I was not sure if I should admit I had not used an incantation. Or gestures. I kept my mouth shut for the moment and focused on my food.
Brad weighed in, “Well, the Arcane College won’t send out anyone lower than a Magister to be a liaison.” His statement was true, though I did not realize it was noted by anyone outside of the Arcane College.
It was Darius’ turn to join in, “I don’t know. I’ve never seen anyone from the Arcane College cast that fast. Granted, they rarely cast in the presence of others. Even the guys assigned to the battleships demand privacy when they’re maintaining the defense systems. Unless they’re wanting to impress someone. Or the captain got fed up with their laziness again.”
Looking up, I did not realize how much they studied the Arcane College’s typical behaviors. However, this was a port city where many naval ships docked, and with the number of mages that the Arcane College sent out to be liasons… Well, it was not hard to see where they came into contact with enough of them.
“Researcher, actually,” I got in before the speculation could continue. “Only Humans are allowed to hold rank in the Arcane College.”
It was a fact and not something that I could find myself to be bitter about. As for my casting speed, I wanted to avoid that topic if I could. I should have controlled it better so it would not have been so obvious. It had been a long time since I reacted instinctively. Normally, I thought through my actions, though now I thought I understood what Lockonis had been trying to tell me.
“Now that’s new.” Savanas sat back in her chair and looked over to Retanei sitting next to her. “So I’m thinking it’s going to be easier to get you to tell us than her. She seems rather shy.”
I could feel the heat rise in my face and returned my attention to the meal before me, hoping the conversation would go elsewhere.
“Well, if you want a hobby, she’s a rather talented musician.” I caught that Retanei also avoided the topic of my arcane abilities. It was not something to broadcast outside of the organization. I was sure Savanas’ father was harmless, but I did not want to take the chance.
I glanced around, sure the others were curious about a few things now. Retanei had to go and say that. I sank back in my chair.
I forgot Retanei had caught me practicing on the few occasions when I ventured into the woods surrounding the main office. I thought to escape my sister, who would let herself into my quarters, but had walked into Retanei’s domain.
I heard a groan from Savanas before her father turned his attention back to me. “Really? This I must know more about.”
Putting down my fork, I held up my hands hoping to stop the potential barrage of questions. “I just help my mother with her projects on occasion, that’s all. I fear I have no talent of my own.”
“Your mother?” Lou’s curiosity seemed to only be more piqued. This time I apparently chose my words poorly.
“Lindale Erulastiel - she adopted me and my sister when we were little.” I hoped the questions would end there. The circumstances surrounding our adoption was not for idle conversation.
All conversations had ended and the others stayed silent, focusing their attention my way. I tried to sink further back in my chair. Rathal raised an eyebrow and smirked. I slid further down, wishing I could hide on the floor with Artemis and Big Black.
Lou’s eyes went distant as he sat back and smiled. His voice shifted to something more melodic when he commented, “Ah, one of the Great Elven Songstresses. Many a story about that one. I’ve not had the pleasure of meeting her myself.”
I did not know what to say. Her music was popular, that much was true, but his description put her on a pedestal she would not wish to be on. She primarily spent her time teaching, but Mother still continued to produce new music to keep up her business.
Retanei grinned at me, and I could tell she was up to no good just before she said, “I made sure she packed her violin.”
~*~
It was late by the time we were able to check into the room reserved for us. Brad managed to get a suite that had a couple of bedrooms attached to a common area with a small kitchen in it. Lou insisted on sending a large bag of pastries for breakfast with us.
“Go get some rest,” Retanei said softly.
I nodded and dragged myself off toward the closest bedroom. I wanted a hot shower and bed - in that order. Opening my suitcase, I dug out what I needed for the first part and made my way to the shared bathroom. “I just want to clean up.”
“Take your time.” Retanei’s voice had an edge to it.
The room was dark except for the light coming from the bedroom and she was not anywhere near it. “What’s wrong?”
I knew she could see in complete darkness, but I was uneasy talking to yet another shadow, even if it was one that I knew.
“I’m concerned if he could get to us at the office, we’re really exposed here. I doubt their security has taken into account a psychotic mage.”
Retanei had a valid point, but… “As I said, I don’t think it was really him - just an arcane projection. It was overly elaborate to deliver a message and regardless of level that spell alone would have drained the caster for a while. He’s going to need time to recover.” There was always stored spells, but it would be hard for someone to predict all of our movements ahead of time. I had a feeling the arcane projection was not planned.
There was a long pause before she spoke again, “You mean it was just an illusion?”
I corrected, “More like a puppet than an illusion. The more I think about it, the more foolish I feel about reacting the way I did.”
Of everyone there, I should have seen through it immediately, but…
I started pacing and said, “Rathal and I reacted the same. We had both been exposed to the emotional energy at the crime scene. Whoever it is knew that and that’s why…”
If he had been watching for a while, and I cannot imagine it was for too long - that would have seriously drained him also. I got stuck trying to reconcile the amount of energy required for both. Just the puppet would have required most of his reserves.
“Continue.”
I shook my head, realizing that my mouth had stopped giving information. “When I saw the figure, I became extremely angry and just reacted. I don’t know if it was to leave a message or possibly to evaluate us.”
“That’s a disturbing thought. Well, until everyone is rested, there’s not much we can do. Do you mind keeping Artemis with you? I’m going to head downstairs and make sure they tell housekeeping that this room is off limits,” Retanei said as her dark figure moved into the light where I could see her.
She had changed her winter TIO coat for the brown leather coat she had been wearing in Vince’s office. Why would she be wearing such a heavy coat if she was simply going down to the front desk?
Retanei left before I could ask. I looked at the wolf and tilted my head toward the bathroom. She followed on my heels, settling at the door once I closed it. Retanei often moved in ways I did not understand, but I learned to trust her judgment.
I dropped my bundle on the counter next to the sink and hung my head for a moment. I was still unsure of myself and the team could not afford my self-doubt. I was selected to come here for a reason.
I knew the arcane as well as I knew myself. The problem was I still feared my own power to a certain extent.
Taking a deep breath, I thought again about the attack, but this time on my own reactions. Strong emotional responses were bad. It may have worked out this time, but what about the next? I was going to have to be exposed to those arcane remnants again in order to force them to dissipate. If I could even figure out how.
I gripped the edge of the gray sink - I was not looking forward to the headache they would surely give me again. I normally did not get headaches, which made me worry that I was missing something else. I needed rest and then I could come back fresh and this would surely all make sense.
I looked up - the reflection in the mirror looked
worn down and older than I remembered. It had been a long day. Just sitting in the big plush chair in Savanas’ common room listening to the conversations had taken its toll.
Savanas was not kidding when she said her father baked for the sake of baking. I had to turn down his offers after a while as I was certain I would explode if I ate another bite. At the very least, I was not going to be able to move.
I sighed and rubbed my face. I needed to get cleaned up so I could get some rest.
Reaching behind my head, I started to take my hair out of its confinement. It never took me long to get my hair up, but always seemed to take a while to find the last few hair pins nestled in my bun. Normally, it was a meditative time, though there were days, like today. I wondered why I kept my hair so long since all I ever did was put it up.
My mind kept returning to what I witnessed at the Waking Dawn. It was bothering me that I could not figure out what the power source was. The effect it was having on Rathal also bothered me. I worried some of the victims and emergency responders would also be affected. I was certain the others thought of that also.
Finally locating the last hair pin, I let my hair cascade down and tried to shake out the last of the twists that kept it confined and freed it from my worn hair elastic. Emptying out my pockets, I placed my phone on the counter and then paused to look at it.
I had downloaded some music recently in hopes I might remember to keep it on me more often. It still did not work, but…
I fiddled with it until I heard music playing from the tiny speakers. I still was not sure how to work some parts of the phone, but at least the music part seemed straight forward enough.
While the soft music filled the room, I set about my previously defined task and quickly cleaned up. Artemis did not seem to care much what I was doing and could have been sleeping for all I knew. That might pose a problem when I was ready for bed.
I paused to look at the large bathtub. It was sorely tempting, but I knew I would fall asleep. Elven tradition was to first shower to clean up and then soak in the bath to relax. It was a tradition that I indulged in rarely - I had grown up around Humans. It also felt like I wasted precious time that could be spent on something else.
I had left Mother too soon after she adopted my sister and I, but I was too dangerous to be left untrained. And because we were in Neutral Territory at the time, in a predominately Human area, I was discovered by the Arcane College first. Perhaps if I had grown up more with Elven traditions, I would appreciate them better, but now was not the time to be debating past choices.
After cleaning up and then using my power to dry my hair, I crouched down to rub Artemis’ head. “May I get by?”
She nuzzled my hand before she got up.
Retanei had not returned. I was concerned that she was not back, but I knew better than to try to contact her. Sometimes I would find her walking the halls near the lab just thinking and interrupting her only made her walk longer.
Artemis climbed up into the bed and curled against me. She was warm - it only served to lull me to sleep.
Chapter 5
When I got up the next morning, Artemis was still beside me. I was certain she would have left when Retanei returned.
Then I began to worry if Retanei had returned. Normally she worked at night and had not been up nearly as long as I had been at the point of our departure. But surely even she would have taken the momentary pause.
Glancing at the time, I had been asleep for longer than I wanted. While I felt rested, I was too concerned about Retanei. Maybe she came, rested, and left again? I did not know, but I did not think she would have left Artemis in that case either.
Quickly getting out of bed to try to satisfy my curiosity, I set about my normal morning routine, not wanting to disturb her if she happened to still be resting. But then why was Artemis still in here?
I was putting the last couple of hair pins in when I heard the door open. Artemis left my side.
A set of keys hit the counter in the common area. “Oh good, you’re up,” Retanei said, “Savanas will want you in the office as soon as you’re ready.”
I was not prepared for the image that greeted me when I left the bathroom. I had never seen Retanei so worn down. “What happened?” She had already slid her coat off and was in the process of taking her hair out of its ponytail. Her whole body spoke of exhaustion.
She yawned, holding the bag of pastries from Lou toward me. “I was working.”
That was it and I dared not push for more, not wishing to be seen as an annoyance. As soon as I took the bag, she took a quick bite from the one in her hand and headed for the other bedroom.
Retanei said, “I’m going to crash. The fleet vehicle Melody loaned me is yours. It’s in the underground garage - level C, section 1. Can’t miss it. And don’t worry, I have access to transportation.”
There was no point in trying to continue the conversation. I looked warily at the bag in my hands. I think I had more than my fill last night.
Picking up the keys, I was grateful that there was a tag describing the vehicle I was looking for. I was not fond of driving and even less in the winter. I could only hope that I did not end up with a little rolling ball of death. Especially with as much snow as there was on the ground.
~*~
Retanei was nice enough to have programmed the directions into the truck’s navigation system for me. I had not noticed it last night, but the roads near the TIO office were outfitted with the new solar panels, keeping them clear and dry.
I stopped in the office lobby to talk to the woman there. The black name plaque on her desk said “Melody Braddock.”
“Oh, hi there. You’re one of the visiting agents that came in yesterday. Melody.” The brown-haired woman put her hand out. Her chocolate-colored eyes did not speak of the event the previous evening, which I found odd.
Taking her hand, as not to be rude, I said, “Ketayl. I’m sorry about yesterday.”
Melody smiled gently and said, “Don’t worry about that. It’s hard to surprise me much anymore. I’m just glad you were here - I’m afraid the poor mage was fairly shaken after that. Is the dog with you?” She looked around the side of her desk to see if I was hiding someone.
“Artemis?” Come to think of it, she had been down here during the attack. “No, I’m afraid the wolf belongs to Retanei, the other agent I arrived with.” I had previously gotten a lecture about the difference between dogs and wolves. While interesting, I doubted Melody would much care, but the least I could do was warn her.
The receptionist came close to pouting. It was odd to see on an older woman. “Too bad. I keep a stash of treats for Big Black, but Savanas doesn’t bring him in much anymore. He’s getting old. It was nice to have a companion in the lobby again. She was such a sweet thing.”
“I’m sure she’ll be by again soon.” It appeared that I was going to have a lot more to learn about how the Ocean’s Edge branch operated.
Looking at the rest of the area, I realized I was not sure where I was going anymore. “Where is Savanas’ office? I’m afraid with all the commotion last night I’m lost.” I mentally kicked myself. Usually I was detail-oriented and only needed directions once.
After getting directions, I made my way upstairs to the big open office. I was not sure what to expect this time. I did not see Darius or Brad. Rathal was on the phone having an animated conversation.
Savanas looked up from her computer to see who arrived, waving me over. She waited until I got close so she did not have to speak loudly across the room, “Please tell me Retanei is getting some rest.”
I nodded and asked, “What’s going on? She said she was going to talk to the hotel staff last night.” I took a step back - I should not have been so forward. Especially when talking to someone obviously much higher up the chain of command. My curiosity was getting the better of me, which could be dangerous.
Savanas blew out a breath and leaned back in her chair. “I had a couple of local law enforcemen
t officers help out last night keeping the curious away. Retanei caught wind of something from their communications and went hunting. No idea if she came up with anything. When she stopped by the office, she didn’t say anything to Melody. Don’t suppose she passed any information on to you?”
I shook my head. “She left Artemis with me. I didn’t think she would go without her.”
The look on Savanas’ face was that of aggravation. “Damn stupid move. I’ll talk with Retanei later. Lockonis said that she sent over the information she was able to dig up - you should have gotten an update to your library. But before you get started, we need to talk.” She hit a few buttons on her computer and pointed at the large screen.
It was the video feed from last night’s attack in the lobby playing on loop from the moment that Rathal and I got there to when the shadow disappeared.
“Given how both you and Retanei were avoiding that particular topic of conversation, I decided to review the footage. Care to explain? I’ve seen some fast casters in my time, but this exceeds them.” Savanas paused a moment, but I was stuck watching myself over and over.
It felt surreal. I had not seen myself on video before and even I did not want to believe it was me who was performing those actions, but the evidence was right there.
This was what Lockonis had been trying to get me to do during our last training session. It had come naturally without trying to force my way through the manipulation. In a sense, I felt a bit of freedom and pride at finally having completed the objective, but that it took so little effort worried me and more knowing it was because I reacted on instinct.
Savanas continued, “Thanks to them putting a damn mage on just about every ship that passes through our port, I know that Arcane College mages have long, drawn out, overly elaborate casting. This is not indicative of that by any means.” I could not tell if Savanas was angry about the images before her.
I jumped as Rathal slammed the phone down behind me.
Twisted Magics (Terra Chronicles Book 1) Page 5