Page 18 of Strange Familiar

Gratified to be included in the triangle, though uncertain why he wanted her there, Alise flanked Gabriel a half-step behind, able to see her sister’s coldly composed profile. Nic had always loved their father more than Alise had—probably because he’d loved her the most to begin with. Until Nic shocked and devastated everyone—including herself—by manifesting as a familiar instead of a wizard, she’d been the House Elal darling, their father’s heir-apparent and golden child. In truth, Nic had enjoyed such privilege as their father’s favorite that she’d been blind to his darker nature and more egregious behaviors. When she’d fallen from grace and later discovered just how awful their father could be, Nic had been blindsided.

Alise could see it in her sister now, that vulnerability to the wizard she once worshipped and who’d wounded her more deeply than could ever heal.

For her part, Alise had forever been a disappointment to her father and so felt at most cold hatred for him. It was so much like him to pull this stunt, so in keeping with his grandiose ambition and vainglorious decisions that they should have predicted this would happen.

They should have known.

As if hearing her thoughts—though she knew he couldn’t read minds—Piers Elal fastened his mocking black eyes on hers. “Shouldn’t you be in school, Daughter?” he asked silkily.

“I don’t answer to you anymore,” she replied in the same tone.

“Rumor has it that you think you answer to no one. I’ve heard of your troubles keeping enrolled at Convocation Academy.” He tsked, shaking his head. “A pity. But then, you were never what anyone would call a star student, were you?”

“You’re here to see the baby,” Gabriel inserted, standing close enough to Lord Elal to tower over him, “not taunt Alise.”

“I can do both,” Piers replied with a smirk, but he reached out for Bria.

Gabriel held her close. “You may touch her. Not hold her.”

“I’m her grandfather.”

“Nevertheless.”

Piers didn’t like it, casting a reproving glance at Nic who looked on with that stoically remote expression she assumed when she was trying to hold herself together. “The doll is in the way,” he complained.

Nic didn’t move, didn’t seem to be able to, so Alise eased the doll away from Bria, having to unwind the small chubby fingers from their surprisingly strong grip on the toy. Immediately, the infant began to wail in protest and sorrow. Nic instinctively reached for her baby and Gabriel turned his shoulder just slightly to block her. Nic made a small sound of despair, a quiet echo of her daughter’s. Gabriel flinched at the sound, as did Alise, clutching the doll to her chest. Bria’s wail grew in volume and intensity.

“Get on with it, Elal,” Gabriel ordered, his magic tightly contained.

Piers, seeming not quite certain of his moves at the moment to Alise’s eye, put tentative hands on the baby, touching the soft skin of her forehead, the perfect round of her cheeks. No doubt he sampled her magic, too, which remained much like Bria’s young mind: brilliantly present but as yet unformed and without the clear resolution into particular directions that would later distinguish her as an individual.

“That’s enough,” Gabriel decided, lifting Bria away from the shorter man’s reach.

“I’ve barely begun,” Lord Elal protested with a thunderous frown.

“Advisors?” Gabriel called over his shoulder without taking his gaze off his much-loathed father-in-law, his magic like molten silver in the air, steaming with fury. Alise wondered if he regretted not killing the wizard when he could have, taking only the eye. It might be some small comfort that Piers Elal hadn’t reached a Refoel healer in time to save or restore the eye. The metal eyepatch looked to be of enchanted El-Adrel devising and Alise suspected he could use it for some form of seeing, if not actual vision.

“No time requirement, Lord Phel,” Wolfgang called back. “A good faith effort at allowing contact is sufficient.”

“This is hardly ‘good faith,’” Lord Elal complained.

“You can argue it in court,” Nic bit out. “Now go. You’re not wanted here.”

Their father eyed Nic craftily and Alise’s stomach tightened. She knew that look well. Lord Elal had a card up his sleeve, a way to win he’d yet to exploit. “Then I suppose it’s time to bestow my gift on the child,” he said in an oily pretense at sounding paternal.

“No,” Gabriel said.

Lord Elal smirked. “Advisors?” he called, clearly mimicking Gabriel.

“Lord Phel,” Wolfgang said, pointedly speaking to the lord he owed allegiance to, rather than answering Elal’s question, “I should add that the grandparent is allowed to give the infant one gift of their choosing.”

Alise shuddered internally. Seeing it, her father smirked in satisfaction. “I see my heir has already attached an amateurish attempt at a guardian spirit.” He scrutinized her very sweet and simple spirit, which cringed away from his wizardly poking. Alise had to restrain herself from leaping in to defend it. Her father turned his gaze to her. “Not terrible work, but nothing that could withstand a wizard of any caliber in spirit magic.” In the next moment, he annihilated the guardian spirit which vanished with a pained wail and a flicker of apology to Alise. Bria sent up new cries of distress.

It hurt her heart. She’d spent days selecting, binding, and teaching the spirit, crafting it to grow with Bria and learn with her. That the spirit felt so bad failing her was a testament to how well Alise had embedded its mission. Bria sought the vanished spirit, bereft of both it and her new doll. Nic had closed her eyes and fisted her hands by her sides, clearly unable to bear it either. Their father had taken this day of joy and celebration and shattered it for all of them. Worst of all, he knew and savored their pain, relishing this cold and delicately plotted vengeance.

“Since the child is in need of a guardian spirit now,” he said, “let me provide one.” He drew forth a meticulously crafted spirit of such malicious intent and inestimable power that Alise gasped in horror. Her involuntary cry caused Nic’s eyes to fly open and she whimpered deep in her throat, well able to see exactly what their father had planned, even with her familiar’s magic.

“Please,” she whispered. “No.”

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