Chapter Twelve
"He can't mean to keep me on as Lord Northgate," Connor said, sitting at the desk in the rooms he'd been assigned. "That's just not possible."
The others looked at him as though he had gone crazy. Druce, Nylia, Erlis, Liam -- even Antisha stared with disbelief.
"Why not?" Nylia asked.
"I'm human!" he all but shouted. The servant, just coming into the room, gave him an odd look. The battle had been three days before, and Connor had been increasingly worried. They would be heading back to Northgate soon, and that meant the king would name a new lord before then.
"You need to calm," Erlis said. "Accept whatever happens next. We're behind you, Connor."
"You are Lord Northgate," Antisha said. The others still sometimes looked a little worried to be in the company of the princess. "The situation might change, but I've seen no sign that my father intends to remove you from the post. So you must start acting -- and believing -- that Northgate is in your hands."
"I can barely control the magic," he admitted, though that had been obvious over the last few days. The others were helping, but it was not easy.
"That's no different than what the rest of us experienced when we first felt our own magic awakening," Erlis reminded him. "You remember the trouble poor Rendon had."
That brought bittersweet smiles to all of them. Connor would miss him. For a moment, emotions surged, but he fought it back before he had more than a little flash of light at his fingertips.
"Sorry," he said.
"You are doing very well," Antisha replied.
"This is not what I ever wanted." Connor put both his hands on the desk and closed his eyes, fighting back panic and anger. "I'm not sure it's what I should be doing."
"None of us know for certain. But Lord Northgate named you his heir, Connor," Nylia said. "We intend to honor that choice."
"It may have been that I was the only one there, you know," he said. "If one of you had been there --"
"I don't think that's true," Erlis replied. "I have always thought he was going to name you."
"That's crazy. I'm human."
"If you can learn to control the magic, then there is no reason why you can't hold the position," Antisha replied. The others nodded agreement. "If you cannot learn, then we'll deal with the problem. And yes, that is exactly what my father said."
Connor started to speak. He stopped. Maybe this was something he needn't worry about just now. Control the magic. After all, he hadn't asked anyone if he could be rid of it and just be human again.
Because he didn't want to lose the magic? He'd spent many years wishing he could be like the others. Now that he had the chance, maybe he should work to at least try and understand what it meant.
"We'll be leaving for Northgate tomorrow morning," Antisha announced and drew everyone's attention again. "Yes, I am going back with you. I'll report to my father on everything that happens so you can consider me an official spy."
Connor laughed. "I have been wondering what your official position might be."
"I am Princess Antisha," she said with a lift of her head. "Royal Spy. It suits me. I was always snooping on my brothers and getting them into trouble."
"Good of you to warn us what to expect, then," Nylia said with a grin.
"Well, I don't expect you'll be sneaking extra cookies from the kitchen, but you never know."
They all laughed. The servants went about their work, giving them curious looks. Connor hadn't tried to hide anything from them; it seemed unwise, knowing how the servants gossiped back at Northgate.
The others knew about losing Lord Northgate by now. They knew about Connor, too. Word had gone there as fast as possible.
Conner had to wonder what they were thinking; they had been loyal to Lord Northgate, and while many had always been kind to him, he suspected having a human lord was a different matter entirely.
"You're brooding," Antisha warned.
"He's been doing that a lot," Nylia added.
"I do not brood. I simply think a great deal about the future."
"Implying there is nothing good in the future," Antisha added. "Given that look on your face."
Connor wondered if she had gone quite entirely crazy. He tried to come up with something to say that would help them see the full depth of the problems. Finally, he simply waved his hand in frustration. "I'm human!"
Earlis was the one to pat him on the shoulder. "We had noticed."
"I don't see how you can all take this so lightly," he admitted.
"Most of us have known you a long time," Nylia said with a glance at Antisha who was the only newcomer to the group. "Should we mistrust you?"
Connor looked over at Antisha. She smiled.
"I am a spy. I get to reserve judgment. "However, do remember that we have worked together at a time you had no idea you would be the next Lord of Northgate. My father was especially pleased with how you kept the power of Northgate out of Galen and Ordin's hands. You will get your chance at fulfilling Lord Northgate's wish that you be his heir."
"He should have prepared me. I have no training."
"You have had exactly the same training as the rest of us," Earlis said.
"Except for that rather important magical stuff," Connor pointed out with some frustration.
"And you really think that's what makes a gate lord?" Nylia asked.
"I -- I don't know. You can't tell me it's not important."
Nylia leaned forward, all humor disappearing from her face. Connor could hear the sounds of others preparing for trouble. They still had the problem of Lord Galen lose out there with the trolls and the power of his own gate to call upon.
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