Free Shade and Sorceress by Catherine Egan

to show her father the portraits of the Shang Sorceresses, but without Charlie it took a great deal of confused wandering through the east wing before they found the right hall. She dragged her father by the hand as he gazed about him wonderingly, until they stood in front of the portrait of Rea. He looked up at the glaring figure of his wife for a long time, in silence.
“I know how she really died,” said Eliza at last, and he put his arm around her. Now, when they were quiet and serious, she told him about the pendant she had to wear, and the siren that had gone off when she first arrived, and how the Mancers thought the Xia Sorceress was looking for her.
Her father listened carefully to everything she said, his brow furrowed.
“The Supreme Mancer told me a little of that,” he said after a pause. He took her by the shoulders firmly then, bending over and looking straight into her eyes. “I didn’t want any of this for you, Eliza. Neither did your mother. But it’s happened now, and we just have to be strong and deal with it. And the truth is, they’re probably right that you’re safer with them. I don’t understand them and I don’t much like them, but I know they want no harm to come to you, and they have the power to keep you safe. More than I do.” He looked as if it pained him to say this last. Eliza leaned into him, not really believing it.
They returned to the kitchen for supper and Missus Ash served up a pot roast. Rom had brought a little magnetic chess set with him and they played a game at the table after their meal. Neither of them played well and Eliza won.
When they had finished the game and were sipping hot cocoa, Rom said seriously, “They won’t let me stay, Eliza. I asked, but they don’t want me here. They’ve promised I can visit often and we just have to accept that for now. No scenes when I leave, or they might decide it’s too much trouble. I’ll talk to them about you visiting Holburg and the Sorma eventually, but we can’t push them. Not yet.”
“Okay,” Eliza whispered, her heart sinking.
“I know it seems like I just let them take you,” he said, his voice pained. “But I’m no match for the Mancers, Eliza. I couldn’t have stopped them. I wanted to, but there was just no way. It’s important that we cooperate if I’m going to be allowed to see you at all. Do you understand?”
“Yes.”
“Brave girl,” he said, and touched her cheek gently. “So, how angry are you with me?”
“Zero,” she said, and even managed to smile.
~
After saying goodbye to her father, Eliza went to her room and unpacked the bag he had brought. Among a few clothes and schoolbooks were two envelopes. One contained her only precious photograph of her mother, and the other, a letter from Nell. After some thought, she placed the photograph of her mother under the mattress of her bed. Then she tore open the letter and read it through several times, grinning widely.
Dear Eliza,
Your da says you’ve gone to live with the Mancers to learn to do Magic, I cannay believe it, you are so lucky!! You have to promise to write to me and tell me everything about it, this is the most amazing, prize thing that has ever happened. It’s all anyone is talking about on the island, of course, the Mancers and their dragons and how they all knew there was something different about you, when really they nary knew a thing. Did YOU know it, Eliza?? Are ye a witch then? But if so, why is it the Mancers want to teach you instead of banishing you from Di Shang? Your da could nay tell me much, or nay wanted to, and I may well be the first person ever to actually die of curiosity. Lah, Mentor Frist says he hopes the Mancers have better luck teaching you than he did, ha ha, but I spec Magic is a lot more interesting than Arithmetic.
I really miss you. Yesterday and today I hung about with Maddy and Alanah but it’s nay the same. I’ll nay show them any of our secret places and hope you can still come back to visit.