Granny Valentine didn’t waste a second. “It is abundantly clear that he will fall short. My family's stance on this matter remains unchanged.” Her words were clipped, hinting at an European accent.

  The Shins didn’t say anything. The old man stared at nothing, still leaning on his cane.

  Finally, he spoke with words heavily accented. “The art must return to Korea.” That was all.

  “I’ll admit,” Emyrith flipped over a few pages, “You both have a claim. But not a strong one, especially considering the deceased’s original intent.”

  “Were intent determinative, we would not find ourselves here.” Councilor Valentine snapped, “Her practice is –and will remain– marked by certain darkness. To pass it into untrained hands would be tantamount to inviting yet another grave tragedy. What she has left behind, and what his father may in due course leave behind, must be subject to strict control and careful management.”

  “We do not care about the Hallow’s devilry. Only what Miru brought to this land.” The Elder added. “She was Korean.”

  Charlotte Valentine smiled for the first time, and I realized her glowering at me was her way of being nice. “Society Law, dear Taejin, of which even the Baek family is a part of. She took on the Hallow name, forfeiting rights to the Hallow estate, which falls under European jurisdiction.”

  The Elder said something in Korean. It was definitely a curse.

  “With such a strict application of Society Law,” Emyrith spoke up, “The inheritance should pass to Jain Hallow in entirety.”

  “And that same law, in due course, will almost certainly result in his execution when the boy is found wanting.” Charlotte said without inflection.

  “Jin-in-sa-dae-cheon-myung.” Elder Baek said, “The end will be the same.”

  “Then we are at an impasse. I was warned it might come to this.” Emyrith shook his head. “This matter cannot escalate, or the Courts will move.”

  “For this?” Granny Valentine said incredulously.

  “Debts and obligations. Momentum of matters set by Miru before her death.” Emyrith said, like that explained everything.

  “Even in death,” She looked out the window, “The Shin proves to be a nuisance.”

  I wish I had the guts to say something back, but I didn’t. So I stayed quiet. No one came to my mom's defense either.

  Then some smartass blurted, “What’s your excuse?”

  …Who said that? Oh shit.

  Jain Hallow, that’s who.

  Ruth snickered. “I told you I like him, Emmie!” She pretend to cover her mouth with those tiny nubs which were her hands.

  I was glad that Ruth was entertained. Because Charlotte Valentine was anything but.

  “Do you have any notion of the seriousness of this discussion, boy?” Charlotte spat venom, and she did it well, “Your father hails from a line of Diabolists, and even by their standards he was counted among the most depraved. Your mother was no improvement– indeed, she was worse.”

  “She was counted among the darkest practitioners Asia had ever produced, resurrecting an art so abhorrent that it had been proscribed long before the formal study of magic had even begun.”

  She turned her sights on everyone else, lingering on Emyrith then Elder Baek. “Miru Shin did terrible things before the Queens and Lessers stepped in. We are all equally aware of what it took to seal William Everblack Hallow. Given the history of those accursed bloodlines, I fail to see why we are even debating the prospect of allowing their–” She took a breath, “–boy–” That was definitely the word she had in mind, “ –to inherit such unholy discipline. Especially when he is plainly unfit to be entrusted with assets of that nature.”

  The emotion with which the words were delivered had me take a mental step back. This wasn’t mere disdain for someone she thought was beneath her. Just for one second, her composure had broken. I’d seen something like it once before, when someone’s mom found out that her husband was cheating on her with the teacher.

  But a million times more intense.

  My Third Eye stirred at her emotion, overlapping Charlotte’s face with shadowy images. Robed figures in a deserted town, standing against a dark cloud that coalesced into a face. Another image, a man tied to an X-shaped cross, eyes bulging in horror as the torch came closer.

  I hissed, rubbing my eyes at the pain that these images brought.

  “Agreed.” Elder Baek finally said, “Too dangerous.”

  Emyrith was slow to speak, his tone even. “The laws are there for a reason. Miru was a Citizen, and William Everblack Hallow’s status remains.”

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  “There are exceptions.” Charlotte Valentine replied.

  “The moment exceptions are permitted to circumvent the law, the law itself loses its limiting force.” Emyrith said, then, “Unless you two plan to personally escalate this issue.”

  Charlotte Valentine showed her teeth. “The Queens are unconcerned? That the Courts moving might be counterproductive?”

  “Miru was and William is no longer in play as far as they are concerned.” My lawyer said, “Besides, this matter is at best another minor dispute to be settled. They are simply fulfilling their end of the deal to Miru Shin.”

  “Solution?” Elder Baek asked.

  Emyrith separated the paper stack into two files, handing one over to each representative. “Two trials, conducted here in New York, overseen by neutral third parties. The details are listed there.”

  Each of the grandkids leaned over to peek at the paperwork over their grandparent’s shoulders.

  “Hey, where’s mine?” I asked.

  “You don’t have one, Mr. Hallow. You are automatically assumed to be competing.”

  “Oh.”

  It took a long time for the Valentines and Baeks to read over everything. There was a lot of flipping back and forth.

  Realizing that this will take awhile, I took out a book and began flipping through it.

  “Oooh! What’s that?!” Ruth exclaimed. She climbed down Emyrith’s shoulder and stood nearby. “Can I read with you?”

  I angled the pages, so that she could read on. “I’m looking at colleges with rolling admission and deadlines that haven’t been hit yet. I want to apply to a few more.”

  Victor Valentine and Mina Baek both looked at me. They looked like they were about to say something, caught each other’s gaze and went back to pretending to pay attention to their grandparents.

  After about an hour, Elder Baek spoke up. “Does not say what kind of trial.”

  “It will be decided by the neutral parties.” Emyrith said easily.

  “It might well be a trial by combat. You would have us place one of our own at such risk?” Councilor Valentine asked.

  “You are free not to sign, Councilor.”

  Her lips pressed into a thin line. I saw real worry on her face, making her look older. “Victor?”

  “...I don’t know.” Victor replied.

  “Look, the logo for this school is a chicken, Ruth.” I said, pointing at a random photo.

  “That’s an eagle.” Ruth replied.

  “...Oops.” I dragged out the oops, locking eyes with Victor.

  That’s for laughing at my pink backpack. Bitch.

  He definitely got his glare from his grandmother.

  “I’m fine with it, Councilor.”

  Elder Baek didn’t even ask. His pen was already moving. Charlotte Valentine wasn’t far too behind.

  They all got up as one, leaving. Mina’s little blue-dog-leapord thing waddled along, tongue lolling out. I swiveled around to see them leave.

  Victor, the last one, stopped by the doorway. “Hallow?”

  “What?”

  “I'll remember the way you spoke to my Grandmother.” He said.

  I’ve been bullied my entire life. Like, really. One thing I learned from all that… never let them know you’re scared.

  “Bawk.” I crowed.

  He left.

  Emyrith closed the door, and leaned against the wall. “...It seems you are not used to making a good impression.”

  I scowled. “Uh, I don’t think it was possible to make a good impression.”

  He opened his mouth, closed it, then gave me a curt nod. “Point. It seems I underestimated your ability to make barbed statements under pressure.”

  “I didn’t get these spaghetti stains by being the quiet kid. That’s for sure.” I shook my head, “Emyrith… this trial thing. What exactly is it? You didn’t mean a legal trial, did you?”

  “It usually comes about when disputes between practitioners, or other beings, cannot be resolved through talking alone. A contest of sorts, where the participants are tested on their ability to apply their practice across a variety of different scenarios.”

  “Ok. So it’s going to involve this magic thing.”

  “Yes.”

  “Alright,” I stretched my fingers, and Ruth snapped up my book, reading it. “When is it? Maybe I can use this winter break–”

  “Mr. Hallow. The first trial will be on Christmas Eve, and the final trial on Christmas.”

  I froze.

  My winter break started on Christmas Eve. Which was a Wednesday.

  Today was Monday.

  “Sweet baby Jesus.” I swore. "I have two days."

  Emyrith grimaced, saying dryly. “Aptly put. Let's get to work."