Flyinginaprivatejet was much more comfortable than flying economy, though economy put Selene practically on top of me, and there was no complaining on my end. I had recognized the smooth beige seats and speckled carpet when we boarded the private jet at a small airport near Croatia. This was Priscilla’s jet, and though it was older, it was luxurious—perks of working for the council.
Growing up, Priscilla had taken me into the cockpit and taught me how to fly. She was one of their top agents and had left on missions when called, and I guessed the council had thought it was worth her having her own jet and private hangar in her backyard. Living in the middle of Canada with a few hundred acres of land surrounded by more uninhabited property allowed us to go unnoticed.
A part of my gut twisted at the recollection of home. During Priscilla’s missions, Mr. Scott, the elderly man who had cared forthe house in her absence, had also been assigned to babysit me. I always teased him for getting stuck with me, but I could tell he secretly enjoyed my mischief. He had taught me a lot, and his passing a year before I started at Fives would not erase away the memories.
I glanced at Selene. She had fallen asleep in the chair next to me. I leaned forward, gently brushing a stray lock from her face, fully aware—and not caring—that the headmaster was facing us in the next row. A smile tugged at my lips. She looked fierce, even in her sleep, with her soft, plump lips, the color of a seashell, subtly parted—not firmly pressed together as usual. There had been a substantial amount of convincing involved for her to board the jet. Headmaster John had reassured her we were not traveling to Fives Academy but to another location and that it wasn’t safe to stay in one area for too long. She wanted time to weigh the benefit of staying away from Vivian versus going back to the academy.
I brushed her arm, her skin soft under my fingertips, and stood. I didn’t want to leave her, but I had to talk to Priscilla. Not only did I have questions about my parents and entire upbringing, but I had questions about the bond. She would have answers, and there was no way I was talking to Headmaster John about this, nor was I going to bring it up in front of Selene. The entire time in Croatia, I could feel Selene’s anger, pain, and sadness as I sat next to her, listening to the headmaster explain that he was her father and why they had kept her and her sister hidden.
I didn’t look at John as I passed him, unsure if my anger toward him was my own or Selene’s. His actions were understandable and well rationalized. I could see that. I could also see that at some point, Selene had inadvertently crawled into my life. I would do anything to protect her.
The cockpit door was partially cracked and I snuck inside, closing it behind me.
“Nice of you to join me, Ender.” Priscilla didn’t look up, her gaze fixed beyond the windshield at the night sky. “I was hoping you would.”
“I have a lot of questions.” I sat in the first officer’s seat on the right.
“I’m sure you do.” She flipped the autopilot switch and faced me, her chair creaking as she twisted. Her headset was put up, and I assumed she had already been expecting me.
“We aren’t blood related.” I looked directly at her, her face not wavering.
“No. We aren’t,” she confirmed. “But that doesn’t change how much I care and love you.”
I believed her. We were always direct with each other, and our relationship a mix of an aunt and nephew, mother and son, and trainer and apprentice—despite my understanding that we had been distant cousins.
“Why take me from Miss Lee?” I asked.
“We didn’t know you had any surviving relatives. There were no records, and I assumed your parents had kept your family lineage hidden as much as possible. No one had come forward.”
“Is Ender my birth name?” In the cells, Miss Lee had told me she thought I’d be safer with a new identity.
“Yes.” Priscilla tilted her head to the side, a sign of her endearment. “But your last name was Galang. We changed it to mine and created the story of your parents dying in a robbery—my cousin and his wife.”
“But you don’t have any family that I’ve met.” I took a breath, keeping my calm.
“None in my life.” She shook her head, and I understood the meaning of her words. She didn’t have any family she was close with.
“And who is thewewho helped you make all these decisions about me?” I asked, a lot like Selene had asked Headmaster John.
“The council and me,” Priscilla answered. “The plan we drew up was the best we could do to keep you safe and with me—in case anything changed. I could sense a mix of all the elements in you, but you tested negative for ether magic and only positive for air magic. I believe your parents had paid for an enchantment to dampen your other elements, so you weren’t easily found, and I had Mark Hastings hide your scent.”
“The Librarian Mr. Hastings?” Earth mages were the only ones who could hide a mage’s scent. With their array of herbal and flower creations, a stronger earth mage could use an enchantment to create or dampen a specific scent.
“Yes.” Priscilla nodded. “He had been a good friend of the previous headmaster. Just like John had later on trusted the headmaster, I knew Mr. Hastings would be a trusted ally. He would also be able to monitor your safety at Fives Academy should you have attended.”
Selene’s mother must’ve kept her daughter’s scent masked, and the thought of her rose and sandalwood essence made me want to brush my lips against the smooth skin on the nape of her neck.
I shook my head, trying to focus. “And what did Selene’s mom have to do with my parents’ deaths?”
“Your dad was an ether mage—which you already know from Bernila. Your mom was an air mage,” Priscilla said.
I hadn’t told her about the conversation I’d had with Miss Lee, but I imagine there had been cameras in the cell area. I wanted to hear it from her, along with more details. “Anna, Selene’s mom, and your parents were in Singapore at the same time. Anna was there to meet someone for a healing spell. Victoria, her sister, was sick, and Anna needed to be the one to meetwith the mage.” Priscilla straightened. “A dark mage found Anna by awful luck, and she ran. She hadn’t immediately realized the reason she had lost the dark mage was because they had found your father. It was too late once Anna realized, and your parents were already gone. She fled, to keep Selene and her sister safe. I was called to the scene, and it was then that I found you hiding behind a food cart less than two blocks away. You were so little.” She sighed. “I consulted with the council, and the plan was made. John made contact with me on behalf of Anna. He knew of my position with the council, which was concerned for the family that had been attacked in Singapore—yours. I promised Anna and John I’d take care of you. Since John took the position as part of the council and headmaster of Fives Academy, he’s been observing your safety and care ever since.”
“So the headmaster felt guilty for the deaths of my parents?” As much as I didn’t want to remember the events in Singapore that day, I wished I could.
“The guilt weighed heavy on Anna, and John had said he should have gone with her, that he could have done something. He had stayed back to help Nathan with Victoria and watch over Selene. Since Anna and Victoria were twins and shared similar genes, Anna had to be the one to meet the contact.” Priscilla took a deep breath. “I am sorry, Ender. The truth is hard, but you deserve it.”
“Someone should have told me. You should have told me.” I bit the inside of my cheek, causing it to bleed. “I don’t blame Selene’s mom. It wasn’t her fault. It was the dark mage.”
