Sleight of Hand: The Final Card

Chapter 4

Trebor didn't need to pack much. The clothes he packed were mostly black, but there was also a pair of khaki shorts, jeans, and his combat clothes that he threw into his duffel bag. He decided the pair of high-top shoes that were beside his bag would be what he wore during the trip. Better to look as normal as possi­ble. He decided to pack his gloves, too, instead of wearing them, but it felt weird.

Did he need to bring pajamas?

Toiletries?

How long was this trip even going to be?

Trebor still didn't think it was a good idea. It felt like—even though they were taking a road-trip across the country—they weren't getting anywhere.

There had to be a better way to do this.

Then again, there was no way Trebor was going to let Aivilo go without him. That was the reason he'd agreed to go. Not because he thought she was right, but because...

Trebor wasn't sure he even knew the answer to that. He knew she could take care of herself. She didn't need his protecting. So why did he still feel like he needed to protect her?

Trebor remembered the promise he'd made to him­self after watching Aivilo show him her power for the first time. The promise he'd made to himself when he met the Elite for the first time, and trained with them.

Protect them at all costs... they're your family.

Trebor sighed through his nose. His eyes gazed into his bag, but his mind was miles away.

It had also occurred to him that he would be leaving his mother's healing.

Ever since the Mage had killed him a week ago, ever since experiencing that pain... Trebor hadn't been the same. He knew he didn't look or act any different around everyone save for the dark circles under his eyes; he was good at being obscure like that. But his mind had changed. It took having his mother soothing his mind's activity to keep him from staying awake all night. It took a good amount of her healing abilities to keep his mind from casting the rest of him into panic and terror. It kept him sane, in a way. But when the Mage had killed him... Trebor could never go back to the way he'd been before.

He had lost confidence in himself. Trust in himself, even.

He was scared. Scared of himself.

Of his mind. Of the Mage's capabilities.

And of losing the people he cared about. That's why he was going on this trip. As much as he feared dying again, he feared losing someone else to that same fate more.

"Tre?"

Trebor jerked, the voice behind him wrenching him back into the present. He realized he had been crouched, looking into his duffel without moving. He'd probably been like that for more than a few minutes. Enough to attract the attention of the person standing in his doorway.

Trebor whipped his head around. His mother was looking down at him with the blazing green eyes they shared, her expression one of motherly concern.

"Are you all right, son?" she asked. Her voice was so soothing. Trebor had found comfort in it, even when she didn't use her abilities. Trebor blinked the lingering thoughts away.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he replied, going back to taking the things on his bed and throwing them into his bag.

A toothbrush. His box of spare earrings.

He hesitated when he picked up his glasses case, but after a silent battle, tossed them in the bag, too. He wouldn't use them if he could help it, but he'd probably regret it if he didn't have them and needed them.