CONTENT WARNINGS: discussion of conflict
Daniel
My reaction to the big news wasn't quite the same as everyone else's. I admit, I was surprised to see how many people cheered Volpe's death - though most of the people who hated him hated him for his corruption as a Tartosan elite rather than the fact he was the figurehead of the murder of witches.
My first thought wasn't any kind of gladness - my first thought was that my brother was now working for a murderer.
I dread to think how Josiah was feeling about it all. I wrote him a letter, but he never responded. I just know he's going to be completely swamped with work. I don't doubt his ability, but I know he must be unimaginably overwhelmed and anxious.
I'm not entirely on board with Father's idea, but I know that he'd contradict himself if he didn't allow anyone else a chance to change their ways. Besides, getting anyone away from whatever High Priest Thorne is planning is probably a good idea.
I take a trip to see Eli. I can't imagine how he must feel about all this. His own brother killed somebody out in the open like that. I'd probably feel betrayed if Josiah did something like that- then again, he's scared of his own shadow.
When I arrive, he's outside cheerfully brushing Griselda's mane. She seems to be moving around a lot more than she was before. But why is he so cheerful given all that's happened? Maybe it really is mine and Owen's fault that he's like this, covering up his true feelings in the fear of being considered 'too emotional'.
* * *
Eli's overall demeanour is off, but not in the way that I expected it to be.
"I can't imagine how my brother must feel about all this - but I can imagine you must be devastated. Have you seen Owen since?"
"I haven't, no."
"You must feel like you've been betrayed, Eli. Someone so close to you doing something like this... I know Volpe practically deserved it, but it must be scary, knowing what someone you love is capable of like that."
He doesn't respond to me at all - just stares forward, deep in thought.
"My love, you don't need to put on the stoic act for me - I promise. You're allowed to show your-"
"I already know what Owen is capable of."
What? What's that supposed to mean? Has this...happened before? I almost can't get my words out. I don't want to imagine that a practicing physician might have killed somebody in secret!
"And what do you mean by that, Eli?"
His hands start to tremble, and he's visibly sweating and breathing heavily.
"Dan, do you really think Samuel Annorin died of illness all those years ago?" he asks, his voice trembling as if he's about to cry.
"Owen left Samuel outside and locked the door during the witch-hunt knowing that someone out there would want him dead. It wasn't Owen that killed him, but Owen left him outside knowing he'd be killed that night."
All those years ago, we got into such a massive argument over my 'withholding' of things - and he has never bothered telling me this.
"I'm sorry, Dan. I should have-"
"Yes, you should've said something - my brother works for him! Do you think I want Josiah to be killed after a potential misstep?"
"Don't be ridiculous!" he yells. "Samuel and Volpe were evil. Nothing any other person could ever do would make Owen want them dead like that - especially not Josiah! Owen loves Josiah! He's practically his favourite apprentice!"
I clench my fists together to try and calm myself.
"Eli, we almost broke up because I didn't tell you I was a witchfinder- and I didn't kill anybody. You have to understand that I'd have appreciated knowing my brother's employer has a habit of getting rid of people he doesn't like!"
"I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to worry unecessarily," he tells me, in a solemn voice. "I didn't want you worrying about something that'd never happen."
"How do you know it'll never happen?"
"I know my own brother, Dan."
"Did you know he was going to kill Volpe?"
Eli sighs and hangs his head. "No. I had a slight feeling that maybe he'd somehow arrange his death somewhere along the line. Never expected him to actually kill him, though."
Perhaps I've been a little too strong with him. After all, the two of us are only thinking of our beloved siblings... even if mine would never even dream of hurting somebody.
"I was wrong to withhold it from you, Dan. I'm genuinely sorry. I just didn't want you worrying about Josiah. I know for a fact that Owen wouldn't do any harm to him. I can't promise he won't go after any witchfinders, but he won't hurt anyone on the side of witches - I know that, at least."
I choose to take Eli's word for it. Owen seemed okay when we met, and Josiah says they get along fine even if he's a bit unnerving at times. With all that might happen soon, there's little reason to leave on a sour note.
"Going so soon, Dan?"
"Afraid so. To put a long story short, it looks like we're going to be helping ex-witchfinders find meaningful employment. My father wants to expand our business, witchfinders with a change of heart need money - two birds, one stone, from his point of view."
Eli's giving me the sad puppy look again. The reality has dawned upon both of us - that conflict is inevitable. Even if we aren't the main targets, we don't want to see anyone die. We don't want a conflict to escalate, but...
"I understand. I need to make some diagrams for a wheelchair - Lydia Annorin is commissioning a few. First, I'm going back to Glimmerbrook to see my sister. I haven't heard from her in so long."
For now, I choose to leave on friendly terms. I don't know if he's in the mood for romance.
"Take care of yourself, Eli-"
"Wait!"
Eli does what he does best - stare awkwardly at the ground.
"I don't know what's going to happen once the witchfinders rebuild. I'm going to be spending a lot of time here still working on commissions, so we likely won't see each other for a long time."
I put my hands around his back, and he shivers. Every time I touch him, he reacts like we only just fell in love yesterday.
"I'll tell you what's going to happen, Eli. Once this conflict is over, we're going to be fine."
I pull him closer, and Eli's warm lips gently press against my own. Despite his gentle nature, he's deceptively strong. Trouble is, as the son of a magical family, there really is every chance he might be targeted. After all, the witchfinders aren't going to care if he doesn't have magic - all that will matter to them is that he's Owen's brother.
"Whatever the outcome, Dan, never forget how much I love you. You mean the world and more to me."
I feel something pulling on my hair. I look behind, and Griselda is chewing on it.
"Sorry. I don't know what's gotten into her lately."
"Is it me, or does she seem more...Active? Seems like every time I come over she doesn't do anything. She's like a statue most of the time."
"You're not afraid, are you?"
"I mean... a little. They're strange up close."
"It's a horse, Dan. What's to worry about?"
Eli gets Griselda into her saddle and prepares to set off.
"Do you know the way?"
"Yep - follow the river and look out for the glowing rocks."
I don't know if I entirely trust those vague directions, and I especially don't know if I trust glowing rocks, but I'm sure Eli will find what he's looking for.
Eli
It's not so long a journey on horseback, but I dread to think of all the witches who had to follow this path on foot - including my sister and niece.
I see them - the glowing stones, by what looks like some sort of an ancient arena. I don't know what magic feels like. I hear witches can sense it, but I'd asked Owen before, and he had no idea.
It's a nice way to see the history of my ancestors here, but I feel a kind of guilt knowing what they went through. As a child, I wished I had magic like my brother; maybe my father would have loved me the way he loved my brother, that's the way I thought. Maybe I would be clever and capable like my brother was. It soon became apparent that, magic or not, he had no love for either of us. It also became apparent, thanks to Oskar, that I did not need magic to be loved or capable.
Glimmerbrook is already a beautiful and fascinating place. I do not like to think of witches fleeing for their lives, but I am at least thankful that they had somewhere relatively safe to flee to where they could live fully. A nasty chill shoots down my spine, and not just from the winter cold:
For how much longer will Glimmerbrook be a safe haven?
Violeta tells me that the settlement my sister lives at isn't far from here, obscured by trees for safety's sake.
After some time, I eventually find a spot completely surrounded in fir trees. I hear the voices of women inside. Áine must be in here somewhere.
"This must be the spot, Griselda. Hold on."
Griselda waits just under the tree as I call out into the settlement. Eventually, a figure steps out - a woman surrounded by a snake. I wonder if this is the leader Áine mentioned in a letter?
She gives me a distrusting look. "I don't sense magic on you. What are you doing here?"
"I'm Elijah Annorin. I'm Áine's brother."
"If you're Áine's brother, I'm going to need some sort of proof."
It's a little stressful, but it makes perfect sense that she'd be on high alert.
"I'm an adoptive brother; we were both adopted by a man named Oskar, who died some years ago. I'm a woodworker by trade."
She nods. "Very well. I assume you are here to see her?"
I don't like the sound of that. Griselda runs and hides behind a bush from her snake familiar. It won't stop flicking its tongue at me.
"She no longer lives in this part of Glimmerbrook. Follow the road past the Charm and Viridis mansions - you can't miss them. They're the only major buildings here."
"Oh! Thank the Watcher; I thought you were going to give me some terrible news."
"Oh, goodness, no," she says, laughing. "I don't think anything could fight your sister and survive."
* * *
Griselda takes off immediately, still a little spooked by that snake. We pass the two mansions. The red-brick one is enormous, guarded by lion statues. The blue one has a majestic horse statue outside.
I come across the little village the woman with the snake mentioned. This one is more built-up than the last one, with stone houses and some kind of fanciful tower. I knock loudly on the gate and a man with short brown hair answers, narrowing his eyes at me.
"You don't have any magic on you, boy. What are you doing here?"
"Uhh...I'm Elijah Annorin. Áine's younger brother. Oskar adopted us years ago, and he died years ago. I'm a woodworker. She has a partner named Reynold, who's a werewolf, her favourite spell is Ignis, and - please tell me that's enough. We haven't spoken in so long."
Áine
As well as writing a letter for my dear daughter, I'm drafting up lesson plans at the moment. Some of them are focused on Wild magic. If Glimmerbrook and Henford are to erupt into conflict, then I want the students to know how to defend themselves no matter what it may take. There's a knock on the door. Is Reynold back so soon?
"I really missed you, Áine."
No. It's...
"Eli!"
"You could have responded to my letters more often, Áine."
And just like that, my chest floods with guilt. I genuinely didn't mean to not get back to him. It's not been all that long in the grand scheme of things, but he looks a little older and a lot stronger these days.
"Eli, I'm terribly sorry. I got busy with various things, and I - I'm making excuses. Well, you're here now - what did you come here for? I assume it's to do with Owen? Violeta told me a few things."
Eli's expression remains solemn as he talks, though I expected him to be panicking more than he is.
"I figured I owed you an explanation - and a warning. I saw it all happen."
Strangely, he recounts what he saw as if he watched it from miles away, with a kind of emotional distance that's unusual for him. He says the rumours of the gryphon are true - Owen has a gryphon familiar. I'd heard many tales of magical creatures kept in orbs to do one's bidding; come to think of it, that might explain why he owns such an old creature. Eli tells me that Owen and his gryphon Valravn have a close bond, and that she can speak telepathically. He mentions Owen losing his medical license, something to do with using magic in his remedies and treatments without a patient's knowledge or consent.
Eli says that Owen practically boiled Eduardo Volpe alive with a powerful Fulguris spell - and using the wand Eli crafted for him. To see the power of fire at a witch's fingertips was nothing too strange, but to see a spellcaster brave enough to channel lightning... Fire has been man's best friend alongside dogs since ancient times, but we still know comparatively little about 'electric magic'. For millennia, it was seen as a punishment from the gods and goddesses. To wield the power of gods like that? I didn't think bloodline spellcasters could be so powerful.
"Your daughter bravely spoke up in Owen's defense, but she ran before she could see Owen kill Volpe. I checked on her. Don't worry, she's completely fine."
I admire Róisín's bravery, and I admire that she is willing to help out a fellow spellcaster - I just hope she will go careful whilst she does so. At least I can give Eli the letter to take back with him.
"I'm pretty worried about how this is going to affect Owen. I haven't seen him since it happened, but his medical work was such a big part of his life that I don't know how he'll cope without it. I don't know what's happening, but it's like his own magic has made him sick. Some days, he can't even get out of bed."
That's not something I've heard of outside of what happened to Reynold. I wonder if the powerful spell used to kill Volpe might have overpowered him, like Reynold's lunar shield did to him?
I think back to my lesson plans for the students and the potential rise in attendance that will come after all this has come to light - and that's when a candle flickers in my mind. I worried about possibly having to do this alone, but I realise that I don't have to.
"This is a bit of an odd question, Eli, but can your brother still cast spells safely?"
"He can sometimes, when he's careful about it. If he uses his wand or has Valravn with him, he can do a few spells. Either he doesn't know his own limits yet or he simply doesn't care - I don't know." Eli lets out a deep sigh. "Well, even if he can't treat patients anymore, I guess he can still work on his alchemical-"
Alchemy.
If he can't cast a lot of spells at once, we can work around that - but a dedicated alchemist would be perfect for my school...if I can get someone like him to join, that is.
"Do you think he might want to give me a hand? You see, I've just started a magic school for the younger witches. So far, I'm the only teacher."
"Oh. Oh! Áine, that's a perfect idea! I think it'd suit him down to the ground. Without anything to focus on, I think he'd lose his mind - and I think Lydia might throw him out of a window. He's taught apprentices before, so he has some experience. I reckon he might have some interest in the idea."
It's a weight off my chest knowing that I may possibly get some help. Of course, I've never met the man before, but he can't be as bad as everyone makes out - not if he was willing to sacrifice his life's work to protect witches. Even if he doesn't have it in him to teach every day, some help is better than none - and it can't hurt to have an ex-physician around.
I give Eli another letter to take with him, inviting his brother to Glimmerbrook. I don't know how a billionaire would fare out here in the middle of nowhere and nothing close to the luxuries he's used to, but it's worth a try.
"One moment - is Reynold not here with you?"
"He's out for the day," I explain. "Full moon night tonight - maybe if you're lucky you'll spot a werewolf on the way back."
"Werewolf?!"
"Don't worry, Eli. He knows you; he wouldn't hurt you."
I hope Róisín is learning to cope with the full moon heightening her emotions. It's difficult enough to manage your feelings at her age without lycanthropy...