by T J Kelly
We held hands and shared magic as I formed the false trace. Then carved out a solid mass of darkness, infusing it with the trace, siphoning it back into the curse. Nobody could tell we broke through to the contents of the drawer, ensuring a successful mission.
The mock battle had created a huge mess. And we had captured prisoners. If the exercise had been real, the enemy would know we had been there. But thanks to our efforts, they would think we failed to get at the hidden object. That was its own kind of success.
My balance shifted more into the Light, but that was okay. I could function fine when the imbalance was on the side of good. And my darkness would come rushing back any time now, anyway. I didn't exactly like it, but it was a part of me and I wasn't afraid anymore. It was more like an unwieldy yet useful tool.
Peter left the room first, looking around for more enemies. There were none. I leaned against him as he transported the Anderssons into the cells we kept in the castle's basement to finish the scenario and then decided to walk instead of transferring ourselves into Mort's office to debrief. There was nothing important about the lacrosse ball, of course, but he would get a kick out of how we used the Fake-trace spell.
I pulled the dust and dirt off of myself by reversing the polarization, kind of like flipping a magnet over so it would repel instead of attract. No reason to be a mess when reporting in. Then I did the same for Peter.
"Mort told me that we can now transport straight from the outside onto castle grounds," he mused as we started our walk back. We had always been able to transfer within the borders, but moving the Andersson brothers into the dungeon would have been possible now even if we were out in the field. "It used to be a prohibition for everyone."
"Yeah, but Uncle Ged said it was safe because he tied it to Home-and-hearth magic. Well, not as safe as a complete ban, but it's limited to family." And a few others with a connection and traces deep enough to work like family. Like Mort. "Aunt Peony tried it when I was visiting Rector Enterprises for the first time after the trials. It was supposed to make it so I could get back here in case of emergency. I slipped my father's stuff into storage at that time. But that was back when David had taken Uncle Ged, so she turned it off as soon as we returned to the castle."
"But it's permanent now."
"Yeah. It's a weakness, but none of our enemies should find out anytime soon. As long as we hop through the safe houses a few times before getting here like we have been, they won't know. Not that I wouldn't come here direct if things got bad enough. I mean, they couldn't follow us. No matter what they tried. Not without a ton of planning and time and effort and research. And probably not even then."
I had talked to Mort about it. He was great with strategy and protection, and the information soothed my fears. I didn't mind paying it forward for Peter's benefit.
"Got it." Before we left the practice dome to enter the castle proper, Peter turned to me. "Hey, good job in there, by the way." He leaned over and stole a kiss.
Ah, bliss.
◆◆◆
"How many are here?" I asked.
"Everyone," Peter answered.
I took that to mean the same people we saw on Eostre, maybe more. We were in the ballroom, which at the moment was set up with chairs and sofas and a buffet along one end for the visiting agents on a different schedule than we were. Half of the cavernous room was left open with a chalk Wheel of Fortune and Compass rose drawn on the floor by Peter. He always put a line through the center of the letter Z, as if he were crossing a T. The old books I studied were like that, but most magicians didn't do that anymore.
"Got it." With a wave of my hand, I conjured all the tea trays laid out on the table and counters in the kitchen. Then I emptied the beverage fridge, setting the sodas, juices, and fizzy waters in buckets of ice. Helping set up the drinks was the least I could do.
A snap and a flash came from the empty side of the room. Mort appeared, dressed in a black suit with the usual battle vest beneath. "Hey there," he said as he joined us. "I've brought you something."
He handed me a small folded piece of aqua construction paper. A grin lit my face.
"You must have gone to see Sera," I guessed. I unfolded the paper, revealing a picture made of different colored, torn pieces of tissue paper glued into a fish shape. "Her latest artwork?"
"She was putting on the finishing touches when I arrived. Your apprentice would like to see that in a place of prominence during her next visit."
"Oh, I've turned one whole wall of the study into a miniature art gallery," I said as I walked the few steps to where Peter stood rifling through some of his notes. He was double-checking his drawing on the floor. I showed him the picture before I transferred it upstairs into my bedroom. I would hang it in the proper place later.
"Thank you," Mort said when I handed him a cup of tea. His favorite, black tea with cream, vanilla, and sugar. I loved that one, myself. "She seems to be settling in well."
We all took turns checking in on my charge, although I visited her almost daily, even if it was just for lunch or a bedtime story. Sera stayed on Madagascar time, which made it easier for me to see her without interrupting the rest of my schedule. I was still officially in training, too, until my twenty-first birthday when I reached my final majority.
Too bad the kind of time travel we saw in movies wasn't real. I could have crammed in all the lessons, combat training, healing and Recall sessions with my aunt, and business dealings that were essential to the success of the legacy my parents had left me. And time with Peter. Not to mention the rest of my friends. Plus extra naps.
I stifled a yawn.
The agents staying at Castle Laurus arrived on foot at almost the same moment, entering through the door to the main hall. Richard and James, Joseph, and Reg made plates of food before taking a seat. Tian, Reg's wife, was also present but chose a fruit juice only.
Then others began to arrive, Harris and Seth both giving me a quick hug. Kamini, her presence a small surprise but if I had thought about it, wouldn't have been. David Novato, the man who had kidnapped my uncle and almost perished by my hands, and Adrian Rector, my faux relative. And Chas. With Clarissa.
I managed to keep from wrinkling my nose, but honestly, there was no reason for her to be there.
Once everyone had taken a seat or stood in small groupings around the room, my uncle and aunt popped in, greeting everyone before also making a small plate of snacks.
"How's court?" I asked Mort. I didn't think anyone else was coming, but we would still wait a while before we started the formal meeting and debriefings.
"Wrapped up my last case today," he answered after he took another sip of his tea. "I'm officially on sabbatical."
"Lia created a false trace to trick the curse at practice yesterday," Peter said. He slipped a small plate onto the side table near where I stood. It was filled with shortbread cookies and banana tarts, with homemade whipped cream piled so high it threatened to tumble off the side. "Ged couldn't tell the difference."
My cheeks warmed from the pride in Peter's voice. I received plenty of positive affirmation in the Laurus household, but it still threw me off when Peter did it.
"Excellent. We may be able to work that into our practices," Mort responded. He was staying at the castle and would for as long as it took to figure out the plans our enemies had for taking over the world and then conquer them before they could succeed.
Before I had the chance to discuss the finer points with Mort, Adrian approached from where he had been in deep conversation with my cousin James.
"Hey, cuz," he said, leaning in for a hug. The work Armageddon had done on Adrian's memory was holding strong. He had a whole new past. The damage left by Oberon when he tried to use my fake relative to steal my company had threatened his life. With my agreement, my uncle had filled in the gaps with new information. Adrian knew he wasn't a magician of the Rector bloodline, but he thought he was still family. And since I had taken responsibility for his welfare that day,
I guess he was.
"Hi." I squeezed him back. "How are things in the Poland plant?"
"Running smoothly. Since I'm not an official hire until you're allowed to change the staff, I'm training with each department. It will take a long time, but we'll manage. I've even spent time with some rival clans. Just on the public levels of course. Oh, yeah. I was in with the crystal smiths when the sheets going to Rector House came through for the fractal work. Fascinating magic."
I nodded absently. Since my parents had died in a car wreck, I went from an isolated family to a ton of close connections. I loved every minute I spent with them, but it still took a lot of time to keep up.
"I've been experimenting with some new weapons using fractals," Mort added, taking the burden of the conversation from my shoulders. I adored that man. He knew I cared about Adrian's welfare, but it was still awkward to interact with him. "How about I show you my notes and you tell me what the experts have to say."
The two of them moved off, Mort giving me a wink. I grinned back and toasted him with my teacup.
"Uh, oh," Peter murmured in my ear. I reveled in how his breath felt against my skin, but his concern detracted from my usual enjoyment. "Time to say hi to your two favorite people in the room."
It was my job to work with all types of people, even those who walked on the dark side. The ones who chose to be informants. There would always be some I didn't like who I had to interact with regularly. But it was one thing to know that, and another to do it.
"Chas," I said as a greeting, coupling it with a nod. "Clarissa."
My ex smiled back, looking more relaxed than I had seen him in a long time. "Hey," he said. He and Peter eyed each other. The moment was filled with tension, but then something shifted. Chas looked apologetic, Peter not as unyielding as before. Like a silent communication, easing the pain caused by Chas's choices. They still had some things to work out, but at least they seemed like they were ready to move on.
Which would help, considering we would see them around more often. My uncle had given Chas a crystal I helped rig up to break the traces formed by their visit. Chas and Clarissa could come and go freely. I had added an extra spell, casting a glamor over their day to keep them safe. For now.
"Any news?" I asked. It sucked how much I didn't want to hear about my worst enemy, Oberon Taine, and yet had to in order to stay safe.
"Nothing new," Chas said. His Promised had wandered to the side, making some drinks for the two of them. "Peter asked me to keep an ear out for any mention of the Examiner, but I haven't heard a thing."
"Of course not," I groaned, although there was an exasperated laugh somewhere in there. "Leave it to your dad to never talk about the one thing I actually want to hear."
Chas laughed. He hated his father, probably more than I did. After all, he knew the man better. "There are a lot of hushed conversations lately," he added. "I'm sure it'll come up again."
The Examiner had been taken and hidden away while Oberon had been using Adrian to try to steal my company. I didn't wish the pompous man any harm, but it still seemed weird to me they hadn't just killed him and moved on. Why go through all the effort to hide him away when his presence could spoil all of their plans?
"I didn't know you were bringing Clarissa with you," Peter said. He must have asked for my sake, because there was no way I would talk about her with Chas no matter how much I wanted to know.
"Yeah, she combs through all the newspapers," he said. Junior agents all over did that, but Clarissa knew a lot of the dark magicians and their alliances, sometimes disguised as social connections. The fair, rational side of my mind begrudgingly acknowledged she had some useful skills. And we used information from some of the worst criminals, so why not her? "Ged asked me to bring her with me when I could. It's easier to explain my absences if my dad thinks we're on a date."
No words came from my mouth. Also, no scowl. So that was progress.
At least we could assess Clarissa's usefulness. "Yeah, sometimes couples can get away with things single agents can't," Peter added. I liked that. It helped establish that we were partners as well as dating now.
Before we were forced to make more awkward small talk, my uncle gestured. It was time to start the formal part of the meeting. Whew.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Six...
The summer solstice was still in the future, but the warmer weather had arrived. Peter and I stole a few moments to ourselves and took a walk on castle grounds, hiding beneath the canopy of the forest of silent trees.
"You're thinking about them again," Peter stated. He knew where my thoughts were. I hated making mistakes and did what I could to learn from them and never repeat. But it was impossible to push aside the fact I killed thousands of birds in a fit of uncontrollable anger. As tempting as it was to forget, I refused to put a memory spell on myself ever again. I had almost missed out on my chance with Peter because of a memory block. Hiding from my past never made anything better.
"Yeah. I wish I could take it back. I hate how quiet it is out here. It's so unnatural." I soaked in the Light coming from Peter's hand where it was entwined with mine, but also took in the Dark from the shadows. I was comfortable with my near-balance.
"Where did they go?" he asked. Peter stopped by a short sloping hill and sat on a patch of leaves, tugging me down beside him. It was as good a place as any to hang out. "I mean, what exactly did you do to them?"
"I'm not sure," I murmured. I usually avoided those memories. I hated how I couldn't control my magic or emotions. And I had scared myself. My uncle was forced to step in and knock me out to get me to stop freaking out when the realization of what I had done crashed through me. I lost all control. My aunt was there, and I turned to her. But Armageddon stood in the way, blocking her. Blocking me.
Who knows what would have happened to her if he hadn't been there?
"Peony would have stopped you," Peter said. I hadn't realized I said that out loud. "You know she's as strong as Ged. You're his apprentice and responsibility. And he has incredible battle instincts. That's the only reason he intervened. You need to quit hating yourself for something you didn't do."
My shoulders slumped. He was right. "Okay. I'll stick to hating myself for the things I did."
Peter narrowed his eyes at me, but I laughed. He gave me a slight half-smile. "If you don't want to do it again, then tell me what you did so we can work on it. Although you have so much more control now."
"True." But I knew him. He wanted to know the whys and hows. It helped him become one of the best magicians I ever met, and a calm head in an urgent situation. "I was annoyed at how loud they were."
"Birds are really noisy. I don't think people who live in the city realize how much. I was used to it, though." He gave me an out. I grew up in boarding schools all over the world, and none were exactly sequestered in the middle of nowhere.
"I wanted them to go away. So I just sort of pushed them. All of them."
"Like a transfer spell?"
Huh. I never thought of it that way. Never thought about it at all, if I could help it. But working through magic and piecing together events was a typical activity for an Irregular. So I kept going.
"Yes, but I didn't have a destination in mind. They went into the darkness."
Peter's arm was resting against mine, and I felt it jerk slightly. "Freaky.”
Transfer spells were complicated. Even pulling a tea tray from the kitchen had its dangers, but add in a person or animal, and it was a whole other ball game. Location, destination, the earth's rotation, time of year and hour of day where the magician was and where they wanted to go, all came into play. It was like juggling flaming swords and chainsaws and kittens. We risked losing the transporting object forever.
People had disappeared in the past. Still did. It was dangerous enough even dark magicians didn't try it unless they had the proper training. And many never cast that spell. That was one reason so many magicians employed drivers. To get a driver's license,
we had to be able to perform the transfer spell. Some used chauffeurs and carriage drivers as status symbols, but it was also a convenient way to hide the inability to perform a transport. I used drivers and outriders and guards for various reasons, but I was good at transfer spells. I had even gone down and gotten my license right after my eighteenth birthday, although I had yet to actually use it.
"It was the worst thing I've ever done," I said. I had been in several battles and caused another human harm. I also accepted the eventuality that I would someday need to kill an enemy. But murdering innocent creatures? There was no getting over that.
"Too bad you can't undo it," Peter mused. His fingers loosened in my hand, then slid over to draw the lines on my palm. One pattern, over and over. "If Ged had been able to follow your trace, he may have gotten them back himself. But you burned it."
Since my uncle knocked me unconscious with a spell, I had no idea about what happened in the aftermath of my fit. "Not on purpose. I didn't know how to break a trace back then. I wish he could have fixed it."
Oh. Peter was tracing time parameters onto the flesh of my hand with gentle, tickling strokes. He often expressed his thoughts and feelings through his art, as well as his magic. He was thinking about the past and a spell that relied heavily on timing.
"You're wearing your star necklace," he said, surprise tinging his voice. "I haven't seen that in a while."
It used to hang around my neck at all times to keep me from inadvertent use of magic. The trigger was tied to my thoughts, and the star stopped me from hurting people. Or the world. And then later it was a good deterrent for my emotional upheavals. I no longer needed it for any of those things and had stopped wearing it. But it was a gift from my mother, and I missed her. So I put it back on.
"I like stars," I said with a crooked smile. Thoughts of my parents were always bittersweet.
"Me, too," he said. His hand slipped out of mine, his finger gently touching the silver star, then shifting lightly to the side, tracing my collar bone. I shivered. His touch was warm, and full of Light, and filled me with a riot of feelings.