The Reluctant Assassin Boxset

by Thomas K. Carpenter

They shared his worried expression.

  "Is it close?" asked Vin.

  "No. Not yet," said Zayn. "But I feel it out there, like a shiver up my spine. Like someone's watching me from a distance."

  "I'm sure there's some literature about the Veil that might tell us what noticed you," said Skylar, but she looked skeptical since they'd already had a few classes that had touched on the subject.

  "What should we do now?" asked Vin.

  Zayn checked the clock on the wall. It was almost four. "First, let's reapply the protective enchantments on the house. And then let's get some sleep. We've got our first class in a few hours."

  When Zayn was headed up to his room, Keelan found him and put his arms around his shoulders. "Hey, cuz, don't be so hard on yourself. We made it out alive, and as far as we can tell, they didn't figure out who we were."

  "I need to be hard on myself," said Zayn. "That was my fault for pushing us to go so soon. But at least we know who it is. The Diamond Court. I have no idea what Queen Zaire wants with the city of sorcery."

  As they reached their respective rooms, Keelan's forehead rippled with concern. His mouth pinched to a point.

  "Hey, cuz."

  Zayn looked up and saw the faraway expression in Keelan's eyes. "Yeah?"

  "I'm sorry we haven't talked about this summer. I know you've been trying to, but I haven't been quite ready," said Keelan, who didn't seem to know what to do with his hands.

  "It's okay," said Zayn. "We don't have to talk about it if you don't want to. I just wanted to understand."

  "We can talk now if you want," said Keelan, though he looked pained by the thought.

  Zayn weighed the idea before responding. "Another time. It means enough that you're willing to talk about it. I thought you'd been avoiding me. Right now, we need to get some sleep."

  Keelan looked relieved by the decision. "Night, cuz," he said before slipping into his room.

  "Night," said Zayn, staring at his cousin's closed door.

  Chapter Six

  Varna, June 2015

  It's the little things

  The Yakari dirt bike rumbled beneath Zayn as he turned into the Castlewood trailer park, rocks spitting into the trees when he goosed the throttle. He was ready to climb off the motorcycle after the ride from Selma, where he'd bought it from a guy on Trades&Trash. He'd used the money he'd saved from when he worked for the Goon. He figured that after two years at the Academy, he could splurge a little on himself, especially after spending the last week helping Neveah with her food truck.

  Helmet under his arm, he knocked on Aunt Lydia's trailer for a few minutes before giving up. He was about to ride home when Ms. Gardenia walked by with a basket under her arm from the community garden. A few stems of tomatoes were sticking from the basket.

  "Nice bike, Zayn," said Ms. Gardenia, a cigarette hanging from her lips.

  "Thanks, I was sick of walking everywhere in town. Have you seen my aunt? Or Keelan?" asked Zayn.

  Ms. Gardenia gave him a look. She paused with the basket under her arm, pushed the cigarette to her lips, and sucked on it until the tip was cherry red, keeping her eyes on Zayn the whole time.

  "Your aunt moved two days ago. Some of her people came by with a moving truck. She's in the Gardens now," said Ms. Gardenia.

  The way Ms. Gardenia said the word Gardens, he expected her to follow it up with "bless her heart."

  "Thanks, Ms. Gardenia," said Zayn as he pulled his helmet back on.

  The older woman looked upon Zayn with what felt like pity. "It was nice knowing you."

  He wanted to tell her that he wasn't going to change, or that he'd come back and visit her, but Zayn knew that even if he meant it, she wouldn't believe him. The young men and women that went to the Academy and came back to Varna were never the same again.

  On the way over to the Gardens, Zayn wasn't sure if he was more angry or disappointed that Keelan hadn't told him about the Lady upgrading his mother to the nicer part of town. The Gardens was shorthand for those in her favor, which included the family members of her Watchers.

  The wrought-iron gate had a stylized Gardens emblem on the front. Zayn let the bike idle while the chubby guard approached him.

  "Zayn Carter?" asked the guard with a bit of excitement in his voice.

  Zayn looked up to see one of his old classmates, Buford Ash, in a security guard uniform, his face beaming. Buford had tried out for the Academy every year he was eligible.

  "Hey, Buford. How are you?"

  Buford held up his clipboard. "I got a job that keeps me outdoors. Better than sucking oil at the factory. How are you? I heard you're one of the most top students to ever go to the Academy."

  "I don't know about that," said Zayn, switching to his Southern accent. "I'm just trying to survive. I got three more years."

  Buford's chubby face reddened as he leaned in conspiratorially. "Did you and your cousin really kill the Goon? I heard that last year, but I didn't think it was true. You used to work for him and all."

  Zayn's gut tumbled. "No, man. I didn't kill him. He crossed the Lady though, and that was enough."

  While he wasn't telling the complete truth, he wasn't lying either. He wasn't sure why it was so hard to admit he'd been there, but he hated the idea that he was someone who'd taken someone's life. Which he realized was a ridiculous thought considering the Hall he was a member of.

  "You're here to see your aunt's new place, I bet. It's 45 Handcross Lane. Keelan's there right now. Tell them hi for me," said Buford.

  "I will. Good seeing you again," said Zayn, shifting the bike weight and pulling forward as the gate opened.

  The houses in the subdivision looked like they were being readied for a cover shot in Home & Garden. The bushes had been meticulously shaped, the generous sidewalks gleamed as if they'd been scrubbed that morning, and the grass looked like it'd been hand cut with scissors.

  Zayn had never been in the Gardens before but he'd heard the Lady had sent a student to the Dramatics Hall so they could have evening illusionary entertainment in the summer. The nearby golf course was free for those in the Gardens, along with a crystal-clear pool, enchanted to stay cool no matter how hot the summer.

  Zayn left the dirt bike in the front next to a silver Supra, eyeing the new car suspiciously. The doorbell sang a little ditty, and moments later his Aunt Lydia opened the door. He almost didn't recognize her since she was wearing a near-perfect prosthetic that matched her cocoa skin.

  "Zayn," she said, welcoming him in with a kiss on the cheek, which was something she hadn't done since he was about ten years old.

  "Hey, Aunt Lydia," he said, hiding his discomfort. "Nice place."

  She was wearing a new denim skirt and a navy buttoned-down shirt. "I never dreamed this was possible. Can you believe it?"

  She gave a little twirl with her hands up. She looked so happy she could cry.

  "No," he said, and he meant it.

  "I've got a finished basement with a pool table, a Jacuzzi tub, and a closet as big as my old trailer. I'd give you a tour, but I'm headed to the club for golf lessons. Do you think these shoes will work for golf?" she asked, pulling the hem of her denim skirt up to show her white pumps.

  "I think they'll have shoes for you," said Zayn.

  "Oh, good," she said. "Keelan's in back on the deck. You boys have a nice time. I don't want to be late for my first lesson!"

  Aunt Lydia went hurrying out the door. When she was gone, Zayn felt like he was in the Twilight Zone. But he knew he shouldn't be surprised. He'd seen it before. The Lady didn't have such a stranglehold on the town because of poison. She could be generous to her friends too.

  Keelan was on the deck, lounging in a chair with a beer bottle. The smell of BBQ emanated from a grill, making Zayn's gut rumble.

  "Aren't you a little young for a beer?" asked Zayn.

  "If I can kill a man, I think I can have a beer," said Keelan with a wry grin.

  The comment shot right through Zayn, and Keelan's l
ips curled downward. "Sorry, cuz. That came out wrong. Anyway, you want one?"

  Zayn eyed the cooler. His parents had let him try some beer a few years ago, but he hadn't liked the taste. "Maybe another time. I'm headed back to the Stack soon to help Neveah with the food truck." He looked around at the house. "I thought we weren't gonna do this."

  Keelan set the beer down, moved to the BBQ, and opened the lid, spilling smoke into the air. He pushed the hamburger patties around with a long fork. "You said you weren't gonna do this. My momma's suffered enough living in that trailer with that crappy arm. It's not like I'm going anywhere else after the Academy. I might as well make the best of it."

  "But what about—"

  Zayn left it unsaid in case someone might overhear them. The Gardens was enemy territory as far as he was concerned.

  "You know that's never going to work. Even if you could pull it off, everyone would die," said Keelan, his voice trailing to a whisper at the end.

  "We stole the Word, why not this?" asked Zayn.

  Keelan went back to flipping his burgers. For the first time, Zayn noticed there were more than just a few on the grill.

  "You're having people over," said Zayn.

  "You don't have to say it like that," said Keelan.

  "Like what?"

  "All angry. And no, I'm not having people over, but our neighbors invited us. I'm headed there after these are done. You should come. Everyone's not as creepy as you think they are, and there are some Watchers here in the Gardens. They mostly seem like normal people here," said Keelan.

  Zayn squeezed his hands into fists. His face felt numb from anger. As he looked at his cousin, he couldn't help but feel betrayed.

  "They want you to become a Watcher," said Zayn as an accusation.

  Keelan flinched as if the rebuke hurt. He angrily stabbed at the burgers on the grill with his spatula. "They do. But I'm not."

  "If you do, you'll jeopardize everything. She'd figure out what I'm doing," said Zayn.

  "I'll have to join eventually," he said.

  "You've talked to her, haven't you?" asked Zayn, knowing the answer as soon as Keelan flinched.

  His cousin took a long pull on his beer. "I have. She's not what you think she is."

  "Then what is she?"

  Keelan looked at his shoes. "More normal than I expected. She asked about you. Said she can't wait to meet you. Says she has a lot planned for you."

  The whole world went fuzzy at the edges. Maybe it'd been the all-day ride, or the Alabama heat, but it felt like the walls were closing in on him.

  "No," said Zayn. "No."

  Keelan set his beer down. "I know you don't want to hear this, but there's no escaping her. We might as well get on living, because I don't want to consider the alternative."

  A rage climbed out from the depths of his gut. It was like the person in front of him wasn't his cousin anymore, like the Lady had replaced him with someone else.

  "No," said Zayn, gripping his helmet with shaking hands. "I'm not getting used to her. I'm not getting used to anything." He paused, words stuck in his throat that he knew he shouldn't say, but his vision had gone red. "I shouldn't have stopped you in the cave that day."

  Keelan's face drained of all emotion. His mouth curled with a retort, but Zayn didn't stay around to hear it. He slammed the sliding glass door behind him and stalked off to his motorcycle, leaving the Gardens at top speed.

  Chapter Seven

  The Hold, September 2015

  Don't taze me, bro

  They met in a classroom in the Hold; the chairs and tables had been removed and in their place was a circular aquarium. The greenery inside swayed either from a mechanical current producer or the creature inside the tank, though Zayn hadn't seen it yet.

  "Check out all those runes," said Keelan, nodding towards the aquarium.

  Zayn hadn't noticed them at first, but once his cousin pointed them out, he whistled softly. The upper ring of the tank was covered in lighted runes, not through sorcery, but from an electrical source.

  Instructor Konig was nowhere to be seen. The third years stood around, chatting softly, comparing notes about their new living arrangements. No one really knew why they'd had to move out of the Hold this year, but the other teams assumed it had something to do with the mysterious building in the second ward.

  Eddie was moving closer to the runed tank when someone from another team called out, "Stunning strike," causing him to jump and quickly move away.

  "Not funny," said Eddie. "I kept getting aftereffects for days. I fell in the urinal at the Garbage Kings concert when my legs gave out."

  A groan erupted throughout the room along with a general chuckle. Everyone went back to their conversations.

  As the wait went on, Charla called out, "Hello? Instructor Konig? Anyone here?"

  Something the size of a firecracker exploded at the back of the class. Everyone turned to look. Zayn used his imbuement to expand his senses, catching the scuff of leather shoes on the hardwood floor near the aquarium.

  When everyone looked back, a small man in a beige shirt and brown tie with messy black hair and an unfortunate mustache that was too big for his face was standing before the aquarium. He looked like he'd expected a round of applause at his entrance, and when everyone stared back silently his excitement visibly dimmed.

  "Good morning. I'm Matt Konig." He cleared his throat. "Instructor Konig. I'll be teaching Obfusium Magic this year."

  He cleared his throat a second time, followed by a brief, forced smile. Zayn could hear the nervousness in the instructor's voice, which meant he was either a really good actor or had never taught at the Academy.

  Right at that moment, Skylar muttered under her breath, "I don't think he's ever done this before."

  Instructor Konig clapped his hands together. "Since I've never done this before, I thought I'd tell you a bit about myself. I graduated from the Academy in 2002. I've been working in various government positions, including the Federal Bureau of Supernatural Creatures, and as a liaison for the State Department."

  The instructor paused, and once again it appeared he was expecting everyone to be impressed, but no one moved a muscle.

  "It means I helped infiltrate foreign realms," said Instructor Konig.

  "You were a spy?" asked Sofia in her normal breathless tone.

  The class perked up, but he cleared his throat. "Uhm, well, no, but I provided the logistical and magical support for said operations."

  The expectant mood deflated. Zayn knew how hard it was to be a teacher since his father had been one in Varna, so he said in a loud voice, "That sounds awesome."

  Instructor Konig's face brightened. "Thank you, Zayn."

  The fact that the instructor knew his name told Zayn a lot about him. Before every school year, he would watch his father, Maceo, looking over the yearbook, memorizing the names and faces of the students in his class.

  "Today we are going to learn about obfusium magic. Can anyone tell me what it's for?" asked Instructor Konig.

  "Hiding your intentions from magical scrying," said Vin.

  "Good," said Instructor Konig, sounding less nervous. "Anyone else?"

  "Screwing with those know-it-all a-holes in Oculus Hall," said Eddie.

  Instructor Konig raised an eyebrow. While he might have memorized his name and face, this was his first experience with the New Jersey native.

  "Thank you, Eddie. Yes, that's true, sort of," said the instructor as he strolled back and forth in front of the aquarium. "Divination magic can be a powerful protection against those that might harm you. Every government employs them, and most powerful organizations, in this world and others, use them as well.

  "To understand obfusium magic, you need to understand how divination works first. Divination looks ahead to the infinite probabilities and calculates the most probable outcomes. For the best seers, their visions are often likely, but not predetermined. This is the same for prophecies, which are a form of divination."


  Instructor Konig paused, and behind him in the aquarium, Zayn caught a glimpse of shimmering scales gliding through the water on a long body. As the creature swam languidly near the visible side of the tank, the runes glowed more strongly, as if it were pushing against the magical protections.

  "But divination is purely a human magic, or if you prefer, a magic that depends on intelligence, preferably human, or human-like. It does not work on inorganic life as there is no thought, nor does it work on powerful minds like dragons'. It reads intention, rather than the physics of the universe. You can think of a seer as someone who can read the minds of everyone around them, but only about specific things. But minds are fallible and malleable. This is the flaw that obfusium seeks to exploit."

  Instructor Konig stopped pacing, and stood in front of them with his hands behind his back.

  "If you were sent on a mission to assassinate a horrible person, someone who was threatening to kill your family and friends, and anyone you'd ever known, but they were a powerful seer, how would you do it?" he asked.

  No one spoke. Zayn found himself running through the possibilities, but at each turn, he found his reasoning flawed.

  "Anyone? A theory? Even a bad one?" asked the instructor.

  Portia raised her hand, saying, "What if you just tried not to think about it? Using a mind blank spell?"

  Instructor Konig nodded. "A good thought, and it's been tried, but the mind blank too often interferes with the mission itself, and the agent either never tries to complete it, or makes a fatal mistake due to the mind blank."

  "Could you be placed in suspended animation, hidden at the right location, and then reanimated at the proper moment?" asked Marcelo with his face scrunched in indecision.

  "That's a good idea, but placing someone in suspended animation does not thwart the seer. As long as that thought exists, it can be divined."

  There was another long silence as everyone tried to think up new ideas.

  "Aren't there any spells to hide intentions?" asked Keelan.

  "There are, but the more impactful the result the harder it is to hide. Think about it this way," said Instructor Konig. "If you assassinate a leader of another country, how much will that affect that country? And the world?"