Chapter Ten

 

 

Formal clothing was easy when you had someone still majoring in textiles under your roof. The gown that Bara had prepared for her took her breath away. Long, silky panels of black and blue wrapped in a five-inch wide belt studded with jet beads. The gown made her feel very adult, and it matched with her black Death Keeper robes.

The invitation to her father’s birthday and her niece’s family blessing had mentioned wearing honours. She was wearing her honours. The embroidery that Kitigan’s family had created was stunning. All she needed was a staff, and she would be at home in any formal death-related setting.

Imara tucked her phone into the pocket in her belt and looked at Mr. E. “How do I look?”

Excellent. I will be on guard this evening. You know they are going to try and trip you up.

She nodded. “I know. At least I have confirmation from my instructor that I passed with ninety-percent in the stealth magic course. Phone, email and the photo. It was nice of Argus to make him make those calls.”

You have the photo?

“On my phone and two copies printed. Bara has one copy and Reegar the other. Both are locked up and in a stasis field.”

Do you feel paranoid?

She nodded. “Yes, but I am going to see family. From my research, that is an appropriate feeling.”

He snickered and jumped to the shoulder of her robes. She had her invitation, the gift for the baby, she had her familiar, and she had her formalwear. She was ready to face the part of her family that had thrown her away.

A deep exhalation and she walked down to Kitigan’s car. She was her designated driver for the evening, and her vehicle was new and a nice SUV.

“So, Imara, when you want to leave, call me. If anything goes weird, call me. If Mr. E hacks up a hairball, call me.”

Mr. E lifted his head and made a cute noise.

“I promise. If I don’t get furious and fly home, I will definitely call you.”

“Good. Now, get in the car.” Kitty held the door open and made sure that the robes and the dress were safe and tidy.

The rest of the drive was basically silent with the exception of Imara making one call.

“Are you ready?”

The voice on the other end said, “I don’t sleep.”

She ended the call and tucked her phone back into her belt. “Whoo.”

“It will be fine. Everyone will be fine.”

Imara glanced over. “My family is going to hate me.”

Kitty chuckled. “They already hate you.”

“This is true. Thanks for that.” Imara grinned, and she relaxed and petted Mr. E the entire way to Demiel Hall.

“Call me when you want to leave. I will just be around the corner at that donut shop. I brought some homework with me, so don’t rush it.” Kitty grinned as she pulled into the circular drive in front of the wide and ancient hall.

“Will do. Happy studying.” She opened her door and slid onto the crunchy black gravel.

Mr. E popped up and perched proudly on her shoulder. I am going to be on alert tonight.

Thanks. Me too.

With her back braced and her robes hanging straight, she walked up to the double doors, and they were swung open by two trolls in uniform.

She smiled and inclined her head. “Good evening. I am here for the party.”

One of the trolls extended his hand, and she produced the invitation. He peered down and inclined his head. “Go through to the ballroom.”

She patted his hand and smiled. “Thank you. I think that is the most polite thing I will hear this evening.”

He looked surprised, and he gave her a slow, toothy smile. “Welcome, Death Keeper.”

She nodded and remembered that that is what she was here. She was a powerful mage invited to an event. That was all.

The huge archway in front of her was glowing with light. She tucked her invitation into her belt and walked through the security spell.

A human butler stood by and held out his hand for the invitation. She pulled it smoothly from her belt and handed it to him.

He frowned, looked at her robes, and then announced her to the room of strange but rather familiar faces in the room. “Master Death Keeper, Imara Mirrin Deepford-Smythe.”

Technically, it was her name, though Imara Mirrin was acceptable for legal purposes.

The man who had to be her father strode forward. He glared down at her but didn’t speak.

A young woman came to his side and clung to him. “Didn’t they take your coat at the door?”

Imara raised her brows. “This is my formal garb, just as every man here is wearing his own master’s robes.”

She blinked and frowned. “They don’t look the same.”

“They would not be. I am not a master mage.”

That seemed to satisfy her. “That’s it. What do you do?”

Imara inclined her head. “This and that.”

“What are you doing, calling yourself a Death Keeper? Their branch of the guild is exceptionally strict. Wearing those robes could get you bound by law.” Desmond was trying to intimidate her.

“I am aware of that. It is why I proudly wear the rank earned by hundreds of hours of work with spectres. There are four in this building alone, are there not?”

He blinked. “You can’t be serious.”

“I can. If you are my father, happy birthday, by the way.”

The young woman jolted. She might be four or five years older than Imara, but her attitude was much younger.

He extended his hand in greeting, and she knew it was to test her power.

She extended her hand, and their grip generated blue and crimson lightning throughout the room.

He released her and smiled. “It is a pleasure to finally meet you, daughter.”

“And you as well, Master Demiel. Now, may I bring out the spectres and have them join the party?”

He shrugged, and the doubt was still in him. “As you like. Your brothers are here and will introduce themselves and their wives. You are welcome at Demiel Hall.”

She nodded. “Thank you for your welcome; now, let the deceased join us.”

She powered up the spectres to the point where they appeared solid, and they began to migrate toward the party.

Luken smiled at her and came over. “Come on, let me introduce you.”

She leaned toward him. “I hope it gets less tense.”

“Probably won’t. Let’s start with the baby. She’s friendly.”

Imara laughed and walked with her twin to meet her oldest brother, his wife, and their new baby.

The baby was genuinely a newborn. “She’s adorable.”

Her brother, Michael, and his wife, Hannah, watched her for a moment, and then, Hannah seemed to act on impulse and handed the baby over.

Imara blinked and cradled the little one with the pink cheeks and rich blue eyes of a new baby. “Well, I am not technically your aunt due to fun family stuff, but every baby deserves a present.”

Imara cradled the baby with one arm and reached into the belt with the other hand, sticking her fingers into the pocket specially made for this purpose. With a light touch, she brushed a tiny smudge across the forehead and then the back of each tiny fist. “Congratulations on the magic, little one.”

Hannah smiled and whispered, “Imara.”

“What?”

“Her name is Imara Rose. We call her Rosie for short, but Michael felt this was right.”

Imara grinned as the smudges disappeared and the baby’s bright blue eyes got a little brighter. “In that case, this is a very good gift.”

Hannah asked, “What was that stuff?”

Imara chuckled. “Dirt from the site of the last local wave of magic. It will give her a grounding when it comes to learning and the ability to call on nature for what she needs. Perhaps we can get another family member through the sky breaking course.”

Luken groaned. “Don’t tell me you got in.”

“I did. It was a fun course but hard as hell. You were never doing what you thought you were until you suddenly got it right.”

One of her nearest brothers walked over. “How did you get in?”

Luken made the introductions. “Edmund, this is Imara, Imara, Edmund. His twin is Edgar.”

Imara reached out for Edmund’s hand, but he didn’t take it.

“How did you get in?”

“I passed the aptitude test. It was as simple as that. If you didn’t get in, then the course would have killed you.”

Michael was frowning. “Edmund, why are you being rude?”

He hissed. “She doesn’t belong here. She’s stringing everybody along, making them think she is a true mage, a true talent, but we all know she was eighth. She is unlucky.”

Luken looked at Edmund. “Are you nuts? You know the truth.”

“Dad says it’s a lie. She was eighth. There was no doubt in his mind.”

Imara pinched the bridge of her nose. “Right. And he wasn’t in the room for any of the deliveries. Oh, and on my birth certificate, it lists my birth as a minute earlier. Oh, and our mother says I was seventh. For someone supposed to be unlucky, I do tend to be in the right place at the right time to help those around me. If you want to argue that, feel free, but you had better bring backup.”

Edmund flushed and spun around, stalking over to their father.

She looked to Luken. “Is there anyone else I can alienate while I am here?”

She handed the baby back to her mother after stroking her cheek one more time. “Bye, Rosie.”

Her married brothers were all fairly calm; it was the three in school that were tense. Michael, Alexander, and Desmond Jr. were all fine. They had achieved their Master status and were relaxed. Edmund, Richard and supposedly Edgar were all tense. Luken wasn’t, but he was lucky. That explained that.

The spectres came to her, and they all smiled and spoke favourably. Lord Demiel, Lady Demiel, and their two children, Halos and Nyxos, had been spectres since a plague had swept them away over a hundred and fifty years earlier.

Desmond came over. “Who are these folk? How did they get in?”

Imara blinked. “They are the spectres of Demiel Hall. They have been here the entire time.”

He paused, and Edmund shifted eagerly behind him.

Lord Demiel stood between them. Imara glanced over her shoulder and nearly choked. The portrait of Lord Demiel was right behind him.

“Tell me something that only my ancestor would know.”

Lord Demiel looked offended, but he leaned forward and whispered in Desmond’s ear. Whatever he said made Desmond stand upright immediately.

“I... I thought you spectres too weak to speak.”

“We were. This Death Keeper of Demiel blood offered us her energy, and now, we can interact with the world again. Well, we can interact with the world within these walls. She is exceptionally powerful. You should be proud as it is your blood in her veins. She is clever.”

Desmond turned to Imara. “You may leave now.”

She nodded and turned to the spectres. “I offer you a physical presence for a month or two.”

Lady Demiel smiled. “We will take it.”

“The house is yours.” Imara smiled at the few friendly siblings she had, and she left the same way she had come while the spectres exclaimed at their physical presence. That was going to mess with her father and his bride for a while.

The power sparked as she left, and she grinned. The building was being warded against her. They needed her physical presence to drop a barrier against her. She had had to be invited in, so she could be locked out.

She patted each of the trolls on the hand as she left, and Mr. E started to purr the instant her feet stepped on the walkway.

She fished out her phone and dialled Kitty. “Hello, Kitty. I am done here.”

“Great. I will be there in a minute.”

“I am walking toward the donut shop, so don’t rush. I think I need time to clear my head.”

“Excellent. I am still getting into my car.” Kitty chuckled.

“See ya soon.”

The call ended, and Imara kept walking until she was off the grounds and onto the road.

You handled that well.

She chuckled. “We know why I was invited, so it is nice to have that confirmation. They think they have what they need, so they booted me out. It rings a bell.”

You didn’t remember the first time.

“Ah, you know that I got to read it out in black and white. Mom wasn’t even allowed to keep me because of that contract.”

And that was in the past, and you are now an adult with a cooler head for your situation. You still have luck, friends, and a mom who is just getting to know you.

She grinned and kept walking. “I know. I am not bitter. I am feeling better now that I am away from them. That is one toxic atmosphere. At least Michael and Hannah seem pretty normal, and Rosie is a cutie.”

She is very cute. If you see her when she is older, I sense tail pulling in my future.

Imara giggled until Kitty pulled up next to her and rolled down the window. “Hey, little lady, going my way?”

“Kitty, I am going to give you such a butt kicking.” She walked around and got in on the passenger side.

When she was buckled up and Mr. E was on the dashboard, she sat back and sighed. “Home, Jeeves.”

“Yes, madam.” Kitty put the vehicle in drive, and the trip home began.

Imara could hardly wait to see what had happened at Reegar Hall while she had been gone.