Smoke and Mirrors

by Lena Lockett

  I glanced at Brandi and then back to the woman. I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

  “You two need to get back to your rooms. This is not where you should be,” she said waiting for us.

  We glanced at each other and then followed the woman as she walked in front of us back to the student’s halls. She shook her head as we slowly walked passed her. I had no idea who she was and what she might do. All it would take is for her to call the headmaster and everything would be done. I’d probably be kicked out and who knows what would happen with Brandi. It was a good thing I didn’t tell her what we were planning, or things might have gone south fast.

  “So, I will keep this between us, but if you get caught in the faculty area again, you probably won’t get the same response,” She said with a smile. “I know what it’s like to be in a new place and want to go home, but the doors are not for student use.”

  Crap, she knew without me saying anything.

  “Back to sleep with you,” she said before walking away.

  “That was so close,” Brandi said.

  “Yeah, but we still have to figure out how to get to that world.” I watched the woman disappear, but my mind was still working around how to get where I needed to go. I couldn’t just stand by and watch the school fall apart.

  ***

  Two weeks passed without another incident and I almost thought about dropping the whole idea of going to the world the smoke came from. Then I’d look at the wall and see the smoke rolling around like it was watching for what I’d do next.

  Then it happened. The first time my magic decided to make an appearance right in the middle of spellcasting class.

  “This is an easy spell,” Link said opening the book to the page we were working on. “You just have to think about the apple and then it’s in your hand.”

  “So, it’s like teleporting?” I asked. Of course, I felt pretty stupid as soon as it came out.

  “Yeah, it’s actually called teleporting non-corporeal items.” He smiled as he spoke. “It’s super useful when you want a snack or need something from your room for class.”

  “Is that how the students got their stuff here so fast?” I asked without thinking. I knew my mom had done the same thing with my things, but never really asked her about it. She would just tell me they’d teach me when I got here. I guess in a way, she was right.

  “Yeah, it can be, but takes a lot more effort if you’re moving things long distance,” he said.

  I nodded and closed my eyes and thought about the biggest red apple I’d ever seen. I was in third grade and my mom had gotten special apples for the classroom. They were sweet and perfect. Of course, they were magic, but no one knew that. They just thought we had the best apple trees in the world.

  I felt a weight in my hand and opened my eyes. Sure, enough an apple of sitting right in the center waiting for me to take a bite of it.

  “Oh my god,” I said without thinking. I glanced at Link. “I just did that.”

  “Yeah, you did.” He smiled, and I felt myself melt. All I wanted was to see that smile.

  “That means your magic is based in transportation,” the teacher said, pulling me out of my thoughts. “You’ll have some interesting magic as we move forward.”

  I smiled and sat the apple on the table. As least now I maybe could figure out what I could do. It was about time after all the time I’d been working with my family and trying to figure out what I was doing. This was something maybe my father would actually see me for. I guess I’ll have to wait and see on that.

  “Link, does this mean I might be able to transport people as well?” I said without thinking.

  “Not for a while if at all. That’s a very rare skill,” he answered.

  “But possible,” I said.

  He shrugged. “I guess.”

  I smiled and knew exactly what I had to do. Forget the doors to other dimensions. I was going to figure out how to transport myself to the smoke dimension. Now, I just had to figure it out, so I didn’t tear myself apart or worse, survive and my dad find out.

  Five

  I thought about what Link had said all day. This was the only way I was going to get to that dimension. I went straight to the library and got every book I could find and read until my eyes burned.

  “Did you find something?” Brandi’s voice floated over me and I almost jumped.

  “I found out what my magic is today,” I turned to her and she pulled out a chair as her jaw dropped.

  “What is it?”

  “It seems like my magic is a transport magic,” I said.

  “Like a world walker,” she said.

  “I don’t know. Those are really rare.”

  “But it seems like you are one,” she said.

  I shrugged. “Maybe.”

  “You want to use it to get to the other world,” she said realizing what I was thinking. She shook her head. “You can’t just do that. It could go so wrong.”

  “I’m not sure what we can do in order to get there besides it.” I closed the book in front of me that talked about all the other World Walkers that had come before and how they’d figured out their magic.

  “You need to talk to someone that has the same magic as you,” she said. “That’s probably the fastest way to figure out how to use it,” Brandi said.

  I bit my lip. She was right, but it was impossible to know who had that kind of magic They kept it secret to protect them. Too many people wanted to use them to get to places or worse. My dad ran the whole organization that kept track but getting any information from him was like pulling teeth. It would never happen.

  “There has to be someone at the school,” Brandi said. “Maybe if we ask around, we’ll find them.”

  “You think there is another student that is like me?”

  “Maybe,” Brandi said. She kept a smile and I just watched her. Something else was up.

  “What’s going on?”

  “You’re not the only one that got her magic today,” Brandi said, beaming.

  “Oh my god, what did you get?”

  She pulled me to her and put her hand on my head. I felt a warm hum, and everything relaxed in my body. All the tension melted from my body. If I had been laying down, I’d be asleep.

  She pulled her hand away and I slowly opened my eyes. She had a huge smile on her face, but all I wanted to do was sit there for a moment.

  “I’m a healer,” she said quietly.

  “You’re really good at it,” I said finally.

  “Yeah, my mom was happy. We are a family of healers, so it works out for me to go into their business when I graduate. I’m going to run the whole office at some point. Helping people and making sure no one feels sad again.”

  It was a huge deal because many of the magical community went on to protect us and those that had no idea we exist. That mean we get hurt and need someone that can heal us. It would be really bad if a Witch went to the ER and everyone realized what we really had.

  Healing was really a fit for her.

  “I’m glad you know what you have now,” I said with a smile.

  “I’m glad you have an idea too. I just hope you can figure out how to use it,” Brandi said.

  I did too. Maybe I was getting ahead of myself. Maybe this whole thing was a bad idea. I glanced at the door jam where a branch of smoke writhed and weaved its way into the wood. Something different was happening. It was like it was imbedding itself into the wood and the school itself.

  “What do you see?” Brandi pulled me out of my thoughts.

  “It’s getting worse,” I said, not moving my gaze.

  “We have to tell someone.”

  “What about the teacher that helped us the other night?” I said without thinking. “Maybe she would be open to hearing what I have to say.”

  “We don’t even know her name,” Brandi said.

  “No, but we know where she is. We’ll just go down there and see if we can run into her,” I said.

&nb
sp; Brandi just looked at me like I was crazy. This is a terrible idea.

  ***

  Once it had gotten dark, we made our way back to the faculty hallway. We didn’t go any further than the doors to enter the hallway. At least if we got caught by someone else, we wouldn’t have to explain as much.

  “This is a bad idea,” Brandi said.

  “It’s the only one I have. If we can get her to help us, then we might be able to find out what started this whole thing,” I said, leaning on the wall. It had been a long few days and I wasn’t sure what else I could do. I had to get to the dimension and understand this power that was taking over the school.

  “What are you two doing here?” The voice was familiar, and I turned to see the woman from the other night standing there. Her dark hair was pulled back into a ponytail and she was holding a book in her arms.

  “We were looking for you,” I said.

  “Why?” She answered.

  “We need your help, but I have to know you’re going to listen to what I say and be open to it.”

  She sighed and looked from Brandi to me. “Are you talking about the dark smoke that’s crawling around on the walls?”

  I almost fell over. “You can see it?”

  “Yes, but the question is why can you?” She cocked her head and glanced at Brandi. “Can you see it too?”

  She shook her head. “No, just Larisa.”

  “What is it?” I said without thinking.

  “It’s a remnant of an old magic. It shouldn’t be here,” she said.

  “You mean this hasn’t happened before?”

  “Not in a long time.” She opened the door to her room and motioned for us to go inside.

  Her room was large and well decorated. The walls were painted a red color that matched what her personality seemed to be. Her four-poster bed was against the far wall with a light brown simple dresser beside it. To the left of the door was a light blue couch and one matching chair. A table sat between them with a few magazines laying on the top of the glass.

  She closed the door behind her and motioned for us to take a seat. Brandi and I sat on the couch and glanced at each other.

  “I should probably tell you who I am since we haven’t made any introductions.” She took a seat on the chair and leaned back. “My name is Ava Lions.”

  Why does that name sound familiar?

  “I worked for the ITF before here.”

  I realized where I’d heard her name before. A while ago, my mother had been on the phone talking to my dad and her name came up. She was pretty high up, so it was odd she was working here at the school now.

  “Why did you leave?” I asked.

  She shrugged. “Politics.”

  Something in her eyes said it was much deeper than that.

  “Isn’t the ITF everyone’s goal?” Brandi said.

  “It’s not always what you think,” she said.

  I bit my lip. This next question was going to be a big one.

  “Are you a World Walker?” I just blurted it out. It was better to get it asked than sit here and think about it.

  She glanced at me. I could see the conflict in her eyes as she was trying to figure out how to answer.

  “You have displayed traits of a World Walker, haven’t you?”

  I nodded. “I just started working with that kind of power but have no idea how to accelerate it.”

  “You don’t want to. That’s when things get difficult. You have to let it come in its own time.”

  “What can we do about the dark smoke in the walls?” I said. It was better to steer the conversation back to what I needed. If she worked for the ITF before, then she’d probably dealt with this kind of thing in the past.

  “I’ve alerted the right people. It’s up to them to fix it,” she said with a smile. “I’d expect them here soon.”

  “I have one more question. Why can I see the smoke, but not everyone else?”

  She sighed and leaned forward in her chair. Her dark eyes seemed to lighten before she spoke. “You can see it because of the way your magic works. World Walkers have old magic. They see more than anyone else.”

  That’s not cryptic at all.

  ***

  I wondered around for the next two weeks with no idea what was going to happen next. The school was moving along as though nothing had happened because very few people really knew something was happening. I had no idea if the ITF had come to the school at all. If they did, they were keeping it under wraps.

  I met with Brandi for dinner and she talked about her increase in magic she was experiencing. She seemed to be getting better and better as time went on. Me, on the other hand was staying the same. I’d only been able to move small objects through space and time and it was getting frustrating. I had to accelerate my magic, even if Ava told me not to.

  “What are you going to do?” Brandi said. “There’s no way to make it go faster. At least none I know of.”

  I bit my lip as I thought. “Do you remember when we went to the circle in the forest?”

  Brandi nodded. “You’re not thinking of using the circle, are you?”

  “I can’t stop thinking about how it made me feel. If I use it, I might be able to transport myself where I want to go.”

  “And then what?” Brandi said, taking a bite of her sandwich. “There is no circle on the other side. How would you get back?”

  It was a good question. There wasn’t any way to be sure I’d be able to get back to the school or that I’d get to the right place without dying myself.

  “I have to try,” I said. “Are you in?”

  Brandi stood and nodded her head. “Let’s go.”

  The edge of the path was brimming with magic. There were so many little branches of dark smoke weaving through the rocks and the trees that it made me think about every step. The pulse of the magic sent shivers over my skin. It wasn’t just a feeling of chills that took me over, but also a need for the power that laid behind the magic. I wanted it for myself and didn’t know why or how to stop it.

  We stopped on the edge of the stone circle and I glanced at Brandi. “Do you still want to be a part of this?”

  “I’m going where you go,” she answered with a smile.

  “I don’t want to hurt you. If this doesn’t work, then we are both dead.”

  “I can’t just let you go on your own and not know what happens.” She reached for my hand.

  I took it and we stepped into the circle. The surge of power was immediate. I almost fell over with the wave of it. Brandi steadied me, and I glanced at her. She couldn’t feel the same thing I did. It was very clear in the fear in her eyes and the way she gripped my hand tighter.

  “Here we go,” I said as I closed my eyes. I let myself sink into the pulse of the circle. Let the air thicken around me and tug at my skin. The air grew cold as it pushed under my skin and into my heart. It pushed against my lungs as my heart beat wildly. I’d never felt anything so powerful. It was like the energy around me wasn’t just there, it was a part of me and I of it.

  I thought about the smoke and the source of I, where it came from and what magic it held inside it. The air heated around me, and I felt like I was being suffocated as it squeezed and pulled. Then the air was cold and icy. I breathed a ragged breath as the icy air filled my lungs and opened my eyes.

  We were standing in the middle of a deserted area. Ruins of old stone buildings were all around us. I glanced at Brandi as she put her hand on her chest and took in our surroundings. The ground was a stark white dust that had no footprints or evidence of anything or anyone being there in a long time.

  “It worked,” Brandi whispered.

  I let go of her hand and glanced around us. I took in the ruins and the odd writing engraved into the stones that still stood. I didn’t understand it, but the tingle in my hand told me I was going the right way.

  “There’s nothing here,” Brandi said.

  I walked through the ruins and felt a tug at my center. Somethi
ng was there. Something I couldn’t explain was calling me closer. I glanced back at Brandi and motioned for her to hurry up.

  She glanced at me and pointed ahead of us. I swung my head to see what she was seeing. The light pushed through the ground as a book came into view. It was covered in dark smoke almost as though it was made from it. I stepped closer and the golden light pulled away. One the cover was an odd sigil of a circle with a line through it that still held an odd golden glow, like fire was trying to burst through it.

  I knelt down and put my hand on the book. The warmth flowed through my hand and up my arm until it was pushing through all my body. It was amazing. I didn’t want to let it go.

  Brandi was watching from my left. Her face twisted with worry and I bit my lip. This felt so good, but it also had a tinge of danger in it. Maybe this was a bad idea. It didn’t matter. I closed my hands around the book and pulled it to me.

  “What are you doing?” Brandi asked.

  “This is what we’re looking for,” I said. A part of me believed that, the other part of me thought I was getting in over my head.

  I stood and glanced around us.

  Brandi watched me carefully. “How do we get back?”

  I bit my lip. “I think I have enough power to get us back.”

  “How?”

  “I don’t know, but I’m going to try.” I glanced at her. “Do you trust me?”

  “Yeah, you’re my best friend.” She grabbed my hand and I let the power flow through me. It only took a second for me to feel like I was being snapped back. Air was rushing passed my face and then it just stopped without any warning.

  I opened my eyes and glanced around us. We were standing in the circle at the school, but we weren’t alone. Around the entire circle were members of the ITF with my father standing across from me.

  Crap.

  ***

  “I can’t believe you just left like that. Do you know how dangerous it is?” My father the famous Darius Stone stood in front of me. His hands were resting on the table and his dark hair just slightly flustered.