The Seeker's Magic, page 1
The Seeker’s Magic
Shadows of Wonderland, Book 4
Isadora Brown
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Epilogue
Did You Like The Seeker’s Magic?
Acknowledgments
Newsletter Information
1
Rumpelstiltskin and I didn’t go see Tom Charming until the next day. I wanted to go sooner, but Rumple insisted that I rest. After healing Rumple’s injury and discovering the truth about myself, about this magic inside of me, I was exhausted and appreciated any excuse for a break. Using magic was apparently similar to using my energy, and if I pushed myself too soon after, there was a good chance I would faint. Instead, I tried to get to sleep. I tried to rest, but my brain wouldn’t shut up about anything. It was like I was overtired, desperate for a sleep that wouldn’t come.
For one, the fact that I had magic was not something I knew how to wrap my head around. I was supposed to be unmagicked—a human. I was supposed to be the adopted daughter of Paul Winter, police chief in the small town of Wonderland. But clearly, I was more than that. Part of me wanted to go back to my family home and demand my father give me answers. The problem was, my father and I weren’t on speaking terms.
Not really.
Not after I found out that he knew more about my friend Anna’s murder from a year ago than he was saying and continued to keep it from me. Not when I found out that he knew things didn’t add up with Beast being a suspect, but sent him to Neverland Penitentiary anyway. It was the reason I left home and moved in with my best friend Peter. My father taught me the value of never lying, of always doing the right thing, and yet he couldn’t be bothered to take his own advice. I wasn’t sure how to handle that.
So I left.
I tossed and turned the entire night after getting back to Peter’s, trying to ignore the fact that Rumpelstiltskin was in an uncomfortable chair at the foot of the bed, watching me the whole time. Part of me wanted to tell him to leave, to get out of here. Part of me wanted to tell him to crawl into bed with me, to wrap his arms around me and never let me go.
It was hard to figure out what I wanted more. There was something about Rumple, something I wanted to stay away from. Something I was afraid of.
It wasn’t because I thought he could hurt me—he wouldn’t. At least, not intentionally. More like…I didn’t want to let my guard down around anyone because I was expecting them to hurt me in the end. My own biological parents didn’t want me. My dad lied to me about practically everything. The more I learned about Anna, the more I realized something was going on with her that she wasn’t telling me. Crim had Shane, and I…I was alone.
I mean, I had Peter, but Peter had his own life going on.
Depending on someone, loving them, required a vulnerability I wasn’t so willing to indulge in.
Especially with someone like Rumple. Someone who was the worst sort of person to fall for. Everyone in Wonderland whispered how dangerous he was, what a devil he was, that he still used forbidden magic even though it was practically a death penalty, that the Red Queen hadn’t done anything about it, even though she knew. If even the Red Queen wouldn’t challenge him, what did that say about him? Maybe she didn’t want to anger the Fae realm, considering he was the heir or whatever, but still.
I didn’t actually think Rumple was as dangerous as they made him out to be—at least, he wasn’t with me. He made me feel…safe. Protected. I knew with every fiber of my being that he would never hurt me. Some people thought I was crazy. They thought Rumple did ShadowMagic—the worst kind of magic—and was responsible for Anna’s older sister’s, Sadie, disappearance.
But the truth of it all was he wasn’t that way at all.
“You’re awfully quiet,” he commented from the passenger seat in my old Nissan Maxima that afternoon as we prepared to leave to visit Tom. Even though he had been here before, it felt so weird to see him here, with his tailored black suit that looked like a second layer of skin on his body, his black hair pushed back, every lock of hair in perfect place. He didn’t belong; he was too put-together, too luxurious for my leather jacket and jeans outfit, for my twenty-year-old car.
“I’m just thinking,” I said, which wasn’t a lie. I had a lot to think about, a lot to wrap my head around.
“Anything you care to discuss?” he asked. From my peripheral, I could see him cock his head so he faced me, dark eyes taking in my profile. I almost wanted to yell at him for staring at me in such a way. It felt like he set my entire body on fire with one look, and I gripped the wheel even tighter, my palms slick with perspiration.
“I mean,” I said, lifting a shoulder and keeping my eyes on the road. “We’re going to see Tom Charming. I’m not sure what I think about that, considering he raped Ella Byrne as a way to prove something to his older brother.”
“He has also been training with the Mad Mage,” Rumple pointed out. “I know he’s not the most ideal person to discuss this with, darling, but if anyone knows what’s going on with you, it’ll be him.”
“I’m surprised you don’t know,” I said before I could stop myself. But once the words were out, there was no way to haul them back inside. “You know everything.”
“I have ideas, certainly, but I like confirmation, especially when it comes to you,” he said.
“What do you mean?”
I could feel his gaze burning my profile. I wished my hair was down. I wished I could mask my face with a sheet of hair, though I doubted that would actually do anything.
“Come now, darling, must we really discuss this again?” He shifted in his seat, pulling his eyes away from me and glancing out the window. “You know how I feel about you.”
“I don’t know anything of the sort,” I said quickly. “I know we’ve kissed a couple of times. I know you…you sat in my room at Peter’s place last night to, I don’t know, watch over me. I know you…I know you come when I call you. But you’ve never said—”
“Do I really need to?”
I furrowed my brows. “Considering you’re the king of words, I think that speaking them out loud would be significant,” I said.
“And what about you?” he asked in return. Though his voice seemed casual, there was an edge to it. This was good. I liked that there was an edge. It gave me a reason to react. It gave me an excuse to be angry, to be frustrated. And those were emotions I understood. He kept going. “Why can’t you speak how you feel? Why is it always that someone else has to prove something to you?”
“I figured you of all people would understand,” I said thickly, narrowing my eyes ahead of me. “I’ve been lied to my whole life—about who and what I am, about where I come from, about Anna.”
“Stop it,” he said with a sneer.
“Stop what?” I snapped.
“Stop acting like you’re some sort of victim,” he said. “You aren’t. You have magic. Yes, it’s unexpected. We’ll work through it.”
“We?” I glanced over at him before looking out the windshield again. Blackness surrounded the forest on either side of the highway that led out of town, muting the red leaves. There was something about this place that creeped me out. I wasn’t sure if it was because of the ordeal I had gone through here or if it was something else. It didn’t matter. “You have nothing to do with my powers. I have to deal with this on my own, and—”
“Why do you think like that?” Rumple’s voice was soft but packed as much punch as it would if he were yelling. “Do you really think I’m so insignificant to you? Do I mean nothing to you?”
“I—” I pressed my lips together. “Why would you say that?”
“Because you’re sitting here, insinuating that you have to go through everything alone,” he said, gesturing with his hand. “Which infuriates me, because I’ve been with you in this every step of the way, including you, trusting you, showing you how I feel about you, and you continue to sit there and pretend that everything I’ve done thus far is completely and utterly insignificant.”
I clenched my teeth together. I didn’t know why I was angry anymore. I didn’t know why his words affected me more than I cared to admit.
But they did.
Because he was right.
Why was I so insistent that he prove himself to me? Why couldn’t I just trust his friendship, even if I wasn’t ready to trust anything more just yet?
“I—”
Before I could say anything, the prison came into view, cutting any sort of important conversation between the two of us off.
“This conversation isn’t over,” Rumple said firmly as he stepped out of the car.
I unbuckled my seatbelt and followed him hurriedly. I had to take two steps just to keep up with his long stride. All thoughts of me and him and what that meant vanished for the moment. At that moment, my body buzzed with anticipation. I was going to finally find out about my magic, about who I was. I wasn’t sure if I was ready for it, to be honest. I wasn’t sure I knew what to expect.
Without warning, Rumple took my hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze, as though he could read my thoughts. And maybe he could. Maybe I didn’t particularly care, not right now. It was definitely easier than me saying what was in my head. Or other significant body parts. And the fact that things were slightly tense between us didn’t seem to deter him from offering me a bit of reassurance. It was as though he didn’t care about his pride or holding a grudge when there were more important things to worry about.
I gave his hand a squeeze in return, acknowledging him and what he was doing for me before dropping it. I didn’t want anyone to see the two of us coming together. Not because I was ashamed of him—I wasn’t—but I wanted to be taken seriously and I was sure Rumple did too. Holding hands wasn’t going to do anything to help that. If anything, it might hurt us. If people thought Rumple went soft over a girl, they might not let him get away with everything the way he could now. And we needed that fear, that intimidation, in order to take advantage of the situation.
We walked to the gates of Neverland Penitentiary. They already knew exactly who we were and let us in without even checking for identification or for weapons. I wasn’t sure if I should be relieved we didn’t have to go through that whole process again or concerned that they didn’t even bother. At the end of the day, I knew it all came down to Rumple. I knew I was getting special treatment because I was with the Imp.
Stopping at the front desk, Rumple threw on a charm smile. “We’re here to see Tom Charming,” he said smoothly.
“One sec.”
I sucked in a breath and glanced up at the ceiling. I wasn’t sure how I felt being here to see Tom. I wasn’t the sort of person who didn’t believe in hate. I did. And I hated the kid with a fiery passion. I allowed myself to feel it with no guilt or remorse either, especially considering what Tom did to Ella, and why he did what he did.
My fingers unconsciously dug into my palms, my shoulders rigid as I clenched my teeth. My face grew hot with pieces of a memory I wanted absolutely nothing to do with. I took my bottom lip between my teeth. Part of me had wondered, after finding out it was Tom, if Tom was the one who…if Tom did to me what he did to Ella for a similar reason. I didn’t think so. I had no personal connection to Stephen, and that seemed like his only motive for doing what he had done to Ella, but the question lingered in my mind.
Rumple stepped back from the counter so he was by my side. His eyes were on my profile and I knew he could tell something was wrong. I just hoped he didn’t ask about it. I didn’t want to talk about what happened to me with anyone, especially him. It wasn’t as though I didn’t trust him. I did. I trusted him more than I trusted anyone. I just…I couldn’t talk about it. At least, now right now.
“You sure you’re okay?” Rumple asked as the guard fumbled with some paperwork. I could feel his sharp eyes on me, trying to suss out the emotions he knew I was attempting to conceal.
I didn’t want him to think I couldn’t handle whatever it was he believed we would have to face while going to see Tom. I wanted him to think I was strong, capable. I didn’t want him to think I was weak.
“Of course I am,” I murmured in a low voice, unsure if the guard could hear me or not. “I want to know what we came here for.”
Rumple nodded once, but I wasn’t sure he believed me or not.
The guard went on his walkie-talkie and told whoever was on the other end to prepare Tom for visitors. We stepped back, waiting until the door down the hall popped open and a guard summoned us.
It wasn’t long before that happened. Rumple and I remained silent as he led me down the now-familiar hallway. One arm crossed my chest so I could hug myself, though I wasn’t sure why I was worried. It wasn’t like Tom did anything to me, and even though he had no qualms about using his magic, I was also aware that he was unable to. The cell he was in had steel and iron infused in the bars, preventing him from acquiring the power that lived within him to do anything about his current environment.
The guard led us directly to him. He wasn’t in the visitor area; he was still housed in isolation, even after the last couple of months. He looked almost the same, though his skin was more sallow, his cheeks more sunken in. His blue eyes were pale, almost milky. But when he saw me and Rumple, he smiled, like an animal baring all of its fangs.
“I knew I’d see you again,” he said, eyes focused on me.
“We have a question, Charming,” Rumple said, his voice both flat and dismissive, as if he couldn’t care less about being here.
“Let me guess,” Tom said, his eyes on me alone. “You want to know about the magic inside of you.”
My eyes widened. How could he possibly know that? How could he know anything about me? We didn’t run in the same crowds. I was older than he was, someone also completely insignificant.
“What makes you think I have magic?” I asked, though my voice came out shaky. I didn’t want it to. I wanted to be strong, confident, but it was hard to be those things when I felt ignorant. Helpless.
“Because he told me,” Tom said, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.
“Who?” Rumple demanded to know.
“I told you,” Tom said, his gaze still on me. “The Mad Mage is alive, Alice, and he knows all about you.”
2
I knew I should question the premise. I knew that just because Tom said the Mad Mage was alive didn’t mean he was telling the truth.
I also knew that I believed him. And judging from the way Rumple stared back at Tom with dark, narrowed eyes, he wasn’t immediately dismissing this revelation either.
“If you knew what was good for you, you would find him,” Tom said, his blue eyes on me and only me. It was like Rumple didn’t exist for him, which was strange because Rumple had such a commanding presence that ignoring him was practically impossible. I felt it every time he was in a room with me—goosebumps pinched my skin and I was hyperaware of his every move, every breath, every glance. “You would train with him. You would perfect the magic inside you. Right now, it’s raw. It’s looking for a way to work with you, which is why it’s feeding on your emotions.” He paused. “Or maybe he’ll find you. Maybe he already has.”
“Where would we find the Mad Mage?” I asked, trying to infuse my voice was a clear tone of disbelief, like I believed his was talking pure nonsense. Like I didn’t believe him.
“Oh, he’ll find you, I’m sure of it,” Tom said, “if he hasn’t already.”
“I think I’d remember encountering the Mad Mage,” I said.
The lingering smirk on his delicate face was enough to give me chills, chills I didn’t want him to see. I turned away from Tom so my back faced him, looking at Rumple for some sort of guidance. I knew things were different between us, but I needed him to tell me what the best course of action was. Did we believe him? Did we ignore him? What should I do?
Rumple slowly drew his eyes away from Tom in order to meet my gaze. I could have been imagining things, but he seemed to soften when he looked at me and I relaxed, if only slightly.
“Do you know anything else?” Rumple asked, shifting his gaze away from me so he could regard Tom once more. “Anything important?”
“No more than you,” Tom said slowly. “You came here because you thought I would know a secret, some little key to unlock the truth? The truth is staring you right in your face, Alice. You have magic. You’re asking the wrong question. It’s not so much about what to do about it. You should be more concerned with where it came from.” He looked over at Rumple. “People take magic, you know. Steal it from the vulnerable.”
I furrowed my brows. “Why should where magic comes from matter?” I asked. “And how can people take magic?”
