Back outside Harrods, I found the snow coming down more heavily, which was something of a surprise. It was actually starting to accumulate…but then, it’d probably melt in a day or two anyway.

I started my walk back to the door home, glancing around in the most casual way I could manage. I probably looked like I was being hunted.

After a couple of blocks, I whispered, "Sparkle? Can you tell if we’re being followed?"

"I don’t think we are, Mistress," she replied, her voice muffled by blouse, sweater and jacket, but still weirdly audible to me.

Just as I reached Fortnum and Mason’s and was getting ready to cross the street, Sparkle spoke in a hushed whisper. "He’s behind you. Maybe twenty meters back."

I very nearly panicked and bolted for the door. "What should I do?" I asked, louder than I’d intended. Several pedestrians shot uninterested glances in my direction, and probably assumed I was talking on a wireless headset or something.

Sparkle was silent for a moment, then said, "There’s an alley up ahead. Step into it and back up against the wall. I’ll do the rest."

She sounded so certain of herself that I didn’t even think to ask. I simply trusted her.

I stepped sideways into the alley as I reached it, backed up against the brick wall, and waited.

An instant later I felt the strangest sensation. It was as if a curtain had been drawn across me and was laying against me, faint but quite clear. I opened my mouth to ask Sparkle what was going on, but she hissed an almost silent, "Shhh!"

I remained silent and all but held my breath.

A minute later, von Einhardt appeared at the mouth of the alley. He peered in, glanced around quickly, then moved into the alley…and walked right past me. He spent a good two minutes peering behind trash cans and piles of old boxes without ever looking at me before making a frustrated noise. Muttering under his breath, he strode back out onto the sidewalk and turned right, disappearing from my sight.

I waited a minute. Two minutes. Then five, then ten. I was starting to feel the cold when that weird sensation of having a curtain pressed against me vanished and Sparkle said, "He was looking for mortal magic, not Fairy glamours. Sucker!" She sounded very smug, and I didn’t blame her at all.

"You made me invisible?"

"Sort of," she said, zipping out away from me to peek around the edges of the alley. Then she returned to me, disappearing beneath my jacket and sweater again. "All clear. We should get home quickly."

"Agreed," I said, stepping back out into the street and hurrying for the door.

I didn’t stop moving until I was inside Oakwood Hall with my back pressed against the door, and the reassuring sounds of its lock re-engaging echoing in my ears. Ken appeared almost instantly, smiling warmly. "Welcome…back…"

He trailed off, his smile vanishing. "Caley, you’re as white as a ghost. What happened?"

"Terrible joke intended?" I asked, my knees starting to feel a bit wobbly.

"Completely. Are you all right?" he asked, concern etched in every line of his face.

"I need a cup of tea," I said weakly.

"Very British of you," he said. "Come to the kitchen. There’s a fire laid there, and you look chilled to the bone. We’ll get you warmed up, and you can tell me what happened."

Twenty minutes later, I was sitting in a chair by the huge fireplace in the kitchen. I had shed jacket and sweater, and my boots had been replaced by a pair of fluffy pink bunny slippers that I had never seen before and most certainly would never have bought for myself, but which were very comfortable. Since Sparkle had brought them for me, I suspected they’d come from my mother’s closet. They clashed madly with the black and purple striped tights I was wearing, but at the moment I didn’t much mind.

I was warm, I was safe, and I had a lovely cup of tea in my hands.

Sparkle was sitting across from me in another chair, in her teenage form, sipping from a mug that I swear was more sugar than tea and kicking her feet idly. I noticed that for the first time she wasn’t barefoot, but was wearing a matching pair of purple and black striped tights that went very nicely with her usual dress. I felt a profound swell of affection for her, and decided then and there that I’d let her modify my wardrobe a little, if she really wanted to.

If my wearing colors and patterns that she liked made her happy, I’d do it. What was the harm? Within reason, of course. I was not about to start dressing in diaphanous mini-dresses all the time.

Ken was pacing back and forth beside us, his hands clasped behind him. We’d just finished bringing him up to date, and he looked pensive. Finally, he stopped halfway between us, turned and looked at me. "This isn’t precisely the sort of thing I was worried about, but…" He shook his head, clearly refraining from just saying ‘I told you so.’

Instead, he said, "I’m glad you were in a public place. At least there was nothing too obvious he could do without arousing even more suspicion than he already did."

"What was that weird cobweb sensation I felt?" I asked.

"That was probably a charm spell of some sort," Ken said, frowning. "He was likely trying to make you more agreeable, or maybe even to hypnotize you."

"That’s exactly what he was trying to do," Sparkle said absently, as if she was having trouble concentrating on the conversation. Then she sipped her tea and curled her legs under herself, as if she’d said nothing of any particular import.

Ken blinked.

So did I.

"Sparkle, is there something you want to tell us?" Ken asked.

"Wait, hold up one moment," I interrupted. "Could he actually have done that? Gotten into my head and…what?"

"At best, made you more suggestible," Ken said. "He would’ve convinced you to bring him back here, through the Hall’s defenses, and…who knows."

"Not while I’m around!" Sparkle said cheerfully. "Not while I’m on the Master Key! Caley’s mind is perfectly safe with me there."

We both stared at her. But while Ken seemed ready to volley questions at her, I felt chilled to the bone in spite of the fire crackling cheerily a few feet away from me. Never in my life before had I felt the kind of muscle-clenching fear that was settling into my stomach.

"I think," I said weakly, "I might throw up."

Sparkle’s cup clattered to the floor and she was kneeling at my feet in the blink of an eye. She took the cup from my hands and clasped them in hers, rubbing them gently and looking up at me. "You’re safe, Caley," she said softly. "Completely safe. I protected you, and now you’re home and nothing can reach you here."

I had started shivering and couldn’t seem to stop. "He was trying to get into my mind? To make me do things against my will…"

To my absolute astonishment - so much so that I froze in place and actually stopped shivering - Sparkle crawled up into my lap and hugged me tightly, laying her head on my shoulder. She weighed next to nothing in spite of her size, and my arms automatically went around her. She was very warm, and the soft purple glow that she routinely shed seemed to sink into me, forcing my muscles to unclench and relax.

This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author's work.

At which point I realized that she was getting into my mind and doing this to me. But it didn’t bother me…I could somehow tell that she calm she was inducing was from outside of me, and that I could resist if, if I wanted to.

But she was trying to comfort me, and seemed to know a lot more about what had been going on and what could be done about it than I did…so I didn’t resist. Instead, I let myself relax, hugging her a bit tighter and murmuring, "Thank you."

She made a soft, contented sound against my neck, and glowed a little brighter.

Ken sighed softly. "You’ve had a scare, Caley. But, if you’ll forgive me for saying so, I hope that this will finally convince you that I’m not teaching you magic purely for the fun of it. Magic isn’t a game, and neither is the Guardian’s place in this world. For my part, I’m profoundly thankful that your first encounter with one of the dangers you’ll face was one you were well protected against."

He was right, of course. I had been treating my lessons like a game, turning a blind eye to his warnings about the dangers I’d eventually have to face. For the first time, I admitted to myself that what Ken was saying - and what I’d seen hinted at in my father’s journals - were true.

I was in danger.

Maybe not immediately. Maybe not life threateningly…at least, not this time. But I was in danger, and it was high time I started taking that seriously. For Sparkle. For Oakwood Hall. For the people in town of whom I was growing very fond. And for whatever future I could forge for myself here.

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. I was still shaking a little, but the chill had faded, and my fingers and toes had stopped tingling.

Sparkle sat up a little and met my eyes, smiling warmly.

I nodded a little. "All right," I said quietly. "I guess it’s time to start taking my lessons more seriously."

Ken nodded. "It is."

When he spoke, I thought I heard something sad in his voice, and - over Sparkle’s shoulder - saw a hint of that sadness in his eyes. I wondered if he was mourning the loss of the innocence with which I’d been approaching my magical education.

I knew I was.

Sparkle’s smile became knowing, and she settled against me again, her head returning to my shoulder. I felt a bizarre urge to start petting her like some sort of oversize cat.

I resisted the urge. I did, however, let her stay where she was, and held her close for a few minutes.

When I finally felt wholly like myself again, I gave her a gentle little nudge, and she took the hint. But, surprising me again, instead of shrinking down she simply slipped off my lap to kneel on the floor beside my chair, where she promptly curled her arms around my legs and laid her head on my lap.

Bemused, I rested my hand on her head, and she sighed happily.

Ken settled into the chair across from us and I gave him a quizzical look. He shrugged and spread his hands, as if to say ‘Fairies. Who knows?’

"I think," I said to Ken, "you’d better explain to me what von Einhardt tried to do to me."

Ken hesitated. "It’s very advanced magic…but if it’ll make you feel better…"

"It probably won’t," I said. "And I know I have a good defense against it that doesn’t take any effort on my part…" and now I did actually pet Sparkle’s hair for a moment, causing her to make a happy sound, "…but I think I should know anyway."

Ken sighed a little. "You’re probably right. Well, to begin with, mental magic - psychomancy or neuromancy, whichever you’d prefer - is a very delicate art, usually. Contrary to what mortal hypnotists say, it is possible to make a person do something they don’t want to. But it’s not easy, and it can cause quite a bit of psychological damage if not done with extreme caution."

He paused for a moment, perhaps gathering his thoughts, then continued. "Most neuromantic magic is like a scalpel. Fine-edged, delicate, and intended to do one specific thing. Whether that’s to open up the target’s mind to broader manipulation, or just implant a single suggestion or thought, it’s usually very tightly focused. To do more than that at one time risks tearing apart the target’s psyche. What von Einhardt was doing was probably like casting a net to see what he could catch."

"That’s exactly what he was doing," Sparkle said quietly.

"With me as the catch of the day," I said, feeling grim and unsettled.

"Yes, Caley," Ken said quietly. "Which is one of the reasons I’ve been trying so hard to get you to take your magic lessons seriously. Physical defense is good, and the exercise is certainly good for you, but at the end of the day it’s going to be your magic that truly keeps you safe."

"It’s also why Mistress Chessie enchanted her collar in such a way that I was able to channel my magic through it to protect her mind," Sparkle said. "And since you inherited her collar, and it was prepared for you, I can protect your mind too."

I stroked her hair gently. "And I’m very glad of it."

Ken huffed a sound that was almost a laugh. "That’s the answer to a very old puzzle, too."

I gave him a curious look. He smiled. "Your mother was terrible at neuromancy. She had no aptitude for it at all. I always wondered how she went from mental defenses that were like Swiss cheese, to an iron fortress around her mind practically overnight." He looked at Sparkle. "Now I know."

She giggled.

His attention returned to me. "While I’m incredibly glad that you inherited that protection, I think it would benefit you to start learning some mental defense. With your highly organized mind, you’ll be a natural."

I looked down at my lap, at the top of Sparkle’s head, and sorted through my emotions for a minute before looking up again. "Ken, I’m sorry I haven’t been taking my lessons seriously."

Ken smiled gently. "Apology accepted, Caley. For your penance, you’ll spend the rest of the afternoon working on your shields."

I perked up a little. Shields weren’t bad.

"Without your mother’s shield ring focus," he added, sounding just a bit smug.

I winced. "All right. Let me get changed, and - "

"As you are," he interrupted. "You’re wearing it now, aren’t you?"

"I wear it all the time now…I started to just leave it on when you had me use it during fencing practice a few times."

"Good. And you’ve gotten very good at roughly pushing raw power through it. It’s a strong, quick defense, and I approve of you having it at your disposal." Ken leaned forward and spoke earnestly. "But it’s not a flexible tool, and keeping it up for too long under a sustained assault - or even under one very strong one - would likely exhaust you and maybe even damage the ring, leaving you without defense."

Good points all. I ruffled Sparkle’s hair once more and gently dislodged her, rising and stepping into my ankle boots. "All right then. As I am. To the workshop!"

"I do so miss calling it a - "

"If you say that word, I swear…"

Sparkle giggled and rose, heading for the door.

"Wait one moment," Ken said, moving around in front of her. "One question first, Sparkle."

She beamed at him. "What's that?"

"Is this the real secret of Mistress Chessie's collar?" He asked. "The one you wouldn't tell us about a few months ago?"

"It's one of them!" She said cheerfully, then walked straight through him to open the door.

Ken and I exchanged looks…his a little bit frustrated, mine amused. "And that's all she has to say about that," I said teasingly.

"Yup!" Sparkle's voice drifted in from the hallway outside. "Come on already!"

That made both of us chuckle, and out we went, heading for the workshop. Once we were there, Ken had me take off my mother's shield ring and leave it on one of the tables. Sparkle immediately shrank down to her normal size and sat down beside it. I then moved to a space we'd cleared off to one side, and Ken moved to stand across from me.

"All right," Ken said, "begin by showing me a shield."

I took a deep breath and let it out, envisioning the translucent blue disk of energy I was going to create in front of me. I gathered my energy, shaped my thoughts, raised my right hand palm outward, and whispered, "Tego."

For a split second, a flat, perfectly circular disk of blue-white energy formed in front of my hand, centered on my palm precisely the way I wanted. Then it flickered and vanished.

Sparkle giggled, and Ken smiled knowingly.

"What just happened?" I asked. "I know I did it right."

"You forgot to maintain the energy going to it," Ken said, still smiling. "You're used to working with the ring, which makes moving energy so effortless that you probably stopped thinking about it. We really should spend some time working on more spells that require you to actively channel energy instead of just pull it in and send it out."

I grimaced eloquently. "Yeah. Oops."

"Indeed," Ken said with a soft chuckle. "Try it again, but maintain the spell this time."

I cast the spell again, this time making sure to continue sending energy into the shield once it had formed. It hovered motionless in front of my hand, and I barely felt any drain from doing so. "There!" I beamed at Ken as Sparkle applauded.

"Very good, Caley," Ken said approvingly. Then he moved so fast that I didn't see what he was doing until a baseball slammed into the center of my shield.

Concentric rings of lighter blue-white energy rippled out from the point of impact, and I swayed back slightly. But my shield held, and the baseball thudded to the floor a few feet away before rolling to a stop.

"Excellent!" Ken enthused. "That was moving at a good 90 miles per hour. You just blocked a fastball, and it didn't look like it was any strain at all."

At which point I noticed the bucket of baseballs sitting just under the edge of a nearby table.

I blinked a few times, and my shield vanished as I released it. "Why didn't you warn me?"

"Because someone who's taking a shot at you probably won't," Ken replied gravely. "You're not likely to have any warning at all, really. We're going to have to work on your reaction time for casting shields, and on your endurance in holding one in place under repeated blows. The ring will help with all of that, but I'd rather you learned to hold shields without first."

Part of me wanted to yell at Ken and walk away. But then von Einhardt's face sprang into my mind. I remembered what he'd tried to do, and how it had been so subtle that I hadn't noticed it. Granted, I hadn't known what I was looking for, and thinking back I thought I had noticed signs…but without that basic knowledge, they simply hadn't registered as such.

Then I imagined what would've happened if he'd simply attacked me instead of trying to subvert my will.

"I have to learn to walk before I can run," I said softly.

"As true with magic as any other new skill," Ken said with an understanding smile. "But this was a very satisfactory first effort. Now…" The baseball he'd thrown at me floated up off of the floor and drifted back to his hand, which was something I'd never seen him do before. "We'll start with endurance, and work on reaction time later. En garde!"