“This was the National War Museum in BT.” Winston sat behind a desk and gestured to an old, faded couch. Bits of black and white dog fur covered most of it. I looked around for a pet, but there wasn’t even a water bowl.
Without questioning it, I sat, though Cayden took one look and perched on the arm next to me with one butt cheek.
“How can I help you, Quinn?” Winston asked.
I bit my lips together and chewed, trying to figure out where to begin.
“Let me start,” Winston said, after a long breath, raising a hand like he needed permission to continue. “Your eyes and hair don’t match, you’re clearly lost when it comes to how things work here, and your magic’s still out of reach.”
I knew all of that, but it was still hard to hear it laid out. An extra-long, thick dog hair drew my attention.
“Was there a memo or something?” I mumbled.
“I don’t know what that is,” Winston said, “but your lack of… well, everything was obvious during placements. And yet, Quinn. Your potential is staggering. No one’s seen anything like it since the tremors reshaped our world. Word of you is spreading. People aren’t just curious, they’re stunned.”
I shifted uncomfortably. That sounded so much bigger than my small, messy existence here. I was still angry Ezra had tried to control me, but maybe things were happening beyond these walls I couldn’t begin to grasp.
Still, keeping me in the dark didn’t feel like the right answer either.
“And after what you’ve been through,” Winston continued, “I wouldn’t blame you for never trusting anyone again.” He leaned forward slightly. “We’ve kept you safe inside these walls. We tried to keep your presence quiet, too. But that wasn’t what you wanted.”
I bit my lips together.
I’d let everyone know I was a woman because the Architect, this place, was trying to control me. I wouldn’t take my actions back, though I might not have understood the full extent of them.
“You confirmed more than just your presence. You showed the world you’re a female powerhouse with mismatched eyes and hair. That combination hasn’t surfaced since the tremors. Now, people are paying attention. They’re curious. And not everyone’s interest will come with good intentions.”
I swallowed. I thought no one cared because it didn’t change my day-to-day life. It never occurred to me that the consequences could be so enormous I couldn’t see them.
“Everyone? How would you know that?” I asked, suddenly unsure if his words were a warning.
Winston’s expression softened. “People talk. We may have lost instant messaging and access to endless data, but we can still send scrawls. And the Architect… isn’t the only living mentalist.”
Winston’s gaze flicked to Cayden, who responded with a scowl, before returning to me. “I just wanted you to know what I know, so we’re speaking from the same foundation.”
For better or worse, his words put me at ease, and I nodded, thinking.
Cayden rested a hand on my shoulder. “We can leave these walls. Whatever you need. I can help. You don’t need him. Any of them.”
Except Cayden couldn’t. He lived and breathed magic, yet nothing he told me helped.
Winston watched me with his hands folded. The door was still open behind us, and every instinct told me to use it. I messed up. I’d already drawn too much attention. I should run. Hide and start over where I could blend in better.
Don’t do that,I said to myself, stopping my thoughts in their tracks.
My dad’s favorite three words. For the first time in my life, I agreed with them. I had acted and done what made me happy. Instead of cowering because it made me different, I had to embrace it.
I leaned toward Winston. “How did you learn to use magic?”
Winston frowned. “Unfortunately, I am not the right monster to help you with that.”
I frowned and let out a frustrated breath.
“I’ll explain, but only because you deserve the truth, Quinn.” Winston folded his hands over his belly and leaned back, his eyes fixed somewhere far away. “I was the youngest son of a whisky blender in the Highlands. We had land, money, and safety… or so we thought. When the tremors hit, we bolted for the panic room. Steel walls, reinforced door, all of it.” He exhaled through his nose. “Then the lights died. Magic swallowed the power. And the door locked tight. No way out. No way to see.”
He paused, jaw clenched. “I listened to my family die in the dark. Every breath, every scream. And I sat in that black box, too scared to move.”
Winston rubbed the back of his neck. “We had a collie. The family dog, loyal as anything. While my family screamed, their bodies ripping themselves apart trying to handle the magic, the dog and I... changed.” He exhaled slowly, the grimace deepening on his face. “We got closer. Closer until we weren’t separate anymore. Just one creature.”
