Chapter 22: The Magicians
Disclaimer: All characters, aside from those who appear on Glee, belong to CP Coulter and appear in her lovely fanfic, Dalton. The basic plot is from Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus. Previous chapters can be found in my masterlist. *** Author’s Note: Well, this is the end (sort of - there will be side stories in the future). Thank you to everyone who stuck with me to the end. :) Every review, every message, every like and reblog (and awesome liveplurks) have been a joy. I’d like to dedicate this last chapter to the one person who has kept me sane through this entire process. She’s been my rock, my plot doctor, my friend and confidante, and still managed to produce the most beautiful AdR art in the midst of it all. Tess (abadgerinthebluebox), thank you so much. You’ve been a joy to work with, and I hope we can team up again soon to create more magic. :) Thank you for all the blanket forts. I love you!
And a big thank you to everyone who followed this! <3 Happy holidays! ***
“I have been surrounded by love letters you two have built each other for years, encased in tents.” ― Erin Morgenstern, The Night Circus
Chapter Twenty Two: The Magicians
John had always kept a secret, one that he’d never willingly told anyone. A few people had unfortunately guessed, but he never revealed it himself. He’d struggled to hide it his entire life, fought to not give in to the temptation that had gnawed at him all these years when his studies became too heavy to handle. It would have been ridiculous, after being taught so meticulously by his own father, to abandon himself to the barbaric instincts that reared their ugly strings whenever a spell was too hard to memorize. Travis had guessed it the first time they touched — collided, rather, in a baseball field in secondary school. He’d never really forgiven the director since. He took in a deep breath and closed his eyes, letting his feet — definitely not his feelings, he had to remind himself — guide him to the large, grotesque tent outside the circus. It had “rebellious teenagers” written all over it, from the size to the insolence that tainted Julian Larson’s careless magic… Not that John could feel magic, he reminded himself sharply as he stomped toward the tent. When he stepped inside the miscellaneous tent, he froze in utter surprise when he saw its contents. The tent still had the crashing waterfalls from Julian and Logan’s first time in the tent, but the rest resembled the circus outside. Although, John observed as he peered a bit closer, there were some tents missing, and everything had subtly been moved around. There was only one patron within. The blond cleared his throat, forcing the disappointment and anger from his voice as he slowly called, “Hello, Travis.” The director turned around, both hands still tucked in his pockets. He then grinned and waved the politician over, before he returned his attention to the magic pervading the tent. “Hello, John. It’s good to see you.” Growling, the blond crossed his arms and stopped a few feet away from the other man. The pair fell silent as they studied the mishmash of magic surrounding them — John struggled not to ponder on how Logan’s spells were emanating a disgustingly happy aura — and the blond waited patiently for Travis to rub his victory in his face. “Your son has done well,” Travis congratulated instead, studying the object nearest to them. He ran a hand over its surface, smiling in delight. “He controls his magic as well as you do.” John shifted his eyes to the table in front of them. It was an exact replica of the Hatter’s Table in front of the circus, but the spells had been reversed. Julian had created the table, Logan the saucers, Julian the enchantment inside the cups, and Logan the floral centerpiece. John saw the soft signature silvery glow of his son’s spells on the objects he had created, so he only assumed that the faint golden tone on the rest was the actor’s. “I,” coldly replied the politician, “do not have a son, as far as I am concerned. He made his intentions clear when he destroyed the tent I told him to create, and then chose to give in to these base instincts your kind glorifies.” Travis snorted. “You hypocrite.” He was smiling brightly at John despite the dark bags sinking under his eyes and the wrinkles on his face. “You are upset because Logan used his feelings to break the spell we had put on the boys. He only used what genetics gave him, John Wright. As a birth magician, you—” “Shut up!” John turned his back from Travis. “I’ve never used… that. My father taught me every spell I know.” “You mean to say that he beat you until you could repeat any spell you could have just summoned with a bit of practice?” Travis’s voice held no derision; in fact, his eyes were misty with regret. Both men remembered their years as schoolboys, when John would show up with bruises covering his body and hurt-filled eyes after a weekend home. There was a long line of Wright men who excelled in education; when Logan’s grandmother had admitted, after John Logan Wright Jr’s birth, that she was a birth-magician, the entire family had kept the abomination a secret. Then, John had spent his entire life struggling to control the intense swirl of enchantments from escaping his mind. As a youth, when the magic had been easier to access, he could throw up from the intensity of the inner battles he’d been forced to endure. When he’d seen Logan show magical aptitude as a young boy, he had immediately erased his memory every time the boy accidentally used magic — with another spell that would stifle the urges that John himself still felt. “My father,” corrected John sharply, “taught me control. I only tried to show Logan the honourable way to use magic.” “It’s a shame, you could’ve been a fearless and powerful magician,” smiled Travis, detecting the sour tone in John’s voice. John waited a few seconds, letting the unspoken admission sink in, before he turned to Travis. Sepia eyes met a steel grey gaze and John asked quietly, “How did you remove the curse from the ring?” “I fiercely regretted sending my son to his death really, really intensely.” A long pause followed that statement, only breached by a dry chuckle. “When I couldn’t find a decent spell within my mind, I turned to the old book of spells you left behind… It was during college, when you would try to convince me to repent from my wild magical ways… and I’d try to turn you to the dark side.” Smiling sadly, Travis looked away from John. “You left behind both that spell and the one Logan used to surrender, all those years ago, without even realizing it. I just needed to amplify mine with innate magic, and so did Logan. This new kind of magic — a mixture of old and new — superseded the ancient spells of our ancestors.” John shuddered at hearing the mention of his son’s loss of control, and he abruptly turned to a dome not too far away. “Why are there tents in here?” “Haven’t you guessed?” Travis sounded amused. “Take some time. Look around!” John turned to retort that he didn’t have time to frolic, but Travis had left, heading for the furthest tent in the back. It was a bit odd, seeing those life-sized tents inside the bigger one created by Julian, but John’s curiosity was piqued, so he decided to play along. The politician entered the first tent he saw. He felt like he’d been in this one before, though. It was very similar to the Celestial Maze, although this maze had a different pattern within. John walked aimlessly, wondering why they needed to copy the one outside, until he turned a corner and his hand skimmed the wall. His vision blanked and he suddenly found himself completely weightless, surrounded by constellations. It was as though his eyes had magnified everything, allowing him to see galaxies and planets he never even knew existed. Shifting his hand allowed him to move in this alternate dimension, and it was only when he stepped away from the wall that he felt the overwhelming sense of wonder take him over, as well as a deep yearning to try touching the wall once more. He was calm, though excited to see more, and realized that those emotions were not his own. After another brush of his hands on the wall, he recognized that this was a subtle variation of the spell inside the Labyrinth of Fury, although this one not only affected his feelings, but also his senses. Combined with Julian’s wild, unpredictable, and now subtly shifting walls, this maze reached an entirely different level of magical talent. The result of their collaboration was overwhelmingly above and beyond what John could do with his own magic. The sadness threatened to overwhelm the owner and he hurried outside, easily tracing his steps back to the entrance. He saw a variation of the Body Enchantments and the Park of Amusement nearby, but only briefly peeked in those. While Julian had added designs that lit up the skin in Logan’s tent, the circus manager had added roller coaster tracks that disappeared from one end of the tent and reappeared from the other in Julian’s. He knew that if he looked closer, he would find more subtle changes, as both boys had seemed set on improving the other’s tents. They had also been set on exploring what their talents could have produced if they had worked as a team from the very beginning. When he entered the tent in which Travis had disappeared, he knew that it was an improved version of the Soothing Station. Travis stood in the middle of an empty dark room, sitting on a stool as he made sparks dance between his fingers. He narrowed his eyes and the sparks turned into liquid, droplets forming a ball that solidified into a glass marble. Travis threw it in the air, and then snapped his fingers and watched it disappear. Afterwards, he glanced down at the ground, longing evident in his eyes. “Is that what it cost you, Travis?” questioned the politician carefully. “Tell me… What price did you pay to remove that curse from the ring?” Travis clenched his hands as he carefully jumped down from the stool. He walked toward the exit with purpose, but paused only when he was standing next to his old enemy. A sad smile slipped on his face as his eyes turned glassy with emotion. His voice raw, he replied, “I would have made a fearless, powerful magician.” John closed his eyes. “Everything?” He missed how Travis only nodded, and then hurried out of the improved Soothing Station. The tent recognized instantly what troubled the individual within — Logan’s contribution to the tent — and personalized one’s healing. When John reopened his eyes, he saw a see-through, blank-eyed Logan staring at him… and suddenly, he knew that he couldn’t give up on his son. It took him by surprise, since he had fully wanted to abandon Logan only a moment ago. A rush of power filled the politician as he realized that this was not over — he could still work with Logan. He believed that his son wasn’t lost quite yet. He assumed that a memory-modifying spell and the famous enchantment to forget one’s instincts wouldn’t work on Logan this time, or any other time, for that matter. He knew the pesky Larson boy would fight for his son, and that was a problem. Julian would most likely remind Logan that he had magical instincts and could learn magic that way. Logan wouldn’t stand being locked away from the world… yet it felt a bit inhuman and melodramatic to think of that option, even for John. It would take a lot of work for the politician to reconstruct his son’s memories this time… he vaguely began to consider wiping the boy’s brain clean and starting over. He bobbed his head in a small nod as he left the modified Soothing Station, his mind skimming over the possible enchantments to keep what was left of Logan’s true childhood memories relatively intact. Perhaps he would also find a way to alter Logan’s perception of anyone who spoke of this competition for the rest of his life — he’d get to work on such a spell the minute they would arrive home, John decided. John pondered how he would approach Logan as he stopped in front of Travis, who had returned to the new Hatter’s Table and asked, “So, what do you think?”
“It’s a waste of time,” John coldly shrugged, his eyes set in Travis’s. “I refuse to fund this ridiculous concept a moment longer. Logan and I will return home to New York and spend some time recuperating from our loss. This competition isn’t over, Travis, since you cheated your way out of it and ruined all the work I’ve done on Logan’s integrity. Perhaps we can find new apprentices—” “You’ll never learn!” A bubble of laughter left Travis’s lips as he shook his head. His hands reached out to grab onto John’s shoulders and he softly said, “John, I lost all my magic. I’m no longer interested in your competitions or your beliefs. Logan will never speak to you again after everything you’ve done to ruin him. As far as the circus goes, don’t worry too much about it; I have enough money left over to keep it going a while and Logan signed the ownership to me last night — don’t give me that look, you authorized him to make these kinds of decisions when this all started.” Since John didn’t respond, Travis then squeezed his shoulders and teased, “I hope you like our sons’ models for the new L’Académie des Rêves! You’re standing in the future of this circus.” The brunet’s hands slid off his old friend’s shoulders as the cocky smirk returned fully on his face, bitterly reminding John of their teenage years. “And, my old friend? Your son and I made a decision together — he gave me the privilege of announcing the good news. John, you’re fired, so please get out of my circus, and don’t ever bother us by coming back.” *** “Is that a bonfire?” Julian asked, looking absolutely thrilled as he hurried down the path. Logan chuckled and followed him happily, the sound of their footsteps soon drowned by the delighted chatter ahead. All the circus employees were gathered around a bonfire that roared a foot off the ground, without anything actually burning. Dwight looked nervous, but he was taking notes furiously in a notebook that he’d taken from Derek’s Library of Secrets. The rest of the performers chattered about various topics as the night dawned upon them — Logan had made it very clear to the villagers that tonight, the circus would be closed exceptionally for maintenance, but in reality, he really just wanted a break. Julian sat by Derek, who was blatantly ignoring him as the medic slept with her head propped against his shoulder. His arms were curled protectively around her and he studied her face intently, looking far younger and happier than he had been before. The headaches that had crippled him had disappeared when the competition had ended. For the first time since L’Académie des Rêves had opened, the heavy pressure of the circus’ magical aura had diminished. Everything felt lighter in some sense, and the stressed hunch of Logan’s shoulders had relaxed. Everyone liked seeing their manager happier, and it made the atmosphere more festive than it had ever been. Logan remained standing. He lifted a hand and waited for the chatter to die down, until he had a few dozens of faces looking at him curiously. “I have an announcement I’d like to make,” he calmly stated, running through the speech he’d rehearsed with a few important men in his life. He knew that his calm nature was a direct effect of Julian’s smiling eyes on him, and he took a moment to wink in the brunet’s direction before he returned to the expectant gazes in front of him. He noticed a few concerned faces, so he decided to ease everyone’s fears right away. He’d tortured them enough in the last few months. “My father has stepped down from his role as owner of the circus,” he carefully lied, before quickly switching back to as truthful statements as she could speak. “Unfortunately, that means that he’s also going to stop funding this place.” The crackling sounds coming from the fire were the only noises that could be heard. Many performers’ eyes dropped to the ground or sought comfort in the equally sullen expression of their neighbour’s. “…Which is why we will most likely all have to undergo another small pay cut,” apologized the blond with a sigh, “for a while, at least, until we can review how much the circus makes per night. It could only be for a few weeks. I won’t hold it against any of you if you decide to give in your resignation.” “Are you closing down this place?” Riley asked as Jake frowned with suspicion. “No,” confirmed Logan, “we were lucky enough to receive a… donation. An anonymous patron is going to fund the physical maintenance of the circus for at least a year, but we might have to completely self-sustain afterwards. As I said, anyone who wishes to leave can do so at any time.” “But it would be a cruel move.” Most heads whipped to Gregory Harvey, who stood up with his back straight. In his best Master of Ceremony’s voice, he called out, “After discussing the possibility with Logan, I have agreed to help manage this circus. Which means that I will be stepping down from my role as master of ceremony.” “Can I do the interviews for the job?” quipped Julian. “We need a woman who c—” “Actually, Julian, I’ve already hired someone.” Harvey smiled above Julian’s head, and the illusionist peered around himself to see his father smirking down at him. Travis was wearing a black and white suit with a very similar top hat to the one Julian used during his own shows, and the resemblance between father and son was striking for most people around the bonfire. The actor’s expression deadpanned and he looked back at both Logan and Gregory. “I am not working with my father. I can’t do a convincing adult show when my father’s around.” Travis’s expression changed as he blinked in surprise. “I thought they’d hired you as an illusionist, Julian. What exactly is an adult s—” “Logan!” immediately whined the brunet with desperate eyes. Logan, however, was smiling warmly at Travis, and Julian caught on rather quickly. The brunet scoffed and crossed his arms. “Anonymous donation my ass,” he mumbled to his father as Travis walked by him. The director only winked and dropped to a seat beside Gregory, who had also sat down. “There was one request from the donor, actually,” Logan called out, a smirk on his face. “He says that the ring business is absolutely ridiculous. My father thought they were an important way to mark employees from clients, but we felt like it would be a good opportunity to say goodbye to past management if we ended that rule.” Logan felt Julian stand by him, and Derek — after carefully waking the medic — soon joined them on his other side. Taking a deep breath, he continued, “My father had his reasons to keep the rings. I can assure you that they were twisted, and wrong; I am therefore making a new rule for this circus… as a way to say thank you to the donor. Let’s get rid of them!” The lie rolled smoothly from his mouth as he reached for his right hand. He marvelled at the ease with which the piece of jewelry left his finger, and smiled when he saw Julian and Derek remove theirs. All at once the trio’s arms arched out, and three similar rings sailed through the air and landed in the fire, disappearing into oblivion. Harvey whooped and was the first to throw his ring, letting it sail over a few people’s heads. His enthusiasm caught on, and one after another, every employee had either placed their rings in pockets or bags, or had thrown them in the fire. Music began to play soon after Logan had stepped away from the middle of the group, and the festivities of the evening returned. No one came to tell Logan they were quitting… At least, until Merril and Spencer stopped in front of him, and Logan lost his smile. Julian and Derek hovered nearby, listening to the conversation that was sure to be interesting — Derek knew the secret, of course, but he still wanted to hear it again. “Hi,” the acrobat breathed happily, reaching out a hand which Logan immediately took to press a kiss on her knuckles. She smiled at him and kept their hands tightly tangled together before she said, “Logan, I hope you don’t mind if I become a bit of a rebel and keep my ring on. It’s got sentimental value.” The blond smiled at his star acrobat and was about to answer in the negative when she lifted her left hand and wiggled her fingers in front of his face. The beautiful golden band with a shiny diamond proudly decorated her left ring finger, and the implications hit Logan immediately. He dropped her hand and turned to Spencer, who was awkwardly glancing at the ground in front of them. “Spencer?” he casually said, approaching the boy. The dark-haired assistant flinched a bit and didn’t answer, but dark eyes lifted uneasily to Logan’s face. Their hands grasped as Logan reached over for his, and then shook it firmly. “Congratulations, Spence… And… I’m sorry for… for how I treated you when we first met.” Julian and Derek snickered in the background, silencing only when Merril glared at them. Spencer smiled back and nodded, and although their relationship would still be strained in the future, the apology had mended a bit of the tension between them. The moment was broken by Merril herself, however, when she screamed in delight, gathering everyone’s attention. In a loud voice, she hurried away toward the entrance of the circus, calling out the upcoming boy’s name. “Reed! Everyone, Reed is here!” Logan met the artist’s eyes, and Reed shrugged apologetically at Logan. An energetic Shane Anderson had bounded away to talk to the leader of the Terpischores, and Logan immediately saw a potential job opportunity arising there. He was pondering the words he’d use to convince them both to join — or, in Reed’s case, to return — the circus when Julian’s arms wrapped around his waist and he kissed Logan’s shoulder blade. “I never said thank you,” he whispered in Logan’s ear, “for letting me win.” Logan’s grin returned on his face as he turned around — he didn’t regret his decision at all. The party roared around them as everyone gathered around the fire, cheering when Travis offhandedly mentioned that he would use his savings to get everyone new stages and props — “Why not?” he laughed loudly — but the two magicians were too lost in each other to listen in. The success filled them with joy as Logan reached down, kissing Julian deeply, and then smiling into the kiss when his employees erupted into applause for them. Thunderous shouts filled their ears as the moment seemed to freeze in time; life finally gave them some happiness, and they soaked it in with relief. Moments later, they pulled apart and went to sit by the fire with Derek, who had returned to his medic. Somehow, they remained silent, even though there was still so much to be said, yet all three boys were happy. At least, they were happy, until Dwight handed a large, sealed envelope to Logan — then, they just became wary. Dwight’s other hand clutched his notebook, and he had wrapped his pentagram pendant around it to keep it shut. The hunter was pale, but looked determined, the intensity in his face caused just a shred of anxiety to spin itself inside the manager’s stomach. “What is this?” Logan asked as he took out the heavy document inside the envelope. There must have been at least a hundred pages, all handwritten. “It’s my full report,” Dwight casually replied, “and a list of recommendations. As I promised you on the day I was hired, I have completed the evaluation. I have proof that something supernatural is happening within the circus, Logan. I’d like to request more weapons to ward off any potential witches, demons, or magicians.” Julian and Logan glanced sideways at each other, and they both smiled. “Of course… Anything you need, Dwight.”
