Bookworm II: The Very Ugly Duckling (15 page)

Elaine let out a sigh of relief. The spells used for prank transfigurations protected their victim from losing their minds, but uncontrolled magic was far harder to predict. Charity might have become a real rat, complete with a ratty brain that was unable to remember that she had once been human. It had happened, more than once, as a form of punishment. And, when done without permission, it was effectively considered murder.

“I understand,” she said, as soothingly as she could. “I’m going to cast the reversal charm now.”

Charity looked up hopefully, her ratty eyes seeming to plead with Elaine. She wouldn’t have been able to counter the spell herself, even if it had been normal. It had clearly burned through whatever protections she had, just as easily as Johan had destroyed Elaine’s protections earlier. Elaine tapped Charity’s head with the wand, muttering the spell under her breath. Nothing happened.

Johan’s eyes were wide with panic. “You can’t undo it?”

“I need to try a more complex spell,” Elaine said. Casting a transfiguration that could only be undone by the caster was frowned upon, although it was not – technically – illegal. Besides, Johan wouldn’t have known how to do it ... if that would have mattered. “Give me a moment.”

She raised her wand, chanting the most powerful reversal spell she had crafted herself. It should have undone even a locked spell as it undid the tiny glitches in reality caused by the magic, rather than attacking the spell directly. Nothing happened.

“That’s bad,” Vane said. Elaine’s subordinate gave her a worried look. “Do you want me to try?”

Elaine shook her head. Vane might have more raw power, but raw power was unlikely to be helpful in this situation. She needed ... something else.

“No,” she said, out loud. “Go to the main desk and get back to work – and don’t say anything to anyone. I’ll deal with this.”

Vane bowed and retreated, closing the door as she left.

“Johan,” Elaine said, turning to the younger man, “I know it’s hard, but you need to focus right now.”

Johan stared at her, blankly. “I’ve killed her,” he said. “I ...”

“No, you haven’t,” Elaine said. “A real rat would be running around, trying to escape or hunting for cheese. Charity is waiting for you to undo the spell. Now ... I want you to cast the cancelling charm again. Focus your mind and take off the spell.”

“I don’t know
how
,” Johan said. The fear in his voice was clearly making it harder for him to think clearly. “
How
?”

“The cancelling charm will undo the spell,” Elaine said. It wouldn’t have been true of a normal transfiguration spell, but
Johan
didn’t know that. “Cast it now.”

Johan lifted his hand and muttered the spell. There was a brilliant flash of light; when it faded, Charity was lying on the floor, completely naked. She let out a gasp of shock, then realised that she was unclothed and tried desperately to cover herself. Elaine sighed, tried to avoid noticing that Charity was physically perfect, and used her wand to direct her clothes into her arms.

“I’m sorry,” Johan said, as he turned his back. He sounded thoroughly miserable. “I never meant that to happen.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Charity said, although her tone suggested that she was more shaken up than she wanted to admit. “You have
magic
!”

“Yeah,” Johan said. He seemed a little more cheerful by her nonchalant response. “How about
that
?”

Elaine tuned them out and started casting diagnostic charms. As far as she could tell, none of the after-effects of transfiguration were present in Charity’s body. There wasn’t even a
hint
that she had been a rat only moments ago. Her magical field was strong, if nowhere near as developed as Light Spinner or Dread’s. Elaine couldn’t help another flicker of envy, even though she didn’t envy either of them their upbringings. Having siblings was no pleasure if they were merciless bullies.

“This is
wonderful
,” Charity said. “Father is going to be
so
thrilled!”

“I don’t want to go back,” Johan said, firmly. “Father can do without me. He has Jamal, after all.”

“Jamal is in jail,” Charity said. She hesitated, clearly worried about being turned back into a rat – or something worse – and then pressed on. “Johan, if you have magic, you could become the Prime Heir.”

Elaine found herself, for the first time, wishing that she’d paid more attention to what was going on outside the library. If Jamal was in jail, his father would be trying to bring as much pressure as he could to bear against the Grand Sorcerer, trying to ensure that he was let off with a slap on the wrist. Light Spinner might insist on the Privy Council serving as his judges, providing some political cover, but which way would they jump?

Vane would probably be able to guess
, Elaine thought, sourly.
She
was no expert at reading people. Elaine herself would vote to convict, but the others? Some of them might join her purely to take a shot at Jamal’s father, rather than Jamal himself. Others would support Jamal’s attack on the Levellers and refuse to convict. And then Light Spinner would have to uphold or veto the verdict.

“I don’t
want
to be the Heir,” Johan insisted. “And it isn’t as if Jamal is going to be executed for this, is it?”

He looked over at Elaine. “Is it?”

“I don’t know,” Elaine admitted, reluctantly. “It depends which way the Privy Council jumps.”

“You’ll
see
,” Johan predicted. “Jamal will get away with it. He always does.”

The pain in his voice made Elaine wince. She could understand
precisely
why Johan didn’t want to go back to his family, even though he was still a declared minor. Legally, however, they would have every right to claim him ... unless Light Spinner agreed that Johan should stay in the Great Library.

It might be dangerous if they did try to claim him
, Elaine thought, with a hint of rueful amusement. Most people would be careful around magicians, even low-power ones like herself, but Johan’s family had thought of him as powerless for so long that they might not realise that everything had changed.
I wonder what he would do to them
.

Charity leaned forward, reaching out to take Johan’s hand. “And if he doesn’t?”

“Father will bribe or threaten whoever it takes to free Jamal,” Johan said, pulling his hand away from her. “I think he’ll be out of jail by the end of the week.”

He stood up and stepped away from his sister. “Tell father that I have no interest in returning to the family,” he added. “If he didn’t want me when I had no magic, he won’t get me when I do have magic.”

“Wait,” Charity said. “Please ...”

“I didn’t notice you insisting that I should be treated better,” Johan snapped. “I remember you laughing at some of Jamal’s
games
. But they weren’t games to me, were they?”

He headed for the door. Elaine hesitated, then nodded slightly. “Wait in the next room,” she said, hoping that he would obey orders. She wasn’t sure what she could do if he refused, short of trying to force him to obey. “I need a few words with Charity.”

Charity started to speak as soon as Johan had slammed the door behind him. “I apologise for my brother,” she said, softly. “He’s not had an easy life.”

“No,” Elaine agreed. The orphanage had been bad, but growing up a Powerless among magicians had been worse. Much worse. “He hasn’t.”

“I am not sure why
you
are dealing with this,” Charity said, clearly digging for information. “But I do know that it involves my family.”

“Yes,” Elaine agreed.

Charity’s eyes narrowed. “My father would insist that you immediately send Johan home,” she said. Her voice was calm, but there was a deadly glint in her eyes. “And my father does have the influence to bring pressure to bear on you ...”

“Yes,” Elaine said, again.

“I really don’t understand why this is your problem,” Charity said, having decided that threats weren’t likely to work. “My father ...”

Elaine scowled at her, remembering Millicent and her cronies, boys and girls who had had the Empire presented to them on a silver platter. Charity was just like them; young, beautiful, wealthy and powerful. She had never realised just how unfair the world could be.

“Your father has other problems at the moment,” she said, wondering if Charity would pick up on the subtext. Elaine would be one of Jamal’s judges. “I suggest that you tell him to respect Johan’s wishes and leave this affair strictly alone.”

Charity looked oddly despondent. “And if he wishes to see his son?”

“He can send along a visiting card, like everyone else,” Elaine said, fighting down the urge to yawn. It had been a long day and it was far from over. “And Johan will decide if he wants to see him, like everyone else.”

She headed to the door. “The library will show you out,” she said, as she paused in the doorway. “I would advise you not to forget what happened today. Your brother is not what he used to be.”

Elaine stopped outside the door and made contact with the wards, altering the interior of the library to steer Charity to the main entrance without allowing her to go anywhere else. It was impolite, to say the least, but she doubted that Charity would want to stay in the library in any case. Besides, it would demonstrate her power for the younger – but far more arrogant – girl.

Bracing herself, she turned and marched into the room Johan occupied. He was sitting in one of the seats, staring down at his hands and trying, desperately, not to cry. Elaine couldn’t really blame him; no matter his feelings towards his family, cutting ties with them was a hard decision at the best of times. And
these
were far from the best of times. She still couldn’t believe that Charity had attempted to guilt him into coming home.

“I ... my father only wants me back because I have magic,” Johan said. His voice dripped of bitterness – and helpless rage. “Now I have magic, I’m
useful
.”

“It has happened before,” Elaine said, knowing that it would be no consolation. “And you can give your brother a nasty surprise if you ever meet him again.”

Johan looked up at her. “Do you think that father knows I was the one who identified Jamal?”

“The Inquisitors wouldn’t have mentioned names,” Elaine said. “Too many witnesses got pressured into changing their stories. I think your father probably doesn’t know who told them about his son.”

“I should tell him,” Johan said. He laughed, rather weakly. “He wouldn’t want me home
then
.”

Elaine scowled. The Patriarch of a magical family had wide authority to bring up his children – and discipline them – as he saw fit. He might just declare that Johan was no longer part of his family, disinheriting him completely ... or he might try to assert his authority to punish his rebellious son. Legally speaking, the law would be on his side. Johan wasn’t an apprentice or an Inquisitor ...

“It might not be a good idea,” she cautioned. She reached out and touched his shoulder, lightly. “What happened between you and Charity?”

“I called her a rat,” Johan said. “And ... and she
became
one.”

He looked up at her, eyes bright with unshed tears. “Is that always going to happen to me now? My magic sparking off by accident and ...
things
happening?”

“I think you just have to learn how to control it,” Elaine said. Magicians knew that they were using magic, even when stress or panic caused them to lose control. Johan, it seemed, didn’t even have
that
level of awareness. “There are some spells we might be able to use, but ...”

She shook her head. “I will need to do some research,” she admitted. “And maybe consult with a few other experts.”

“Please,” Johan said. “I could have really hurt her.”

“Charity didn’t panic,” Elaine reminded him. “She knew what to do if transfigured. All you have to do is keep your magic under control in future.”

Johan grimaced. “Easier said than done.”

Elaine cleared her throat. “I will have to attend a meeting at the palace tonight,” she added, reluctantly. “Do you want me to find someone to stay with you in your rooms?”

“No,” Johan said, quickly. “I’m not a baby!”

Elaine nodded, regretting Daria’s absence.
She
would have made an ideal supervisor, unlike most of her other friends and acquaintances. Daria had a gift for making friends; Elaine often found herself tongue-tied when meeting new people. It had turned her into a social recluse even before she’d become a Bookworm.

Johan met her eyes. “What do you think I could
do
with my magic?”

“Once you learn to control it,” Elaine said, after a moment, “you could do almost anything with it. There are no shortage of jobs for skilled magicians. Or you could help us study your gift, let us see how it works ...”

“I want to be
someone
,” Johan said. “I always wanted to travel, to see the world ... and my father would have left me shut up in my house.”

Elaine frowned. Ambition was something she understood, but it wasn’t really something she
shared
. She had been happy enough as a library assistant, then as the Head Librarian. Being a Privy Councillor, even one who rarely attended meetings, was somewhat beyond the limit of her ambition. But Johan had been born to a powerful family, often overshadowed by his relatives. Why would he
not
be ambitious?

And he wants to get away from his family
, Elaine thought. She could certainly understand
that
.

“I rarely travel,” she admitted. “But there are places we could go, if you wish. How much of the city have you actually
seen
?”

“Very little,” Johan said. The way he said it made Elaine’s heart go out to him. “I was rarely allowed to leave the house.”

“I’ll take you somewhere tomorrow,” Elaine promised. She reached out mentally and touched the library wards. “Your room will have a few books for you to study, along with some food. If you feel hungry, eat; if you feel tired, sleep. The meeting ... could take a while.”

Johan frowned. “You’re going to be discussing
me
?”