by D. R. Perry
The subject shifted to cheer squad, with Kitty and Logan asking opinions on music choices through the rest of dinner. Dorian kept recommending Weird Al songs that made everyone laugh even if they all got vetoed. Eventually, the lights went off behind the café counter.
"Guess that's our cue." Dylan jerked a thumb at the darkened area. He whistled for Gale. "Come on, buddy. Upstairs time."
The dragonet didn't respond. I turned to look up at the perch he'd been sitting on with Ember and found her missing, too.
"Oh no." I jumped out of my seat, stepped around the low table, and prepared to sprint off in search of her.
"Wait." Logan put a hand on my elbow. "Shh. I'm listening."
He tilted his head, stepping carefully toward the column by the doorway. It was shaped to look like a tree trunk, with the archway made in the likeness of a coniferous branch, needles and all. After a moment of standing beneath it, Logan beamed and pointed up. We all stood there staring, unable to see what he indicated until we walked to stand beside him. That's when we finally noticed the golden tail curling around from the lobby side of the decorative embellishment.
I stepped into the open space, still looking up. Nestled in the Y made by the stylized trunk and arching branch sat a nest. The bundles of dining hall napkins and scraps of fabric from Creatives mostly obscured her hindquarters, but Ember was clearly laying eggs.
"So much for that brooding box, eh?" Grace elbowed me.
"Yeah." I nodded.
"Are you surprised?" Grace asked.
"Not really." I sighed. "How are we going to move them down?"
"I'm in this with you, Aliyah." Dylan chuckled. "No trouble for an air magus."
"It's almost lights out though," Eston pointed out. "We'll get in trouble if we're not upstairs in a few minutes. Is it safe to move a dragonet nest that quickly?"
"You shouldn't move them tonight anyway," Logan added. "She might keep laying eggs for hours and moving them in the middle stresses the whole family. Actually, moving them at all might be a bad idea. We should check with Bubbe."
"How many do you think there are?" Kitty peered up, trying to get a better look. "I see two."
"Ember doesn't know, so neither do I." I shrugged.
"Move along now. I'm closing up." Xan strode out of the café's lounge, pointing at his apron. "Scram so I can clock out already."
"Don't have to tell me twice."
Dylan led the way toward the stairs, Hal bringing up the rear in his chair. I followed them halfway across the lobby before I realized Dorian wasn't with us.
He's not okay.
Sure enough, when I turned to look, he was back by the doorway and gazing up at the nest. His shoulders shook although no sound of sniffles or sobs carried across the space between us. Julia the strix swooped down from somewhere overhead. When she landed on his shoulder, he only shrugged her off, shooing her away. Dorian's bewildered familiar came to me instead, perching on my shoulder where she fluttered and hooted her dismay. I wasn't sure what to do for her at first. Owls didn't like being petted.
Just wait for it.
I let Julia use me as a perch and gave Dorian a few moments to compose himself, unsure why Ember and Gale making a nest had him so distraught.
Gryphons hatch. And Mercy was awfully young.
My stinging eyes erupted with full-blown tears when Xan emerged from the now darkened lounge and put his arms around Dorian. The pair turned to face each other, revealing how red Dorian's face was and the tender way Xan stroked his hair as they rocked back and forth. Now I could hear them, one sobbing as the other murmured.
Feeling like an intruder, I turned and got on the stairs, whispering our floor. Logan waited at the top. He took one look at Julia, nodded, then escorted me to Dorian's room where we waited with the strix. Five minutes later, Dorian showed up alone, eyes puffy but much more composed. Julia turned her head all the way around. He murmured a few words of thanks to us, then walked behind me. Logan followed.
"Sorry, Julia." He sighed. "There's no good excuse. I know you're grieving too."
She hooted, then clicked her beak twice.
"She says you owe her ten crickets," Logan said.
He shouldn't have translated that.
"Twenty, if you want."
"Well, isn't this interesting."
I turned to face Leo Pierce, who'd walked up behind the boys as they addressed Julia. The last thing I wanted was for him to witness Logan's rare ability. Especially after what I'd learned about his sister Petra in the yearbook. So I scrambled to cover for him.
"Yeah, mind magic has loads of cool features." I put on my best intimidating grin, the one I'd used so often last year during the social skirmishes with Temperance Fairbanks. "Great for amazing and astounding your friends."
"This is why nobody trusts the Morgensterns. You're all a pack of shysters." Mr. Pierce snorted. "And you’re the most flagrant liar of the bunch. I happen to know mind magic doesn't work that way."
"She's an extramagus." Dorian stepped between Logan and his father. "Are you sure it doesn't work that way for her?"
"I always suspected this." He ignored Dorian. "You can't hide from me much longer, Logan. Not even behind your most powerful friends."
"Are you threatening me?" Logan's voice cracked.
"Not at all. I only want what's best for you, son." He turned his back and sauntered away down the hall. "And the rest of the family. Enjoy what little freedom you've got while it lasts."
Once he was gone, Dorian leaned against the wall.
"Gods, Logan. I'm sorry."
"Why?"
"I got you in trouble. Because I got all emo downstairs and left you all in the lurch."
"How my father acts isn't your fault." Logan cleared his throat. "Or mine. I blurted it on an official record by accident. So it was only a matter of time before he found out."
"Yeah, Dorian." I nodded. "Grief happens."
"Thanks." He held out his arm, and Julia hopped to it. "I'd better get some sleep before anything else goes wrong tonight."
"See you tomorrow?" I asked.
"At Salem State? Yeah, I'm recording practice for Xan. Goodnight."
"Goodnight."
I walked Logan to his room, not leaving until the door latched behind him. After that, I went to mine, where Grace already slept soundly. It took me what felt like an hour of tossing and turning before I slept too.
I got up earlier than I normally did for classes. Nobody else was around in the cafeteria, not even the kitchen staff. So I had instant oatmeal and black tea using the self-service hot water dispenser. The oatmeal was always out on the counter in a metal rack, along with the tea and coffee sweeteners. It took a few minutes for the grains to soak, so I searched unsuccessfully for a spoon.
Normally, I would have relied on Ember to hunt down an item like that. But on the way in, I'd caught a glimpse of her asleep in her nest. Instead of waking the broody dragonet, I added more water to my breakfast, cold this time, until it became a slurry I could drink from the cup. Not exactly pleasant, but nourishing.
Salem State was a mile and a half from that day's Hawthorn door beside the Peabody Essex Museum. I jogged, which kept me warm enough without any magic in only my sweats, a hat, and gloves. Most of the time, I enjoyed cozy clothes on winter mornings and the company of friends around town. However, I'd never been to the gym at Salem State University before. Arriving early and on my own would give me a chance to figure out how to use the space.
Because of this, I expected to be the first person inside. Maybe even be stuck outside for a few minutes, since I got there before six. I was wrong. A chunk of brick held the door open a crack so I widened it more to step over it and inside, where all the lights were on.
Someone in a hooded sweatshirt sat on the bleachers, surrounded by books. A blond man dribbled a basketball down the court, coming to a short stop before shooting a perfect two-point basket. The hooded person sat up, revealing her face and clearing her throat. It
was Lynn Frampton, who I'd met at the college fair. The man on the court straightened, then turned to face me. I knew this fellow, too.
"Bobby Tremain?"
"Yeah." He rubbed the back of his head with one hand with a sheepish grin as he held the other out. "Aliyah, right? Captain of Hawthorn's Bishop's Row team?"
"That's right." I nodded and shook his hand.
"Nice to see you again."
"My coach said her friend was going to help me out here."
"Oh, Coach Warren isn't a morning person. She sent me to open the doors and just kind of hang out."
"You're supervising Bobby," Lynn chided. "It's part of your Mass Ed certification. Or are you having second thoughts about that Gallows Hill PE position?"
"Yeah, no." Bobby chuckled. "I kind of understate stuff sometimes. Anyway, I'll show you where the locker rooms are. What kind of equipment do you need?"
I rattled off a list as we walked. The setup was similar to Hawthorn's with a gender-neutral locker room between two gendered ones but smaller. Equipment closets were off to the left of the women's. He opened one, revealing racks and hooks with sets of ballistae, cestus, and ankyr in various sizes. I thanked him, and he headed to the other side of the gym.
At first, I expected Bobby to go back to shooting hoops. He walked right past the ball, not stopping until he reached the opposite wall and opened a small panel, the sort that covers circuit breakers. Some of the switches inside glowed. He flipped those, then toggled a few more. In a moment, I understood.
Those were controls, magipsychic ones, that customized the lines on the court. Shifter-regulation basketball lines morphed into official Bishop's Row boundaries. The baskets folded back against the wall, and wards went up along the lines between the playing area and the bleachers.
Initially, I'd worried about space for both the Bishop's Row practice and the cheer squads. I shouldn't have. The court only took up half the gym, which had sacrificed locker room size for play area. Sensible, considering they were one of the first formerly mundane public universities to have shifter regulation sports.
The tea and oatmeal breakfast plus the jog over gave me an excuse to check out the locker rooms. There wasn't a lot of space for changing, the shower and toilet stalls were cramped, and luxury features like the sauna, steam room, and whirlpool bath weren't included here. A sign informed me they were at the sports medicine office around the corner outside. However, this place didn't need to be fancy, just inclusive enough for all of us to practice using our full abilities.
I hung my hat and gloves on a hook beside the lockers. The facilities were typical of mundane spaces, nothing special. Everything worked fine. After washing my hands, I left the locker room. Before I made it halfway across the gym, the door opened again signaling new arrivals.
It was Izzy, walking with Lee and a few Bishop's Row players from Messing. They chuckled together over cups of hot chocolate I could smell from where I stood. Still nervous, my stomach didn't envy their beverages. The only reservations I had about being such an early bird were for someone else. Should I have woken Logan, brought him along? I didn't like imagining him making the trek alone.
My worries vanished a moment later when he entered and stood holding the door open for Hal's chair. Everyone else from my year at Hawthorn walked in after that. Arick Magnuson showed up as well, a handful of second years following him with Lena bringing up the rear.
"Hey, Aliyah!" Dylan waved, then jogged over. "I saw Brianna out there with her team and Cadence with her squad. They'll be here in a minute."
"Thanks."
Once everyone was inside, I showed them the locker rooms. Logan and Cadence went back to talk to Bobby, who brought them to another closet. Inside were batons, pom-poms, and ribbons on sticks. I glanced back at the door, expecting to see more students. Kitty tapped me on the shoulder.
"Jacinda's not coming." She sighed and shook her head. "I asked, and she said her squad doesn't need extra practice."
"Oh." I swallowed. "I hope everything's okay."
"It is." Izzy nodded. "Basically, she thinks it's more auspicious to rehearse in the evenings."
"Is that a thing?"
"It is to her." Izzy shrugged. "Just know that it's got nothing to do with Logan."
"Are you sure?"
"She met a guy on vacation in Disney World. Dead ringer for Flynn Ryder, judging by the pic she showed me. Anyway, let's do this."
Izzy went to round up her teammates while Lee stuck with us. Elanor showed up, then had a few words with Bobby. He went out the door to the hallway where sports medicine was and returned with Noah, who'd arrived by tunnel.
All told, we had enough players total to run four teams, and Salem State's gym was large enough to accommodate two simultaneous games and still leave room for both cheer squads to practice. While Bobby changed the court markings and wards to make two courts, Izzy, Brianna, and I sorted all the players, working out a schedule to switch opponents.
One amazing thing about the morning was getting the chance to play with and against students from the other schools. It felt more fun than regular practice, providing challenges that felt fresher than drills and disjointed plays.
The best part was how it felt, playing as I'd done since first year without the ear cuffs. Instead of that dulled-down sense of tunnel vision I'd experienced on campus lately, I felt almost hyperaware and more connected to my team in general and the overall fun of the game.
Dorian recorded everything. Not with his phone as I'd expected, either, but a set of magipsychic cameras he'd checked out from Salem State's AV center. Hal helped, filming from his chair. I heard them talking during one of my water breaks.
"This is some amazing footage." Dorian smiled. "Like, pro sports network quality. Thanks, Hal."
"Make sure you show it off, then." Hal grinned. "After edits and stuff."
"That's the plan."
We had to be out of the gym by noon, so we wrapped practice at eleven-thirty. People shook hands, exchanged high fives, and headed off to the locker rooms tired but mostly smiling. Someone tugged at my sleeve. I turned to find Lena Zanelli.
"Thanks," she mumbled.
"No problem."
"Could've been. Micello's a beast. Now I know."
"You know?"
"Strategy." She tapped the side of her head. "Counters for glamour."
"We're doing it again in two weeks."
"Good." She nodded. "Thanks again, Captain."
Before I could insist she call me Aliyah, Lena strode away to the locker room.
"Wow." Arick stood nearby blinking. "That's more than she says in class when she's called on."
"Really?"
"Pretty much." He nodded. "Cadence went to clean up, but she wanted me to ask if Hawthorn and Messing want Engine House for lunch."
"I'll let everyone know, including Izzy. Thanks, Arick."
Hal, Faith, and Dorian headed back toward campus, but everyone else went out for lunch. I ordered a pizza to go for them, and caught up half a block later. Dorian saved his share, said he wasn't hungry. Later on, I saw him pass his pizza along to Xan.
Chapter Twenty-Two
We practiced every other Saturday at Salem State after that. Our audience changed sometimes, but the players stayed the same. Hal and Faith always left together instead of meeting up for lunch either on or off-campus. The second week, I spotted them halfway up the block from me on Hawthorne Street, stepping out of the driveway between my and Izzy's houses. It became a regular occurrence.
Bubbe never mentioned their visits, not even when I asked if she'd seen them lately. They separately made the same excuse to me. Vitamins for Nin and Seth. I knew that cover story well enough, but I trusted them both. If the reason for meeting with Bubbe ever became my business, they'd tell me.
Each Sunday, I met with Dorian and Xan at the gym on campus to go over the videos. Lena ended up tagging along, watching in silence as Xan asked questions. I'd expected anger or at least bitterness over bein
g left out. If he bore any ill will, he didn’t direct it at the rest of the team or me.
Letters trickled in from colleges and universities. Faith made early acceptance at Providence Paranormal College. Kitty got an offer at Virginia Magitech, but Eston didn't. Emerson College invited Dorian to an audition, but he received an early admissions academic rejection the next day. Everybody buckled down on studying, hitting the books harder than at any time besides exams last spring. We had dinner in the lounge every night, even on weekends, wolfing down food so we'd still have time to visit the library before lights out.
Logan's guarantee at Providence Paranormal didn't make him immune. He divided his time between translating Ludovico's journals and helping all of us. I worked hard too. My college application was regular rather than early admission but that didn't make slacking a good idea.
The only one of us not scrambling was Grace. Her plans didn't include a conventional extrahuman education path. Instead, she'd applied at Salem State for a mundane business degree. They had rolling admissions, so she wouldn't get rejected there.
"Don't you want to study more magic?" I asked one night before bed. "You're so good at theory, and your lab work is awesome."
"I want to run my own business." She shrugged. "I need to learn that part as soon as possible, or I could get into legal trouble."
"You're so practical."
"And you're not? You've got a knack for coaching. If you weren't set on extraveterinary, I'd expect to see you running a team someday."
I told her about my doubts and the Coast Guard.
"You're going to rock at any of those things, but you told me years ago about taking over Bubbe's practice. And Providence Paranormal."
"I'm not so sure anymore."
"Any particular reason?"
"Logan's better with critters than I am, and look at Faith. She's going pre-med when she used to be all about poly-sci."
"You want to be a doctor then." She nodded.
"Well, maybe. If I can get in, and if people would even trust their health to an extramagus."
"They trust vampire doctors, right?" She pulled the blanket to cover her shoulder. "Anyway, there's nothing wrong with changing your major. Start with general requirements in your first semester."