“Do we use wands?” I asked, breaking the silence.
Theo snorted and the orange Mountain Dew he had been drinking spewed across the dashboard. I grabbed a napkin off the floor and tried to wipe it up. I might not have been as in love with this car as he was, but I did want to keep it clean—it was too nice to destroy.
“In case that wasn’t answer enough,” he motioned to the mess he had made, “the answer is no. We don’t use wands. Have you seen me use one?”
“No,” I replied. “But you said you’re twenty-two. I thought maybe younger enchanters had to use them or that maybe since you’re a protector it’s different.”
“No.” He shook his head, his curls shaking in every direction. “You actually say most spells silently.”
“So, how long does it take to learn?”
“About three years. Some enchanters are different and it takes more or less time,” he explained. “My sister is your age, so you’ll be learning together.”
“Why are you my protector? What makes you a protector instead of a regular enchanter?”
Theo groaned and snapped at me. “Can we not talk about this right now?”
He framed it as a question, but I knew it was a statement.
I would have to wait to get my answers because I certainly wasn’t going to be getting them from Theodore.
We stopped to eat and get gas. Theodore didn’t want to eat in the car, so we pulled into a 24-hour restaurant. The place was empty except for a lone waitress and the cook. Theodore slid into a booth, and I slid in across from him.
The waitress came over and handed us menus while snapping her gum.
“I’ll give you a minute,” she said, before going to chat with the cook.
“What do you think you want?” asked Theo as he perused the menu.
I ignored him. I was still mad that he wouldn’t answer my questions.
She came back, and I ordered a waffle. Theo ordered two waffles, a plate of scrambled eggs, and bacon.
“How do you eat so much?” I asked, shaking my head when the waitress set our plates down fifteen minutes later.
“I’m a man, and a man needs to eat.”
Oh, so he could answer that question, but I couldn’t ask him why he was my protector? When I got to the safe house I would have to see if I could have a new protector. Someone nice who listened to me and answered my questions, not this bull I was stuck with.
Chapter 7
THE SOUND OF THEO’S VOICE broke into my thoughts. “We’re almost there.”
I could see the city of Seattle appearing in the distance. The skyscrapers rose high into the sky and even higher I could see the Space Needle. What amazed me the most were the mountains in the distance.
Instead of heading into the city, Theo turned down a hidden lane just off one of the highway exits. I found myself mesmerized by the tall trees. They seemed to go up for miles. A light mist started, covering the windshield.
“I definitely didn’t miss the rain,” Theo muttered as he turned on the wipers. The headlights cut through the darkness. “Whatever you do when we get there, don’t show any fear,” he warned.
“Why?” I asked, worried why he’d say such a thing.
“Fear is a weakness. Some of these people … They would take advantage of that.”
“You don’t trust them,” I stated.
Theo shook his head and toyed with his lip ring. “I’m your protector. It’s my job to trust no one except me. Be careful, okay?”
“You’re going to be here, right? You’re not leaving, are you?” I asked as a surge of panic hit my veins.
“Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere.” He winked and all seriousness was gone from his face and he was back to his normal self.
The thick trees opened up and a huge brick manor appeared. My jaw dropped. If I didn’t know better I would think royalty lived here. The place was huge. A four-story gothic manor. I didn’t know how anyone ever found their way around.
There was a circular driveway, but Theo bypassed that and drove into an underground garage hidden by the trees and landscape. The garage was full of black Lincoln SUVs.
Theo parked the Porsche and turned to me. “Show time.”
I followed him through an underground tunnel. The floor and walls were made of stone and every so often a sconce lit the way.
We came to a set of rickety wooden steps that led to a large wooden door. Theo’s muscles strained as he opened the heavy door. “Come on,” he whispered.
He closed the door behind us. We now stood in a large hallway with marble floors, brown walls, and thick wood moldings.
“This way.” He motioned me down a similar corridor. I got the feeling he didn’t want to get caught, he was too edgy and on guard. He turned down another hallway and glanced over his shoulder. This place was built like a maze and I was already turned around. There was no way I’d ever be able to find my way back. I found myself gawking at the walls. They were covered in pictures that I could only assume were different enchanters. Most had a regal, stuffy look to them. But one picture made me stop in my tracks. The girl was only a few years older than me. Her blonde hair was long and she wore a fancy dress. But what resonated with me the most was the look of sadness in her face and eyes.
I tore myself away from the picture and jogged to catch up with Theodore. Suddenly, he stopped, and I slammed into his back, falling to the floor.
“Shit,” he said, and I knew it wasn’t because I ran into him. His expletive came because of the five sets of eyes staring us down. “Busted,” muttered Theo.
A man stepped forward. I knew instantly from the way Theo bristled that this must be Victor Antonescu. He shook his head back and forth and stared at Theo. Theo broke the eye contact by helping me up.
“What do we have here?” asked Victor as Theo let go of my hand.
Theo gave me a look and I remembered his words. Don’t show fear.
“Mara Pryce,” I said and stood straight to show I wasn’t intimidated.
Victor looked between the two of us. “My office, now.”
Theo was sprawled in one of the leather chairs while I sat primly in the other. Victor had sent us to his office and we had been here for about ten minutes, but he hadn’t come in. I figured they were discussing the situation as a group first. I wondered what they were deciding.
I leaned my head back and was surprised to find that there was no ceiling. I could see the night sky—every star and every cloud. But how could that be? This was the first floor.
“It’s a charm,” said Theo, noticing my furrowed brow.
I nodded. Of course it was a charm. I should’ve known.
Theo looked at the door and then back at me. “Watch,” he whispered. He held his hand out, palm up. A bird made of fire appeared on his hand and took flight. It did a lap around the room before returning to his hand and turning to ash.
“Wow,” I murmured.
Theo grinned and brushed his hands together to get rid of the ash.
“They didn’t know I was coming, did they?” I asked him.
He opened his mouth to reply but at the same time the door finally swung open.