The ravel transported us to a minimalistic, rectangular office. A massive white desk occupied one side of the room. A black leather office chair was pushed in behind the desk, while two smaller chairs were on the other side of the desk, angled inward. Beyond the desk, a sitting area complete with a couch, loveseat, and two more chairs occupied the rest of the room. Built-in shelves decorated the far side of the room and shared space with a large black marble globe set on a pedestal. Two black doors formed one large entry on the inner wall. The outer wall consisted of floor-to-ceiling glass windows.

My gaze was immediately captured by the scenery outside of the wall of windows.

The office was a part of a bigger building that had been built on the apex of the surrounding land. From the windows, I could see a city sprawled out below. I quickly realized that we were in a castle of some sort. The lower levels of the castle emerged from underneath the office. Even these lower levels earned their own awe-inspiring heights above the rest of the city. If I looked down at them at an angle, I could see rows and rows of windows. There were towers and turrets at a lower elevation. Some of them had spires. At the base of the castle, small, one-way roads descended to the lower levels of the city. The castle was the central point of the city. From the curve of the outer walls, which I could see from my vantage point, I detected the city was circular. This concept continued outward, as all the streets and buildings seemed to be on a circular matrix.

Beyond the outer city circles, there was just water. We were in the middle of an ocean. Mountains rose from the water. There was a large pedestrian bridge to my left. It touched down on the island before leading out far over the sea until the fog concealed it, and I couldn't see how long it was or to where it connected.

Sebastien came to stand beside me. "It's impressive, isn't it?"

I nodded. "Is this where all the mages live?"

Sebastien chuckled. "Oh, heavens no. We would be in a housing crisis if that was the case. We've been forced to expand into the mortal world. Because of the current state of politics, we've been living under concealment to evade detection. We make it work, yes. At least here, at least in Astraera, our capital, we can act freely. We don't have to be aware of our surroundings whenever we need to use magic."

Sebastien moved away from the view and made his way over to the sitting area. There was a little cart pushed against the wall; on it was a pitcher of a creamy brown liquid and a platter of miniature scones. Feeling compelled to follow him to continue our conversation, and perhaps to get some answers finally, I reluctantly left the view. I was rewarded when Sebastien continued to speak as he separated the liquid into two tall glasses. "Our census department does an exceptional, if lofty, task in keeping records on every mage. We have some fifteen thousand mages scattered throughout the universe, with seven thousand living in Astraera. Still, you never popped up on their radar."

Coming back towards me with the drinks in his hand, and the platter of scones levitating over his shoulder, he motioned to sit down on the couch. Slightly uncomfortable, I took a seat on the edge of the cushion. "Does that happen sometimes? A mage going unaccounted for?"

"Absolutely not." Sebastien handed me one glass. To my surprise, the glass was slightly chilled. "There comes great moral responsibility in being able to control the elements. This ability can be used in a good way, or in a bad way, to affect others. With the mortal population being so vulnerable, it is a responsibility of our government to ensure the mortals are not being taken advantage of. To do this, we must know about every single mage and what his affinity is. We failed with you. You were not on our radar until after the Union Station Massacre. If you had been, we could have gotten you the training you needed to control your magic and perhaps prevented the whole thing."

The chill from the glass spread to my hands when the chancellor referenced the massacre. "So I used magic during the massacre?"

Sebastien nodded. "You did." He reached out and touched my shoulder. "I know you probably think we should have left you in that cell to rot. I know you feel tremendous remorse over what you were in the middle of. That’s a good thing, and yet, it’s time to move on. If I thought for one second you intended to cause that much destruction, you would still be in that cell. It all comes down to a matter of intention versus negligence. I have been following your case ever since it started to be plastered across the mortal news. I have reviewed your interview transcripts. There is no way that the massacre was intentional on your part. Nor, since you did not know about your mage heritage, does the negligence fall on you. It falls on your mother."

"My mother?" My grip tightened around the glass. I had to remind myself to breathe.

"This was one reason I wanted to get you myself and not send an escort." Sebastien started. "One of the first questions I had when I started reviewing your case and why no one knew about you was who you were related to. It is possible, although not common, for two mortals to birth a mage child—but it's even more uncommon for that child to evade detection. However, everything became clearer when I was reviewing the transcript from your second interview at the psych hospital, the one that detailed your past and childhood. In it, you mentioned that your mother's name was Madeleine."

"How did you get that?" As far as I knew, the court had restricted access to those records.

That small smile reappeared on Sebastien's face. "We have some connections with the mortal political leaders," Sebastien informed. "At first, it was confusing, as there had never been a Madeleine Disraeli on the census record. However, before she left mage society, your mother was well known. She made quite a political stir a couple of years before her disappearance, and was a socialite, coming from a well-known mage family. It seemed impossible that your mother was the same Madeleine that Astraera and the mage community knew. Yet, the timelines meshed. Madeleine disappeared from Astraera seven months before your birth."

I felt my eyes widened over the possibility. Feeling disconnected from my body, I shook my head. "She never mentioned anything about mages or Astraera. If all of this is even true. If our two Madeleines are one of the same." I glanced at him, searching for clarification. A part of me still believed this was one colossal mistake.

"I know it's quite a lot to take in. I can't even imagine," Sebastien sympathized. "Madeleine should have been the one to explain your bloodline to you. If not Madeleine, then Galileo, who I know watched over you after Madeleine's death. Yes, Galileo was a mage as well," Sebastien commented as shock and dismay overwhelmed my face. "Galileo was working as a professor at our reformatory, until one night, he disappeared. Two other children vanished as well: his nephew and one of his students. There were unconfirmed rumors that your mother, Madeleine, had appeared on school grounds a couple of days earlier. His cabin on the school grounds burned down from a fire. We never found bodies in the wreckage and knew he was still alive. We figured he had vanished for his own reasons and took the two boys with him. It remained an unsolved mystery for the past nineteen years until you revealed yourself."

I remembered the fire Sebastien was referring to. Since it occurred around my mother's death and Galileo's school cabin was the last place I saw her, the memories remained vivid. From our first step onto the manicured lawn, where I saw the uniformed students lined up for inspection, to the ennui I felt in Galileo's cabin, where we stayed for three days, the memories never left me.

I knew my mother needed Galileo to decipher her research. I remembered the long hours my mother and I would spend in the cabin while Galileo was fulfilling his obligations. It was one large room filled with all the essentials required for simple living. Due to the secrecy of the visit, the blinds to the only two windows had to remain shuttered. For three days, I sat in darkness that was mitigated slightly by the single lamp in the room.

The only excitement came when Kit, Galileo's nephew, pounded on the door for twenty minutes at a time, demanding to be let in. He was not aware of Galileo's sudden guests, or why he suddenly had to stop visiting Galileo, his only relative. I remembered the hushed conversations Madeleine and Galileo would have when they thought I was sleeping on the cot Galileo seemingly yanked out of thin air; they had mastered the art of whispering, and all I got were indecipherable murmurs.

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

On the third day, my mother left the cabin after another hushed conversation with Galileo. She whispered her goodbyes to me when my mind was sodden with sleepiness. Had I known that would be the last time I would ever see her, I would have barricaded her in. Although she never promised to return, and instead promised that she was going to defeat that monster who had been stalking us, I felt betrayed a day later when that monster attacked the cabin.

The attack happened in the middle of the night. Galileo had been out supervising a student's detention, leaving me alone in the cabin. I had woken up immediately as the front door shattered inward, wooden shards flying everywhere. The monster had come after me. I fended it off as well as I could. Fortunately, as a small eight year old, there were many places for me to scurry to and hide in until I could catch my breath. I had delayed my attacker long enough for Kit to arrive. Kit, who had become suspicious over his uncle's activities ever since he became an unauthorized party at the cabin, had been surveilling the cabin that night. When he saw the attacker set the first fire, he never hesitated. He ran from the dormitories all the way down to the cabin. He proved enough of a distraction for the monster to allow Galileo and his troubled student, Jay, to arrive. By then, the cabin was in shambles. Flames were adding to the destruction. Galileo's arrival had caused the monster to flee. With sorrow in his eyes, Galileo understood what had happened to my mother, as did I.

"He became my caretaker. My mother asked him to if she failed to come back.”

"Two boys also disappeared that night," Sebastien prodded.

"Jay and Kit," I confirmed with a nod. "They got entangled in the mess with the attacker. My anonymity was imperative, and Galileo understood that. So he took the three of us and we vanished."

Sebastien shifted on the couch, a pensive expression on his face. "Why was it so important for Madeleine to keep you a secret?"

"All I know is that there was someone she was terrified of."

Sebastien's eyes darkened for moments as they narrowed. He shook off the darkness and switched the subject. "Well, you certainly have shed some light on the mystery of that night. Still, Madeleine and Galileo had the responsibility of training you in your abilities, or if they could not do it themselves, enroll you in the Academia. Neither of us know why they failed to do so. However, the opportunity hasn't vanished. I would like to give you the opportunity to learn how to control your magic. You're years older than when a mage child usually enters the Academia to start their coursework, so I was planning on getting you private instruction once you have been evaluated."

"How long will it be before I can control it?"

"It depends. Every child is unique. Some are out of the Academia in ten years; others, it takes twice as long. I'll get you scheduled with the evaluators now that you are here, and we can see what you are working with. Are you worried about having another magical outburst?" Sebastien questioned.

I nodded. "The massacre just happened suddenly. There didn't seem to be a trigger for it."

Sebastien sat further back into the cushions. A part of me was jealous. My spine was getting exhausted from my authoritarian posture. I still didn't feel comfortable enough to just relax. "The ability to control magic comes from a deep pit inside of us, somewhat like a well. However, if we don't use it, there is the possibility that it will build up inside of that well. When it becomes too full, it overflows. This causes outbursts to occur as the magic seeks elsewhere to go because the human body can't contain it anymore." I bit my lip in consideration. His explanation made sense and applied to the past four years. The outburst I had at the jail during my escape was unexpected and uncontrolled.

"That was the first outburst I've had, though, and I don't recall using magic before then. Shouldn't I have had one a lot sooner?"

"There are ways for someone, a parent perhaps, to restrict her child's ability. Although it is frowned upon by mage society, it is possible." Sebastien informed. He folded his fingers over his lap.

I tilted my head. "You think my mother did that with me?"

"I do," Sebastien answered. "When I was reviewing the records from your case, there was a piece of evidence located on the train station terminal floor right where you stood during the massacre. It was described as a black stone foreign to the American landscape. It is possible that it was what is known to our people as a rasa stone. These stones can restrict a person's magic if it is inside of his body."

My mind exploded into chaos as it scrambled to find answers. Why would my mother, or even Galileo, restrict my ability? Why lead a life of lies and try to avoid a world all of us belonged to? If they had trained me, then maybe I could have fended against the monster stalking my mother that night. Did Jay and Kit know about any of this? Had they been complicit? Kit and Jay had been going to the reformatory before I came and threw their lives into an upheaval. Since Jay disappeared two years ago and Kit had been dead longer than that, I couldn't ask them. Then there were Galileo's missions: were they connected to Astraera and the mage world? It was difficult to not feel blindsided and betrayed by those who I had called family.

Had I been the only naïve one?

"It is important for us to give you a chance at life and being a productive member of our society," Sebastien said, effectively distracting me from my chaotic thoughts. "You were never given a chance to learn how to control your ability, and the massacre was not your fault. I did not think it would be proper to let someone who can be a good force in the world rot in a prison cell for the rest of her life; it would be quite wasteful, actually. The mages are going to be making a massive push to change the world, make it better, and I would like for you to be there for that. Our focus has been on this change, which is why I had to use the seraphim to help get you here. I knew they could accomplish the mission using stealth and limited resources, while for us, it would have taken more and quite possibly jeopardize our progress with the mortals."

A thought darted across my mind, distracting me. The sanctuary seemed impossible, just as magic was impossible from the mortal perspective. I wondered if the sanctuary was connected to the strain of magic running through my veins. My gaze darted up to glance at Sebastien, and my mouth opened with the lingering question. "Is there something you'd like to ask, Briara?” Sebastien prompted.

I hesitated, the question drying out my mouth. Then my lips snapped shut, and I reconsidered. There was something internal that was determined to keep Hawk and the sanctuary safe. My mind raced to formulate an alternative response. "Can you tell me more about the Valeion?” I asked instead.

Sebastien peered at me with narrowed eyes. "What do you mean?"

“From what I have been able to piece together from everything, you have been talking to both the daemeyri and mortals to establish a united government?"

Sebastien relaxed when my tone displayed curiosity rather than criticism. "I forget that your mother didn't tell you too much—if anything—about mage culture," Sebastien conceded. He leaned forward to grab a scone and looked pointedly at me. To be polite, I took one and ate it as he explained. "We have a belief that the entire universe will be united under one government in the future, and this government will host a promised paradise. This belief came about when a prophet by the name of Aurora arrived a century after the Divines' departures and announced her vision. By then, the divisions between daemeyri, seraphim, and mages were already gaping chasms, and her vision was too idealistic. She claimed that the divided world would reach a point where the accumulating darkness would consume and destroy it, and the paradise she mentioned would be our only hope."

I swallowed the piece of scone I had in my mouth. "And you believe the time is now to push for this unification?"

"Yes." The chancellor confirmed with conviction.

I tilted my head. "And the Instruments of Korre? How do they play into this?" I brushed the crumbs from the scone off my pants.

Sebastien's eyes narrowed slightly again. "How do you know about those?" His hands settled into his lap, the red ruby ring glinting in the morning sunlight.

"I overheard the meeting with the daemeyri.”

"That disastrous meeting," Sebastien sighed. "Between you and me, I'm quite glad I missed it." After a couple of seconds of silence, Sebastien answered in an even tone, "They are thought to be the very equipment required to usher in the paradise—as long as certain things are in place before they are activated."

"What if you can't get every mortal country to agree to this paradise?"

"They will in the end," Sebastien assured me with a nod. "Mages are skilled in the art of verbal persuasion. We already have twenty-five percent of the mortal countries on board."

Sebastien paused, giving me a chance to respond. However, he had just provided a massive amount of information that I was trying to comprehend. It was all I could do to quell that feeling of being overwhelmed, which was probably written on my face. "Enough of this talk. You probably want to get acquainted with everything and rest—you've been through a lot these past couple of days. There is a formal dinner tonight, and I would like for you to attend. The Senate is elated you are here and excited to meet you, and I think it would be good for you to become acquainted with them. They voted unanimously on extracting you from the mortal world."

"I didn't think I was that important," I muttered, a red flush coming to my cheeks.

"Your mother, despite her later transgressions, was very well known, and then there is the fact that you've evaded our detection for nineteen years. You've become rather infamous amongst the mages."

I sighed and attempted a meager smile, all the while wishing for the routine I had back in the jail cell.