Becoming Magical [2]

C H A P T E R - 6

Sophie fidgeted with the satin sash of her emerald green dress and wondered for the tenth time if she should change. It felt wrong to visit a cemetery in something other than black, but Edaline had told her the tradition was to wear green—the color of life.

"You look beautiful," Grady said as he peeked his head around the door to her bedroom.

She smiled. "You don't look too bad yourself."

"Thanks. But I truly hate these things." He tugged at his green velvet cloak as he stepped into her room. "Whoever decided we should wear capes was an idiot."

He didn't have to tell her. She'd hated the capes from the moment she'd seen her ridiculous school uniform with its stupid elbow-length monstrosity. But capes were the mark of the nobility, and even though Grady and Edaline had tried to separate themselves from that life, the Council would never let Grady fully resign. His ability as a Mesmer was too rare and important.

"Need help with yours?" Grady offered.

Sophie nodded and he grabbed the silky green cape from where she'd left it on her bed. Grady draped it across her shoulders and gathered the ends at the base of her neck. She reached for the blue halcyon clasp she used for school, but Grady stopped her, holding out a yellow-diamond-encrusted eagle soaring with a ruby rose in its talons—identical to the broach securing his own cape.

"The Ruewen crest," Sophie whispered as he pinned it through the thin fabric.

Her Foxfire uniform bore the same seal over her heart, identifying her as part of Grady and Edaline's family—but having him give her the clasp, especially considering the day, made her feel choked up.

Grady cleared his throat. "Are you sure you want to—"

"I'm sure." They'd been doing this for sixteen years. She wasn't going to let them do it alone anymore.

Unless . . .

"Do you not want me to go?"

"We always want you with us, Sophie. I'm just afraid you don't realize how hard this will be."

She reached for his hand, twining their fingers together. "I know. But we're family now, right?"

"We definitely are." He pulled her in for a hug, stroking her hair as he whispered, "I love you."

"I love you, too." She thought about adding "Dad" at the end, but the word stuck to her tongue.

"I guess we should probably get going. I've already informed Sandor that he's not coming with us—"

"He's not?"

"Only elves are allowed near the Wanderlings. Even the Councillors leave their bodyguards behind. So he's agreed to entrust you to our care for the next few hours."

"Whoa—I can't believe you got him to agree to that."

"He protested. A lot. But I reminded him of what I can do." The seriousness of his tone gave Sophie chills.

She rarely thought about what being a Mesmer really meant for Grady. But total mind control was definitely a powerful thing.

"And, I agreed to carry this, in case I lose my focus," he added quietly, removing a small silver weapon from an inner pocket of his cloak.

Sophie felt all the blood drain from her face. "Where did you get a melder?"

She'd never forget the way Dex had collapsed to the ground, paralyzed and seizing up after the kidnappers blasted him with one. Looking at the palm-size gadget now, it was hard to imagine so much evil coming from a sleek, curved handle connected to a triangle of silver with a single button in the center. She hated seeing it in Grady's hand.