Page 29 of Compass Points
“Rose,” Aiden’s mother replied.
Aiden’s father’s eyes flicked over her as if she weren’t even there before landing back on Aiden. “Aiden, I asked you a question.”
“Yes, Father. I have been. Rose and I were practicing now.” He hung his head again, unable to make eye contact with his father after his poor showing.
“It didn’t look like it. We will ask Mrs. Winter to increase your lessons on the movement of water. I can’t believe you couldn’t call anything to soften the girl’s fall.”
Aiden’s cheeks flush, but he still didn’t raise his head.
“Yes, Father.”
“You should go in now. You have more theory work to study before your next practical lesson.” His parents turned and retreated, assuming that Aiden would follow without question.
He did, only stopping to look briefly at Rose as he passed. His bright blue eyes bore into hers. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Of course, Aiden. I caught myself. It was just practice.”
He nodded as he turned away, chasing his parents up the hill.
Rose dried off and trekked into Mom’s workshop.
“Mom, can I work for a bit?” Rose called over her shoulder. Mom was working on her own project in the corner of the shop. But since the accident when she was young, Mom never liked to be far while Rose worked.
“Go for it, baby,” Mom called.
She picked up an axe blade that needed some evening out and set it to heating. She started working the metal well before it was fully ready, but she had some feelings to work through. She really didn’t like the way that Aiden’s parents treated him. Let alone the way they mostly ignored her.
She’d been working longer than she thought when she felt Mom at her shoulder, watching as she worked the blade into submission, smoothing out the rough edges.
“I can’t figure out what to do with this part.” Rose pointed to the top edge of the blade. There was a unique swirl in the metal, breaking the uniform shine of her work.
“Leave it,” Mom said. “It makes it unique, just like its maker.”
Rose smiled at that. She put her work aside to cool, pushing her wind over the weapon to speed it along.
“Be careful, Rose.” She looked toward the door. “Aiden could walk in.”
Rose paused her cooling wind and looked up at her Mom. “He won’t. His parents called him away.” She paused and asked the real question. “Why can’t I tell Aiden, Mom? I tell him everything.”
“I know, Rose,” Mom said, kneeling to get to eye level with her and carefully reaching out to grasp her shoulders. “I know it’s hard not to share our whole selves with our friends. The thing is, you’re Norden, and everyone knows you to be Norden because that’s what Dad and I are. The Compass Points still have”—she stumbled over her words a little—“outdated ideas about families. They think that Norden should only be with other Norden.”
“But you and Dad are Norden,” Rose said, still not entirely understanding. “We are a Norden family.” Rose tilted her head to the side as she finished the sentence. “Wait, am I not Norden because I have wind magic?” She started speaking faster, panic evident in her lack of breath. “I have water magic too. Water magic stronger than Aiden’s.”
Rose’s hand lifted to cover her mouth at her last statement. Voicing that she thought she was stronger than Aiden, the Norden Point’s son, wasn’t kind.
It was also dangerous.
“You are unquestionably Norden, Rose.” Mom stopped there to let that statement sink in. “You are right, though I hope you know you shouldn’t say it to anyone but family. Your water magic is stronger than Aiden’s. You two may be playing now, but it hasn’t gone unnoticed by his family. You know Aiden’s parents and the very high hopes they have for him.”
“Why does that matter? We’re still years away from the test.”
Each fae had a way for young adults to test the strength of their magic. They were used to help guide a fae to where their power could be most well-suited in society. Rose was old enough to know that the test also told you who you could marry if you were trying to create a powerful fae line. She knew what Mom wasn’t saying about Aiden. His parents weren’t in love the way Mom and Dad were. They had married as a result of their tests. They had matched specifically to make a powerful Norden family, to have a child that could be the next Norden Point.
Of course, they wouldn’t know for sure until Aiden turned sixteen and took the test.
“You know why it matters, Rose, even if you don’t want to say it.”
Rose nodded to Mom. She didn’t like that Aiden’s parents expected so much from him. She just wanted to be able to play with him like normal kids. Instead, he was always getting whisked away to special tutors or practices.
