by SA Magnusson
“Do you remember anything called a Faraday cage?”
“It sounds vaguely familiar.”
“There is something in the archives to suggest that power used in the right way, and a Faraday cage might be one such way, can contain beings of considerable power.”
“Beings like Kate?”
“That’s what I’m getting at. We know Kate isn’t a mage.”
“I didn’t know that.”
“Well, she’s not. She’s far more powerful than any mage. Her power actually originates from the other side of the Veil, which is why she is actually stronger on that side of the Veil than she is on this side. And yet, on this side, she is still incredibly powerful, far more than most.”
“What does this have to do with the Faraday cage?”
“I don’t know. Either they intended to use it to confine Kate, or…”
“Or what?”
“I’m not entirely sure. Whatever it is involves considerable power.”
We were racing along the street, and I didn’t recognize where we were heading. “Where are you taking me?”
“To your friend Matt’s place.”
“I don’t know how to find it.”
“Maybe you don’t, but I do.”
“How do you know how to find it?” I asked.
“I make it my business to know things, Dr. Stone.”
I laughed softly. “You know, Barden, you can be scary.”
“That’s my intention.” He glanced over at me, grinning.
I sat back, reaching my hand into my pocket, and scooped out some of the coins. “I took these from the operatives we defeated.”
“It’s quite a collection.”
“I know, and it’s nice to have them, though I don’t know what most do.”
“I suspect you will be able to figure it out.”
“I appreciate the vote of confidence, but I’m not sure I share it.”
“You have proven you are talented, Dr. Stone. You helped uncover the key to creating these spells, and something neither I nor my people were able to do.”
“It wasn’t all that tricky.”
“Possibly not, but the same time, it was information we didn’t have. And now we do, it is valuable.”
I flipped through the coins and came across one which had been spent. It was one of the Paralytics, and I focused on it, thinking of my triggering, and sent a surge of power into it, linking it to the coin. As I did, the coin changed, growing slightly warmer in my hand, and the marking on it also changed. It was strange for it to happen like that, and stranger still how easy it was for me to do. Now I understood the key to it, I was able to push the necessary force into it.
“It’s so interesting,” I said.
“What’s interesting?” Barden asked.
“These spells.” I jingled them in my hand, holding them up. “When I learned about the existence of magic and shifters and vampires and all of that, the thing I found most appealing was the idea there were people who could create spells and magic out of nothing.”
“And you are surprised you are able to do this?”
Shrugging, I stuffed the coins back in my pocket, keeping one other spent Paralytic out. It might not matter, but I thought it was helpful to have a few of the triggering coins, even if I had no idea how I would use them. “There’s that, but something else, too.”
“What I was first learning magic, I remember how enthralled I was by the things I could do. Most dark mages begin to develop power at a young age, and I was no different. My talent was in disruption.”
“Disruption?” I asked.
“The spell you placed. That is one I came up with, or perhaps I came up with it again. I doubt I was the first, and I suspect there will be others who feel the same way, believing they were responsible for coming up with it. Regardless, that was my talent. I was able to disrupt Mage Council spells. It made me valuable to the Dark Council, such as it was at the time. There has always been a need to overwhelm the spells the Mage Council places.”
“But you don’t have any specialty now.”
“Maybe not, but partly because I have worked at it.”
I pushed on another triggering spell, sending it through the coin, letting that power loop around until it sealed itself within the coin. As it did, I felt it grow warm, and I watched as the patterns formed across the surface of the coin, and then held it in my hand for a moment before sticking it in my pocket. As with the other, I had little idea of how I intended to use it, or whether there was even anything I could use it for. All I knew was that the ability to trigger would be beneficial. I was curious what would happen if I were to use it. That was something Matt hadn’t been able to answer for me. It was one thing to trigger a spell someone else had created, but it was different, I suspected, to trigger a spell I had created myself.
“I guess I think it’s interesting that these are spells.”
“Did you think it would be incantations and the like?”
“I thought so.”
“There are some who practice that way,” Barden said. “For the most part, the incantations simply help to focus their mind. Magic—at least the way I use it—is a matter of using the necessary knowledge, certain patterns and shapes, and a level of intention. The incantation that is used grants power, but I doubt it would make a difference if I chose different words.”
“None of those types of spells work for me.”
“Which is why you like these.”
I stared at the coins stacked on my lap. “I guess so. It’s just… I guess I was hoping I would be able to use a different power. Perhaps more than what I have now. I was hoping I might be able to do more.”
“Do you think power makes the person stronger?”
I arched a brow at Barden. “You and I both know power makes a difference.”
“What if I told you the power itself isn’t what makes a difference but the way the person uses it?”
“I doubt I would believe you.”
Barden smiled. “You don’t have to believe, not when I do.”
“You’re telling me even if you had my power, you wouldn’t be bothered?”
“Oh, I’m not saying I dislike having the abilities I have. I’m just saying you can use your power in such a way as to maximize your potential. In your case, you have started with triggering. That was the first thing we discovered you had skill with. And yet, as you have proven recently, it isn’t your only skill when it comes to magic.”
I looked up at him, and he kept his gaze fixed on the road ahead of him, but every so often, he glanced in my direction.
“I suppose that’s a nice way to think about it.”
“It’s the only way to think about it, Dr. Stone. We use what we’re given. The moment you start dreaming of more is the moment you start to become like John Adams.”
“I don’t think he’s unique.”
“No. I doubt he’s unique, but he is unique in what he thinks to accomplish with that power.”
“And that is?”
“I suspect he thinks to show he can bring the fight to the other side of the Veil.”
We came to a stop, and Barden looked over at me. “I don’t know what we will encounter here,” he said.
“I don’t either. I tried calling him, but he didn’t answer.”
“It’s more than a lack of an answer I’m concerned about. It’s the fact there is something emanating from here.”
“What do you mean?”
“Feel for yourself.”
I sat there for a moment, focusing on whether I could detect magic, and when I realized I couldn’t, I sent a surge of power through the bracelet yet again, thankful I had managed to get a little bit of rest. Because of that, I was better able to draw upon the necessary power. As I did, I could feel the effect of that magic and the way it was flowing near me. There was something out here. What was it? Whatever it was had some power to it, and an energy that left me troubled.
“Barden?”
“I feel what you feel, Dr. Stone.”
“Why does it have an electrical sense to it?”
“I don’t know. I worry they have uncovered a way of shifting their intention.”
If it wasn’t at the hospital, why here? And I still didn’t know—not really—why the original attempt had been at the hospital. There was something I was missing, and yet… I wasn’t sure what.
“How many of those spells do you know how to use?”
“Quite a few, and even the ones I don’t know how to use, I can still trigger.”
“Good. Unfortunately, it might be necessary to do so.”
16
We climbed out of the car at the same time, and I glanced over to Barden, looking to him for guidance. He was troubled by all of this. Whatever was coming left him uncomfortable. It was more than just whatever was taking place inside. It was his concern about the reason behind it.
Reaching into my pouch, I pulled out a pair of spells. I figured it was safest to use the Sleeper and the Paralytic, and nothing else. They were the ones I knew the best, and the ones I felt most comfortable using. I could use the others, but had no real interest in causing pain to anyone, which meant I wasn’t going to use the Stinger. There were other spells, but I hadn’t the time to experiment with them the way I should have. It meant I wasn’t going to use them, not unless it came down to absolutely needing to.
Reaching the front door, Barden and I hesitated there. It was a low-roofed warehouse, in some ways reminding me of the kind of place Barden kept, and yet this one was a little bit different. The warehouses were spaced farther apart and the light was a little dingier. The road leading up to it had far more cracking, giving it all a lived-in appearance that suggested age. It was nothing like the modern and clean type of warehouse Barden had.
“I didn’t realize it was a warehouse,” I said softly.
“He transported you directly inside?”
“Inside, and then back out again.”
“Those would be useful spells to have.”
“The ability to transport?”
“There are times when transporting takes considerable energy, and if we had a way of doing so with spells which you only needed to trigger, it would be beneficial.”
“I’ll see what I can do,” I said, smiling.
“Maybe I should be the one telling you I will see what I can do,” he said.
“What are we waiting for?”
“The others.”
“Others?”
“Without knowing what we might face, I asked for some help.”
“Who?” That was unusual for Barden, especially so because I knew how much he liked to protect his people, preferring to ensure their safety. He didn’t like the idea they might be put in any danger, and whatever it was we were doing, wherever we were heading, was likely to put us into some.
There came a flash, a surge of cold along my bracelet, and I turned. “Veran? Cynthia?”
I hadn’t seen Kate’s grandparents in a while. Not since her disappearance. Now I knew who they were—and more importantly, what they were—it was easier to view them as her grandparents, rather than as forty-somethings like they appeared to be. I’d always felt it strange when she called them her grandparents.
“What are you doing here?” Veran asked. He glanced over at Barden. “Why did you get her involved?”
“Dr. Stone has demonstrated magical potential,” Barden said.
“Obviously,” Cynthia said. “Otherwise, she would have been motivated to avoid magical users.”
“Wait… You knew?”
Cynthia smiled at me, leaning over and giving me a quick hug. “It is nice to see you, dear, though I wish it were in different circumstances, but yes, I suspected you had the potential to be a hedge mage. It was why you—of all of Kate’s friends—didn’t have any difficulty being around her. Most of the time, magical users find it’s difficult to maintain friendships with those who aren’t magical users. It’s a simple matter of the kind of power those without magic try to avoid.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“If you didn’t have any magic at the time, we didn’t have any reason to suspect you would develop it.” She turned to Barden. “Why did you work with her to ensure she developed this ability?”
Barden frowned at her. “Cynthia, if you had been paying attention, you would have learned I have not tried to work with her. Dr. Michaels offered my services were she to need them, and unfortunately, Dr. Stone encountered a plot against the vampires. It’s the same plot I believe I brought forward to the Council, only to be told it was vampire business.”
Cynthia frowned. When she did, there was something stern—almost angry—about her. It was enough to make me smile. I didn’t know Cynthia well, but I knew she and Kate weren’t nearly as close as Veran and Kate. Kate and her grandfather had a special relationship.
“It wasn’t his fault. When I uncovered there was a vampire attack, he thought he could offer me a way to protect myself.”
“He shouldn’t have needed to, dear.”
“It’s okay. I think if he hadn’t been working with me, I wouldn’t have discovered the organization.”
Veran turned to Barden. “This is your inside source?”
“Didn’t I tell you that?”
“I think I would’ve remembered had you told me my granddaughter’s best friend was your inside source to the paramilitary organization. How did she survive the attack?”
“It seems as if our Dr. Stone has a talent, like many hedge mages. The Mage Council has too often dismissed hedge mages, thinking the nature of their talents means they aren’t of any use, but those of us who care to know better have understood you don’t have to have significant power to have an impressive way of utilizing it.”
I wondered if that was as much for me as it was for Veran and Cynthia.
“And now you have brought her into something that involves our granddaughter.”
“Again, you have the wrong of it,” he said. “She was the one who discovered there was something taking place. They focused their attack on the hospital, and in doing so, they revealed they are after something, though we have not been able to determine what that is.”
“Why here, then?” Cynthia asked. The irritation in her voice was softening, but there was still a fair amount of sharpness there. This was a woman used to getting her way, and from the way Barden spoke to her, I suspected she also sat on the Mage Council, though he wouldn’t tell me who all the members were. For the most part, there was no point in him doing so. I didn’t know any of them—at least I hadn’t thought I knew any—and it was incredibly unlikely I would ever encounter them.
“There is an operative of the organization here.”
“Barden, I don’t know if this is wise.”
“If you want to call in others of the Council, I’m willing to do so, but considering we are dealing with Dr. Michaels, and the concern I have for the truth of her powers getting out, I thought you would want to keep it somewhat limited.”
There was silence. I thought it was interesting we were having this conversation here, but I realized something. A spell surrounded us. It was subtle, and had I not been paying attention to it, I wouldn’t have even noticed, but with everything else going on, I had begun to get increasingly attuned to the use of magic around me. I still didn’t know how much of that was because of the bracelet, and how much something which might be within me. It was possible some of it came from me rather than from the bracelet. If it did, it was a useful ability.
“Do they know?” Veran asked.
“I don’t know. The man we think is involved in this—a man by the name of John Adams—is well connected. Or, he was once. I no longer know how well connected he is. He has been disavowed by the organization, at least according to others who in the know.”
Veran and Cynthia shared a glance. “What is the source of the energy I detect?” Cynthia finally asked.
“That, I think, is the ke
y to whatever he’s planning. It was focused on the hospital at first, and it appeared to be powerful, enough that it drained the hospital of its ability to function. And then they focused on the backup generators.”
“Why the hospital?”
“Because I think they intended to draw Dr. Michaels there.”
“For what purpose?”
“To trap her.”
Veran waved his hand dismissively. “They wouldn’t be able to trap her. She has developed far more skill than they can contain.”
“You’ve seen Kate?” I asked. I hated interrupting, but I no longer was even aware of Kate, not like I had been, and I missed that sense of her. I enjoyed having that closeness, the connection to her, the knowledge she was unharmed. I didn’t like the idea anything might’ve happened to her, and while I doubted that it had, knowing Kate was skilled enough to withstand any attack would be nice to know for sure.
“We have,” Veran said. “She sends messages from time to time.”
“She hasn’t sent me anything,” I whispered.
“Are you sure?” Veran asked.
I frowned. “I haven’t detected anything from her.”
Veran turned it to Barden. “Are you preventing her from reaching Kate?”
“I’ve prevented nothing. I have been offering whatever protection I can. That involves working with her, and with everything she has dealt with surrounding the organization, I have been challenged far more than I was expecting.”
“You are the great Barden Leifan. How have you been challenged?”
Barden smiled at Cynthia. It was strange to see these two. They clearly didn’t get along, and yet, I knew they both cared deeply for Kate. How could two so dissimilar people have a similar concern and affection for the same person?
“If you want to continue to challenge my position, you certainly may do so, but now is not the time.” He turned to me. “And I have not been silencing Dr. Michaels. If there has been a silencing, it’s either from something or someone else, or she has been remaining absent for a different reason.”
I nodded. I didn’t think Barden would do that to me. Of the three, I trusted Barden the most, which would upset Kate were she to hear it. Then again, these days, there were a lot of things I was doing which would upset her. It wouldn’t surprise me for her to return and kick me out of her home. I would deserve that. Now I was an attending, it wouldn’t be difficult to find my own place, but that didn’t change the fact that I liked where I was. At least for now. Eventually, I might want a more traditional home, but that time was not yet.