“Hey!” Fear engulfs you as Frank grips you by the throat and grapples at your face. The thought Is it Blackwell? comes to you in a panic. Has he caught Frank and Joe and Taylor, and now he's got you and Robert? Is this the end?
Abruptly, Frank drops you and grabs Robert by the head and neck, to pry at his face. You shout, but that invisible claw you felt earlier slams you against the wall and pins you in place. You can only stare in horror as Robert flails weakly in Frank's grasp.
Then Frank drops him too, and the invisible claw vanishes from your chest. "What the fuck was that?", you gasp with bulging eyes.
"Just making sure the professor didn't double back while we were away", Frank says. "I'm sorry if I scared you, but I don't fuck around. Come on downstairs." He turns.
Robert grabs your arm. "Will?", he says in an undertone. "Who are these guys? I mean—" He gulps. "What are they?"
You don't know. But you're going to get some answers.
--
Joe and Taylor are with Lucy and Frank when you join them downstairs. None of them look happy, though Joe gives Robert a quick smile and a wink.
But it's Frank who takes charge. "First thing, Prescott", he says, "we want to see your notes. And the professor's. And any others you've got."
"What happened at the professor's?", you demand.
"I'll explain while Joe looks over those notes", Frank replies. He is very calm but very firm.
You glare at him, but fetch your bag from your dad's office, where you had dropped it earlier. Frank takes it from you and dumps the contents into his brother's lap.
"Now, what happened at the professor's?", you demand again.
"Nothing happened at the professor's."
"Nothing?" Robert shrieks. He is panting hard, and the whites of his eyes are showing. "Then what's going on? What were you—?"
In one step Frank is atop him, lifting your brother's chin with one hand and staring down hard into his eyes. You start to leap at him—He's hurting my brother!—but something stops you.
No, it's not that invisible hand again. It's not a force field either. It's just that your legs don't want to move. It's like your muscles have turned to unbending iron. You sway and almost topple off your feet.
But as you watch, aghast, Frank bores his gaze into your brother's. Robert stares back with a white face, and his lips work. He tenses all over.
And then he relaxes. His eyes droop, and the color comes back into his face. When Frank releases him, he steps back and blinks a couple of times. Then he smiles.
Frank turns to give you a steady look. "Do I need to calm your shit down too?", he says.
Now your bones liquefy, and you grab the back of the sofa to keep from fainting.
"Who are you guys?" you ask.
"We are the Stellae Errantes", Frank says, "and you and your brother are under our protection. If anyone tries fucking with you, tell them that."
--
So what is, or are, the Stellae Errantes? Joe wants to do the explaining, but Frank tells him to concentrate on the notebooks.
"We're a secret society", he tells the rest of you. "My brother used the phrase 'warlock hunters' earlier. But we're more than that. There's an invisible world, one you've all now had a glimpse of. It's our job to patrol the borders between that world and this one. To do that"—and here might have allowed himself just the tiniest shadow of a smile—"we have to be capable of fighting on either side of that border."
"You— You have magic powers?", Robert asks. He's much calmer since Frank gave him that very steely look, but there's still a stammer in his voice.
"We have prodigies", Frank says. "That's all. Certain abilities that look 'magical'." His lips twist derisively around the word. "But don't let them throw you."
"How did you get them?", Robert asks. He's getting that pestilential, inquisitive look like when he gets interested in your shit.
"We were born with them, but we had to train to use them."
"Who trained you?"
"The other members of the Stellae Errantes."
Joe groans, but buries his face back in the book when Frank gives him a look.
"Does this have anything to do with that school you were telling me about earlier?", you ask.
"We are that school. It's all one thing. It's a training academy for people like me and Joe, and then it sends us out to deal with assholes like Professor Aubrey Blackwell. Speaking of whom—"
"And you'd let me join?", you ask in disbelief. You try to ignore the startled glance that Robert gives you.
Frank's lips whiten. Then he says. "It's not up to Joe or me. But you've, uh, shown certain talents—"
"Proclivities", Joe says from behind the book.
"—that might get you an, um, association with us."
"I don't understand!", Robert whines. But he straightens up when Frank shoots him a sharp look.
"Here's all that you have to understand", Frank says. "A black magician has taken your parents away. It's our job to get your parents back and to stop him from getting you two or anyone else as well. So you are under our protection. Anyway, it's not like there's anyone else you can turn to."
"Way to be diplomatic, bro", Joe mutters.
"We've got an aunt and uncle", Robert protests.
"What are you going to tell them happened to your mom and dad?", Frank asks. "Do you want to tell them that they disappeared? Is that what you want to tell the police? Do you want to tell the police that a black magician used a magical disguise to— This is the best way to tell them, Joe", he tells his brother, who has begun to mumble again. "The sooner they understand it's us or nothing, the sooner we can get onto the job of getting their parents back."
"So what are you going to tell the police?", you retort.
"Nothing. We're not going to stick around to tell anyone anything, and we're taking you with us."
"What?", you exclaim. "Where?"
"Frank", says Joe, "I think Dad or Rick would have something to say about that." His brother shrugs. "But he's not wrong", Joe tells you and Robert. His expression is grave. "You can't explain what happened here to anyone, so there's no point in sticking around to try. The safest place for you is with us, the safest thing to say is nothing, and the best thing for you to do is to disappear."
Your brother sinks onto the sofa. You join him.
--
It's almost impossible to argue with what they say, but that doesn't mean you don't try. The plain fact is that, until you can get your mom and dad back, you are orphans, and both to keep you safe and to spare you the embarrassment of blaming your parents' disappearance on an evil warlock, you are going to have to go undercover.
"It's not going to be so bad", Joe assures you. "You might not even have leave town, and if we can get a track on the professor it might not be for long. But you're going to have to trust us."
But that's easier said than done, given that they don't want to talk much about their "prodigies" or their "secret society." We'll take care of you, is about all Frank will say or allow his brother to say. That's our specialty. He mentions that he reported your family's SUV stolen and that he'll keep your dad's phone ready in case he tries to contact the thing he left behind.As for active measures: Frank explains that they couldn't get in to the professor's house on account of some kind of magical guard dog, but they will return there at daybreak.
"What about Lucy?", Taylor finally asks. "And me?"
Joe jumps in before Frank can answer. "That's a thought", he says. "I'll want to look some more at that mask we took off the golem. We should also gather up all the stuff they have back in that clubhouse."
"I'll go get it", you say, for you like Joe's idea of keeping busy. Taylor says he'll go with you. And Robert says he wants to go as well.
"Call if it looks like there's any trouble", Frank says, and gives you his number. "And be prepared to account for yourselves when you get back."
--
"So what do you think?", you ask Taylor as you pile into his truck. "Are they really on the level?"
"They helped me get Lucy's doppelganger, and they took it apart", he says. "They tried helping with your dad."
"Tried", you growl.
"That fucker was waiting for you in an ambush." Taylor looks past you at Robert. "How are you doing, tiger?"
"Okay, I guess", Robert says. "Considering."
"What did Frank do to you?", you ask him. "Back there in the living room, when he grabbed you?"
"I don't know," Robert says. "He just looked at me. But I felt ... better. Calmer. Stronger." He chews on his lip. "I think I like them, Will", he suddenly says. "Well, I like Frank, at least."
You're not sure how you feel about that. But you're not sure how you feel about anything.
At Taylor's suggestion, you call Frank and keep the line open as you work in the basement pulling the stuff together. Robert's the one who takes the phone, and he cheers up as he talks to Frank about his school and sports. This puzzles you, and you mention it quietly to Taylor. He only shrugs. "Your brother's into football", he says.
"He is?"
Taylor looks surprised. "Don't you ever talk to him?"
You're interrupted by Robert, who hands you phone.
"We've decided to split up for the night", Frank says. "Joe will take Taylor and Lucy back to our place. I'll keep watch at your place with you and your brother."
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