Antebellum Awakening (The Network Series #2)(79)

I tried to wrench free my left hand, the weaker of the two, but he just held onto it and laughed. When I struggled further, he shoved them higher up my back.

“Not going to work.”

Each time I tried to stomp on his toes, he simply moved his feet back and pushed harder on my arms. My muscles started to protest in earnest now.

“Don’t focus on the toes. Go for something that will make them release you and not be able to grab you again. If your opponent is in pain it will be harder for them to use magic to fight back.”

“A curse?”

“They can counter it without letting you go. Think bigger.”

“A head butt?”

“They might be taller than you.”

I gazed down.

“Your knee?”

“Exactly. If someone has you from behind and you can’t break free, do a back kick. Reinforcing it with magic will make you strong enough to break their leg or at least shatter their knee. Even if they anticipate it, they’ll have to step back, which moves their focus.”

He released my arms. I shook them out with relief, tired from the early morning workout and long sparring session. Merrick, however, looked fresh and ready to fight again. Unwilling to back down and admit my weakness, I brushed the fatigue aside and waited for his next lesson. He grinned.

“Now,” he drawled. “Let’s talk about poking someone in the eye.”

Our conversation came to a sudden halt when a folded piece of messenger paper zipped in front of my face. The purple ink on the front nearly stopped my heart.

Miss Mabel.

“Who’s that from?” Merrick asked. I snatched it from the air and stuffed it into the pocket of the breeches I wore.

“No one,” I said, breathless. “Eyes, right? Poking them out and such.”

Merrick held my gaze.

“Is it from Derek?”

“Doesn’t matter,” I snapped. “Let’s get back to work.”

The question in his eyes seemed to move like the cogs in his eyes as he decided whether he should press the question. I waited, hoping that my face remained impassive.

“Fine,” he said. “If someone attacks you from the front and . . .”

His words faded into the background. I listened to the rest of the lesson, but could hardly pay attention, doing little more than mimicking his motions until he finally dismissed me with a frustrated growl. Once free, I forced myself to walk back to Chatham Castle at a normal pace until I made it into the back stairwell and bolted to the top of the Witchery at a sprint.

Both Leda and Camille were in the library working on their classes, so I tore into the envelope immediately, my heart pounding.

Dearest Bianca,

How time flies! I so look forward to seeing you tomorrow. It will be a joy watching you fulfill your part of our little contract. Keep your eyes open. A ball is certainly an easy place to hide, isn’t it?

I’ll see you soon, darling girl.

Miss Mabel.

In the aftermath of her message, my heart stuttered over and over again. I crunched the message in my fist. Our confrontation finally felt real now in a way it hadn’t felt before. I glanced up to the wooden blocks on the mantle with a grim clench of my teeth. Their numbers taunted me.

Tomorrow.

???

Letum Wood enveloped me that evening in a humid, damp hug. I transported from my bedroom once Papa fell asleep, gently snoring on the old divan. The dark night filled the world like the liquid in an inkwell as I walked down a forest path. Viveet rested at my side, her constant presence reassuring my anxious heart. I wore a pair of loose pants just in case, more comfortable with my fluidity of movement when I didn’t have a bunch of skirts dancing around my ankles. Once I saw the lights of Isadora’s cottage through the wood I let out a long breath.

“Come in, Bianca,” Isadora said when I stepped onto her porch. She sat in a rocking chair, her hands folded in her lap. She wore a light pink dress with white lace around the collar and her hair tucked back away from her face. I moved inside, leaving the door open to the night, and gasped. Candles scattered across her shelves lit up her once-lost china collection. Every square, cup, tray, and pot sat where it had a year before, when I first met Isadora.

“Your china is back.”

“Yes. Sit,” she said, motioning to a chair across from her with a nod of her head. “Now that your power is under better control I can trust you with it.”

“You took it down because of me?” I asked, gaping. She nodded once.

“You were very angry that day and didn’t have your powers under control yet. There were too many possibilities, so I did the safest thing. In the end, you got away without breaking anything.”

I didn’t know what to say.

“I’m sorry if it’s too late to come speak with you.”

“It’s not too late,” she said. “I knew you were coming. I’m not allowing Miss Mabel’s to open for school in the fall, so I haven’t been very busy.”

“I’m not surprised,” I admitted. “Not with things in Antebellum getting worse. What will the students do?”

“Learn at home. They’ll have the option to learn the marks still, just not here. What can I help you with tonight, Bianca?” Isadora asked.

“I came to talk to you about Miss Mabel.”