Read DESECRATION, Serial: Part 1 of 3 (Book One of The Wizard Queen at Sixteen Series) Page 6

  Part of me wanted to disagree, to deny everything and pretend none of this was happening, but my survival instincts kicked in. “I guess I do need you to teach me if I want to stay alive.”

  “Okay,” Hugo agreed. “I’ll do it. What was it my grandmother used to say? In for a penny, in for a pound.”

  “By the moons of Galileo, what does that mean?” Izzy blurted.

  “I don’t know,” Hugo said with a shrug. “But it seemed fitting.”

  Izzy gave Hugo a particularly dramatic eye roll and then noticed the watch on her wrist. “It’s late! We need to hurry and get to the transport pads.”

  Hugo looked up at the sky. “You’re right.”

  And with that, we rushed back toward the school campus and the transport pads.

  By the time we returned to the school, the lines for the pads had died down.

  I used the transport pads almost every day of my life, but I never stopped respecting what could go wrong. I’d heard too many horror stories as a child.

  Transport pads were positioned all over the wizard stronghold, and connected to other strongholds. The pads also connected wizards to various countries around the globe. I guessed it was something like “beam me up, Scottie,” on Star Trek. A person was split into particles and transmitted to their destination pad, where they were reassembled. The pads, like so much of wizardry, involved an intricately interwoven balance of physical science and magic.

  The pads at the school had a near-perfect safety record; there hadn’t been any accidents for over twenty years. Being a pad operator was an important position for young wizards as they worked their way up the ladder of wizard responsibilities. Hugo’s brother, Horatio, was a pad operator at the school. He attended the university in the early morning, then interned at Allied Alchemy International until he reported to the pads in the afternoon.

  We always waited in Horatio’s line. Unlike so many of the other entitled young wizards, he was nice to all three of us. And Horatio loved his brother. It was easy to see in the way he looked at Hugo—there was love there, and fierce protectiveness, too. No one, not even my brother, messed with Hugo when Horatio was around. Sometimes, I was almost jealous of Hugo for having a loving brother. I didn’t know what that felt like. But Hugo had other things to deal with. Really tough things. I could never begrudge him that kind of happiness, even if I was the tiniest bit envious.

  My brother pretty much hated me. My mother was all about taking care of my father and brother. And as far as my father goes, well, he doted on me, but it wasn’t like what Hugo and Horatio shared. It didn’t feel like it was the same kind of love at all.

  “Hey, three musketeers, aren’t you all cutting it a little close today, what with the party tonight?” Horatio asked as we made it to the front of his line.

  “Lost track of time,” Hugo answered.

  “You better not be late to the party, little brother,” Horatio warned as he ruffled Hugo’s hair. He was only able to manage that because he was one of the few people taller than Hugo, which pretty much made him a giant.

  “No worries. I’ll be on time,” Hugo assured Horatio.

  “Okay, little Nostradamus, let’s start with you.” Horatio smiled kindly. “You probably have the most to do to get ready, since it’s your birthday, too.”

  I couldn’t help but smile. “Thanks, Horatio.” Aside from Hugo, no other wizard male had acknowledged today as my birthday, even though everyone knew I was Zarius’ twin.

  “Be careful, Addie,” Izzy warned as she gave me a quick hug.

  I nodded in reply.

  Horatio tilted his head, his eyes curious, but he didn’t ask why I would need to be careful.

  “Call me if you need to talk,” Hugo added in a hushed tone. “We’ll see you tonight. We’ll be there for you, Addie.”

  “Whatever’s going on, I’m not asking,” Horatio said. “Better if I don’t know. So happy birthday, little Nostradamus.”

  And with that, Horatio chanted under his breath and pulled the lever.

  Everything faded away until my mind and sight reassembled to the familiar view of my parents’ home, the Nostradamus keep. The first thing I heard was Zarius taunting my secret and forbidden crush, Rory Devlin.