by T J Kelly
We headed towards the door. I moved to the side so he couldn’t come out from behind his desk without knocking into me. His step hesitated to let me pass, but his eyes narrowed. I tried not to smile, but I didn't completely succeed.
As soon as I cleared the desk, my uncle shifted his stance, and before I knew what had happened, he was in front of me. For a tall guy, he sure was light on his feet. I doubled my pace, trying to catch up, but didn’t quite get there before we hit the door. His movements slowed, blocking the exit so it was my turn to wait on him, and I couldn’t help it. I laughed.
Sometimes, Armageddon was a bigger brat than I was.
◆◆◆
“Sounds intense,” Peter said. We were walking along the inside border to my uncle’s land, hanging out and catching up on the last week. I could hardly wait for him to return from a short mission to tell him all about my conversation with my uncle the previous afternoon.
“Oh, it was. You know Uncle Ged. He’s about as serious as they come.” But was he really? A passing thought about the two of us racing each other to see who could get out the door first made my words almost sound like a lie. But the good kind.
“Well, it was about your parents.” Peter shifted closer and our arms brushed. Warmth and Light radiated off of him and into me.
“Yeah. But it just occurred to me that Uncle Ged teases me a lot more than anyone else.” I didn’t say Chas’s name, but Peter knew my statement included him.
“I was only five when Ged took me in,” he said. “But I can still remember how intimidating he was. Man, he looked like a giant when he pulled me from the wreckage after my parents died. But he was so gentle and kind. I wasn’t scared for long. But yes, he acts a little silly when you’re around. We noticed that right away when you arrived.”
Wincing at the memory of how I fell head over heels in love with Chas the moment of my arrival at Castle Laurus, I latched onto Peter’s statement like a lifeline. “Is that why you guys were always looking at each other? It used to drive me crazy when you would give each other significant looks but never tell me why.”
Peter laughed. We veered away from the border and walked into the shade of the trees. There was a small pile of rocks nearby, and we liked to sit there sometimes.
“Pretty much. Although shortly after you arrived, Ged had a talk with us.” Peter brushed loose pebbles and twigs and dried leaves from the flattest rock in the pile and then gestured for me to have a seat. “He told us to do what we could to keep you happy and upbeat. He wanted to make sure the dark wouldn’t set inside you permanently when you ascended.”
During the Ascension Ceremony, a magician’s nature was set for good or evil - which we called light and dark. That’s when we also brought over the elements we would use to perform magic.
Rectors had always used the elements of Light and Dark, which weren’t in common use because they could affect a magician’s balance, even after ascension. Our clan balanced between good and evil almost equally with a slight tilt to the side of good. We had to work hard to maintain our place in the light. Our control over the element of Dark gave us the ability to vanquish evil magicians in a way no other family had achieved. The struggle was worth it.
I had been especially vulnerable before my ascension. My parents had just died and I was left alone for days before my uncle arrived. Then I completely humiliated myself in front of all the prominent magicians in the City. Darkness still crept across the edges of my vision every time I thought about it and the competition I faced after.
“Does that mean you guys were looking out for me or manipulating me?” I mused.
Peter tossed a few bits of dried grass into the wind and watched them float to the ground as he answered. “A little of both, don’t you think? But if it was necessary in order to save you from the dark, then I say it was justified. And worthwhile.”
He looked so serious as his gray eyes stared down into mine. A shaft of sunlight highlighted his face, and I noticed for the first time that there was a ring of green around his pupils. They were really quite beautiful.
My nerves jangled inside of me. “And that’s how an Irregular works, right? Doing what’s right by any means possible?” I was practical enough to understand their methods, but that didn't mean I always had to like it.
Peter blinked and then shrugged, dusting off his hands as if he had just completed a monumental task. “We have permission to do whatever we judge necessary to get the job done. You ascended on the side of light. Doesn’t that justify the silliness and teasing and fun?”
“If that was all you did? I guess so. I mean, as long as none of it was fake.” I hated the thought that everyone was only pretending to like me. Or had to force themselves to be nice. I looked away from Peter, turning my body until my back was to him.
“Oh, come on. You know good and well nobody can resist you. You’re awesome. I know you know this.” Peter’s voice dripped with humor and intensity, and the corners of my mouth rose in response. He slipped his hand around my arm and gently tugged until I turned to face him again. “Another reason you’ll make such a great agent. You're unstoppable.”
“Ha.” I heaved a sigh and walked deeper into the woods. We spent a lot of time there, mostly because I wanted to avoid the silent field that used to be full of birds. I still had nightmares about how they disappeared in a moment of anger, which was probably for the best. That way I would always remember the consequences of my loss of control. And maybe stop me from doing worse. “I’m not even sure I’ll make a good agent. Uncle Ged enrolled me in the Irregulars to protect me, but I suspect I'll end up being an agent in name only. Think about how many times I lose my temper or get all moody. How can I be an impartial judge when I’m out on assignment? How will I know if I’m doing the right thing or just throwing a tantrum?”
I caught a slight movement out of the corner of my eye and turned my head in time to catch Peter staring up at the sky as if asking his guardians to send him strength. “Oh, please,” he snorted. “You need to learn to have more faith in yourself. Besides, are you certain you aren’t just scared to face me at practice? Is all this self-doubt really a cover for your chicken-hearted nature?”
Laughter shattered my pensive mood. Yeah, right. I had been taking lessons with Armageddon and Mortem Impii. I was already holding my own when Peter and I faced off. “Dream on,” I said. “In fact, I think it’s time to show you a few of the dirty tricks I’ve learned.” Peter was offering a way to distract me, and I was happy to take him up on it. It was better than feeling like such a fake.
“Whatever, Rector. We’ll see.” Peter shifted his weight and suddenly seemed a lot more threatening than before.
“Ha. Nice stance. I’m so super scared now,” I said, sarcasm dripping from my voice. “But it’s your turn to be the target. So scram, man.”
Peter chuckled. Before I could say another word, he was gone.
“Ready and set,” I whispered to myself as I prepared to chase him down. “Go.”
CHAPTER FIVE
Practice Makes Perfect
I spent the next several hours chasing Peter all over the property. We were careful to stay within the boundaries of the protective spells along the borders of my uncle’s land, but that still left a lot of room to work with.
After a few rounds in the forest, Peter shifted gears and stalked me while I was tracing the spell he set off near the castle door. He was playing the role of the enemy, but he probably shouldn’t have used a stupid Debilitating-skunk spell where anyone walking out would have to deal with it. It was so childish.
On the other hand, the spell required a minimal amount of magic, making it difficult to trace. Peter also used the element of Light to set it off, which was harder for me to track because my affinity was for Dark. It was doubtful any of our enemies would use Light against me since I was a light magician. Nobody knew how Rector magic worked and would never think to use Light when trying to battle against me. But the Rectors were renowned for our abi
lity to control dark magicians, and at some point, one of them might be desperate enough to try it.
In fact, it was almost guaranteed that Chas Taine’s family would do that considering they infused many of their spells with Light.
A bolt of pain ripped through me. I really wished I hadn’t gone there. Thinking about Chas, even peripherally, still hurt.
Shaking off my sadness and frustration with effort, I dug in deep and managed to spot the tiny thread of a pale, sickly yellow left behind by Peter’s spell. I had lost it a while back and wondered if I went the wrong way. Tracing spells was finicky work, but Peter was talented and knew my magic well enough to trick me. It was a real pain. But also kind of fun.
Call me crazy, but I liked challenges.
I skirted the trees until the spell trace led me into the woods. There was a small stream nearby and tons of hiding places. I sensed that spot would be a great place to ambush an enemy so I slapped on a spell to make my skin impervious.
Just in the nick of time. Peter launched a surprise attack using his Air element to blast me with water, creating a miniature hurricane to douse me. I got soaking wet. I should have shielded my clothes, too. But at least the spell helped me stay on my feet.
If a magician successfully found the source of a spell and nullified it, the next course of action was almost always a fight. Sometimes they tried using mechanical magic and threw crystals, or it got physical. And since I was a small female, most attackers would use brute force. Once Peter broke my spell, he played that out.
I should have been paying better attention to my surroundings. My mind had wandered, wondering if one of the indirect magic books I had been reading before I connected to my active magic contained a trick I could use against Peter. Most of the ancient texts had entire sections on counterspells. I still spent a lot of time studying them, hoping to make up for lost time.
Peter swung his leg around and swept my feet out from under me. I snapped out of my reverie as I fell. Hard.
He let out a shout of triumph as he knocked me to the ground. Recalling Mort’s techniques well, I rolled my body over to the side, trying to avoid Peter landing on me when he followed up with several of the tricky moves Mort especially liked. He had trained Peter, too.
My best friend was a better fighter than people gave him credit for. Since Peter’s magic was ultimately controlled by his artistic abilities, he usually stood back from the center of the battles so he had time to draw the marks that triggered his spells. Most magicians thought that meant he was weak because the strongest fighters were always positioned in front. To their detriment. Peter kicked butt.
“Oof,” I said eloquently.
Before I could roll any further, Peter was on me, pushing my arms down and holding them against the ground above my head. Since I was still learning, and training to take out some potentially nasty characters, every practice session I had ultimately led to a fight to the death. Neither one of us held back.
I brought my head up, trying to smash it into Peter’s face, but he was ready for that. It was a pretty basic move. But I really did it to use his dodge, which lightened the pressure on my arms, to free one of my hands and press it against his chest. I dimmed the strength so I wouldn’t actually incapacitate him, but the bolt of power I zapped him with was enough to throw Peter onto his back and knock the breath right out of him.
I climbed to my feet and then pounced on top of him, using gravity to drive my knee down into his solar plexus. Peter couldn’t recover quick enough to dodge the invisible ties I conjured to wrap around his wrists. I also used them to muffle his magic. All I had to do was to keep out of physical range.
Of course, Peter never gave up. He rolled to his side and knocked me down with his feet. Again.
My head slammed into the ground, knocking me for a loop, turning everything watery and wavy. Peter hurtled himself onto my abdomen, his elbow digging into my ribs as he swung his tied wrists up and then back down again, hitting me in the face.
We were practicing, so he barely touched me. But we both acknowledged it as a win. A hit like that from an enemy would have knocked me out. I was going to tell him he did a good job, too, as soon as the world stopped spinning.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
I wasn’t sure if I formed any coherent words when I answered him. Luckily for me, when the game was up, I let my spells drop, and that allowed him to shake off the wrist ties keeping his hands bound. Peter moved his arm and my head suddenly cleared. He must have drawn a mark straight into the mud to work magic.
“Smelling-salts?” I asked, trying to identify the spell.
“Yeah. Are you okay?” Peter pushed himself up so his weight was no longer shoving me into the softened earth near the edge of the stream.
“I am now. Hold still a second,” I said. I placed a hand against his chest and the other into the ground and then pulled a flow of magic out of the Earth, through myself, and into him. It not only healed what I suspected was a mild concussion from my fall, but it also steadied his heartbeat, which was off rhythm because of my earlier power burst attack.
“Okay, that’s a nifty trick. I wish I had a better connection to Earth,” he said.
Magicians could learn to use any element, but most of them only had a strong affinity for one or two. Those were the only ones they carried over with them in their Ascension Ceremony. After that point, they never used the other elements.
“Do you think you can develop an affinity for Earth now that your magic has been set?” I asked. Our ascension solidified our magic and the amount of light and dark within, but I wondered if it really stopped us from developing our powers in other ways.
“I don’t know. I’ve never thought about that before.” Peter stood, then leaned over to help me off the ground. “Have you seen something in your books that would indicate we can?”
I used a tiny surge of magic to pull the water and dirt out of my clothing and returned them to their place in nature. It was only polite to respect the elements, but it also meant that I was no longer wet and dirty. “I think so. Some of my studies are a blur from when I was cramming so hard, but I’m going back and rereading most of the books. They’re so fascinating. When I come across the information again, I’ll let you know.”
I flicked my fingers and pulled the dirt and water from Peter’s clothes as well. He had leaves in his hair, so I stirred up the wind and blew them away.
“Thanks,” he said. He then reached out with his sleeve tugged over his hand and brushed it against my cheek. I guess I didn’t get all the dirt after all. “You ready?”
“Yeah,” I said, grinning like a fool. “That was awesome. Except I need to ask Mort to train me how to dodge your evil feet.”
Peter laughed. He held out his hand, and I placed mine in his. It was a habit we had fallen into while working with magic, and I liked it. Touch made me feel more connected to the people around me even when I wasn’t performing spells. I had been so isolated before my parents died that I appreciated every hint of connection I could get.
He tugged and the two of us launched towards the castle on a wisp of Air. It was a trick Peter learned when he first apprenticed and was the only display of magic he made without drawing a mark. That gave me the idea we could change his reliance on art for spellwork, but I let that thought go for a later time so I could enjoy being pulled along behind him. I loved practicing with Peter. By the end of our sessions, it always felt like I was flying.
◆◆◆
We were hanging out in the kitchen again. It was comfortable and had easy access to snacks. It occurred to me that the cook was never there when I wanted time to myself, but the thought slipped out of my head when I saw the massive stack of cookies Peter had scrounged.
He was on a break between assignments, and I was taking advantage of every moment I could spend with him. There was no telling when he would be sent off again.
“Milk?” he asked. I nodded since my mouth was already full of warm chocolate c
hip cookie. Peter poured two mugs, sliding the blue one to me before sitting beside me at the small kitchen table. “How are the lessons going, anyway?”
I took a quick sip to wash the cookie down. “Good. Things aren’t as frantic as they were before the trials and I’m retaining more. I have so much lost time to make up for it scares me sometimes.”
Peter nodded absently as he thought about my answer. He always made this little grimace with his mouth when he was mulling things over, and I could see his crooked bottom tooth. It was kind of cute.
“Ged will catch you up in no time. You’ll get your shot at fieldwork soon enough,” he reassured me. Except it didn’t. Because I was scared to go out into the field. I wasn’t remotely ready.
“I’m also still concerned about the investigation into the car accident,” I blurted, trying to veer the topic away from my abilities. Or lack thereof. I set the rest of my cookie aside, no longer hungry.
“Why, what’s wrong?” Peter put his mug down and rested his hand on my elbow. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, pulling in the calming influence of Peter’s Light through his touch. Another habit we had formed, to my benefit.
“There’s just way more to it than hunting down the people who are responsible. Because it’s probably the Taines, but they work for others all the time. So now we have to go search out a boatload of leads to see whose idea it was.” I was babbling. Anything to avoid what was really preying on my mind.
“Ged will figure it out. He always does. And then he’ll take care of them,” he said.
Peter was right. It didn’t even matter if the Taines worked on behalf of the Council. Armageddon would punish the people who took away my parents. My mother was his sister after all.
I broke my cookie into pieces, then smooshed the crumbs under my finger. That way I wouldn’t have to look at Peter when I admitted my weakness. I sighed, deciding I couldn't avoid it any longer. I needed to confide in somebody, and he was my best friend. “It’s not just that. I’m upset because I can’t control my magic. The darkness keeps overbalancing me.”