How to Hunt a Menacing Magical Shadow

by Christine Schulz

  Daphne pulled her laptop closer, like a frightened child clutching a teddy bear. Her terrified eyes kept ping-ponging around the room, waiting for a SWAT team to come out of nowhere and take her out.

  “I’m alone. I just want answers to what the hell is going on.” I raised my paper cup to take a sip of the piping hot coffee and immediately burnt my tongue, so I discreetly spit it back out into the cup. She noticed, and quickly adjusted her glasses while averting her gaze to the table hoping I didn’t catch on.

  “I, uh, I have nothing to talk about.” She peeked out of the corner of her eye toward the front door, probably calculating her odds of a successful escape.

  “No, seriously, I just want to talk. I heard Nolan say your last name was Canmore. You know I didn’t kill her, right? I had nothing to do with any of it.”

  She nervously clicked her laptop shut, embarrassment bubbling to her hollow cheeks tinting them a pale pink. “I don’t think I should be talking about this. I’m just gonna go.” She reached for the gray laptop bag leaning against the chair.

  “But you want to talk, don’t you?” I provoked. “I’m just trying to figure out what he’s up to. And why he’s targeting me. You know, don’t you? What’s he forcing you to do?”

  She hesitated for a moment, leaving the bag on the floor and suddenly finding extreme fascination with her fingers. She fidgeted with them as she continued avoiding eye contact. One night about two weeks ago I was watching the news for any breaking information regarding the Obsession Killer, when I heard a story about Daphne replacing her aunt as CEO of Arcane Enterprises. I thought I could use her knowledge to my advantage.

  “Maybe you can answer me this question instead. It’s been bugging me for a while now...how does magic work?”

  “Huh? What? I...I can’t possibly answer that.” She swiped a quick glance at me before frowning at her inability to answer the question. The properties of magic were still uncertain to us, but as the newest CEO, you’d expect she’d be able to answer the question to some extent.

  “I’m just curious. How do we create new magic objects? How do we spell them in the first place? Don’t you have to see magic to create a new spell?”

  “I...I don’t know! I’m not as good with magic like my aunt was. But you don’t need to see magic energy to spell an object. Although, come to think of it, it would save us a lot of trouble. We experiment with magic powders and liquids. The right ratio yields different effects. But if it’s not exact, then the result could be, um, not what you expected. It’s a very similar process to any science experiment. Trial and error.”

  It was just like Eli had explained. If the spell isn’t cast perfectly, unwelcomed effects follow.

  “But then who spells the magic powders?”

  “That’s, uh, that’s private information. I...I don’t want to be responsible for revealing my company’s secrets my first month on the job.” She paused for a moment, opening her mouth to say something before closing it again.

  “It’s a 3D printer,” she finally blurted out. She clasped her hands to her mouth at the sudden unexpected outburst of information. “Shoot. I really shouldn’t have said that.”

  “Your secret’s safe with me.” I gave her a reassuring wink which only embarrassed her even more than she already was.

  Hm. A machine. I wondered how different it was from the one Eli used. With his civilization being much more advanced with magic, he probably had thousands more predetermined spells than we do.

  I knew if I kept pressing her for information, she’d eventually cave and answer. But the shy woman was already uncomfortable so I didn’t push her any further.

  An awkward silence lingered in the air. I tried to think of something to keep the conversation going, but Daphne continued speaking on her own.

  “Um, I...I know you didn’t do it. It was Nolan. He killed her.” Her gentle voice was barely a whisper, but her hostility toward Nolan was sharper than a razor blade.

  This is good news! I thought to myself. If she knew he did it, maybe she could clear my name! But there was still one thing I needed to confirm first. “If you knew he did it, why are you working with him?”

  She let out a deep exhale, her hands trembling as she drummed up the courage to continue. “I...I don’t know the details about this whole thing. Really, I don’t. He doesn’t tell me specifics, just gives me orders on what to do. All I do know is that he approached my aunt about something. A week later, she was dead. My aunt didn’t have any kids of her own, so she left the entire company to me. What could I possibly do? I just graduated college a year ago and now I’m expected to run this multi-billion dollar business.”

  She evaded answering the question, so I asked again. “Sounds stressful. But how did you get involved with Nolan?” Daphne was holding back, but seemed desperate to talk to someone. There weren’t many people out there who she could share her story with. They either wouldn’t believe her or she’d end up dead just like her aunt for saying too much. So, I decided I’d be a set of listening ears and hopefully get some answers of my own out of this conversation.

  “It is stressful.” Her voice started shaking as she began to ramble. “I have no idea how to run a business. Not to mention everyone undermines me. They see me as a young foolish girl who’s going to drive this successful company into the ground. And they’re right. I have no idea what I’m doing. Nolan took advantage of that. He approached me late one night in my aunt’s office while I was having a meltdown. The board was ready to vote me out before I was even in. He said he would help me, teach me all about magic I never knew existed so I could impress them and prove I was worthy of the position. In exchange, I’d have to lend my resources to him. I didn’t even stop to question what he might want. I was desperate. I...I thought maybe he just needed some supplies...to borrow some lab equipment or something for research. I had no idea I was the resource. I’m basically his slave now. I only later found out he killed my aunt, but I can’t back out now. He’ll...he’ll kill me too.” She sunk into her chair and leaned forward, resting her head in the palms of her hands and digging her fingers into her scalp while letting out a frustrated whimper.

  “Hey, it could be worse. You could be living above a bakery with three weirdos from another world and their talking dog because your life is ruined thanks to being framed for a murder you didn’t commit.” I shrugged, hoping to bring the subject back to my problem. I left out a few small details, like how I was essentially cursed and already had one foot on death’s doorstep.

  “You live above this bakery? I had no idea.” That’s what she got out of that? I would have expected something more along the lines of What? Another world? A talking dog? Maybe she already knew about everything.

  Either way, I didn’t doubt Nolan knew exactly where I lived and who I was living with, so I wasn’t afraid of what she’d do with the information. I thought playing the Good Cop role might offer a little more trust and some deeper information, either now or in the future.

  “What exactly is Nolan teaching you?” I asked, changing the subject.

  “Well, he told me that everyone harnesses some kind of magic energy within them. Which, naturally, I thought was ridiculous until he just poofed his way into the lab, snatched some magic serums, and dropped them on my desk.” She exploded her hands in the air like fireworks and continued. “He then told me everyone has different strengths and limitations. So he began training me on how to draw out that latent power hidden inside me...or anyone for that matter. I haven’t been able to get anywhere with my own magic, but could you imagine if I was the first one to figure out how to teach people to control their own magic? But that was just a hopeless pipe dream. I realize now he wasn’t doing that to help me. Everything he did was for his own selfish reasons.”

  “What were those liquids you injected into me?”

  “Um, well, the red stuff is...I guess like a magic steroid. Nolan called it an intoxication serum. In small doses it can help boost your magic energy for a sho
rt period of time, like a steroid. But in larger doses it acts like a drug, giving you a rush of magic energy. The dosage he made me give you was like...ten times the amount someone should be taking at once. I thought for sure you wouldn’t survive it.”

  To be honest, I didn’t. Adrian vanished and Rezith took over. But that was on a need to know basis. And no one needed to know that secret just yet.

  “What was that other stuff you injected before I left?”

  “Oh, that’s a magic inhibitor. Nolan said to most magic users it’s like a toxin, dampening their magic energy. But for us regular people, it could be pretty helpful. If a teammate injected you with it or if you managed to do it yourself, it could minimize the overall effects of an attack or block it all together. Since you already had two super doses of magic steroids, plus whatever Daisy slipped you, I guess it, uh, just ended up evening things out? It was an untested prototype. I was hoping it would just...make you tired and sluggish so you wouldn’t murder us all.

  Things were starting to make a little more sense now. The red liquid gave me magic. It was too much for my Nullifier ability to handle, so I ended up taking a back seat while Rezith stole the show. The second basically leveled it out, removing Rezith’s remaining magic and putting me back in charge.

  This information was more helpful than Daphne probably realized. If Blair hit me with a blast of magic too powerful for me to handle, it was possible my mind could shut down allowing Rezith to take over. Or if Nolan captured me again, he could essentially take complete control over both me and Rezith. Not that either of us would be very compliant. Knowing now that Nolan was connected to my mother, he must know what happened that night. He must be trying to free the evil beast inside me, someone he once knew, to draw on his unimaginable power.

  “I’m, uh, sorry for almost killing you,” she continued, tugging at the ends of her sweater sleeves nervously. “I’m just, uh, not usually a very outspoken person. When I try to voice my opinions, I just end up cowering under pressure and letting people trample all over me.” She shifted uncomfortably in her chair and bit the edge of her pencil thin lips.

  “Well, sounds like something you need to work on if you’re going to be the successful new CEO of Arcane Enterprises. Thanks for sharing this information. I appreciate it.”

  “It’s the least I can do for torturing and nearly killing you.”

  I let out an amused chuckle. “Ha! Don’t worry about it. I’m already dead.”

  “Huh?”

  I rose from my chair and nodded at Daphne. “Well, good luck! If shit gets real, I hope you know that you can come to me for help. I’m not evil.” I wanted to free Daphne from the restraints Nolan had placed on her, but I didn’t know how. I was a sucker for helping people in need and she definitely needed help.

  I forced a sheepish grin to my mouth and pointed a finger to the ceiling. “You know where to find me. Second floor. Plus, I’m sure we’ll be seeing each other again eventually. Hopefully when we have Nolan in custody for all the awful crimes he’s committed.”

  I waved to Daphne who gave me an uncertain wave back. I walked out the door shoving the last of the cupcake into my mouth and left her to ponder that confusing bombshell I just dropped on her.

  I clicked open the door to the apartment, and still it was silent and empty. I was getting a little worried. If something came up while I was sleeping, they would have left someone behind, even if it was just Porky. If they all had to go, they would have given me a call by now to check in. Although I could try calling one of them. I shrugged to myself. I was sure they were fine.

  I rubbed my wrist again at the eerie silence, reminding myself I was literally powerless without my watch.

  The loud tapping noise from earlier pierced through the silence causing my brain to split in two. My hands reached to clutch my head and keep it together while I winced in excruciating pain.

  I staggered over to where the noise was coming from. I raised the blinds to see a mangled black bird with ruffled feathers nearly invisible in the late evening darkness. It was pecking at one of the windows that lined the spacious downstairs room. A small box wrapped with string rested on the ledge beside it.

  “What the hell are you doing here? Shoo, little birdy, go away.” I flapped my hand in the air, grabbing the box from the ledge with the other. Somehow, even as an evil ominous bird, Raven’s dark glistening eyes still managed to shoot me that sultry stare she always possessed. The bird sharply bobbed its head in acknowledgement, like it was pleading for me to stroke its feathers or something.

  When I refused, Raven took off and I shut the window to trap the chilly air outside where it belonged. I rubbed my temples, trying to alleviate the pressure building up in my skull from the massive migraine that seemed to only get worse as time progressed.

  I shook the box like a child on Christmas morning. Something jiggled, and I could hear a ticking noise coming from within. This was either going to end really good or really bad. I quickly untied the string and ripped off the cardboard lid. Inside was a long strip of silver metal, a swirling blue round glass circle in the middle.

  My watch! But...why would Nolan give this back? Come to think of it, he did say something about the watch serving a different purpose. He must have done something to it...rigged it to explode maybe. Or tampered with the magic. That could be the only reason he returned it. Like Daphne said, Nolan only did things that benefited him.

  I clasped the watch back on my wrist and decided I just had to go for it.

  “Impetus.” I imagined the power igniting from within. The familiar glowing orange hue surrounded not only my hands, but my entire body. It was like the magic had been amplified. No...I may have been completely out of it, but I distinctly remember Nolan saying any power I had been using was my own. So...what did the watch do? Did that mean this magic energy was somehow mine or...Rezith’s! He had complete control over magic, and with this magic energy I could shape it to whatever I want. Dammit, why hadn’t I figured this out sooner?

  I nervously paced back and forth around the empty apartment, the wooden floor creaking beneath my feet. I always knew I was a bit messed up, but nothing could have prepared me for this. Thinking back, the vibrant colors of the magic spell bombs must have been enhanced by Rezith’s power as a Paramount. I never thought to ask what their true colors were supposed to be. Whenever I activated a magic object, like at the shooting range, a very faint glow would appear. It was faint because my Nullifier ability was holding it back. But now....after all those years of trying to find some kind of magic I could actually use, I found one. Except it wasn’t really mine. Every time I used it I was making Rezith stronger and bringing myself one step closer to death.

  Very good. Your pea sized brain finally figured it out. I thought maybe you had some permanent damage from the accident but it turns out you really are just an idiot. I could hear Rezith applauding inside my head.

  Why...why are you doing this!? I never asked for this! I began angrily stomping around the apartment hyperventilating.

  You didn’t. But your mother asked for my help. And I saved you the only way I knew how.

  I can’t take this anymore! I longed to have the old, boring Adrian back. The one who shut himself in his apartment, who couldn’t use magic, and who was teased for being a useless idiot.

  Although I wasn’t speaking to him, Rezith still heard my thoughts. That Adrian was weak. You are now powerful.

  No...YOU are powerful! I am dead!

  Perhaps. But you must play the cards you are dealt. Harness this power while you can before your mind can no longer function to use it.

  Was I really getting a pep talk from a voice in my head? The one that sentenced me to my own death?

  So you can become stronger while I become weaker? To complete the spell sooner and take over? I may have given up hope of coming out of this alive, but you and Nolan are really starting to piss me off. I will not go down without a fight. I will do everything I can to make this transformatio
n the most miserable experience of your life inside my head!

  Calm down. You’re out of control.

  I was staring at the floor when I realized the orange glow was intensifying. Was I releasing more of Rezith’s power? I pushed my Nullifier ability to silence Rezith. Just like how he used magic to read my thoughts, I thought maybe I could use mine to block it.

  I needed to finally come clean. To tell Blair and Eli what was going on, and let Lizzy know how screwed I really was.

  I quickly scampered up the stairs. I quietly tapped on Lizzy’s door. When she didn’t answer, I opened it. Empty. I crossed the hall to Eli’s room and repeated the process. No one was there. At the end of the hallway was Blair’s room. I approached the door ready to knock, when I noticed the lights were on and the door was already cracked open. Muffled voices spoke from the other side.

  “You saw what he could do in that illusion. His power...that was real. He’s dangerous. We have to do something to...end him. Finish this before we no longer can.” My heart jumped at the sound of the words. The voice came from a lying, backstabbing, black-hearted bitch named Lizzy, who swore to me she wouldn’t say anything without my permission unless I was already too far gone and couldn’t do it myself. Which, as far as they were concerned anyway, there was no cause for alarm.

  “You sure about this?” Eli interrupted.

  Blair’s voice responded. “Lizzy is right. We need to make the necessary preparations and deal with this now before it’s too late. We have to prepare to kill him.”

  My stomach sank into a bottomless pit of despair and I clenched my fists and teeth ready to storm in there unleashing my wrath. I couldn’t tell if I was more upset she went behind my back or angry at myself for believing she wouldn’t. Raven warned me to stay away from them. She was right all this time. That must mean Nolan knew something I didn’t. The question surfaced again...who was the real bad guy here?

  The wretched pain of solitude dominated my heart, clinging to every thread of emotion that wove through it. That feeling of being abandoned again, betrayal, was a burning fire in my soul that never truly extinguished. The weight it brought down onto my shoulders crushed any shred of hope I had left. I didn’t have the strength to keep this up any longer. I had been dragged down too many times, and this time I couldn’t get back up.