Force of Nature (An Alex Warren Novel)

by Shawna Logue

  I slipped the small, old-fashioned, iron key into my pocket. Then, in keeping with my cover story, I slipped on my running shoes, and at the last minute I grabbed a zippered hoodie. I wasn’t about to freeze tomorrow. I had too much other stuff to worry about.

  The whole search took less than a minute. Justin raised one thin eyebrow as I burst back out of the room.

  “That was fast.”

  “To be honest, this place kind of gives me the creeps,” I said, gesturing around to the mess of rubble that still littered the floor. The clear plastic covering the hole snapped a few times in the wind as if to agree with me.

  We snuck out of the apartment unnoticed, and were soon driving back to Mobius. It seemed so silly to have had to drive all this way for a pair of shoes, but Justin didn’t seem to mind too much. I’m sure he was just as unnerved at the thought of rematerializing in a wall as I was.

  “Hey, Justin?” I asked as we drove back into town.

  “What’s up?”

  “How come when Jack phases me somewhere, there is an instant of complete nothingness? What happens to our bodies?”

  He shrugged. “That’s just how it works. You travel through the Astral Plane, which is why it feels like nothingness. For that brief instant, you don’t exist. It’s hard to explain.”

  “No, I understand.” I thought about not existing, and shivered. “So, how come when Dermot phased me, it felt different?”

  He thought about that for a moment. “I would assume that would be due to what he is. Leprechaun magic is unlike anything regular spellcasters use. It’s innate.”

  “But what about when Connor phased me to the cemetery? It was so instantaneous I thought I had blinked? I didn’t even realize what had happened at first. Is that something to do with the location? Are cemeteries like that?”

  Justin braked reflexively, enough to jerk me forward, before speeding up again. I watched as a crooked grin spread across his thoughtful face.

  “What?” I asked, unable to contain my curiousity.

  “I just had no idea he- Well, I always knew Connor was powerful,” Justin seemed to be conversing with himself.

  “Hello?” I asked again, waving my hands.

  He blinked, and glanced my way quickly before turning back to the road. “Sorry,” he mumbled.

  “You were saying?” I urged.

  “If you phased and didn’t feel it,” he began.

  I nodded encouragingly.

  “Then that would say to me that Connor is immensely powerful. The more powerful you are, the less time you spend in the Astral Plane.” He shook his head, adding, “Amazing.”

  I thought about that for a moment, but wasn’t surprised. “So how do you two know each other anyway?”

  He laughed. “He didn’t tell you? We met at a protest.”

  “What kind of protest?” I asked.

  “We were both chained to the same tree.” He caught my furrowed brow and added, “This was almost forty years ago mind you.”

  I did the mental math. “You two were hippies!” I laughed.

  He shook his head. “Alex, you need to remember that my kind will always be hippies, in a sense. Nature is very important to us.”

  I tried to picture either of them in bell bottoms, and laughed harder. “Priceless!” I laughed.

  We were back at Mobius now, the elevator gliding silently up to the thirteenth floor. As I stifled my giggles, I could see Justin’s anticipation increase as the elevator slowed to a stop. He was at the door to his room before I had taken three steps. I tried to ignore the sappy greetings coming from their room while I headed to my own. Dermot, having escaped the starry-eyed couple, was quick on my heels.

  “What’cha doin’?” he asked, barely two steps behind me.

  I shrugged. “Escaping the love fest.” I mean, we weren’t gone that long. The two seemed a bit excessive.

  “Wanna go watch?” he asked.

  I wheeled around, and he walked into me. “Ew! That’s disgusting, Dermot! Even for you!”

  He looked at me confused. After a moment, recognition crossed his face. “Oh! No! Ew! No, I meant, did you want to watch the strategy session?”

  The way he emphasized the word “strategy” had me wondering if I was missing something. “Okay,” I shrugged.

  We headed down the elevator to the basement, several levels below the parkade. I had only been here once, and under less than ideal circumstances. I was grateful Dermot was with me this time. I didn’t feel like I was breaking any rules seeing as it was his idea. Besides, it’s not like a strategy session could be dangerous, right?

  Wrong. As we walked down the long concrete hall toward the massive indoor training arena, I could see bright flashes through the door. We slipped inside, keeping to the wall as we watched the two men tossing spell after spell at each other. It looked a bit like a carefully choreographed dance, as they both dodged each other easily.

  I turned to Dermot. “Strategizing?”

  He chuckled quietly. “Jack is showin’ Connor what sort of spells Lahela will throw at ‘im, while Connor is tryin’ to come up with effective counterattacks.”

  “Shouldn’t they both be saving their energy?”

  “Usin’ magic doesn’t drain them like it drains you, Alex. They ‘ave ‘ad years of practice, remember? Besides, right now both of them be keepin’ the spells on such a low settin’, it’ll barely drain them at all.”

  I nodded, stepping back against the wall to watch. Even though I knew that this was a safe environment, it still made me a bit uncomfortable to observe.

  “Shouldn’t I be practicing, too?”

  “Nay,” he answered, never looking away from the mock battle. “They both worry that if you do too much now you’ll be no use to them tomorrow. Unfortunately, that means you will just ‘ave to wing it.”

  I sighed, understanding the weight of his words. I would have to struggle to keep control. I would will every power of my being into keeping from exhausting myself while I recharged the wizards.

  “What about you?”

  His looked at me confused. “What about me?”

  “Will you have enough power to keep going? Will I need to charge you up to?”

  He giggled his tinkling leprechaun laugh. “Nay, Alex. Like you said, I work by me instincts. On the same note, magic comes to me instinctually. I don’t run out, it’s just there.” He looked down at me. “But thanks for thinkin’ of me.”

  “Anytime,” I smiled, glad to hear his confidence in his magic. I made a mental note that one day, when I could fully embrace my abilities, I would emulate his conviction.

  I turned back to watch the constant array of fireballs, sparks, wind and mud fly through the air. Every spell that came from their hands was different. Connor’s fireball was extinguished by a blast of air less than a second after he cast it. Jack’s lightning bolt veered effortless around both sides of Connor as he held one casual hand up to deflect it. Connor rose a large boulder out of the soft dirt and it squealed through the air at Jack, who easily produced his own rock in defense. They collided halfway between them, sending a shattering crack echoing through the air.

  I ducked to avoid the rocky debris came scattering towards us, but it was unnecessary. Dermot flicked his hand once, and we were showered in sand.

  I laughed as I brushed off the mess, still unused to the supernatural reflexes of my leprechaun friend.

  Both of them turned in our direction. Jack’s jet of water seemed to hover in mid air as they paused to inspect their visitors. Clearly they hadn’t noticed our presence. I saw Connor’s brief flicker of worry disappear as Dermot waved him off.

  “She’s fine,” he said, waving them back to their fight. “I got ‘er.”

  Jack and Connor exchanged a glance, and I caught a brief exchange between them, but I couldn’t be sure what they said.

  “Now you’ve done it,” Dermot muttered cynically as the two men turned back to the center of the arena. A second later, and the gulf of w
ater was flying toward Connor. Just before it hit him, it turned to ice, and the whole thing shattered onto the ground like a long, frozen rope.

  “Now who’s done what?” I whispered as the two men resumed the battle, each with a wicked smile on their face.

  “Watch,” he said, patting my shoulder.

  I watched. Nothing seemed different, aside from the spells. They were flashier now. Instead of simple back and forth transactions, there were small pauses, while each crafted larger, more detailed spells. They seemed to be more determined to beat the other now.

  “They’re showing off,” I growled unhappily. “Boys are so stupid sometimes.”

  “Not just showing off,” Dermot added, “Proving.” He laughed. “Stupid elf doesn’t know who he’s messing with.”

  “Connor wouldn’t…”

  “Oh, of course not. He’s barely breaking a sweat. He’s not going to do anything to hurt our chances tomorrow, including giving the elf a lesson in humility. He’s just playing with him now. Look at their faces.”

  I could see Connor’s smiling face as he tossed several more spells into the air. His eyes sparkled, and I could tell this was easy for him. Jack’s face was creased, something that looked incredibly weird on his normally marble smooth features. He wasn’t losing, but he was definitely expending more energy to hold his own.

  “This is ridiculous,” I said, reflexively stepping forward to put a stop to it. Dermot’s arm trapped me before I could get in the way, but Connor caught my movement, and glanced in my direction, his eyes fierce. I knew he was telling me to stay back, and in hindsight, I knew I was foolish to try to get in the way in the first place.

  Taking advantage of Connor’s distraction, however, Jack flicked his hand, and another boulder whistled through the air, pummelling Connor in the chest and knocking him hard into the ground.

  Dermot’s arm was not strong enough to hold me as I bolted across the arena to Connor’s prone body.

  “NO!” I shouted, turning to Jack as I ran. His victorious smile faded as I screamed at him. “YOU- GET- IDIOT-” Every curse went unfinished.

  When I reached Connor seconds later, he was still unmoving on the ground. I fell to my knees in horror, not noticing as the cracked pieces of boulder disintegrated back into the soil. I was so upset, I didn’t even notice Connor as he propped himself up on his elbows, chuckling.

  “Well played, long ears,” I heard Connor say between chuckles.

  I turned to him and his laughter stopped abruptly as he saw my face. “Oh god, Alex,” he said, straightening up, “I’m fine.”

  “I see that now,” I gritted.

  I turned back to Jack, who was standing two feet away, surveying the scene with a thoughtful expression.

  “If you two ever pull anything like that again, I swear…” I trailed off, unsure of how my threat could ever be taken seriously. “I will sic Bob on you both,” I added.

  Dermot roared with laughter, both at me and at Jack’s confused expression. Connor rolled his eyes, but I stuck one long finger in his face. “I mean it,” I growled, turning on a heel to leave. I didn’t look back.

  I’m not really mad, I thought to myself, as I lay back on my bed five minutes later. If I really let myself admit it, I was flattered at the attention. I wasn’t the kind of person who had men fighting over me. Ever.

  But I had let it get out of hand. There were so many more important things right now than their petty squabbles. I didn’t want to be the cause for distractions.

  I thought about both men in detail for a long time, only stopping to sneak to the kitchen for to get dinner. Someone had just made spaghetti, and it was still slightly warm when I pulled it from the fridge. As I heated it up, I was glad that whoever it was that had cooked it had left. My mind was still in full debate mode, and not particularly up for conversation.

  I ate alone in my room. It was dark by the time I had finally reached a decision.

  I couldn’t string Jack along anymore. As much as I wanted to give him the chance he deserved, I couldn’t. He and I were from different worlds, and I would always be an amusement to him, his unique little toy. There was no doubt in my mind that he had feelings for me, but as much as I tried, I couldn’t feel anything more than friendship towards him. I was surprised at myself when I realized how deep the friendship felt. We had shared some unusual circumstances in the short time since we met, and on some level, I think that bound us in a way completely different than my friendship with Maria. Nonetheless, I knew it could never be more than that.

  Unfortunately, I had hoped by deciding against one of them, I would be certain about the other. I just wasn’t sure I could jump back into Connor’s arms easily. I still loved him, an emotion that physically hurt me to think about breaking. Deep down, I was terrified of losing him, but also, as evident today, I was a distraction. What if tomorrow, I tripped or something, and his automatic protective response got him hurt? I don’t think I could handle living with that.

  A knock interrupted my thoughts. “Come in,” I called, still uncertain of my decisions.

  It was Connor, of course, right on cue. I shook my head as he closed the door gently behind him. He had his jacket on.

  “I just wanted to let you know, Dermot and I are going back to the house tonight. We both want to get a few things for tomorrow…” his voice trailed off slightly at the end, and I sensed there was an invitation behind his words.

  I played dumb. “Okay. I guess I’ll see you tomorrow morning?”

  He tried to hide the disappointment, but was unsuccessful. I felt a new wave of guilt wash over me as I realized I did want to go with him, but that I had something else I needed to do tonight which would be easier with him gone. “Yeah,” he mumbled, looking down.

  “Connor?” I said quietly. He looked up to meet my gaze. “I need you to promise me something.”

  His response was a whisper. “Anything.”

  I sighed. Of course he would say that. “Tomorrow, you need to promise me to stay focused. You can’t let me distract you like it did today.”

  His face fell but he quickly composed it. “I’m not sure you will ever stop being a distraction to me.”

  I slid to the end of the bed, where he was still standing stoically. Taking both his hands in mine, I whispered weakly, “Promise.”

  He sighed, releasing one hand to touch my hair. I pressed my forehead against his chest to hide the two silent tears that trickled down my cheeks. Finally, he said, “I’ll try.”

  After another moment of silence he stepped away, though I could tell it was hard for him. In his face I saw the forced composure as he fought to give me the space I had argued for the day before. Even though I had asked for it, it felt painful to watch him as he walked away.

  I knew now that I had to talk to Jack. The only problem was, when? Part of me wanted to get it over with, but another part told me I should wait until after tomorrow, so that what I needed to say wouldn’t divert his focus. I decided to wait.

  Shortly after midnight, I made my way to Morgan’s office. Despite the darkness, I could easily make out each shadow as I walked. It wasn’t night vision by any means, but my stellar sight was definitely an asset in these conditions.

  Her office was unlocked, which I hadn’t expected. Furthermore, as I had reached for the doorknob, I could tell immediately that the old-fashioned iron key I held would not have worked in the modern lock.

  I tried to remember what Morgan had told me on the ferry as to where she kept her journal, but the thought was lost the second I saw the mounds of books scattered about her cluttered office. I had no choice but to turn on a light.

  Luckily, there was a small lamp on her desk. Despite the fact that no one was around, I still felt I needed to be stealthy, and I wanted to be as discreet as possible.

  The faint yellow glow of the bulb cast eerie shadows against the haphazard stacks of books. How was I ever going to find one journal in this mess? My eyes fell on a small trunk in the corner, and I re
membered the key in my hand. With renewed hope, I practically skipped over to the trunk, only to find that the key didn’t fit. Undeterred, I began trying the key in other boxes that were strewn about, though I remained unsuccessful.

  I was just about to give up, when a quiet cough made me jump.

  “You should try the desk,” Jack said from the doorway.

  “What are you doing here?” I snapped automatically.

  “Easy, Alex,” he said calmly, both hands raised in defense. I was on my way to talk to you when I saw you head up the elevator.

  “So you followed me?” I was less angry now, but still wary.

  He shrugged. “Try the desk,” he said again, pointing at the key in my hand.

  As soon as my eyes fell on one of the drawers, I knew the key would work. I slipped it into the lock and heard the faint click as the latch released.

  I looked back up at him, unsure of what emotion my face betrayed.

  Again, his hands went up. “None of my business,” he said calmly.

  The drawer slid open with a faint squeak as the ancient wood protested against itself. The only thing in the drawer was a thin, worn leather book. I knew immediately that this was exactly what I had been searching for.

  Morgan’s journal.

  As I tucked it under my arm and slid the drawer shut, I caught Jack raise an eyebrow. “None of my business,” he repeated again. I was grateful he didn’t want to ask questions.

  I turned off the lamp, and began to leave. “So what did you want to talk to me about?” As soon as I said it, I regretted it, and I held stiff in the darkness. I didn’t try to leave the office now, nor did he budge from his casual lean in the doorway.

  We were silent for a moment, and I wasn’t sure if it was because he could sense my tenseness or if he was thinking about how to answer. Finally, he sighed, and I saw him step in the room to gently close the door behind him. I contemplated turning the lamp back on, but I could still see his silhouette in the shadows, and I knew he could see me even more easily.

  Still, it surprised me when he took my hands.