In The Between (Version 1)

| Chapter One |

Magnus

7:00 AM - December 14

I woke up to the sound of my siblings arguing. Groaning softly, I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and forced myself to get out of bed. I let out a tired groan at the thought of the impending day as I put on socks, jeans, black boots, my watch, a black shirt. and a dark red hoodie, AKA my armor of choice for entering today's battlefield.

Once I was dressed and ready, I slipped my phone into my pocket, shambled out of my bedroom, headed downstairs, and entered the kitchen, snatching my keys and cramming them into my pocket.

Our family chef, a short and stocky man named Felix, briefly looked up as he flipped the French toast he was making. His brown eyes filled with warmth as they met my green gaze. "Good morning, Mister Magnus. Would you like something to eat?"

"Yes, please," I responded groggily as I sat down at the kitchen table. He smiled and flipped four slices of delicious French toast onto a plate using a spatula, and I cut them into pieces before drowning my food in maple syrup. I had a side of fresh fruit, and I was just about finishing up breakfast when the butler, Robert, entered the kitchen.

"Did you get the internship you wanted?" Robert asked as he turned off the stove and handed me a cup of dark-roast coffee. Though he was only in his mid-forties, the roots of his dark hair and short-trimmed beard were already gray from stress. I didn't blame him; keeping the Knightsbridge household in order 24/7 seemed like a nightmare and a half.

"Yeah," I replied with a tired half-smile, impaling a piece of toast with my fork and washing it down with a swig of the caffeinated drink. "I'll go to the headquarters after Eric and Juniper get to school."

"I think you'll make a marvelous superhero," he told me earnestly.

"Sidekick," I corrected him automatically. It was low-level work, but I was well on my way to becoming a hero and actually making a difference in the city. With a grin, I shoveled the rest of my food into my mouth. The second I finished, I heard the sound of somebody getting slapped across the face. I sighed and got out of my seat, and a scowl quickly settled on my face.

My younger siblings stood in the hallway, glaring at each other. Juniper sneered up at Eric, her eyes filled with fury, and Eric glowered down at her, jaw clenched with barely restrained rage. A bright red handprint lit up the side of Eric's face.

I internally groaned at the sight of them bickering again. "Why can't you two just be ready to go in the mornings instead of making Robert's job difficult?" I snapped. "Do we seriously have to do everything for you?"

"I think I'm capable of getting ready on my own, Mango," Juniper retorted. "I'm not a little kid anymore."

"Then stop acting like one," I replied sharply. "Both of you, get in the car." I pointed in the direction of the garage for emphasis.

They grudgingly followed me to the garage, and I pressed the door-opening button built into the wall. Digging my keys out of my pocket, I unlocked my red Mercedes and handed the keys to the chauffeur.

"I call shotgun!" Juniper declared as she sprinted past Eric and slid into the front passenger's seat.

Eric glared down at our sister in disgust. I sent my brother a deadpan look that said, This isn't worth it. My brother responded by rolling his eyes at me, and then climbing in the backseat.

The fifteen-minute-long drive to their high school was tense and quiet. All three of us were irritated with each other, and I wasn't in the mood to talk. After a couple minutes, I turned up the heater to drive away the winter's chill.