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.The ability has become redundant, one we do not need anymore and are thus losing.The world is changing, and so shall we.So we are.“The machinists are the magi race’s response to the digital age.Computers are the new fire, the Internet the new water, electricity the new air.And so we’ve evolved.The scope of the machinists’ abilities are unknown, but their presence is undeniable.”Liam stepped forward, taking center stage, his phone glowing in his hands.He held it in front of him so that the screen faced the group, and even though he hadn’t touched a button, the demonstration began.First, the light above the chandelier flickered on and off.Then the lights on the wall followed suit.Table lamps and stand lamps in nearby rooms were next.The home phone rang in the distance.Even the smoke alarm went off.Every electronic device within sight or earshot came to life.Cries of disbelief and shouts for it to stop echoed through the chamber.Annoyed magi covered their ears.Others were frightened, some bewildered, but most were encouraged.Liam had given them an impressive display.And as abruptly as it began, it stopped.Graeme stepped forward, placing his hand on his son’s shoulder.“Here we stand, nineteen strong, but fighting for the magi future.If we die tonight, this secret dies with us, and so too will our race.I won’t let that happen.When this threat is neutralized, we will tell the Families of our discovery, and we will be hailed as heroes.We will thrive.But first, we have to live.”Collective agreement rippled through the assemblage, along with a couple shouts of support as magi nodded to one another.“Tonight, we fight.Tonight, we win.Tonight, we preserve our place in history.” The shouts grew louder and more enthusiastic, becoming a battle cry.“Let’s get to work.”The thunderous reception shook the floor.If Lukas was anywhere near the manor grounds, he had heard it.Graeme quickly organized them into various groups assigned with defending the manor.With over one hundred rooms, six entrances and exits, and countless windows, securing the manor was an impossible task, so they would channel Lukas’s force through the manor in a predetermined path.The teams would lay traps and construct barriers.They boarded up windows, barricaded doors, and blocked entire hallways from wall to wall with furniture, appliances, and anything else that was bulky and heavy.When that ran out, they moved outside, using lawn furniture, firewood, and boulders.At one point, Allyn even saw two magi carrying what was left of a tree trunk on their shoulders.Graeme sent Allyn to train with Mason.“You’ll be of no help to anyone if you can’t defend yourself,” Graeme had said.Jaxon had instructed him not to use hot anger as a catalyst, but with Mason as his instructor, Allyn found that difficult.The short man made up for his small frame with a big mouth.Loud, direct, and condescending, Mason was a terrible instructor.They were on the second floor deck, under the overhang and hidden from the rain, but their breath billowed into the cold air like smoke.Mason, who only came to Allyn’s shoulder, paced around him in a tight circle.“No! No!” Mason said, his voice high-pitched, almost whiney.Allyn wished he could gag him with air.“Don’t close your eyes.”“It helps me focus,” Allyn said.“Close your eyes to focus, and you’ll open them to find yourself dead.”“I’ll be dead if I can’t wield to defend myself, too.”“There are other ways to defend yourself.”“Graeme isn’t interested in me running and hiding, and neither am I.Let me try my way before trying yours.” Allyn started to close his eyes again when Mason slapped him across the face.“As long as I’m charged with instructing you, you’ll do it my way.” The man’s voice went up an octave as he grew more angry.“No closing your eyes.”Allyn refused to give him the satisfaction of rubbing his cheek, but it burned in the cold air.“Now do it again, this time looking into my eyes.”They went on like that for over an hour before Mason ended the session.It had hardly been the safe, nurturing learning environment Graeme had promised.And Allyn, too caught up in his disdain for Mason, hadn’t been able to successfully wield.As frustrated as he was, he was even more disappointed.It was like picking up an instrument years after putting it down.He knew he should be able to play it, but his body had forgotten how.Mason sent him to the kitchen for water and a hearty meal of red meat and bread, then to the second-story sitting area where the rest had gathered.Nobody expected Lukas that night.Jaxon had left only a few hours ago, and the word would need time to spread, but preparations had been made and defenses had been set.They wouldn’t be undone so he could sleep in his room.Now that the chairs, couches, and tables had been used for barricades, the sitting area would comfortably sleep nineteen—though, because a handful of people would always be on watch, it wouldn’t need to.Liam sat cross-legged beside Kendyl, who was sprawled out on her side, propping her head up with her elbow.Their laughter washed away Allyn’s irritation.He tried to recall the last time he’d heard that sound.“What’s so funny?” he asked as he approached.“Nothing,” Kendyl said, but Liam gave her a guilty look, and they burst into uncontrolled laughter.It made Allyn’s face burn.“Come on,” he said.“Tell me.”“We’re just trading childhood stories.” Kendyl’s grin suggested the stories were about him.“You aren’t going to tell me, are you?”“You don’t want to know,” Liam said.He probably didn’t, but it didn’t help satisfy his curiosity.“Just remember,” he told Kendyl, “I have plenty of embarrassing stories about you, too.”“The difference is I’m not as easily embarrassed as you are.”His face grew hotter, and he longed to change the subject.He sat down beside Liam.“That was an impressive display earlier [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]