My day is going pretty good until I get an urgent text from Grace to call her. My heart races, and my breathing picks up as I run to the clearing to call.

I don't even get words out.

"Dominic." Grace cries, and I know something is terribly wrong.

"What's wrong, Grace?"

"Father has become more erratic lately. He comes home in a foul mood and takes it out on everyone. He screams and shouts and blames us for everything going wrong in his life. I don't know, maybe something bad happened at his work."

"First, calm down. Next, do your best to keep you and Evan out of his sight. Go to someone's house, anything. Just don't be around when he's off from work. Maybe that will give me enough time to come up with a plan."

"Please hurry," she begs.

"I'll do my best. I have to get back to training." She thinks I'm training in a job with a security company. Hey, it's not too far from the truth. We just use magic along with weapons.

Grace is still crying, and my heart clenches at the sound.

"Please calm down. I'll think of something. I love you," I say before hanging up.

Rushing back to training, my mind stays on the situation at home and not here. We've been working with swords this afternoon. They're not sharp, but they still hurt.

"Ow," I say and rub my arm.

"What's up with you this afternoon? You've not been the same since you've gotten back from making that phone call," Jonah asks.

It's time to confide in Jonah. Well, just a little.

Hunter and EJ are sparing and I beckon Jonah to follow; walking away from them..

"Why did we have to move away from Hunter and EJ?" Jonah asks.

"I'm going to tell you some things I've not told anyone but EJ. I kind of had to tell him because of what happened after we first met."

He nods his understanding, and we go sit by an oak tree. It's leaves blowing in the gentle breeze that's developed. EJ looks over at us, and I give him a look that lets him know I'll talk with him later. He just gestures his understanding and goes back to teaching Hunter some sort of technique he hasn't mastered yet.

Jonah looks at me expectantly. "Okay."

I go on to explain everything that has been happening at home. He turns red and shakes.

"He's a real asshole. Why haven't you laid him out yet. I'm sure you could."

I look up through the oak's limbs trying to catch a glimpse of the clouds rolling through. When I can't see them, I turn to Jonah.

"My siblings. It's as simple as that. Evan is only sixteen, so he's still under our adoptive father's care. I can't do anything that would make his life impossible, regardless of how bad I want to do it. It just wouldn't be fair to him."

"It's not fair to you."

I take a deep breath in.

"You're a disappointment. Why didn't you join Benjamin & Sons?" Father says.

"I'm not interested in that." I reply.

"You need to develop connections. There are kids there that can be that. Some are kids of my colleagues."

"So, for the most part, you would look good." I dare not chuckle.

"You're such an ungrateful child. Why did I ever let Laura talk me into adopting you?" he says staring out of his study window.

"You can remedy that."

He laughs darkly. "And how do you know what I should do? Well, come on let me know your small thoughts."

"You can just emancipate me, then I wouldn't be a problem."

"And make myself look bad. Like I'm a bad parent. Absolutely not. Whether I want it or not, I'm stuck with you," he remarks and turns his back to me. Affectively dismissing me.

When I leave the study, my adoptive mother is outside in the hallway with a sad look on her face. I ignore it and trudge up to my room. Will I ever be enough?

"Dominic. Hey Dominic, are you there?" Jonah asks while shaking me slightly.

I'm frowning now. "Yeah."

"I'm not so sure. I've never seen you cry."

I reach up and feel the wetness on my face and curse myself silently. One of my mottos: Never show weakness.

I dismiss it. "I'll be fine. I'm just worried about my siblings.

"Do you think talking to him would help?"

"Probably not, but it might take some pressure off of Grace and Evan."

Jonah pats my leg. "They're lucky to have you," he says before standing and giving me a hand up.

When our training is done for the day, I decide to bite the bullet and call my adoptive father. We finish late and I look at my watch and realize it's about the time he would get home from work.

Walking to the clearing, I steel my nerves to make the call.

"Hello, who's this?" The demanding voice of my adoptive father comes over the towers.

"Dominic."

"Why are you calling me?"

I take a deep breath. "Just because I'm gone doesn't mean you should direct your anger at me onto Grace and Evan."

A dark chuckle rings out. "I can do what I damn well please. They're my kids living in my house."

"They are not objects to own."

"Why the hell do you care anyway? Didn't you just leave them here? I suggest you not call here anymore!" he says and hangs up on me."

I walk back to the cabin feeling worse than I did before I called him. Did I make the right decision by leaving them there? Is this the best path for not only mine but my siblings futures?