“No, we managed to get everything sorted, don’t fret about that,” Kensington assured him.
Drew wondered how they could possibly have explained away everything to the police, not to mention the hundreds of students who had been witnesses, but he brushed aside his concerns for now. Kensington would surely have his ways, and Drew was much more curious about the reason he’d been invited around in the first place. “So, you wanted to show me something?”
“Ah, yes.” He clicked his fingers and a scroll flew across the room into his grasp. He unrolled it and placed it on the table, weighing down the corners with his teacup, the sugar bowl, the milk jug, and a spare book. “I was doing some research into your family tree and I believe I’ve found the reason for your powers.”
“You have?” Drew asked, dumbfounded.
“Yes. Have you ever looked into your history before?”
Drew shook his head. “Not really. Aunt Harriett tried to get hold of a family tree for me when I was a kid, just after my parents died, but she couldn’t really find anything about my mom’s side of the family and it only went back a couple of generations on my father’s side. There doesn’t seem to be anything before my great-grandparents.”
“Well, that would be because your family went underground for several centuries,” Kensington told him. “It started back in England in the latefifteen hundreds when one of your relatives was burned at the stake for practising witchcraft. Of course, little did the authorities know, but she wasn’t all that powerful. Hermother,on the other hand, was and she waspissed.Magdalene Fitzpatrick was hell-bent on revenge and she didn’t just kill those who murdered her daughter, she made them suffer. Then, once she had finished with them, she went on a crusade of sorts, hunting down witch finders and stopping them before they could kill any more witches. It was during this that she met Gerald Reilly, a powerful warlock, and they fell in love. Gerald had also lost loved ones to the persecution of magic users and he was more than eager to help Magdalene with her quest.”
“Holy shit,” Drew said, half in awe and half in horror.
“They soon became an unstoppable force,” Kensington continued. “But of course, that just made them a target. A group of hunters got together to find them and burn them, and in doing so, began to murder those closest to the pair, even if they showed no magical inclination whatsoever. In the end, to keep their families safe, the pair faked their deaths and went into hiding. They formed an underground magic movement and became teachers so others could learn from them. Their children showed great aptitude for magic and their grandchildren even more so.”
“And they managed to remain hidden?” Zach asked.
“Oh, yes. Quite successfully.”
“That must have taken its toll on them,” Drew said, a little sadly.
Kensington looked thoughtful. “We’ll never really know, but from what I found, the pair were so dedicated to protecting their loved ones that I believe it would have been a sacrifice they were more than willing to make.”
Drew shrugged and gave a sad smile. “Still, it can’t have been easy.”
“No, most likely not,” Kensington agreed. “Not long after the proper death of Magdalene and Gerald, the family decided it was no longer safe for them in England, and they set sail for the States. There was some trouble during the late sixteen hundreds, but they remained hidden andavoided most of it. They continued teaching in secret, mentoring and guiding any magic users who sought out their help.”
“They really dedicated their entire lives to teaching? My whole family?” Drew asked. His throat was a little tight from learning something so personal about the family he never even knew existed. Zach reached over and took his hand, holding it tightly.
“They did, while they could,” Kensington explained. “Over time, the number of children born to your family with the ability dwindled, and so there were fewer people to pass on that knowledge. Those who were born with magic were incredibly powerful, almost as if the power was being distilled throughout the generations. It became harder and harder to find those who could teach, however, since their numbers were dwindling. There were several incidents of your relatives going their entire lives without ever knowing they had magic, not until something happened to set it off, usually causing their deaths.” Kensington smiled. “Funnily enough, I found a record which stated that your great-great-great uncle was once part of our Collective, and was a close candidate to become the Grand Master. So you see, Drew, magic has been in your family for hundreds of years. We cannot be at all surprised by your strength.”
Drew leaned back on the sofa, dumbstruck. His family wasfullof witches and warlocks and sorcerers and he’d never known. “Wow,” he said, unable to find anything else to sum up the knowledge he’d just gained.
“Wow, indeed.” Kensington sipped his tea. “Of course, this just reiterates the importance of continuing your training. Power such as yours cannot be untamed, lest you accidentally hurt someone. Up until now, I believe you have been training with the specific intent of helping Zachariel. I would like to officially extend my offer to help you master your abilities and help you discover your full potential.”
Drew nodded. “Yes, please. That would be great.”
Kensington nodded and then stood. “Well then, I won’t keep you any longer today. You need your rest. I just wanted to share what I had found.”
“Yeah, it was really interesting. Thank you.”
“So, go home and rest up . . . and I’m serious about that. No magic for at least three days. After that, you may come around and we’ll continue your lessons.”
Drew followed Kensington to the door and Zach followed, one hand on Drew’s lower back in a silent show of support. He held out a hand for Kensington to shake, and the sorcerer just snorted and pulled him into a hug. “Thank you,” Drew whispered again.
“Anytime,” Kensington said fondly. “Now, be off with you. I’m sure you and Zach have better things to be doing than having tea with me.”
Zach waggled his brows, causing Drew to laugh and blush, then he gave Kensington a salute and guided Drew out the door and down onto the street. “So, sweetness, what shall we do with our day?”
“Hmmm.” Drew gave it a moment’s thought. “I know Dom and Gwen want some answers, so how about we have them over for dinner tonight so we can explain?”
“Sounds good. Do you think Dom would pet my tummy if I changed into my cat form?”
Drew snorted. “You’re such a hussy, but I’m sure he will.”
“Do you think he’ll bring me some more nip?”
