Tragic Magic [boyxboy]

Chapter Seven

The next few days passed in a blur of me traipsing around the house after Tristan, begging, wheedling, whining, and finally demanding that he tell me everything. He responded to this impassively as always, basically ignoring me except to glance at me every now and again wearing an expression of mild surprise and irritation, like Are you still here?

                Edwin and Gregory were omnipresent; nobody confirmed or denied it but I assumed that given the impending arrival of Kaley that they had either quit or taken leave from their jobs in order to prepare for whatever the plan was to get her back.

                ‘Have they told you the plan yet?’ I demanded of Tristan one afternoon while Annabelle played in the kitchen with her dads. I had wandered in on him sitting alone in the living room with a book and, as was my wont to do lately, interrupted him regardless.

                ‘Yes,’ Tristan responded blandly, otherwise ignoring me.

                ‘And?’ I pressed.

                ‘And I’m sure you’ll find out by yourself eventually,’ Tristan replied, and I was sure I could see the pull of a smirk at the corners of his lips.

                ‘I’m so sick of this,’ I grumbled, falling back against the couch cushions sulkily. ‘You guys messed up my whole summer so I could help you, and now you won’t even tell what I’m supposed to do to help. In case you hadn’t noticed I’m sort of new to all of this, I can’t just figure it out as I go along. Plus, I’m pretty sure I’m still in a state of medical shock from what you had Annabelle do to me on Saturday night.’

                Tristan snorted. ‘You did seem to handle that better than I’d expected.’

                ‘See?!’ I exclaimed, sitting back up. ‘I am dealing with this universal upheaval remarkably well, I’d say. You may as well tell me everything since I’ve already proved I can handle it.’

                Tristan sighed and put down his book. ‘Gregory has friends in low places,’ he started, turning to face me on the couch. ‘He did a little probing and it worked; we know where they’re taking Kaley once they get her to London.’

                I sat up straighter. ‘So you’re gonna bust in there with your superpowers and get her back?’ I asked excitedly.

                Tristan smiled indulgently, like I was a toddler asking about Santa Claus. ‘No Cody; we don’t have death wishes. Sneak attack. We’re gonna sneak in, grab Kaley, and sneak back out.’

                I frowned. ‘But won’t they just come looking for her? Wouldn’t it be easier to like... I don’t know, what do you do? Do you kill people? Would you kill them? Or is there some sort of Azkaban-like supernatural prison where they would go?’

                Tristan laughed outright at this; a genuinely amused laugh. ‘Gregory said it would be funny having one of you around but I didn’t realise how right he was,’ he chuckled.

                ‘What’s that supposed to mean? You’re changing the subject! What do you mean, one of me?’

                ‘You know, like you and Edwin. People whose powers haven’t manifested yet.’

                I scowled. ‘I didn’t realise we were a separate class of citizen,’ I snapped. ‘Is there some sort of derogatory term for us as well?’