BOOK I

Chapter 1: The Beginning

Toni took a deep breath in an attempt to gain control his growing irritation. There was only so much he could take before he lost his temper, and this Master from the Mage Circle was pushing it. Toni had been under the assumption that playing father rather than warrior had mellowed him over the past nine years, but his theory had never truly been tested. Toni ran his right hand over his face and turned around to face the visiting Master, unwilling to draw the mage’s ire since getting into an all-out brawl with the man probably wasn’t wise. It was considered a slight to not face a Master at all times.

“Could you please repeat what you’d just said? I’m not sure I understood you,” Toni asked peevishly.

“Would you like me to start from the very beginning?” the Master replied, his tone betraying his own irritation.

Toni bowed his head and bit back a retort, “If you’d be so kind.”

“I am Master Ben, a Master in the Mage Circle,” the younger man replied with an upturned nose.

“It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance,” Toni responded as was prudent, but it was all he could do not to punch the Master in the face. He was hoping that by restarting the conversation his desire to strangle the Master would abate, but since he already knew what Master Ben was going to say, his feelings hadn’t altered in the slightest.

“Why don’t we skip this nonsense? I know you understood my orders the first time, Toni. You may not be much, but I’m sure you at least have enough intelligence to follow the thread of a conversation,” Ben countered hotly.

Toni pursed his lips, pleased that he’d managed to get under the Master’s skin. He took a threatening step towards the younger Master and jabbed a finger against his chest. “I will not let you name my children, Master Ben,” he stated.

Ben blanched and stepped away from Toni’s towering form. “That’s not something you can refuse, Toni. The Circle mandated it.”

“They are my children, sir, and that gives me every right in the world to refuse,” Toni retorted and crossed his arms before him, fighting the impulse to launch himself at the Master.

“If you insist on fighting me on, I have no choice but to take them from you. They need to be given their true names so that they may begin their magickal training,” Ben threatened.

“You wouldn’t dare!” Toni spat and magickally called his staff to hand, prepared to fight Ben physically if need be. He wasn’t about to let the pompous Master take his two children. Master Ben may have the upper hand when it came to working with magick, but Toni had fifteen years of experience as a warrior in the battle against the Ring and physical prowess wasn’t something that could be lightly brushed aside even if magick was involved.

Ben arched an eyebrow and started to laugh. “Don’t you think you’re overreacting, Toni?”

Toni didn’t appreciate being laughed at. “Naming my children just so you can control them isn’t something I can take lightly. I don’t agree with the Circle’s teaching methods.”

“True names don’t have anything to do with control. They’re used to keep the children in line, that’s all.”

“It all amounts to control in my book,” Toni replied. He refused to be swayed on this. It was his children’s lives on the line. He’d seen the way the Masters of the Ring had used true names to force their apprentices to fight, and he wasn’t about to let his children be subjected to such abuse.

“I don’t understand you, Toni. We’re all on the same side and yet you’re acting as if I were from the Ring.”

“There’s a simple explanation for that, Master Ben. The Ring is notorious for its use of control against its followers, and I fear the Circle has begun to stoop to a similar methods,” Toni argued and tightened his hold on his staff.

Ben seemed startled by Toni’s words. “The Mage Circle stands far above such insinuation,” he defended, but it was clear by his tone that he was starting to have his own doubts about that.

Toni saw his opportunity. He tossed his staff aside. It bounced off a worn khaki chair and clattered to the ground, but Toni didn’t make any effort to pick it up. He stepped up to Ben. “Are you beginning to see things from my perspective, sir?” he asked kindly, changing tactics. He decided it wouldn’t hurt to play the game like the Circle did. He could look to befriend Ben and then use him to have some kind of pull within the Mage Circle to protect his children.

“My hands are tied, Toni. The children must be named or the Circle will come and take them to the Mountain to be apprenticed. Naming them is the only way you can keep them with you,” Ben tried to explain.

Toni looked around the main room, searching for a way out. He didn’t want to name his children and place the burden of magick upon them so early in life; they were barely ten. “Can I have your promise that if I name them and fulfill the Circle’s demand that no Master will use their name to control them. I don’t want either of my children exposed to control; it’s not ethical. They are perfectly capable of learning to use their magick without being subjected to such a brutal practice.”

Ben shook his head. “I can’t make that promise, Toni. I don’t speak for the Circle.”

“Who does? Master Ben, there hasn’t been a Master Mage for years. If you make this promise, I swear I’ll name the children. All you have to do is convince the Circle that your promise to me applies to all of them.”

“You’re asking the impossible!” Ben protested.

“Hardly. If you and the Circle want Jarod and Morgan named half as badly as you’ve implied, I’m sure you’ll find a way to talk to the other Masters,” Toni replied and mentally crossed his fingers. Ben just had to agree.

Ben’s brown eyes looked hesitantly at Toni’s face. “I can’t make any promises.”

“Then I’m afraid we’re at an impasse, sir, because if you don’t give me your word, I’m afraid I can’t give you mine.”

Ben closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Fine.”

“Fine, what?” Toni pushed; he wanted confirmation.

“I promise that no Master will use either of your children’s names to teach them magick,” Ben’s brown eyes flew open as he spoke.

Toni sighed when he saw anger burning in the other wizard’s face. He’d at least gotten the outcome he wanted this time around, but he’d failed to establish any kind of rapport with Ben that he could use in future confrontations. By pushing for his children’s safety, he’d pushed Ben too far. “Thank you,” he whispered, hoping to lessen some tensions.

Ben glared at Toni and spoke, completely ignoring Toni’s words, “I’ll return about a week from now to begin their lessons. See that they’ve been named and properly prepared by then.” With that, he disappeared, leaving Toni alone in the main room of his home.

Toni closed his eyes and prayed that he’d done enough. He didn’t want his children to be forced into anything, but it didn’t seem like he had much choice. If he didn’t give Morgan and Jarod their true names, the Mage Circle would take them from him, and Toni didn’t think he’d be able to bear that scenario. He’d have no way of protecting them if he wasn’t the one raising them. Toni sighed and opened his light blue eyes. It would probably be best to do Master Ben’s bidding and be done with it. He feared that the more he dwelled on the task before him the more likely it became that he’d end up defying the Circle and losing his children.

That thought motivated Toni into action. He grabbed his drab gray coat off the rack beside the fireplace and rushed out the door, unwilling to waste a moment. He shrugged on his jacket as the made his way down the side road towards the main street of Sillick, his home village. It was already late afternoon and the main thoroughfare was crowded with people as they rushed to finish their business for the day, but no matter how packed the area was, no one got in Toni’s way. The crowd parted before him, but their desire to clear a path didn’t stem from any respectful reasons. They wanted to get away from him because of his reputation. He was one of them, a magick user loyal to the Mage Circle and its magick rather than the Ring’s corrupt Atra Line as was customary in Sillick. As far as the villagers were concerned, that made Toni an outcast, and everyone in the small town did their best to avoid any association with him since they didn’t want to find themselves branded the same way.

Toni ignored the people around him and magickally extended his senses out in search of his son, Jarod. He figured it would be easier to talk to his son first given that they had a much closer relationship than he had with Morgan. Toni even hoped he could avoid talking to his daughter altogether; she took after her mother far too much and the resemblance had begun to get annoying. He found Jarod after a few more minutes of searching and quickened his pace, stopping just in front of the Warriors’ Academy. Toni watched his ten-year-old son playing with his friends for a moment before stepping forward. “Jarod,” he called.

The kids around Jarod took one look at the man approaching them and scattered, leaving Jarod standing alone as his father drew near. A frown darkened Jarod’s face as his eyes tracked his friends’ disappearance. He turned to his father, “What do you want?” he whined.

Toni sighed, but he couldn’t fault Jarod for his anger, especially since giving him a true name would do nothing but draw him even farther away from any semblance of a normal life. Soon people would be avoiding him for the same reasons they fled from Toni. “Would you mind coming back to the house for awhile? I need to talk to you and Morgan.”

“Is Morgan home?” Jarod inquired after noting that his sister wasn’t with Toni.

Toni shook his head and smiled tightly. “I was hoping you’d fetch her for me; she is your twin after all.” Jarod was the only one who understood his uneasy relationship with his wife and daughter.

“Why now, father? I was having fun,” Jarod asked.

Jarod’s father shook his head, “It’s important. I am sorry that I interrupted though. You deserve to have fun when your mother isn’t running you ragged.”

Jarod’s bluish green eyes studied Toni for a moment; he nodded. “I’ll go get Morgan,” he replied and dashed down the street in search of his red-headed twin.

Toni watched Jarod go and hung his head. What right did he have to essentially destroy his son’s happiness? He knew that learning magick under the auspices of the Mage Circle was bound to be painful, but that thought was tempered by the knowledge that once Jarod and Morgan knew magick, he wouldn’t have to worry about them falling into the hands of the Ring, and that was a far more painful option. Toni sighed again and set off at a slow walk back to his house. At least if he didn’t get there too fast, he wouldn’t have long to wait for Jarod and Morgan. This whole situation was starting to wear on his nerves.

Despite his slow pace, Toni still beat his two children back to the house. He stepped into the silence of the main room and dropped his coat over the back of his favorite chair. Then he proceeded to pace up and down the length of the room. His movements brought him before the room’s bookshelf and there he stopped and scanned the titles. After a moment, Toni’s mind fixed on an idea. He summoned his magick book from its hiding place and flipped through the pages in search of a powerful forgetfulness spell. Toni knew little about the more complex magick; he’d focused his studies on practical applications of magick before going off to fight the Ring. He found the spell without much trouble and read through it. A grin split his face; it was exactly what he needed. Toni committed the spell to memory and magickally discarded the book, feeling much better about naming his children. With the forgetfulness spell, they’d never even know they’d been named. He would make them forget to protect them. No one except the Mage Circle would even know that Jarod and Morgan had taken their first step into the magickal world and that was a wonderful thing. The more normality he could give his son, the happier Toni would be.

Toni dropped into his favorite chair with a smile and idly rolled his foot back and forth over his discarded staff. Things were starting to look up after all.

Jarod bounded into the main room a few moments later, panting as if he’d run all over Sillick.

Toni waited for Morgan to appear beside her brother, “Where’s your sister?” he inquired, scooting onto the edge of his chair.

Jarod looked back over his shoulder and groaned. After a moment he turned to his father, “She was right behind me.”

Toni nodded. Clearly Morgan didn’t think much of this little meeting. “We might as well get started without her.”

“Shouldn’t we wait? I thought this was important,” Jarod asked as he walked across the room towards his father.

“It is, and that’s all the more reason for us not to wait, don’t you think?”

Jarod shrugged. “She’ll be here soon. She just wants to act just like mother.”

Toni glared at his son. “Thanks for that, Jarod.”

“It’s true,” the boy replied mildly, ignoring his father’s irritable attitude.

Toni heard footsteps on the porch and got to his feet. “I do believe your sister has decided to join us after all.”

Morgan stepped through the door seconds later and was immediately followed by Katherine, her mother. “What is this all about, Toni?”

“I only wanted to speak with our children for a few moments, Kate. It’s nothing earth-shattering.”

“It is when your very association with them threatens all of my hard work. I want them to be sociable, not outcasts.”

“I understand that. I’m only going to talk with them,” Toni replied, quickly getting defensive. Sometimes his wife’s condescending tone really got on his nerves. Ever since he’d returned from the war she’d been different, and Toni had no idea why. She probably blamed him for being gone when the children were born. Women seldom forgave their husbands for things like that. But whatever the reason, he was tired of it, and if it weren’t for the laws in Sillick and their children, he would have sought to break their marriage years ago.

“I’m afraid I can’t let you do that,” Kate challenged and then addressed the twins. “Go play, kids. Your father and I have some things to discuss.”

Toni couldn’t let this moment pass. What he was about to do was far more important than anything Katherine had done for the children. “You’re not going anywhere just yet; I am going to talk to you.”

Kate settled her hands on her hips and lifted her chin. “What makes you so sure of that?”

Toni stepped up to his wife and seized her wrists, pulling her hands down. “I’m sick of having you treat me like a child, Kate. I’m your husband and the law in Kura gives us equal say over the running of a household. I am going to speak with the children,” Toni said through clenched teeth.

Katherine let out an incensed breath and tore her hands from Toni’s grasp. “You haven’t heard the last of this!” she screamed and stormed out of the house, slamming the door behind her.

Toni rubbed his temples. He knew Katherine was going to tell all of her friends about what had just passed between them and together they were going to make his life hell for awhile. He sank back into the chair and let some of the tension leech out of his muscles. He had more important things to worry about than a bunch of women plotting his suffering. He glanced over at Jarod and Morgan. “Can we talk now?”

Morgan’s green eyes narrowed for a moment before she burst out laughing. “That was sad.”

Toni wasn’t in the mood for his daughter’s mouth. “Come here, Morgan!” he yelled, silencing his ten-year-old girl.

Morgan hurried over to Toni’s chair and crossed her arms before her.

Toni sighed and motioned the stunned Jarod closer. He lowered his voice to prevent any eavesdroppers from overhearing his words since what he was about to say was considered treason by many in Sillick. “Circumstances have forced me to make an important decision today, a decision that will greatly impact both of your lives. As you know, the Ring is hosting an event they’re calling a Round Up which starts tomorrow morning. They’ve styled it as a kind of ultimate exhibition, but the truth is far darker than that. The true goal of this Round Up is to gauge the attitudes of the people of Sillick. The Ring is hoping to set up permanent operations within our village and the only way they’re able to do that is by making sure that most of the population adheres to the Atra Line as they do. This gathering will allow them to test the waters and find recruits. I know your mother has made plans for you to attend, but I will not allow that to happen. Both of you are destined for other things. The Ring and its philosophies aren’t for you.”

“But that’s all there is,” Morgan protested.

Toni shook his head. “There’s never only one side, Morgan. The Mage Circle has long been fighting the Ring and its wayward beliefs for they don’t believe that magick should be used to rule. The Circle has its own philosophy which encourages using magick for the benefit of the people rather than elevating those with power above them. I hope I’ve taught you well enough that you’re aware of the crucial distinction between these two philosophies. I don’t want you to be sucked into the Ring and forced to face their idea of teaching. It’s painful beyond belief and once you’re there, it’s all but impossible to get out. The Ring doesn’t take kindly to deserters. I’m not claiming that the Circle is any kinder, but given their philosophical differences, they aren’t as likely to take things as far as the Ring.”

“What’s your point?” Morgan interrupted.

“I know I got a little sidetracked, but I’m just trying to explain the differences between the Ring and its Atra Line and the Mage Circle and what it sees as the one true path of magick. I want both of you to choose a path that fits you best.”

“Why should I choose?” Morgan continued to object.

Toni sighed. “It’s important because both of you have been gifted with the power of magick. One day you’ll be in a position to influence changes in the world and it would be better for all of us if those changes were for the better. You must think this over carefully since it will guide you for the rest of your lives.”

This time it was Jarod who spoke up. “How are we supposed to choose? I don’t get any of this.”

“I know, son, and I’ll try to explain what I can, but things have begun to speed up here in Sillick as well as in the rest of Kura. If we don’t act now, the consequences could be devastating. That’s why I’m going to give you both your true names today. With them you’ll be able to get a better grasp of your magick more quickly.”

Morgan studied her father for a moment before breaking out into laughter. “You are just as crazy as everyone says. It’s stupid to think that one way is better than the other—they’re two different things! You can’t compare them.”

“You can easily compare them by looking at the end results. People aren’t all that happy when the Ring comes to rule them.”

“What makes the Mage Circle better then?” Morgan retorted.

“They leave well enough alone and let the people govern themselves.”

“Then why is the Ring so strong if people are happy?” Morgan responded and settled her hands on her hips in a perfect imitation of her mother.

Toni paled. He knew right then and there that he’d lost his daughter. Katherine and her steadfast loyalty to the Ring and its philosophy had corrupted her beyond his ability to repair. “I’m sorry you feel that way, Morgan.”

She laughed and turned her back on Toni and looked over at her brother. “I hope you get a brain, Jarod. Father’s spouting gibberish,” she said as she approached the door.

Toni recited the spell of forgetfulness he’d memorized and laid it on Morgan. He couldn’t afford letting her go tell Kate or the whole town about the things he’d just said. It would mean death if the Ring caught whiff of it. Being a supporter of the Mage Circle was one thing; actively pursuing their policies was another matter entirely and would likely be seen as a threat to the persistently paranoid Ring.

Morgan froze for a moment as the content of her father’s words slipped from her mind. Then she continued out the door, still clearly determined to do what she’d set out to do from the start.

“That didn’t go as I’d hoped,” Toni muttered and closed his eyes.

---

For the first few moments after Morgan left, Jarod found himself unable to take his eyes off the door. He’d felt something pass between his father and sister, but for the life of him, he couldn’t place the sensation. It wasn’t like anything he’d felt before. Jarod tore his gaze from the doorway and fixed his bluish green eyes on his father. “What’d you do to her?” he demanded. After what his father had just thrown at him, he figured he deserved some kind of explanation.

Toni looked startled when he opened his eyes. “What do you mean, Jarod?”

Jarod took a few steps closer to his father. He may have been only ten, but he knew how to make people uncomfortable; he’d been watching his mother push his father around for years. “What did you do to Morgan?”

His father straightened in his chair and studied Jarod for a few moments. “It was magick,” he muttered.

A coldness settled over Jarod as Toni spoke. He backed away from his father, his eyes wide.

“What’s wrong, Jarod?” Toni inquired, rising from the chair.

“I don’t know,” he whispered and wrapped his arms around himself in hopes of finding comfort. “I feel bad.”

Toni knelt in front of his young son. “What can I do to help?”

Jarod took a deep breath, “Please tell me you were wrong. I don’t want to have magick,” he replied with a shudder. For some reason what his father had done to Morgan had really thrown him off, and he didn’t like it one bit. If magick was going to be such a pain, he didn’t see any reason for having it.

Toni shook his head. “If I said that, I’d be lying to you, Jarod, and that’s the last thing I want to do right now. You sensed what I did to Morgan when such a thing shouldn’t even be possible. Only those who have studied magick should be able to sense when magick is used.”

“I don’t want it,” Jarod whispered and backed away from his father once again.

“I don’t understand, son. What’s wrong?”

“It’s so cold. I just want to be normal!” Jarod retorted, his young voice rising in volume as he spoke.

Toni was clearly startled by Jarod’s words. He closed his eyes for a moment as if searching for something and then addressed Jarod with a sad smile on his face. “The Masters of the Ring have begun preparations for tomorrow’s Round Up; they’re using magick.”

“What’s that got to do with anything?” Jarod asked shortly. He wasn’t in the mood for any more mysteries. His father had already thrown his whole world-view out of whack.

Toni reached out and took Jarod’s hand, drawing him closer. “I believe that you’re picking up on what they’re doing much like you sensed the spell I laid on Morgan.”

“How come I didn’t feel it before?” Jarod cried.

“This is the first time the Masters have openly used their magick and the same really goes for me as well so there’s nothing special about now other than now’s the time everyone’s decided to start using their magick. It’s all right, Jarod,” Toni assured him.

“Nothing is all right, father. You’ve destroyed my life! I’m never going to be normal again. You’ve made me an outcast like you,” Jarod yelled and jerked his hand free from his father’s grip.

Toni dropped his head. “Jarod, I had no choice. The decision to name you came from those more powerful than me; I’m merely the pawn.”

Jarod didn’t know whether he should feel sorry for his father’s position or not. It was hard to be angry with someone who obviously didn’t have any choice in the matter, but there was no one else around who he could be angry at instead and that complicated things considerably since he was furious. He didn’t want anything to do with magick. He just wanted to go on living a normal life like every other kid in Sillick. “I don’t want this.”

“I know, and I’m sorry, but there’s no other option. If I don’t name you, they’ll take you from me and do it themselves,” Toni slipped and told his son almost everything, leaving out nothing but the identity of those who forced this upon him.

Jarod raised his chin and looked at his father as conflicting thoughts and answers ran through his head. He didn’t know what to do. After a moment he took a deep breath and just let the first thing that came out of his mouth be the answer; he had no other way of deciding what to do and accept. “All right.”

Toni gave his son a small smile and took his hands as he stood. He led Jarod over to the chair and sat down so that he was about eye level with the boy. “Jarod, from this moment forward, your true name is to be Kyle, and you must promise me that you will guard it well for it symbolizes your freedom. Should someone learn your true name it is possible for them to steal control from you and that isn’t something I want for you.”

“I promise,” Jarod replied even though he did not fully understand the implications of what Toni had just said. He was only ten and concepts like freedom and control were still foreign to his young mind.

Toni smiled in relief and ruffled Jarod’s light brown hair. “I’m proud of you, son.”

Jarod returned his father’s smile for a moment before something crossed his mind. “What about Morgan? She left before you could name her.”

“There’s nothing we can do about that. She made her choice and you made yours.”

“You’re just going to let her go?” Jarod asked incredulously.

Toni nodded. “She’s her mother’s daughter, Jarod; I have no choice. There’s still a chance she’ll change her mind though, so don’t worry about it just yet,” Toni replied, hoping to ease Jarod’s mind.

“But she’s my sister.”

“I know, Jarod,” Toni said and pulled his son into a hug. “Why don’t you go spend the last few hours of daylight doing whatever you boys do and I’ll see you at dinner,” he added and released Jarod. “I don’t want your mother to get after me for keeping you here all afternoon.”

Jarod smiled at that and ran out the door. Maybe things weren’t going to change as much as he’d feared. He could learn to keep it all a secret and no one would have to be the wiser about the whole matter. At least that way he’d be able to have a normal life.