The Revenge of Magic

by James Riley

  “The priority is Damian!” Dr. Opps shouted. “We need his power to send these things back!”

  “I know,” Sierra said out loud, but inside, Fort felt his mind soar away, out of a large windowed office building and over highways filled with cars, down through a city with no skyscrapers to where the ground shook around the Washington Monument, and people were realizing that something was wrong.

  RUN! Sierra commanded in their minds, using every ounce of her strength. GO NOW, IN AN ORDERLY FASHION!

  No. NO. Fort couldn’t watch what was to about to happen, not again. Not again!

  Let me go! he shouted as loudly as he could, hoping she could hear him wherever she was, pushing this dream, this memory onto him. Don’t make me watch this. Please don’t make me watch this!

  The scene around him began to waver, like the air in intense heat. He shouted again and again in his mind, hoping to push Sierra out of his head, or at least stop the memory.

  Blue sky began to filter in from above, where previously office lights had been. All around him, he could just make out several soldiers holding their weapons aimed at him, interspersed with the attack in Sierra’s memory. “No!” he shouted, holding up his hands. “I’m okay!”

  “No you’re not,” Dr. Ambrose said from his side, her image appearing and disappearing inside the memory. “I’m going to sedate him. Someone be ready to grab him!”

  “No!” Fort shouted again, but then felt something prick his shoulder, and both memory and reality faded away into nothingness.

  - TWENTY-FIVE -

  FORT WOKE UP IN A shadowy room, and it took him a moment to recognize the steel table he was lying on. A day earlier, it had been covered in various bones, but now it was draped in a white sheet, with another sheet covering him.

  “Hello?” he said, not sure if anyone else was there in the dark. He sat up and gently touched his chest and back, expecting to feel bruises or soreness from where he’d fallen through the floor. But wait, no, that had been in Sierra’s memory. Still, Trey had hit his shoulder with a magic missile before he’d slipped into Sierra’s past, and the shoulder was also totally healed. Not only was there no pain, but as far as he could tell, there wasn’t even a bruise. How long had he been out?

  “You’re awake,” said a voice, and the light flipped on. Dr. Ambrose stood up from a chair across the room and rubbed her eyes, then walked over to the table and gently felt for his pulse. “You might feel a bit groggy from the sedative, but otherwise you’ll be fine.”

  “But my shoulder,” Fort said, more confused than anything. “Did you—”

  “Heal you?” Dr. Ambrose momentarily looked annoyed. “Do I look like I’m twelve? No, I just diagnosed the injuries, so Jia could target her spells better.” She rolled her eyes. “Twenty-five years as a doctor, and I’m assisting a teenager. The universe hates me, kid.”

  Jia had been there? Apparently Cyrus was right, it had taken a trip to the hospital for her to see him again. But something else bothered him about Jia. She’d been in Sierra’s memory too. Did that mean the two knew each other? Did that have something to do with why Jia wouldn’t talk about Sierra?

  And how much time had passed in Sierra’s life between those two memories? The last time he’d seen Sierra, she’d been training with Dr. Opps. But this one had been a full-blown attack. Could that have been the attack at the NSA? It certainly wasn’t the one on the National Mall.

  But what were the students doing at the NSA? And were they the reason it had been attacked? There were so many questions, so many secrets that Dr. Opps was keeping from him.

  Right now, though, Dr. Ambrose was staring at him like she was waiting for something. “I’m sorry about what happened out there,” Fort said to Dr. Ambrose. “I don’t know what—”

  “Sounded like you were living out an attack by one of those monsters again,” Dr. Ambrose said, sitting gently on the edge of the table.

  The memory of the Chads doubting him came rushing back, and he quickly sat up. “I know it wasn’t real, but I wasn’t making it up, either. I don’t know how to explain it, but I really did see another attack.”

  Dr. Ambrose sighed, then nodded. “I know you did, kid. And that’s why you need to go home. Leave this stuff behind. There’s only going to be more to come if you stay.”

  “You believe me?” Fort asked, almost too surprised to even hope.

  She shrugged. “Let’s just say I’ve got corroborating evidence in this case. But you’re not listening to me. Whatever reason you’re here, that’s not why the school wants you. For your own safety, you should quit and just go back to your normal life.”

  “I can’t,” Fort said quietly. “I don’t have a choice.”

  “Yes, you do.”

  “You don’t get it,” Fort said. “There’s someone . . . she’s in my head somehow, and—”

  “Kid, who do you think you’re talking to?” Dr. Ambrose said, looking insulted. “I know about Sierra and whatever weird connection you two have. That’s why you have to go. None of us know what she’s going to do next, and that means not only is your life in danger, but the rest of ours are as well.”

  Fort’s eyes widened. “You know about Sierra? Tell me where she is! Why is she in my head? How can I stop this?”

  “I can’t . . . I can’t tell you more,” Dr. Ambrose said, turning away. “And not because it’s top secret or something idiotic like that, though it is. But if I tell you what I know, you might use that information to do something even more dangerous, and that’s not a risk I’m going to take.”

  Fort started to growl in frustration, only to stop and take a deep breath. “That thing in the officers’ mess, the horrible tentacle thing,” he said slowly. “It could sense Sierra’s magic in my head, and it was looking for me. Don’t I deserve to know why?”

  “If you get far enough away from here, you should be okay,” Dr. Ambrose said, still not looking at him.

  “What if I’m not? What if this connection doesn’t go away, and that thing comes after me at my aunt’s house? I can’t leave now. I could be putting her in danger too!”

  “You’re talking to the wrong person, kid. I’m just giving you the best advice I’ve got. Go home, and go tonight. You were never going to pass my test anyway, we both knew that. There’s no shame in quitting when something just isn’t possible, and the quicker you leave, the better off we’ll all be. Or do you want those memories to keep happening for who knows how many more days until she either wipes your mind, or you lose your sanity like those poor clairvoyants in the UK?”

  Fort started to protest, then just closed his mouth. What could he say that would change her mind anyway? She was obviously not going to tell him anything else, and she did make some good points.

  But there was no way he was leaving, and especially not by quitting.

  “Maybe you’re right,” he told Dr. Ambrose. “I’ll think about it tonight, and then we’ll see how the test goes.”

  Dr. Ambrose snorted. “It’s your call, I suppose. Yours, and Colonel Charles’s. If you change your mind, let me know before the test, and we’ll save you some embarrassment. Otherwise, you’re free to go. You should be good to walk back to the dorm without a wheelchair, so get your things, and I’ll take you over.”

  Fort thanked her, then slid off the table, a little embarrassed to just be wearing his underwear. He padded on the freezing-cold floor over to where his clothes were, piled up next to the seat Dr. Ambrose had been sitting in. As he grabbed his shirt, he noticed her cell phone and security badge on the table next to him.

  “I mastered one of the spells, you know,” he told her, dropping his pants over her badge, then pulling his singed shirt over his head. “Who knows, maybe I’ll even pass the test tomorrow.”

  “You won’t,” Dr. Ambrose said, not looking at him. “I don’t know how you mastered the one so quickly, but it’s impossible that you’d cover two more in one night, especially without access to the book.” She turned to find him but
toning his pants. “And don’t even think about sneaking into the Viewing Room for more practice unless you do want to head home tonight. Getting caught there after hours is an immediate expulsion.”

  “Don’t worry, I’m going straight to bed,” he said, bending over to tie his boots. “Thanks for helping heal me, by the way. And not letting those soldiers shoot me.”

  “You’re welcome, Forsythe,” Dr. Ambrose told him, moving to grab her cell phone before pausing. “Wait a second. Where’s my badge?” She turned to give him a suspicious look. “Get over here.”

  He stepped closer, and she frisked his uniform’s arms and legs, then stopped, looking puzzled. “If you didn’t take it, then I must have left it somewhere. I really hate these things. I’ve lost more than I care to admit, and the military always puts me through so much headache just to get a new one.”

  “I’ll be sure to keep mine safe,” Fort told her, showing her his STUDENT badge clipped to his shirt.

  “Hopefully you won’t need it past tomorrow morning,” she said. “Now come on, let’s get you back.”

  The dormitory was quiet, and the rest of the boys were asleep when Fort entered. Two guards waited outside the front door as Dr. Ambrose dropped him off, so Fort made his way back to the bathrooms, where he knew a few small windows would give him a way out without being seen.

  What he didn’t count on, though, was Cyrus sitting on the bathroom counter, waiting for him.

  “Right on time,” Cyrus said, checking his watchless wrist.

  “What are you doing here?” Fort asked him.

  “Sneaking out to help you study. What does it look like? This is your last night to master the spells, so I’m here to help!”

  Fort shook his head. “If they catch us, we’ll both get kicked out. This isn’t like earlier, when the Viewing Room was still open to students. I appreciate that you want to help—”

  “Oh, they won’t kick me out,” Cyrus said, flashing a grin. “I’m the only one in the world who can use Clairvoyance magic right now. They can’t just send me home. Besides, I’m pretty sure my government wouldn’t be thrilled if they tried, and they’re the ones with the book.”

  “Fair enough,” Fort said. “But this is something I don’t need help with.” He leaned down and untied his boot, then pulled it off and shook out Dr. Ambrose’s badge. “This should open the security turnstiles, assuming I can get there without being seen.”

  “See, there’s where you’re wrong,” Cyrus said. “Not about the badge, but you’re definitely going to need my help. I already looked into your future, and you get caught in your first thirty seconds outside alone. But with me helping, you’ll make it to the books without any trouble.”

  Fort paused. “Thirty seconds?”

  “Fifteen, actually,” Cyrus said, giving him a pitying look. “I was trying to be nice.”

  Fort rolled his eyes, but couldn’t help grinning. “Okay, and thank you, Cyrus. So what do we do first?”

  “Uh, first we go out the windows,” Cyrus said, looking confused. “Why, were you just coming in here to use the bathroom?”

  Fort helped Cyrus climb through the small window nearest the sink, then grabbed ahold of the sill and pulled himself through next. Cyrus stopped him as soon as he landed, pushing them both back into the shadows against the dormitory wall as two soldiers marched past on patrol. As soon as they’d turned the corner, Cyrus grabbed Fort’s hand, and they were off.

  The distance to the Training Hall wasn’t actually that long, but the need to dodge security cameras turned the trip into a strange sort of maze, with Cyrus stopping and starting their movement every few feet at times. The soldier patrols ended up being pretty easy to hide from, but the cameras were everywhere, requiring careful timing to avoid being caught as the cameras slowly turned.

  As they passed the fifth camera, then backtracked to avoid a sixth, Fort wondered how he ever thought he’d have made it to the Training Hall, let alone to the Viewing Room. Even with Cyrus’s help, he got so nervous and sweaty as they moved underneath a seventh camera that his hand almost slipped out of Cyrus’s.

  Finally, they made it to the Training Hall, where Cyrus had them wait for almost five minutes, crouched next to the door. By the time two soldiers left the hall, opening the doors for them, Fort’s leg muscles had almost cramped up completely, and it was all he could do not to groan in pain as they slipped inside before the doors closed.

  They crawled through the lobby, just under the view of the soldier at the desk, then waited for the soldier to stand up to use the restroom, which Cyrus had promised wouldn’t be too long. As soon as the soldier left, Fort swiped Dr. Ambrose’s badge over the pad at the security door, and the door slid open, giving them plenty of time to scurry half-bent over through the offices toward the testing chamber before the man came back to the desk.

  The office area was thankfully empty, but there were still cameras, and crawling wasn’t exactly quick. Finally, they reached the door to the Viewing Room, and Fort shook his head, amazed they’d made it. “I can’t thank you enough for this,” he whispered to Cyrus.

  “Oh, you’re not quite done yet,” his friend told him, rising to his knees to open the door. “Good luck with her!”

  “Her?” Fort said, then looked up in shock at Rachel, who stood blocking the doorway with her hands glowing a deep red.

  “I thought you might show up here,” she said in a low, threatening voice. She leaned forward and grabbed Fort by the shirt, dragged him inside, then threw him down the stairs toward the podium with the books.

  Each step sent pain rocketing through Fort’s back and shoulders until he came to a merciful stop at the bottom, right below the podium. He groaned, then slowly pushed himself up to stare at Rachel. “What are you doing?” he asked, completely confused. Hadn’t they been friends the last time he’d seen her? What had he done now?

  “Dr. Opps says you’re a danger to the school, but he can’t send you home for some reason,” Rachel told him. “I don’t have that problem.” She held up Dr. Ambrose’s security badge, and Fort gasped—when had she taken it from him? When she’d grabbed his shirt? “Still, I wouldn’t want you thinking I’m not a nice, sweet angel, so you have thirty seconds to give me a reason I shouldn’t call the guards on you and get you expelled.”

  - TWENTY-SIX -

  I’M NOT A DANGER TO the school!” Fort shouted as Rachel looked at a watch on her wrist.

  “Twenty-five seconds,” she said, raising one of her glowing hands. “Time’s running out. . . .”

  “I can’t explain everything in just twenty-five seconds!”

  “That’s good, ’cause you only have fifteen now.” She aimed her hand at the floor next to him, and a fireball formed. “This should send the guards running in here.”

  “They’ll send you home too,” Fort said. “Neither of us are allowed to be here.”

  “Maybe,” Rachel said. “And if that happens, I’ll just have to live with the fact that I saved everyone here from you.” She glanced down. “Whoops, time’s up!”

  “No!” Fort shouted as she unleashed her fireball. Without thinking, he leaped into its path and took the spell right in his chest. Fire exploded all over his torso and face, and he quickly dropped to the ground, rolling around to put it out, trying his best not to shriek in pain in spite of the agony he felt.

  “What did you do?!” Rachel shouted, running down toward him. “I didn’t want to hit you!”

  “I can’t go home,” Fort hissed, gritting his teeth to keep from crying. He quickly raised his hand over himself and cast Heal Minor Wounds over and over until the pain subsided enough to think. His uniform now had a hole in the chest, but at least his skin had stopped blistering. He touched his face, a little scared to check to see if he still had eyebrows.

  “You’re insane,” Rachel said, her eyes wide.

  “Probably,” Fort said, slowly pushing himself to a sitting position. His eyebrows somehow had survived, which was good. That woul
d have been a lot harder to hide than a singed uniform. “But I swear to you, I’m no danger to the school. There’s a lot going on here that I don’t understand—”

  “Start with what you do know,” Rachel said. Her hands still glowed, but at least she wasn’t aiming them at him.

  “Okay, but don’t blame me if any of this sounds unbelievable,” he said. “Here’s what I know: There was a student here named Sierra, who studied Telepathy magic.”

  “There’s no Telepathy book here,” Rachel said.

  “There was at some point,” Fort said with a shrug, which sent pain through the burns on his chest. He winced and continued on. “I think Sierra used her Telepathy during the attack in D.C. to save all the civilians by making them flee the scene. She tried it with me, but I fought back. I couldn’t just leave my father behind.”

  Saying it out loud somehow seemed less painful than it had in the past. Maybe because he felt like he knew more about what had happened now?

  “How’d you fight back?” Rachel asked. “You wouldn’t have had anything to use against her.”

  “Oh, I just resisted,” Fort said. “Hard. I can be a little stubborn.”

  “I’m noticing.”

  “Something happened then,” he continued. “I heard her scream, and then I blacked out and woke up in the hospital. Ever since, she’s . . . been in my mind somehow. I see her memories in dreams, and even sometimes when I’m awake, like earlier today.”

  “Yeah, I saw that,” Rachel said. “I noticed the Chads beating up on you, but I promised I wouldn’t interfere again. But then you started screaming random things about an attack, and all the soldiers rushed in, and I wasn’t sure what was happening.” She looked away. “Dr. Ambrose sedated you, and that’s when I heard Dr. Opps talking to her about how you’re a danger to the whole school.”

  “He thinks so,” Fort said. “But Colonel Charles won’t let him expel me, because I have this connection with Sierra. Whatever it is. Somehow she’s been using her magic to let me read other people’s thoughts. But I don’t understand why she’s doing it, and I have no idea where she is. Dr. Opps says she’s no longer enrolled in the school, but that’s all he’ll tell me. Jia knows more too . . . I saw Jia with Sierra earlier in that memory. But she won’t talk about it, and Dr. Opps said he’d send me home if I bothered her anymore.”