rumor that would leave you powerless.”

She shook her head. “I’d rather not take that chance.”

I nodded. “Okay. Just so you know, I’m not one to hold a grudge; however, according the Sheriff, I am responsible for you.”

She shook her head. “But I didn’t hurt you or your girls.”

I held up my hand and she stopped talking. “No, we weren’t hurt, but we have no idea what you would have done had you succeeded.”

“I wasn’t going...” she started and I stopped her again.

“It doesn’t matter what you intended to do,” I said. “The fact is, you took two hostages and shanghaied the store. Normally, since no one died, you’d be placed under House arrest for several years.”

She closed her eyes and looked like she was about to cry. “I can’t use my power anyway, unless I come here.”

“Which is why I’m splitting up how your punishment is going to be handled,” I said. “For your attempt to take my power, you’re bound to me. From my understanding of how our bond works, I can take away and give you your power at any time with only a thought. That should be punishment enough. As for your other crimes, I need to speak with the victims.”

She frowned, looking slightly confused, and nodded.

“Give Jordan your contact information,” I said. “Until you can prove to me that this is a one-time incident, she will have as much authority over you as I do.”

Jordan nodded and pulled out her phone. Emma nodded and looked around the room. She didn’t have anything with her when we came in.

I realized what she was going to try and I said, “Emma, no.”

Without a word, she held out her hand. About a second later, she flew toward the door like someone had tied a rope around her and yanked her in that direction via a car. The door was closed, so she slammed into it hard, and fell to the floor like a marionette with its strings cut.

Jordan gasped and we rushed over to check on my new Stirpe.

Emma sat up, rubbing her shoulder. She saw me and asked, “Did you do that?”

I frowned at her question and glanced at Jordan. “Dalton said she didn’t know anything about the bond other than how I could move power between us. I honestly don’t know what happened.” I helped Emma to her feet. “Are you hurt?”

She shrugged. “I’ll probably have a few bruises, but nothing worse.” She pulled the door open. “I’ll be right back. I’ve got to get my purse.”

I nodded and she left.

Jordan and I looked at each other. “What do you think happened?” I asked.

She blinked and said, “You really don’t know?”

I shook my head. “I don’t like the implication,” I said. “I knew she was going to summon her purse and I thought it would be a bad idea what with everything she’s done today.”

“Okay,” Jordan said. “How did you know all she was going to do was summon her purse?”

I thought about that. “It’s what I would have done.”

“Seth, you’ve never summoned anything,” Jordan said and then her expression shifted. “Unless you got more from her than just a memory.”

I frowned. “What do you mean?”

“There are a lot of rumors about a House bond,” she said. “One of those rumors claims the Padrone gains all of the magical experience of the Stirpe. The Stirpe also gains the personal experience of their Padrone, but not everything the Padrone has gained through other bonds.”

“That’s a pretty specific for a rumor,” I said.

“Well, there’s been quite a few stories of a Magus taking another as a Stirpe so they could learn how the Stirpe cast certain spells,” she said. “But, since House Leaders keep more secrets than the rest of us, no one’s confirmed that rumor.” She looked up at me. “And her spell. It backfired. Instead of summoning her purse...”

“The spell tried to send her to her purse,” I finished. “Why would that happen?”

“Another rumor,” she said with a shrug. “Anything you say becomes law among your Stirpi. You told her No, meaning for her not to cast that spell, and the Magic acted on your decree.”

“So, if I told her not to use Magic at all and she tried to,” I said, “something like that could happen again?”

Jordan nodded.

“Do you know a House Leader who’d be willing to talk to me about this?” I asked.

She nodded but looked at the doorway.

Emma came in with her purse slung over her shoulder and her phone in her hand. I could tell that she’d been crying again. Part of me wanted to apologize for the mishap, but then she shouldn’t have tried to use Magic while still in the store. She looked up and held out her phone.

Jordan held her phone close to Emma’s and I heard a few tweets and twitters from both. Apparently, Jordan shared her contact info with Emma too.

Content that we could reach her if we needed to, I looked up at Emma and asked, “When does your next shift start?”

“Tonight at seven,” she said. “Why?”

“How long does it last?” I asked.

Her brow scrunched up in confusion. “Twenty-four hours,” she said.

I nodded. “Okay, until your shift starts tonight, don’t attempt to use your Magic.”

“Why?” she asked and thought about it. “Is that why my spell backfired? Is my Magic messed up or something?”

I shook my head. “I don’t know all of the details, but until I have a chance to talk to someone who can tell me what’s going on, I’d rather you didn’t take the chance.”

She nodded. “Good idea. Hate to think what would happen if I tried to heal anyone.”

“Now, follow me and no matter what anyone says or does, don’t say a word in return.” I said and went for the door.

I led the way through the store. I didn’t feel threatened by Emma anymore though I was sure it would take Jordan, Erica, and Leanne some time to work their way through their emotions. My main concern was the bond. Dalton implied there was more to it, but she didn’t know what that something more was. There had to be some kind of benefit for a Stirpe, otherwise, why would anyone volunteer to go through with it? I would have to find and talk to a House Leader to get that answer. Maybe they could even clear up the issue regarding a broken bond. If letting Emma go was a possibility without her losing her Magic, then once her punishment was complete, I would do so. Otherwise, I would remain responsible for her.

There was only one door behind the counter and it was open. I went through it to find a massive room that couldn’t have existed in the real world since I knew the store was a part of a strip mall. The room had several rows of shelves that all reached up to the ceiling, which was easily two stories high. There were several mobile sets of stairs for reaching the higher shelves, and the shelves were packed with various wares that were arranged according to the season or holiday. I suddenly understood why Leanne had been gone so long. There was no telling how long it took just to find Joyce, much less untie her.

“This way,” Jordan said. She pointed down the last aisle. I heard voices coming from that way and followed my Fonte. Emma kept her silence and followed me.

At the end of the aisle, Dalton, Erica, Leanne, and a woman who was probably the store owner stood around an elaborately set up desk with several computers, easily twenty monitors, and lots of space with various wares stacked up.

They stopped talking when they noticed us and looked our way. “How are things here?” I asked.

Anger flashed on three faces and I knew this was going to be difficult. Dalton looked around and took a step back, as if she didn’t want to get in anyone’s way.

Joyce, the store owner, had a thick mane of platinum blonde hair and dark green eyes. She wasn’t even close to Emma’s height but she had a similar figure. She wore a tight, white, low-cut sweater, and a short black and grey plaid skirt. She was older than anyone else in the room but her body suggested she was just as active as the rest of us. Her lips were drawn down, tight. She didn’t look happy or even relieved about being helped out. “I’ve been informed that the Sheriff can’t do anything. I hope you plan to punish that woman.” Her words were clipped.

“Actually, that’s why I brought her here,” I said.

Joyce’s eyes lit up and she pushed up her sleeves. “Good,” she said and acted like she was about to do something with Magic.

I stepped in front of her, blocking her view of Emma. “Emma is my Stirpe, which means she’s my responsibility. Mine to punish, and mine to protect. You will not touch her.”

Joyce stared at me and lowered her hands. For a few seconds we both stood there staring at one another, sizing each other up. I didn’t move or flinch and neither did she. If it was going to be a game of wills, then I was ready.

“Seth, we have a lot to do today,” Dalton said. “So, instead of playing the staring contest with Ms. Gibbins, how about telling us what you have in mind?”

I broke eye contact with Joyce to glance at the Sheriff. When I looked at Joyce again, she had taken a step back. “Yes,” she said. “What exactly do you have in mind?”