(x) Irregular Magic

chapter 9 - Mattie and Brunhildt Spade, part 2

"Clever, clever." the Chief High Wizard of the House of Oranges said, sounding impressed. "You've got a quick little mind, don't you? I know magicals who don't know who the current head of the High Wizard Prosecution is. Though if you're really a Somerhall, I'm not surprised."

Brunhildt Spade strode to a stretch of empty wall, in between doors four and five. The plaques on these doors read Amber Jonhart and Kandor Smithson. From here, Mattie could read the other names: Brandt Wessing, Ximion Sharp, Inness Somerhall, and Crux Diaz. They were all names of the High Wizards appointed to the House of Orange. It took a moment for Mattie to realize what was strange. None of these offices belonged to the Chief High Wizard.

In confusion, Mattie glanced at the Chief High Wizard, who was grinning at her.

"You noticed it, then?" He reached over to Amber Jonhart's plaque and tweaked it slightly. "Step back, youngster."

Mattie did so, and gasped slightly. The doors belonging to High Wizard Jonhart and Smithson moved apart, revealing another office.

"People don't know my office is here, so they don't bother me." He winked at her.

Mattie pursed her lips, not knowing if this was appropriate behavior of the Chief High Wizard. When she voiced this, Brunhildt Spade guffawed.

"You're a Somerhall, alright!" he exclaimed, clapping her shoulder. "That cheek... You're exactly like Alicia Whertimer, from when I knew her."

This man knew her mother before she married into the Somerhall name?

They stepped into the Chief's office, and Mattie marveled, despite herself, at the magical architecture. Nothing about the inside told her this was squished between two other offices. One side of the office was entirely glass, and looked out onto the magnificent gardens of the House of Orange. Great bookcases that stood ten feet high, full of volumes of magical textbooks and nicknacks, were erected on another. Mattie looked up—

And up and up. There didn't seem to be an end to the ceiling.

What was this place?

"You've caused quite a stir, little one," High Wizard Spade told her, sitting back in his chair. He twiddled his thumbs absentmindedly. His blue eyes fixed on hers. "But that was your plan, wasn't it?"

Mattie looked away and stayed silent. She kept her eyes trained on the globe that spun slowly on the chief's desk.

"You may look like your mother, but if I could guess, you're more like Michaelo. Inness may look cold and fierce, but he is driven by ideals despite what others think—just like Alicia. He sheds his age by putting on a cold exterior, but I've mentored the lad. I know he has deep-reaching morals. But you, you're Michaelo's blood through and through."

The way Brunhildt Spade spoke made Mattie think he was at once praising her and admonishing her. "I'm nothing like my father," she said, looking him straight in the eye. "I doubt I'm like either of my parents. They never had much time for me, after all."

If Spade heard this, he didn't act it. The heavyset man peered at a tablet through thick spectacles. "But this time, you've made a mistake."

Mattie blinked. "I have?"

The twinkle in his eyes revealed nothing. Instead, Chief High Wizard Spade drove the conversation in another direction. "I never imagined there was a third Somerhall child. Leave it to Alicia and Michaelo Somerhall to keep this from even their closest friend and confidant. I assume they did it to protect you."

"To protect me?"

"Isn't that right, Inness?"

She jumped, startled. Inness had come into the room without making a single sound. The hair on the back of her neck stood straight up. "H-Hi, Inness," she stammered.

"Chief Spade, I would like a word with my sister," her brother inquired politely, not looking at her.

The High Wizard looked amused more than anything. "Of course. I'll step outside, then?"

-

"Why can't Mattie go out to eat with us?" Tara asked, her green eyes shining with naivety.

"It's dangerous for nonmagicals," Mattie replied, saving her parents and Inness from having to come up with an excuse. She didn't even look up from the book she had been reading. "Besides, I have a speech to write."

-

The moment the door had closed, Inness clapped his hands together, activating a time spell.

"What the hell were you thinking?" he exploded. "Matthia, you—"

"What was I supposed to do?" Mattie cried, her vision blurring. She wiped the tears away before they could fall. "You said it yourself! Ren is going to be held responsible for Heather's death and all the disruptions to the peace because of the meeting in neo-Tarajen! You told me he was going to be executed in three days without trial—what else am I—"

Inness spat through gritted teeth, "You were supposed to trust me."

"That's a crock of—"

"Did you think about what this would do?" he demanded, shaking her by the shoulders. "How this would affect you?"

Something inside of her snapped. Mattie wrenched herself free and glared at Inness. "You mean, did I think about how this would affect you, right?"

Inness looked shocked at her words, spoken with such viciousness.

"I never asked for anything. I had parents, I had a brother, I had a sister, but I couldn't ever reveal that to anyone. All those times out in public when I couldn't be there. Tara's sixth wishday party, I had to stay in my room until it was over. I went to Cavmoire, pretended to be Mattie Andersen when I was really Matthia Somerhall. Pretending I had no parents, no brother, no sister—when all of them were living and breathing. All because I would taint the Somerhall name—because of something I can't even control! You can't understand, Inness. Do you even know how I got through all that? Because my best friend kept me together, Inness. And now—"

Her shoulders sagged, suddenly feeling drained. "I'm sorry about what this will do to your career, to Mom, to Dad, to Tara... But I can't let Ren die. I had to do something. Anything."

A hand, gentler than she would have expected, patted her head.

"I'm sorry, Mattie," Inness murmured, drawing her into a tight hug.

The tears she had been holding back splashed her cheeks. "What are you sorry about? I just ruined everything."

He released her. "At least you know that," Inness laughed, the effort to laugh making his voice sound strangled. "But Mattie, you're wrong about something."

"I'm wrong about lots of things," Mattie muttered, wiping her eyes on her sleeve.

Suddenly, the door opened again, and a somber-looking Brunhildt Spade poked his head in. Inness jumped, looking bewildered. It took a second for her to realize why. The Chief High Wizard had broken her brother's time spell without their knowing.

"Inness, there's something you need to see."

Inness straightened and, so quickly Mattie wasn't sure if he really had, dabbed at his eyes with the corner of his sleeve.

Spade motioned to her, too. "Matthia, it also concerns you."

Inness and Mattie glanced at each other, frowning.

"Chief, can I ask what it is?"

Gravely, the High Wizard replied, "We received an autopsy report for a homicide on the outskirts of the Halkyra Savanna. The initial descriptions match Michaelo Somerhall."  

- 

Man, I love Inness as a character. 

Also, sorry for the lag in uploads. My exams are over now. Finally.

Wow, what an excruciating few days that was.

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