by Mel Todd
"I don't know the basics, but I figure focusing on what’s going on with these murders is the important part. I think I'm here because I decked him and it pissed him off."
"You decked Steven Alixant? I mean, really? With your fists?" Her eyes widened and I couldn't tell if her astonishment was horror, or amusement, or shock.
"He tried to stop me from helping someone. Besides, it’s not like I knew who he was then. Or now, for that matter. I mean, he's a merlin doing his draft service."
Her mouth opened, paused, then she snapped it shut and shook her head. "That is one conversation that needs drinks, and no listening ears. Back to ritual magic." She paused as she brought something up on her computer, but I got the feeling she was more trying to organize her thoughts than anything else.
After a minute she nodded and brought up the image of the first girl, Jane. I didn't cringe, though it took me a moment to recognize her. Lying flat and nude, the wounds on her chest were visible. There were things I hadn't seen when I found her. The eyes, peeled-away face, and her missing heart had taken all of my attention. While there was still a gaping hole right below her sternum, this time I could see the cuts her clothes had covered.
"He dressed her after she was dead?"
"Yes, but almost immediately after. I think he is an Air mage and is creating illusions, so no one sees him as he is working. Then he drops it and walks away. I think, and this is all supposition, the heart and eyes were the offering—"
I cut her off, eyes wide. "Wait, you can do offerings of other people?"
She ducked her head. "Bad choice of words. Let's say it was what the unsub thought would be a good gift or something for whomever he was trying to summon. But that is what doesn't make any sense."
"Wait, back up. I'm lost." I hated to admit that but at this point I was confused and felt like I was missing pieces. Okay, I knew I was missing pieces, but none of this made sense.
"I'll explain. Starting at the beginning might be good for all of us." Alixant's voice interrupted and I looked at him. I'd been unaware he was following our conversation. But rather than looking at me, he put the picture of Jane and the park up on the display.
"You found the body on July 24th, but they suspect she was killed at least twenty-four hours earlier. Forensics examined the scene and found no markings outside the ones drawn on the tree. After taking the body to the morgue and doing an examination, the following was discovered." He clicked and the picture zoomed in to focus on the cuts on her stomach. "The drawing of the chaos symbol was done while she was alive and breathing, the blood tells us that, but there were no indications of struggle or pulling away. She is currently being checked for the same brain damage as found in the Olympic park victims. The eyes were taken next and then the heart. There is no information as to what the heart or the eyes could be used for but there was no trace of them found at the scene. At that time the police considered it a simple murder and the prevalent theory was that the symbols and posing of the body were to cover up some sort of mugging gone wrong or domestic dispute."
I gave him a look at that, but he ignored it. Detective Stone had not made it seem like that. He made it seem as if something had gone on with her death.
"I got Fran out to the park after the Olympic deaths and she verified some magic was done there but the traces were too subtle for her to track. With the running water and the number of people over that area, most traces were obliterated."
"Can't you just not leave traces? Or not use magic?" I felt stupid for asking but as that ball had showed, it was easy enough to kill something with brute force and malice.
"The entire point is magic, they are doing a ritual," Siab piped in and I wanted to scream. None of this made any sense. Why in the world was I here?
"Which means what? What is ritual magic? I mean, I've seen a movie or two, but they always show it as a way to channel and amplify or maybe summon something. I don't know what is or isn't real."
"God, you watched the Ritual Witch series, didn't you?" Niall sounded totally dismissive. "That was just young adult drivel. It wasn't worth the time to watch it."
"I was a young adult when it came out. The young woman was caught between a merlin and a non-magical, unsure if she would emerge, and she had to decide whom to love. It was amusing. And the special effects were incredible." It came out as a protest, almost a plea, to understand and I growled at myself silently.
Why in the world am I justifying a movie and book series I loved a few years ago? Not like it didn't make billions, so I wasn't the only one that watched it.
Alixant huffed in annoyance but responded. "Yes, you can use ritual to amplify some spells, but it takes time to set up and the effectiveness is debatable. Some herbies use them to intensify the remedies they use. And I know of one merlin who uses it for his planar research. But most people find it too much effort as what works for one person won't work for another. While summoning something from the other planes is possible, the only successful ones I've heard of have summoned familiars and without fail, the appearing creature never went to the summoner. Meaning that hasn't been popular for a few decades. Movies notwithstanding, there are no documented successes of summoning demons or angels from the other planes."
"Are there demons or angels?" I asked. Everyone just shrugged, which didn't make me feel any better. "So if familiars won't choose you, why or what are they summoning?"
"That’s what we need to figure out and stop them before they succeed. It looks like they are playing, and since ritual magic is so much about intent, what they could do worries me." Alixant threw a pen down and stare at the wall with the images providing their own sort of demand.
I sat back and looked at them and it finally clicked. Alixant had grabbed me because he didn't have a clue. No idea who or why, and he felt there was something about me being a Spirit merlin that might give him the edge they needed. I still thought there were at least two murders we didn't know about. None of this made sense, but that didn't mean anything. I'd studied how to heal people, not why people hurt others. Just because I'd been pretty good with the Rockway police didn't mean I had even the slightest clue what I was doing.
"Why do you think I can help? What is it about me being a Spirit merlin that has you excited?" The blunt question felt like I'd just announced we only had decaf coffee left.
All the agents turned to look at Alixant, the same question obvious on their faces.
He groaned. "Why can't I just get people that do their job and don't ask questions? Or throw fits with their magic?" He gave the cuff of his shredded shirt a morose look.
"Because you'd rather get the job done right than deal with yes agents?" Siab said, leaning forward to watch him, her tiny frame dwarfed by the table and office chair. From the side view the many braids she had caught my attention, and I wondered if I could do that. If my hair started to grow that was.
"Yes agents—I should be so lucky." He rubbed at his face, then turned to me. I itched for a notebook or something. Since I didn't have one, I leaned back and paid very close attention. "For reasons we don't understand, Spirit mages have an affinity to Planar rips. We believe it is these rips that allowed magic to seep into our world. I'm sure you know the history, so I'm not going over that. But merlins seem to be able to control or even heal these rips, if they can get to them in time. I rather wish you were strong in Soul, because that class has the best chance to deal with them, but pale is better than nothing. If I can get you near a rip and you believe you have magic, there's a chance you might sense where the rip leads and maybe heal it. Hopefully, before anything bad comes out."
I choked on a laugh. "You want me to heal something I've never heard of? With magic I've never used? And figure out how to do it with no training and no idea what it might cost?"
He leveled dead gray eyes on me. "Yes. Or all of Atlanta might pay the price."
Chapter 21
Remember, a well-educated mage is a long-lived mage. Get your degree and survive to see your grandchi
ldren. ~ OMO Slogan.
Nothing else was accomplished the rest of the afternoon and I escaped by three. There wasn't much I could do, and I didn't know anything to help and not just ask annoying questions. Refusing Siab's offer to drive me home, I walked to the bus stop, lost in thought.
I couldn't deny I was a mage, though I now understood why Shay wore hats all the time. The looks on the bus weren't as bad this time but I sensed more hoodies in my future.
Settling in, I stewed all the way home. This was a waste of my time and energy. Sure, if they had something happen, I'd help, but until college started, and I still needed to apply and everything, I'd work at Ruby. There at least, I could be useful. If my coworkers would even accept me back. That worry scraped across raw edges, but even if they didn't talk to me, I'd be able to help people. At least for a while.
By the time I got to my stop, I almost felt calm. Climbing up the stairs, I opened the door to the apartment and smiled as the welcoming smell of con carne wrapped around me. I walked in, dropped my bag on the table, and smiled into the kitchen.
"You're spoiling us, Tia."
Marisol beamed at that moniker, but then she looked at me and her smile took on a sly edge. "Welcome back, Cori. And since you are no longer a walking disaster personified, you can come help."
I hesitated. A lifetime of learning that anything I did in the kitchen was a recipe for disaster made me overthink, but it had been a full day since anything had happened. That struck me then. I'd been in that office with all those computers and nothing had fritzed or gone haywire. Well, outside of my attack on Alixant. I couldn't even lie to myself that it hadn’t been an attack.
"I'd like that." Five minutes later, hands washed and my stuff put away, I was in there helping. I'd always loved the magical science of cooking but for the first time that I could remember, nothing went wrong as I helped. We had con carne, refried beans, tortillas and her secret rice, though we all knew the secret: saffron, cilantro, peppers, and just enough orange juice to make it sing.
We had everything mostly done when it dawned on me this was Saturday. Not a weekday. "Where's Jo?"
"Oh, I sent her on an errand. She should be back soon. Help me set the table."
Her voice was too light, too casual, but I had no illusions I'd be able to pry anything out of her, so I dropped it, content to wait. With Marisol here the table was getting a workout, even if the three of us were crowded using it.
"You do know it’s driving me crazy not to ask about your day," she said while she filled water glasses.
"I had wondered, but honestly there is not much to tell other than me asking stupid questions. I really think I'm there just because I pissed people off so much."
"Are you going to stay?" Her tone was too casual, and I frowned.
"I have a choice?"
"Of course. Granted someone else has to lobby for you, but you aren't ever required to take the first government agency that offers you a job. Think of it like getting your degree and getting job offers. It is up to you." She shrugged. "While this man may have immediate precedence due to the deaths, you still have a degree to complete before you really need to worry about that."
I opened my mouth but the door opened, and Jo came sailing in, all bounce and joy. More joy than I'd seen a while. Once again that niggle of worry ate at me, but I couldn't place it.
"Did you get everything?" Marisol asked and headed over to her daughter.
"Of course." Jo handed her a bag.
"Excellent. Come on Cori. Sit. Jo, go clean up."
"Mami, I'm not exactly dirty. I went to the store, not the shop." Jo said, her tone amused.
Marisol shook her head. "Sorry, habit. You're usually covered with grease and other stuff when it is dinner time. Then wash your hands and sit down."
Jo was already at the sink, still snickering. Marisol flushed a bit but waved me to my chair. "Sit, both of you."
I did, but I had no idea what was going on. They were both grinning and almost giddy, so I wasn't worried, just wary. Jo in that good of a mood often spelled mischief.
They both settled down, and Marisol handed me two items. One, a set of three books wrapped in brown paper and a ribbon, the other just looked like a card.
"What? Why?" I just stared at them until Jo shoved them into my hands.
"Your emergence gift, silly."
"But, I, I mean—"
"Cori, I couldn't get you what I wanted as this wasn't something we'd planned for, but we love you and you deserve an emergence gift as much as anyone does."
I wanted to protest, but all I could do was hold them fiercely to myself.
"Open them. Maybe they aren't quite as cool as a new motorcycle, but I don't think you would have enjoyed that gift, much less getting it up and running," Jo teased, nudging me with her hip as she started dishing food on all our plates.
I moved over to the side, paranoid about getting food on the books. My hands shook and I didn't know if they shook from excitement or nerves. I opened the envelope first. I pulled out the card and the piece of paper in it. It took me a full minute to try and understand what I saw.
"A certificate for a spa here in Atlanta?
Marisol shrugged. "I know you've been so focused on school and now it is going to start over again. I just thought you might like to go get a massage, maybe have one of them show you things to do with your hair. Since I'm pretty sure it will start growing. You could get it colored or use it if you want to get fancy for a date?" She sounded hopeful and I ducked my head.
For everything I had talked to Marisol about I'd never talked to her about my lack of sexual attraction to anyone, male or female. Since I still didn't know how I felt or why, I wasn't going to discuss it.
And what does that have to do with getting a massage and a facial? This a treat and will probably be fun.
"Thank you. I've never been. Are massages nice?"
"Oh, they are addictive. Maybe every month or so we can set up a girls’ weekend and go?" It was an offer, tentative but a real offer.
Jo's face lit up. "I'd like that. A break from the everyday, like once every three months. Can we schedule it?"
"That would be great," Marisol grinned and it occurred to me she might miss having girls at home.
Everyone sounded enthused and I thought I might be too, but first I'd go get a massage and see what I liked or didn't like.
That led to the next package, and I unwrapped this a bit faster, then gaped. "How?" In my hands lay the three-book set of The Definitive Magic Skills. Most libraries had them as reference only because they were too expensive to let out into regular hands. You had to be a merlin to even get access to them, but in them lay all the information about magic I could ask for. Oh, lots of practical stuff was missing, like how to do offerings, the basics of using magic, and any laws surrounding them. But this, this would answer any question I had, or could think of before starting classes.
Magic of Chaos
Magic of Pattern
Magic of Spirit
I wanted to cry. I would learn so much, get so many questions answered, maybe find out something about both myself and the killer.
"Well, I might have snuck a look at your ID and your registration number. When I called, I said I wanted to get it as an emergence gift for a new merlin and provided your ID. You'll need to register the receipt of the books online in the next day or so." Marisol nodded at the slip of paper in the first book. "But I thought it might be what you needed. A car is a bit out of our league, and I couldn't see you driving a motorcycle by yourself."
"Oh yeah, no. Riding with her is bad enough."
"Well, maybe weird things won't happen anymore now that your cloaks of good and bad luck are gone," Jo fired back. "Now eat. I'm starving, and Mami needs to leave to go back home tonight, preferably before it gets full dark."
Marsiol cast her a thoughtful look "Do I want an example of weird things?"
"No," both of us responded at the same time. I got up and put my books ov
er by my desk, planning on reading tonight.
"Very well. So, have either of you decided about your major? Or at least thought about it?" This look was mostly aimed at her daughter.
Jo groaned, and she focused on her plate. "Just let me get through this first year. Everything is basics anyhow, nothing that I need to focus on. Then I'll go over the options and decide."
All of us were eating but Marisol focused on her daughter, a frown on her face. Did she notice the same thing I did? The odd discomfort you never expected to see on the "live life to the fullest" Jo.
"Fair enough. What about you, Cori? You think of anything?"
I started laughing with my mouth full and choked. A few minutes of coughing finally made it so I could talk, even though my eyes watered. I gave her an incredulous look. "I'm still struggling with the idea I'm a mage, much less a merlin. Heck, that means they are going to want me to get a PhD. I don't even know what I want to study." Though saying it made my mind sit down and start thinking. I shut off that process. I needed to get through the next month, then I'd figure it out.
Marisol sighed. "The two of you. Fine. I'll give you until next summer, but then I will be nagging both of you to lock down what you need to study, with concrete plans as to your future. Neither of you are teenagers and you need to plan."
"Yes, Mami," Jo said dutifully, her joy diminished in a way that hurt to see. Marisol frowned at her, biting her lip, but she dropped it. "I've got to head back soon. Henri says he misses me."
We spent the rest of dinner with me looking longingly at the books and enjoying Marisol. Jo perked back up, teasing me about needing to do my share of the cooking.
"Fine, but that means you need to do your share of the cleaning."
"Huh, I think I'll stay with cooking. It's easier."
When Marisol left Jo dug out her books and started on homework, while I reverently cracked open Magic of Spirit and started reading the first chapter.
Chapter 22
Knowing how to do something is one thing. Knowing if you should do something is what takes time to learn. ~Merlin Arthur Conan Doyle