Conryu’s mood brightened at once. “With whipped cream and those little shaved bits on top?”
“Yup, just like you like it. And a day-old Giovanni’s pizza.”
“Conryu.” Mr. Kane relieved him of Maria’s bag. “I understand you passed your midterm with flying colors.”
“He was a total showoff.” Maria had her hands on her hips.
“It was Mrs. Lenore’s idea.” He looked back again. Kat had gotten free of the tourists and was plowing their way. “Let’s step on it.”
His mom looked back. “It’s that awful woman. She calls once a week to try and schedule an interview with you. I’ve a good mind to tell her off right here.”
“Maybe not on national tv. Let’s just go.” Conryu urged everyone toward the exit.
As they hustled along Mr. Kane said, “After you’ve settled in there’s a matter we need to discuss.”
Tension appeared between Conryu’s shoulder blades. “What kind of matter?”
“A magical matter best not discussed outside the Department. Would you be willing to come in the day after Christmas?”
“Sure. I didn’t have anything planned.” His mother was listening with a worried crease in her forehead. It seemed that crease had gotten deeper over the last half a year.
Mr. Kane must have noticed it too. “Don’t worry, Connie. It’s nothing dangerous.”
“It better not be.” She glowered at Mr. Kane. “My boy’s been through enough.”
Conryu seconded that, but somehow doubted Mr. Kane was being totally honest with his mom. If it wasn’t something serious he wouldn’t have hesitated to say what he wanted done. And in Conryu’s experience serious meant dangerous.
After a delightful first day of winter break spent looking his bike over and helping his father train at the dojo, followed by an equally nice Christmas, Conryu found himself sitting beside his mother on the way to the Department of Magic to help Mr. Kane with whatever it was he needed. Maria’s dad refused to say anything more outside the confines of his building.
When his mother had glanced at him for the third time Conryu said, “If you don’t keep your eyes on the road we’re going to crash. After everything that’s happened it would be ironic if I died in a simple car wreck.”
“Don’t joke about that, Conryu. Every day you’re gone I wonder if that’s the day I’ll get a call saying those loonies have finally gotten to you. Sometimes I can’t sleep I’m so worried.”
“Try and relax. The teachers have taught me some good tricks. I’m nowhere near as helpless as I was this summer. Mr. Kane told you I helped banish the giant demon snake, right?”
“Yes, it gave me palpitations. I saw that thing just before the cameraman went flying. Was it as big as it looked on tv?”
Conryu debated lying to her, but decided against it. Once he started lying about the threats it would never stop. “It was pretty big. Mrs. Umbra and I handled it. The Brawl was canceled though so my team didn’t even get credit for participating. Sonja was pretty upset.”
In fact she’d been so pissed that she set the letter from the golem committee on fire just holding it. Conryu had suggested if she wanted to try again she should join a golem club after she graduated. He didn’t know if she would. Sonja wasn’t one to play second fiddle to anybody.
Mom pulled into the government building parking lot and Conryu walked her to the door of the science building before jogging over to the Department. Mr. Kane had given him directions to his office so Conryu didn’t need to ask anyone.
He rode the elevator up to the top floor. Mr. Kane’s personal secretary smiled at him as he approached. She was cute so it was a good thing Maria hadn’t come with him today. She’d gone on a job with her mother. Something about wanting some real world practice.
“Conryu Koda?” the secretary asked. When he nodded she continued. “The chief’s expecting you. Go right in.”
“Thanks.” He pushed the doors open and found Mr. Kane behind his desk, the blond wizard that saved him at the carnival in one chair, and Detective Chang in the other.
Mr. Kane stood up and offered a tired smile. “Conryu. Thanks so much for coming in. You remember Terra and Lin?”
“Sure. Hey, Sarge.” He nodded to the detective. “So what’s this all about?”
“We need you to break a ward for us,” Mr. Kane said.
Conryu blinked and stared from him to the others. “Why me? This is the Department of Magic. You must have dozens of dark magic wizards that could do it for you.”
“We do, but they’re all deployed up north to help halt a frost giant invasion. No one we have available is strong enough in dark magic to get the job done. Emily assures me you have the power to do what we need.”
“I appreciate Dean Blane’s vote of confidence, but did she explain I sometimes destroy the warded item in the process of breaking the wards?”
“Don’t worry.” Terra got out of her chair. “I’ve inscribed a special circle that will direct your magic precisely against the wards. All you need to do is apply the spell.”
The older wizard sounded too eager. He would have expected her to be resentful of a first-year student doing her job for her.
“What are you guys not telling me?”
“I warned you he was sharp,” Lin said.
“Terra’s eager for a demonstration of your power,” Mr. Kane said. “She’s been reading the reports, but wants to see what you can do firsthand.”
“Reports? What reports?”
Mr. Kane winced. “All your teachers submit weekly reports about your progress to the Department. You can’t be surprised. After all you are the first male wizard. It’s only natural that we’d want to keep a close eye on you.”
So the teachers were all spying on him. He wished he was more surprised. “Fine, let’s get on with it.”
The little group left the office, rode the elevator two floors down, and entered an unremarkable hall lined with doors. Terra led the way to a door marked “casting chamber” and opened it.
Inside, the younger wizard from the day of his test stood beside a simple wooden table. On the table was a black box sitting in the center of an elaborate spell circle. The circle looked five times as complex as the one he knew how to draw.
“Conryu, you remember Clair?” Mr. Kane nodded toward the woman.
“Sure, she’s the one that didn’t think I was human.”
Clair shrugged, not looking the least put out. “It was the most likely explanation.”
“I take it that box is what you want me to break?”
“Yes.” Terra marched over beside the table and they all went to join her. “It contains the remnants of a spell. Until it’s opened I can’t reconstruct it.”
“How much power do you want me to use?” Conryu looked the box in the circle over. He only recognized one in three runes.
“Go all out. I designed the circle to shunt the excess power away the moment the wards break so there’s no danger of you overdoing it.”
“Okay.”
Conryu put his hands on the table the way he’d been taught. “Break!”
Dark energy crackled through the circle and into the box. The wards sizzled and dissolved. A dark ooze, like living oil, sloughed off the box, revealing deep, rich brown wood underneath. The ooze inched toward the circle then flinched back when it touched the first line.
Conryu moved his hands and stepped back. “There you go.”
Terra wore a broad smile. “That was impressive. The reports didn’t exaggerate your power. All three of us tried to break that ward, alone and together, and we couldn’t so much as scratch it.”
“What’s that ugly ball of black snot that keeps trying to slip through the circle? The wards I broke at school just sort of fizzled away.”
“I wish I could tell you.” Terra muttered something and flicked a finger at the blob. A spark shot out at it, forcing it back toward the center of the circle.
“Is it classified?” Conryu bent down for
a closer look. The blob almost acted alive.
“Not at all.” Terra turned back to look at him. “I’ve simply never seen such a thing. Until I’ve analyzed it and determined if it’s dangerous I don’t even dare reach into the circle.”
Conryu turned to Mr. Kane. “Did you need anything else?”
“Terra, Clair?”
Terra shook her head. “I’d love to run some experiments, but I need to focus on this. Thanks for your help. It was a pleasure to watch you cast.”
“Glad you enjoyed it. Can someone give me a ride home? I don’t want to hang around here until Mom finishes her shift.”
“I’ll do it,” Lin said. “We need to discuss some security matters anyway.”
Kelsie had been home for three days before she received a summons to go to her mother’s home office. Sometimes she felt more like an employee than a member of the family. She left her room and made her way through the professionally decorated halls, downstairs to the office.
The heavy oak door was closed and if she knew her mother she’d be sitting in her big leather chair facing away from the door so she could slowly turn and glower. Next would come the critique of all Kelsie’s mistakes followed by a harangue about what a disappointment she was. It would be neither the first nor the last such visit for Kelsie and she’d endure it as she always did, without comment or complaint.
She took a deep breath, counted backwards from ten to settle her nerves, and knocked.
“Come in.” Her mother’s muffled voice came through the door.
Kelsie pushed the door open and walked into the opulent room. Leather-bound books lined the walls. A warm, magical breeze kept off the chill. Her mother sat facing her behind a massive cherry desk.
Magic kept her mother’s face smooth and youthful despite having passed fifty the year before. Her skin was pale and her hair jet black. It was like looking thirty years into the future every time Kelsie saw her.
“You summoned me, Mother?”
“Yes. I understand you passed your midterm. From the reports I’d received I had my doubts. Congratulations.”
Kelsie hesitated. This was different. What was her mother up to? “Thank you.”
“Tell me about the boy wizard. I understand the two of you have become close.”
Now she understood. “We’re in the same class and he helped me with my breaking. I wouldn’t say we’re close.”
“No?” Her mother leaned on the desk, her bright blue eyes intent. “I understand you hugged him immediately after the test then spent the trip to Central alone in his cabin.”
“A moment of exuberance. We did nothing on the train but chat.”
“Pity. Your task for the second half of the year is to seduce him into your bed. His genetics will make our bloodline stronger. Any child born from such a union will be a powerful wizard. This is your responsibility.”
“You would make a whore of me?” The words were out before she could stop herself.
“Not a whore. No money will change hands. I researched your father back eight generations. He came from good stock. Five women in his direct bloodline were wizards, all above average in power. I did everything possible to ensure I gave birth to a strong wizard as was my responsibility as future matriarch of the Kincade family. In the end I failed, but not because I was too squeamish to do what had to be done.” Her mother shrugged, either unaware of or indifferent to Kelsie’s growing horror.
“What about love?”
“Love?” That drew a harsh, humorless laugh. “Love has nothing to do with it. Your father was a soft weakling from a decadent family, but he had the right genetics. He gave me the best opportunity to succeed. I assure you he didn’t complain about the job.”
“Conryu’s been nothing but kind to me. I can’t use him like that.”
“If he’s been kind then you’re halfway done. The only reason a man shows a woman kindness is to get her on her back. If he’s already being friendly you can just be patient and when he makes his move, go along with it. Everyone gets what they want.”
Kelsie held back her tears with nothing but sheer force of will. Mother was wrong about Conryu. He could have tried something on the train, or when they were alone in his room, but he’d never put a toe out of line. He seemed as sweet a boy as she’d ever met.
The easiest thing to do was to go along with her suggestion. If Conryu turned out to be what her mother suspected and she secretly feared then she’d have no regrets using him. If he didn’t then they’d stay friends.
“Very well, Mother. I’ll do as you say. When he makes his attempt to seduce me I’ll play along with it. After that it’s up to nature.”
Lin dropped Conryu off at his building and headed back to the Department. It had come as a considerable surprise when the detective had told Conryu about his promotion and transfer. He didn’t seem certain if it was a reward or punishment. Conryu thought the latter, but didn’t want to discourage him.
He made the short walk to the elevator and hit the call button. The job at the Department hadn’t taken an hour and it was barely nine o’clock. It would have been cool to hang out with Jonny, but the military academy didn’t take a winter break. Conryu wouldn’t get to visit with him until summer vacation.
The door to the elevator chimed and slid open. Maria and her mother stood facing him, both in identical suits.
“Conryu!” Maria jumped out and hugged him. “I thought you were helping Dad today.”
“I did. Job’s done.”
“That was fast.” Mrs. Kane stepped out of the elevator. “What did he want you to do?”
“They were having trouble breaking a ward. I cracked it for them.” He shrugged. “It wasn’t a big deal. Terra had a circle ready. All I needed to do was cast the spell. Everyone seemed pleased.”
“That’s good. Do you have plans for the rest of the day? Maria and I are going on a job and you’re welcome to join us if you’d like. Get a taste for the business of magic.”
Conryu wasn’t overly interested in the business of magic, but spending the day hanging out with Maria and her mom sounded way better than sitting around watching tv all day. “Sounds cool. What’s the job?”
The little group walked to where Mrs. Kane had her car parked. It was a sweet black sedan with chrome wheels. “I have a client that wants to upgrade his anti-theft wards. Apparently whoever did the original casting left a loophole that allows animals through. A family of raccoons got into his garbage and he decided to call me in to fix things.”
“You’re kidding.” Conryu climbed into the backseat. “He called a wizard to deal with raccoons? Wouldn’t a pest control outfit be cheaper?”
Mrs. Kane shrugged and slipped behind the wheel. “I’m happy to take his money. Don’t worry, he’s got plenty. Mr. Montgomery owns a string of stores and has a net worth in the middle eight figures. He could hire me to build him a new house and ward it and still not notice the hit to his bank account.”
They pulled out of the garage and drove across town to the suburbs, coming to a stop in front of an iron gate leading to a community of mansions. A small guardhouse sat to one side of the gate and a man in a uniform stuck his head out the window.
“Can I help you?”
Mrs. Kane rolled down her window. “Shizuku Kane to see Mr. Montgomery. He’s expecting me.”
The guard’s head disappeared back inside for a few seconds before popping out again. “Yes, ma’am. He called to tell us this morning. You can head on up.”
A buzzer sounded and the gate slid open. They drove down the private road to the last house, a sprawling brick mansion on a huge landscaped lot.
Conryu whistled. “Wow. What did you say this guy sells?”
“Furniture and appliances mostly.” Mrs. Kane shut off the car.
“Does he stuff them full of drugs?”
Maria giggled. Mrs. Kane shot them both a stern look. How many times had they been on the receiving end of that expression over the years?
“I kn
ow you’re just joking, but that’s the sort of thing that could cost me a client and if he tells his rich friends maybe more than one. I need both of you to act in the most professional manner possible during this job. Understand?”
They both promised and the three of them headed for the door. As they walked Mrs. Kane muttered a spell. Conryu recognized it as a variation of the one they taught freshmen to allow them to see magical auras.
Conryu muttered, “Reveal.” The house lit up as wards became visible. A twisting crisscross of light, fire, and earth magic surrounded the house and spilled out over the grounds.
“Do you have to pick that apart or just add a little more to it?” If she had to pick it apart they were going to be here all day.
“Don’t worry, I just have to add a simple three-rune figure to the matrix to keep animals out. Shouldn’t take more than an hour or two.” Mrs. Kane knocked on the door and a minute later it opened revealing a man in his seventies in a plaid robe, leaning on a cane. Infernal runes danced around his head, chest, and hands. “Mr. Montgomery? I’m Shizuku Kane, we spoke on the phone. This is my daughter Maria and—”
“Conryu Koda, the boy wizard.” Mr. Montgomery held out a trembling hand to Conryu who didn’t dare take it for fear of what the dark magic might do. “I’ve seen you on the television. Please, can you help me?”
“Yes, sir. Mrs. Kane is here to fix your wards so the raccoons don’t raid your trashcans again.”
“Maria and Conryu are studying at the academy. I brought them along so they could see real world magic in action. I hope you don’t mind.”
“Mind!” Mr. Montgomery stared at him with watery blue eyes partly covered with cataracts. “He’s going to save me from the curse. Twenty years ago she said it. Only a male wizard could free me from the curse my family has suffered under for generations. Now you’ve come. God be praised.”
Conryu looked to Maria for advice, but she was staring from Mr. Montgomery to him back to her mother. Mrs. Kane didn’t look any more certain of what was happening than Maria.
“Maybe we could go inside and you can tell me about it.” It was the only thing Conryu could think to say.
The Awakening Page 16