70. 25 Years Ago (2)

I remembered the golden flakes, the stardust falling off the tiny golden dragon, and I felt nauseous. "I don't know what happened to it. Them."

Cove avoided my eyes, but Jacob gave me a reassuring smile. "I'd have to borrow your familiar to check, but from what you've told me, I believe it's fine, despite your interference." Guilt washed over me like a tidal wave.

"I trust that such an incident will not occur again." Jacob continued.

I shook my head guiltily. "It won't." The thought that I'd interfered and almost ruined it was terrifying. I could have been the direct cause of its death…

The world tilted away, spinning out from underneath me. There was a flash of red, a splatter of blood, and a sudden smell of smoke, and I missed much of the following sentence.

"... knew Avalynn."

Reality snapped back in. "Could you repeat that?"

Jacob raised his eyebrows but did as I asked. "Avalynn wasn't just powerful; she was brilliant. If she regained any of her memories, I have no doubt she'd begin to recreate the events of 25 years ago. It's likely that she noticed you, an unaware spaciotemporal mage, and decided to use you to collect the fragments and rebuild her power. That's why we asked if you knew Avalynn."

My nausea returned full force. If I hadn't run across Cove, would I, too, have been an accessory to the death of an entire universe? The thought was incomprehensible; the paralyzing fear I felt was somehow relieving.

"Well, I guess I won't see her on Tuesdays," I said weakly.

"On the contrary, it would be of immense help if you could keep an eye on her until we have concrete evidence. In the meantime, I can check your magical signature for remnants of her own." Jacob offered.

I felt so far out of depth I might be drowning. "I don't know what to look for. And sure."

"Just see if she mentions anything related to your trip. You seem like a smart man; I'm sure you'll figure it out."

With bolstered confidence, I reluctantly agreed. "Alright."

"And both of you, please keep our suspicions a secret. I don't want anyone to panic until we know what's happening."

"Fair enough."

"Yes, Father."

"Good." Jacob stood up, his chair rolling backward. "Now, let's look at you and your familiar and see where that Fragment ended up."

I started to stand, and Cove reached out, blocking me. "You don't have to get up."

Jacob stalked around the desk until I had to crane my neck to look at him. "I'll take a look at your familiar first." He reached for Ani.

Ani squirmed in my hands, attempting to escape. I forcibly held him in place, wincing as Ani's claws dug into my flesh. Jacob rested a hand on Ani's forehead and closed his eyes. A faint orange aurora shone where his hand connected with Ani's head, flaring and dimming. When the light faded, Jacob removed his hand. "He brought the fragment into the realm of sleep, reuniting it with another piece of itself."

My shoulders sagged in relief. "Thank you." I opened my arms, letting Ani escape to the floor. Ani crawled underneath my chair, pressing up against my legs.

Jacob reached out, grasping my forehead with firm pressure. Unsure of where to look, I closed my eyes, waiting for something. He removed his hand, and I opened my eyes. With a frown, he grabbed my head again, more forcefully this time.

Nothing.

When he withdrew his hand again, I asked, "Is something wrong?"

Jacob ignored me, reaching out to grab my head yet more forcefully, his fingers digging into my skull. I flinched, jerking my head backward and grabbing his wrist before I could even think. He was immovable, and I let my hand drop, digging my fingers into the leather chair.

Still, nothing.

Frustration was etched into every line of Jacob's body.

"Father, that's enough."

He didn't let go. His fingers dug tighter into my skull, and his eyes closed. Past the physical pressure on my head, a more abstract pressure made itself known. Something tingled at the edge of my consciousness, searching for a way in. My earrings grew hot in my ears, and flames danced through my head. There was a sizzling sound, and Jacob yelped, removing his hand for the final time and cradling it with his other. There was the smell of burning flesh, and red crept its way up his palm, stopping at his wrist.

"Father!" A worried Cove lept out of his chair, bending down for a closer look.

Jacob jerked his hands away from Cove's searching ones, ignoring him. He scanned me frantically, looking for something. His eyes caught my earrings, an ugly and angry expression finding a home on his face.

"Where did you get those earrings?"

I looked up at him, still stunned by recent events.

"Where did you GET THEM?!"

Cove lept off to the side, wide-eyed.

Not meeting his eyes, I answered, "I don't know."

He inhaled sharply, then let it go, the tension and anger dissolving. "Did Avalynn give them to you?"

"No. It was someone else."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

Stiffly, Jacob retreated, dropping himself back into his chair. Now that the initial shock had worn off, his hand didn't appear to bother him anymore. He reached it up, clutching his own forehead. "I'm sorry." He shot a glare at the earrings. "Those earrings are blocking my magic."

"Then Hayden, if you just remove them…"

I tensed at Cove's suggestion, my often quiet instincts screaming at me not to do that.

"There's no need," Jacob interjected, filling me with immense relief. "Regardless of who provided them, they provide useful protection against mental manipulation. You would be wise to keep them on you at all times."

His words were a far cry from his earlier actions, but I nodded regardless, running a hand over the still-warm stones of the earrings. "Wasn't planning on it."

Cove looked back and forth before reluctantly stepping back, agreeing with his father's decision. Jacob dropped his hand and pulled out a fake smile. All signs of his previous anger had disappeared entirely. "We could use someone with your abilities on our team. You could double the rate of fragment return."

A tempting offer, but I doubted they paid nearly enough for the trouble I'd gone through last time. Even if I lost my current job, I could find another.

"If you accept, you'll have an apartment in Ventosus and additional training. Of course, I pay extremely well. There's job security to consider as well."

Once was already enough, thank you. I gave the token polite response. "I'm not looking for a new job now, but I'll keep that in mind."

Jacob's smile turned satisfied. "That's all I ask." He reached across his desk for the picture of Ava, and I handed it back to him, feeling dirty and used. "What are your plans for the rest of the afternoon?"

It wasn't in my original plans, but I was definitely going to have an existential crisis in my bedroom later.

"I was going to show Hayden the other districts if that's alright?" Cove asked. I nodded, but it wasn't my permission he was looking for.

"You're welcome to show him around the office as well," Jacob replied. He checked the smartwatch on his wrist. "The training area should be available in a few minutes."

Cove glanced at me to see what I thought of the idea.

"Sounds wonderful, thank you," I answered.

"No problem, Hayden."