Mage of Shadows

by Austen, Chanel

  "Sounds like you've had some pretty crappy friends."

  She laughed, but it was tinged with bitter feelings that I had no purchase to grasp an understanding, "Yeah… when I graduated from high school I realized just how crappy they were. But here it's different, you're different, and so are James, Nishi, Raj, David, Tammy… honestly, I've never known so many people who accept me… do you know what I'm trying to say?"

  Eliza's blush had deepened and she looked really embarrassed now, probably regretting opening up to me about this. But I understood in a way. I had been looking to just use Eliza to further myself in school, I wouldn't lie to myself about that. But past her brusque, bossy exterior was a lonely girl who was actually alright to be around once you gave her a chance to open up. There was more to her than just school, and I wondered how many people over the years had failed to see that.

  "I do." I replied with an understanding smile before turning back to my notes, seeing she was still embarrassed with the whole conversation.

  Later in the same week, I had a similar one on one talk with Jimmy, but it was I who curiously brought up the subject of our new group of friends.

  "Why?" I asked him curiously, "You didn't have to accept their offer to go out after the service. I thought you wanted to keep a low profile."

  "I never said that," Swann replied candidly, "Besides, the best secrets are always hidden in plain sight. Surrounding ourselves with Normal friends can't hurt us; it'll only help us blend in here. Plus, ever heard of networking? Your roommates seem to be on point with that, they're pretty impressive."

  Weird, I had never considered Jimmy much of the 'networking' type. He laughed when I told him as much.

  "Only an idiot tries to do everything on their own." Swann said seriously, "Don't forget that just because we're mages doesn't mean we don't have to lead normal lives as well. As I'm sure you know, magic isn't everything."

  Magic isn't everything; those were words to live by when you were a mage in my opinion. They kept you from getting too arrogant.

  It only took a casual inquiry to Raj to find out where Carmen Munez's dorm was on campus.

  "Why do you need to know?" Raj wondered curiously, looking up from his textbook, actually studying early for a test for once in another attempt to 'get serious' about school. Raj Patel was the type that swore to 'get serious' about once every week.

  "Just curious." I replied lightly from my customary seat on the recliner, my eyes remaining on the television in an attempt to look aloof. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Raj looking up at me, studying my face.

  Suddenly, he chuckled, "Oh I get it! You have a crush on her, huh? That's pretty cute Nick, but I don't think she wants to rebound from her roommate dying by dating a freshman."

  My jaw dropped and I sputtered, "I-It's not like that at all! I don't- I mean, I'm not-"

  Raj was openly laughing at me now, and my cheeks flamed red. Of course he would think that… why else would a guy want to know where a girl lived? I should have seen it coming.

  "Fine, fine!" I practically shouted so he would hear me over his laughter, "I kind of got a crush on her, can you blame me? She's gorgeous, can you stop laughing?"

  Raj's laughter finally died back down to hiccupping chuckles, "Oh man, I'm sorry but you really know how to choose 'em. Carmen Munez is a heartbreaker my friend. She broke up with all three of her last boyfriends, none of them lasted more than a few months, if that. They were also richer, taller, and could bench press your skinny ass. Sorry but I don't think you have a chance."

  "Can you just tell me where she lives?" I grumbled, not enjoying my Normal roommate pointing out all my weak points. I was gonna start going to the gym soon, one hundred percent, really.

  "Residential Towers, third floor, room 308, make a right from the elevator and go four doors down and it's on the left." Raj recited from memory quickly… too quickly.

  "How do you know that?" I asked curiously. I was just hoping that he knew what building it was, I didn't expect that kind of detail.

  Raj grinned, "Because her last boyfriend a few months ago was David, and let me tell you that wasn't a very pretty breakup."

  Oh, wonderful. Complications.

  111

  Next Wednesday saw me outside of Residential Towers in the early afternoon chill of October. The weather had descended in a permanent stupor that ranged between cold and freezing, a constant reminder of winter's approach. Jimmy had joked the other day that a Michigan winter extended from November to May, and I had better get used to it. At least I hoped he was joking.

  I had just taken my second Molecular Biology exam, finishing ten minutes early and slipping away rather than waiting for Eliza or the couple of other people I had met in the class. I predetermined that this would be the best time to talk to Carmen since every other moment I felt like I was always surrounded by people.

  Don't misunderstand; I honestly could say I preferred having people to talk to again, especially other mages. Also, in comparison to my first exam I felt like I had actually done really well on the second exam, without coming even close to pulling an all-nighter. That alone made it feel like a spectacular win even without knowing my grade.

  Not to mention I had been keeping up with my other classes as well. I had gotten my first Classical Civ test back the day before and stared down at an 86 percent, which had been a bit disappointing at first but I had technically gotten the third highest grade in the class. I even scored higher than Eric, whose notes I had borrowed. Our instructor, the stout and doggedly calm Professor Mayes assured us that there would be a curve at the end of the class.

  All and all, it was a good week so far. I hoped to continue that trend when I hopefully spoke to Carmen Munez.

  RT was a veritable tower of glass and steel that stood taller than my dorm, and looked about a hundred times cooler than my squat and rectangular building. Not only that, the ground floor contained a cafeteria that was open to all students who lived there with a meal plan, which was something UT didn't offer. Stupid UT.

  Not that I was jealous or anything.

  Entering the first double doors wasn't a barrier, but the next set of doors just inside would require a swipe, much like at UT. From my vantage point I could just barely see a student seated at the front desk, ready to glance up lazily from whatever he was studying to ensure those who entered the building had a proper sticker on the back of their school ID card that signified that they actually did live here.

  Eliza lived in RT, so technically all I needed was for her to sign me in as a guest to get in, but I'd rather not deal with the questions that came along with why I needed her to do so. So instead I simply waited just outside the doors waiting for someone to come along so I could piggyback on their access. To pass the time, I actually used my lighter for something other than creating dangerous fires- lighting a cigarette.

  I had kicked the habit of smoking pretty quickly when I first started at sixteen, but it was something I still did every once and awhile recreationally. Plus, it would look suspicious to just be standingthere.

  I didn't have long to wait, I had barely cycled through half a dozen drags of the strong, acrid smoke before someone came along. Bearded and brown skinned, he looked to be an older student, perhaps in grad school. He made no notice of me as I dropped the cigarette and rubbed it out with the heel of my shoe, following him into RT like a cautious shadow.

  The older student who stood a few inches shorter than my gangly 5'11 swiped his ID with distracted precision and opened the second set of doors after the muted click sounded, signaling they were unlocked. He walked through and I followed only a few steps behind. At the front desk, a carbon copy of UT's, a dark haired young man sat staring at a Calculus textbook. He glanced up expectantly at us as we entered, and I looked around for a quick distraction.

  I found it an instant later in the form of a file cabinet located against the wall behind the desk, and it took only a moment's focus to grab at the topmost drawer handle with my min
d and pulled-

  It banged open with a rattling thump so loud that both of them actually jumped a little. The one at the desk turned with a quiet expletive, and I strode past him and the other open-mouthed student I had used as my patsy to get in. I didn't stop to look back and no one called after me. Step one, success.

  Couldn't claim too much pride for it. That had been the easy part.

  I took a moment to check out the cafeteria. It was the first time I had seen it from the inside and I was a bit curious. The set-up reminded me very much of a high school cafeteria, with students milling around, eating lunch. They sat, much as in high school, in groups interspersed by as many empty tables from the next group as possible.

  I smiled in a moment of fond reminiscence. Some things never changed no matter what state or school you were in.

  So distracted in my nostalgia, my eyes passed over a vaguely familiar face without thinking. I did a double-take a few seconds later to find myself staring at a girl I had seen very recently. Short cut white-blonde hair that framed pale, imperious features. Her eyes were chips of ice, and even across the room I could see their color. Danae Lincoln sat at a round table against the wall of the cafeteria, legs crossed with a single hand propped under her chin, meeting the gaze of a dark skinned burly student who was facing towards her, away from me.

  She hadn't noticed my deliberate staring and I didn't want to give her any reason to. I turned away, instead keeping her only at the edge of my periphery. Whoever her friend was they appeared to be having a very serious conversation, and I felt the urgent need to move closer and listen in. Common sense kept me away. The way she held herself, it reminded me of a lioness perfectly poised to strike at a gazelle, and those eyes… I had the feeling that if I was forced to meet that stare, I would flinch before I could stop myself.

  If there was ever a time to be able to read lips. Dammit, why couldn't I ever have useful cool talents like they did in the movies?

  To my surprise, Danae stood up at that very moment and picked up the tray of food in front of her, as did her compatriot. The two made a stop at a nearby trashcan before beginning to move towards the exit, and towards me.

  I stood as casually as I could; only glancing in their direction once to get a better look at her friend. Dark skinned, Indian, taller than me with a flat nose. He was bulky with a little fat on him, but there was a significant portion of muscle that rippled beneath. His eyes were sharp, and he walked with a calm steady assurance that came with the knowledge that if anyone hit him, he could hit back harder. The vibe I got from Danae was similarly present in her friend. I only caught a few words as they passed me by, then as they got further and further from me.

  "…up the meeting…" I managed to hear her murmur.

  "It's under control."

  "I'm not saying-"

  "I got it."

  When they had passed the front desk and exited the building, I felt myself let go of a breath I hadn't realized I was holding. I stared after them, still visible outside by way of the tall transparent windows as they walked further from me. Maybe calling them friends was too far of a stretch, they definitely didn't seem to like each other, based on what I heard.

  As I walked from the cafeteria and headed towards the elevators, I reminded myself not to make conclusions on the fly, one conversation didn't tell me anything solid.

  Just as I turned into the short tiled hallway that led to the stairs and elevators of Atchison's I was surprised to nearly walk right into Sinan 'Sam' Sitto, who immediately grinned at me in recognition. I mirrored the smile, but with less teeth as I extended my hand for him to slap a palm against.

  Standing nearly at a height with me, Sam was one of David and Raj's closer friends, and had been at the bar after the memorial service when my friends and I had apparently been brought 'into the fold' of their little student consortium. Sam was interesting for a Normal. A noticeably rounded head with hair shaved very close to the scalp, he had a wide face with mischievous eyes. His most noticeable trait was the ever present grin that never seemed to fully disappear, only widen when something pleased him.

  "What up, baby?" He greeted me playfully; English tinged by a slight accent. Sinan had come to America only five years previous from Turkey, but had picked up English very quickly. According to a drunken Raj he was apparently a 'freaking genius of Davidian proportions.' From what I remember, Sam had taken the compliment in stride, but didn't dispute it at all.

  "Sinan, nice to see you." I replied politely, not wanting to make a big deal of the fact that I was at a dorm I had no place being at in the middle of the day unless I was seeing someone in particular.

  "Call me Sam." He corrected, "All my friends call me Sam."

  "Right, Sam." I said, and then went on the conversational offensive, "I didn't know you lived here?"

  The more questions I asked him, the less he asked me, right?

  "Visiting my girlfriend," His grin widened, if that were possible, "Maybe you are doing the same?" A suggestive raise of the eyebrow accompanied the question. So much for my conversational offensive.

  "Haha, maybe something like that…" I replied with a weak smile. I wondered how likely it would be that this conversation would get back to David or Raj. Raj would definitely take the opportunity to needle me about it, since it could be no coincidence that I asked where Carmen lived, then went there only a few days later. Raj was a nice guy, but he also had a big mouth, I could just imagine him telling David I was trying to make a rebound move on his ex. No idea how that would play out either.

  When did my life become so complicated? Normals have it easier; being a mage just stacks magical complications atop of the problems that already existed.

  Sam clapped a hand on my back and laughed, "I see, hmm so that's how it is! Good man, Stratus. Just because you are freshman does not mean it's too early to start looking for the right one, even if it turns out wrong, you know what I mean?" Another suggestive eyebrow was raised.

  I knew what he meant, and chuckled weakly. My back stung a bit from where he had slapped it.

  If there was an awkward pause, Sam didn't seem to notice it as he glanced at a nearby clock, "I need to get going, need to study."

  "Study what?" I had to ask, curious. Sam was supposed to be an all-nighter king, master of studying only a day in advance and acing any exam the day after. I wondered about his methods, since I had never been particularly skilled at pulling off the same feat.

  The grin slipped for the first time and he actually looked quite serious, "MCAT bro, its tough stuff. Really hard stuff, especially the verbal for me. Because I am not born here, it is more complicated to learn."

  The infamous MCAT.

  Pre-Meds spoke about it in hushed tones, with an almost fearful reverence that was usually reserved for religious deities. From what I could gather, it mostly stemmed from one thing; it was known that no matter what GPA you kept, how many glowing recommendations you had, or how many volunteer hours you had logged in at hospitals, if you had a bad MCAT score you were never getting into medical school. The MCAT test was less about testing one's ability to become a doctor, but rather their ability to absorb and understand large amounts of knowledge to be put to use in situations that required critical thinking on a time clock.

  Put simply, if you couldn't learn to think quickly on your feet, then you were screwed. Luckily I had been a few years away from worrying about it. However, being juniors, it was a very real problem for Sam, David and Raj. Late night talks in the apartment had centered around the very subject, Raj and David making plans for exactly when they would start studying, drawing up schedules and talking about what classes to take when they also had to deal with the test.

  "I thought you take the MCAT in summer," I said curiously, "You're already studying for it in October?"

  Sam chuckled, "No, I am taking it in January, so if I do not do well I will be able to retake it in the summer before I apply for medical school."

  "Oh, okay." That made sense to me.<
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  Sam extended his hand one last time for me to shake, "Well I will be seeing you around, Stratus." He winked at me before turning away, "Good luck with the girl."

  With that parting statement, he walked away at a brisk pace to leave me standing behind. Maybe I should have tried to plead for his silence, so he wouldn't tell Raj or David I was here? But then again, maybe doing so would have just made him tell them all the more… how did I know how well Sam could keep a secret?

  I sighed as I trudged towards the elevator, thumbed the up button and waited for the twin silver doors whistling apart on my command. I stepped in, and as the doors squealed shut and I pressed the button for the third floor, I felt my heart sink to my stomach in a way that had more to do with nerves than the motion of the elevator. It remained there as I stepped off to the floor, the elevator moving far quicker than I imagined it would.

  As I searched for the room I found myself wishing that no one would answer when I knocked, that Carmen Munez would be in class and unable to talk to me. What was I really doing here, after all? If Carmen was a mage this would just end up drawing the coven's direct attention on me. True, I had logically considered the possibility of it… but facing it directly for the first time made finding a rock to crawl under sound like a much safer, smarter prospect. At least until the storm of this disconcerting situation passed by.

  I stood silent outside of room 308, the gravity of everything fully pressing against me for the first time. Its weight kept me from lifting my arm so I could knock on the formidable looking door.

  I should wait, I thought to myself.

  That would be the smart thing to do, just wait it out, let the situation unfold organically. I could join Archanos alongside Jimmy and Nishi, and then work on Emily's case from the inside. Honestly what was the rush? Didn't I say that I was going to be smart about this? Was this really my only option, to look for answers in a girl I had only seen once before?