Academy of Magic Collection

by Angelique S Anderson et al.

  Jess tucked her chin against her shoulder and shrank back.

  Rase stepped between them. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  The stranger studied Jess’s face a moment more then took a step backward. A moment later, black iridescent wings appeared, stretched high over her head. They filtered into view as though they had been there all along, just out of sight.

  Jess gasped and reached for the cascade of black feathers before catching herself. “What happens if they see those?” she whispered. “Won’t mortals try to hurt you?”

  “Not as many as you might think. Besides, it’s getting harder and harder to hide our existence.” She squinted at Jess. “Isn’t it?”

  Jess nodded.

  “My name is Woe.” She flapped her wings, and they made a sound like the wrinkles being snapped out of a pillowcase. She laid her hand over her belly. “Now, why don’t you tell me what you two are really doing here?”

  Rase’s stomach dropped. If he opened his mouth, the truth would come spilling out. He knew it. No use hiding it. “We came to help the gryphon.”

  She half-grinned “Is that so?”

  Rase gestured to Jess and then to himself. “We can communicate with animals… uh, creatures, I mean. We’re doing a class project of sorts. For admission.”

  Jess didn’t argue with him, but her face turned red.

  “Hmmm,” said Woe. “You’re from that school across the bay, aren’t you? We’ve been meaning to check up on you.”

  Jess’s gaze narrowed. “We?”

  Rase rushed ahead. “We want to try to talk the creature down. Find out what it wants. If Jess remembers how, we can show the headmaster at a special school, and she will be able to attend. That’s the goal here. She hates New Haven High, and I got a scholarship to the special school.”

  Jess slapped a hand over her face.

  Woe chuckled. “Is that it?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Rase said.

  Woe squinted at Rase. “The C.C.A., is it?”

  Rase grinned. “Heard of it?”

  “Bits and pieces. There’s a lot more paranormal than most people expect. There’s mermaids on the west coast and a fairy godmother down in Paris, Texas, of all places. We’re all hiding out in plain sight.”

  Jess’s mouth dropped open. “I had no idea.”

  Rase scrutinized one and then the other. Jess and the other woman discussed something he didn’t quite understand. He couldn’t be sure of what.

  The trio considered one another. Horns blared in the distance.

  Woe nodded once. “Shall I take you up there?”

  Rase scowled. “How would you do that?”

  Woe shook her wings.

  Rase lifted his hands. He didn’t want to fly. “No, that’s quite alright. Aren’t there stairs somewhere we can use?”

  Flying was out of the question. Flying involved heights. Rase didn’t get along with heights.

  But Jess clasped her hands and practically danced on her toes. “Yes. Fly us up.”

  Rase extended his arms and tried to block the winged woman. “Let’s not do anything rash. Now—”

  But Woe scooped her up in her arms and shot upward toward the roof of the church.

  “Jess!” Rase bellowed. “Put her down! This instant!”

  Jess sounded like she did on roller coasters: one-part hysterical screaming and three-parts hysterical laughing.

  The winged woman didn’t stop or slow down, and they disappeared over the parapet that surrounded the flat part of the roof.

  Rase stared after them, his mouth hanging open as wide as Jess’s had moments earlier. He shoved on the door in front of him, but it didn’t budge.

  Well. Crap.

  Chapter Nine

  Summoned By Fire

  Woe deposited a giggling Jess on the rooftop, hushing her almost immediately.

  “Can’t help it,” Jess whispered. She cringed when she bumped into the woman’s belly again. “Sorry.”

  “Don’t worry about it. I’m used to it. Baby’s used to it.” Woe disappeared over the side once more. “Be back shortly.”

  Jess put her hands on her hips. How did the woman stand being visible in the light? Mortals must see her now and then. Social media. Jess’s mother would call the woman plain careless, a sort not to be fraternized with, a para-normie asking for trouble.

  A snort brought Jess around, and she considered the roof space. The mostly flat roof had been tarred, and the parapet that had been visible from the ground came to about her waist. Garden boxes held withering plants, and broken lawn chairs and porch furniture leaned precariously on bent legs.

  Jess stood at the short end of a large rectangle. On either side of the roof, a series of gargoyles jutted out from the parapet, each one unique. She counted. Six on one side. Seven on the other. Even in the morning sun, it was hard to tell the gryphon from the gargoyles. All but one seemed to have a downspout mouth. The rain drainage system emptied through their mouths.

  If they could speak, what sort of stories could the gargoyles tell?

  A long rumbly sigh echoed over the rooftop. Which of the seven would be the gryphon?

  It should have the golden body of a lion and the head of an eagle. Talons. Paws. She couldn’t be sure which. Do gryphons change colors like chameleons?

  Somewhere below, Rase yelled something unintelligible followed by a snarl. “Unhand me,” he yelled. “Oh, I beg your pardon.” Pause. More yelling. “Put me down.”

  Jess snickered. He probably couldn’t figure out how to fight her off without bumping into her pregnant belly. The awkwardness served him right.

  Woe appeared, carrying Rase by the ankles. He had his arms stretched toward the roof. When she set him on the rooftop, he curled into a roll and jumped to his feet like an acrobat, swiping at his clothing. Every bit as indignant as he could be.

  “Oh, that was too good,” Jess called. “I needed that.”

  Woe laughed, hovering overhead. Each down draft from her great wings stirred the dirt and trash that had collected on top of the church. A plastic bag tumbled across the black tar.

  Rase sputtered.

  Orange flashed at the corner of her eye, and she turned toward the row of seven gargoyles. One had shifted, its haunches less in line with the others. Still as grey and pitted as the others, but not quite as exact anymore.

  “There you are,” Jess whispered. She crossed to the nearest gargoyle and pressed her ear to its mouth. “Tell me your secrets. I know you have them.”

  Surprise trickled into the corner of Jess’s mind, curiosity running in rivulets through her thoughts. She drummed her fingers on the hands of the gargoyles. Each tap pinged in her mind as a tail twitch.

  Rase approached, but Jess waved him away. To his credit, he went.

  Woe settled on the roof, a thoughtful look on her face. She leaned against the small building that housed the roof access point. At the other end of extremes, Rase wrung his hands. He wanted to pace, but Woe made him sit down beside her.

  The feline/bird of prey wouldn’t want direct notice. She was almost certain… and this… this gryphon reminded Jess more of a housecat. How could she coax it out of hiding?

  Jess turned to Woe. “I need one of your feathers.”

  Woe did a double-take. “Come again?”

  Jess gestured toward the glorious collection of black, iridescent plumage. “May I have one of your feathers? Even the tip of one would do.”

  Woe tipped her head to the side, considering the girl. Slowly, she reached into the middle of one wing. “I wouldn’t do this for just anybody, you know.”

  Jess flinched at the sound of a twig breaking. “Did that hurt?” she breathed.

  “No more than a haircut does. It’s just another form of sensor-free keratin.” She held out a long piece of feather.

  Gingerly, Jess reached for the gift. She held it between two hands. Now she needed a bit of string or rope. A long piece held part of a lawn chair together. Quickly, Jess unwound
it. Then, she tied it to one end of the quill.

  The same trick had worked on every cat Jess had ever met. It was, at least, worth a try with the gryphon. With any luck, the beast would have the same reaction as housecats the world over.

  She tossed the toy toward the beast, dragging it along the top of the parapet. The black feather hopped and jumped along the stone. “Come on,” Jess whispered.

  The sensation of the interest of the beast hit her mind the way a hungry fish taps a fishing line. In that instant, she knew the gryphon had been a father and loss had driven it to settle at the edge of the rooftop.

  Jess swallowed back a rush of tears and tossed the enticement again, carefully dragging it back. Surely, it would work. It had to. She had no other inkling of an idea.

  The gargoyle at the end of the line flushed orange, the mottled stone turning to a dusty orange fur and a feathered, red-hued face. It tilted its head as a hawk, and piercing eyes followed the line of the toy along the roof.

  Jess repeated the movement once more, willing herself not to flinch when the beast pounced whether it pounced as a falcon or as a cat. Joy broke down walls… and she didn’t have any other ideas.

  Come on. You know you want to.

  The gryphon lunged, talons outstretched. In one fluid movement, its nimble body stretched toward the feather. Four paws landed on it and batted it into the air. A hawkish beak snapped at it. With wild abandon, he stalked it the whole way across the parapet.

  And his heart laughed.

  Jess heard it as easily as if it had been audible. It washed over her, lapping against the bitter wells that years of mortal teasing had fashioned. Something softened. Jess couldn’t tell if it was in him or in her. How had it been so simple?

  “I haven’t played like that in years.” His voice sounded of distant thunder, mighty waves, and cloudbursts in canyons. He pressed his head against Jess’s hand.

  Jess stepped close, stroking the gryphon’s crest and running her hand along the feline back. “I’m sorry your family is gone.”

  “They would have enjoyed meeting you.”

  “And I, them.”

  “Moments ago, I wished to become as dead as the stone, funneling prayers toward heaven.”

  “Yet you live.”

  “Not by choice but perchance.” A rumble emanated from its middle. “I have not spoken in a millennium.”

  She scratched behind where she thought his ears were. “Don’t wait so long next time.”

  “As you say, kind one.”

  A door opened and slammed closed. Then the hinges squeaked open once more.

  “I think your friends want something,” the gryphon said.

  Jess gasped. She’d forgotten them altogether. She spun around to find Woe watching everything she did.

  A new man stood on the threshold of the roof access. Black hair, on his head and on his chin. He raised his hat and then a brow. He bent at the waist. His dark-gray button-down shirt resembled a uniform, but Jess couldn’t discern any insignia. The word Blackfox had been embroidered over one of his pockets.

  “Seems we have some things to discuss, Miss Roberts.” He bowed slightly. “My name is Colonel Mzuzi Blackfox.”

  Jess shook her head and returned to petting the gryphon. Finally, the beast shifted, shaking its whole body.

  Rase piped up. “Do you have a portal in your basement, Blackfox?”

  “We do.”

  “Could you return the gryphon to its own world?”

  “Whenever it might like to go.”

  At that, the gryphon dipped his head toward Blackfox. “The call of my kind came from the mountains on the other side of this world, but I don’t think it’s quite time for me to leave.” He leaned toward Jess and bowed. “Thank you for your help, Jess of the mortal realm.”

  Jess snorted in the wake of the formal address, and then she dropped into a curtsy. “You are most welcome.”

  The gryphon launched into the air, soaring into the midday air on eagle’s wings.

  Jess grimaced. Once again in broad daylight. Perhaps the gryphon could find a way to stay hidden. She watched until the beast became a far-away speck in the sky.

  Woe shook her head. “Who knew that a playdate could solve anything?”

  Blackfox guffawed.

  Woe turned to Jess. “You’re something else, kid. You ever need anything, you come back here and ask, okay?”

  Jess beamed. “Sure.”

  Woe strolled toward the roof access.

  Jess’s phone vibrated in her back pocket. She dragged it out. Mom displayed across the screen. She slid the bar to answer. “Hey, Mom, I’m sorry I’m not at the meeting. I know I’m probably in big trouble.”

  Static crackled in her ear.

  From far away, her mother’s voice broke through. “Jess? Sweetie? We’re okay.”

  “What? Why wouldn’t you be okay? I’m the one in trouble with the school.”

  “Now, listen to me, don’t panic.”

  Jess’s gaze met Rase’s. “What?”

  “We’re okay. No matter what your eyes tell you. Remember that, sweetie. We’re fine, and we love you. We’ll contact you as soon as we can.”

  “Mom? You’re scaring me.”

  “Take care—”

  The line cut out.

  Jess darted to the edge of the roof, her stomach in knots. “Mom? Mom?”

  No answer. Crackling sounds filled her ear.

  She jogged to the southern corner on the front side of the church. “Mama?’

  Still nothing.

  A lump formed in her throat, and she couldn’t swallow it away. She could barely breathe. What had happened to her mother?

  She spun away from Rase and his professor, calling to the gryphon.

  My family. Please help me. Please come back.

  In the distance, the scream of an eagle rose above the sounds of New Haven City.

  She strode to the edge of the roof, climbed onto the parapet, and leapt off.

  “Noooooooooo,” Rase yelled, but she didn’t stop.

  Jess landed astride the gryphon. The beast had grown even larger than it had been before. He bore her upward into the air easily.

  “How can I help you?” it asked.

  “I have to reach my home.” She brought forth an image of her home and the places surrounding it.

  “I know that neighborhood,” the gryphon answered, lengthening the way a racehorse might in the homestretch. “Several of the houses are large enough to have gargoyles of their own. I nearly hid there.”

  Jess glanced over her shoulder. The church now resembled a smudge in the distance. She hoped Rase would understand. She turned forward.

  I’m coming, Mama. I’m coming.

  Chapter Ten

  Transfer

  Rase jogged from one side of the church roof to the other.

  Woe stood at the parapet with her arms crossed. “Storm’s coming.”

  Over the distant horizon, towering dark clouds built, boiling and rolling like Rase’s stomach. Sweat dripped off him, and his stomach twisted. When had it turned so humid? His skin tingled. The air hummed with an energy he didn’t understand.

  Rase gestured wildly. “What just happened?”

  Blackfox squinted into the distance. “Calm down, Mr. Flannigan. I’m sure we’ll sort out the details shortly.”

  “Where did she go?”

  “I’m not sure, but it seems your plan worked,” he answered. “Jess remembered how to speak to animals.” He paused with a look toward him. “If she ever forgot. She might even be better at it than you.”

  Blackfox’s eyes twinkled, but Rase didn’t smile. He couldn’t.

  “Does nothing ever fluster you?” Rase sighed. He had to give up the one open spot at the magic school, but his best friend… It was the right thing to do. Wasn’t it?

  Blackfox tipped his head to the side. “At all times, we can either work to fix a situation or we can do nothing. Why would I allow my emotions to control me? It’s
a matter of action or inaction. It is simply a choice.”

  Rase drew himself to his full height. It was time to say what must be said. He had to utter his request. “I’m sure she is better than me, Colonel Blackfox. That’s why I want to give Jess my spot at the C.C.A.”

  “You don’t have to do that,” Blackfox said.

  “There’s only one spot open this year.”

  “I wouldn’t quite say that.”

  “Really?”

  “Eh…”

  “I would gladly give it up if it meant she wouldn’t have to return to New Haven High. She’s one bad day from expulsion.”

  Blackfox’s mustache twitched. “We’ll discuss it later, Mr. Flannigan. Right now, we need to figure out where your friend went. We can’t have her flame-throwing all over New Haven City.”

  Rase’s eyebrows climbed his forehead. “Flame throwing?”

  Woe nodded. “That suits her.”

  But Rase shook his head. “What are you talking about?” He turned to Blackfox. “Where could she have gone in such a hurry?”

  Blackfox stroked his chin. “You don’t have any ideas?”

  Rase shook his head as a blast of wind hit him from the north. Why couldn’t anything progress easily? With all the weird stuff going on, normal mattered to him. The more stuff got out of control, the more he valued the usual. He valued routine. Ever since he’d gotten mixed up with the C.C.A. things definitely hadn’t been normal.

  He peered the way Jess had gone. Where was she?

  Woe stepped into the roof access and pressed a big red button on an intercom system interface. “What’s on the scanners?”

  “House fire in Bayburgh,” a gruff sounding man answered. “Rescue has been fighting the blaze all morning. They already suspect foul play.”

  Rase stepped forward, his stomach already twisting. “What’s the address?”

  Woe repeated the question into the mic. A moment passed, and the answer crackled back.

  The address nearly stopped Rase’s heart. He spun toward Blackfox. His knees quaked. “Please. We have to go. That’s Jess’s house. She’ll kill herself, trying to save her parents. She won’t think about staying alive.”