Chapter Twelve
“IS YOUR magic dangerous in any way,” Callie asked in the canteen the next day.
She had heard the tannoy announcement, so Elliot told her what the Vice Chancellor had said, omitting his conversation with Barve and Farlden afterwards.
“No, of course not,” he said, hurt that she would need to ask this after twice seeing it used. “Perhaps other people can do bigger things with their magic than we can, but I can’t imagine magic ever being harmful.”
“Maybe yours will get stronger the more you use it.”
“I doubt it.” He actually hoped it would but couldn’t risk telling anyone that, not even a friend. “Even if it did, there would be nothing dangerous about it. Farlden and I just see memories. Unless we threatened to blackmail someone over them, how could that possibly be a bad thing?”
“I suppose the Vice Chancellor just had to say something to make sure everyone was safe. He probably doesn’t know anything about magic. I don’t understand how it works either.”
“Nor me,” he said. “It’s just like an extra sense or skill that I’ve always had, no more harmful than being able to smell or hear.”
“But how does it feel when you use it?”
“I don’t know how to explain it – it’s like trying to explain to someone who’s been blind their whole lives how sight feels. When it was just me, I got a flash of memory come into my head, a bit like one of my own memories but stronger, as if I was living inside the other person’s head during that time and could experience the thoughts and feelings they did. With Farlden, it’s more active.” He remembered the feel of their magics mixing together with a tingling shiver and anticipation rose at the thought of experiencing it again soon. He tried to find the right words to describe it to Callie but didn’t feel as if the words even existed to explain. “Our magic can reach out and search for a particular memory – I’ve no idea how. It’s like an emotion I’ve never felt before washes over me and I can’t control when the memory ends, but it’s so intense that I don’t want to leave it.”
“Well, at least neither you nor Farlden got into trouble over it. That’s the main thing.” She took an unenthusiastic mouthful of her cauliflower cheese and wrinkled her nose and mouth. “If you could magic the canteen food into something edible, every student would love you.”
“If we could do that, we could rule the world.”
“What’s that?” Farlden asked as he dumped his tray onto the table opposite Callie, Barve taking the seat opposite Elliot.
“Callie was saying how popular we’d be if our magic could improve the canteen food.”
Farlden gave the two of them a sharp look, leaving Barve to say, “I think we’re just going to have snack meals here from now on and cook in the evenings. Callie, you’re welcome to come and join us.”
“Thanks.” She smiled at him and it occurred to Elliot that she seemed more relaxed around Barve than she did with him. She and Barve had got along well from the start and Elliot dismissed a feeling of disappointment. It wasn’t as if he had any romantic feelings for her; he had just thought that they had a lot in common. And he was starting to get a complex over how unpopular he was. Perhaps he wasn’t actually as likeable as he had always assumed and the kids at school had only been nice to him because of his wealth or out of politeness.
He pulled himself out of the depressing thoughts and concentrated on his friends, noticing that Callie was dressed almost as colourfully as Barve today, in a purple and yellow jumper, purple skirt and knee-length boots. Between the two of them they had to be wearing every colour of the rainbow.
The brothers got comfortable and they all ate some of their meals with varying expressions of dislike as they talked about their mornings. Elliot then remembered something he had meant to ask them. “Do either of you have any books on Nean culture or history? I was looking in the library recently and they don’t have anything.”
“Why do you want something like that?” Farlden’s tone was harsh, but then he sounded annoyed over everything Elliot said, so he didn’t take it seriously.
“I just want to know more about your people.”
“It’s private. Nothing to do with you.”
Irritated by Farlden’s attitude, Elliot snapped back, “I’m just showing an interest in your lives. What’s the big mystery here?”
“What part of ‘it’s private’ don’t you understand?”
“I’m sure Elliot’s interest is harmless,” Callie intervened and her tone made Elliot realise how heated the argument had become. It was ridiculous: all he had asked about were books! Why did Farlden have to make every conversation so difficult?
“Just leave it alone,” Farlden told him and Elliot’s temper, worn away by the constant biting comments, exploded. He got up and put his hands on the table, looming over Farlden.
“You know, my mum thinks Neans are dangerous, that you’re hiding something big that could threaten everyone else. I always thought she was crazy, but maybe she’s right.”
He got up and marched out of the canteen, getting as far as his car before common sense took over from anger. Now he had said something stupid and probably hurt and offended Barve too. But why did Farlden always have to act as if any remotely personal question was off-limits? Maybe he really was hiding something.