"Yes," Gabe said quietly, holding Desmond's gaze and putting down his glass. His accent was gone. "So can Fletcher. Gordon could ... but he chose not to." He smiled gently, and his gaze shifted to Melissa. "Using magic is a choice."
Her breath caught at the look in his eyes. It wasn't exactly a knowing look, but there was something to the words which tallied with her thoughts just before. About leaving Gordon. About Desmond needing security. About how he chose to let go of his 'childish' fantasies.
Not so childish.
"It's in the family, isn't it?" she said, and her voice was still very, very calm. "Stephanie can do it. Gordon could do it. Desmond ... could do it too, if he wanted, couldn't he?"
"Only if he wanted," Gabe said simply.
Melissa looked at Stephanie. Her heart was pounding in her chest, but she wasn't sure what was driving it. Whether it was anger. Whether it was fear. Whether it was excitement. Maybe it was all of them at once. Maybe it was just adrenaline.
Only if he wanted. And, apparently, Stephanie wanted.
It was, very suddenly, very easy to be okay with that, on a simple level. All children wanted magic. She'd wanted magic. It was just that not every child got magic. Magic was incredible. It was amazing, and exciting, and mysterious.
It was very, very dangerous. Melissa hadn't even known what she was seeing in Gordon's eyes back then, but she did know now, and now it was obvious just what was making things around him dangerous. Dangerous like ... like driving a car.
Melissa could get that. She didn't know anything about magic. She didn't know anything about science, either, and things that people didn't know anything about were always mysterious. Was magic any more dangerous than a bomb?
She didn't know. She didn't much care right now. Because something had been off about her daughter for the past three years, and they'd known it and hadn't known how or why. Because Stephanie hadn't told them. When when she spoke her voice was sharp and wavering, and this time it was definitely caused by fear. "Why didn't you tell us this before?"
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Her breath caught at the look in his eyes. It wasn't exactly a knowing look, but there was something to the words which tallied with her thoughts just before. About leaving Gordon. About Desmond needing security. About how he chose to let go of his 'childish' fantasies.
Not so childish.
"It's in the family, isn't it?" she said, and her voice was still very, very calm. "Stephanie can do it. Gordon could do it. Desmond ... could do it too, if he wanted, couldn't he?"
"Only if he wanted," Gabe said simply.
Melissa looked at Stephanie. Her heart was pounding in her chest, but she wasn't sure what was driving it. Whether it was anger. Whether it was fear. Whether it was excitement. Maybe it was all of them at once. Maybe it was just adrenaline.
Only if he wanted. And, apparently, Stephanie wanted.
It was, very suddenly, very easy to be okay with that, on a simple level. All children wanted magic. She'd wanted magic. It was just that not every child got magic. Magic was incredible. It was amazing, and exciting, and mysterious.
It was very, very dangerous. Melissa hadn't even known what she was seeing in Gordon's eyes back then, but she did know now, and now it was obvious just what was making things around him dangerous. Dangerous like ... like driving a car.
Melissa could get that. She didn't know anything about magic. She didn't know anything about science, either, and things that people didn't know anything about were always mysterious. Was magic any more dangerous than a bomb?
She didn't know. She didn't much care right now. Because something had been off about her daughter for the past three years, and they'd known it and hadn't known how or why. Because Stephanie hadn't told them. When when she spoke her voice was sharp and wavering, and this time it was definitely caused by fear. "Why didn't you tell us this before?"