Chapter 22

FORGING FOUNDATIONS

House of Fourteen, Santa Monica, California, United States

“I can’t believe you created this place,” Jack said, his chin in the air and awe written on his face as he stared up at the arched ceiling in the entryway to the House of Fourteen.

“Well, I didn’t do it on my own,” Gen amended, hiding her blush. “And it was all built with magic.”

He reached out and touched the wall covered in the symbols known as the Founders’ language. However, he couldn’t see them because he wasn’t a Royal—one of the families making up the current or previous members of the House of Fourteen. And few could read this ancient language which Gen, her father and the other founding families created.

She was the only living person who could translate the language with one hundred percent accuracy. It held the secrets of how the House of Fourteen was created and protected. And although the council urged Gen to share this information, she’d refused and would continue to. Sharing that information would only create vulnerability, exposing the cornerstone of the magical governing organization.

Rose and London, as demi-gods, had been able to read the Founders’ language. However, that power had disappeared when they gave up their immortality to create balance between mortals and the magical races by having children, offering the antidote to separateness. Rose had started to decipher the language but only learned that the Elders were the Founders and they were immortal, watching from the Land of Chimera.

From there, they made assignments to the various magical organizations. All that information was written on the walls. Some of it had been written by Gen, but much of it was new to her and would have been added after she left 1426 London.

For instance, she didn’t know that as Founders, they would be immortalized and allowed to watch over the House of Fourteen. It made Gen happy to know that her father and her sister were still with her, even if she could never see them again. It didn’t make her sad at all to know that she wasn’t given the opportunity to be immortalized because Gen was always meant to be a dragonrider, not a warrior.

The strange symbols glowed and danced in the air when Gen reached out and touched the wall. The Founders’ language warmed under her fingertips, making her smile slightly. When she pulled her hand away, Jack was giving her a sensitive expression.

“Do you miss them?” he asked, apparently reading the sentimentality on her face.

“My family?” she questioned.

“Well, your family, friends, home or just your time in general, I guess,” he replied.

She shook her head. Then she corrected the movement, toggling her chin back and forth. “Of course I do. But also, this is my time. Papa Creola confirmed that.”

Jack flashed her a clever smile. “I’ve met that guy, thanks to you.”

She chuckled. “I miss my father, obviously all the time. He was my best friend.” Gen paused for a moment, thinking. “It’s weird, because most would have thought that my twin sister, Elizabeth, would have been closer to me than anyone else. However, we were different. She was so…good.” Gen shrugged looking up at Jack. “Anyway, I miss them all the time, but then I’m reminded that they aren’t gone. It’s just that we can only have one-way conversations.”

He laughed when she did, both of them finding this notion perplexing and humorous at the same time.

“It must be weird to know that they are watching you,” Jack related. “Do you think they are always watching…you know, like all the time?”

Gen thought about this for a moment, looking over the walls of symbols, understanding them with ease. The language was very complicated in order to keep it from being translated easily. Finally, Gen shook her head. “No, the Founders’ language here says that their attention is only drawn to events and people pertinent to their roles governing the magical organizations. I’m guessing that a spell was used related to events and their frequencies.” She grinned at him. “So, they don’t watch you sleep or pick your nose.”

He scoffed. “As if. I don’t sleep.”

She laughed easily.

“So there’s a language here?” Jack asked, indicating to the wall.

Gen nodded. “Yes, but you can’t see it. Only Royals can. And only I can read it.”

“Wow,” he mused, looking over the wall lit by firelight from nearby torches. “That’s crazy. It still baffles me that you’re a Founder for the House of Fourteen. Like what was that like, creating…well, this?” He motioned around to the area all around them.

“It was easier than I think you might realize,” she answered. “Back then, everything was so new. It was obvious to my father and me that we needed a way to govern the world of magic. I’ve thought of this often and I believe it was less complicated then. Nothing was established. We simply built a house on a piece of land and created laws. Things are much more complicated now that there are so many people and organizations.”

“That makes sense,” he replied. “It’s like before electricity was invented. When that spark happened, things were simple. But now that we have electricity, all the crazy options of what to do with it are overwhelming. It goes into everything, but it all started with that little spark.”

She smiled at him. “That’s a good way to explain it. And yes, we simply set up the foundation—albeit a very complicated one. But it’s nice to know that all these centuries later, it’s still standing.”

“That’s because you did it right,” he commended, a twinkle in his eyes.

For a long moment, she couldn’t pull her gaze away from his. She didn’t want to. Finally, she was able to pull her eyes off him, although it wasn’t easy—like she’d been locked on him for eternity and years had passed.

Clearing her throat, Gen shook off the heat in her chest. “Are you ready to go find your sword?”

Seeming similarly flustered, he nodded. “Yes, lead the way. I’ll follow you, wherever you go.”