by Viola Grace
The spectres nodded.
The mage guides looked confused.
“You are welcome to ask them anything. They know how they lived and how they died and are not shy about anything in between.”
With that stated, the bravest of the girls went first, and she spoke to one of the spectres who was a mage that specialized in investment banking.
Benny came up next to her. “There aren’t a lot of high guild spectres.”
“No. They are kept at a separate facility until they fade. They are dangerous until they get to the fading point. Then, and only then, are they retired to one of these places to slowly bleed off.”
Benny chuckled. “I should take notes.”
“Why?”
“Because my XIA team and I are coming back tomorrow night for the same tour.”
Imara laughed, but Benny was serious.
After fifteen minutes, she faded the spectres back to their normal states.
The girls drifted toward her, and they were all remarkably enthusiastic.
“Now, for a demonstration of what a Death Keeper can actually achieve, we are going to meet a Mage who passed on over one hundred and forty years ago.”
She led them past the aging stones and to the section where the instructional mage waited. Imara powered her to full physicality and smiled as the woman touched the stone her crystal was embedded in.
The guides gasped in shock, and the woman gave Imara a wry look. “Thank you, Death Keeper. You have made my last night honourable.”
“Thank you, Mage. You are giving these guides a night to remember. Ladies, ask her what you will. Mage Echoheart used to be an instructor, so she can offer you help in a variety of subjects.”
The mage blushed.
The Guides rushed forward to ask questions, and Imara hung back.
Freddy pushed up next to her and whispered, “I have seen Death Keepers work before, but I have never seen them make a solid spectre.”
“You have seen it now. We all have different talents. This just happens to be mine.” Imara stood with her lantern lit, and the darkness pushed back from the gathering.
She had her own question to ask. “Freddy, you are a hellhound?”
Freddy jolted. “I know Benny didn’t tell you.”
“No. Not by name, but now, I know she was referring to you when she mentioned a friend who was an obligated familiar.”
“Yeah, that is me. I found out when I was young. Any moment I can be hauled across the world where my mage is. Lately, she has been using me in familiar battles with other mages. It sucks.”
“She makes you fight?”
“She bets on me. I have always had a strong draw to the demon zone energy, and it gives me multiple forms.”
Imara reached up and stroked Mr. E’s fuzzy head. “Yeah, I know something about that. If there is any way I can intercede with your mage, let me know.”
Freddy looked at her in surprise. “You would do that?”
“Of course. You are a friend of a friend. I will help you any way I can but, please, understand that my skills are limited.”
Mr. E snorted on her shoulder.
Imara smiled. “That said, I do have a knack for getting lucky with things.” She reached into her robes and withdrew one of her business cards. “Here. They can get in touch with me around the clock.”
Freddy looked at the card in surprise. “You have an answering service?”
“Yeah. I am in classes a lot, so if it is urgent, they put the call through. I am free most evenings, though, if you just wanted to get together to discuss stuff. I mean, I know you probably know more about your situation than I do, but I am willing to talk or listen.”
“Thanks.” Freddy looked bemused. “How old are you, anyway?”
“Does it matter?”
“No, I suppose it doesn’t. Thanks for this.” Freddy opened the small purse she was carrying and tucked the card inside.
“You are welcome.”
Freddy blushed. “This is going to sound weird, but can I hold onto your kitten for a while?”
Imara checked with Mr. E, and as he was fine with it, she reached up and handed her familiar over.
Freddy cuddled the kitten and whispered to him, pausing to hear his answers as he nodded and purred.
Imara watched the mage guides interacting with the spectre, and she smiled at the enthusiasm of both parties.
Benny moved close. “Why is she solid?”
“Because I gave her what she needed to become solid.”
“That easy?”
“For me, but that is what I do. My body projects spectral energy, and I passively wake those that I am around. I can also focus it.”
Benny blinked. “That... so that is how you did the trick with the stone?”
“Yeah, I kept draining the energy, and it was burning my skin, so I had to put energy into it, and that just led to a weird cycle. Thanks again for the ride to Ritual Space.”
“No problem. It was nice to have another girl in the car.” Benny grinned and then whispered, “What is Freddy doing?”
“Having a conversation with another familiar. I am afraid that I don’t have clearance to listen in.”
Benny nodded. “Right. Of course. How long are you going to let the kids keep getting spell techniques from the instructor?”
“She isn’t giving them all the techniques. Each is missing a piece. If they try a spell, it won’t come to anything. No flash, no bang, no nothing.”
The guide master gave her a nod, and she stepped forward. “Ladies, please thank the Master Mage for her time.”
The guides filed up to the spectre and gave her bows of respect. The spectre nodded in return and had a smile on her face.
When the guides were filing back toward the welcome centre, Imara looked to the mage. “So, do you still want to fade right now?”
The woman shook her head. “The guide master said she will bring the girls back in a few weeks for a follow-up presentation about what they learned. I want to be here for that.”
Imara smiled. “Then, I will leave you a little less solid than you are now but still able to generate a hug if you want to.”
“Thank you, Master Imara. Is Mirrin your family name?”
Imara touched the woman’s shoulder and thinned the spectre’s density slightly. “It is all the family who would claim me. Enjoy your waking hours. Talk to the other spectres. Your range extends to most of the corners of the gardens, so simply contemplate magic in all its forms.”
“You are surprisingly wise for one so young.”
“I have had good teachers.”
The mage smiled. “That is all that I ever wished for my students. I wished that they thought of me as a good teacher.”
Imara grinned. “I think that you underestimate your impact. Do you remember a mage named Reegar?”
The woman paused. “I do. He was cranky, irritable, and never followed instructions.”
“His spectre remembers you fondly as the best teacher he ever had.” Imara smiled.
The mage gasped and tears formed in the spectre’s eyes. “Thank you.”
Imara inclined her head, and she walked back to the welcome centre where the last of the group was passing through the wards. The moment that Imara passed through, she felt a pressure on the magic around her. She turned to focus on the energy, but it was gone.
The shiver that ran up her spine remained active as she turned and thanked the mage guides for coming.
Sandy made sure that they all gave proper thanks to Imara.
When the young women were gone, Freddy turned to Imara. “Here you go. Thanks for letting me talk to him. Not all mages would have.”
“He sometimes needs to let off a little steam as well. He was not truly impressed with the body he got stuck with.”
Freddy nodded. “I totally get that. I am a hellhound, but I also take on a chihuahua form. It is humiliating, but it gives my mage a leg up when she puts me in a fight. No one expects the
second form.”
“That would be an effective weapon. Does the fighting hurt?”
Benny sighed. “Join us down the road at the all-night café, and Freddy can fill you in.”
Freddy nodded. “Please. You look like you could use a cup of coffee.”
Imara consulted Mr. E, and he was in the mood for a pie. “We are in. I just have to finish up here, and I will meet you there. It is to the left of the exit, correct?”
Benny gave her a thumbs-up. “See you in a few minutes.”
Imara looked around and found Connie skulking in one of the rear offices.
“Connie, I am leaving. Feel free to resume your videos or homework or whatever.”
Connie looked around and then focused on her. Imara knew that look. This woman’s name was not Connie.
“Um, great. Thanks.”
Imara smiled and said, “I will just lock up when I leave. I know it can be creepy to be working alone at night.”
“What? Lock up? You don’t have to.”
“Oh, I insist.” Imara turned and walked swiftly to the door. She exited, made sure that the door was closed behind her, and then, she activated the Death Keeper warding that would only allow their kind to come and go.
Did you just lock her in there?
I did. I will make a call before we get to the café and have someone come in to check on her. I don’t know where the regularly assigned keeper is, but they will be needed on duty tomorrow.
Mr. E was chuckling, but then, he was watching the door to the welcome centre.
She is trying to get through the wards with a chair.
Fascinating. That isn’t going to work.
She doesn’t appear to know that.
Imara got into her vehicle and opened her phone. A few minutes of chatting to the dispatch office, letting them know that there was an incursion into their territory and then she was off in search of pie and a cup of coffee. Oh, and a slice of pie for herself.
Chapter Three
The café was bright, cheerful, and filled with non-humans. Imara paused at the door, identified where Benny and Freddy were, and headed toward them.
Benny looked at Imara, looked around, and grinned. “You found us all right.”
“Yes. Sorry I was late. Administrative issue.”
“Have a seat.” Freddy scooted over to the side so that Imara could take up the empty space.
She sat and set Mr. E down on the table. “This place is really jumping.”
Benny smirked. “The side effect of a nocturnal lifestyle. Are you all right with so many non-humans around you?”
Imara nodded. “Yes. It is just a shock after the college. You almost forget that anyone else exists.”
Freddy agreed. “It was like that when I was taking journalism. Everybody was either a mage or a human. It was a relief to get over to Benny’s house for a touch of the extranatural. Her family never disappointed.”
Benny grinned. “I am still getting used to my dad having days where he is looking human. It is quite a change.”
“What did he look like other times?”
Benny snickered as the waitress poured the coffee. “A demon. He was an incubus, and I am amazed that my parents never had more children than just little old me, but that was not in the cards.”
“Is your mom human?” Imara took her cup of coffee and added cream and sugar.
“She looks human. That is enough for most folks. Her line has wolves, vampires, fey, and there is rumour of a troll.”
It was apparent that Benny was proud of her heritage. There was no reason not to be.
The server came around again, so Imara ordered a slice and a whole coconut cream pie.
Freddy asked, “Are you hungry?”
“Mr. E has a sweet tooth. He also likes to chase bubbles. Jumping into the occasional pie isn’t doing him any harm.” Imara scratched him behind his ears.
Benny and Freddy were eating something more substantial.
It appeared that they hadn’t quite gotten the idea of Mr. E and his appetite because when the pie and the slice arrived, they squealed in delight when he leaped into the centre of the pie and started eating his way out.
The laughter from the other patrons around them told Imara that Mr. E had an audience. She ate her pie, and he ate his while Benny and Freddy played with him, putting globs of whipping cream on his nose to watch him lick it off.
Mr. E didn’t mind. He was going to get all that cream anyway.
Imara sipped at her coffee, and as she sat in the good humour and giggles that flowed around her, she checked her phone, and the intruder was in custody. The message from the guild was clear. The Death Keeper who was supposed to be on duty was missing.
Imara sighed and returned to her coffee.
Benny glanced at her. “Bad news?”
“The woman in the welcome centre wasn’t a Death Keeper. She was a stand-in or a thief. I don’t know which one. I do know that the actual keeper who was supposed to be on duty is missing.”
Benny looked concerned. “Do you know them?”
Imara shook her head. “No. We don’t usually socialize. The only Death Keeper I had met before I joined the college was my master in Sakenta City.”
Freddy blinked. “You don’t have guild meetings?”
“No. There aren’t enough of us. There are barely enough to man the memorial gardens. That is why they are so far from cities, though that is where most of their population comes from. They have to increase their access while increasing their distance from population centres.”
Benny blinked. “That is... weird. So, you don’t have to go to class?”
“No. This is on-the-job training. If you have a talent for it, you have a talent for it. That is all.”
Imara finished her coffee and looked at her kitten. He was sitting in an empty pie plate and beginning the laborious process of getting all the coconut and whipped cream off his black fuzz.
Freddy sat back. “Dang. If I had known that, I might have tried for it.”
Benny smiled. “You aren’t suited to it. You are firmly on the side of life at all times.”
Imara glanced from one to the other, and she could almost visualize the spiritual tie between them. “You have been friends for a very long time.”
Freddy wrinkled her nose. “Don’t put it that way.”
“Sorry. I meant that I can see the link between you.”
Benny smirked. “Freddy became my friend in kindergarten. She has been defending me against those who would think harshly of me for my entire life. She is an amazing bully repellent.”
Imara grinned. “I can see why. She is a force of will.”
Freddy grimaced. “I have to be when I can be. I could be summoned by my mage at any moment, and that tension drives me nuts. It is not something that makes me sleep easy.”
Imara nodded, and she reached out to stroke Mr. E’s clean, damp fur. “I understand.”
Freddy smiled. “If it makes you feel better, he doesn’t care that you are bound to him. He is exceptionally impressed with your skills and your determination. He is honoured to be your familiar.”
“Good. I am honoured to be his mage, so it works out well.” Imara smiled.
Benny laughed, “Well, I get the pleasure of your company twice this week. Tomorrow, three XIA teams will be with us, including my own.”
“Oh. Wonderful. It will be nice to see your mates again.”
Freddy spluttered. “Really? You just say it like that?”
Imara blinked. “She is not human, and she has shifters in her circle, so she has mates, not husbands. Partners, if you will.”
Benny grinned, and her eyes glowed. “So, you know that too.”
Imara wrinkled her nose. “Your magic isn’t human magic. It isn’t standard mage magic. I knew it when I first met you.”
Benny nodded. “It makes sense, considering your talent. I mean, you know about some of my ancestries.”
“Yes, I do. It makes sense now.” S
he grinned.
Freddy snorted. “So, Imara, what are you doing for the rest of the night?”
“I am heading home, getting some more studying in for my final course and then getting some sleep.”
Freddy blinked. “You are still in school?”
“I am finishing my qualifiers at Depford College. When I have this last course done, I will be able to get my commercial magic license.”
Freddy whistled. “Wow. That is a hard rating to get.”
“I know. That is why I went for it in this way. I have taken every high-credit course I could find in order to make this go as fast as I could, and there is only one left to go. Not many folks get through the course or even try it, but I am confident that I can get it done and gain some insight while I am doing it.”
Benny looked up from her fries. “What is the course?”
“Spell crafting.”
Freddy cackled. “She should meet Minnie.”
Benny finished her food. “You know, I think you are right. What are you doing right now, Imara?”
She blinked. “Uh, wiping the last of the whipping cream from my cat?”
“Come with us to the city, and we will introduce you to a friend of ours.” Benny winked. “If we are lucky, we might meet her dragon.”
“A dragon?” Imara blinked.
“Oh, I do love those mythical shifters. They get me all tingly. Benny occasionally works with a gryphon, and he sets my hellhound on fire.” Freddy sighed wistfully.
Imara smiled. “You don’t say.”
Benny chuckled. “Imara has met him a time or two. She understands.”
“I do, I really do.” Imara chuckled.
Benny grinned. “Wonderful. Freddy, you be her co-pilot, and I will lead the way. If we get lost, you can tell her where we are headed.”
Freddy nodded. “Will do.”
The server slid their bills in front of them, and Benny grabbed them all. “I have got this.”
Imara scowled. “I can get my own.”
Benny shook her head. “It is my pleasure to get you the pie and coffee. The XIA owes you a lot more than that.”