by Logan Byrne
“I don’t think we’ll have any problem fighting a war with you on our side wielding that monster,” Charlie said, laughing.
“Yeah, well, let’s hope it doesn’t come to a war. Maybe he’ll step down peacefully,” Britta said.
“After my stay in Filtonshire, I don’t think that’s going to happen. There’s no way he’ll just say he’s done and put out his hands to be cuffed. That man would rather die than give himself up or even admit he’s done anything wrong,” I said.
“That’s the problem with sociopaths. He thinks he’s doing the right thing, by making himself emperor and keeping the magical realm pure,” Faus said.
“Yeah, well, he’s going to get a dose of both reality and equality once he meets me with this wand,” I said, rubbing it with my right thumb as I held it tightly.
“Hey, Lexa,” I heard, before turning around. Rosie and Raul were walking towards me, waving. I looked back at my friends. It was weird, having two worlds collide, at least to me. I’d never had the pleasure or privilege of having many friends, and for a while now these guys were it. They were all I had and all I needed, but different circumstances brought me to Rosie, who was one of the best people I’d ever known.
“Hey, guys. So, this is Rosie, and this is Raul. These are two of the people I was in Filtonshire with. Rosie here was my next-door neighbor. Guys, this is Britta, Blake, Charlie, and Faus. These are all my friends I met here in camp when I got here. I was also an auditor with them,” I said awkwardly.
“It’s so nice to meet you,” Britta said, smiling.
“Thank you for keeping her safe. I appreciate it,” Blake said, nodding.
“Hey, we couldn’t have done anything without her. If anything, she kept us safe,” Raul said.
“Yeah, you should’ve seen her when we were escaping. I’ve never seen any kind of sorcery like that,” Rosie said.
“Okay, stop now before I get uncomfortable,” I said, laughing. “What are we up to tonight?”
“If you want to spend time with your friends we can catch you later,” Rosie said.
“No, not happening,” Britta said, stepping forward. “You’re her friends, so you’re our friends, too. You two are joining us tonight and I won’t let you say no.”
“That sounds fun,” Raul said, perking up.
I looked on with love and awe, seeing my friends accept these two as if they were part of our little group. They didn’t have to, and I wouldn’t blame them if they wanted to keep close to their chest and not open up to anybody they didn’t have to, but they did. I knew I was privileged to have friends like them.
“How about we eat first? I miss this stuff,” Charlie said, licking his lips. “I smell a lot of meat.”
“Beat you to it,” Blake said, before shoving him back and running off. Charlie chased after him, though neither of them shifted, as Britta and I laughed and shook them off.
“Those boys,” she said, the four of us left behind walking towards the mess tent.
“So what do you all do?” Raul asked.
“We’re auditors,” Britta said. “Except Faus here, he works in the tech department.”
“Yeah, I didn’t get the cool title,” Faus joked.
“Yeah right, you should see what he can invent and do with a computer. He’s just like you, Rosie,” I said.
“You code?” he asked, looking at her.
“Yeah, when I can,” she said, her cheeks turning a little red.
“I meant more like what are your abilities. Shifters?” Raul asked.
“Well, I’m a witch like Lexa, Blake there is a werewolf shifter, and Charlie is a jaguar shifter,” Britta said.
“Man, I’ve never seen a jaguar shifter before. Wish I could say I hadn’t seen a werewolf, after that hallway fight during our breakout,” Raul said, laughing.
“Yeah, they were attacked by a manic guard who could’ve given Blake a run for his money,” I said.
“Blake and Lexa are a thing,” Britta said, winking at Rosie and Raul.
“Ah, so that’s him,” Rosie said, glancing at Blake.
“Rosie!” I exclaimed.
“I knew you had a man, but it’s much better putting a face to it. Good for you, he’s handsome,” she said.
“You’re ridiculous,” I said, my cheeks getting warm.
“What about you?” Raul asked, looking at Faus.
“I’m, well, I’m something different,” Faus said nervously.
“He doesn’t like to talk about it much, but he’s a type of shifter. We should leave it at that,” Britta said.
“Fair play, man, fair play,” Raul said, before we entered the tent. The boys had already gone to town, filling their trays with meat and only meat. The two of them seemed to be in a contest to see who could disgustingly shove more down their throat the quickest. Charlie was winning.
“I won!” Charlie exclaimed, a bit of roasted chicken falling out of his mouth, as the rest of us came over with our trays.
“Charlie, that’s not attractive,” Britta said.
“Hey, you already picked me,” he said, shaking his head. “I don’t have to be hot anymore.”
“Wait, what?” I asked, pushing Britta’s shoulder. She laughed, rolling her eyes and shaking her head.
“We went on one date and it just worked out. I don’t know what to say,” she said, blushing a little. “I guess you’ve been gone for a while.”
“A girl gets imprisoned for a hot minute and you guys are already marrying off,” I complained.
“Hey now, let’s not go that far,” Charlie said.
“Don’t shoot down the idea too fast there, Charlie,” Britta said, with a little attitude in her tone. Charlie quickly shut up and went back to the line to get more meat.
“I’m happy for you, though. I always knew you two would be good together. Kind of funny how we’re dating each other’s partners,” I said. “Well, my ex-partner.”
“Please, he still talks about you all the time,” Blake said.
“Yeah, he really misses you. You’re like his sister, and he feels lost without you in the field,” Britta said.
“We did work well together. Sucks having to be away from all of you,” I said.
“Can you ever go back?” Rosie asked.
“Maybe if our current administration goes away, but otherwise no. I’m too high value of a target, especially after breaking out of Filtonshire,” I said.
“I’m sorry to hear that. It must be hard, having to leave your job like that,” Rosie said.
“It’s more than just leaving the job itself. I think it hurts most knowing I can’t help anybody anymore. I enjoyed that aspect of that job, even if other parts sucked. I just wish I could still make a difference,” I said.
“Just because you won’t be out on the street making arrests doesn’t mean you won’t be able to make a difference, Lexa. If anything, you’ll make the most difference out of all of us once you defeat Kiren. Just focus on what you have coming in the future, and not what has happened in the past,” Britta said.
“You’re starting to sound more and more like Mirian,” Blake said.
“Hey, he’s a good mentor,” she said.
“Agreed,” Blake replied.
“So were you two the only ones who got out with Lexa?” Britta asked.
“No, there were two others, but they left,” Raul said.
“They left? When?” I asked.
“Before you got out. I guess they just didn’t want to stick around. They thanked Chancellor Pote for taking them in and helping them, but they wanted to go their own ways. She agreed and respected their decisions,” Raul said.
“Wow, that’s too bad. Yeah, there were two others, Zark and Lisa. They really helped with the entire operation. I don’t think we could’ve done it without their help,” I said.
“Well, hopefully they’re able to find their ways and not be captured again. I would’ve stayed in the camp just for the safety,” Blake said.
“Someh
ow, I don’t think they’ll have any trouble holding their own,” I said, smiling.
“Definitely not,” Rosie agreed.
“I just saw that they’re holding a movie for the kids and families in the camp tonight. Do you guys want to go? Might be nice,” Charlie said, coming back over.
“I’d like that,” I said, looking at Blake.
I had no idea what the movie was about—it was a mortal film that didn’t interest me—but going to see the movie was about a lot more than actually watching it. I just wanted to spend time with my friends, especially Blake. How often would we get to hang out and hold hands, or cuddle, or just be together? We’d barely had that time in the precinct, and now that I was out and he could only sneak back here every now and again, who knows the next chance I would get to hang out with him? I didn’t want to let those opportunities slip away when they presented themselves.
“Are you doing okay?” he asked, as I lay with my head against his chest. He ran his fingers through my hair as I gripped his shirt and held him close.
“Better than I have in a very long time,” I said, before looking up at him.
“Thank you for coming back to me,” he said.
“I thought about you every single second. I didn’t know when I’d get to see you again,” I said.
“I was never going to leave you in there. You know that, right?” he asked.
“It’s hard to say what I did and didn’t know when I was in there. The conditions were bad, Blake. They shouldn’t have been in operation,” I said.
“I heard from Mirian when he came back from visiting you. I wanted to come so badly, but he wouldn’t let me,” he said.
“Good. I didn’t want you to see me like that, all gaunt and dirty in that purple jumpsuit. It’s an image that would’ve burnt into your mind forever. I’m just happy we’re together now, even if it’s for a short time,” I said.
“Promise me you’ll never get arrested again,” he said, laughing a little.
“Hey, I can’t promise that. I don’t even know what Pote has me doing in the morning, and plus, what if we don’t win in the end?” I asked.
“At least I’ll be in prison with you. We can live a happy prison life and get married. Maybe they have couples’ cells,” he said, laughing a little more.
“You’re so stupid,” I said, giggling, before nestling deeper into his chest.
“Don’t do anything stupid tomorrow, either. I don’t want you thinking you can just run in swinging with that new wand of yours. None of us will be there to back you up,” he said.
“Pote wouldn’t put me into something dangerous, you know that. It’s probably a little errand and I’ll be back by the afternoon,” I said.
“Just promise me you’ll think before you walk,” he said.
“As long as you promise to get yourself back here soon,” I said, looking up at him.
I kissed him, before putting my forehead against his. I could feel the heat from his body, the werewolf side of him radiating heat like a furnace, before I leaned back and looked at him.
“I promise I’ll be back here before you know it. I won’t even give you time to miss me,” he said.
The movie soon ended, and as the moon stood stalwart overhead I knew my time with my friends had come to a quick end. There was a somber feeling, at least on my end, as I said goodbye to them and watched them all teleport out of the camp. I swept away a rogue tear from my cheek before retiring to my tent and lying back on my cot.
I felt a little empty without Blake, after only having him for what felt like a short minute, but I shook off my despair and wiped away another tear. Things weren’t always going to be easy, but I had a lot to be thankful for. I wasn’t in Filtonshire any longer, and I had a straight and clear road in front of me.
Now it was time to walk it.
11
The sun was shining and the birds, or maybe a flock of harpies outside the camp, were chirping the next morning as I packed my bag and readied myself for my mission.
I picked up my wand from beside my bed, sheathing it before walking outside and taking in a big breath. This was it, I was going to get back into the field. I felt a weight lift from me, like I was twenty pounds lighter, and I couldn’t wait to hear my assignment.
Maybe Pote would send me to the Amazon, or back to London, which I wouldn’t mind visiting again. I could track down another black market goods dealer, or even foil an international smuggling ring. The possibilities were endless.
“Good morning, Lexa,” she said, as I entered her tent.
“Good morning, Chancellor. I’m ready for my mission. What is it?” I asked, bright-eyed and eager.
“Here’s the address. Please retrieve this item. The man’s name is Warren, and he will be expecting you,” she said, handing me a small piece of paper with an address in New York City on it.
“What is this?” I asked, confused. I looked up at her, my eyebrows furled, unable to comprehend what was going on.
“This is your assignment. I need you to pick this up for me, it’s very important that we get it safe and sound,” she said.
“Wait, so my big mission back into things is doing errands for you?” I asked, showing a little tinge of disrespect to Heta. I felt I was being wronged.
“You aren’t doing my errands, Lexa, but retrieving a powerful and important magical artifact for me. What does it matter if said artifact is in a shop in Hell’s Kitchen or deep within the rainforest? The fact is that I need somebody I can trust and who can handle their own to get this for me, and you fit those requirements,” she said, shooting back a little bit of an attitude, which I guess I deserved.
“I guess I just thought I’d be doing something more like what I did in M.A.G.I.C.,” I said. “I wanted to get back into the field.”
“And maybe you will, someday, but for now this is what needs to be done. Trust me, this is an important task, and that’s the reason I asked you to do it. Please just get it done. This conversation is over,” she said, before going back to her work.
I walked towards the door, rolling my eyes, before going outside and looking at the piece of paper. “Magical Marvels,” it said, followed by the address. I memorized it, and the ink disappeared before my eyes, leaving me with just the memory of the numbers as I tried to burn them into my mind.
There was a portal open in the camp that was a one-way ticket to New York. It dumped somewhere in Central Park, I knew that much, and it was charmed so that mortals couldn’t find it. I jumped through, stumbling a bit on re-entry, before I looked around and tried to make out my surroundings. I could see Columbus Circle not too far in the distance. A few mortals on bikes flew past me on the paved road. “They’re always in a rush,” I mumbled.
I took my time, since Heta hadn’t said anything about when she needed the object, and I took the chance to browse a little. I’d come to the mortal realm quite a few times before I joined Mirian, but I never really looked around. Well, I never looked at the sights, being more interested in what I could steal.
It was weird, looking up to the skies and seeing the massive skyscrapers dominating the landscape. We had nothing like this in the magical realm, not even close, and it was a testament to mortal engineering the way they did this without any help from us. Sometimes I thought they were the magical ones.
Cars honked their horns relentlessly in air that was polluted with more than just smog. All the noise around me almost made me wish I hadn’t broken out of Filtonshire. I kept to myself, a small part of me wondering if any of these people were magical or if any of them knew Kiren. I knew it was dumb, thinking he was just going to pop out from behind a building and capture me, taking me to another prison or just shooting me down in the street, but you can never be too paranoid when you’re a fugitive.
I realized I didn’t know my way around New York about halfway into my trek, and then I knew I was in trouble. “Where do I go?” I whispered to myself, as I walked out of the way of pedestrians. I racked my brain, bu
t could only remember the streets, and not the actual number of the place. Was it 545, or 454? Maybe it didn’t even have a five in it to begin with and I was just losing it. Whatever, I knew the streets, and I knew of one way I could find them. Pote didn’t give me a map and I didn’t have a phone in case my GPS could be tracked, but I did have a wand, and I knew just the spell to use. It worked in London, so it would work here.
I stood near the wall, shielding myself from view as much as I could, before pulling my wand out and holding it straight up near my body. “Procurus Forty-Ninth Street, between Ninth and Tenth,” I said quietly, before I looked to my right and saw a line begin to glow faintly. I sheathed my wand, hiding it behind my jacket, before continuing my errand.
It was convenient, having a GPS like this that I knew never needed to recalculate, as I followed the curves and walked all the way down towards Forty-Ninth Street and into Hell’s Kitchen. Megalithic skyscrapers surrounded me, the glare of the sun blinding me as I looked up. I rubbed my eyes, looking at the apartments and condos as I walked past one with a doorman who watched me as I passed by. This must be what it was like to be a wealthy mortal. I wasn’t sure I’d ever even have a taste of what that was like.
I turned onto Forty-Ninth Street, into a much narrower area where the brick buildings crowded one another. I kept my eyes peeled, trying to find any hint of the store, but nothing jumped out at me. “Where is it?” I mumbled out loud, before an old sign caught my eye across the street.
I stopped, seeing the weathered black background emblazoned with gold writing that had chipped over the years. A star, a pentagram, sat in the middle, and the shop sign read “Magical Marvels.” I was here.
The store was down some stairs, which appeared to not have been walked on in decades. Apprehensive, I made sure my wand was close to me, holding my right hand on top of the sheath just like I’d learned to do in my auditor training. “Hello?” I asked, as I walked inside.
A small bell rang overhead, a sprinkling of dust falling from above, as light classical music played in the background. The floorboards creaked under me as I walked. The shop seemed like it hadn’t seen a soul in centuries. It was probably sitting here vacant when this city was founded.