William stood at her side and a brief flame flared in his eyes from excitement. “I can’t believe you wanted to bake right after getting back. You cooked the entire time during break.”
His stomach rumbled in anticipation, even though they’d not even mixed any ingredients.
“What am I supposed to do—wait?” Evie scoffed playfully. “Why not dive right in? Raine’s in the library. Sara’s painting and you’re here with me.” She winked. “Baking is life.”
Tori flew past with a couple of other pixies. The head kitchen pixie folded her arms and flew from ingredient to ingredient. She nodded her tiny head at a small yellow glass vial at the edge of the ingredients.
“What’s that?” Tori asked.
“Oh, a little experiment.” Evie patted the vial. “I’ve added a touch of sense blend to the vanilla extract and the raspberry sauce. I’m not sure how well it’ll mix with the other ingredients, so I didn’t want to go crazy.”
“I’m interested to see how it turns out.”
“Sense blend?” William frowned, uncomfortable because he had no idea what she was talking about.
“It mixes your senses together, so you can hear tastes or smell textures. And taste colors, too. Aunt Beth suggested it.” Evie bounced, her face alight with excitement. “I tried it on a pie, and it was incredible. It makes baking into a whole other thing.”
The half-Ifrit responded with a look of complete befuddlement. “Why would I want to hear tastes?”
“Because it’ll make the cake an experience.” Evie made air quotes around the last word.
“An experience?” His befuddlement turned to wariness.
“You’ll see.” She clapped. “You’ll love it. I promise.”
“Well, since you promise…”
The pixies whispered amongst themselves with interest and excitement. Tori gave her nod of approval before she flew away to inspect a souffle in an oven across the room.
William picked up an odd ingredient that resembled a prickly green octopus complete with a beak but no eyes. He turned it over a few times but still had no clue what it was. “Is this fried octopus or something?”
Evie laughed. “No. It’s a fruit from Oriceran. I can’t pronounce the name without using magic to make a few more mouths.”
“Let’s call it octofruit, then.”
“Fine. Octofruit it is. Aunt Beth got some for me as a Christmas present. It’s not magic, but the flavor slowly changes the longer you have it in your mouth. It’s great for baking, and it lasts forever even without a refrigerator.”
The boy poked at it, half-convinced it’d come to life and try to bite him. “I bet we taste pretty good to this when it’s alive.”
“It’s only a fruit.” Evie rolled her eyes before a thoughtful look settled in. “Oh. I get it. Don’t worry. It’s not one of the Oriceran hunting fruits.”
“If it bites me, I’ll burn it.” William summoned a small flame in one palm and pointed at the fruit with his other hand.
“It’ll end up in the oven anyway, silly. I’ll burn it.” She gestured to a silver mixing bowl. “Now, hand me that so we can get started.”
A few hours later when the cake was ready and had cooled, Evie cut a slice of the light-green confection and put it on a small plate. The sides of the slice were a pale red, exactly the color she wanted even if William remained skeptical that the octofruit cake would truly be delicious, even with vanilla and raspberry added.
“I’ll let you have the first slice.” She handed him the plate.
He took the plate and studied it from several angles. “Do I have to eat it a particular way? Or use magic?”
“Eat it like you normally would. It’s only cake with a touch of magic.”
“And octofruit. Don’t forget that.”
“Try it, William. It’ll blow your mind.” Evie smiled and nodded to the cake.
The half-Ifrit took a deep breath and grabbed his fork. Evie was as good at baking as she was at potions, but the sense-blend octofruit cake still made his stomach flutter. Learning more magic at the school had helped to prepare him for many strange situations, but he’d been spared from having to eat too many weird things.
He cut through the moist slice with his fork and lifted it to his mouth. No matter what, he would pretend to like it. There was no way he’d hurt her feelings, not with how happy she made him. He wanted to do nothing more than return that happiness. A little sacrifice of his taste buds would be a small price to pay.
The first bite went into William’s mouth and he chewed, not sure what to expect. He almost choked in surprise.
Complex layers of flavor played across his tongue, sweetness counterbalanced by the perfectly restrained touch of acidity. His eyes widened as the flavors shifted with subtlety and soft music sounded in his ears, quick notes that fit the sweet flavors and sharp, low notes for the tangy ones, a symphony in his ears. The melody only enhanced the harmony of the flavors in his mouth.
He continued to chew and different smells joined the sweet scent of the cake—a hint of cinnamon for a second, then cardamom. Each bite seemed to bring some new spice, but none that clashed with the other flavors.
The young half-Ifrit lifted his plate and forked another piece into his mouth, eager for even more of the delicious sensory explosion. He polished off the slice, wiped his mouth, and regretted the mistake of finishing it off so quickly when he should have savored it.
“I think that’s the single best piece of cake I’ve ever had.”
Evie winked. “Told you.” She cut another slice. “Do you want some more?”
William wiped a smudge of drool off his mouth. “Yes, please.”
Chapter Five
Mara sat at the modest table in Bruce’s cottage. She could have had him come to her office, but talking to him in his own home, however temporary, was a good way to set him at ease. While she didn’t distrust the man, they’d not forged as close a relationship as they might have in his time at the school, even if he’d been helpful during some of the incidents during the last couple of semesters. It was time to change that for multiple reasons.
Bruce held a mug up and steam rose from it. “Coffee, Mara?”
“No, I’m fine. I already had tea before I came over.”
He inhaled and enjoyed the rich, complex aroma before he crossed the room to sit beside the headmistress. “I have to admit, I’m glad to be back, but it’s a little strange. I’m still not sure if the students accept me completely yet.”
Mara nodded politely. “It’s not unexpected. They’re used to going to other magicals if they have a problem, and not all of them are even Americans. They might not trust the FBI, even if they think you’re personally approachable.”
“I understand that most of these kids won’t go anywhere near government service, but things are changing. The old restrictions—even in knowledge about magicals—have been peeled away, and the old politicians running things seem to be better able to accept reality. Witches and wizards won’t simply be shoved into the PDA anymore. The world has changed in a big way, and the US government’s finally catching up. It merely took them a few decades.” Bruce gestured grandly around his cottage. “Places like this school have helped them figure that out.”
“Is this about Raine? I’ve not heard anything that might suggest she will choose a different career path than FBI agent. I imagine her family connection would all but assure that.”
Bruce set his mug down. “This is partially about her, but not only her. I need to do something besides sit around my cottage or run errands or compile occasional lists of suspects for you. Yes, I’m here to keep an eye on Raine, but I’m also here to be a resource. I assume, at the minimum, that you don’t have a problem if I’m more proactive with Raine?”
“Not at all. A little more direct guidance might be helpful to encourage her to come directly to you or me in the event that something happens.” Mara chuckled quietly. Both were amused and worried by the girl and her friends’ ha
bit of ending up in trouble.
“That stubbornness and focus will serve her well once she’s an agent, but I agree, it’s a pain in the ass right now.” Bruce didn’t mention how similar the girl was to her father. “I wanted to focus more on direct training—things to get her more used to the FBI mindset and investigation.”
Mara’s mouth quirked into a mischievous smile. “Raine seems to have already mastered a fair amount of investigation.”
“Exactly. And that’s what I want to encourage.” He lifted the mug for a large gulp before he set it back down. “I think she could benefit from it, but I also think other students can benefit from it.”
“I can’t mandate that they go to an FBI agent for training.”
“I’m not saying that. But it wouldn’t hurt to make them aware of it on a regular basis. I’ll do more guest lectures. You also have a channel to these kids, which I don’t.” His gaze flicked to his window. The cottage was so tranquil, it almost made him forget how many incidents had occurred. “I also want to be kept in the loop early, when problems actually arise. I know you’ve reached out to me, but I still feel like I have to catch up a lot of the time.”
“It’s funny you should say that.” Mara’s smile slid away. “That’s actually what I came here to talk to you about.”
“Oh? Being kept in the loop?” Bruce narrowed his eyes slightly. “Okay, I get it now. What’s the bad news?”
She arched a brow, impressed by how easily he read the situation. It was sometimes hard not to underestimate a non-magical who didn’t always have a chance to demonstrate his skills. “It’s not necessarily bad news. Merely something that complicates matters, and it pertains directly to both of us.”
“Complicates as in dark wizards wandering the grounds?” Bruce gave her a piercing stare, one honed from countless investigations. “Or complicates as in magical cultists like the Raven Clan?”
“I’ve received a message,” the headmistress explained and folded one hand over the other on the table. “The summary version is that the PDA is dissatisfied with the situation here.”
“Why?” His face betrayed nothing of what he thought to the headmistress. “Because Gunnar managed to penetrate the school? I would have thought they’d be more upset about what happened a couple of years back.”
Mara kept her face calm, even if some of the dark wizard betrayals of the past still stung. “Yes, some of their concern is about security, given continuing incidents, but that’s actually not their main concern. Their main problem is less…magical in nature.”
“Meaning?”
She lifted her hand to point at him. “You.”
“Me?” He pointed at himself.
“Yes, you. It was expressed to me that they are dissatisfied with the fact that the government’s official representative at the school is a non-magical FBI agent, and there’s been talk of sending a PDA agent here as well.”
Bruce didn’t bother to stifle his laughter. “I’ve expected this and honestly, I’m surprised it took them so long.”
“You have?”
“Yes. It’s a government-sponsored school, for one thing, so more oversight—even with all your impressive staff—is almost inevitable.” He looked down for a moment and allowed some irritation to slip onto his face. “But it’s like you said. It’s not about magic or lack of magic. It’s about bureaucracy and turf wars. The FBI has a special relationship with the Campbell family, and they know that, which is why I’ve been able to pull strings with Raine.”
The headmistress nodded in silence, which encouraged him to continue.
“But she’s merely another witch to the PDA,” Bruce said, raised his head, and frowned. “Another cog. It’s harder with the CIA, NSA, and NRO to muscle in and demand more of a presence because of all the high-level national security matters involved for almost everything, but the FBI? Well, we’re law enforcement, not intelligence, and the PDA is some unholy mix of intelligence, law enforcement, and paramilitary. For the FBI to have a witch is a big deal, and it’ll change the balance of bureaucratic power in a big way. They don’t like that.”
“Should you really tell me this?”
“This isn’t exactly a national secret, and we both need to trust each other more if we work together more closely. I understand the unique challenges of a place like this. I get that sometimes, you have to play a little fast and loose as the situation can be…fluid.”
“That’s one way to put it.” Mara locked gazes with him. Bruce had been good for the school and for Raine, but it was important that she remind him of who was in charge and that she didn’t regret her decisions as the headmistress.
He picked his cup up and frowned. It was empty. “I think we’re both on the same wavelength here, and let’s face it, the PDA is an agency that, in its earlier form, was more focused on helping to hide magic than anything else. Bureaucratic inertia’s a monster that even the most powerful magic has trouble with. My concern is to make sure Raine and anyone else who cares to serve is comfortable with the idea of being a magical in federal service, not about overreacting to magical threats that will ultimately be contained.”
“I’m glad to hear that, Bruce.”
She nodded as she considered what he’d said. “And what about the PDA agent?”
“What about them?” Bruce shrugged. “I don’t want them here and I don’t have the kind of pull necessary to stop them, but I will guarantee this. If the PDA does send an agent here, there’s no way they’ll replace me, only supplement me. The PDA doesn’t have any more authority over the FBI than we do them.”
“This isn’t a done deal,” Mara replied. “They’ve requested my opinion, and I intend to give them a polite but strong indication of my dislike of the idea before they promptly ignore me and send one anyway.”
Bruce grabbed his mug and headed for the kitchen. “We have some time, I suspect. I wouldn’t be surprised if they wait until the next school year. If they want to get a true feel for things, they’ll want context from the beginning. And in the end, it’s one agent, and I think that agent will end up overwhelmed.”
He set his mug in the sink.
“Overwhelmed?” Mara asked, curiosity in her tone and even a hint of surprise. She didn’t understand why a wizard would have trouble at a magic school.
Bruce made his way back to the table. “You’ve been in your magic castle too long, Mara. Having the gates open and elves on TV isn’t the same thing as magic being common. PDA wizards and witches are used to being able to intimidate people as both magicals and government agents, but here, they won’t be able to scare the staff so easily. I think it might be a shock to their system.”
“And what about you? Was it a shock to yours?”
“A non-magical FBI agent who stays at a school run by witches, wizards, and gnomes knows what’s he’s getting into.” He adjusted his tie and retook his seat. “But we might get lucky, and if they do send someone, they might be reasonable.”
Mara stared out the window and thought about Gunnar’s unleashing of the black dogs. “I sometimes question how much luck this school has left.”
Chapter Six
Adrien stood in a line beside Etienne, Cody, and Daniel on the practice field. Three other students stood behind them, all freshmen who had been too overwhelmed with adjusting to school to join the team in the first semester. Even if they wouldn’t be able to play for the rest of the season, the infusion of new blood was welcome and needed.
None of the Louper enchantments were active, which left the students in a field of unassuming grass surrounded by empty stands rather than any of the elaborate environments they’d experienced throughout their games during the last few semesters.
Matt walked back and forth, a smile on his face. “Let’s all give a big welcome to Hilda, Jackson, and Carlos.”
The veteran players all turned to greet the newbies. The tall and lanky Hilda smiled back, while the stocky boys only nodded, more concerned with looking cool than making friends.
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“No matter how much we beg and plead,” Matt continued, “Headmistress Berens will still force Etienne and me to leave this school when we graduate.”
Everyone laughed at the joke.
“So I’m glad that our new players will give us the roster strength we need going forward.” He gestured to the gathered team. “Since I’ll be gone, we’ll also need a new team captain.”
Adrien looked at Cody and Daniel. As the oldest players with the most experience who would remain next year, it made sense that one of them would be chosen as the new captain. They might lack the fire he would have liked, but they were still the logical choices.
“Who will be captain?” Adrien kept his focus on the inseparable duo. “Or will we vote?”
Matt straightened, a huge grin on his face. “Obviously the new players just got here, but the rest of you trust me and my judgment, right?”
Adrien, Cody, and Daniel all nodded.
“Then we don’t need a vote. I’ll decide. Agreed?”
Again, the other players all nodded, but this time, they also added a shrug. None of them had any problem with his suggestion. All of them might believe they could do the job, but their egos remained firmly in check.
The shifter captain whipped an arm up and pointed, not at Cody or Daniel but at Adrien.
The elf stared at Matt before he grasped that the captain now pointed at him.
“Me?” He frowned as he wondered if the whole thing was some sort of joke, but Etienne’s serious expression and nod at Matt suggested it wasn’t.
“Yep,” the captain said, and his grin grew even wider. “Unless you don’t want the job.”
Adrien stepped forward and lifted his chin with pride. “I’m honored to accept the position.”
Cody and Daniel both clapped and cheered. The others joined in, and subdued pride wormed its way onto Etienne’s face.
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