Becoming

by Dakota Brown

  "Who's Doc?" Sofia's dad asked.

  She hesitated for a moment before answering, not sure what Sofia would want her parents to know. "He's a friend of ours. We hang out, and he might know where she's at."

  Unlike Sofia, Doc answered right away when she called.

  "Victoria, how are you this evening?"

  "Hi, Doc. I'm fine. We were looking for Sofia, do you know where she's at?"

  The hesitation on the other end of the line was all she needed to know. She managed not to swear out loud and reminded herself that Sofia's parents didn't know the magic mafia was after their daughter. Now she wondered about the wisdom of not telling them. She also understood why Sofia hadn't.

  "No. Ed and Allan are with me. I haven't seen her since this morning. She seemed fine then."

  Victoria made a note not to mention Doc was also Sofia's teacher. That might not go over well after she'd already said they hung out. She had encouraged Sofia down the path of dating multiple people, but she hadn't realized how complicated that might get for both of them when parents got involved, and she knew the teacher thing wouldn't go over well at all. The werewolf thing probably wouldn't, either.

  "Can you call her and see if she answers? Call me back."

  "Of course." Doc ended the call, and Victoria stared at all four parents.

  "Should we be worried?" Sofia's mom glanced at her husband after studying Victoria for a moment.

  "Maybe."

  "Maybe?" Mr. Collins' eyebrows rose. "What could possibly be going on in a small town like this that Sofia couldn't handle? She's very capable."

  Victoria almost answered car accident before she remembered Sofia didn't have a car. She wasn't sure what to say, but was temporarily saved by Doc calling her back.

  "She didn't answer. She didn't happen to leave her phone in your room, did she?" Doc's voice was tight with worry.

  "Let me look." Victoria hurried over to Sofia's side of the room and searched a few likely places before sighing. "If she did, it's on silent and I can't find it."

  "I'm on my way over. Wait, you said we. Who's there with you?"

  "Um, her parents and my parents. Her parents came out to surprise her."

  "Bloody wonderful timing," he muttered.

  "Yeah."

  "Okay, I'll be right there. I'm still on campus."

  "Doc's coming," she told everyone. "He'll be here in a minute."

  The silence following that pronouncement was extremely awkward. If it had just been her parents, Victoria would have told them what was up. She didn't know much about Sofia's at all, and wasn't sure what to say.

  It didn't surprise her that Doc got in without her having to open the door for him. She really didn't want to know how when she opened the dorm room door for him.

  "Doc, this is Beth and Dan Collins, and my parents Jasmine and Xavier Hayes."

  "Ma'am, Sir," he said shaking hands with all of them and laying the country boy drawl on a little heavier than normal. It was disarming. She had gotten used to his quiet intensity and the liquid grace of his movements, but she did remember the first time she had really paid attention to Doc. She had gotten the impression he was dangerous, and now she knew he was. That wasn't something Sofia's parents needed to figure out.

  "Doctor of what?" Sofia's dad asked.

  "Oh," Doc looked down and scuffed his toe on the ground. "It's a nickname a friend of mine gave me. Doc Holliday. He loves westerns, and I'm a cowboy. Name's Roy if you'd rather. Either is fine."

  "So, why are you two extra worried about Sofia not answering her phone?" Mr. Collins crossed his arms.

  Doc glanced at Victoria. She shrugged and tried to covey she had no idea what to say with her expression.

  Doc tightened his lips in annoyance. Victoria didn't think it was directed at her.

  "We think the magic black market has taken an interest in her," Doc answered after a few moments of contemplation.

  Everyone just stared for a moment.

  "Why would the magic black market be interested in our daughter?" Mr. Collins replied carefully.

  "She's a relatively untrained mage. Usually, by the time a magic user is Sofia's age, they'd have a lot more experience. Somehow, they figured it out. I have no idea how. And maybe they decided she would be easy prey."

  "She tell you she was a magic user?" Mr. Collins' voice darkened dangerously.

  Victoria thought it was from fear, not actual anger, though.

  "She did," Victoria spoke up. "Once it became obvious they were after one or the other of us. We aren't going to tell anyone."

  "And how do you know so much about this black market?" Mr. Collins glared at Doc.

  The cowboy shrugged. "I've had a few run ins with them. They've not been very active in this area for so long, that the people who usually deal with things like that have kept their attention focused on bigger hotspots."

  "People like the police?"

  Doc shook his head. "I get that you two probably don't know that much about the magical community, but they try to keep the police out of it for reasons I'm sure you can understand."

  Victoria knew it was because of the uncertain legal status of mages and other supernatural beings. She was sure Sofia's parents did too by the way her mother paled.

  "What do we do?" Mrs. Collins twisted her hands and gave an imploring look at Doc for answers before glancing up at her husband.

  Mr. Collins was still glaring at Doc.

  Doc pulled out his phone and glanced at the screen, his frown deepening. He tilted the screen so Victoria could see.

  Ed: No fresh scents.

  He put his phone back in his pocket and sighed. "I don't know."

  "We should call the cops, right?" Mrs. Collins clutched her husband's arm. Victoria's parents had stayed silent up to then.

  "You could," Mom replied.

  Victoria saw Doc give her mom a grateful look.

  "If they do get involved, and they find out she's a magic user, she'll get put on lists. Until we win her and all supernaturals' rights, it's better to keep the police out of it if you can," Mom continued.

  Both Collins turned and looked at Victoria's parents in shock.

  "We're activists, so we're familiar with all the issues and legalities. If there's another way to get her back, you should try it first."

  "What can we do? If the black market has her, she could already be gone." Mrs. Collins' eyes glistened.

  "Chances are the local group wants her for themselves. They know she'll be missed, so they probably want her for her untapped mage abilities."

  "And you're willing to risk her life on this assumption?" Mr. Collins turned his glare back onto Doc.

  Victoria momentarily felt sorry for Doc. She also guessed he could stand up to Mr. Collins if he needed to.

  "If I thought her life was in immediate danger, I wouldn't be standing here talking to you," Doc replied tightly.

  "Listen, son, she may be your friend, but she's our daughter..." Mr. Collins fell silent, whatever he was going to say left unsaid as he snapped his mouth shut.

  Victoria glanced at Doc and had to force herself not to shrink away.

  He hadn't done anything except straighten, square his shoulders, and somehow add a great deal of menace to his glinting obsidian colored eyes. Holy shit, she was never going to piss him off.

  "Give me twenty-four hours. If we're not back, then call the cops."

  They nodded quickly, and Doc relaxed slightly.

  Victoria took a breath she hadn't known she was holding. "So, what's the plan?"

  Doc frowned, staring at the wall for a moment. "Call Alex. See if he answers."

  "Alex?"

  Victoria shivered when she met Doc's gaze. It had turned angry. He nodded. "He was out all week, ask him how he's feeling, ask him if he's seen Sofia. If he answers."

  Doing what she was told, she dialed and almost jumped when Alex answered.

  "Hi, Victoria, what's up?"

  "Hey, Alex. Sofia said she hadn't h
eard from you all week, and I was just checking on you."

  "Oh, I'm fine. Just sick this week."

  Victoria glanced at Doc. His expression darkened, and Victoria was really glad she wasn't the cause of his anger.

  "Great, have you seen Sofia? She's late for our normal dinner, and she isn't picking up the phone."

  "Have you tried her boyfriends?" He sounded a bit annoyed to Victoria, but not as upset as she might have expected from someone who was missing out on dating someone they apparently liked. She hoped Sofia's parents couldn't overhear the conversation.

  "Yeah, they're all at Doc's cabin," she improvised. "No Sofia."

  "Hm, well, I haven't seen her. If I do, I'll tell her to charge her phone. Or she could just be out of reception range. There's a lot of that up here."

  "Okay, thanks. I hope you're feeling better."

  "Thanks. Chat later, Victoria."

  She hung up the phone and stared at Doc wide-eyed. "He's totally lying."

  Doc smiled grimly. "Yes, he is. Gives me a place to start looking. I know where Alex lives."

  "Wait, do you think he's involved with the magic mafia?"

  "Ash is, and Alex said they were friends, right?"

  "I never suspected him." Victoria shivered.

  Doc didn't reply, but she guessed he'd had his suspicions. "Mind trading cars with me? They know my truck too well." He pulled keys out of his pocket and held them out.

  "Sure." Victoria took his keys and retrieved hers from her purse. "You do realize I've never driven anything bigger than, well, my car before, right?"

  Doc smiled. "Just try not to hit anything and remember, it's got a lot of power. You'll be fine."

  "Where am I driving to, anyway?"

  "Remember the way to the cabin?"

  She nodded.

  "Take everyone up there. Take my truck, you'll all fit. You told Alex we were there, and they won't expect me to have company if they happen to check in. Lock yourselves in, and don't open the door unless it's me, Ed or Allan."

  "What if it's Sofia?"

  "Call me, but don't let her in."

  "Why?"

  "If they're controlling her, then they could use her to get to anyone else. Just tell her I said she should wait in her grove if she's worried. She'll know what I'm talking about."

  "She mentioned it to me."

  Doc smiled. "Good. I'll walk you out. Let's go."

  ∞ ∞ ∞

  Sofia's father ended up taking the keys from her after quietly asking Doc if he minded. He was used to large vehicles, and Victoria was happy to let him drive.

  Doc gave her a quick hug and told her to be careful before getting into her car, sliding the seat back, and driving away.

  "Where are we going?" Mr. Collins asked after starting the big diesel.

  She leaned forward, having taken the middle seat in the back between her parents. She gave a few directions and then fidgeted with her seatbelt. She didn't know what to do, or what to say.

  Mr. Collins finally broke the silence as he turned where she had told him at the roundabout. "How well do you know Doc anyway?"

  "Well enough," Victoria replied.

  "And what is he, if he knows so much about all of this?"

  Victoria's stomach clenched. What did she say? Doc hadn't given her permission to say anything, although he kind of had. Not enough that she felt comfortable just coming out and telling the lie they had settled on.

  "Dan, you shouldn't..."

  He cut his wife off. "That Indian, or whatever he is, is asking us to trust him with our daughter's life. We have a right to know why we should bother trusting him to go up against powerful mages and get her back for us."

  "Dan!"

  Victoria ground her teeth in anger.

  "He's a mage, a really powerful one, so don't be an asshole," Victoria growled.

  Her parents raised their eyebrows. Both took her hands and squeezed.

  He didn't apologize, but he didn't say anything else.

  Victoria took her hands back and pulled out her phone to warn Doc.

  Victoria: I just told them you're a powerful mage. Sorry. Didn't have a lot of options. Was getting tense.

  Doc replied a moment later with a thumbs up and a shrugging smiley icon.

  "You need to turn down this dirt road," she said tightly a few minutes later. The drive down the narrow dirt road seemed to take longer than the last time she was here, and Victoria started to worry that they had taken the wrong random dirt road. It was getting dark, and maybe she had made a mistake? Finally, when she was about to get really worried, they pulled into the clearing around Doc's cabin.

  "I wonder who that is?" Victoria didn't recognize the silver Jeep that was parked in front of their boat.

  Everyone climbed out, and Mr. Collins silently handed the keys back to Victoria. She went to the door and tried the handle. It wasn't locked, so she opened the door.

  Sam was curled up on the couch, reading a novel. She looked up, eyebrows raised as she saw Victoria enter followed by both sets of parents.

  "Where's the guys?" She spoke slowly, uncurling before standing up.

  "Sam, we think they got Sofia."

  Sam tilted her head and gestured toward everyone else.

  "Oh, uh, Mom, Dad, Mr. Collins, Mrs. Collins, meet Sam. She's a friend of ours, too."

  "And the guys?"

  "They're going after Sofia," Victoria answered quietly.

  "Damn fools are going to get themselves killed," she growled. She picked up a knit bag and rummaged around in it before pulling something out and tossing it to Victoria.

  She reflexively caught the small bag.

  "Wear that. If Doc manages to survive this idiocy, tell him I brought that for you." Sam slipped her shoes on and headed toward the door.

  Everyone moved out of her way.

  "Sam, where are you going?"

  "I need to make a phone call." She jerked the door open and almost slammed it behind her. Moments later, Victoria could hear her Jeep start and sling gravel as she sped away.

  "Well, she wasn't happy. You sure she's a friend?" Victoria's mom stared after Sam.

  "Well, she's been friends with Doc, Ed, and Allan for a long time anyway. I don't think she hates me or Sofia."

  "So, who are Ed and Allan?" her mother asked.

  "Other friends of ours. They live here, too. I'm hungry, let's get something to eat." Victoria headed for the kitchen to try and escape for a minute.

  "Are you sure we should eat their food?" Her father followed her.

  "I promise, they won't mind," Victoria replied. She opened the bag Sam had given her and poured a necklace out in her hand. It was a thin black leather choker with a crystal paw hanging from the center. The crystal reflected a bit of rainbow in the kitchen lights, and it tingled with power.

  Victoria put it on and was not surprised to find that it fit perfectly. Her dad watched her, not saying anything. She forced a smile, though she was more worried about everyone now than she had been an hour ago. Victoria really wasn't sure if Sam thought Doc was in over his head, or if she was just annoyed that he was sticking his neck out for someone he barely knew.

  Either way, it was going to be a long night while they waited.

  Chapter 23

  Sofia

  I blinked a few times before the world came into focus. I sat in a highbacked chair. I tried to get up and couldn't move.

  Gasping, I struggled to get my body to respond. All I could move was my head. Ropes bound me to the chair, but that wasn't what kept me from actually moving.

  Ash, of all people, was slumped in another chair next to the wall, his eyes closed. He sat with his arms resting on the armrests and didn't move other than to breath softly.

  "Ash?" I tried to say. My tongue felt thick, and I mangled his name. Despite knowing he was part of the magic mafia, it was somewhat comforting to see a familiar face. One that looked very deeply asleep or unconscious.

  The rest of the room looked like some
sort of study or library. A large leather topped desk took up part of the medium sized room. Bookshelves lined three of the four walls, with a few more highbacked chairs scattered around. Books filled most of the shelves–large leather-bound volumes, and thinner ones. No novels or anything that looked modern or familiar. Here and there, random objects sat on the shelves in front of the books.

  "Ash?" My voice cooperated that time.

  The door to the study opened, and another familiar face came in. I glared at Alex, remembering running into him earlier in the day. Well, I hoped it was still the same day. He'd offered me a latte as normal. I had tried to decline, saying I didn't feel right taking one from him, but ended up accepting it anyway. He had already figured out I wasn't going to date him and told me he didn't mind.

  And then I woke up here.

  Damn it.

  "Ash finds it more agreeable to sleep until we need him again. I can wake him if you like. He's typically grumpy, unless he's being forced to behave."

  "Forced?"

  "He's a lesser demon currently in my possession." Alex shrugged and pulled a chair over to sit down across from me.

  "What exactly do you want from me?"

  Alex grinned and told me.

  I stared at him wide-eyed, my heart pounding in fear. I jerked at the ropes that bound me to the chair, and this time, my arms cooperated. I still couldn't get free. Even knowing they were probably too tight, I kept jerking, ignoring the pain from the bindings, desperate to escape.

  "You'll tear your arms up," Alex said, though he didn't sound terribly concerned. "Tell you what, cooperate, and we'll let your friends survive. Fight us, and we'll kill them."

  I stopped fighting for the moment and stared at Alex, trying to decide if he was serious. My heart pounded, and I worried about my friends, too.

  "I'll give you a few minutes to think about it." Alex smiled and left the room.

  Furious, I looked around to see if there was anything that could help me. Alex didn't know Doc had helped me access my powers, so I at least had that advantage. I still really didn't know how to use them, but I might be able to do something. Alex thought I was completely untrained and unable to do anything consciously. Well, he was going to find out otherwise here in a minute.