by T J Kelly
"Did you make any progress?" Mort asked me, interrupting my darkening thoughts. I found a way to control my magic and my emotions, but that didn't mean I wasn't going to feel bad when I was a jerk.
"I think the vision we saw applies to what's happening right now," I said. "It could help us."
"That's good news." The look on my face may have told Mort something about how I was feeling, even if he didn't know why. He took a seat on the barstool next to me and patted my shoulder. It was almost as good as a hug and comfort filled me. It dawned on me that everyone at the castle had been doing small things to comfort me, or keep me upbeat for over a year. It was humbling.
"How about you, Joseph?" I asked. "How are your projects going?" May as well pay attention to somebody besides myself for a change.
"They progress slowly," he responded. He also set aside his cue, walking over to the mini-fridge and pulling out a bottle of water. "But this is a lovely environment and the people are interesting." He winked, and I grinned back. There was something about him, a sense of ancient wisdom that was so compelling that I wanted to have a dozen conversations every time I saw him.
"Have you toured the castle grounds?" I asked. "The gardens here are amazing." Nobody beat a Laurus when it came to plants of any kind, practical or ornamental.
"I have had the pleasure," he said, leaning against the pool table. "There is a story to the silence here."
Oh. True. "It's my fault," I blurted. Mort and Peter eyed me, but said nothing. My mistake, my story. "I did something horrible last year before I learned to control my magic."
Joseph studied me. His soulful brown eyes broke through my defenses, the false bravado I used whenever I admitted to my greatest shame. "There is no trace of darkness," he murmured.
"No." I had to force the word through numbed lips. "Uncle Ged told me a mistake made without evil intent isn't rooted in darkness."
It wasn't tied to light, either. But there was no sign of a curse left in the forest after the birds disappeared - besides the tragic absence of all those delicate, innocent lives. Although I hadn't realized it at the time, that was proof positive I wasn't as lost to the Dark as I feared. Great evil always left a mark. The thought would have been comforting if it wasn't also the reason Armageddon had no way to follow a trace and undo my mistake. There was no saving the birds, regardless of my motives.
"Now I understand the notations in the margins of your mission reports," Joseph responded. "An elegant poetry of regret and longing. A call to the past despite your fight for the future."
I lost my ability to speak. How was I supposed to react when my subconscious doodles and random calculations laid me bare? How many other agents had seen them? Or worse, Council-members?
"We should go," Peter said, interrupting the slow motion nightmare playing out before my eyes. And the waves of pain that came with the memories.
"My apologies," Joseph replied, his voice gentle. "I intended no harm. You have achieved great and wondrous things, but such ability comes with a price. There is no judgment here. The soulfulness and depth that rose from your unconscious notations to rewrite the past intrigued me. Whenever I see burgeoning time functions with a high degree of accuracy, I am compelled to seek out the author."
Wait. I responded to the prohibition against certain time-related equations like any other magician. Even my doodles wouldn't have been able to go there, no matter how unconscious. Much less have enough cohesion to attract the attention of an agent who never seemed to age.
Before we could say anything more, a buzzing interrupted our break time. A small swarm of lights, bright and spinning like violent fireworks flew into the basement, split apart until one ball of furious light hovered before each of us.
An alarm.
We jumped into action and followed the lights out of the basement into the castle proper. Armageddon and Peony were already in the sitting room when we joined them, as was Reg. The little balls of light merged and then projected an image onto the wall. Fire. Explosions. People running.
An agent in the field had just sent for help.
◆◆◆
Dirt and gravel showered us as we landed. We transferred in all at once, making up a powerful response team to answer an agent's call for help. We were greeted with an explosion of light and sound, with a burst of power trying to knock us to the ground. A Flash-bang.
Good thing we had cast our shield spells.
I rocked back but kept my balance. Diving to the left, I ducked behind a brick wall belonging to a two-story building across from a park. Flashes of light and explosions came from behind the hedges on the other side of a beautiful emerald-green lawn interspersed with sandboxes and a jungle gym. Peter and Mort stayed beside me. Peony and Armageddon leaped to the roof, boosted with Earth element, while Reg and Joseph moved forward to duck around a low cement half-wall that lined the sidewalk.
We held the high ground, but for the moment, that made us a visible target. No tactical advantage.
What shocked me were all the Reeves. I had no idea why they were there. Agents didn't call the Reeves for help unless it was a standard law enforcement matter. But the place was crawling with them, roaming in and out of sheltered areas, shouting orders as they dodged nets and Crystal-burst filled with liquid fire and the occasional Smash-force.
"Over here," Seth shouted. He and Harris had taken shelter behind another portion of the cement wall but not too far away to hear. They must have sent the Call for help. "There's twenty of them."
Not great odds for the Reeves if the enemy Seth was referring to were magicians on our level, but not impossible for Irregulars to face down. Especially with the seven of us transferring in to join Harris and Seth. There were almost as many of us as there were enemies.
Movement above diverted my attention from the battle in the park. Armageddon had thrown his arm out as if he were reaching for something, then clasped his hand into a fist and pulled. Three Reeves flew back closer to us, yanked off their feet by my uncle's spell, right before a massive explosion sent more dirt and rocks and flames flying out right where they had been. And where we were. I tightened my shield, leaning harder into the lead on my wrist. Shrapnel from a metal core in the spell bounced off us harmlessly.
"They aren't messing around," Peter said. He crouched, kneeling on the sidewalk, then smashed a shield-covered fist into the wall to knock off a chunk of brick about the size of a matchbook. "Watch my back," he added.
I created another shield with Air, extending it several feet in front of us. I also made sure it rose high enough to cover my aunt and uncle, who were blocking attacks. The Reeves really needed stronger shields, but the lead enhancement was still a secret, and we needed to figure out how to help them without revealing it to our enemies. Or anyone else. Even them. It was a difficult tightrope to walk when it came to the safety of others versus the possibility that the enemy would become nearly invincible if they found out.
Harris and Seth made their way to meet Reg and Joseph, who were launching mechanicals and controlling the Earth element, using walls of dirt to attack. The brothers joined in, implementing their triangulation spell to focus on the center of the battle.
Mort slipped off around the building and launched himself into the thick of the fighting, flashes of colored light bursting through the smoke our enemies hid behind as he fought with magic and fists. Bodies began to fly, but some of the Reeves were getting in the way. They were trained differently than we were and did better in more regimented situations.
"Tua mendacia," I shouted. It was a spell, meaning "find your lies." My work with my aunt and cousin regarding seer abilities had influenced me. It was about revealing the truth, but as I hoped, it worked just as well at uncovering our enemies. The smoke dissipated.
Seth had been wrong. There were at least thirty of them, even more since there were additional attacks coming from the edges of the park.
"There," Peter said, satisfaction coating his voice. I looked down at the drawing he
had made on the sidewalk. With a quick gesture, he completed the star and cross.
A roar came from the field. The knot of attackers blew open, bodies flying everywhere, falling to the ground hard enough to knock them out. Peter's spell covered more area than possible for any other magician. Using his art wasn't always a drawback.
"Awesome," I laughed. Probably not the most appropriate response, but it really was a sight to behold.
The rest of the agents peeled off from their positions, including my guardians on the roof. The enemies on the edges of the field transferred out, skip-tracing so they couldn't be followed. They weren't the priority, anyway. The men and women of the Reeves were. Many were injured or unconscious.
Reg and Joseph helped Harris and Seth bind the enemy and stacked them up against the cement half-wall like logs. Armageddon and Mort stood to the side speaking with a few Reeves, Peony nearby ministering healing aid to the fallen. Peter and I joined her.
"It's bad enough to have you swoop in when we're working a case," an older man was growling at my uncle. "But this is unacceptable. We're not your bait."
"I assure you, we had no plans to utilize your forces in such a manner," Armageddon responded, his voice calm and respectful. I could tell he was trying to diffuse the situation. The guy was crazy. No Irregular would use a weaker magician as bait. Especially not without their knowledge or permission.
"Your agents lured us here. We walked into a trap while they hid behind a wall."
"Hey!" Seth shouted, offended by the interpretation of his actions.
"Complete your task," my uncle ordered the Andersson brothers. "I'll handle this."
Seth and Harris shuffled off until they were no longer in earshot. They used the Earth to push more prone bodies to the side. It would be easier for us if we grouped them together to transport them to their incarceration.
"I'm afraid there is more to this than you understand," my uncle continued. "If you would be so kind, I will complete my investigation and meet with you at your leisure."
The man scowled. No Reeve liked their case transferred to an Irregular. They wanted to finish their work and thought we wanted to take credit with the Council to justify our larger budget and additional resources. It really wasn't like that, but I understood why they felt that way. It was one of the sticky situations my uncle had been discussing with me. It was a generations-old resentment.
"If I must," the Reeve team leader responded curtly. Most people, even Oberon Taine, wouldn't dare talk to Armageddon in such a tone. But fury practically rolled off this guy. More than the situation called for. And what was up with accusing the Andersson brothers of tricking them? There was no way.
"Here is my contact information. I will send a message when we're done here." My uncle handed the man his card and then turned to help clear the battlefield. He had been more abrupt than I would expect, but the man was being unreasonable and we didn't have all the time in the world to clean up the mess. So far, no mundanes had shown up. Or worse, children wanting to use the playground. But it was bound to happen at some point.
"We can take care of our wounded," the team leader said. He still sounded angry, and I looked up from where I was healing a broken bone with a knitting spell using one of my new light crystals. It included warmth and comfort, and would soothe the victim's pain if they woke before I finished.
"You could do worse than Potentia Caorthann Laurus using her magic on your behalf," Armageddon said, using my aunt's magician and clan affiliation names. He didn't call the team leader a fool. It wouldn't have been politic. And not a trace of sarcasm came across in his voice.
But I knew him. My uncle's patience was wearing thin. Rumbling thunder in the distance made that clear. Time was running out.
"Can we have some help here?" I called, interrupting the tense tableau.
As I hoped, the Reeve looked my way, breaking the tension. He took note that Peter was holding a bandage over a bleeding chest wound and let go of his anger enough to lend a hand. Their leader was a good man, I could feel it, but something was causing a misunderstanding - and a fury that was getting in the way. But he cared about the men and women in his command and wasn't above helping them, even if it meant kneeling near the man at the focal point of his fury.
"I have more bandages in my pack," Peter said by way of explanation. The team leader continued the pressure to free up Peter's hands so he could pull out the gauze packets.
I turned back to my charge, but not before I noticed the slight nod of approval my uncle gave me before he left to help with the clean up. There would be time to figure out the dynamics later. First, we needed to secure the area. And clear out before anyone else arrived and it made things worse.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Out and About
"Another packet arrived," James said when we returned. He and Richard were in the sitting room. When the large double doors were open, it was like a part of the main entry of the castle and easy to spot arrivals.
As James handed the papers to my uncle, Richard slid the bag of remnants from our healing efforts out of my hands. "I'll dump this off in the infirmary if you want to take a load off," he offered.
"I appreciate that." It wasn't heavy, but it was bulky and I was tired. I took Richard's suggestion and flopped down onto a love seat. With the barest of thoughts, I transferred several bottles of water from the kitchen to a side table and cracked one open to rehydrate.
Peter swiped another. "Thanks," he said, kissing me on my cheek. He didn't stay, though. He had blood and dirt on him and took off to take a shower.
Mort, Joseph, and Reg had taken charge of the prisoners and transported them to the Council's detention center to sort them out. Clan affiliations, bloodline magic, and element affinities would all be recorded and entered into the logbooks. Armageddon would receive a copy for our records. The analysts would track them and then we would find out who was responsible for the plan.
To do what? Not sure about their motives beyond making trouble in public. And between the Irregulars and the Reeves.
"Oh," I breathed as I realized the attack probably had to do with the two-path strategy that our enemies had implemented. A distraction, to keep our focus on the events unfolding before us, but also a distraction from something else. Somewhere else.
Great.
"I'm going to have tea after I clean up," Peony said. She gave my uncle a kiss and then made her way over to give my arm a squeeze. "Check in with me later this evening if you don't mind. I would love to stock more of those crystals you used today."
I nodded my agreement, then took another swig of water. My seat was near enough to the windows that I had some Light coming in, adding to the Dark in the shadows it cast and the Water I was drinking. They boosted my flagging energy. I had already whisked away the dirt and other debris from the confrontation while I was still at the park. I did the same for Peter, but nothing but a shower would make him feel clean once blood got on him from the wounded Reeves.
As the others departed, my uncle paced the length of the room, the papers in the intelligence packet rustling as he skimmed through them. James watched his father from where he leaned against the wall near the door, a position he must have taken while waiting on us.
"Could have used the exercise," James said. The grin on his face diffused any real complaint.
Armageddon looked up from the paperwork with a smile. "Sorry, kiddo. I'll remember to call you next time we have an alarm." It was funny to hear my uncle call James by a pet name. He was twenty-eight, a full ten years older than I was.
"I bet Mom thought of it and left us out on purpose," he said as he made his way to a chair near the love seat. "She thinks Rich and I need to recuperate."
My uncle joined us, sliding into another chair nearby. "I wouldn't cross her," he said with mock terror. "She has the authority to confine you to quarters if you don't get rid of those bags under your eyes."
When they returned from their long mission, my cousins had looked exhau
sted. Still did. Their undercover assignment had taken a toll, and I didn't blame my aunt one bit for having some concerns. They needed to heal at a normal rate for the best results. Although I wondered if maybe I could come up with another version of my nightlight crystals to better help them connect to the elements as they slept.
"Anything good?" James asked, tilting his chin to indicate the packet of papers he handed over.
"Excellent detailed information. Bad news." Armageddon opened the water bottle near his chair, nodding his thanks to me as he did. "Chas has heard rumblings from the Reeves. There's an entire outpost on the outskirts of San Francisco that doesn't even try to hide their affiliation with the Taines."
It was weird to hear about any law enforcement agency being an ally of a dark magician family, but the Taines were a prominent clan and sponsored many different people and organizations. There were also too many dark magicians to make it feasible to avoid working with them all together. And magic required balance. That made them essential to our way of life.
Something about that bothered me, but I let it go to concentrate on the conversation.
"Relations have always been tense between us," Armageddon continued. "But this would explain the imbalance in the behavior I observed today. The team leader is a good man. I've had dealings with him before."
James raised an eyebrow. My uncle quickly explained what happened in the park. At least as much of it as we could understand.
"And Peter blasted them all? Even with his art, that's impressive."
"He's made incredible progress," Armageddon said with pride. "More in the last year due to some new techniques. I'd like for you to work with Lia. You two have a similarity of thought that could only benefit us in the coming days."
An apprentice worked with many teachers in their final years of training, but I was lucky to have access to some of the best and strongest magicians in the world. Including my own family.