Page 35 of Heir of Uncertain Magic

Fletcher sighed. “You need to talk about it.”

“I don’t.”

“That’s your problem.” He kept his voice low, so as not to be overheard by his parents. They had their own conversation going, which provided a buzz of background noise. “You never want to talk about it. Not when you got here with little more than the clothes on your back, not after you moved, and not now.”

Merritt didn’t answer.

“This is thewhole reasonwe came here.”

“It’smyproblem, Fletcher.” He folded his arms against the cold but didn’t move away from the draft. “I’ll deal with it my way.”

“Your way is not dealing with it at all.”

Merritt clenched his jaw.

“Don’t you want to feelbetter?” Fletcher pressed.

Cuuuuurrrrl,grass whispered through the walls. It faded almost as quickly as it had come.

Merritt focused on that candle. It felt like it was lit inside his own gut, slowly melting away his insides, burning them. “What kind of a question is that?”

“One you need to answer. Merritt.” Fletcher moved to put a hand on Merritt’s shoulder, but it bounced off a hard, invisible wall.

Merritt pulled his eyes from the glass. Wardship. When had he erected that?

Fletcher blinked and ran his palm over the unseen shield. “Not that I didn’t believe you,” he said carefully, “but ... this is the first time ...”

First time he’d seen Merritt do magic, he meant.

Swallowing against a tight throat, Merritt attempted to will the shield away.Protective instincts, huh? What am I protecting here, Gifford?

Reaching out, he pushed on the wall. It held. A trickle of despair coursed down his throat. “I don’t know how to take it down,” he rasped.

Fletcher chewed on his lip and followed the wall out about four feet, where it ended. “Try relaxing.”

If only it were that easy. But Merritt forced deep breaths into his chest. Shook out his shoulders. Thought about a candy store and the flavors of all its different wares.

He knew the moment the wardship spell vanished because Fletcher stumbled. Must have been leaning against it.

Merritt expelled a shaky breath and searched the darkness outside for that candle. Someone had blown it out.

“We can try again tomorrow,” Fletcher offered.

Shaking his head, Merritt said, “No. Thank you, Fletcher, for everything. For coming with me. But I need to leave.”

His friend frowned. “Mom is expecting you tomorrow. Keri’s coming.”

But Merritt shook his head. “I can’t stay here.” He sucked in another breath, but it had little effect on his fraying nerves. “I can’t see them yet. There’s a morning coach heading out before the church bells ring. You should stay. Spend time with your family. But I can’t—”

His throat squeezed shut. He couldn’t finish the sentence without emotion leaking into it.

The two men stood before the dark window for another minute before Fletcher murmured, “You’ve been holding it in for thirteen years. Let it go.”

Merritt’s throat squeezed even tighter.

“Even if the worst happens,” Fletcher went on, “you know we’re your family, too, right?”

Merritt shifted away, his throat so tight he could barely breathe. He blinked rapidly to banish tears.

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