by Hazel Hunter
“It must. The Magus Corps is, um, I’m not sure how to put it.”
“Not an organization that likes to change?” Stephan’s laugh was real, but there was definitely a little bitterness to it.
“I wasn’t going to say it if you weren’t.”
“It’s fine. I know what the Magus Corps’ reputation is, especially here. I think you’re the first person who’s come to sit down next to me since I’ve been here.”
“This must be very different from where you usually are,” Hailey murmured, and he shook his head.
“Honestly, not really. I’m not exactly Magus Corps material at the bottom of it, but the Commandant I serve under, he realized that the organization needs to change or die. I’m sort of a mascot in some ways, you know? A whole new breed of Magus Corps officer, dedicated to fighting evil in brand new ways.”
There was enough bitterness in his voice that he shook himself, looking faintly embarrassed.
“That was probably a lot more honest than I thought it was going to be. Look, that’s all true, but that’s not the whole story, okay?”
Hailey shook her head dubiously.
“I think that any organization that would treat you like a mascot isn’t one that you want to be a part of.”
“I’m not saying I don’t have my days,” Stephan admitted. “I mean, there’s a reason I’m here for my break. In another world, I’d probably be living here and turning the machine shop into my own snug little berth.”
“But in this world?”
He shrugged.
“In this world, I was a guy who was pulled out of a really bad place. It was a Magus Corps officer that found me after I was awakened. I didn’t even know it. All I knew was that the guns I touched worked better, that the grenades I was using did more. It was an incredibly dark time, and I was lucky to get pulled out of it when I was.”
He was silent for a moment, long enough to let Hailey do a little bit of math in her head. If he had been watching the original Star Trek series, he had also likely been drafted into the Vietnam War. The idea of this mild young man in a combat situation was unnerving.
“The Magus Corps gave me what it felt like the whole world had been denying me, you know? I had a place for the first time. They wanted to see what I could do, and by God and all the saints, I wanted to give it to them. The Commandant says that my gadgets have saved lives. I was the one who insisted on getting cellphones and smartphones in the field as soon as they became available. I like to think I’ve done a lot of good.”
“You seem very devoted,” Hailey observed.
“Well, you got me on a good day. I have bad ones too, don’t get me wrong. It can get pretty nasty out there, but even when it feels like one big military circle jerk, I know there are Magus Corps officers who have my back.” He shrugged. “Nothing’s perfect.”
Hailey hesitated for a moment, and then she finally blurted out the question that had been lurking in the back of her mind ever since she sat down.
“Do you know Kieran McCallen?”
“Major McCallen? A bit, I guess. He’s older, so he doesn’t like my toys all that much, but he’ll use ‘em. Never met him before. Why do you ask?”
“Oh.” Hailey couldn’t help feeling a little disappointed. “I… He was the officer who got me here. That is, his mission was to find and evaluate me for a trial with the Castle.”
Stephan nodded.
“We don’t always play nice with the covens, but we do our best. Are you doing okay settling in?”
Hailey nodded a little shyly.
“I think so. It’s a lot like what you were saying. They’re giving me a place.”
“I’m glad to hear it. We should all be so lucky as to find a place where we’re welcome and not just tolerated.”
Stephan rose, gathering up his papers and his dishes.
“I’m due for bed soon, I think. I was working all night, and I want a quick nap before I jump back in. It was a pleasure meeting you, Miss…?”
“Hailey Devereaux,” she said. “Thank you for chatting.”
“You’re new, so can I give you some advice?”
She hesitated, and then nodded.
“God knows I’m grateful for the Magus Corps. They gave me everything I have. They made me what I am today. Most days, I like that just fine. It’s just that every now and then, especially on days when I get to spend all my time in the machine shop here, I wonder what other options I might have had, you know?” He laughed a little self-consciously. “I don’t regret it, but I do wonder. Before you settle down, do some exploring. Don’t let the first people who offer you the barest bit of tolerance be the master you swear yourself to.”
She nodded, and he walked off, leaving her to contemplate the remnants of her barley and berries.
But the Castle wasn’t the first to offer me a home, she realized.
Kieran was.
She couldn’t explain it, not in any kind of way that made sense. Kieran had appeared like water after a drought. He was a man who embodied most of what the people of the Castle were afraid of. He was powerful, and he wielded his authority with the ease of long practice. He did not obey the laws of any covens. He had the right to uphold the laws set in place by the Magus Corps if he so chose.
He had given her a home, however. That was something she could not escape. He was her home. Even if it was only for a little while, it was still real. It still hurt when she lost him. She wondered what it meant, but she couldn’t stand another whirl of the emotions that had taken her that morning. Talking with Stephan had proven to be a respite from her own overwrought emotions at least.
Piers had told her to get to know the Castle, and she decided to do exactly that. There were more people who called the Castle home than just Piers, and she resolved to meet them.
CHAPTER NINE
FOR THE NEXT two weeks, Hailey threw herself into life at the Castle. The feelings she had for Kieran and the new feelings that were emerging for Piers were put aside as she found her feet in her new home. She reached out, exploring and putting down tentative roots, things that had seemed impossible just a few short weeks ago.
She had a few rough nights. There were times when she was convinced that the stability and the safety and the welcome she had found must have been figments of her imagination. Soon it would surely all be taken away from her. She would be sent away, and it would hurt all the worse for having been so wonderful for a short time.
Most days however were full of learning and exploration. She had herself put on the cleanup roster in the kitchen. Every meal time brought someone new. All of the people of the Castle were passionate about their talents. She met a young woman who could see things happening in other places, so long as she had been there before. She made the acquaintance of an older man, gruff as a bear and battered as a cliff face pine, who communed with the herds of bighorn sheep that roamed the area.
Slowly, she realized that all of the people of the Castle, no matter their Wiccan talents, were all devoted to the idea of independence. They treasured their contact with the human world, and in many ways, they were dependent on it. Supplies were regularly brought in, and a young warlock who had a real skill with teleportation made it quite easy to get what they needed from the human world.
Hailey did a few sessions with Erin, taking the other young woman up on her parkour and free running lessons. They left her aching and tired, but exuberant. She knew that she would enjoy making it a part of her routine.
Some of the witches and warlocks were even curious about her own ability. It took more than a week before the first was brave enough to submit herself for a trial run. She had set her face grimly as if expecting it to hurt, but she had still offered Hailey her arm. In many ways, it was the moment of truth. Hailey could feel the other Wiccans in the training ground watching them, not even pretending to be discreet. If she did something wrong, if she took too much or harmed this brave girl, her time at the Castle might come to a screeching halt.
&
nbsp; Hailey should have been nervous, and the girl certainly was. However, there was a voice at the back of her head telling her that it was fine. She had skill. She had control. She wasn’t going to hurt this girl.
She touched the girl lightly. There was an impression of a green and healing energy. As she removed her hand, she looked at the witch.
“Does your power have something to do with plants, with growing, maybe?”
The girl was examining her hand in surprise.
“That didn’t hurt at all. And you’re right, I can make plants grow quickly and produce food more readily. I feel fine!”
“You should feel fine,” Hailey said firmly. “No one I’ve ever used this skill on has ever been harmed in the least.”
“All right.” The girl grinned eagerly. “Now let’s see what you can do with it.”
In response, Hailey spread her hands to light a flame the size of a cannon ball between them. The ball of flame hovered for a moment before flying high up into the air before dissipating. It was a maneuver that she had seen the more military minded of the Angioli coven’s protectors do. It was satisfyingly showy, causing the people around her to break into applause. She turned to the crowd grinning and caught a glimpse of Piers as she did. When she looked closer, however, she couldn’t find him.
After that display, warlocks and witches were calmer around Hailey. Several more offered themselves up for her work, and finally one day, Julie came looking for her.
Hailey was sitting in the kitchen with a book on the Scandinavian witch trials in front of her. She was so absorbed that she didn’t notice that Julie had come up with bread and a slice of honeycomb to share.
“A lot of the folks are talking,” Julie began without preamble, “and I wanted to talk to you.”
Instantly, Hailey lost interest in the honeycomb, her guard up and bristling.
“Why, what are they saying?” she asked warily.
Had she been wrong? Had she overstepped herself and the place she had in the coven?
“Well, to be blunt, they’re wondering why you don’t ask them for a bit of their power more often. As a matter of fact, you never do.”
“That sounds like…asking for trouble,” Hailey said finally. “I mean, I know how personal it is. I know that people think that I’m some kind of vampire. I don’t want anyone to think that I’m just being nice to them because I need some of their energy.”
“No one’s going to think that,” Julie said. “They’ve seen it with their own eyes. I don’t know what to think about your coven masters before, but everyone here, absolutely everyone knows that Piers wouldn’t let someone dangerous live among us. They also know that he never brings in anyone who isn’t some kind of genius at what it is they do. They want to see that.”
“But…”
Hailey’s voice trailed off. She knew that Piers had brought her to the Castle for a reason. Kieran had told her a few things about it, but his information had been vague. She thought back to what Piers had told her about a shield spell, something that could hide an entire community from Templar depredations. It would be impossible for any one witch to perform the hiding. It was impossible unless that witch was holding more power than a witch could have on her own.
For the first time, Hailey truly understood what Piers wanted and how she fit in. He had dreams that could only be fulfilled if she consented. With a start, she realized that they had become her dreams as well. The Castle was the first place that had given her a welcome, it was true, but it was more than that. She had seen a community that was worth protecting. She wanted to do her part.
“All right,” she said softly. “I think I will start asking.”
“Good girl,” said Julie.
She showed Hailey how to break off the sticky, waxy comb and smear the whole lot onto a sturdy slice of bread. The flavor was intense and the texture exotic. It was another small gift that the Castle had given her, and Hailey was determined to be worthy of it all.
“Julie, I have a request,” she began.
She worked with Julie and Erin at first, women she knew and trusted. She realized soon that Piers’s hopes had been right. She could pull power from them both. It increased her own strength. It allowed her to do far more than she had thought possible.
Other witches and warlocks came to her, curious about her experiments. She worked on different spells. Some came naturally to her, like fire and flying. To her dismay, however, hiding herself required an immense amount of effort, as did hiding something else.
“Don’t worry much about it,” Julie told her firmly. “Hiding is a rare skill, a lot like your own. It’ll come with time.”
As she continued her work, however, Hailey realized with a pang how rarely she had seen Piers. He was present on the edges of her vision and her awareness, talking with other Wiccans, arranging this or deciding that. He greeted her with a polite nod, but he never seemed to have the time to stop and talk with her.
She realized slowly that she would need to take him at his word. He was giving her all the space that she needed. He wanted her to feel ready. Her heart warmed when she realized that he wanted her to feel completely safe and secure.
Hailey knew that she was ready to speak more with him about putting her abilities to work. She understood that there were risks. If she pulled power from a number of people and then used it, the final outcome often left her feeling drained and tired. Her vision had swam once. She knew that it could get worse if the spell was truly powerful.
She wasn’t worried about the spell, however. Their time apart had done nothing to dull her confusion about her feelings. She still thought of Kieran. She missed him with a passion, his eyes, his hands, his quiet humor and his power. She thought of Piers as well. He was passionate but so caring and gentle. There was a fiery spark to him that she could sense lay under the surface. She was called to both of them, and to put the conflict out of her mind, she had simply not thought about it. Thoughts too far in one direction or the other only made her heart hurt. She reasoned it had nothing to do with her powers and what she could do for the coven. That was when she decided to seek out Piers.
CHAPTER TEN
HAILEY KNEW THAT Piers sometimes greeted the morning on the slate roof of the west wing, the highest point of the Castle. It was a slick and unreliable perch, inaccessible except to flyers, but fortunately Hailey could be counted among their ranks. She was learning to hold power better and to learn how to judge how much of it was necessary.
Early in the morning, when the golden rays were just beginning to creep up the walls of the Castle, Hailey dressed herself warmly. Nearly silently, she stepped into the air and ascended to the slate roof.
Piers sat on the slate, long legs sprawled, watching the sky lighten above. There was something calm and peaceful about him in this moment. He was unguarded. He didn’t have to have the answers to every problem the coven presented. He was merely himself.
Hailey softly landed on the roof next to him, careful of her footing. It was a little wet thanks to the mountain dew. The last thing that she wanted was to start off with a tumble.
“You’re up early,” he observed.
“So are you,” she retorted. “Or is it late?”
Piers grinned. His habit of keeping late hours and taking naps to refresh himself was well-known, if not particularly well-liked in the Castle.
“Early, I promise. I actually got sleep last night.”
Hailey paused. The talk between them was comfortable. The silence that stretched out now was too. Piers looked patient, as if he would wait as long as he needed for her to speak. She felt that warmth for him that she always had wrapping around her like a blanket.
“Have you been avoiding me?”
She expected him to deny it, but he nodded.
“A little bit. I wanted to make sure that you could judge the Castle on its own merits. It’s a fine place, but it’s not for everyone. I understand that better than most, and I’m the one who built it. If you go through w
ith the work that I am interested in having you do, it means that you’ll have to be about as committed as I am.”
“You could have had that anyway, you know,” Hailey said softly. “When I came here, I was so overwhelmed by how kind you were and how sweet everyone was, I likely would have jumped right in without a second thought.”
“I really couldn’t have done that, and anyone who would have is a kind of monster. I’m asking you to risk your life to do something for people who have never done you much good at all. I know about your previous coven placements, and I know that they have not been overly kind or considerate of you. I couldn’t take you from a bad situation and then use your gratitude against you.”
“No, you couldn’t, could you?” Hailey said, smiling. “That’s why I’m saying yes.”
“Yes?”
“Yes. I want to help you. If you had done that, pulled me in while I was still bright-eyed and bushy-tailed about all of it, I would have helped you. Now, however, I know the Castle. I know how much fighting can happen, and I know what a pain it is sometimes to have such a small community aware of every aspect of your business. I know that I need to do this. Mere gratitude couldn’t make me this eager, Piers. I swear that to you. You don’t have my gratitude. You have me wanting to do this more than I’ve ever wanted anything in my life.”
Piers’s grin was enormous. In a single moment, he was on his feet, catching her up in his arms. He did it with such enthusiasm that their feet left the slick tiles of the roof. There was one stomach dropping moment where Hailey forgot about their powers and was convinced that they were going to fall. Then she remembered and started giggling.
“What a good thing it is that we are both flyers,” she teased. “That would have been an unfortunate way to end your legacy as the master of the Castle.”
“I would have died happy though,” Piers retorted.