Trial by Magic by Dawson D.H

Author:Dawson, D.H.
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-09-06T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twelve

Arch

The doors close behind me, and I wish they wouldn’t. I reach out a hand, brushing the smooth wood with my fingers. I should be in there with her. Daphne can hold her own, but she shouldn’t have to. She did the right thing.

‘I know what you’re thinking.’ Lorelai grasps my shoulder. The Council members linger uncertainly in the gleaming hall. She lowers her voice. ‘We should indeed be proud of Daphne.’ Her voice is tight, worried.

I nod to Dad, who looks eager to be away from here. He gives a harried smile and sets off. Iris and Dominick bid us farewell and don’t waste any time in taking their leave.

When was the last time they saw Hades so angry, I wonder? ‘Why do you sound anxious?’

Lorelai gives a low chuckle. ‘You know, you’re more perceptive these days.’ She leads us down the emptying hall, away from prying ears. ‘Why is that, I wonder?’ She looks at me significantly, but I look away. She doesn’t press. ‘I am worried for Daphne. That display of power rivals what she accomplished in the first Trial. Power over people. Come, we can speak in here.’ Grandmother pushes open her doors. As the Head of our Family, she has quarters closer to the royals.

We step into her parlour. The floors are smooth, polished wood, hugging a plain but finely decorated room. There’s a single marble table in the entry on which sits a vase of flowers. They resemble what I’ve heard of the Tree of Life, ever changing. Before my eyes, they start as seeds in a splash of dirt, form roots, then sprout forth, stems growing tall and green, until they form soft, round buds, which bloom into blossoms. Then the cycle starts anew.

The parlour branches out three ways. On the left, a sitting room, up ahead, the rest of the home, to the right, the study. Lorelai’s study is just a nicer name for her workshop, though her magic is far less explosive than my own and doesn’t require a special, spelled room.

I follow her into the sitting room. There are two couches, facing each other, both tan-coloured and perfectly clean, adorned with white and gold-lined pillows. I lower myself onto the couch opposite her. I don’t spend a great deal of time with my grandmother as she’s in charge of all issues relating to our Family—she’s usually busy. Since Daphne’s ascension was announced, she’s had an interest in all of this. And me.

Lorelai looks like the type of woman who would prefer to sit with her back straight, hands clasped in her lap, but now that we’re in her home, she’s at ease. She leans back into the pillows and lets her eyes flutter closed for a moment. ‘It’s been a long week.’ She conjures tea and my favourite biscuits. ‘How have you been, Archem?’

‘That’s your question?’ That’s one thing I dislike about adults. Or, you know, older ones. They appear to have no reasonable sense of urgency. ‘We just left Daphne alone with Hades, he was furious.

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