Balance - Book 2
Page 12
CHAPTER 5
Later that night I sat at my desk, a textbook titled ‘Modern Magical Laws in Detail’ open, and cup of coffee close at hand. The book listed magical laws in an endless catalogue that extended from cover to cover, rather thin on the ‘in Detail’ part of the title. Regardless, I set about committing the bullet form listed items to memory.
Some of the other textbooks included ‘Enforcer Etiquette and Proper Procedure’, ‘Department of Magic Chain of Command’ and ‘The Schools of Magic and Sub-Divisions’. Each was a similar compilation of lists that extended from prologue to epilogue.
It was then, as the clock started ticking toward the morning hours, and I struggled to process the logic behind restricting the mental manipulation of dental patients for the purpose of numbing pain, some countries, not all, that I had my first inclination I could fail my Basics. Benny’s plan B began to seem seductively alluring. Delaney, however, seemed less likely to disappear if I threw enough money at him.
The interruption came at about 1AM. I would like to say I could have studied relentlessly until the early hours, but frankly any reason to step away from the book was a glorious relief.
The buzzing in my head sounded.
‘Danger,’ my Spirit told me, ‘danger!’
My eyes turned to the door; the buzzing intensified.
Selena? If she had actively sought us out her intentions being positive seemed slim. Besides which, having seen her in physical conflict with Benny, regardless of my Spirit Level, my only hope was getting assistance before she turned me into a bloody stain on the carpet.
Then I heard the giggle.
Tee hee hee…
A pleasant female giggle, that of a young girl. Something you would expect to hear on a school playground.
I relaxed, stood, and stepped through into the adjoining sitting room.
“Where are you?” I called out. “Don’t hide from me, Bethany, you know the rules.”
The apartment was silent, bar the hum of the refrigerator emanating from beyond the sitting room.
Tee hee hee…
There was movement and I focused on it.
“Oh, there you are.”
I had heard mutters around the Academy that Benny had drawn a lucky card when it came to demons. And it was true, hair ribbons and old fashioned buckled shoes did not sound like a terrifying demon. But as she stood now, motionless body partially illuminated by ambient city light, I could confirm Bethany’s unnatural face did not inspire calm. She stared at me, rooted in the centre of the living room.
I fell into my Place of Calm.
“Good to see you,” I said, “Back again, are we?”
She said nothing. Response was offered by the absurdly large smile creeping wider, extended beyond her face in some bizarre imitation of abstract art. She came shuffling forward.
“Hey. Hey! You stop that,’” I cried out, skin crawling, “Stop there, Bethany! Stay away from me.”
She stopped.
Then a high pitched shriek from Benny’s room shattered the silence. His bedroom door flew open and a partially dressed female figure stumbled out. A pair of terrified eyes and set of bare breasts was visible in the gloom.
“Oh my God!” Her voice squawked.
Brenda the redheaded Cadet. She would be the third I had seen exiting the apartment in similar compromising circumstances.
“Try finding your Place of Calm,” I told her.
The girl spun, teeth clenched and body shaking. She opened her mouth to respond but spotted Bethany. The intended words turned into another piercing shriek. She turned and fled, hands planted over breasts and clothes dangling from under an arm.
Bethany turned to me and raised her shoulders in a tiny shrug.
“Yes, well done,” I muttered.
Benny stumbled through the bedroom door next, shirt half buttoned and belt unbuckled.
“That’s fifty you owe me,” I said.
He turned and his face fell into the ambient light, gaze unfocused. For a moment it seemed he was struggling to recognise me.
“You okay?” I prompted.
He did not respond.
“Benny? You okay?”
His eyes moved to the demon.
“Get the hell out of here,” he growled at it.
Bethany shook her head defiantly.
“I said get out of here!”
Again, she shook her head.
He squared his shoulders, took a deep breath, and fixed the creature with a determined glare. “Be gone.”
At last she faded away.
There was a pause. The silence of the apartment pressed in. He cleared his throat, unable to meet my eyes.
“I think…” he started, but trailed off.
“What is it?”
Finally he settled for producing a strained grin. “I guess I owe you fifty.”
“I guess so.”
He took a few steps and fell into a couch, absently buckling his pants. I took the couch across from him.
“At least any neighbours sticking their heads out will have something decent to gossip about,” I said.
“What?”
“Brenda. She ran out of here buck-naked.”
“Oh.” He grinned again. This one was more convincing.
“Look, Benny,” I began “Maybe it’s time, you know? Sooner or later one of these girls is going to report it.”
“I thought…”
“I know you did. But you really don’t.” I gestured to Brenda’s exit door. “She’ll testify to that. They’re going to suspend you, Benny. We both know you have to nip this in the bud before it gets out of hand. Shit, it’s already out of hand.”
He opened his mouth but eyes were now drifting to a place over my shoulder. His expression transformed into a gape of horror.
“What?”
I turned, aware that the buzzing had cranked back up. Behind the couch stood Brent Kingston.