CHAPTER 6
In Very Deep Shih-Tzu
For hundreds of years, the Nostradamus keep had housed our family and our ancestors before us. Construction of the stronghold had started not long after the time Columbus accidently landed on the shores of North America. Our ancestors believed this land would provide more freedom, taking them far away from the strictures of the Catholic Church and the persecutions of the Inquisitions.
Due to the magical veil that surrounded the stronghold, not even the Native Americans knew of our presence in the land, though there were tribal tales associated with our few ancient encounters.
The keep’s initial structure was massive and much like the old castles or the great halls of Europe, but it had been added to countless times over the years. Many types of architecture, both known and unknown to humankind, formed the sprawling structure.
I knew my father would be expecting me, so I headed straight to his study. Luckily, it was not too far from the front entryway. As I was late, I was jogging, and almost ran straight into Lady Acacia as she was leaving my father’s office. I came to a skidding stop, which earned me a frown from my father.
“Adriana, we do not run in this house!” my father scolded. “You very nearly knocked down Lady Acacia.”
Lady Acacia, who’d deftly sidestepped me, smiled good-humoredly. “No harm, Manfred.” She glanced back at my father. “I can remember doing the same at our keep when I was young.”
“She’s too old for such impropriety,” my father insisted.
“It’s her birthday and she has a party to go to. Let’s chalk it up to that,” Lady Acacia said. She bestowed a winning smile on my father, and then turned her smile my way. She wore a crisp, professional gray pinstripe suit and her dark brown hair was pulled back into an elegant chignon. She studied me with eyes the color of…amethyst. I don’t know why it hadn’t occurred to me before, but her eyes were almost identical to Rory’s. Purple eyes weren’t as rare in wizard genetics as they were in human DNA, but for Lady Acacia’s and Rory’s eyes both to be the same shade of amethyst seemed to be more than a coincidence.
“Happy sixteenth birthday, Adriana,” she said with genuine affection.
I returned her smile, thanked her, and curtsied. Our society continued to observe formalities that were antiquated by human standards.
With a nod, Lady Acacia left us, her heels clacking softly against the marble floors. I watched as she slipped her cloak on and covered her head before stepping outside. Something about watching her cover herself made me think of Izzy’s outrage.
Lady Acacia was the only wizard woman who worked at Allied Alchemy International, a globally diversified company with branches tied to all kinds of cutting-edge technology. Through hard work and a quick mind, she had earned promotions into a management position within the company. Although as a woman, she wouldn’t ever reach a senior executive position, she had earned the respect of many high-level wizards, including council members and my father. She had the freedom, like all wizard men, to pass through the magical veil and go out into the human world and conduct business each day. She’d achieved enormous success, but here in the stronghold, she was expected to cover herself with a cloak like all other wizard women. I’d never thought twice about it before today, but now it saddened me.
And then, perhaps paradoxically, I turned to face my father. “I’m sorry for my behavior, Father.”
“And?”
“And for being late,” I finished with a downcast look.
“Adriana, it’s not like you to behave in this manner. Don’t make a habit of it.”
“I won’t, Father.”
He pivoted and walked into his study, waving me inside. “Now come into my office. I have something for you.”
As I stepped into his study, I saw a beautiful gown hanging from the cherry wood ladder that leaned against one of several vast bookshelves.
The fabric of the dress mesmerized me. It was a charcoal gray taffeta that shimmered with peacock jewel-tone highlights of blue, green, purple and smoky bronze, depending on how the sunlight hit the fabric. The full-length gown was simple and elegant, with a high empire waist from which the sparkling fabric moved in tailored sleek lines down to ankle length. It wasn’t a little girl’s dress. It was a lady’s dress. And I realized my own ash-brown hair and smoky hazel eyes would complement the dress better than any glamour I could choose. The dress was beautiful.
“You look stunned, daughter. Do you dislike this dress?”
I gasped. “I love it! It’s perfect.” I remembered how, earlier, Izzy had been embarrassed about letting her girly-girl loose. Mine was totally running amuck, and that felt familiar and comfortable.
“Ah! That’s a relief. I thought for a moment you hated it.”
“It’s amazing.”
My father sat down on the small settee across from his desk and patted the cushion beside him. “Come sit with me and we will talk.”
I sat next to my father and waited.
“Your mother would be here, but as you know she is very busy with the last-minute arrangements for tonight. I have another gift for you,” he said as he handed me an envelope. “I thought you and Isadora might enjoy a good shopping trip in New York City.”
I held the envelope to my chest. “Oh yes! We would love that. Thank you so much, Father.” It had become an annual event, and was the only time I was allowed to leave the stronghold.
“You can coordinate with Tristan on the particulars. Of course, you’ll need an adequate wizard escort. Although you are growing up, Adriana, I’ll always keep my baby daughter’s safety as a top priority.”
I nodded as expected, staring up at my father’s face. I watched him as he appeared to be formulating his next words.
After everything that had happened today, I found myself feeling hopeful that maybe someday I could tell my father the truth about myself. I took a moment to really look at him. My father, the High Chancellor of the North American Wizards’ Guild, appeared as if he’d stepped from the cover of GQ Magazine. He had the same light brown hair and hazel eyes as Zarius and I; his hair was short, cut in a simple but current style. He’d already changed into his severe black tuxedo.
“As today is a milestone for you and your brother, your future has been on my mind. I have been long concerned about the state of your betrothal.”
Oh no! This could not be good. Today of all days, I didn’t know if I could handle one more change. My stomach sank as if I’d swallowed a smoothie full of iron pellets.
“Adriana, we have tried, but we cannot locate your betrothed, Falcon Voltaire. His parents disappeared under mysterious circumstances.”
Apparently, even my father couldn’t bring himself to say that the “circumstances” may have had something to do with sorcery.
“In our history, there has been little precedent for overturning a betrothal contract, but I’m working on it. I believe that ultimately I will get it ruled invalid.”
Maybe this wasn’t so bad. After all, Falcon was a virtual stranger. I’d supposedly met him once when I was four years old, but I didn’t even remember it.
“I’ve been considering a young man whose betrothed was lost in that tragic accident last January.”
I knew of only one boy who fit that situation—my brother’s wingman, Bart.
“Bartholomew Magnuson is of the house of Archimedes—”
“Bart?” I shot to my feet before I could think better of it. “Bart Magnuson? Father, no!”
My father rose, towering over me. “What are you about, young lady? First you are late, and now you dare to talk back to me? To question my judgment?”
Usually, my father’s glower would have me quaking, but I just couldn’t take one more thing today. “Father, have you ever spent any time actually talking to Bart?”
“No, but your brother holds him in very high regard.” In the very next instant, he seemed to realize he was justifying his position to me. His eyebrows drew together in a scowl, and his face reddened.
That almost never happened. “Enough of this!” He didn’t yell, but he might as well have, for the impact his biting tone had on me. “Nothing is final, but you will be happy with whomever I choose for you.”
A tremor ran through my whole body. “Father.” My voice shook, but I continued, blurting out the words as quickly as I could. “I regret having to say this, but Bart is spiteful, and he’s as dense as a pile of bricks. You would surely find yourself with dim-witted grandchildren were I to marry him. Your line would be forever tainted with a diminished IQ.” I knew my words were uncharitable at best and, more accurately, cruel, but they were also completely true. Most importantly, though, my words represented an open challenge to my father’s authority.
My father stared at me in horror, as if I were morphing into a sorcerer right in front of him. He was a man used to controlling a council of some of the most powerful wizards in the world, and at this moment, he appeared too shocked to respond. Marching across his study, he returned to me with my dress and thrust it at me. “Be off, Adriana, and consider yourself lucky that I’m allowing you to attend the party tonight. Say not one more word that would make me change my mind.”
My heart hammered in my chest, and my knees almost gave out at the realization that I’d openly defied my father. But as I snuck a peek at him before exiting through the study door, I saw that he was deep in thought. Maybe he would reconsider Bart. I wasn’t sure, but I really and truly hoped so. The only thing I was absolutely sure of was that I was in very deep Shih-Tzu.