by Rain Oxford
He stood. “I can go?”
“Yes.” He left quickly. I finished writing everything down, followed by the questions I wanted to ask the study group about Sunday night. I also needed a better way to make sure they weren’t lying.
The easy way out would have been to take off the chain. I could help people with my magic. However, the easy way was rarely the best way. The chain was showing me how much I had come to rely on magic when I originally rejected it. I’d always had my instincts, but my detective skills were being lost because I could just have a vision or read someone’s mind. That meant if I ever lost my abilities, I was useless.
Magic was a tool to be used, not a crutch to lean on. Solving paranormal cases required magic, but not to the point that I was using it. I looked up Cy’s schedule and saw that he was in Darwin’s class. Instead of interrupting his class, I used my powers again to contact him mentally. “You have Cy now, right?” I asked.
“I’m working here.”
“You interrupt me all the time. Do you have him?”
“Yeah. Is he in trouble? He’s my favorite student.”
“You’re not supposed to have favorites. Send him to me. He’s not in trouble, but I need to question him regarding the story of two other students.”
“I’ll send him.”
I closed the link. A few minutes later, Cy entered. “Hi, Mr. Sanders,” he said.
“Hello, Cy.”
“Mr. Mason said you wanted to talk to me.”
“Yes. I need to ask you about Sunday night.” He paled and I sighed. “You’re not in trouble. You might be extremely helpful. What time did you get to the library?”
“I went there as soon as I finished dinner, so maybe six-thirty.”
“Who else did you see in the library?”
“The librarian, but she left at eight.”
“She left you there?”
“No… I left when she asked and then snuck back in.”
“What about other students?”
“Who studies on a Sunday? Except me, I mean.”
“Do you know Patience or Turner?”
“Yeah.”
“Did you see either of them?”
“Not on Sunday. I saw Turner and his friends on Tuesday and Wednesday in the library, though.”
“Was it possible that you just didn’t see them on Sunday?”
“Not if you mean in the library.”
“Thank you. You can go back to class, but please let me know if you hear or see anything strange, particularly regarding Patience or Turner.”
“I will. Have a good day.”
“You, too.”
* * *
I went to the library, where Ms. Sommerfeld was organizing books. “Hello, Devon,” she said.
“Good afternoon. You were here Sunday night, right?”
“Yes.”
“Did any students come in after six?”
“Just Cy. He’s always here. Tuesday and Wednesday, a group of teens were studying. They got a little rowdy and bothered Cy, but he held his tongue.”
“Was Turner with them?”
“Turner DiCaro? Yes.”
“If Kat, Leon, Jasmine, or Jessica come back tonight, would you let me know?”
“Sure.”
“Thanks.”
* * *
Next, I visited the infirmary, where Rhonda was writing on a notebook. More unusual was that the gray cat was sitting on Patience’s chest.
“Hello again, Devon,” Rhonda said.
“Hi. I just dropped by to ask if there was any change.”
“No. Andrew and I aren’t any closer to an answer, but at least they’re not getting worse.”
“That is good. That gives us time to find an answer. Do you know that cat?”
“No, he just showed up.”
When I reached out with my power for his mind, he vanished. He’s obviously a familiar. Darkness stirred in the corner a second before the gas lamps flickered. “Something is definitely going on here.”
“Enjoying it yet?” Rhonda asked.
“I’m starting to.”
* * *
I went to Remington to see if she learned anything else. Unfortunately, I sensed something wrong as soon as I reached her office… and found the door open. Remington wasn’t there. Someone had searched her room, judging by the papers and broken teacup on the floor. I found it strange that the filing cabinet looked untouched.
I sensed Remy’s presence as she came down the hallway. She was clearly surprised when she reached me. “What happened?” she asked.
“I didn’t see who did it. I wish we had surveillance cameras. How long were you gone?”
“Five minutes. I had to run out real quick and didn’t take the time to lock my door.”
“Why did you leave?”
“A couple of kids were fighting.”
“You should use another office for a few days and let me go through this to make sure nothing is missing.”
She put her hand on my arm. “That, I can handle,” she said. “You find out what’s going on with Patience and Turner, and I’ll get my teachers in line.”
* * *
I was heading to dinner when I felt Darwin trying to open a mental link. I let him in. “Come to Ms. Baumwirt’s classroom.” His tone was urgent, which was unusual for him.
“I’m on my way.”
I made haste to the classroom, where I found Lindsey and Oliver fighting and Darwin standing out of the way. “What’s going on?” I asked. They were punching, kicking, and pushing each other, either not knowing or caring that we were there.
Darwin shrugged. “I heard their fighting and came in to see what was happening. I can’t stop them, though, because I didn’t bring my gloves. Unless you want me to shift and break it up with my teeth.” Oliver shoved Lindsey to the ground and rolled on top of him, trying to choke him.
Not wanting to put Lindsey in a panic, I pulled Oliver off of him. “Calm down!” I demanded. My power instantly reacted, yet instead of ending the child’s fight, I felt a sharp sting on my arm. Fuck. I sat Oliver in one of the chairs. “What’s going on?”
He tried to lunge at Lindsey again. “I thought they were best friends,” Darwin said.
“They are. They’re unresponsive, which isn’t normal.” I grabbed Lindsey and Oliver by the arm and pulled them out of the room. They kept struggling to attack each other. We were halfway to the office before Oliver went limp and Lindsey started shaking.
“You’re touching me,” Lindsey said. I released him and he collapsed to the floor. “I can’t… I can’t…” he started hyperventilating.
Oliver tried to pry my hand off. “I have to get his sanitizer!” he said when I wouldn’t let him go. I released him and he pulled a packet of sanitizing wipes out of his pocket, which he used to clean Lindsey’s arm. Lindsey calmed down. “What happened?” Oliver asked, wiping blood off of Lindsey’s lip.
“I don’t know.”
“Why were you two fighting?” I asked.
“Fighting? We’ve never even disagreed on anything,” Lindsey said.
“What is the last thing you remember?”
“We were heading to dinner.”
“Why were you in the history classroom?”
“We weren’t,” Oliver said. “We were in the hallway.”
I let my power enter Oliver’s mind and focused on rewinding the evening. I saw bits and pieces of their fight, but there were no concrete thoughts, only explosive anger. It came on strong and overpowered them both. They hadn’t been doing, saying, or watching anything that should have elicited such a response.
“I’m confused,” Lindsey said, “and my face hurts. Why does my face hurt?”
“I’m going to take you both to the infirmary.”
“I’ll walk with you,” Darwin said.
We took the boys to Dr. Martin and found him alone, recording notes. “These two are a little more conscious than the others,” he said.
“Th
ese two were in a fight that they can’t remember. Do you have a few minutes to check them over?”
“I can try. It’s not likely to do any good, though.”
“At the very least, give them a healing potion to get rid of the pain.”
* * *
Kat and her study group didn’t return to the library Friday night. I was mentally exhausted when I finally retired to my room, so I wasn’t surprised to see a stack of messages on my desk.
Before I could address them, my instincts alerted me of someone coming. Even though the person was powerful and his mind was blocked, I recognized the magic. I turned down the lamp on my desk and a moment later Logan Hunt appeared in the middle of my room. “Hello, Devon. How are you enjoying your new job?”
Like Vincent, the old wizard looked half his age. He had dark brown hair and silver eyes that were full of wisdom. Hunt was the most powerful wizard I knew who wasn’t from Dothra. Even though John had mind control and Vincent had visions, Hunt used ancient and modern magic that he learned through almost a hundred years of practice.
“I’m still a private investigator, but I know you are really asking about Remy. She’s doing well,” I said. I didn’t actually know that for sure. Some teachers didn’t like or trust her, she was being attacked, and two students were in comas. That wasn’t really her fault and I didn’t know how she could possibly be doing better, though. Furthermore, I wasn’t going to tell Hunt that. I was working for Remy, not her father, so I wasn’t obligated to tell him anything.
“I see. I do want to know that my daughter is doing well, but I am here to help you. Vincent said you wanted training of the soul element.”
“Yes. I’m afraid I’ll hurt someone. My mind control is getting out of hand. It’s…”
“Too easy?”
“Yes.”
“I understand.”
“And the soul element can help?”
“The soul is what controls your magic. In order to control your magic, you must understand it. To understand it, you must know your soul. I can teach you to see it, but it will do you no good if you cannot accept it. If, at any point, you reject what you see, you will be closing your mind to it.”
“I really don’t understand what I’m supposed to see,” I said.
“It depends on what you need to know. First of all, you’ll need to meditate.”
“A lot of your lessons start out that way.”
“It is the only way to access your subconscious, which is an important step in most mental magicks.” He motioned with his hand and the remaining lights dimmed.
I sat on my bed, leaned against the cushion, closed my mind, and focused. Meditation didn’t come easy to me because I always had something to do, but since it was part of my training with Vincent to control my visions, I could do it.
As my awareness focused inward, I sensed my magic and Rocky’s presence. Although raw magic energy reacted to the physical world like electricity, the magic inside me was indescribable. I was born with it, I used it daily, and I absorbed John’s when I killed him, yet I couldn’t describe it. It just existed, and until I learned to use it, I didn’t know I had it.
My mind was quiet and at total piece when I sensed a much darker presence. I felt like I was being watched.
But this wasn’t death I sensed.
I pushed the presence away and opened my eyes. I was in front of Hunt, and completely disoriented.
“What happened?” he asked.
“I was supposed to see into my own soul, but I sensed John Cross.”
“His magic is inside you.”
“He’s my father. I can feel it. I’m no better than he was.”
“Even if Vincent is your father, Vincent and John’s magic came from the same man. You saw something in your soul and it frightened you. There is nothing wrong with that.”
“How do I change it?”
“You cannot change what is in your soul.”
“I don’t want to become like John Cross.”
“Then you do not have to. You are not a clone of your parents. What he did does not make you responsible.”
“But if he’s part of my soul---”
“You misunderstand, Devon. My wife will forever be a part of my soul. When I look into my soul, I see her. This is not because she was related to me or because I am living her life. She will always be there because I will always love her. When I make a decision regarding Remy, I consider what Emma would want. John will always be a part of your soul because you hate him.”
“How do I get rid of him?”
“Forgive and forget.”
“I can’t forgive him.”
“Then you will never be rid of him. That’s not to say I believe you should try. The hatred you have for him will guide you the same way my love for my late wife guides me.”
“So just because he’s part of my soul, it doesn’t mean I will be like him?”
“No, it does not. You must accept his influence to see past it. We will do this again, and I hope you will be more accepting of what you find.”
“I don’t like surprises.”
He smirked. “Neither do I.” Darkness swirled around him and he disappeared.
Chapter 6
Friday, August 26
After a few minutes, I addressed the messages on my desk. The first one was an appreciation letter from a client. The second was from my mother saying that she hoped I was having fun at my new job. The third was from Drake.
To: Devon Sanders
From: Drake BaDour
Date: Friday, August 26
Message: I know you’ve got shit going on, but now Kevin is missing. Kevin doesn’t go missing. We really need your help here.
I was less enthusiastic this time, but I went to Remington’s room and knocked on the door. My instincts warned me of danger and I stepped back right before the door opened, revealing a pissed off Remy. A sexy-as-hell, pissed off Remy. She wore a red satin slip and a dagger strapped to her right thigh.
“Oh, it’s you,” she said, relaxing. She motioned for me to enter and then closed the door behind me.
“Problems?”
“Yes, as a matter of fact. Two of my students are in a coma. I am fortunate they’re orphans because otherwise there would be four parents screaming at me instead of teachers and staff who are supposed to work for me. And I feel fucking horrible for being glad that they don’t have parents.”
“That is not a… heroic response, but I think it’s reasonable. It’s not like you’re wishing they didn’t have parents. You’re clearly under a lot of stress. Your father lost students, so you can imagine what he felt. Turner and Patience are still alive. You feel like you have more to prove because you have been protected your entire life. You spent your life trying to make your father trust that you could take care of yourself.”
“I can take care of myself. It’s just the school I can’t take care of, apparently.”
“Who is blaming you?”
“Don’t worry about it. I can take care of it. Have you found anything on the case?”
“I know Patience, Turner, and four other students lied about being in the library Sunday night.”
“Did you read their minds?”
“It’s complicated. I also got a message from Drake that another member of his staff has gone missing. I need to take care of it, but have Darwin call me back if there is any change.”
“Why don’t you take Darwin and Henry? I thought you like working with them.”
I nodded. “I’ll see if they want to go. I bet Henry will want to stick close to his son and Darwin has his fiancée to entertain him.”
“I think you’re underestimating your friendship. Are you still bored here?”
“I don’t have time to be bored. Good night.”
“Good night. Find some time to sleep.”
“I’ll do that on the drive to the city.”
“Now I’m not going to sleep tonight because I’ll be worried about you falling asleep
at the wheel.”
I laughed until she leaned against me, pushed up on her toes, and kissed me. Her lips were soft and welcoming, but she faintly tasted of scotch. Like her father, she preferred tea to anything else, so I knew if she was drinking, she was under more stress than she was letting on.
When we broke the kiss, I bid her a goodnight and left. Ten minutes later, I knocked on Darwin’s door. There was no answer, so I opened the door to find Darwin at his desk with his head in a book.
His room was designed like mine, except with a silver color scheme instead of blue. He had thrown his mattress on the floor in front of his wardrobe. Clothes and books were all over the floor. Thanks to Henry cleaning up his mess, there wasn’t food everywhere. Darwin wasn’t taught to clean up after himself. In fact, if he had his computer at the school, he would have to be reminded to eat.
He was holding up a finger to silence me, as if I could have seen that through the door. I waited for a moment before he looked at me. “Sup, Dev?”
“The Drake case is getting more serious. Kevin has been captured. Do you want to help out?”
“Hells yeah. You should have had Henry and me go with you last time.”
“You were teaching.”
“Have you used the blood to track them down?”
“I haven’t had the chance.”
“Let’s go get Henry.” As we walked to Henry’s room, he asked, “Did Drake ever get the list to you?”
“No.”
“Did you get a good look at the fae?”
“Somewhat.”
“Have Henry draw them so that you can show it to Drake and ask if he knows them.”
“I’d have better luck asking the fae what their problem is.” We reached Henry’s room and I knocked on the door. After a moment, he answered. His room was organized, but there was a huge chest of toys and a bunch of drawings and paintings on the wall. It was similar to the other rooms, except there was a second, smaller bed next to Henry’s. Scott was in his bed, drawing in a sketchbook. The six-year-old was a cute kid whether in his person or jaguar form. He got his black hair and gold eyes from his father, but his face was gentle, like his mother’s.