Chapter Seven
Kurt had settled into the comfortable, oversized padded armchair beside the bed when Blaine dozed off again after the pale boy helped him drink the beef broth. He was still trying to comprehend the fact that he kept unconsciously using magic without realizing it. For sixteen years he had thought he was just a normal boy. There was nothing extraordinary about him, other than his voice and his fashion sense. To suddenly learn he had these powers was almost unbelievable.
"It's a lot to take in, I know," David said from where he sat on the other side of Blaine. "You must have a lot of questions. You can ask me, if you want. I'll try and explain what I can."
Kurt briefly looked up from Blaine and regarded David for a moment. "I don't even know where to start. I mean, I'm kind of surprised that when my great great grandfather bound his powers, he was able to bound the line's powers as a whole, technically. How is that?"
David's features settled into what Kurt called 'The Lecture Look,' something he always associated with Rachel Berry when she was about to go into one of her rants about how she was so much more talented than everyone else, but in this case, he didn't automatically tune out the other boy like he would the annoying diva.
"Magic is bound to the DNA," David began. "Just like your genes are coded for you to have a certain hair color or shape of nose, magic is determined by your genetics. When Matthew bound his magic, he bound the gene as well. It was still passed on, but in a dormant state, until something triggered it to reawaken."
"Like the demon vessel?" Kurt asked. That was the only thing he could think of because none of this magic stuff started happening until after he'd found the vessel. David nodded. Kurt was quiet for a beat before he asked another question. "So, um, I didn't mean to stereotype witches of course, so I have to ask, are there any female witches? Nothing I've learned from you guys has revealed whether there are or not. It kind of just sounds like they're all male."
That actually made David laugh. "There are female witches. It just happens that in the case of the Dalton Circle, nearly every Line is passed down from Father to Son. In some families it is passed Mother to Daughter, and in some cases, when two Lines intermarry, all offspring will have magic, but depending on which parent provides the dominant magic gene, they may get only one Line's powers, or they might have one power that is more predominant than the other."
Kurt shook his head. "I feel like I'm in biology class all over again," he said.
David smiled at him. "Funny you should mention that. According to the Circle records, Ethan hated biology class."
"Is that supposed to be relevant?" Kurt asked, looking slightly wary. "I don't care for biology either. Too many details I don't think I really needed the mental image for."
The darker boy just shook his head, still smiling. "I'm sorry if we keep comparing you to your predecessor. We forget that this is all new to you. Blaine, Wes and I are all used to the fact that every few generations produces virtually identical copies of our ancestors, with all the same likes and dislikes and desires."
Kurt frowned. "Is it reincarnation?"
David shook his head. "Not exactly. The only way I can think to describe it is a way to renew the magic gene. Since most witches marry non witches, the gene gets diluted after a while, so it protects itself from getting too thinned out by recasting the mold, so to speak."
Kurt opened his mouth to reply when he felt his phone vibrating in his pocket. He pulled it out to see that Mercedes was calling him, and frowned. "My best friend is calling me."
"You can answer them. I won't be offended."
The auburn haired boy bit his lip for a moment, not sure what he was going to tell Mercedes. "Hey, Cedes," he said, after swiping to answer the call.
"Where are you boo? I thought we were going shopping this afternoon." Kurt cursed under his breath.
"I'm sorry, Cedes," he said. "I completely forgot. The Magic the Gathering thing turned out to be a weekend tournament so I'm still in Westerville. Raincheck for Monday after school?"
There was a pause on the line, and Kurt thought Mercedes was about to rip into him, but instead, she just let out a little sigh. "Okay. Stay safe, Kurt." She hung up before he could reply.
Kurt frowned at his phone and looked back at David, trying to forget the awkward moment. He could probably count on one hand how many times Mercedes had hung up without giving him a chance to say goodbye. "I think she's disappointed in me," he said.
David shrugged. "You called her Cedes? That's an unusual name."
"Well, her name is Mercedes. So I call her Cedes for short."
David's eyes went wide for a moment, but he quickly covered the expression before Kurt noticed it. "I expect that once she realizes what is happening, she'll get over it."
Kurt gave him a funny look. "How would she realize what's happening without me telling her the truth?"
"We told you, you can tell anyone you want, if you believe you can trust them. I can teach you the spell that can tell you for certain if they are trustworthy."
"I forgot about that," Kurt said. "That spell could be useful," he added, nodding his head. "But...will I be able to do it? I mean so far, everything I've done has been unintentional."
"Your powers have nothing to do with casting a spell, other than being the battery to cast it. Incantations are their own type of magic. Anyone with power can use them." He thought for a moment. "Here, I'll give you an easy spell to practice with. Hold both hands out, left hand palm up, right hand over it palm down."
Kurt did as instructed. "Is this part of the spell?"
David nodded. "Sometimes a spell will require certain hand gestures or positioning. Some require you to be facing a specific cardinal point of the compass, but for this spell, you just need a point to focus your attention on, which is this spot between your palms. Keep your focus in the void between your hands, and take a deep breath, now repeat after me; Dianos de cor librea."
Kurt spoke the words as best he could, the unknown language feeling both strange and familiar on his tongue. A small ball of light formed between his palms. It was less than an inch in diameter, but seemed as bright as the sun shining through the window, but not as glaring or as harsh. Kurt stared at it for a moment, his heart beating loudly in his chest. And then the tiny ball of light shot from between his hands and hovered over Blaine, before settling on his forehead and being absorbed by the younger man.
"What did I just do?" Kurt demanded as Blaine's eyes shot open, golden light shining out of them.
David frowned. "That was unexpected," he said, more to himself than Kurt. "It was supposed to expand to become a protective shield around you. Instead you managed to cast it at Blaine."
Both boys were surprised when Blaine began to speak, but Kurt didn't recognize the language. Even more surprising was the echoing voice coming from under Kurt's chair, where the demon vessel had suddenly appeared.
"David, what is going on?" Kurt asked, looking to the darker boy for answers.
The older boy didn't answer, instead he bolted from his seat, searching for paper and a writing utensil. "I need to write this down," he muttered.
"What is that language? What is he saying?" Kurt asked, panic in his voice. David still didn't respond as he found the items he was searching for and frantically began writing.
Kurt sat there, half wanting to scream at the top of his lungs and back away in fear, and half wanting to demand David tell him exactly what was happening.
Suddenly the chanting in the foreign language ended, and Blaine drew a deep breath. "The imposter walks among us, but their misdeeds shall not be revealed until the blood of the past is cleansed. The demon's Master seeks revenge. The unseen witness shall speak again. The past unwinds, but can't be undone."
"What the hell does all that mean, David?" Kurt snapped, immediately regretting his tone. "Sorry," he said, much gentler. "I don't know what came over me. I guess I'm just really scared." Kurt hated not having the answers and not knowing why any of this was happening.
David sighed. "I'm sorry, I wasn't ignoring your question. I needed to write as much of that down as I could."
Kurt nodded. "Okay, but can you tell me what language that was?"
"It is an ancient language that our people have used since the dawn of time. It predates Summarian by several thousands of years. Scholars have no knowledge of its existence. It is the language of magic, the language we use in our spells and incantations."
"How am I ever supposed to learn to speak and understand it?" Kurt asked.
"The more you get in tune with your magic, the more it will come naturally to you," David said.
The pale skinned boy sighed. "So, Blaine was casting a spell? And my demon vessel was too?"
David was quiet for a moment, spotting the vessel underneath Kurt's chair. "Would you mind if we had Beatz take a closer look at that? Demon vessels alone can't speak. Singularly, they have no magical properties. So it has to be coming from the vessel, not by the vessel."
"Can you explain that?" Kurt asked, frowning. "How can it come from the vessel, but not by the vessel?"
"It must be coming from whatever's inside the vessel rather than the vessel itself," David responded.
Kurt looked distressed. "If there is something inside the vessel, and it is speaking, does that mean there is someone trapped inside?"
David was quiet, eyes still on the vessel. "I don't know, Kurt. But I do know that demons can't cast spells. Their magic is different from witch magic."
A shiver went up Kurt's spine. "What spell was it...were they," he indicated Blaine and the vessel, "trying to cast?"
David frowned. "I don't know. I don't recognize it. I need to do some research. I'm going to call Wes and have him send someone else up to watch over Blaine so I can see what I can find."
Kurt was frowning now. "Do you want me to leave, too?" he asked, almost scared to say it.
The dark skinned witch shook his head. "No, you seem to have a calming effect on Blaine. If he says anything else, make sure you write it down."
Kurt nodded as the other boy made his phone call.
…
Wes frowned as he hung up his phone. Whatever was affecting Blaine seemed to be accelerating, despite removing him from the tainted room. That, or Blaine's body was attempting to fight it off, like a fever or an illness.
"Something wrong, boss?" Nick said, sitting across from the Asian boy in the cafeteria.
The Asian man sighed. "I just got off the phone with David. He needs someone to go up there and sit with Blaine. Apparently, Blaine and the vessel were chanting some spell that David didn't recognize. He needs to research it."
"Do you want me to go up and relieve him?" Nick asked, but the other boy was already shaking his head.
"I just sent Trent up. I need you and Jeff to see if you can trace an item for me. Where is your shadow, anyway? You two are usually joined at the brain cell you share."
Nick shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Wes had immediately noticed something was off, but that didn't mean he would believe him. In truth, he wasn't entirely sure where the boy was. He told the other boy they should separate, having decided it might have been a better idea that he stay with Nick so he could keep an eye on him.
Finally, he said, "Sterling is in the bathroom. What do you want us to track?"
Wes looked at the younger boy curiously, wondering if he and the blonde had had an argument. Nick never called Jeff by his familial name. "Ethan's locket. I don't know why, but I have a feeling it plays a part in all of this."
Nick nodded. "I can do that. Do you think Thompson can figure out the spell?"
Wes paused, frowning at the other boy. Nick was acting a little strange. He had never been the formal type, using a person's surname. Something wasn't right. "I'm certain David can figure it out." Something in Nick's eyes made Wes aware that the message had been received and understood.
"Okay. I'll go get Jeff and we'll get to work on that."
After the younger boy had left, Wes shot a text to David.
Might want to recast the winds- Wes
He knew the other boy would understand his meaning.
…
David stared at the text, frowning. He'd been almost to the library when it had come through. Did Wes believe an imposter had infiltrated them, or was he just being cautious? Either way, he trusted the other boy's judgement. He detoured to his dorm room and gathered his candles. He began the incantation, and sent out the revealing wind. When the white candle was extinguished, he frowned, and quickly dialed his phone.
"How did you know?" he asked the moment it was answered.
"I needed to talk to Nick about tracking Ethan's locket. Jeff wasn't with him," Wes replied. "And then, he kept being formal."
David swiped at his face. "Well, the spell will cancel out the glamour, and whoever used it won't be able to take Jeff's form again, at least not for several days. Where is Nick now? Does he know where Jeff is? The real Jeff?"
"Nick is likely in the Circle library. As for whether he knows where the real Jeff is, I don't know."
"I'm on my way. I was headed there in the first place to research that spell."
Wes nodded, before replying. "I'll send a mass text out for everyone to keep an eye out for both the imposter and whatever he might have done with Jeff."
David broke into a jog, wanting to check on Nick, and not caring if any of the humans gave him strange looks as he rushed through the corridors. He reached the hidden chamber and pushed through the barrier, breathing a sigh of relief when he found Nick holding Jeff, who looked like he might be drugged. "Is he okay?"
Nick's head shot up, but as soon as he recognized who it was, he visibly relaxed. "I don't know," he said. "I don't know what that creep did to him. All he told me was that he was incapacitated. He threatened me with a knife, said if I didn't do exactly what he said, he'd kill Jeff. David...he said he killed his brother."
That had the older boy taken aback. "Charles? Why would Andrew kill his twin? I thought that those who used glamour needed their twin so they remembered their original forms."
The younger boy shook his head. "I don't know. We still don't really know how Andrew factors into all of this at all."
David frowned. It was true they didn't really know if Andrew had anything to do with the murder or the disappearances, but he didn't really believe in coincidences. "What was it he wanted you to do?"
Nick pulled Jeff closer to him, the fear in his eyes becoming evident as he looked back at David. "He wanted me to get Blaine out of Ethan's room and unguarded."
David let out a sigh. "Take Jeff to Thad. I believe he is in Beatz' dorm, helping him with the amulet. I'll let Wes know. I still need to research this spell."
The other boy stood up, scooping the blonde up bridal style in his arms and headed for the door. He paused there and turned around. "David, I don't know what Andrew wants with Blaine, but given that he wanted him out of Ethan's room, I think it's in our best interest to under no circumstances let Blaine leave that room." Without waiting for a response from the older boy, he turned back and round and left the hidden chamber.
David watched him leave, silently agreeing with him. He sent Wes a quick text, and then went to one of the displays, and pulled an ancient leather bound book from within. It was the oldest grimoire in the Founders Lines, written generations ago by David's many times great grandfather. With great care and reverence, he placed the book on the table, and gently began turning the pages, searching for anything that might match the spell he had copied down.
…
Wes met Nick in Beatz's dorm room, as the two healers examined Jeff. "Tell me exactly how it happened?"
Nick looked up from his seat on the floor beside the bed. "Jeff and I were scrying for signs of dark magic, trying to see if we could possibly pinpoint an area where Andrew could be hiding, but the crystal wasn't picking up anything, not even the traces of dark magic here at Dalton," he started, pausing for Wes' reaction. The older boy just indicated for him to continue. "Out of nowhere, the torches and our candle went out. Then I heard a gasp coming from Jeff's side of the table, so I called his name, but he just gave some kind of choked sound in response.
"I didn't get a chance to investigate because someone pressed a blade to my neck and then told me to do exactly as he said or else the light press wouldn't be so light." Nick paused, swallowing thickly. "He relit the candle and stuck his face in mine and Wes…" He trailed off, shuddering at the memory. "He...he…"
"He looked like Jeff," Wes supplied. "It's okay, Jeff is safe now. Go on with your story."
Nick nodded and took a deep breath. "I wanted to know how he'd gotten through the wards when he'd been banned. He waved it off and said it was child's play. I also wanted to know what he'd done to Jeff and he told me he was incapacitated. Then he told me I was to do what he told me to do or else he'd kill Jeff. He said he wasn't above murder. So I asked what he wanted me to do and he told me he wanted me to get Blaine out of Ethan's room and unguarded. I told him that wouldn't be easy because Jeff and I weren't on the rotation to guard him. He said I had better figure it out."
Wes frowned. "Was that why you volunteered when I said David needed someone to relieve him?"
Nick nodded. "But then he disappeared and when you asked me where Jeff was, I didn't have a clue where either the real Jeff or the imposter was. But there's one more thing he said that's still weighing on my mind. And I told David."
"What is it?"
The same fear that had been in his eyes when he told David, returned as he looked back at Wes. "He said he killed his brother."
Wes frowned. "But Charles interrupted the meeting just after Johnathan made his prophecy." He thought about that for a moment. "Or so our forefathers thought. Perhaps it was Andrew in disguise." He sighed. "Again, there are so many questions still unanswered."
A groan from the bed drew their attention as Jeff began to come around.
"Jeff!" Nick shouted, all but flinging himself on the bed next to the boy. "Oh Jeff, are you okay?"
"Did anyone get the license plate number of the Mack truck that hit me? My head hurts so bad. What happened?"
The four boys in the room were all quiet, glancing from one to the next, not entirely sure they wanted to tell Jeff what had actually happened. And yet, Thad and Beatz still couldn't figure out exactly what Andrew had done to the blonde boy.
"What is the last thing you remember?" Wes asked softly.
"Going into the hidden chamber to scry with Nick," Jeff replied, a bit groggily.
"Do you remember actually scrying, or just going into the chamber?"
Jeff was quiet a moment. "Both?" he said. "I don't really remember actually scrying, just bits and pieces, like it's there but it's all fuzzy, if that makes sense."
Beatz frowned. "It sounds like a memory blocking spell, along with some kind of sleeping spell."
Thad agreed. "Neither of them will leave any lasting effects, but it may take a few days for the fog to clear from his mind. He should drink some chamomile tea and sleep for a few hours."
Wes missed Thad's instructions, having been completely caught by what Beatz had said. He shook his head off. "You three keep taking care of Jeff and look after him for now. I have to talk to Trent." He started to leave, but paused at the door. "Nick, can you do your tracking from here? I still need you to search for that locket."
Nick pulled the scrying crystal out of his pocket. "All I need is a map and a flat surface to spread it on," he said.
The older boy nodded. "I'll have one of our boys bring it up for you. Keep me posted if anything develops."
"Will do," all three boys responded, while Jeff attempted a half-hearted thumbs up.
…
Wes knocked on the door of Ethan's former dorm room before entering, wanting to give both Trent and Kurt a heads up that someone was coming in. "How is he?" he asked, looking between the two boys and the sleeping one on the bed.
Trent shrugged. "Exhausted. He goes from fever hot to ice cold in seconds flat, with no warning. His eyes haven't stopped glowing, although I don't think he is actually having visions at the moment."
The Asian boy frowned, looking at Blaine for a long moment and wondering how he could be seemingly stuck in the between of visions. He'd never seen anything like this and he was willing to bet, neither had anyone in Blaine's family. Given that he now knew that Andrew was targeting Blaine, he wondered if Smythe had anything to do with the curly haired boy's current state.
He sighed heavily. "Trent, this is going to sound a little odd, but do you mind stepping into the bathroom with me? I need to talk to you." He knew by no means was Kurt ready to be left alone in the room with Blaine, but he couldn't very well discuss what he needed to with Trent while Kurt was present. They still weren't exactly sure about this whole memory reading thing.
Trent frowned, but nodded. "Kurt, can you just give us a shout if his condition changes?"
Kurt nodded, looking slightly confused. He wasn't sure what Wes needed to talk to Trent about, but he wasn't going to intrude. If it was important for him to know, they'd probably fill him in later.
Trent followed Wes into the bathroom and shut the door. "What's going on?" he asked.
Wes explained about the situation with Jeff. "It just seemed a little suspicious to me that magic pertaining to memories has been evoked twice now."
Trent was contemplative for a moment. "This may be the opportunity we were looking for. To test the theory that Kurt might be a memory reader. And I also thought of another reason why that could be the case."
Wes raised a questioning eyebrow. "Explain?"
"Which answer do you want first?"
"The one least likely to make my headache any worse."
Trent had to laugh. "Well, I think that would be the latter. Abilities are based on familial Lines. Most witches with secondary specializations that don't coincide with their first, usually have them because they inherited abilities from both sides of the family. So, it's possible Kurt's mother may have also been a witch."
Wes considered that. "And since Kurt's father was unaware of his Line, Kurt's mother may not have realized she married another witch, and never told him. And if she believed Burt Hummel to be human, she assumed her magic would not be passed to their male child. It makes sense. We need to learn what we can of Kurt's mother. Now, answer the other part of the question."
"Bring Jeff in here. If Beatz and Thad are right about the memory blocking spell, and Kurt is a memory reader, he should be able to tell us exactly what happened to Jeff in that room without much trouble."
…
David paced the small library, frowning as he turned the pages of yet another grimoire, this one a little newer. It had been written by Samuel Thompson. He found the spell Blaine and the voice from the vessel had been chanting, or at least a version of it. Some of the wording had been changed, but in essence, it was still the same spell, but it didn't make sense to David. Why would the younger boy be chanting an entrapment spell?
But then it did make sense after the conversation he'd had with Kurt about the voice coming from the vessel. Could someone have been trapped within the vessel? And if so, who?