Daughter of Thorn

Diana Grimm rose to her feet. She seemed barely able to stand, but her expression was so furious that even if Alexandra and Julia had been inclined to offer assistance, they wouldn't have dared. The Special Inquisitor spent several moments taking long, deep breaths, while the Thorn ghosts drifted back out of the trees. Alexandra saw Charlie perched above the entrance to the crypt, and made a beckoning gesture. The raven came to her, landing on her shoulder.

Absalom Thorn confronted the Inquisitor as the other spirits congregated around them. “You violated the sanctuary of our hallowed ground. It would have been a fitting fate for you to join us here.”

Grimm didn't answer. She was studying the broken earth at her feet. Her hands opened and closed, making fists.

“What are you doing here in Roanoke?” Alexandra asked.

Grimm turned her angry gaze on her. “Hunting your father.”

“Well, that didn't work out so well, did it?” Alexandra held her stare defiantly. “What did you do to our cousin Cordelia?”

“She'll be back.”

“She will, but your Banishment will cause her anguish and torment until she returns to this world,” Absalom Thorn said. “That was a foul, Dark thing you did, woman!”

“Don't tell me your ghost stories!” Grimm spat. “Banishment doesn't hurt you and you know it. If you hadn't been aiding and abetting that warlock –”

“You intruded upon our resting place –”

“You've been collaborating with your criminal descendant for –”

Alexandra said, “Accio wand!” interrupting both of them. With a small shower of dirt, a wand flew out of the ground and into Alexandra's hand. She slowly extended it to its owner.

“Why don't you just leave?” she said. “Or would you like to interrogate me and Julia first?”

The Special Inquisitor hesitated, then reached out and closed her fingers around her wand and pulled it from Alexandra's grasp. Then, to Alexandra's surprise, she Apparated away without another word.

“You might say thank you!” Julia shouted into the empty space in her wake.

The girls stood surrounded by the ghosts of their ancestors. Absalom Thorn said, “You should return to the house.”

“Will Cousin Cordelia be all right?” Alexandra asked.

“She will be back,” he said.

Julia took Alexandra's hand, and Alexandra allowed her great-great-great-great-grandfather to lead them back to Croatoa. Charlie took off from her shoulder as soon as they exited the woods, flapping ahead of them up the hill to the mansion. There was a small light burning in Alexandra's room, and much more light downstairs.

“Oh dear,” Julia said, “I believe Mother is up.”

“Guess we're in trouble,” Alexandra said.

Julia gave her a wan smile. “You did know we'd have to tell her about this?”

“Of course you must,” Absalom Thorn said.

Julia sighed and squeezed Alexandra's hand. “Well, she can't do too much to you since you're leaving tomorrow. I might spend the rest of the summer grounded.”

“Sorry. I'll tell her it was all my fault.”

Julia shook her head. “Yes, you forced me to come with you. I simply had no say in the matter.”

Alexandra smiled without much humor.

When they reached the steps of the mansion, the door swung open. Thalia King stood silhouetted in the light, large and imposing in heavy velvet robes, with waves of black hair spilling down her shoulders. Her arms were folded and Alexandra knew she'd been watching them come all the way up the hill.

“Thalia,” Absalom Thorn said. The ghost didn't approach the steps, but remained in the shadows beyond the edge of light spilling across the grass from the mansion's interior. “I must take responsibility for allowing Julia and Alexandra to venture out at night to visit Maximilian's tomb. They requested it of me and, entirely against my better judgment, I acquiesced. I assure you that I would not allow them to come to any harm.”

“I know you wouldn't if you could help it, Absalom,” Ms. King said. “And it's very generous of you to take responsibility, when we both know that you couldn't have kept these foolish girls out of the woods if you'd tried.”

Alexandra and Julia both looked down and said nothing.

“Come inside, girls,” Ms. King said. “Thank you for bringing them back, Absalom.”

The wizard tipped his hat. Before he turned away, Alexandra looked up and caught his eye. She glanced up at her room with a tiny jerk of her head. He frowned, before his glow dimmed and he faded almost to invisibility as he floated away from the house.

It wasn't Thalia King's way to shout or lecture, but Alexandra could feel the anger and disapproval from her before she said a word. Ms. King held herself rigidly upright, eyes distant, as they entered the house. In the sitting room just off the main foyer, she made Alexandra and Julia sit down opposite her in large, red-cushioned chairs. Then, without raising her voice or saying a single unkind thing, she told them how disappointed she was, until both girls hung their heads in silence.

When they were permitted to speak at last, they both stumbled through an account of their father's visit, followed by Diana Grimm's nearly fatal attempt to apprehend him. Ms. King listened with growing concern. She pursed her lips when Alexandra told her it had been her idea to go to the crypt.

“I see,” Julia's mother said at last. There was a long silence. Alexandra kept her eyes on the floor. Gun-Gun, the oldest of the Kings' house-elves, came hobbling in, carrying a silver tray with hot tea. He set it down on the low table in front of Ms. King, poured tea from the pot into three cups with what seemed like one quick splash, then retreated from the sitting room, all without saying a word.

Ms. King took her cup and sipped from it slowly, then said, “You should have told me, Alexandra. You shouldn't have sneaked into the woods at night. And you shouldn't have let her, Julia.”

“It wasn't Julia's fault,” Alexandra said, but Ms. King raised a hand to cut her off.

“Unless you used an Imperius Curse on her, it was. I trust there will be no further excursions tonight?”

“No, Mother,” said Julia.

“No, ma'am,” said Alexandra.

Ms. King said nothing as Julia and Alexandra picked up their teacups and drank. The tea warmed Alexandra, but did little to make her feel less miserable.

They sat in silence while the girls finished their tea. When their cups were empty, Ms. King said, “Go to bed, both of you. Julia, we'll talk about your punishment after Alexandra leaves tomorrow.”

The two chastened girls trudged upstairs. Alexandra paused at the door to her room, but Ms. King had sent Deezie and Olina to 'see them off to bed' – meaning, make sure they didn't stay up talking.

“Don't worry.” Julia gave Alexandra a hug. “I wasn't really planning to go anywhere after you leave. It's been much more fun with you here.”

Alexandra gave her a small smile, and received a kiss on the cheek without embarrassment. “Good night, Julia. Thanks for coming with me.”

“Thank you for not trying to sneak out by yourself this time.” Julia winked at her, and went to her room, followed by Olina.

Alexandra paused at the door to her own room and said to Deezie, “Okay, you can tell Ms. King I went to bed like I'm supposed to.”

“Miss Alex has gotten dirty,” Deezie said. “Doesn't Miss Alex want a bath? Deezie can make one, snap-snap-eek!”

Alexandra had been examining the mud and grass stains clinging to her robes as she opened the door, but she raised her head sharply at Deezie's horrified squeak.

Floating in the center of the room was Absalom Thorn. The ghost glowed less brightly than he had outside, but the luminescent outline around his figure cast more light than the candle Deezie had left on Alexandra's desk.

Charlie had already flown in through the window and perched on one of the posts of Alexandra's canopy bed. Looking down at the ancient, robed wizard, the raven squawked: “Wicked!”

Absalom Thorn's eyes narrowed beneath his bushy brows and the wide brim of his hat. “Your raven is an insolent bird.”

“Pretty bird,” Charlie retorted.

“Deezie, I won't be needing a bath tonight, I can wait until tomorrow morning,” Alexandra said to the trembling house-elf. “My great-great-great-great grandfather and I are going to talk.”

Deezie gulped. “Yes, m-miss.” With a nervous bob of her head, she retreated from the room, not persisting as she normally would. Alexandra closed the door gently behind her.

“She'll probably tell Ms. King you were here,” Alexandra said.

Absalom Thorn folded his arms. “What of it? I am not some wight who is confined to haunting catacombs, and you know my opinion of your sneaking about.”

Alexandra took out her wand and cast a spell: “Muffliato.”

Thorn shook his head.

“How is Cousin Cordelia?” Alexandra asked. “Is what you said true, that you suffer when Banished?”

The ghost scowled. “I have never been Banished. I cannot truly say. Cordelia will be back... soon.”

Alexandra thought about the pirate she'd Banished the day of the pirate fleet invasion. But it was just a Lesser Banishment, which was only supposed to send a spirit somewhere else in the material realm. “Where do you go when you're Banished?”

“A place that is beyond the Veil and no place,” said the ghost. “An empty place of bitter isolation. Or so I have been told. Others experience it differently. Indian spirits believe that Banishment destroys pieces of them. Perhaps it does – the red savages are different from us.”

Alexandra frowned but didn't say anything. Old Colonials, especially old Old Colonials, tended to say things like that about Indians.

The warlock hung in the air, glowing a pearly white, with his voluminous, velvety robes billowing around him as if there were a breeze in the room. “I have thought about what you said, about your desire to fight the Deathly Regiment.”

“Like you did,” Alexandra said quietly.

“I was one of the first wizards born in the New World. The Deathly Regiment was conceived, debated, and sealed before I ever learnt of it. But...” He paused. “I wish I could tell you that I opposed it from the moment I did learn of it, but I did not. At first, I saw it as a necessary evil.”

“A necessary evil!” Alexandra exclaimed. “Isn't human sacrifice 'savage'? I guess if one of your children had been chosen to be sacrificed, you would have still thought it was necessary?”

“No,” Thorn said softly, “I did not.”

Alexandra opened her mouth, and closed it again.

“Do you judge me, child? Your father was outraged when he first learnt of the Deathly Regiment, but he didn't rebel immediately.”

“He thought the Wizards' Congress would end the Deathly Regiment.”

“Yes.”

“Why don't they?”

“Because the Wizards' Congress is dominated by the Elect, and the Elect believe that they've earned their privileges. Why do you suppose they resent half-bloods and Muggle-borns so?”

“Because they're stuck up and prejudiced.”

“No, girl!” Absalom Thorn rose toward the ceiling, so as to tower over her. “Because the non-purebloods demand equal rights and privileges without sharing in the sacrifice. Until recently, none but the Elect knew about their sacrifices. Now there are half-bloods and Muggle-borns sitting in the Wizards' Congress, making laws and sharing the power that used to belong to purebloods alone, and none of them want to take part in the Deathly Regiment.”

“Of course they don't. They want to abolish it.”

“Is that what you believe?” Alexandra's ancestor descended a little closer to the floor, so that she wasn't forced to crane her head. “Yes, some do. But as your father will tell you, some think it fitting and proper that purebloods and purebloods alone continue to bear the sacrifice.”

“Who would think that sacrificing children is okay? Even among the Elect?”

“Have you any idea what will be unleashed if they stop? Yes, yes, it's a terrible evil,” the old wizard said, before Alexandra objected angrily again, “but it's not something that can simply be stopped without consequences. My great-great-great-grandson is a very persuasive, charismatic wizard, and quite adept at intimidation and extortion when persuasion fails, and even he couldn't gain enough support from his fellow Congressmen.”

“There has to be a way.”

“Perhaps.” Absalom Thorn studied her. “You know far too much already, but not nearly enough to do anything. You know what will happen to you if you reveal what you know.”

“Then it can't hurt me to know more.”

“Most regrettably, you are wrong about that. And I am in peril if the Inquisitors find out I told you more.”

“You died fighting the Deathly Regiment. Did you lose all your courage in death?”

Thorn's eyes flashed, literally, shining brightly in his face like flickering lightning. “Have a care how you address me, girl. You are still my progeny.”

Alexandra gritted her teeth, reminding herself that she couldn't antagonize the elder Thorn while she was trying to get information from him. “I want to know the details about the Deathly Regiment – how it's done, how they choose, exactly what the Confederation gets by sacrificing children, how the Generous Ones are involved –”

“Wait.” Thorn held up a hand. “How much do you know about oaths and oath-breaking? Magical seals? Realms and gates and doorways and shadows? Names, Powers, signs, and portents? You are in your fourth year of magical studies?”

“Yes.”

“You know nothing. I was older than your father is now when I began my opposition. Your father was a brilliant wizard already at your age, and one of the most powerful in the world by the time he was elected to the Wizards' Congress. I have seen how rashly you throw yourself into whatever cause consumes you, daughter of Abraham. You think little and act recklessly. I see that scowl on your face, that indignant curl of your lip. You are fourteen, which you think is old enough. You will tell me that witches used to get married and start families at your age.”

Alexandra hadn't been thinking any such thing, but she held her tongue, barely, as Absalom went on: “Valeria knows far more than you, and she uncovered the secret of the Deathly Regiment without anyone telling her about it. She is a formidable witch, and had spent years studying before she came to me wanting to know more. You, Alexandra –” The ghost pointed a finger. “You are brave and talented, and I do believe your heart is true. But correct me if I am wrong, my descendant, because I know only what I have heard from you or Julia or your father, but every time you've undertaken some great cause, you've done so with little preparation or knowledge, and more often than not it's gone terribly awry, has it not?”

Alexandra's fingers curled into tight, hard fists.

Absalom Thorn said, “I will tell you everything I know when I am convinced that you are to be taken seriously and will not simply bring more misfortune and calamity upon yourself and others.”

“How am I supposed to prove myself to you?” Alexandra asked, trying to keep her anger in check.

“I believe applying yourself diligently to your lessons would be an excellent start.”

“I want to do something about the Confederation sacrificing children, and you're telling me to do my homework?”

“You certainly don't expect to accomplish anything if you are a poor student, do you?”

She glared at him. “My father would tell me.”

The ghost was unperturbed. “If you swore yourself to his service, yes, I believe Abraham would make use of you.”

Frustrated, she sat on her bed and reached out to stroke Charlie's feathers. “But you do support his cause. You've helped him.”

“I feel a sense of obligation to all my descendants. And Abraham has picked up the torch that I let slip from my fingers. But sending a girl into the fray – no, you are too young. Devote yourself to your studies, and when you are a witch worthy of the name, come to me again and tell me what you want of me, and I will consider it.” Absalom Thorn clasped his hands behind his back and regarded her solemnly. “I would counsel you to abandon this cause. Let your father fight it.”

“Thanks for the advice,” she muttered.

“Why must you be so driven to folly and ruin, child?”

She said nothing.

Absalom Thorn glanced at the door, and Alexandra thought she heard shuffling outside. If the elves were eavesdropping, they'd hear nothing, thanks to her Muffliato spell, but they could see the light was still on under her door.

“It is time for me to go,” the ghost said. When she still didn't answer, he sighed. “Farewell, daughter of Thorn. Until next time.” He stepped through the exterior wall of her room, in the direction of the hillside sloping down into the woods.

Alexandra peeled off her robes and changed into pajamas, and then lay in her bed for a long time thinking before falling asleep.

As everyone sat down to breakfast the next morning to enjoy the house-elves' good-bye feast for Alexandra – berry scones, enormous orange and raisin muffins, plates of soufflés and sliced fruit, and fresh-squeezed orange and pumpkin juice, along with hot and iced tea – Ms. King announced that Julia would not accompany Alexandra to the airport.

Both girls stared at her, and Julia's face melted in disappointment. “Oh, Mother, that's not fair! To not let us say good-bye properly when I probably won't see my dear sister again for months and months?” She put an arm around Alexandra's shoulders. Alexandra was trying to keep her face impassive, though she was sorely disappointed as well. The scent of fresh baked muffins was no longer so mouth-watering.

Ms. King took a scone, while admonishing her daughter. “We'll go with Alexandra as far as New Roanoke. You will be able to say good-bye properly, before Alexandra takes the shuttle. There's no need for you to go with her, Julia, and frankly, it's the only punishment I can think of that will make an impression on both of you. You still have a habit of not thinking through the consequences of your actions, Alexandra.”

Julia said, “Alexandra couldn't have known that horrible woman was going to show up, and she saved her! It was Father's fault, really –”

Ms. King raised her voice to cut off further argument: “That will be enough, Julia! You wouldn't have been in that situation if you hadn't gone into the woods without my permission.”

Julia looked hurt. Alexandra had never heard Ms. King sound so upset, not even after Alexandra had stolen a Time-Turner from Valeria while both of them were visiting Croatoa.

Ms. King buttered her scone with great care. She did not look at Alexandra or Julia, and there were lines in her face that Alexandra didn't remember seeing before.

Diana Grimm and our father were exchanging hexes down there. Julia could have been hurt. I took her to the same place Max took me... She had trouble swallowing her mouthful of soufflé.

“It's all right, Ms. King,” she said softly. “I understand. I am sorry. I never meant to put Julia in any danger. I just... had to speak to him. I was going to go without telling Julia at all.”

Ms. King stopped buttering her scone. “I hope you don't think that would have been the preferable option now?”

Alexandra cast her eyes down at her plate.

Ms. King sighed. “I know you didn't mean to put yourself or Julia in danger, Alexandra. But the consequences of your actions do not follow from your intentions. Now, eat your breakfast. You two still have the rest of the morning together, and a ride across the sound.”

Samuel Hunter, the grizzled wizard who ran the Kings' winged horse ranch, was waiting with the Thestral-drawn carriage when Julia, Alexandra, and Ms. King emerged from the house with Alexandra's luggage and Charlie.

Already sitting in the back seat of the carriage was Myrta Applegate. Myrta was a stout, dour young woman, a Squib who lived in a cottage on the Kings' estate. She didn't smile or talk much.

“Oh, are you seeing Alexandra off, too, Myrta?” Julia asked.

Myrta looked at Alexandra and Julia with a flat expression. “No, I have some errands to run in New Roanoke. Ms. King said I could come along. Since you're going anyway, it's faster than taking the ferry.”

The house-elves – Deezie, Nina, Olina, Gun-Gun, and Rolly – all assembled on the steps to say good-bye to Alexandra. She hugged each of them in turn.

“We hope Miss will be back soon,” Nina said.

“The house is less emptier with Miss Julia's sister here,” Olina said.

“Maybe our Misses' other sister will be back next time,” Deezie said, and then squeaked as Olina poked her in the ribs and Nina said, “Ssh!” Deezie hung her head, blushing furiously.

“Maybe,” Alexandra said. She gave Deezie another squeeze, then allowed Mr. Hunter to give her a hand up to the carriage, next to Julia.

Julia regained a bit of her cheer as they flew across the waves to New Roanoke and then set off down the road to Blacksburg. They talked about what they would do for the rest of the summer, the classes they were taking in the fall, and when they would see each other next. Julia was particularly excited to be taking Apparition classes with the other juniors at the Salem Witches' Institute. “And once I've got my license, I can come visit you,” she said.

“And you can teach me how to Apparate,” Alexandra said.

“She certainly will not,” said Ms. King.

“You know you can't Apparate all the way to Central Territory,” Mr. Hunter said from the front of the carriage. “Most wizards can't even Apparate from New Roanoke to Blacksburg.”

Something niggled at Alexandra's mind then, but she forgot it when Julia asked if Alexandra was going to call Payton when she arrived home.

“Actually, he's supposed to call me,” Alexandra said.

“Really?”

“That's how it works.” She didn't add that all of her dating knowledge came from television and movies and bits of gossip overheard from other girls.

Julia pursed her lips. “Well, that seems unfair.”

Alexandra supposed it was, if she were going to be sitting around staring at her phone waiting for Payton to call – which wasn't going to happen. She glanced at Myrta. Myrta had said nothing, and Alexandra wondered why the older girl never seemed interested in joining in any conversations. Even Mr. Hunter was chatting with Ms. King up in the front seat.

When they reached downtown New Roanoke, it was still mid-morning. Mr. Hunter brought them to a traffic circle near the Governor's mansion, where horse-drawn carriages mingled with an odd assortment of wizard automobiles. Along one small stretch of the circle, there were several haggard-looking winged horses hitched to black buggies, and behind them, a bright green van and an ancient yellow cab, all parked beneath a sign saying 'Taxi Stand.' The buggy drivers were standing off to the side, all wearing long black coats and stovepipe hats despite the sweltering heat, and hawking and spitting tobacco. An old man with long white hair braided in a ponytail sat behind the wheel of the cab. His head was inclined back against his headrest; he might have been dozing behind his sunglasses.

The buggy drivers swiveled their heads to look at them as Mr. Hunter pulled their carriage to a halt behind the automobiles. Everyone got off the carriage, and standing on the street, Julia embraced Alexandra.

“Oh, Alexandra! Take care, and enjoy the rest of your summer. And do stay out of trouble this year.”

“I'll try,” Alexandra said, hugging Julia back.

“Write often. Especially about Payton.”

Alexandra rolled her eyes.

Julia pulled her closer, and whispered in her ear, “I love you.”

Alexandra was still and silent for a moment. Those weren't words she heard – or said – often.

I never got a chance to say that to Max, she thought.

She murmured, “I love you, too.”

Julia stepped away from her, moisture giving her eyes an extra sheen, and she smiled.

“Let me know if Valeria writes to you again,” Alexandra said.

“Of course I will,” Julia said.

Their older sister had yet to forgive Alexandra. Valeria had never responded to Alexandra's letter of apology. She had replied to Julia, but to Julia's gentle mention of how very bad their younger sister felt, Valeria had only replied: 'I hope Alexandra is well, and that whatever lesson she has learned about consequences will make a lasting impression on her.'

It was Valeria who had felt the consequences of Alexandra's actions most directly. Though she remained in Europe, she no longer worked for the Académie de Magie. Alexandra didn't expect Valeria to forgive her soon.

Alexandra turned to Ms. King. “Thank you for letting me visit again, Ms. King. And I am sorry about last night. You really shouldn't blame Julia.”

“Julia is responsible for the choices she makes, as you are responsible for the choices you make.” Ms. King held Alexandra out at arm's length, looking into her eyes with a serious expression. “Please be careful, my dear, especially where your father is concerned.” In a somewhat lighter tone, she added, “Don't force me and Julia to pay another visit to Larkin Mills.”

Alexandra smiled. “I'd like it if Julia could visit some time for real.”

Ms. King patted her cheek. “Perhaps someday. When I can trust her not to let you talk her into foolishness in her own home.”

Julia pouted. From the cage at Alexandra's feet, Charlie squawked: “Troublesome!”

Alexandra picked Charlie's cage up and turned to the two wizard taxis. A witch dressed in New Colonial style, consisting of white robes with long trailing sleeves and a fanciful, stylized bonnet that was nothing like the plain ones Ozarkers wore, was already getting into the yellow cab. Ms. King walked over to the green van, which had 'Enchanted Roanoke Shuttle' painted on its side, and gave directions and money to the driver.

“Good-bye, Mr. Hunter, Myrta,” Alexandra said.

Mr. Hunter said, “Good-bye, Miss Alex. Hope to see you soon.” Myrta just nodded to her.

Alexandra boarded the van. The driver was a young black man wearing jeans, a faded t-shirt with the name of a wizard rock band printed on it, and a bowler. He tipped his hat to Ms. King, then gestured with it at his passengers. “Make sure your bird doesn't crap in my van,” he said.

Alexandra just narrowed her eyes at him, while Charlie made a rude noise.

The driver ignored Alexandra for most of the trip. He listened to wrock music on the wizard wireless mounted in the dash panel of the van, and occasionally cursed at other drivers as he weaved between lanes.

“Muggles! They should just stay off the road,” he muttered.

Alexandra clenched her teeth. “You do know that these are Muggle roads, right?”

The driver turned around to reply to her. “Well, they sure don't know how to drive on them.”

“Look out!” Alexandra shouted, as the rear of a semi loomed ahead of them. The driver turned back around and yanked on the wheel, swerving around the back of the truck and speeding past it on the left, while behind them, cars honked angrily and brakes squealed. Charlie squawked.

“Don't worry,” said the driver, “this vehicle has Anti-Collision Charms. It practically drives itself.”

“No kidding,” Alexandra said.

By the time they reached the airport, Alexandra had decided she preferred Apparition. It was less dangerous and not much less comfortable.

Water! she thought suddenly. It's hard to Apparate over water. That was one reason Ms. King had remained on Croatoa: an island was inconvenient to visit even for wizards. The water crossing might be no obstacle to Abraham Thorn, but had Diana Grimm actually Apparated back to the mainland?

Alexandra was lost in thought as she stepped onto the curb with her bag and Charlie's cage.

The driver said, “Hey, how about a tip?”

She scowled at him. “Here's a tip – learn to drive.” Charlie jeered at him as she entered the airport.

Her flight from Chicago had been exciting, because it was the first time she'd ever been on an airplane. Her flight back to Chicago was cramped and boring. She reminded herself that Charlie was even more uncomfortable, stuffed into a cage down in the luggage compartment. She would rather have taken a Portkey home; that yank when you first touched the Portkey was something you never quite got used to, but it was over in a second, and then you were at your destination, instead of spending hours in the air and navigating crowded airport terminals.

However, Ms. King had paid for Alexandra's previous Portkey trips. Alexandra agreed with her mother that it wasn't right to continue taking advantage of Ms. King's generosity, and airplane tickets were cheaper than Portkeys, especially when you had to exchange dollars for Lions first.

Alexandra found the crowds at O'Hare Airport fascinating. She had been born in Chicago, but for as long as she could remember, home had been the small town of Larkin Mills. As she made her way from the gate to the baggage claim area where she could pick up Charlie, she watched the people hurrying all around her, lining up at the fast food concessions to get something to eat before boarding a plane, or clustered in the waiting areas around the gates. It seemed impossible that all of these people from around the country were so completely unaware of the wizarding world that coexisted with them. She wondered if she was the only witch in the airport, and how badly Muggles would freak out if they knew about witches and wizards walking among them. She'd carried her wand with her on the plane; both times through the security checkpoints, the agents operating the x-ray scanners hadn't even bothered to ask her about it. It was just a wooden stick.

Her mother was waiting for her just past the passenger debarkation point. Claudia Green was a tall woman with mousy brown hair, broad shoulders, and wide hips. About the only thing she had in common with her daughter was a disinclination to dress up. As Alexandra walked over to her, she wondered, not for the first time, what had attracted Abraham Thorn to such an ordinary Muggle woman. It was something neither of them ever talked about.

Her mother looked her over. “You got your ears pierced.”

Alexandra nodded. “Julia talked me into it.”

“You enjoyed your stay with the Kings, I take it? You never wrote.”

“I talked to you on the phone every Saturday.”

“You didn't tell me much.”

Although her mother was beginning to accept her daughter's place in a world she wanted nothing to do with, talking about it still made her uncomfortable. Alexandra knew this, which was why she didn't say much about it.

“I was usually around M– other people when I called,” she said. “Do you want to hear about the Magibotanical Gardens and the pirate ghost fleet?”

She knew she shouldn't be talking about things like this now, in the middle of the airport, but no one was paying attention to them.

Her mother forced a smile. “Maybe later.” She reached out to push the hair back from Alexandra's ear and examine the tiny earring Alexandra had fixed there. “I'm glad you're back,” she murmured.

“I missed you, too,” Alexandra said. “I also got a tattoo.”

“What?” Her mother jerked her hand back and stared at her.

“Just kidding.” Alexandra gave her a little grin. “Come on – we have to pick up Charlie at the cargo office.” She led the way to the escalator, while her mother shook her head.