The Tethering: The Complete Collection

16. Dragon’s Flight

16

Dragon’s Flight

They arrived just in time to check in and get through security. Even through his fear, Jacob found the airport fascinating. What would it look like from high above in the plane? Tiny ants piling into a big bug that could fly? The whole process seemed absurd.

“Shoes,” Emilia said as they loaded their belongings onto the conveyor belt that fed the x-ray machine.

“Huh?” Jacob asked, still focused on a man who had been pulled aside after the metal detector declared him a threat.

“You have to put your shoes through the x-ray.” Emilia rolled her eyes and leaned in to whisper. “And these people would think traveling by magic was crazy.”

“So you could really fly on a broom or a carpet?” Jacob asked in a hushed tone.

“Sure.” Emilia prepared her bag for the x-ray machine.

“So why are we here?” Jacob asked.

“The wind chill is awful, there’s a huge risk of being sighted, and you can’t pack very many shoes,” Emilia whispered back. “Some people choose brooms, but I’ll fly in a climate-controlled plane any day.”

“Claire would hate brooms. No shoes? How ever would she survive the lack of outfit coordination?” Jacob tried to laugh but stopped immediately. The laugh sounded cold and wrong somehow. He watched people being shuttled through the body scanners as he waited for his backpack and shoes.

What would it be like to fly on a broom? He could fly wherever he wanted. No roads or tickets to worry about. He could fly away from the Council. He wouldn’t have to stand trial. He could take Emilia and just go. Find someplace sunny and warm neither of them had ever been.

Aunt Iz led them quickly through the airport. They arrived at their gate just as first class passengers were being called to board.

As soon as they were seated, Aunt Iz handed Jacob a golden folder embossed with the lettering C.O.E.: Persons, Procedures, and Potential Problems. “This has everything you need to know, and don’t worry too much about the details. The most important thing is to be respectful.”

Jacob opened the file and began reading. The first few sheets were filled with pictures of Council members and brief biographies outlining personal accomplishments, family histories, and notable attributes of the land they controlled. Next to each Council member was a picture of their Clan crest. Jacob touched the tree of life symbol by Aunt Iz’s picture before moving on to the others. He counted thirteen Council members in all.

“Do they represent all the territories in America?” Jacob whispered to Emilia.

“Some of the territories are much larger than others,” Emilia said. “It depends on what the population of the area was when the Council was formed. The territories in the east are much smaller in terms of land than the ones in the west.”

Jacob nodded. The plane raced down the runway, gaining speed. The front wheels lifted off the ground, pushing Jacob back against his seat. He didn’t like the feeling it gave him in his stomach. It felt too much like the dread that had already taken up residence there.

He read for a few minutes, moving on to the Procedures section. “What does Hosting Authority mean?”

“There used to be a problem with the different Clan heads trying to take more power than was rightfully theirs,” Emilia said. “One of the problems was who should be in charge of Council meetings, and who should get to host the meetings. Some people would try to host meetings in the most ridiculous places, hoping some Council members wouldn’t be able to find the meeting to vote. The best solution was to always have the meetings in an easy-to-reach place, so they chose New York City.”

“But isn’t that a bit conspicuous? I mean, wizards gathering with so many humans around?”

Emilia shook her head. “New York is packed with so many kinds of people, no one ever notices anything. The next problem was finding a place. One Elder bought a home in Manhattan and said all the meetings could be held at his house, but no one would agree since his Clan would always have home field advantage.

“So all thirteen Elders now have New York houses, and the meetings rotate between them. Helps to ensure none of the neighbors notice a bunch of wizards meeting. And whoever’s house the meeting is in gets to conduct the meeting, and the scribe is also provided from the ranks of that Clan, which helps distribute power more evenly. No one but the thirteen Clan Elders and the scribe are allowed into meetings, not unless they’re part of a trial.”

Jacob went back to his folder. Iz snored quietly in the seat next to him while Emilia read over his shoulder.

The rules for the trial seemed simple enough. Don’t speak unless spoken to. Answer all questions honestly. No human is ever allowed into a Council Meeting. Not even as a witness. Not even if their child is on trial.

“What happens if someone is found guilty by the Council?” Jacob whispered.

“Jacob, that won’t happen.” Emilia slipped her hand into his.

“But if it does, what could they do to me?”

Emilia shifted in her seat, leaning closer to Jacob’s ear. “For minor offenses, the Council can give fines or, in some cases, forced services for the benefit of Magickind. Helping to clean preserves, things like that. For more serious things, they can bind your powers. Make you a Demadais and banish you from magical society. No witch or wizard is allowed to speak to anyone who has been stripped of their powers. Demadaies have to live as humans for the remainder of their lives. It’s different for creatures. The sentient ones rule themselves.”

“But what if you’re accused of something really serious?”

“Then they give you a choice of life imprisonment or death. There are two dungeons in the United States, but only the Council knows where they are. Honestly, most people just choose death.”

“How do they kill you?”

Emilia sat quietly for a moment. “They don’t. They make you do it yourself.”

Jacob’s stomach jolted. For a moment, he thought it was the shock of the idea of the Council offering him life imprisonment or suicide. Then he realized Emilia had reacted to the jolt, too.

The plane rumbled.

Emilia squeezed his hand. “Turbulence. Don’t worry, this happens all the time.”

Jacob squeezed Emilia’s hand back. Maybe it was worth being on a shaky plane if he could hold Emilia’s hand this tight.

With a ding, the fasten seatbelt light came on. The rumbling worsened. Anxious chatter filled the cabin. A small child near the back of the plane began to cry.

Aunt Iz woke with a start.

“It’s ok―” Emilia began.

“No.” Iz unbuckled her seatbelt to get up.

“Aunt Iz, the fasten seatbelt light’s on because of the turbulence.” Emilia tried to coax her back into her seat.

“This isn’t an air pocket, Emilia. This is magic. Someone on the plane is causing this.”

Panic froze Jacob’s veins. “Is it me?”

What if he did it again? What if he broke all the windows? He would kill everyone on the plane. Everyone around him would be sucked out into the abyss.

“It’s not you.” Iz stepped into the aisle. “Someone is doing this on purpose.”

“Ma’am,” a harassed flight attendant drawled as she bustled up the aisle, “you’re gonna need to sit down. The pilot has turned on the fasten seatbelt sign.”

“I am afraid this cannot wait. Please get out of my way.” Aunt Iz tried to move past the woman.

The flight attendant planted herself directly in front of Iz, refusing to budge. “Federal Aviation Regulation states―”

“I need my medication.” Iz pushed past the woman toward the cockpit.

With a gasp, Iz grabbed the seatback in front of her and collapsed to the floor. Jacob tried to squeeze past Emilia to help Iz, but Emilia wouldn’t let him through. The attendant rushed to Iz, calling for the other flight attendants to help.

As soon as the last attendant was focused on Iz, Emilia grabbed Jacob’s arm and whispered, “Stay here and make sure they don’t leave her.”

Jacob didn’t want to stay, standing helplessly hunched over his seat with his head banging on the low ceiling every time the plane dropped. He wanted to help Iz, who apparently couldn’t breathe, or find whoever wanted to take down the plane, but Emilia was already gone.