by Taki Drake
Cappy was the police chief here in our little slice of heaven called Blackbriar Heights. He cruised about town in an old police cruiser that has seen better days. His primary function was to keep the mundanes out of trouble.
“Bigger. No offense Grandmother, but we don’t have crime here.”
“We do, but you would not have heard about it. No, I will not explain. You can ask me later after you finish school.”
“What school am I going to?”
“How about the FBI Academy? Would you like to work for the US Government?”
“Really? How?”
“The Council has been trying to get someone to join for a few years. The Fed’s have to deal with paranormal crime on a daily basis. Some of the less powerful groups already have trained agents serving. They have been asking for a magic user for a while.”
“And they want me? Don’t they know about the mistakes and bad stuff that happens?”
“Dear one, even the Council knows that it is not your fault. The have offered to train you, under the auspices of the FBI of course. If you want to help people, this is your chance.”
I of course said yes. So begins my journey. Wish me luck because heaven help the FBI if I cut loose. I hope they have good insurance.
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Snippet - We Are Not Prey
A series of deep tones and subtle vibrations begin to build within the room. As the sounds got more musical and louder, the swirling lights began to subside. Pawlik’s figure became more visible although Cal was having some difficulty seeing his mother. She appeared almost fuzzy to his eyes, which made him repeatedly rub his eyes in a vain attempt to see what was happening more clearly.
Finally, the sound transformed from a cacophony to a small repeated musical motif. The strength of the sound rattled against the hard surfaces of the room and rebounded to assault ears everywhere. There was a moment of an almost unbearable sound and intensity before all noise abruptly ceased, just as the swirling lights disappeared.
No one moved for a moment, as the entire room stared at the tableau. Pawlik was frozen in a kneeling posture with Ruth’s body held to his chest. His face was contorted in a grimace of pain, but his hold on Ruth was gentle. Flickers of light continued to crawl across his skin in small tendrils. His appearance was startling but paled in impact beside that of the body he was holding. Ruth’s face was calm and unlined, seemingly serene and untroubled. Her arms were crossed over her chest, and her legs were extended, toes pointed. Wrapping her lower body in multicolored leaf shapes were shiny, veined petals of a reflective material.
The shapes appeared to be slowly building a covering around Ruth that reached from her toes to her mid-thighs. Even as the onlookers stared, the shrouding encased another handwidth of her body. Cal started up with a cry and lunged for his mother’s form, only to have his motion arrested by Gray. The man had ceased his muttering and was looking resigned but in control. He gave Cal’s arm a small shake and said, “You can’t help her now boy. Let Pawlik take care of her. He’s the only one that can touch her.”
Cal stared uncomprehendingly at Gray and asked, “What do you mean? I have to do something to help her.”
“They have bonded, and Pawlik is now her Anchor. All Mages are said to need someone that connects them to a planetary residence. When she broke her mind, her harmony with the place of her birth was forever destroyed. She will never again be able to live inside or on a planet without an Anchor.”
Cal drew a shaking breath and straightened up. He looked over at Ruth and saw that Pawlik had stood up, still cradling Ruth’s body. In total silence, Pawlik carefully strode across the floor and through the doorway, taking his burden to the privacy of a different place.
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