Sage Harper
1682 Words
A little while later, I stood just inside the door of my father’s study. It was just us and one other man I’d never met before.
"Dreson, lad, I understand ye used magic yesterday," the Sage said, his voice carrying the rolling lilt of a far-off land I’d never been to. His tone was firm yet steady, the kind that made words linger, as though they held wisdom beyond their weight.
Actually, his manner of talking reminded me of Alpha Henry and Alpha Kristopher. Then again, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that sounding similar didn’t explicitly mean they were originally from the same place.
The man was introduced as Sage Harper, but didn’t look old enough to be a Sage. However, the immense power surrounding him left no doubt about his title. He sat across from me in Dad's big chair, his posture easy but commanding. My father sat beside me, silent but present, having left his personal seat to the man questioning me.
"I was defending myself, Sir," I replied. "My friend is going through a lot, and I want to help him. He got really sick yesterday and shifted into his wolf early, but I didn’t know what else to do when he pounced. I knew not to run from a wolf because they’d only catch you and hurt you even more, so I instinctively used a Shield spell to stop him and help us both."
The Sage sat back in the chair, tilting his head to the side as he quietly hummed to himself. "I see. Ye strike me as a sharp lad, Dreson, but what of yer friend and brother? Different creatures, the both of them, aye? Yer brother’s a hybrid, but who’s t’say which way he’ll turn in time?"
"This is about me using my magic, not my brother and my best friend," I snapped. I knew engaging in his goading would only get me into deeper trouble, but I didn't care. There was no need to bring anyone else into my punishment.
His eyes widened slightly, a smirk flickering across his face. "Aye, ye’ve got a point. This is about yer magic—but can’t fault me curiosity now, can ye?"
A heavy silence settled over the room, pressing down on me. In the distance, I could hear Kaden arguing with Celestia. He wanted to come in, but he wasn’t allowed.
I glanced at the Sage. "Can I be excused for a minute?"
"Whatever for?" he asked.
"Sage Harper," Dad said calmly, as if he understood my request without prompting. "I don’t know if you have siblings, but my boys are incredibly close. Please, allow him to go calm his brother."
Shaking his head, Sage Harper replied, "Rowan, the others wouldn’t look kindly on that ask, but seein’ as I’ve got two younger sisters meself, I’ll grant it. Be quick, little one."
"Thank you, Sir," I said, slipping off my chair. I opened the door to leave—and caught something I was sure I wasn’t supposed to hear.
"He's smarter than ye were at his age, Rowan. I remember doin’ this for yer father as well, but his intelligence is truly remarkable," Sage Harper said, his voice steady, carrying an unmistakable lilt.
My father snorted. "He's protective, accepting, brilliant, and he knows right from wrong. He watches his friend's back and defends his brother when Kaden gets picked on, too."
"I worry he won’t be impartial," the Sage said, his expression unreadable.
I turned, stepping back into the room with a glare. "Sage Harper, if someone does something wrong, they should pay the price. I'm not a robot, Sir. I have a heart, and I don’t like bullies. If my brother was the one who hurt someone for no reason, I would tell on him."
His beady black eyes narrowed as he sighed. "Yet ye let yer friend get away with nearly hurtin’ ye."
Through the open door, I felt Kaden’s small hand grab mine, his grip firm despite his size. Drawing strength from my brother’s presence, I said, "That's because I hurt him defending myself. We're even now. He apologized, and so did I."
Surprised, the Sage rose to his feet. "I came here not knowin’ what to expect from one so young, but ye’ve surpassed me expectations. Rowan?"
"He's my eldest, and, therefore, my heir," Dad replied. "Dreson's not trying to cop an attitude, Sir. He's just really defensive over those closest to him."
I watched the man put on his cloak before kneeling in front of me. "Ye’re a unique child, Dreson. I’ve met others whom I had to seal away their powers until the right time came, but yer head an’ heart are in the right places."
Dad jumped to his feet, pale and worried. "Sir, I assure you that I will take all the required precautions and train him well."
"Calm down, High-Councillor. I'm goin’ to allow ‘im to stay as he is," Sage Harper said. All the tension in the room was suddenly gone.
I looked up at him, worried that I might have made him angry in some way. "I'm sorry about my attitude, Sir. I just don't like it when people assume things about others without knowing them. My brother and Neil are my friends. I don't care that they're different than me. I don't care that my brother is a hybrid or that Neil is a Werewolf."
He gripped my chin gently. "An’ this is precisely why I’m lettin’ ye keep yer memories an’ yer powers. With the right trainin’, ye’ll be a fine leader one day."
Wait, I wasn't going to get punished?
"But I hurt Neil with my magic, aren't you going to punish me?" I asked, confused.
He laughed, shaking his head. "Little one, there are many things that warrant punishment, but hurtin’ someone by accident ain’t one of ‘em. Instinct drove ye to use the spell, an’, from what I heard from yer stepmother, it wasn’t an attack—it was a Shield."
I nodded. Then another thought crossed my mind.
"She's my mom, not my stepmom," I rolled my eyes. Gods, why didn’t people get the hint the first time around? It wasn’t rocket science. "She's not a Druid, and she didn't give birth to me, but she loves me and raised me as her own for the last five years."
Laughing, he said, "Ye’ve got a peculiar way of thinkin’, but sound logic all the same."
Kaden squeezed my hand again. Yanking him into the room, I put myself between him and the man in front of me.
Sage Harper's eyes widened slightly. "I wondered why I no longer heard the younger boy bickerin’ with his mother. Hullo there, Kaden."
Gasping, my brother sobbed, "Are you going to arrest my big brother?"
"No, little one," the man replied. He gently pulled Kaden closer, placing two fingers against his forehead, preparing to mutter a spell.
Alarm shot through me. Dragging Kaden from his grasp, I snapped, "Don't hurt him!"
Harper grinned and looked over at my father. His expression was unreadable, but something about the way his eyes glinted made me uneasy—like he was amused, satisfied, or confirming something he had suspected all along.
"Rowan, that question ye asked me earlier about his early acceptance to the Towers?" His voice was light but deliberate, carrying the weight of a decision already made. "Me answer is yes."
I looked at my father, who smiled at me. "Daddy, what's he talking about?"
"Because you unlocked your power early, you are going to be tested early, too. This means Kaden will need to learn how to distance himself from you and how to fight for himself. When the time comes, you will need to leave us for a while. Testing can take days, months, or even years. It all depends on your ability and intelligence," Dad explained.
Sage Harper frowned at him. "Those are an awful lot of big words, Rowan. Maybe ye could dumb it down a little."
Dad shook his head. "He understood perfectly fine, right, Dreson?"
"I'm not stupid," I said, rolling my eyes.
He laughed under his breath.
Turning his grin to me, Sage Harper said, "Then ye explain it in yer own words to me."
"He means that there is going to be a day when I have to leave, but Kaden will still have Neil and the other pack kids to help him out. Can we time it so that when he needs to go learn how to shift into his wolf, I go away? That way, he won't get bored, and I won't be worried about him."
Watching the man's face go from smug to blank surprise, I held back a snicker of satisfaction.
Standing, the Sage nodded to my father. "Dreson is eight if I'm not mistaken?"
"Yes," my father replied.
"I will discuss the testing with the others and get back to ye. Do ye feel threatened havin’ the Werewolf Alpha in yer home?"
Dad shook his head. "Not at all. Henry's just lost his wife and father, and he needs a friend. I offered to assist in rebuilding the pack's houses and gave him a chance to grieve his lost numbers."
"Well, me time here was pleasant and intriguin’. I hope that when Dreson is twenty, he’ll be ready to take on the testing all at once. That is, if I can get the others to agree. Otherwise, he will be required to come and stay the necessary seven years until all the tests are completed. I will see what I can do to get it as close to his sixteenth birthday as possible. Tis the best I can offer right now."
Noticing Kaden's sad face, I poked him in the ribs. "When I go, I'll give you all my toys and books, okay?"
He rubbed the heels of his hands against his eyes and sobbed, "Why do you have to get tested?"
"Kaden, when ye’re older, ye’ll be tested as well," Sage Harper said.
- Writer
