by Jess Haines
“I wasn’t counting on someone like Viper taking an interest in you. I’d rather you be safe than risk another encounter with him.”
“Hey, would one of you like to clue me in on what’s happening here?” Xander asked. “What did I just step into?”
Cormac turned, eyeing Xander with a decided lack of enthusiasm. “He wasn’t after you. Thank you for your attempt at heroics. I’ll be taking it from here.”
Kimberly frowned at Cormac before answering Xander. “Thanks for your help. Let’s get moving, class is starting soon. I’ll fill you in on the details at lunch.” She started walking backwards, waving at Cormac. “And thank you, too! But I can’t go to Grand Central, that’ll take me way too long to get to work. Meet me on 81st?”
He nodded, so she gave him a thumbs up. Xander followed a bit more slowly, his mystified expression deepening as Cormac disappeared in the foot traffic behind them.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
The two magi didn’t have any classes together for the first half of the day. Kimberly did her best to keep away from Xander during the lunch hour, but she couldn’t avoid him when they continued their lab project in Professor Cohen’s Advanced Circles class. Xander waited until they both had their heads bent over the paper spread out on the table between them to start whispering his questions.
“What the heck was that about this morning? Who were those guys? What are they?”
The tip of Kimberly’s charcoal snapped off. Her gaze flicked up at him, then back down to focus on filling in the thick lines of the rune she was working on.
“You know as much as I do about Viper. Cormac is a friend, I think. Professor Reed has him helping me with some stuff after school.”
“Dragon hunting?”
Either some people were listening in, or he’d spoken louder than intended. Kimberly was positive half the eyes of the classroom were now focused on them. Her own whispered reply came out harsher than she intended.
“No.” She paused. “Okay, yes, sort of. It’s a long story.”
Xander’s palpable excitement was drawing the eye of Professor Cohen again. He was eyeing them over the horned rims of his glasses and leaning in their direction. Kimberly spoke up a little louder.
“What page had the picture of the transference rune again?”
Xander didn’t miss a beat. He used the back of his thumb to turn the pages of his copy so he wouldn’t smudge charcoal all over his textbook. “58. See, I knew that angle should have been like this.”
The professor lost interest, moving on to check on the progress of some other students. Kimberly let out the breath she’d been holding and pretended to be busy reading the fine print under the picture in the book.
“If you want to help me,” she muttered under her breath, “maybe you can do some research and see if you can figure out what Cormac is. He’s something magical, I just can’t figure out what. And I’m pretty sure he has ties to dragons.”
“That is so cool. Have you seen any yet?”
“No. Just some elves, a minotaur, and a couple other things last night.”
Xander’s jaw dropped, his eyes going wide as saucers. Then he realized he was drawing attention to himself again and quickly got back to etching one of the major elements into its place around the larger protection rune Kimberly was filling in.
The project they were working on was practice for their final exams. It was the basic binding pattern for the inner workings of the summoning circle they were supposed to use to call their familiars. This was their last practice run doing the pattern on paper. Next, they would etch it in spelling chalk on the specially built platforms in what was dubbed the summoning room; a chamber built specifically to keep out any outside interference and allow the student magi to safely summon their first familiars. The room was designed to keep any planar escapees trapped should the summoning circle or binding spell fail.
When the time came, Kimberly would need to use something similar, sans the calling symbols and items like clay and water for a planar creature to form a body to use. Whatever manner of familiar she convinced to step into her circle, it would be earthbound. She lacked the ability to call anything ephemeral to do her bidding. No, she would be convincing a living, breathing, flesh-and-blood elemental monster to step into her circle of its own free will—and to put that will in her hands.
One thing was certain. If she couldn’t find a dragon, Cormac was some flavor of earthbound Other. She wasn’t sure what, but he knew what kind of trouble she’d be in if she couldn’t find and convince a dragon in time. He was willing to help her search, and said he would protect her, so if things got down to the wire, maybe he’d be okay with becoming her familiar for a few days. Obviously he was something powerful, and that was all she needed to prove to the mage community that she was capable of protecting herself.
Even if she couldn’t find a dragon, as long as she had some kind of familiar, she could walk away with a diploma and maybe get her foot in the door of a decent coven with an internship if there were any openings. It wouldn’t be the same as walking into her dream job, of course. There was a chance she might have to suck it up and work for Don longer than she’d planned just to make ends meet until she met the requirements for a better position somewhere. She might even have to settle for a place in a smaller coven, or one out of state that needed someone with her skills. That would still be better than failing out of the academy at the end of the school year and seeing all her hopes and dreams slip through her fingers.
She only had one shot. There were no do overs when it came to final exams. You either passed, earning the diploma you needed in order to qualify for a license, or you didn’t, earning nothing but enough of an education to know better than to attempt to cast or sell your services as a mage without the proper licensing and paperwork. Her original plans to use illusion on her tests had all gone out the window, making it frightfully easy to fall into panic mode every time she thought about how little time she had left to meet the one major requirement she had no workaround for—finding a suitable familiar to bind.
Xander flicked a small hunk of charcoal at her hand, drawing her out of her momentary funk.
“You okay? Where’d you go just now?”
She gave him a thin smile. “Thinking about the future. We better get this right.”
They concentrated on their sketches. Near the end of the period, the professor swung by their table and checked their work.
“Good job. Looks like you’re almost done. You can both get started on your circles in the summoning room on Monday.”
“Thanks, professor,” Xander said.
“Have a good weekend, you two. Stay out of trouble.”
They managed to finish the drawing just in time, putting their charcoal down just as the bell rang.
Xander helped Kimberly put away her materials and hefted up her backpack for her, walking with her out of the classroom. “We still on for our study date tomorrow?”
She shrugged. “I’m not sure. Things are a little up in the air with this hunt.”
“Hey, don’t sweat it. What’s your cell number? I’ll call tonight, we can figure something out.”
That prompted a grimace. Things like cell phones and computers were luxuries she couldn’t afford. They didn’t even have a phone at the apartment. If she needed to do mundane research or type reports, she did it on the computers at the library.
She took her backpack back as they reached her last class for the day, not meeting his eyes.
Xander wouldn’t be following her inside; she was taking the optional high school equivalency and college admissions prep course. The student magi who didn’t need the class were either heading home for the day or heading to the library to check out whatever references they needed to cram over the weekend for their upcoming finals. Most didn’t bother; it was the “failsafe” course to ensure that any mage who couldn’t qualify for a job in a coven could still apply to mundane college to make something of themselves in the human wor
ld.
He chewed on his inner cheek, realizing too late what an awkward position he’d put Kimberly in and not sure how to pry his foot out of his mouth.
She gestured vaguely. “Maybe you can swing by my job for lunch tomorrow? I work at this café not far from here, Allegretto’s. I should know more then.”
“Oh, yeah, I know the place,” he said. “That’s perfect. I’ve got a family thing tonight, but tomorrow morning I can hit the books and see if I can find out something about that guy. I can also ask my parents. My dad works at the Great Neck Commune and my mom is a cop. If they don’t know anything, I’ll bet they can find out.”
“Hey, it’s not that urgent,” Kimberly protested. “Cormac hasn’t done anything wrong—”
“No, no, I just mean they might know what he is. I won’t have Mom bust down his door.” Xander grinned.
Kimberly gave him a wry grin in response, then a light punch on the shoulder. “Don’t scare me like that. The last thing I need is to freak him out and drive off my best lead for a familiar. Oh, and ask them if they know about an Other named Rieva, too. Or a Black Star Café.”
The first bell for the last period rang. Students were filing past Kimberly and Xander in a rush to get to their seats. Xander grabbed Kimberly’s arm as she turned away, holding her back.
“Before you go, it’s driving me crazy. Why are you looking for a dragon?”
“I can’t summon,” Kimberly admitted, pulling away as his grip loosened in surprise. “I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow, I promise. I’ll see you later!”
Kimberly headed into the classroom, taking one of the last empty seats near the back row.
“All right, everybody. Butts in the chairs, eyes on me. That means you, Tony. Let’s do a quick refresher on Social Studies, and then we’re hitting the science chapter again.”
Kimberly pulled out her book, groaning along with half the rest of the class. Arnold Moore was a high ranking mage on loan from The Circle to meet the coven’s tithing requirements for Blackhollow. He was a good teacher, but tough. Despite that, she liked him far better than the guy who had been running the class last semester.
Blackhollow was one of five magic academies in the U.S. While some magi might take on apprentices, there was no guarantee for the apprentice to find a place in a coven once they completed their training. Most major covens would not accept magi without formal training and a letter of recommendation from one of the established academies as too many apprenticed magi relied on dark arts and black enchants to get results. All covens for the areas falling under the purview of their academy paid tithes to guarantee the service of tenured professors, and housing and materials for students like Kimberly who couldn’t otherwise afford tuition.
In addition to paying tithes in terms of materials, the covens were also expected to send a representative or two for each semester to assist with tutoring, seminars in advanced classes, and prep for non-magical subjects like taking the tests for the high school equivalency. It helped offset the burden on the local covens from supplying all of the training and tenured professors, and gave every coven in the academy’s territory an equal shot at wooing potential future blood infusions into their ranks.
Arnold was something of an anomaly in the mage community. He had multiple college degrees, but worked in security for The Circle. Having spent a great deal of time in the mundane school system, he was uniquely suited to preparing the next generation of magi not only to take the tests for their high school equivalency, but how to blend with mundanes should they choose to pursue higher education. That experience combined with his job in security added to his eye for good potential prospects, and led to him being a natural choice for teaching the closing class for the last semester for that school year.
It had only been a little over a decade since the Twin Towers fell and Others announced their presence to the world. It might have started with the Moonwalker werewolf pack offering to help dig survivors out of the rubble of the Towers, but magi didn’t take long to follow in their footsteps. Some covens, such as The Circle, took advantage of the instant fame and global interest in their kind, selling magical services to anyone who could pay their fees. Many smaller ones might offer simple services to locals—charms and the like—but those magi had a tendency to do those services on the side while working “normal” jobs to blend and pay their bills.
Kimberly had high hopes, but she had known before the end of her first year that she would need to take the extra classes and to be prepared to fill out a plethora of paperwork for student loans. If things went the way she hoped, filing that paperwork would be unnecessary. If The Circle turned her down, or all she could get was an internship, she would still pursue a college degree. No matter what happened, she refused to be stuck working in diners and cafes, struggling to make ends meet, for the rest of her life.
She refused to follow in her mother’s footsteps.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Cormac was waiting for her on a bench near the Gate on 81st when she got out of class. This time he wore dark sunglasses and was dressed in a high-collared woolen frock coat, one leg slung casually over the other. She was just a teensy bit surprised to see he had foregone the usual cravat for a slightly less conspicuous white formal shirt with a point collar and dark tie threaded with gold. Despite how enormously frumpy she felt next to him in her jeans and plain T-shirt, she had to admit he cut a striking figure, with or without the odd suits.
He held out a coffee cup for her when she reached him, taking a sip from his own. She lifted it to check out the midnight blue logo, curious since it wasn’t instantly recognizable. Then suppressed a shiver when she spotted the text under the silhouette of a coffee cup with an eight-pointed star above it. Just like the neon sign she’d seen the other night.
The Black Star Café.
“I hope I put in the right amount of cream and sugar,” Cormac said.
“I’m sure it’s fine,” she responded faintly. She could swear power was radiating through the thin paper cup, sending a strange tingle up her arm. “Is this stuff safe? It made my vision funny last time and I barely slept a wink last night.”
He rose from his seat, falling into step beside her as they headed toward Allegretto’s. The sly smile he gave her was all too pleased. “Did it? Excellent, that means it’s working.”
She shot him a look, but he didn’t elaborate. They continued for a little over a block before Kimberly blew out a frustrated breath and turned her gaze heavenward.
“You’re driving me crazy.”
That drew a surprised glance from Cormac. “Am I?”
“Can you let me in? Just a little bit? Seriously, what is this stuff doing to me?”
He tapped the cup lid lightly with a fingertip, the hollow tap sending ripples of stronger tingles crawling up her arm.
“You said you had trouble with elemental magic. You’re drinking it in a distilled form. Since you’re not used to it, I’m sure it might feel a bit strange at first, but it should be helping wake up any dormant senses or abilities you might have.”
She pursed her lips, considering that. Then sighed again before taking a long pull from the coffee cup. If only she had heard about this stuff four years ago, back when she was first starting out as a Blackhollow student, she might have saved herself a great deal of grief and difficulty. Using her magic during most practical assignments in class had been like trying to force a square peg through a round hole. The only way around the endless frustration had been to make it look like she’d achieved the results of the spells using her illusions, leading to her little teacher-student conference with Professor Reed the other night.
As the strange, warm tingle seeped into her limbs, she examined the cup again, focusing on using her second sight. It was so full of fae water-based energy, ranging from robin’s egg around the edges, deepening to indigo and then midnight blue in the center, it was like holding a tiny, pulsing star in her hand.
Cute. The café name made a bit more sens
e.
“I guess I owe you another thank you,” Kimberly said, tipping the cup at him in salute.
He nodded in reply. If she hadn’t been so close, she might not have noticed that his gaze kept flicking around behind those sunglasses, searching for something. Or that his own aura was sparking today, so bright and hazy with power that it was too blinding to look at directly. Different from last night. It looked more like that of a mage this time. Albeit, one who outclassed every mage in terms of raw power that Kimberly had ever encountered.
She looked away, and was immediately overwhelmed by a bewildering array of magical auras on the street around them. Oh, they were still outnumbered by mundanes. But there were nearly a dozen magical creatures on the street around them, more hazy outlines visible through the walls of the surrounding buildings, and even one strange, big shape on the rooftop of a brownstone across the street.
She shook her head and dispelled the Sight, not wanting to see every passing Other for what they were. Not to mention lingering enchantments and the swirling, multihued ley lines all around them. In the middle of a major city like this, the Sight was as dizzying as a kaleidoscope when one was standing perfectly still. Trying to See while walking was giving her a headache.
That stuff in the coffee seemed to be making her Sight stronger than she remembered, too. Better to focus on something a little less likely to give her a raging case of vertigo.
“Any chance I can get you to spill what you are yet? You know I’m going to find out eventually.”
That sly smile of his faded. “Someone who went through a rough patch, somewhat like you. I admire your talent, your bravery, and your perseverance. If you believe nothing else, trust that I am doing what I can to help you.”
“I don’t doubt that,” she said. “What I’m worried about are how all the things I don’t know might come back to bite me on the ass. Like this morning. Who was that guy? Viper?”
Cormac tossed his empty coffee cup into a trash can as they passed, then put a hand on her arm to stop her. He tugged her body flush against his as he leaned against the brick façade of the brownstone on their left, leaving her gasping and dropping her drink to grip the lapels of his coat to steady herself. This close, she couldn’t help but notice how warm he was, and some kind of exotic, spicy scent on his skin. It wasn’t the incense from his shop, though there was some hint of it clinging to his clothes. Whatever it might be, like his aura, Kimberly had never encountered anything quite like it before.