ã€ŠSorcery in Bostonã€‹


 Ch. 1 - A New World

    Flames of a thousand colors burned at my face and my soul, wrenching my body from where I had stood in my parents¡¯ laboratory. Consciousness flared, dimming and twisting, leaving me dazed.

    Consciousness slowly began to return to me.

    Cold. My body was cold and wet. I inhaled and immediately coughed from the combination of water and an acrid, foul stench that filled the air. I startled awake and a face blearily appeared before me.

    It was a face I¡¯d never seen before, and was certainly not from anywhere nearby. There was no plague or famine for hundreds of miles, and the face before me was gaunt with hunger. Filthy hair was cut fairly short, and was so thick with sweat and grime that I could barely tell it was dark blond. His face might have been handsome, if it were less bony, and if it were clean. He was also around my age, which would put him at seventeen.

    At least his expression was a blend of concerned and kind. I sat up, rubbing my face, and trying to take stock of my situation. I was naked, beneath some sort of crude cloth. My body felt reasonably uninjured - just light bruising and faint burns singeing my hair.

    I briefly ignored the foreign language the boy was speaking, and looked around me. The sense of alienness grew stronger.

    I was in some open space, full of wooden boxes, many of which were split open and empty. The ground was some strange, flat stone-like substance I¡¯d never seen before. We were next to a river, which might explain the moisture on my skin. The sky was darkening, near dusk, casting an eerie light on the closely packed buildings just outside of this box-filled area. They were of a design I¡¯d never seen before, and like the boy¡¯s face, seemed remarkably filthy.

    I couldn¡¯t imagine how there could be a city large enough to have so many several story buildings, so close together, and yet, not have spellcasters or even enchantments to maintain them. I clutched the cloth closer to me, uneasy.

    The cloth was a worthless, if large, rag of pathetic craftsmanship, so I thought nothing of improving it for my purposes. As I drew on my magic to shift the shape, color, and texture of the piece, forming it into a simple summer dress, the boy leapt back, his eyes wide with a mix of horror and curiosity.

    How strange. It was as if he¡¯d never seen magic before.

    He simply stared, open mouthed in shock, as I finished the dress and healed the various minor wounds. Then, of course, I cleaned off the bit of grime that I¡¯d acquired from somewhere. Finally, I quickly checked the area for spellcasters, as a fellow caster would certainly be more useful than this strange boy. I found nothing.

    Once I was reasonably presentable, I focused on casting the language spell. It was a difficult bit of mind magic, but my parents had absolutely insisted on this one, and as apathetic as I was to my studies, I wasn¡¯t able to get away with not learning it.

    My magic slipped into the boy¡¯s mind, and gently touched the language portion of his brain. I delicately probed it and determined he only knew one language, which simplified things. I made a sort of copy of that portion, holding all of the knowledge it possessed, and brought it back to my own mind. I created a network of connections, letting the natural understanding of my own native language connect its meanings to these new structures, and held it in place.

    If badly distracted or startled, my magic might slip, but barring any issues, I now could speak his language, even if I didn¡¯t ¡°know¡± it.

    ¡°My apologies,¡± I said, my mouth twisting strangely around the new sounds, as was normal for this spell. ¡°I do not know your language, but I¡¯ve borrowed it for the moment. Might you be able to tell me where we are?¡±

    ¡°You¡­ borrowed the language?¡± he asked, sounding utterly flabbergasted.

    ¡°Of course,¡± I said. ¡°You must have noticed that I¡¯m a¡­¡±

    My voice trailed off as the spell failed to find a word. I focused, but there was¡­ nothing. There were no words for someone who wields magic. I tried to find something similar, to at least finish my sentence.

    ¡°Magic user,¡± I said, awkwardly, after a second. It didn¡¯t feel quite right, but it was the best I could manage, from his vocabulary.

    I found myself concluding that he must be a remarkably ignorant individual.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± he asked, still looking stunned.

    ¡°My name is Aera Koryn,¡± I said patiently. ¡°I don¡¯t know where I am. The last thing I remember was helping out in my parents¡¯ laboratory, on the... magical doorway they¡¯re trying to build. There was an explosion of some kind, and then I was here.¡±

    He simply stared at me, blinking, for a long moment. I waited for him to finish thinking.

    ¡°This is Boston,¡± he said, finally. ¡°And, uh, I¡¯m Slick.¡±

    ¡°Boston,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m not familiar with the city. What country are we in?¡±

    He seemed startled again by the question.

    ¡°We¡¯re in the United States of America,¡± he said, with an odd amount of pride.

    ¡°I¡¯m not familiar with the country,¡± I said, and he looked like I¡¯d slapped him. ¡°Maybe you know of my home? I¡¯m from a tiny town called Trent, which is about a hundred or so miles from Metronome.¡±

    ¡°I ain¡¯t never heard of any of those places,¡± he said.

    I started to get more nervous again. Who in all the world had not heard of the mighty city Metronome, with its grand tower that pulsated magic in regular intervals? It was one of the great trading centres of the world, as the strange magic within the tower attracted spellcasters of every variety. That, in turn, meant that the city was safe from the innumerable threats that plagued most parts of the world.

    ¡°Maybe my sister¡¯s heard of it,¡± he suggested. ¡°She knows all sorts of things.¡±

    ¡°Very good,¡± I said, abruptly nervous. I wasn¡¯t sure what I was supposed to do now.

    ¡°Look, I¡¯ll take you to her, but you gotta be careful,¡± he said.

    ¡°Careful?¡±

    ¡°If anyone sees what you can do¡­¡± he said, trailing off, as his eyes darted around the shadowed ¡°stone¡± plain.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± I said, getting more uneasy.

    ¡°That ¡®magic¡¯ stuff,¡± he said. ¡°If anyone sees that, they¡¯ll¡­ people will take advantage of that, you know?¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s no concern,¡± I said, smiling.

    Understanding that humans hunt power was perhaps the single most fundamental part of my parents¡¯ lessons. It was a rather crucial understanding, considering they were two of the most powerful spellcasters in the world. I¡¯d had extremely thorough - and arguably brutal - training in how to handle that sort of thing.

    ¡°But it is,¡± he said. ¡°They¡¯ll use you. I don¡¯t even want to think about what people would do with you.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think they can,¡± I said. ¡°I can hide, too, see?¡±

    With that, I cast a quick spell to make me blend in with my surroundings. While I wasn¡¯t invisible - that was a spell too complicated for me to bother learning - it was excellent for hiding from men and monsters alike.

    ¡°Don¡¯t do that!¡± he hissed, and reached for me in a protective way.

    I curled my shoulders in, as I banished the blending spell, confused at being chastised.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± I said. ¡°I was just trying to show you how I know I¡¯m safe.¡±

    ¡°Look, a pretty thing like you, that¡¯s trouble enough, but with the magic¡­¡± he shook his head, ¡°Just don¡¯t do that, all right? Let¡¯s just go to my sister.¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ okay,¡± I said.

    ¡°I was just getting off work anyway. Let me tell my boss I¡¯m out, and we¡¯ll go.¡±

    He led me away, and I nervously followed along. He put a small white cylinder in his mouth, then took out a tiny metal box. He moved something on the metal box, and fire emerged, to my surprise. There was no enchantment on it¡­ how had it made fire?

    Apparently, it was for the purpose of making an odorous plume of smoke, that he seemed to be breathing. I had absolutely no idea what to make of that.

    It was also strange to be called ¡°pretty.¡± For a spellcaster - and therefore able to maintain my health - I was decidedly plain. My mother insisted on never changing my features, saying that if I played around with shapeshifting too much, I¡¯d forget what I ¡°really¡± looked like. I didn¡¯t really see why that would be a loss, but I obeyed her, as usual. But it did make his strange sort of compliment confusing.

    As we walked, the world around us grew stranger and stranger. He took me to the edge of the flat stone plain, and we saw what must have been a road, but made out of some sort of dark grey, almost black, stone.

    And the things that moved on it! There were these bizarre artifacts that moved down the road, rolling on wheels, spitting out that foul smelling scent in the air from some sort of pipe at the back. Most astonishingly, when I checked to see what sort of enchantment powered it, I found none at all.

    ¡°What is that?¡± I asked, dumbfounded.

    ¡°What?¡± he asked, drawing close again, looking protective and worried.

    ¡°Those¡­ rolling things,¡± I said.

    ¡°Those are cars,¡± he said, sounding as confused as I felt.

    The word had meaning to him, from my spell. It was a basic part of his vocabulary, like it was ordinary and common. But a carriage that rolled with neither magic nor animal? I¡¯d never even heard of the like.

    ¡°Cars,¡± I repeated, my anxiety growing. Where in all the world was I?

    The cars were just one of the many alien things that greeted my senses. The people were, for the most part, clearly suffering from both malnutrition and poor hygiene. The clothing was odd - in some ways seeming skilfully made, which could surely only have been done with magic, but bound together in strangely mundane ways. The buildings, the windows, everything, was of bizarre construction, with materials the like of which I¡¯d never seen. That odd, flat stone was on the ground everywhere.

    And for all the while, as we walked, I caught not even the faintest hint of magic anywhere, as far as my senses could reach.

    How was any of this even possible?

    By the time we reached his home, I was almost beside myself in nervousness.

    ¡°Wait here,¡± he said, as we reached a pathetic excuse for a dwelling. ¡°I don¡¯t want to have to explain anything to my ma and pa. I¡¯ll be right back with Lou.¡±

    ¡°Lou¡± was a child, who looked the same age as my brother Yvan, who was fifteen. Her hair was also cut short, and was a bit of a darker blond than Slick¡¯s. She had an intense expression, like she was studying everything she looked at. It was oddly comforting, as my mother often wore expressions like that. Like her brother, she appeared malnourished, but not as badly.

    ¡°What is all this about?¡± Lou asked, scrutinizing me.

    ¡°I was down working at the docks,¡± Slick said, rubbing his hand through his hair, making me cringe at the filth he was adding to his already dirty locks. ¡°Then, outta nowhere, I see this dame floating down the river, naked as the day she was born. Lotta the other guys were already bailed for the day, since it was getting hard to see, so I had to get her myself. I pulled her out, all careful like, but she was just out, and not hurt, so far as I could tell. So I covered her up with a bit of canvas that we use for padding, and tried to wake her up.¡±

    Lou was nodding along with his story, glancing at me whenever he paused.

    ¡°And then she did, and then¡­ then¡­¡± he cut off, nervous, as I tried to smile at him encouragingly. ¡°She, uh, Lou, you ain¡¯t gonna believe me, but I swear to god, I wasn¡¯t drinking nothing.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± she said. ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°She¡­¡± he gulped. Why was this so hard for him to say? ¡°She¡­ did a thing. She¡­ she used magic.¡±

    Lou¡¯s reaction was bizarre. She rolled her eyes disdainfully, and gave me a half amused, half annoyed look.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re trying to pull on my brother,¡± she said, ¡°But it ain¡¯t gonna work.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to pull anything,¡± I said, so uneasy that my voice was scarcely audible. ¡°I don¡¯t understand how your people seem to not use magic. It is so ordinary¡­¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± Lou said sarcastically, as Slick looked mildly frustrated. ¡°And what is it you want?¡±

    ¡°I just want to go home,¡± I said, my voice trembling. ¡°He said you might know where my home is, and I am lost.¡±

    Her suspicious expression immediately eased, and she looked more curious.

    ¡°Well, then?¡± she said. ¡°Where are you from?¡±

    ¡°Near the city of Metronome, on the largest continent,¡± I said, feeling hopeless. I didn¡¯t see how she could know where my city was, and also know nothing of magic.

    As expected¡­

    ¡°Never heard of it,¡± she said. ¡°Was that all?¡±

    ¡°Maybe¡­¡± I said, ¡°If I could see a map of the world? I could find my home, and be on my way.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not so hard,¡± she said. ¡°This makes no sense. What are you pushing for, that you had to convince my brother that you could do magic?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s real, Lou,¡± Slick said. ¡°You¡¯ve gotta see it. It¡¯s like¡­ like nothing else you could imagine.¡±

    ¡°I would happily demonstrate,¡± I said eagerly, glad to find a way to be useful.

    ¡°Not here!¡± Slick said abruptly, to Lou¡¯s intensified interest. ¡°Let¡¯s go out to the back, where no one can see.¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± Lou said cautiously, and I nodded. They led me behind the dwelling, to a tiny crack between their home and their neighbor¡¯s, just large enough for two people to walk abreast.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see it, then,¡± Lou said, the suspicion back in her gaze.

    If I was going to show off, I was going to do it properly. Being a child, I wasn¡¯t skilled enough for unaided flight, but as I was skilled at changing the form of living things, I had a way.

    I focused, and my magic grew intense at my shoulderblades. Slowly at first, then achingly fast, a pair of burgundy, feathered wings emerged. I smiled shyly at Lou¡¯s staggered expression.

    ¡°Are those real?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± I said. ¡°You may touch them, if you wish.¡±

    She reached forward and gently brushed her hand down the feathered expanse. I pressed the wing against her hand a little, so she could feel the skin, as well as the muscle and bone beneath.

    ¡°Fuck,¡± she said. ¡°That feels real.¡±

    ¡°Told ya,¡± Slick muttered, as he looked out the alleyway.

    ¡°Put those away,¡± Lou said, glancing down the other entrance. ¡°Fast.¡±Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    ¡°Of course,¡± I said, uneasy again.

    That was one of my most powerful spells¡­ and yet, they were still convinced I was in danger?

    I reversed the spell, drawing the wings back into my body, and banishing the borrowed material back to the ground from whence I¡¯d taken it.

    ¡°This is serious,¡± Lou said, her voice low.

    ¡°I know that,¡± Slick said. ¡°But she doesn¡¯t seem to have a clue.¡±

    ¡°A clue about what?¡± I said, confused.

    Lou chuckled a little, while Slick just sighed.

    ¡°Look, there¡¯s some folks out there who won¡¯t have your best interests at heart,¡± she said. ¡°What¡¯s your name? I¡¯m Louise Williams, or Lou for short.¡±

    ¡°Aera,¡± I said. ¡°Aera Koryn. It is good to meet you, Lou. I do know that there are unkind people, but I am not concerned. I can protect myself.¡±

    ¡°Do you know what this is?¡± she asked, and pulled a device from her clothing. Slick looked displeased.

    I didn¡¯t understand what I was looking at enough for the language spell to attach it to any word. It was a silvery color, with a small pipe attached to a strangely shaped round thing, which in turn was attached to what looked like a handle, judging from the way she held it. It had enough intricacy to the design that I wondered how a blacksmith might have forged it, without aid of magic.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t any idea,¡± I said.

    ¡°Yeah, I suspected as much,¡± she said. ¡°This is a gun. A .38 special. It¡¯s one of the most dangerous handguns out there.¡±

    ¡°Dangerous,¡± I said, looking at the device skeptically. It certainly must weigh a bit, but I¡¯d seen far more threatening club designs.

    My tone seemed to confirm something for her.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got an atlas for school,¡± she said. ¡°Let me go grab it for you. Stay here for a minute.¡±

    She left and I nervously looked at my feet. A suspicion was growing in my heart and I wasn¡¯t finding myself convinced that the map would solve my problems.

    After all, my parents had been trying to build a portal to another world¡­

    But I couldn¡¯t face that thought.

    My heart thudded as she brought to me another piece of alien craftsmanship. This book was too masterfully crafted to be mundane, but with bizarre properties if made by magic. She opened the oddly crafted pages, with letters written in perfect uniformity.

    She turned to a page with which she seemed quite familiar, and I looked at the page nervously.

    ¡°This¡­ this is the whole world?¡± I asked, as my spell ¡°translated¡± the meaning of the various markings.

    ¡°Yep,¡± Lou said. ¡°See anything familiar?¡±

    My fingers brushed the image as tears filled my eyes.

    ¡°No,¡± I whispered. ¡°No¡­ this is all wrong.¡±

    I pulled away from the accursed book, from the cruel realization it had forced into my mind.

    ¡°This is not my world. This planet is wrong. I need to go back¡­¡±

    My vision blurred as tears started flowing.

    ¡°I¡­ I have two brothers¡­¡± I said, my voice choking. ¡°Little brothers. I watch after them. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll ever see them again¡­ I¡­ I don¡¯t know what to do. ¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s going to be okay, Aera,¡± Lou said, her voice gentle. ¡°I¡¯m sure you can find a way back.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand,¡± I said, clutching at my dress. ¡°I can¡¯t¡­ my parents are some of the most powerful magic users in the world¡­ I¡¯m nothing. I can¡¯t make anything like that!¡±

    ¡°Calm down, Aera,¡± Lou said, as Slick looked uncomfortable. ¡°We¡¯ll help you.¡±

    ¡°How?¡± I asked.

    She glanced at Slick.

    ¡°I dunno,¡± Slick said. ¡°But she can¡¯t just wander on her own. And we can¡¯t take her in our place. And I have to get to the club soon.¡±

    ¡°Maybe Domiano will have an idea?¡± Lou asked.

    ¡°I ain¡¯t going to be telling him about this,¡± Slick said. ¡°He seems an honest enough guy, but¡­¡±

    ¡°No, we can¡¯t tell him,¡± Lou agreed. ¡°We can¡¯t tell anyone. But we can just say that you found her, and she needs some help.¡±

    ¡°And what¡¯s she gonna do?¡± Slick asked. ¡°What kind of job can she get? How¡¯s she gonna get food?¡±

    At last, they¡¯d said something I understood.

    I wiped the last of the tears from my eyes and said, ¡°Oh, there¡¯s no worry about food! I can make as much as I require.¡±

    ¡°You can make food?¡± Lou asked, and both she and Slick had a bit of a hungry look in their eyes.

    ¡°Of course,¡± I said, ¡°I just need the materials. Ah¡­¡±

    I glanced around. There was a bit of what must be garbage, in a metal bin. I went over to it, holding my breath against the horrific smell. I couldn¡¯t bear to touch such filth with my own hands, so I used a bit of magic to find and lift out a bit of wood. It appeared to be some broken object.

    After cleaning it, I moved away from the stench of the bin.

    ¡°This is perfect,¡± I said, holding up the piece.

    ¡°That¡¯s a chair leg,¡± she said, eyebrow raised skeptically.

    ¡°Ah,¡± I said, shrugging. ¡°In any case, it is wood, and it is full of energy. Our bodies, though, cannot handle its structure. All I have to do is trim the structure in the right places, and it will be ready for our bodies to eat!¡±

    They glanced at each other uncertainly, before turning their gazes back to me.

    I used my magic, as I had described to them. The long strands of material that served as the strength and structure of wood, which I would eventually learn were called ¡°cellulose,¡± were essentially very tall stacks of sugar. If I merely separated it into tiny chunks, it made for a sweet treat. If I trimmed it a little less, it made starch instead, which was a bit less tasty, but also less likely to cause a sugar crash. I then purified the wood, as there appeared to be some sort of contaminant staining the surface. Finally, I removed some components of wood that aren¡¯t good for either eating or for turning into food.

    I blended the options, for a sweet and starchy result. This blend was a favorite snack for long walks in the forest, as there was always wood around.

    ¡°All done,¡± I said, smiling brightly. They still looked skeptical, so I broke off a small piece of the now brittle chair leg, and bit into it.

    The pair gaped again as the sugary flavor filled my mouth. It was a bit like a crunchy and dry fruit.

    ¡°You should try it,¡± I said, handing out the wood.

    Wariness competed with hunger, and as expected, hunger won. Slick grabbed it first, and took a tiny nibble of the end. His eyes widened with surprise, and he broke off a piece for himself before giving a chunk to Lou.

    It took some persuading for her to be willing to eat it, but he chomped down eagerly enough.

    ¡°This is really weird,¡± Lou said, after a few bites. ¡°It¡¯s not that it tastes bad or anything, but it¡¯s like¡­ I know I¡¯m eating the leg of a chair. I can¡¯t get over that.¡±

    ¡°We need to eat, Lou,¡± Slick said. ¡°I don¡¯t like it more than you, but it¡¯s food.¡±

    ¡°We have enough for now,¡± Lou said. ¡°I mean, if we get desperate, we can eat chairs later, I guess.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Slick said. ¡°And maybe some crates, from down at the docks.¡±

    Lou chuckled at that.

    ¡°Well, I guess we should get you to Domiano,¡± she said, looking back at me.

    ¡°He¡¯s a friend of yours?¡± I guessed.

    ¡°Nah,¡± Slick said. ¡°He¡¯s the guy who runs the club I sing at. I¡¯ll be meeting my band down there, and we can try to figure things out. But I kind of gotta rush, at this point.¡±

    I nodded and timidly followed them. Slick quickly went into the house and came out much cleaner, with slicked back hair, and less comfortable looking clothing. They led me back towards the denser part of the city. They were too nervous to talk much, so I was left alone with my thoughts.

    The walk to the club was uneventful. When we arrived, I saw the words ¡°Cocoanut Grove¡± highlighted in a fancy sort of way over the door, and we entered in.

    I immediately suppressed the urge to cough. The air was thick with a haze of dust, as well as a stench that matched the smoke from the cylinder that Slick had ignited. He was on his third or fourth at this point. I surreptitiously made a tiny barrier in front of my mouth and nose to filter out the filth. Immediately I breathed a sigh of relief, as the sweet, clean air touched my lungs.

    More interesting was the lighting. Non magical, of course, but also neither fire, nor bioluminescence. I couldn¡¯t imagine how they worked - and with such a steady glow, no less.

    We went to a table and sat down, while Slick hastily went behind a stage at the back. Lou suggested that we quietly observe till he was done, and then discuss afterwards.

    While we sat, an older man, looking distinguished and a trifle overweight, came to our table. His eyes seemed to examine me with an almost hungry glint of appraisal.

    ¡°Lou, sweet child,¡± he said, in a new accent I¡¯d not heard - Italian, as I later learned. ¡°I¡¯m delighted to see you again, as well as the angel you¡¯ve brought with you. My dear, might I be so charmed as to make your acquaintance?¡±

    He reached out a hand to me, and I awkwardly reached forward, unsure what he was doing. He took my hand, raised it to his lips, and kissed my fingers gently. I blushed and looked away, having never had a kiss from anyone but family before - due to my shyness more than anything else. This seemed like a greeting rather than anything more, but still, my voice choked up and I couldn¡¯t speak.

    ¡°Domiano,¡± Lou said, her voice taking a formal edge. ¡°This is Aera, and we¡¯re wanting to help her out. I was hoping to talk with you and Slick, after his performance?¡±

    ¡°But of course,¡± he said, his eyes trying to catch mine, but I was still too caught up in my flush of embarrassment to meet his gaze. ¡°Please, lovely Aera, enjoy the club and the performance. You are welcome here whenever you wish.¡±

    With that, he flitted away, with remarkable grace and poise. I watched him go with some curiosity. It was interesting that he was significantly cleaner, his clothes of higher quality, and most importantly, over nourished by comparison to Lou and Slick. I knew that some nations had inequalities for reasons other than magic, but I couldn¡¯t recall any details. Magic, naturally, was the biggest inequality in my world.

    Moments later, a young woman came to our table, wearing identical apparel to other women walking around with drinks and food. A serving girl, then.

    ¡°Domiano sends his greetings,¡± the young lady said, smiling warmly at Lou, then a trifle coldly at me. ¡°He says you both may have a drink on the house.¡±

    ¡°Uh huh,¡± Lou said, giving me a bemused glance, as if this were somehow my doing. ¡°Tell him I said thanks. Aera, this is Alice. She works here. Alice and Slick are, ah, close.¡±

    Alice¡¯s smile grew tighter, as though she wasn¡¯t pleased with this introduction. I nodded mutely at her.

    ¡°Alice, this is Aera,¡± Lou said next, gesturing at me. ¡°She¡¯s a¡­ a refugee who¡¯s washed up. Slick found her and thought that she could use some help.¡±

    ¡°Did he, now?¡± Alice said, her suspicious look getting sharper. ¡°What kind of help?¡±

    ¡°Well, she needs a place to stay, and a job,¡± Lou said.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t everyone?¡± Alice said, then looked at me again. ¡°What can you do?¡±

    ¡°Not much,¡± Lou said, giving me a sharp look. I suppressed a sigh.

    ¡°There are plenty of things I can do,¡± I said.

    I was certain that there were plenty of things that they could do, but I could simply do better with magic - such things would surely not be suspicious. I thought of the things I¡¯d seen so far, and immediately had two ideas.

    ¡°I am good at cleaning and fixing things,¡± I said, which seemed to ease Lou¡¯s anxiety. Then, because I couldn¡¯t resist mentioning my actual specialty, ¡°I¡¯m also excellent at gardening.¡±

    ¡°Cleaning and fixing things?¡± Alice said, and she looked speculative. ¡°My apartment is tidy enough, but it¡¯d be nice to not have to do chores for a bit. And I do have a couch.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯d be great, Alice,¡± Lou said, beaming.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t offered yet,¡± Alice said. ¡°I mean, you did just meet her.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s on the level, Alice,¡± Lou said, her voice suddenly serious in a way that seemed strange for a girl her age.

    Alice frowned. ¡°Something going on, Lou?¡±

    Lou hesitated. ¡°Aera seems like a sweet girl who¡¯s kind of clueless and needs our help. So, uh...¡±

    ¡°Spit it out,¡± Alice said, crossing her arms.

    ¡°Maybe Slick¡¯ll want to talk to you about it,¡± Lou suggested with a disarming grin.

    ¡°As if I could get him to talk about anything other than his music,¡± Alice said, a tinge of heat in her voice.

    ¡°Well, he¡¯s in the back getting ready right now. You could try talking to him.¡± Lou said. ¡°And seriously, Alice, it¡¯d be a real big favor if you¡¯d take her in for a bit.¡±

    ¡°How long?¡± Alice asked.

    ¡°A night, at least?¡± Lou said. ¡°It¡¯d give us some time to think of something more permanent.¡±

    Alice frowned. ¡°One night, because you asked, and not because of Slick. You¡¯re a good girl, Lou, and I¡¯m happy to do you a favor.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Alice, I owe you one,¡± Lou said, with another disarming grin.

    I maintained a pleasant smile, but I couldn¡¯t help but observe that Lou was almost dangerously charming. She was sharp in a way that I admired.

    Slick came onto the stage a bit later, with two other young men, though both were older than him. One had a set of drums that looked remarkably complex, and the other, some sort of strange brass device. Lou told me it was something called a ¡°saxophone.¡±

    The performance was astounding. Some sort of metal stick in front of Slick - a microphone - was apparently responsible for conveying and amplifying the sound, such that they could be clearly heard throughout the entire room. His voice was a bit gravely, but strikingly lovely nonetheless. The melody was charming, very upbeat, and stirred in me an impulse to dance - not that I ever would, of course, where anyone could see me.

    After long enough that all three of them were clearly getting fatigued, though they hid it well, Slick returned to our table.

    ¡°What¡¯d¡¯cha think?¡± Slick said, with a bright grin. It seemed disarmingly charming grins ran in the family.

    ¡°It was lovely,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard music quite like that before. It seems your people have some advantages over ours.¡±

    When making allies, my father would say, always ensure that they feel important, and that their strengths have value.

    In other words, my mother would add, unless you intend to rule by fire, play nice with your toys.

    Fortunately, I did actually enjoy his music.

    As expected, he was delighted at my appraisal.

    ¡°Oh, and Lou,¡± Slick said. ¡°Did you set Alice on me? She was all up on my case about Aera, and how I shouldn¡¯t be picking up beautiful strays.¡±

    That claim, again.

    I was growing to suspect that the reason they kept calling me ¡°beautiful¡± was because I was perfectly clean and healthy. Every face had some sort of blemish here - faint scars, perhaps from acne, or skin that seemed stained from the omnipresent grime in the air and on nearly every surface. Most women had paint on their faces, which mostly served to try to make it mimic the pale smoothness that my skin possessed, and most teeth on all parties were partially crooked, off-white or even yellow in hue. Their hair, too, seemed arranged in a wide variety of artful styles, perhaps to cover up the poor health of the hair. My long, black tresses, currently bound in a simple braid, were lustrous, glistening faintly even in the dim light of this place.

    Every face also seemed to show some sign of strain or stress, leaving a nearly imperceptible blight on their features, whereas mine likely looked like the pure and innocent face of an angel, by comparison.

    I frowned at the realisation that, as unhealthy as these people were, by and large, they might predominantly view health as beautiful, which would make me extraordinary. In fact, even with my awkward features, I might even be the most beautiful woman in the world, to these impoverished and strained people.

    That was a thought that would take some getting used to. I wanted to hide from my sudden awareness of the covert gazes from everyone in the room.

    I wasn¡¯t ready for any of this. I just wanted to go home¡­

    Afterwards, Lou and Slick had an entirely ordinary conversation, with Alice bringing us a few drinks. I was too nervous to request anything other than water. Once Alice¡¯s shift was over, we headed to Domiano¡¯s office.

    ¡°Domiano, sir,¡± Slick said, his back incredibly straight. ¡°We were hoping to ask you for something.¡±

    Domiano¡¯s posture changed subtly. He had an almost threatening edge to his face and tone.

    ¡°We have a good working relationship, son, but that doesn¡¯t make us friends,¡± Domiano said. ¡°I didn¡¯t get to where I¡¯m at by being generous.¡±

    Interesting. Then, his offer of a free drink to Lou and I was a calculated move to acquire some sort of power. I relaxed a little. This was more in line with my training¡­ though I¡¯d never actually dealt with power games myself. And I wasn¡¯t sure what kind of power was even in play.

    ¡°Y-yes, sir,¡± Slick said, the intimidation ploy clearly effective. ¡°I was just hoping you might have a job for miss Aera, here.¡±

    ¡°A job?¡± he said, giving me a piercing look, before turning his attention back to Slick. ¡°Why would you be trying to get her a job?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s a refugee, sir,¡± Slick said. ¡°She¡¯s kind of in trouble, and just needs something for a little while.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want no trouble here,¡± Domiano said, ¡°And there¡¯s enough refugees coming off the boats. They all get jobs on their own.¡±

    ¡°Right, sir,¡± Slick said, looking crestfallen. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for bothering you, sir. I was just hoping to do a good thing.¡±

    Domiano sighed, and his expression softened marginally.

    ¡°A moment, Slick,¡± Domiano said, then looked at me with an inscrutable gaze. ¡°You might be worthwhile, out front. Have you any waitressing experience?¡±

    ¡°Er¡­ as a serving girl?¡± I asked uneasily. ¡°Um, no sir, nothing of the sort.¡±

    He shook his head. ¡°Slick, the Cocoanut Grove is a nice establishment. We¡¯re not set up to train someone who¡¯s got no experience at all, especially since we¡¯re already full on wait staff. I¡¯m not heartless, but there¡¯s nothing here for her.¡±

    ¡°Thanks for considering it, sir,¡± Slick said, and after Domiano nodded, he guided us out.

    ¡°What now?¡± Slick asked.

    ¡°Tonight, Aera can stay at Alice¡¯s,¡± Lou said. ¡°After that, I don¡¯t know. We¡¯ll think of something tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°I know the way,¡± Slick said, to which Lou rolled her eyes.

    ¡°Obviously,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ll head home. I¡¯ve got school in the morning. Good luck, Aera.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said, shuffling my feet.

    ¡°Come on, then,¡± Slick said, starting to walk at a fast pace. ¡°It¡¯s not too far.¡±

    It was a full half hour¡¯s walk. I passingly wondered why we didn¡¯t use one of those cars he¡¯d mentioned. They seemed much faster.

    We made our way to a taller building that was in dramatically better straits than Slick¡¯s own home. As we approached one of the many doors, Slick abruptly stopped.

    ¡°I just realized,¡± he said. ¡°What with Alice being upset at me lately¡­ I ought to have brought her something. Damn it.¡±

    He was patting at his clothes as if hoping something would randomly appear.

    ¡°Does she like flowers?¡± I asked, hopefully.

    ¡°Don¡¯t all gals?¡± he said.

    I grinned. I didn¡¯t want to be a burden on these people, and my talents finally had use.

    I reached for a little weed growing in the concrete - a dandelion. Shaping flowers was my hobby, the only thing I was actually good at. I whispered magic into the delicate petals, and it shifted in my hands into an elaborate pattern. I didn¡¯t want it too obviously magical, so I made the petals a series of delicate, shifting shades of blue. Once I was satisfied with the result - elegant, beautiful, but subdued enough that it could have been mundane - I handed it to Slick.

    ¡°Wow,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m not a dame, and even I think that¡¯s something else.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t entirely sure why being female mattered for flower appreciation, but I simply smiled in response.

    He knocked on the door after fussing with his appearance for a moment - he even let me clean his hair and face, to my eyes¡¯ relief. She answered the door, and he eagerly presented the flower.

    ¡°Sli¡­ oh, my heavens,¡± Alice said, her eyes widening at the sight of the flower. ¡°That is gorgeous¡­ wherever did you get such a thing?¡±

    ¡°I... just got it on the way,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s a pretty piece, but plain compared to you.¡±

    She gave him a bemused look. ¡°Your presentation could use some work, but¡­ oh, very well, come inside.¡±

    We walked inside her house, and I immediately noticed the ways in which I could assist her. Yes, it was certainly tidy, but the walls were stained, the area rug was thick with dust, and the floors, too, had signs of stain.

    It seemed this place only had three rooms - a bedroom, a kitchen, and a tiny sitting room, which Alice guided us to as we entered. She put the flower into a glass vase with water. I hid a grimace, and while her back was turned, I quickly adjusted the water to improve the flower¡¯s longevity.

    We chatted idly for a few minutes, before Alice and Slick went to her bedroom to talk privately for a while. Their voices were just barely muffled enough for me to not pick up the details of their conversation. I settled in on the couch with the pillow and blankets she¡¯d set up. This was the part of the day I was really not looking forward to. As long as I had something to do, I was fine, but¡­

    I was alone. Alone, with my thoughts, which held terrible realizations that I could not bear to face. And I had nothing but time.

 Ch. 2 - An Honest Days Work

    I woke up from my nightmare, but I kept my eyes closed. I could still smell the strange smoke stench, and feel the awkward lumps of the couch, but that was surely just the lingering effects of the dream. Any moment now, I would hear my mother call out to me, telling me that I needed to come downstairs for dinner.

    My heart started racing faster as the stench stubbornly refused to leave my nostrils. But I wasn¡¯t going to accept this dream. I could not be trapped in another world, an entire dimension away from everything I knew. I would not tolerate being alone, after living my entire life knowing that some of the most powerful spellcasters in the world would always be there to rescue me if things went wrong.

    I most definitely was going to be annoyed by my brothers this very afternoon.

    My denial started cracking, but I clung to it foolishly, desperately, as tears started dripping again. Fear and uncertainty gripped me, and I tried to stave them off as best as I could.

    Alone. Afraid. Lost. Hopeless.

    ¡°No¡­¡± I whispered as I broke beneath the weight of my reality.

    I don¡¯t know how long I lay there, curled up in a ball on the couch. Hunger and thirst are compelling in the end, so I found myself forced by my biology to move.

    Collapsing wasn¡¯t going to solve my problem. The long term ramifications of my problem were so far beyond me that I started to panic at the mere thought of it. So I wouldn¡¯t think of it. I¡¯d focus on solving my short term problems, one at a time. I wouldn¡¯t think about the long term issues until I had absolutely no choice.

    I nodded, pleased at what I believed to be wisdom. The feeling of there being something I could do soothed my fears, tucking them away into distant corners of my heart, where I didn¡¯t have to deal with them. I felt almost okay.

    My first issue was establishing myself in this world. I had a few allies, who might be considered friends in time. There was apparently reason for me to be afraid, which I had no understanding of, but I was always taught to have great respect for power that I don¡¯t understand. So I would submit to their beliefs, for now. I would remain in hiding.

    I couldn¡¯t lose these allies. And more, I couldn¡¯t stand the idea of being indebted to someone. I had to repay them, many times over. I had to, merely in order to feel safe with them.

    Which made my first step clear.

    After drinking some water, I got to work. Alice was gone, and so I didn¡¯t need to worry about my methods. It was surprisingly cathartic. I¡¯d never let things get so filthy before, so seeing the yellow stains emerging from the walls, revealing the lovely beige color beneath was satisfying. So, too, was smoothing out the paint, removing the scuffs in the wooden floor, and patching the little tears and weakened fabrics in the various furniture. I may have gotten a bit carried away, but I couldn¡¯t stop until it was perfect.

    I¡¯d worked on it almost half an hour. I was quite pleased with myself. With the exception of my training, which could be intensive for days at a stretch, I¡¯d almost never worked longer than a minute or two at a time in my life. I was even a little fatigued!

    Having completed my labor, I found myself confused again. I wasn¡¯t sure what to do next. After being bored for a few minutes, I decided to head outside.

    The door had a locking mechanism, which I could easily operate from inside, but I wasn¡¯t sure how it was supposed to be accessed from outside. So I used a bit of magic through the door to lock it behind me.

    Once outside, I took a deep breath. The air was nicer outside, even with all the strange additions. I decided to sit in a little patch of grass next to the door. There were a handful of plants there, and I might as well examine their biology.

    It was a rather strange overlap, after all. As far as I could tell, though I hadn¡¯t examined too closely, the others here were biologically human. Naturally, there were some variations in things like skin tone, hair texture, face shape, and so forth. The distinctions were significant enough that I was certain the crossover between our people were unlikely to be more recent than hundreds of years, or perhaps even thousands. But surely, it couldn¡¯t have been tens of thousands.

    I¡¯d have to see if there were mammals here. If not, that would be conclusive proof that my world was the origin. If so, then more questions would have to be asked.

    I nodded, pleased with my long term, but not-emotionally-entangled task. In the meantime, I¡¯d examine the similarity between the biologies of this world¡¯s plants with my own.

    ¡°Oh, Aera,¡± a surprised voice said, startling me out of my examination. I looked up to see Slick smiling at me, and I returned the smile. I quickly cast the language spell, now that I had someone to cast it on.

    ¡°Hi,¡± I said, my voice betraying my nervousness. Now that he was back, I wasn¡¯t sure what was happening next.

    ¡°Lou and I have an idea,¡± he said. ¡°You said you can fix things up, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    He nodded. ¡°Lou sometimes dives for some extra cash. Figure, maybe you could come along and help. That¡¯d be something that could make some good money, that nobody¡¯d notice.¡±

    He grinned, seeming proud of himself, as he reached his hand out to me to help me up.

    I didn¡¯t need the help, but I thought it was less awkward to accept than decline.

    As we were about to leave, he tried to lock up, and was briefly confused when the door was already locked. For my part, I was fascinated by the key. It was a complicated mundane locking mechanism, and its function was brilliant and simple.

    I wanted to ask if I could play with the key and lock, but I couldn¡¯t possibly bring myself to voice a personal request. Instead, I simply followed along after him.

    Slick was in a far better mood than the day before. He¡¯d hum little songs, or talk about random things, seemingly perfectly at ease with my nervous silence.

    It was Friday, and he hadn¡¯t gone to work. I was curious about what he did. He worked at the docks, breaking open wooden boxes of cargo. Apparently, his work was on a first come, first serve basis, with a seemingly infinite stretch of people willing to do backbreaking labor all day for barely enough to survive on. He typically got in because he¡¯d focused on his technique, rather than trying to simply outperform by brute strength, and his skill made him more valuable. Which was fortunate, because hundreds were turned away every day.

    They were calling it ¡°the Great Depression.¡± The entire nation was in economic turmoil. Finding a way to put my skills to use, with little risk, and for pay, was something for them to be extremely proud of, apparently.

    And there was an implication that was unnerving for me, as well - work was critical for the survival of his family. Taking a day off work to help me was no small gift.

    We arrived outside of Lou¡¯s school. She was going to be skipping the rest of her classes for the day, so that she could come with. Slick had dropped out of school years before to support their family, since their father didn¡¯t make much. When I asked what their mother did for work, I was advised that mothers always stayed home to keep up the house.

    Lou was dressed in exactly the same clothes as the day before, and had an exceptionally large backpack. More of a sack attached to a harness, in my opinion. At the moment, it only had a small box of tools.

    I cast the language spell again, adding in Lou¡¯s vocabulary. She had some useful words relating to magic that Slick lacked, so I made note of them. As we walked, I asked her about it. It turned out that she enjoyed reading, and had read some stories involving magic before.

    We walked another long distance, to a strangely metallic field. Slowly, as we reached a fence, I realized what I was looking at. Apparently, when this civilization had waste that could not be repaired easily, they just¡­ dumped it. In a pile. A massive pile.

    I couldn¡¯t help but stare in astonishment at the sheer quantity of resources. My stomach growled, reminding me that I¡¯d not eaten today, when I looked at the number of organic discards. While not as good as fine dining, I wasn¡¯t exactly in a position to be picky. Besides, the wood-candy was delicious.

    ¡°So, what are we going to be doing?¡± I asked, nervous again, as Lou greeted the man who owned the junkyard. He let us in.

    ¡°Going to see if we can get anything you can fix, and we can sell,¡± Lou said.

    ¡°Us both being here is good, too,¡± Slick said, with a slight edge in his voice. ¡°We keep telling Lou not to come out here on her own, but¡­¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s money,¡± Lou said. ¡°And I¡¯ve learned about radios, and how to fix ¡®em. That¡¯s real good money.¡±

    Radio¡­ a word that didn¡¯t translate. Some connection to music, to pleasure? Didn¡¯t seem worth asking about at the moment.

    As we walked along, Lou looking for something or other in the various piles, I grabbed a bit of wood to modify and munch on, as well as some water from the air to drink.

    ¡°Do you get tired from that?¡± Slick asked.

    ¡°From anything that requires more than trivial amounts of power, yes,¡± I said. ¡°Spells like this are easy, partially because I¡¯ve done them so often. I enjoy spending time in forests, which is where I¡¯ve cast these spells the most.¡±

    ¡°Plenty of woods round the city,¡± Slick said. ¡°Not too far a walk, either.¡±

    I laughed a little. I wondered what these two would consider a long walk. Getting one of those cars seemed like a good idea.

    ¡°Hey, here¡¯s something,¡± Lou said, picking up the strange looking wooden box she¡¯d been tinkering with, and handed it to me. ¡°Can you fix this?¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± I asked, confused.

    ¡°A radio,¡± she said. ¡°I can fix up the inside, but the outside is wrecked.¡±

    I examined the box. It had a bit of damage to it - likely from a hard fall. The wood was badly cracked and the cloth-like covering for its face was torn out of place. Repair was incredibly simple - I simply pushed the broken bits back together and merged the edges.

    ¡°There ain¡¯t even a seam!¡± Lou exclaimed.

    ¡°A seam?¡± I asked, confused. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you mean.¡±

    ¡°You know, from putting the pieces together,¡± she said. ¡°I figured we¡¯d see where it joined, like a magic glue or something.¡±

    ¡°I could make that, if you wish¡­¡± I said, uncertain.

    ¡°No, no, this is good,¡± she said, starting to take it from me.

    ¡°But it¡¯s not done!¡± I protested.

    She just looked at me, confused, while I finished my work. That wasn¡¯t the only damage. It had nicks, bumps, and scratches all over, as well as being filthy and full of dust. Once restored to a perfect shine, I handed it over.

    ¡°Now it is done,¡± I said.

    She held it like a priceless treasure. Slick also gazed at it in admiration.

    ¡°It¡¯s gorgeous,¡± she said.

    I wasn¡¯t entirely sure what the appeal was, so I just awkwardly smiled. Lou set down the radio with utmost care, and opened up its back. She pulled out the tools from her backpack and made a few tiny adjustments inside.

    ¡°Perfect,¡± she said. ¡°Just got to plug it in, and it should work.¡±

    The awkward smile came back, as I had no clue what she was talking about. She then grabbed a dress from the pile to wrap the radio in.

    ¡°Are dresses unsellable, then?¡± I said.

    ¡°Huh?¡± she said. ¡°No, they¡¯re expensive, too, but this one¡¯s wrecked, it ain¡¯t worth more than the cloth.¡±

    ¡°Lou, I told ya, she made her dress from canvas,¡± Slick said. ¡°Makes sense that she can fix one, if she can make one.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± Lou said, still looking at me skeptically, as she handed me the dress.

    I wondered briefly why it was so hard to believe in what I could do.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    Brushing aside the thought, I examined the tattered, filthy piece. Aside from the stains, dirt, and rips, the cloth was otherwise in excellent shape. I gently extended my will to make the cloth reject the dirt, then merged the torn edges together. Next, I coaxed the stains out, making the stained and damaged parts of the cloth match the undamaged parts, at the most fundamental level. Lastly, I smoothed out the pigments and structure, tidying up on a miniscule scale, so that the cloth was perfectly strong and had vibrancy to its color.

    ¡°There we are,¡± I said, pleased. ¡°It¡¯s quite pretty, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    They both gaped, yet again, still not used to my spellcasting.

    ¡°Is there anything you can¡¯t do?¡± Lou asked, as she took the soft, flowing silk.

    ¡°Of course,¡± I said, surprised. ¡°I¡¯m really quite poor with magic, considering my upbringing. The only kind of magic I¡¯m any good with is Aquas, though I¡¯m familiar with all of the basics from every element.¡±

    ¡°Aquas?¡± Slick said.

    ¡°One of the six elements of magic,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s best translated as the element of water¡­ though it doesn¡¯t have anything to do with water itself.¡±

    ¡°Then why is it the element of water?¡± Lou asked.

    ¡°Er¡­¡± I hesitated, unsure of how to give a short answer.

    The fundamentals of magic were nuanced, and were such a core part of my training that any words seemed to fall profoundly short of the true meaning.

    ¡°Um¡­ in short,¡± I said, ¡°It¡¯s because water is the middle phase, in between ice and steam, with some properties of both. So it is the chosen name for the element of balance, of emotion, of transformation.¡±

    They were looking at me like I¡¯d dropped my language spell. I nervously swallowed. Yes, my explanation was lacking, but did they want a proper lesson in the elements in the middle of the junkyard?

    ¡°That¡¯s enough for me,¡± Slick said. ¡°Aera, you just do your thing.¡±

    Lou nodded emphatically.

    Rather than being lacking¡­ it was too much of an explanation?

    ¡°So¡­¡± Lou said. ¡°When it comes to fixing things¡­ what can you do, exactly? What sort of things could you fix?¡±

    ¡°I can do simple physical changes with any material,¡± I said. ¡°Bending, reshaping, merging, breaking, dissolving, and so forth. So I should be able to fix absolutely anything, as long as all the material is there, and if I know - or am guided - in how it must be put back together.¡±

    ¡°Literally anything,¡± Lou said.

    I nodded meekly.

    She looked staggered, and Slick just shook his head disbelievingly.

    ¡°Yeah, I think this is going to work,¡± Lou said. ¡°Let¡¯s get a decent little haul, and head off to Kito¡¯s.¡±

    An hour or so later, Lou¡¯s bag was full of a variety of objects, and despite her objections, Slick was carrying it.

    We once again walked at a brisk pace all the way back into the city proper. If it weren¡¯t for my ability to use healing magic to ease the aches in my legs and feet, I would have been miserable.

    We finally made it to ¡°Kito¡¯s,¡± which was a store simply named ¡°Pawn Shop.¡± We entered in, and saw a variety of seemingly random items displayed.

    ¡°Hey, Kito,¡± Lou said to the middle aged man behind the counter.

    ¡°Lou,¡± he said, sounded honestly glad to see her.

    He glanced at Slick, greeting him less warmly, and then noticed me behind Slick¡¯s tall figure. His eyes widened for a moment, and then his grin grew.

    ¡°My, my, who is your new friend?¡± Kito asked Lou.

    ¡°Cut it out,¡± Lou said sharply, and Kito sighed. ¡°I got some stuff for you.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s see it, then,¡± Kito said, his eyes still fixed on me.

    Slick held out the bag, and Lou carefully pulled out the radio first. Kito¡¯s eyes narrowed.

    ¡°Where¡¯d you get this?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Same as usual,¡± she said.

    ¡°The junkyard?¡± he asked skeptically. ¡°That thing¡¯s in perfect condition.¡±

    She shrugged. ¡°Maybe some rich idiot threw it out when it broke. I fixed it. Should work. How much are you gonna give me for it?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s see if it works,¡± Kito said.

    He reached to the back of the radio and pulled a rubbery looking cord of some kind, with a pair of metal bits at the end. Those metal bits were inserted into tiny holes in the wall. Then, he pushed a circular thing on the front of the radio.

    ¡°What is that?!¡± I yelped in shock, as some strange hissing noise erupted from the box.

    ¡°Aera,¡± Lou said, giving me a look, ¡°Chill.¡±

    I gulped and quietly stared at the bizarre abomination.

    Kito gave me a strange look, then disregarded it and started twisting circular things.

    To my amazement, after a brief period of shifting warbles in the hiss, music emerged. My jaw hung open as I listened in wonder.

    They all acted like this was entirely normal. Kito kept turning the little circle. The hissing sound returned¡­ only this time, it was followed by the sound of people talking.

    At first, I wondered why the voices were in a different language, before I realized my language spell had slipped. I smiled and stepped behind Slick so that Kito couldn¡¯t see me recast it.

    He continued to twist the circle until some little moving indicator had gone all the way to the right, then reversed the twist, till the indicator moved to the far left.

    ¡°Since it works, I¡¯ll give you five dollars,¡± Kito said.

    Interesting. Slick made only one and three quarters of a dollar each day. This offer was equal to half a week¡¯s work.

    ¡°These ones sell for fifty,¡± Lou said, surprising me again. A full month¡¯s work.

    ¡°You got it from a junkyard,¡± Kito said. ¡°And they sell for fifty, new.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t tell it¡¯s not new,¡± Lou said. ¡°I¡¯ll take fifteen for it.¡±

    ¡°Not happening, kid,¡± Kito said. ¡°I¡¯ll throw in two extra dollars because I like you. Seven.¡±

    ¡°Nice knowing you, Kito,¡± Lou said, and went to take the radio.

    Kito sighed.

    ¡°Eight dollars,¡± he said, putting his hand on top of the radio.

    ¡°Keep going,¡± she said, with a sharp looking smile.

    He sighed again.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see the rest of what you have to offer,¡± Kito said. ¡°Let¡¯s not get too tangled on this one piece.¡±

    She chuckled and showed him the first dress, that she¡¯d wrapped the radio in.

    ¡°You can¡¯t tell me this was from a junkyard,¡± Kito said flatly. ¡°I don¡¯t deal in stolen goods, Lou.¡±

    ¡°It ain¡¯t stolen,¡± she said. ¡°I won¡¯t stoop to that.¡±

    ¡°Then how the hell did you get this?¡± he asked, holding out the silk like it was evidence of a crime.

    Lou looked at me, and said, ¡°She¡¯s good at fixing stuff. She took it, cleaned it up, mended it all, made it gorgeous again. It¡¯s like magic.¡±

    Slick grinned hugely at this, and I wondered why she¡¯d said that. Wouldn¡¯t Kito suspect the truth?

    He gave me an interested look.

    ¡°Aera¡¯s your name?¡± he said, smiling.

    ¡°Y-yes, sir,¡± I said.

    ¡°Do you just fix up dresses, or all clothes?¡±

    ¡°Er, I¡¯m from another country, so I¡¯m not very good with local fashion, but I can do repair work on anything,¡± I said.

    He laughed, ¡°I could tell you were from somewhere else with that accent. That¡¯s alright, though. Anyone who washes up on America¡¯s shores is welcome. Especially with your talents.¡±

    ¡°Speaking of, Kito,¡± Lou said, slyly, ¡°I was wondering about something.¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°Poor Aera,¡± Lou said, with an exaggerated sigh, ¡°She¡¯s just washed up here, and doesn¡¯t have a home or a job. I¡¯ve invited her to risk herself going k-balling with me in the junkyard, but you see how frail she is.¡±

    ¡°Uh huh,¡± Kito said, giving her a look.

    Then he shook his head with a little laugh.

    ¡°You¡¯re asking for a job,¡± he said to me.

    Money was apparently something I needed, so I awkwardly nodded.

    ¡°And a place to stay,¡± Lou added. ¡°So she¡¯d need a starting bonus, to get a place.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous, Lou,¡± Kito said.

    ¡°Would you have her live on the streets till she earns enough?¡± Lou said. ¡°Look at her¡­ could she even survive a night out there?¡±

    I wasn¡¯t sure what about my appearance made me look so weak to them. True, my muscles weren¡¯t very developed - not nearly as much as Lou¡¯s, even with her being underweight. Nor did I have scars of any kind. Were these the things that gave this impression?

    But of course I couldn¡¯t ask.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got a room upstairs¡­¡± Kito began.

    ¡°She ain¡¯t staying in your bed,¡± Lou interrupted with a glare.

    He rolled his eyes and Slick tried not to laugh out loud. I wasn¡¯t sure how to react, so I went with my usual awkward smile.

    ¡°It¡¯s a storage room,¡± he said. ¡°Well, it was, before my mother needed to visit, so it¡¯s still set up with the little bed I got.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯ll need privacy,¡± Lou said. ¡°If she gets the room, you don¡¯t go in there.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s my house,¡± Kito said, sounding annoyed.

    ¡°Her room.¡±

    He gave her a look, then glanced down at the dress. There was a greedy look in his eyes.

    ¡°Let me see what else is in the bag,¡± he said abruptly.

    Slick raised an eyebrow and handed it over. A few more articles of clothing came out, as well as some bits of decoration.

    ¡°Here¡¯s the deal,¡± Kito said. ¡°I hold everything you brought. She works here and stays here for one week. If it doesn¡¯t work out, she gets no pay for the week - just the room, not owing any rent, and I keep these to cover it. If it does work out, I¡¯ll negotiate a price for this set of goods for you. She¡¯ll be paid a cut for everything she makes or fixes up.¡±

    ¡°How much of a cut?¡± Lou asked.

    ¡°Five percent,¡± he said.

    ¡°That¡¯s a load of crap,¡± Lou said.

    ¡°She¡¯s not the one paying the bills,¡± Kito said.

    ¡°Ten percent, plus she never pays you rent, or any charges at all,¡± Lou countered.

    Kito frowned.

    ¡°Ten percent, but only on the things of hers that sell, not everything she makes,¡± Kito said.

    ¡°Plus no rent, and at least a dollar a day, no matter what does or doesn¡¯t sell,¡± Lou said.

    ¡°Fine, except not daily,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll guarantee five dollars a week.¡±

    Lou grinned. ¡°Deal. And if you cheat her, I¡¯ll have to ask again about your policy on guns.¡±

    She pulled out the gun again, but in a playful way. Still, the implied threat was there. Which didn¡¯t make sense, because why would a metal club in the hands of a teenaged girl threaten anyone?

    Kito rolled his eyes again.

    ¡°Put that thing away, Lou,¡± he said. ¡°You aren¡¯t even strong enough to pull the trigger.¡±

    Lou just laughed. Slick had a half admiring, half annoyed look on his face.

    ¡°So, Aera,¡± Kito said, looking at me, while Lou and Slick started packing all the things into one of Kito¡¯s boxes.

    ¡°Yes, sir?¡± I asked.

    He smiled warmly.

    ¡°Let¡¯s show you your room upstairs,¡± he said.

    I glanced at Lou and Slick, and was met with an encouraging smile. I followed Kito, and he led me behind the counter, to a set of stairs that wasn¡¯t visible from within the customer part of the shop.

    At the top, we went down a little hallway, with a few rooms attached.

    ¡°There¡¯s the kitchen,¡± he said, gesturing to the first room. ¡°You can feel free to use it, plus the bathroom over here.¡±

    Bathroom¡­ once the room¡¯s purpose translated, I smiled, but then frowned again as I glanced inside. Apparently I¡¯d still have to keep using my magic for internal cleaning until I asked Lou how to operate the device I saw within.

    ¡°And here¡¯s your room,¡± he said. ¡°Right next to mine. If you have any trouble, you can let me know right away.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± I said, looking into the small space. ¡°Um, sir, as Lou mentioned, I like privacy. Is it acceptable if I place a curtain or something along those lines, so that the majority of the room cannot be seen from the door?¡±

    ¡°Please, call me Kito,¡± he said. ¡°And you can do whatever you like in there, as long as nothing¡¯s permanent.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, si¡­ I mean, Kito,¡± I said.

    ¡°You¡¯re quite welcome, Aera,¡± he said, his voice warm. ¡°I very much hope this works out. I get the feeling you¡¯ll be a wonderful addition to the household.¡±

    The phrasing made me wonder about possible additional meanings, but I disregarded it. My language spell was imperfect, after all.

    So I simply smiled.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get a key made for you,¡± he said, making me a bit excited at the idea of having a chance to play with it at some point. ¡°But for now, you¡¯ll have to just ring the bell to get in when I¡¯m closed.¡±

    ¡°I understand,¡± I said. ¡°I think I should say farewell to my friends, and then I should perhaps get some clothing to work with.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve got plenty,¡± he said ruefully. ¡°There¡¯s a number of things out on the floor right now that would sell for a lot more if it were in better shape.¡±

    ¡°On the floor?¡± I asked.

    He laughed.

    ¡°The sales floor,¡± he said, ¡°That open area where the customers can look at what they might want to buy.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± I said. ¡°Well, then, I wish to prove my worth quickly. Shall we acquire them?¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± he said, raising an eyebrow. ¡°Won¡¯t you need some tools?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ yes, sir,¡± I said. ¡°I mean, Kito. But Lou has everything I need. I¡¯ll just¡­ grab the things. Please excuse me.¡±

    With that I tried to walk hastily back down to where Lou and Slick were, with Kito following behind. I wasn¡¯t very good at lying.

    I went downstairs and told the pair what I¡¯d told Kito.

    ¡°Here¡¯s the bag,¡± Lou said with a smile. ¡°You can pretend it isn¡¯t empty.¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ yes,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll do that.¡±

    ¡°Also, Aera,¡± Lou said warningly, leading me a little away from the curious pawn shop owner. ¡°You can¡¯t fix things too quickly.¡±

    ¡°Which would be how fast, exactly?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Maybe one to three items a day?¡± Lou suggested.

    ¡°Surely you jest!¡± I said. ¡°So little?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the problem,¡± Lou said. ¡°Don¡¯t do too much, or he¡¯ll get suspicious.¡±

    ¡°Very well, then,¡± I said. ¡°I will be cautious.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll come check on you,¡± Slick said. ¡°Don¡¯t let him get too friendly, either.¡±

    ¡°Too friendly?¡± I asked, confused.

    They shared an uncomfortable glance, which made me more nervous again.

    ¡°You don¡¯t owe him anything but the clothes you¡¯ll be working on,¡± Slick said.

    ¡°I am aware,¡± I said.

    ¡°Just don¡¯t let him push you into anything you¡¯re not comfortable with,¡± Lou said. ¡°Kito¡¯s got a bit of a reputation with women.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ see,¡± I said, though I was still confused. ¡°I can assure you that he won¡¯t be able to push me into anything.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± Slick said. ¡°We¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for all of your help,¡± I said.

    ¡°Our pleasure, Aera,¡± Slick said. ¡°Tomorrow, we¡¯ll talk a bit about how to get you home, now that you¡¯ve got a roof over your head.¡±

    I nodded, and with that, they headed out.

    Kito was putting a number of items into a box to bring upstairs.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about how many things I¡¯m grabbing,¡± Kito said, noticing my gaze. ¡°I¡¯m not sure which of these you can improve at all, so I thought I¡¯d just grab all the damaged ones for you to look over.¡±

    ¡°I appreciate it,¡± I said, clutching the empty bag, filling it with some pressure so it looked like it had items. ¡°Let me get settled into my room, and I will begin.¡±

    He nodded, and I headed upstairs.

    For the first time in my life, I had a job. I had someone in charge who wasn¡¯t a parent. Plus, with the money I¡¯d make, I could get various alien things from the city. I wasn¡¯t entirely unfamiliar with money - it was just a non issue for my family. And there were things like that radio¡­

    This could even be fun.

    As Kito brought me the box of items, I settled in, thinking about the future with a bit of hope.

 Ch. 3 - Settling In

    The next morning, as I was slowly dragging myself out of bed, I heard Lou and Kito talking downstairs. I briefly wondered about how thin the floors must be, for the sound to carry so well. I cast the language spell, being able to feel Lou¡¯s and Kito¡¯s spirits quite easily, with nothing but a bit of wood in the way. As was proper, of course, I didn¡¯t look too closely. It was considered rude to examine someone¡¯s soul without consent.

    As the spell took hold, I realized they were talking about me. Lou was wanting to make sure I was alright, and to see me. By the time Kito had said he¡¯d head upstairs to get me, I was already halfway down.

    ¡°Speak of the devil,¡± Kito said with a smile, and I smiled back uncertainly, my spell having a bit of trouble with the phrase.

    ¡°Aera,¡± Lou said, her voice indicating some strain, as her eyes tracked over my whole body. ¡°Are you well? Is Kito treating you alright?¡±

    ¡°What is it with you?¡± Kito asked, exasperated. ¡°I¡¯ve been a perfect gentleman.¡±

    Lou ignored him and waited for my response, leaving Kito to sigh in frustration.

    ¡°I am well, Lou,¡± I said. ¡°Really, you don¡¯t need to worry about me. I can take care of myself. Also, Kito is right - he has been a perfect gentleman.¡±

    Kito smiled at that, but Lou frowned.

    ¡°You can take care of yourself, can you?¡± Lou asked, her tone wry. ¡°No issues at all for me to worry about?¡±

    ¡°Er¡­ is something wrong?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Oh, nothing much,¡± Lou said. ¡°Let¡¯s head off to Alice¡¯s place, ¡®cause there¡¯s some confusion to get cleared up.¡±

    ¡°Something I could help with?¡± Kito asked, clearly motivated more by curiosity than generosity.

    ¡°Nah, just a misunderstanding,¡± Lou said. ¡°Aera being new to the States, and all.¡±

    Kito just nodded, and I squeaked out a farewell before following Lou out.

    ¡°What happened?¡± I asked, as soon as we were out of Kito¡¯s earshot.

    ¡°Just a bit of a surprise for Alice, on coming home,¡± Lou said wryly. ¡°Apparently you really are quite good at cleaning.¡±

    ¡°Are your people unable to clean things at all?¡± I asked. ¡°I assumed that things were mostly filthy due to it being costly to maintain, rather than impossible.¡±

    She gave me a disbelieving look.

    ¡°We mostly just use soap and water,¡± she said dryly. ¡°It generally gets the job done.¡±

    ¡°What is soap?¡± I asked.

    Lou just sighed, long and hard, before responding.

    ¡°Do you do anything at all without magic?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t generally use magic to breathe,¡± I said, after a moment. ¡°Though¡­ I did at the Grove, because the air was so filthy. So¡­ actually, I don¡¯t think I do.¡±

    She rubbed at the bridge of her nose like my answer was giving her a headache.

    ¡°Are all of your people like that? Dependent on magic for everything?¡±

    I laughed, ¡°No, not at all. My situation was unusual. I was raised by extraordinarily powerful spellcasters, who¡­ well, they hoped I¡¯d take after them, and help with their research.¡±

    My tone had turned melancholy, ¡°I¡¯m a bit of a disappointment to them. I¡¯ve been raised with magic as the cornerstone of my every movement, but all I¡¯ve ever really cared about was tending to my garden.¡±

    ¡°So they made you depend on magic?¡± she asked, genuinely curious again.

    I nodded.

    ¡°Most people don¡¯t train in magic till they¡¯re older, but my first spells predate my earliest memories,¡± I said. ¡°From the time I could heal, they no longer tended my injuries, unless those injuries exceeded my skill. From the time I could shift and color fabric, they refused to let me acquire clothing from anywhere, insisting I craft it myself. If it could be done with magic, and I had the skill, I had to use magic. I was never given an alternative. Nearly every waking moment of my life, if I wasn¡¯t reading, I was practicing magic, in some way or another.¡±

    ¡°That explains a lot,¡± Lou said, looking contemplative.

    We were quiet for the rest of the walk, as I wasn¡¯t really sure how to have a conversation, beyond answering questions.

    We arrived at Alice¡¯s apartment and Lou knocked on the door. Scarcely seconds later, Slick opened it.

    ¡°Aera, Lou,¡± he said, sounding relieved. ¡°Come in.¡±

    As we stepped inside, we saw Alice looking a strange blend of confused, annoyed, and a little bit frightened.

    ¡°Welcome,¡± Alice said, ¡°Slick tells me that for some reason, Aera, you¡¯re the only person who can explain how my apartment got so clean. Not that I¡¯m complaining, of course, but I just didn¡¯t understand it, and then Slick was telling me that he didn¡¯t want to lie to me, and that he didn¡¯t know what to do, and then he got Lou, and¡­¡±

    ¡°And now Aera¡¯s here,¡± Lou said, cutting off Alice¡¯s high speed explanation.

    ¡°And apparently this is a really big deal,¡± Alice said, seeming to ignore Lou. ¡°I had to make promises not to reveal a secret? And somehow all this because my walls are clean? I mean, I just wanted to know what kind of cleaner you used! I had no idea they even were that color!¡±

    ¡°Now that Aera¡¯s here,¡± Lou said, ¡°We can show you, because you wouldn¡¯t have believed it otherwise.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll want to sit down, honey,¡± Slick said, and confused, Alice settled down on the couch. Her annoyance seemed to be shifting to fear.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to fear,¡± I said. ¡°My ability may be unusual for your people, but it is a wonderful thing.¡±

    ¡°Your ability,¡± Alice repeated.

    ¡°She¡¯ll show you,¡± Slick said. ¡°So don¡¯t worry about thinking it¡¯s made up or nothing.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a trick,¡± Lou said. ¡°I promise you that. She¡¯s for real.¡±

    With that, Lou and Slick were looking at me expectantly.

    For some reason, this made me feel much more nervous than when I¡¯d demonstrated my skill to Lou. I tried to brush it away, but my throat was getting tight.

    ¡°I can do magic,¡± I said, my voice scarcely above a whisper, almost sounding like a question.

    Alice simply blinked, seeming uncertain.

    ¡°You got a cup that you don¡¯t mind looking different?¡± Lou asked.

    ¡°A cup?¡± Alice said, sounding dazed. ¡°Yes, of course, grab whichever one you like from the kitchen.¡±

    Lou stepped into the kitchen and brought out a simple mug. She handed it to me.

    ¡°I will change this,¡± I said. ¡°Do you have a favorite color, or design?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I like gold, and shimmering things,¡± she said, her voice still off.

    The simple yellow mug shifted in my hand, as I guided my will into it. Beauty was my favorite aspect of magic, as I found nothing quite as satisfying as having an ethereal image in my mind manifest for all the world to see.

    The yellow took on a metallic sheen, and I decided to blend it with a pattern involving black and silver, to make the gold stand out in magnificent comparison. When I was done, it looked like a somewhat abstract field of wheat against the night sky. The ¡°gold¡± was mesmerizing, with the way I¡¯d structured miniscule prisms in its surface, causing the wheat to move strangely in the light, almost as if it were an illusion on a black surface.

    Two dimensional painting wasn¡¯t my preferred art, which was flower sculpting, but I¡¯d nonetheless spent many, many hours on designs like this. This particular one was one of my favorite standbys, with different color combinations, when I wasn¡¯t sure what to make. I was pleased with the result, and handed it over to Alice, who looked like she was in a state of shock.

    She held the cup, and traced her fingers over the delicate patterns.

    ¡°Wow,¡± she said simply, after a minute. ¡°Magic.¡±

    A long moment passed as she just gazed at the cup.

    Then she turned on Slick abruptly.

    ¡°How could you?¡± she yelled. ¡°How could you know about this and not tell me?¡±

    ¡°I was gonna!¡± he said, almost squeaking as he recoiled. ¡°I only just found out! We were figuring out what to do!¡±

    ¡°You had her stay at my home and didn¡¯t tell me she could use magic!¡±

    ¡°I¡­ yeah, but she¡¯s nice¡­¡±

    ¡°Nice?! She can use magic, Slick!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but she¡¯s just a gal -¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, ¡®just a gal?¡¯¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t let me finish! She¡¯s just a person, y¡¯know, who¡¯s lost and alone and scared, and I had to help her, and I didn¡¯t know what to do!¡±

    Alice stopped in her tracks at that, the heat slipping from her face.

    ¡°That¡¯s true?¡± she asked, looking at me.

    I nodded, looking down.

    ¡°My parents were trying to find another world,¡± I said. ¡°A¡­ better one. They were building something to hopefully find it, to visit it. Something went wrong, and there was an explosion. Next thing I knew, I was here. I am¡­ I am alone. My family, my home, my entire world is gone.¡±

    By the time I got to the end of my explanation, I¡¯d started choking up again.

    ¡°Oh, sweetie,¡± Alice said, coming over to me and giving me a hug. I cried into her shoulder a little.

    Thus began a startlingly pleasant evening.

    Unlike Lou and Slick, who regarded my abilities with considerable paranoia, Alice preferred to wax optimistic. She didn¡¯t want to worry or think about the things that could go wrong, instead asking me about all the fun aspects of magic. I shared happy stories, and projects I¡¯d been most proud of.

    In turn, she talked about some aspects of her childhood, relating to my feeling of loneliness. She was an orphan, taken in by an older woman named Dorothy. That was how she¡¯d met Lou and Slick - the pair had rather absent parents, and Dorothy had stepped in to give them a bit more grounding.

    Dorothy was apparently a bit of a spitfire. All three spoke of her with almost reverent tones. It was also Dorothy that had gotten Lou her gun, and taught her how to use it.

    I took that opportunity to finally ask what a gun did. Turned out, it was just a strange stone thrower, that threw metal stones at high speed. I couldn¡¯t imagine how that could pose my defensive spells any trouble at all, and told them as much. Alice immediately changed the subject, not wanting to even think about anyone shooting at me, while Lou looked at me speculatively.

    The day ended, with my heart much more at ease than it had been. By the end of my first week, I was even relatively settled into my routine, though I still held out hope that my parents might swoop in and rescue me.

    <hr>

    ¡°It¡¯s a gramophone,¡± Slick said with a grin, putting the disk - the vinyl - into the device.

    It was the highlight of the first junkyard dive after I¡¯d started at Kito¡¯s. It began spinning, and he put some sort of pin on the disk. Music started playing, startling me.

    ¡°It¡¯s like the radio?¡± I asked.

    He laughed.

    Rick, the saxophone player, just grinned at me. He seemed especially amused at my ignorance. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    The drummer, Johnny, was oddly quiet for someone who liked such a massively loud instrument. He was simply stretching, getting ready for another bout of practice after the break.

    ¡°Nope,¡± Slick said. ¡°The radio plays music from a radio tower - you just turn the dial to listen in. This here, all the music is on the vinyl. You can listen to it whenever you like.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand it at all,¡± I said with a shy smile. ¡°But it is marvelous. And you¡¯ll be making one of these?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the plan,¡± he said with a wistful tone. ¡°The Cocoanut Grove is a great club. Bigwigs come sometimes, and when they do, I¡¯ll knock their socks off.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll knock their socks off,¡± Ricky corrected.

    ¡°Yeah, we will,¡± Slick said with a bright grin.

    Oddly enough, my translation spell managed the strange sock comment reasonably well, since it was a straightforward phrase in his mind, but ¡°bigwigs¡± only meant ¡°someone important,¡± it seemed.

    ¡°What sort of bigwigs?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Producers,¡± Slick said.

    ¡°People who make things?¡± I said.

    He laughed again.

    ¡°Yeah, kinda,¡± he agreed. ¡°The folks who take bands like ours, The Boston Boys, and turn our music into vinyls, and play them on the radio. That way, the whole country will hear the songs. If I get picked up by a producer, I¡¯ll make good money, but the biggest thing, I¡¯ll be somebody.¡±

    Ricky nodded in agreement, his face alight. Johnny just smiled.

    ¡°Have you met the producers before?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No,¡± he said. ¡°We¡¯ve been practicing real hard, and we¡¯re almost ready. We just need a cellist. Then, next time one comes to the club...¡±

    The spell balked again.

    ¡°Cellist? An¡­ instrument player of some kind?¡± I said.

    ¡°The cello,¡± he said, nodding.

    ¡°Why do you need that specific instrument?¡± I asked.

    ¡°The song,¡± he said with a sigh. ¡°The song in my head. I know what it needs, and it needs a cello. It needs it, for just that right zing.¡±

    ¡°Are cellists hard to find?¡±

    He shrugged, a little dejected.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± he said. ¡°I mean, there¡¯s a good bunch of cellists around, but I need the right one. I need someone who¡¯s passionate about their music, who¡¯ll fit with the band right.¡±

    ¡°And someone who¡¯s cheap,¡± Ricky said wryly.

    ¡°We¡¯ll make good money,¡± Slick said, crossing his arms. ¡°We¡¯ll make it.¡±

    ¡°I can understand the challenge,¡± I said with a smile. He needed something from someone, and had nothing to offer. However¡­ ¡°I might be able to help.¡±

    Ricky laughed, to my surprise. ¡°I bet you could, at that. No one could tell you ¡®no,¡¯ I¡¯ll wager.¡±

    I blushed at the implication.

    Fortunately, Slick did not misinterpret my meaning.

    ¡°Could you, now?¡± he said, his glance flicking back to his bandmates. ¡°Maybe we ought to do that, then. I¡¯ll finish writing up this song, getting mine, and Ricky¡¯s, and Johnny¡¯s parts all perfect, so we leave a good impression on our new cellist.¡±

    It was good to have another task to work on. Creating a spell that would get me the information I needed, without being so intrusive as to be rude, would take some thinking.

    Though, it only occupied me for a few days.

    I had a plan. There were some long term issues, but as I wasn¡¯t thinking about those yet, it was fine. I was going to make money through Kito, since he¡¯d shown no sign of even being tempted to cheat me, once he started seeing my creations. I¡¯d use that money to get settled into a place of my own, and build a lab. I¡¯d build a portal like my parents had, and then when it came time to actually begin enchanting it¡­ that was good enough for now.

    At least Alice was good company. She liked to talk about all sorts of topics and enjoyed showing me around town. Her attitude towards Slick improved considerably, since she thought how he was handling the situation was admirable.

    Even she thought that I was such an easy target to take advantage of, that his refusal to do so on any level was apparently incredible.

    It was cute, if frustrating. Sharing strengths with friends is morally fine, of course - I was ¡°taking advantage¡± of the knowledge, skills, and connections of all three, and their use of my skills were likewise reasonable. But beyond that, I could not be forced by any means that I could think of, that their people had access to. I tried to tell them this, but they didn''t understand, so I let it go.

    Kito had been charming from the first day, if a tad suspicious of me. His suspicions only grew that first week, but when I feigned mere shyness as my reason to avoid showing my work - an easy feat - he relented.

    Lou and Slick wouldn¡¯t take any money from me, even when I insisted. The best I could do was pay for food and drinks at the Cocoanut Grove, so they could have decent meals, as well as fixing up radios for Lou to sell to Kito. Sometimes she sold to other pawn shops, too, so that she could sell a larger quantity without suspicion.

    This miniscule favor proved to be quite the boon for their family. Slick didn¡¯t need to work as much at the docks, letting him invest more time into his music. His improvement was considerable, partly due to said practice, and also likely due to his improved health.

    He even let me clean out his lungs, which was a rather grotesque process. The slimy, black tar that filled his lungs came out like some sort of snake, and left him vomiting in disgust afterwards. Between that and healing the damage in his lungs, his lung capacity was far improved, which he took full advantage of.

    My only real complaint - barring the fundamental one of being trapped in an alien world - was my rate of income. With such extreme limitations on how much I could create, I was making only three or four dollars a day. To purchase land and enough resources to properly establish myself¡­

    My income wasn¡¯t nearly sufficient. I wasn''t sure how to ask about improving it without either causing suspicion in Kito, or offense in my friends, since I was already making so much more than they were.

    I was also getting bored. The pace was so slow that I simply created a week''s worth of goods at a time, to ration out carefully. I also made a few fun pieces, glittering and extravagant, to amuse myself.

    <hr>

    ¡°This will fit you marvelously,¡± I said, smiling at the customer who held one of my pieces.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s a bit long, I think.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s fine,¡± I said. ¡°I can take it in a bit for you.¡±

    ¡°How much extra will that cost?¡± she asked, making Kito grin.

    ¡°Nothing at all,¡± I said, pretending not to notice Kito¡¯s face falling.

    He was already making enough money off of me.

    ¡°Though that¡¯s just reason to get more things, to highlight your lovely face,¡± Kito said.

    ¡°Tailoring work, for free?¡± the woman asked me, after giving Kito a flushed smile.

    ¡°Simple, quick fixes, on our goods,¡± I said. ¡°And only when I¡¯m here, naturally.¡±

    ¡°Which she often isn¡¯t,¡± Kito said. ¡°Making this a good opportunity.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t mind him,¡± I said to the woman, earning me a smile. ¡°He¡¯s always focused on making money. What matters is finding something that won¡¯t hurt your bank account, but will make you feel beautiful.¡±

    ¡°But Aera, she¡¯s already beautiful,¡± Kito said charmingly, earning another flush from the woman. ¡°Only the finest dresses could match that smile.¡±

    I shook my head at Kito¡¯s antics. He never failed to flirt with the female customers. It often worked, too, inspiring them to purchase a variety of things - mostly jewelry, previously. It had previously been his favorite thing to sell, but the clothes had been making considerable profit since I¡¯d arrived. He¡¯d even rearranged the sales floor to highlight the clothing in particular.

    I could never quite tell if his flirting was because of his obsession with women, or with money. Or if it were both.

    After reading a book for a few minutes, to account for the time it ¡°should¡± take to trim the clothes to fit her, I took the few dresses she wanted back downstairs. She tried them on again in the little curtained alcove, and I surreptitiously used magic to perfect the fit from a few feet away.

    It was fortunate that with my magic I could ¡°see¡± through things, else my lack of skill regarding predicting fit would have been a bit obvious.

    With my mage sense - the sensory ability a person develops as they awaken their ability to use magic - the easiest thing to ¡°see¡± is magic itself. Since life is fundamentally the same stuff as magic, I am able to detect life with considerable ease. All that the adjustment took was infusing a bit of magic into the cloth, so that I could perceive it easily, and compare how it felt next to the life in her body.

    After the woman purchased the dresses, Kito turned to me.

    ¡°Aera, my dear, you really can charge the women for your labors,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll even let you keep a large cut of it.¡±

    ¡°If I make it for sale, then I feel my services could be demanded of me,¡± I said. ¡°I should rather simply increase the number that are sold, and maintain my freedom of discretion for whether I offer it at all.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing you have me, then,¡± he said. ¡°I would protect you from anyone who tries to pressure you.¡±

    ¡°If a customer offered a good price for my services, but was annoying and rude, would you truly reject them, to spare me the annoyance?¡± I asked.

    He reached over to take my hand, and I smiled again. It was a quirk of his, it seemed, that he was always touching me. My hand, my shoulder, occasionally my hair. Though it was odd that I never saw him do so with anyone else.

    ¡°I would gallantly deal with all of the annoyance, so you wouldn¡¯t have to,¡± he said.

    ¡°Hmph. You¡¯d ¡®gallantly¡¯ deal with most anything, for more money,¡± I said.

    ¡°True,¡± he said, smiling wryly. ¡°You know me so well.¡±

    It¡¯s hardly a compliment, I thought to myself.

    He squeezed my hand.

    ¡°But for you, my dear, I¡¯d be willing to do more than I¡¯d do for most,¡± he said.

    ¡°Only because I make you money,¡± I said.

    There was a strange look in his eyes as he responded.

    ¡°More than that,¡± he said, his thumb caressing the back of my hand. ¡°For the pleasure of your touch, I would do almost anything.¡±

    My language spell was implying that there was a jumble of meanings that might be attached to his words, but wasn¡¯t thorough enough to know anything for certain. So I simply took it at face value.

    ¡°Then, I suppose it¡¯s good for you that I don¡¯t charge you for this,¡± I said, lifting our clasped hands with a smirk.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t expect you to be the sort of woman to charge for a touch,¡± he said, smiling almost mischievously.

    ¡°Certainly not,¡± I laughed. ¡°I don¡¯t even charge for my labor!¡±

    He laughed a little, letting go of my hand. His laughter seemed a bit off, like he was perhaps a little frustrated about something.

    It was a lovely fall afternoon, three weeks into my time on Earth. Slick had invited me to the Cocoanut Grove again for his performance. He played for them every few days, and enjoyed having me there. I imagined it was primarily because of Alice, since I would chat with her and tip very well.

    He was going to meet me at Kito¡¯s shop, but as usual, I preferred to wait outside. Boston was thick with life, with trees and bushes everywhere. I saw no reason to be kept indoors.

    I excused myself from Kito, to go and get ready, now that the business seemed to be winding down again. After I¡¯d gotten dressed appropriately for the Grove, I went to the door.

    ¡°Aera, hold on just a second,¡± Kito said, coming up next to me.

    ¡°Yes?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been meaning to ask you something,¡± he said. ¡°Do you have a minute?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± I said.

    ¡°You¡¯re a beautiful woman,¡± he said, making me flush and look at my feet in embarrassment. ¡°I¡¯ve been honored to be able to help you feel welcome here, in Boston. I like to think that you¡¯re happy here, working with me in the shop?¡±

    This felt very personal. I just smiled at him in response, too nervous to actually answer. I wasn¡¯t sure where he was going with this. He took this as an affirmative.

    ¡°Well, miss Aera, I was hoping that you enjoy working with me as much as I enjoy working with you,¡± he said. ¡°And that you might want to spend more time with me.¡±

    I tried to respond, and failed to make my throat work. I just swallowed instead, looking up at him timidly.

    After a moment, where he realized I wasn¡¯t going to say something, he just cleared his throat, making me realize he was a little nervous, too.

    ¡°Aera Koryn,¡± he said, his tone taking on a measure of formality. ¡°I would like to ask for permission to court you.¡±

    My jaw dropped and my mind went blank.

    He¡­ he wanted¡­

    A flush filled my cheeks as I remembered some of the more awkward lessons my mother had taught me. I¡¯d not thought of Kito like that¡­ imagining him, within the context of those rather graphic explanations, left me bright red and speechless.

    Not just speechless. I wasn¡¯t sure I remembered to breathe.

    ¡°Aera?¡± he asked, looking concerned.

    He said a little more, but for some reason I didn¡¯t understand¡­

    My eyes widened with horror as I realized. The language spell!

    He spoke again, seeming confused, no doubt recognizing the look of fear on my face.

    I took a step back, panicking. I didn¡¯t know what he said. I didn¡¯t know what I was supposed to do. The spell took several seconds to cast, and was difficult, requiring concentration. I couldn¡¯t cast it here, now¡­

    Tears filled my eyes as terror gripped me. Failure¡­ I¡¯d failed¡­ I didn¡¯t even know what failure meant, but I had, I¡¯d made a mistake, and my friends were sure that it would be bad, and it was all my fault, and¡­

    I couldn¡¯t handle this. I bolted, throwing myself out the door, running down the street, hazily turning in the direction with which I was most familiar. Kito yelled something behind me. I saw Slick on the sidewalk, heading my way. I ran right into him, clinging onto him desperately, hiding behind him, lost to my own panic.

    He steadied me, looking at my tear filled face, before turning to Kito angrily.

    Kito was bewildered, and Slick was protective. I was still too shaken to cast the spell, but the conversation was easy to follow even without words.

    Slick believed Kito had done something bad, and was accusing him. Kito was defending himself. Slick didn¡¯t believe him. They tried to ask me something, and I cringed away, afraid to speak, afraid to give myself away by speaking the wrong language. Slick took this as confirmation, and his words were so thick with hostility that their meaning could not be lost - he was threatening Kito. Kito was furious at the accusation and threat, expressed hostility back to Slick, and then angrily made his way back to his shop.

    The whole while I was shrinking even more into my skin, feeling petrified that I was still making things worse, too panicked to even begin to come up with an idea of what I should do. I just wanted someone else to decide¡­

    Slick made that easy. He asked me something, and when I cringed away again, he just spoke in soothing tones, leading me away. Following was easy. I could do that.

    He took me to a strange building. It was long and flat, only one story, but with dozens of doors, and was in poor shape. We went into the largest, most ornate door - which wasn¡¯t saying much - and inside was a man behind a counter, looking like a store owner, though I didn¡¯t see any goods. Slick spoke with him briefly, then handed over some money. The store owner gave him something small in return.

    We went back outside, and went to one of the many other doors. Slick pulled out a key and opened the door, making me abruptly realize the obvious - this was an inn of some kind. Inside was as shoddy as outside, but it had all the necessities.

    Slick sat me down on the bed, and continued to speak soothingly.

    He excused himself to briefly use the phone - another of their marvelous creations. Naturally, I had no idea what was said. He returned to sitting next to me. He was mostly repeating himself at that point.

    After a little while, I calmed down enough to cast the language spell.

    ¡°...he did, it¡¯s okay, Aera. You don¡¯t have to see him ever again, okay?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± I said, swallowing. ¡°I just dropped the language spell.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± he asked, looking taken aback. ¡°What do you mean? What happened?¡±

    ¡°He¡­ asked to court me,¡± I said. ¡°I panicked, dropped the language spell, panicked some more, and then fled.¡±

    He just stared at me for a minute.

    ¡°He was telling the truth,¡± he said flatly.

    ¡°Er¡­ probably?¡± I said. ¡°I didn¡¯t know what you were saying.¡±

    He stared at me for another minute, then abruptly let loose a series of curses. After an interestingly educational litany, he abruptly stopped.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± he said, looking abashed. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t curse in front of a lady.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s quite alright,¡± I said, mildly confused. Apparently flowers were for women and cursing was for men?

    ¡°This isn¡¯t good,¡± he said. ¡°I kind of told him off, thinking he had to have done something awful to put you in such a state. But it was just him asking you for a date¡­¡±

    ¡°More losing my spell, really,¡± I said in a small voice.

    He sighed.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got to go talk to him,¡± he said. ¡°He¡¯s mad at you, thinking that you were being cruel to him by not defending him, when we were talking. So I¡¯ll go and make things right. You can stay here tonight, and leave things to Lou and I. We¡¯ll take care of everything.¡±

    And as I would regret for the rest of my life, I agreed.

 Ch. 4 - Blood and Tears

    Slick closed the door behind him, leaving the wide-eyed girl behind. The fragile thing had no idea how to deal with the real world. He headed off at a brisk pace back to Kito¡¯s, thinking over how he¡¯d apologize.

    By the time he¡¯d arrived, it¡¯d been an hour. To his surprise, the shop was locked up. It gave him an uneasy feeling.

    ¡°Kito?¡± he called out.

    ¡°Bring Aera here!¡± Kito yelled back.

    Slick was taken aback. That was nothing like the script he¡¯d been working out in his head. He figured best to go along with his plan anyway.

    ¡°I, uh, I talked to Aera, and apparently it was all a misunderstanding,¡± Slick said.

    ¡°A misunderstanding, all right,¡± Kito said, scoffing. ¡°She¡¯s a fairy! And you¡¯ll bring her back here!¡±

    ¡°A¡­ what?¡±

    He vaguely remembered stuff about fairies. Like the tooth fairy. But what did that have to do with Aera?

    ¡°After what happened, I went into her room,¡± Kito said. ¡°The things in there¡­ I know the truth about her, Slick! You won¡¯t keep her from me.¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± Slick said, frowning. ¡°Okay, well, seems like we need to talk. Can I come in?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Kito said. ¡°But watch yourself.¡±

    Slick walked up to the door and opened it. His eyes locked onto the long, metallic barrel of a shotgun pointed at his face and immediately raised his hands in surrender.

    ¡°O-okay,¡± Slick said. ¡°That¡¯s not necessary, Kito.¡±

    ¡°Bullshit,¡± Kito said. ¡°The stuff in that room¡­ the kind of money I could make¡­ I¡¯m going to be a rich man, Slick. Filthy rich. And you¡¯re not keeping that from me.

    Slick couldn¡¯t think properly with a gun in his face. Reality seemed to narrow down to the basics.

    ¡°I ain¡¯t going to let you hurt Aera,¡± Slick said.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to hurt her,¡± Kito said. ¡°She¡¯s just going to do what she¡¯s already been doing, up in her room. Just making those things that she¡¯s been keeping from me.¡±

    ¡°How about I just talk to her about all this?¡± Slick said.

    ¡°You will bring her back to me,¡± Kito said. ¡°You got that? I know her secret. If I can¡¯t have her, then you can¡¯t, either. I¡¯ll tell everyone.¡±

    ¡°Got it,¡± Slick said. ¡°I¡¯ll, uh, I¡¯ll go tell her. She¡¯s a good walk away, so it¡¯ll be a bit.¡±

    ¡°Move fast, then.¡±

    He backed out of the building, and then started running. Not towards the hotel, but back to his house.

    Moving quietly, he slipped past his father, who was drunkenly snoring on the couch. He¡¯d always been a drunk, and it had only gotten worse since the economy crashed. Slick didn¡¯t want to get his attention.

    His mother was in bed. It was getting quite late, now about ten at night. Lou would still be awake - she was more of a night owl.

    The door to Lou¡¯s room didn¡¯t close properly, but Slick knocked anyway, holding it steady so it didn¡¯t open.

    ¡°Come in,¡± she said.

    ¡°We gotta go outside,¡± Slick said in a low voice, as soon as he stuck his head in.

    Lou nodded and immediately hopped up, leaving a pile of radio parts at her feet.

    Once outside, Slick told her what had happened.

    ¡°And then I went to go talk to him. He figured out she¡¯s magic, looking at the stuff in her room. Said she¡¯s a fairy, says she¡¯ll make him stuff to sell, make him rich. He¡¯s saying that if I don¡¯t bring him Aera, he¡¯s gonna tell everyone,¡± Slick said. ¡°I dunno what to do.¡±

    ¡°He can¡¯t have her,¡± Lou said, frowning and crossing her arms. ¡°Just forcing her like that, for money? That¡¯s disgusting.¡±

    ¡°I tried to tell him,¡± Slick said. ¡°But he was pointing a gun at me¡­¡±

    ¡°Wait, wait,¡± Lou said, going cold. ¡°He pointed a gun at you?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s crazy,¡± Slick said, shaking his head. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen him like this.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s always been a bit nutty over money,¡± Lou said. ¡°This, though... ¡°

    She shook her head.

    ¡°Go back to Aera,¡± she said. ¡°She stays in the hotel until this all blows over. I¡¯ll talk to Kito. Aera gets it in her head that she can handle things, and she might try to get involved.¡±

    Slick sighed. ¡°Poor thing¡¯s clueless.¡±

    Lou nodded emphatically. ¡°She¡¯s even been raised like magic¡¯s the only thing she needs to fix everything. She¡¯s crazy sheltered.¡±

    Slick nodded in agreement. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Lou. I won¡¯t tell her nothing that¡¯ll shock her. I¡¯ll just say that Kito¡¯s freaking out and you¡¯re going to fix it.¡±

    ¡°Right. We¡¯ve got the plan. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    She watched her brother¡¯s back as he ran back towards the city.

    Slick could be clueless sometimes, but he was a good person. He¡¯d been there for her since she was little, since before they met Dorothy. He dropped out of school to get a job, to support their family, like the useless lump of flesh, pathetic excuse for a father ought to have been doing.

    He¡¯d been there for her. Now it was her turn.

    She made her way to the shop in a strange state. She should be angry¡­ she was angry, but this wasn¡¯t the hot anger she¡¯d known before. This was cold, and settled into her bones. Kito had threatened her brother.

    It was midnight by the time she¡¯d arrived at Kito¡¯s. Being late September, it was a bit chilly, in the high sixties. The little street was completely abandoned.

    She walked up next to the window and cautiously looked inside. There she saw what must be Kito, barely visible in the dim light from the street. He was holding the shotgun. She quickly sidestepped, to stand between the window and the door.

    Her hand reached into her jacket and grabbed the polished wood handle of the .38 special that Dorothy had given her. She''d never actually shot it at anyone, but the heavy thing was huge, especially in her small hands, and was enough to make anyone pause. It was older - made in the 20''s - but packed one hell of a punch.

    She wouldn''t use it. Even though he pointed his gun at her brother. It was for self defense.

    The ice in her heart didn''t quite believe these words. The chill matched the heavy coolness of the trigger as she held it out of view beneath his window.

    ¡°Kito!¡± she yelled.

    ¡°Lou?¡± he called back. ¡°He was supposed to bring me Aera!¡±

    She¡¯d not heard his voice like this. He sounded half mad.

    ¡°We ain¡¯t bringing you Aera,¡± Lou said, almost growling. ¡°She¡¯s not your prize, Kito.¡±

    ¡°The fuck she isn¡¯t,¡± Kito said. ¡°She¡¯s mine. I hired her, I housed her. I¡¯ll keep her secret.¡±

    Scratch that. He sounded completely mad.

    ¡°She¡¯s a person,¡± Lou said, giving the window a death glare.

    ¡°No person I ever met could make things like that,¡± Kito said. ¡°She¡¯s some sort of fairy, something else. And who are you to argue? You¡¯ve been getting money from her, too! It¡¯s my turn!¡±

    ¡°For fuck¡¯s sake, Kito,¡± Lou said. ¡°Are you even listening to yourself?¡±

    She carefully moved her head over to the window to peek inside. Kito was staring at the door, where her voice was loudest. He was holding the shotgun, but not pointing it at the door.

    ¡°You¡¯re one to talk,¡± Kito said. ¡°I thought we were friends, Lou! How could you use her to make money off me, and not even tell me?¡±

    ¡°Fuck this entire conversation,¡± Lou said. ¡°Here¡¯s the real question, Kito. Did you point a fucking shotgun at my brother?¡±

    ¡°So what if I did?¡± Kito said. ¡°He turned on me first. You should have heard the things he accused me of!¡±

    ¡°And that makes it okay to point a damned shotgun at him?¡±

    ¡°He showed his true colors,¡± Kito said. ¡°Turning on me like that, keeping my prize from me.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± Lou said. ¡°Here¡¯s how this is gonna go, Kito. You will apologize to my brother, you will never say a word about Aera, and you never, ever see her again.¡±

    ¡°Just you try and make me,¡± Kito said, and Lou saw him swing his shotgun towards the door.

    That bitter cold filled her heart again and she pulled out her gun, holding it just like Dorothy taught her. The weight of the gun seemed to magnify as she stepped aside to look through the window.

    The shadow, who had threatened what was most dear to her, stepped back as he realized she wasn¡¯t at the door. The long barrel of the gun raised and Lou¡¯s heart thudded in her ears. Her small hands moved her gun into position.

    The echo of a gunshot rang out through the night. The neighbors heard the sound of screaming, and got up from their beds to try to see what had happened. The dim streetlights showed little, but they did see a figure calmly walking down the street. The police were called.

    Sirens filled the night air as an ambulance sped down the empty streets.

    Slick saw the pale figure approaching his house and leapt to his feet, despite his fatigue.

    ¡°Lou!¡± he cried. ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± she said, sitting down on the front steps next to him.

    He swallowed uneasily. He¡¯d never seen her like this.

    ¡°What happened?¡± he asked.

    They listened to the wind knocking around debris for a few, long minutes before Lou spoke.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!

    ¡°Kito got himself a little case of lead poisoning,¡± she said at last.

    Slick paled. He took a moment to speak.

    ¡°Is he dead?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± she said, and Slick sagged in relief. ¡°But his knee ain¡¯t in such good shape.¡±

    ¡°Did anyone see you?¡± Slick asked.

    ¡°I dunno,¡± Lou said with a shrug. The casual gesture was at odds with the hollow sound of her voice. ¡°No one was outside, but that gun¡¯s loud, you know?¡±

    ¡°Maybe you should get rid of it,¡± Slick said.

    Lou shook her head.

    ¡°It¡¯s mine,¡± she said. ¡°It protected me. ¡®Sides, he was pointing the shotgun at you, first.¡±

    Slick sighed again, rubbing his eyes.

    ¡°Maybe we should get some sleep,¡± Slick said.

    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t think I can sleep.¡±

    He put a hand on her shoulder.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll stay out here with you as long as you need.¡±

    <hr>

    Saturday, September 21st. It was a lovely day. The sun was shining, the weather was in the 70¡¯s - perfect for a stroll outside - and I could see birds flitting through the trees in the wind. I had been watching the birds for hours, from the hotel window, and the sun had begun to dip towards the horizon.

    A dark cloud descended when I heard the knocks on the door. The ache of throbbing spirits chilled me from beyond it. I opened the door to see Lou and Slick attempting, badly, to smile at me.

    ¡°Lou, Slick,¡± I said, letting them in. ¡°Please, tell me what happened.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re safe, Aera,¡± Lou said, though I knew something was wrong from her tone. ¡°He won¡¯t bother you anymore.¡±

    ¡°But what happened?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Slick said. He, too, looked shaken. ¡°Just¡­ just let it go, alright? Kito¡¯s not a concern anymore.¡±

    ¡°This is not comforting,¡± I said, feeling a bubble of anger rising. ¡°Protecting me from danger is one thing, but from knowledge? Tell me, please.¡±

    ¡°Does it matter?¡± Lou asked.

    Her face alone told me it mattered. She looked like she¡¯d forgotten what sleep even felt like, nevermind that she¡¯d looked fine the day before. Her face was drawn and limp, somehow, as though she¡¯d lost some measure of life.

    ¡°Yes, it does,¡± I said. ¡°Kito has been good to me. If you won¡¯t talk to me, I¡¯ll talk to him myself.¡±

    ¡°He was trying to take advantage of you,¡± Slick said. ¡°He found out about your magic, and was going to force you to make him money.¡±

    I rolled my eyes. ¡°And what of it? He could not have succeeded.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯d have told everyone,¡± Lou said, sounding despondent.

    ¡°Really?¡± I said skeptically. ¡°He¡¯d have turned down a lesser, but still lucrative offer, simply to spite me - someone who has the ability to destroy him in any of a thousand ways? I hadn¡¯t thought him stupid.¡±

    ¡°A lesser offer?¡± Lou asked.

    ¡°Enough goods to make him reasonably wealthy, combined with a threat of harm if he pushed the matter,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°With half a brain, he¡¯d accept the deal. Worst case, if he refused entirely, I could just make him forget I even existed.¡±

    Lou stared blankly at me. It was like what I¡¯d just said was horrifying, or something, and she couldn¡¯t quite deal with that right then.

    ¡°You can do that?¡± Slick asked, his jaw dropping again.

    ¡°It¡¯s unethical to do so without extremely good reason,¡± I said, shrugging. ¡°But it¡¯s a necessary skill to have if you face the possibility of being coerced.¡±

    They both looked a little overwhelmed. Lou looked like she just wanted to walk out the door.

    My parents had a lot of ideas on what skills should be considered necessary, for such eventualities. Coercion was an endless, inevitable threat to those who hold power.

    ¡°Right,¡± Lou said, rubbing her eyes. ¡°Look, none of that matters now. He¡¯s going to be fine, he¡¯s not going to push. He¡¯s in the hospital, now.¡±

    ¡°The hospital?¡± I asked. ¡°He¡¯s injured?¡±

    ¡°His leg,¡± she said, looking down. ¡°He, uh, he¡¯s lost the leg.¡±

    ¡°When?¡± I asked. ¡°I might still be able to reattach it¡­¡±

    ¡°Reattach¡­?¡± Slick said, but Lou cut him off.

    ¡°Last night, and we can¡¯t do that,¡± Lou said. ¡°It¡¯s too late.¡±

    Too late.

    You must act decisively. My mother¡¯s voice echoed painfully in my mind. Between your own strengths and your allies, there is only one affliction which cannot be cured, and that is of being late.

    Caution is wise, my father would say. Take care not to make the wrong move. Imagine all outcomes, and take the course that provides the best balance between least regret and the most optimal outcome.

    I was too late¡­ and why? Because I had been too afraid to act at all. I hadn¡¯t even considered my options, let alone balanced against the most optimal result. I had let mere mundanes handle the issue, and because of that¡­

    I took a breath. Kito paid the price for my error. I had to do something.

    ¡°I will see him,¡± I said, my voice soft.

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Slick asked.

    ¡°I am certain,¡± I said.

    ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t go there,¡± Lou said.

    ¡°I understand,¡± I said. ¡°Slick, would you take me?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± he said. ¡°Yeah, I will. Lou, will you be alright?¡±

    She nodded and sank down in a strange sort of way onto the bed.

    ¡°I¡¯ll just stay here for a little while,¡± she said.

    We made our awkward farewells, and Slick led me off to the heart of Boston. Once we were in sight of the building, he left to go back to Lou. He advised me to simply request Kito Bello when I entered in.

    Massachusetts General Hospital. It had lovely architecture, all white brick and columns. Though the grime that tainted the bricks was an omen to the darkness within.

    Normally, I left my magesense open, however faintly. I¡¯d catch little glimpses of emotion here and there, but it caused me no issues.

    Here, however...

    I had never seen such a gathering of agony such as this. Physical pain throbbed from past a door labeled ¡°Emergency Room.¡± Emotional pain permeated the walls - mostly empathetic, from people caring for wounded loved ones. The air was thrumming with pain of a thousand different flavors.

    I didn¡¯t have much experience shielding myself from emotion thick in the air, but I gave it my best shot. The world felt strangely cold, without the normal ebb and flow of life through me.

    I went to someone who was either a secretary, or a healer. Or both, perhaps. I told her that I was a friend of Kito¡¯s, and she told me to wait while she found out his situation. Some minutes later, she told me that he was going to be alright, but wasn¡¯t ready for visitors yet. He was exhausted, still sleeping after his surgery.

    I waited in the room there - aptly named a waiting room - for Kito to awaken. It was a few hours before I was directed to his location.

    My dress felt too thin, and my bones felt cold as I walked down the stark white halls. It wasn¡¯t the air, though, not really. Guilt is an oddly cold feeling.

    When I arrived at the indicated door, I hesitated. I let my barriers down and felt within. Tears filled my eyes.

    Kito was in such pain. He didn¡¯t seem quite aware of it - his mind was twisted and disoriented - but his leg was sending plenty of pain signals. Just above the knee, his leg just stopped existing. Bound by some sort of cloth, it seemed, with a clean edge, like it had been chopped off with a sharp blade. Still, the nerves and tissues at the site of the cut were in wretched shape.

    I couldn¡¯t bear to see it. My flimsy barrier went up again, and the world went dark.

    I stepped into the room.

    Kito sat upright in his bed, looking out the window. His darker toned skin seemed oddly pale, and he looked exhausted. He was hooked up to some sort of metal pole, with a tube going into his arm. I shuddered to think what sort of barbaric healing these people practiced, for such a device to have been created.

    But that wasn¡¯t why I was here.

    ¡°Kito,¡± I said, my voice scarcely audible.

    ¡°What do you want?¡± he asked flatly, still not looking at me.

    His voice sounded strange. The morphine affected his mind and speech, though it would be a very long time before I learned of its existence.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± I said, looking down.

    ¡°You sent your friends after me, and now you¡¯re sorry?¡± he asked, his tone dripping with condescension.

    The look he gave me forced me to look away. Such¡­ such anger.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± I said, my eyes starting to brim with tears. ¡°I truly¡­ I never meant for any of this to happen.¡±

    ¡°Then why?¡± he demanded. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say anything when Slick was accusing me?¡±

    ¡°Because I don¡¯t know your language,¡± I said. ¡°And when¡­ when you asked me, I panicked, and lost my ability to speak it.¡±

    He blinked for a long minute.

    ¡°That¡¯s why you ran,¡± he said. His voice was flat.

    I nodded and looked down again. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t know what to do.¡±

    ¡°Well, that wasn¡¯t the right answer,¡± he said.

    The harshness in his accusation hit home and I swallowed.

    ¡°You¡¯re right, it wasn¡¯t,¡± I said. ¡°I made many wrong moves. And because of that¡­¡±

    He gestured at his leg. ¡°This.¡±

    ¡°I am so sorry,¡± I said. ¡°I wish I could fix your leg, but...¡±

    I trailed off. I didn¡¯t know how to tell him that I absolutely could fix his leg, given enough time and resources, but that I couldn¡¯t risk revealing myself. All to protect myself from a danger that my friends wouldn¡¯t explain.

    ¡°So I¡¯ll pay the price for your mistake, and your ¡®friends¡¯ will continue to make money off of you,¡± he said.

    That¡­ was a bit much.

    ¡°With all due respect, I was not the only one who made mistakes,¡± I said. ¡°Though I agree, the price you paid was far too high. I should have just gone to you, spoken to you¡­ everything would have been fine.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± he said curtly, not sounding like he agreed with me. ¡°So why are you even here?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I just wanted to say sorry,¡± I said, looking away. Again.

    ¡°Good for you,¡± he said, his lips curling into a sneer. ¡°You make yourself feel better with that, and I¡¯ll just deal with my leg.¡±

    I swallowed.

    ¡°And¡­ also to say¡­ everything I made, everything in that room. You may keep it all, with no animosity from me.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t quite understand the look he was giving me, but I did get a curt nod.

    There was silence for a minute.

    ¡°I guess you want me to go,¡± I said.

    ¡°There¡¯s no reason for you to be here,¡± he said, looking out the window again, still tight with anger and frustration.

    ¡°I¡­ look, Kito, before I go¡­¡± I said.

    ¡°What?¡±

    I shuddered at the wave of hostility I felt from him. But¡­ there was also an undercurrent of fear.

    He¡­ he feared me? I supposed that made sense, but¡­

    Tears slowly started to fall. He had been a friend, and now there was nothing but anger and fear. And all because of my own idiocy.

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m just trying to get home. If people find out what I can do, that will become more difficult. So¡­¡±

    ¡°You think I¡¯m stupid enough to piss you off after what happened last night? I never want to even think about you and the other two ever again, let alone say anything.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ well¡­ um¡­ that¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s good, I guess,¡± I said awkwardly.

    ¡°You done, then?¡± he asked.

    I turned to leave, but hesitated at the door.

    ¡°Um¡­ look, I don¡¯t know if my offer will make you angrier, but I feel I must make it.¡±

    ¡°And what¡¯s that?¡± he asked bitterly.

    ¡°I cannot return to you your leg,¡± I said, wiping away the moisture from my cheeks. ¡°But I can heal the damage. Not all, as the secret must be maintained, but some. The pain¡­ the pain is terrible, and I can ease that.¡±

    ¡°Why would you bother?¡± he asked, still giving me a death glare.

    ¡°Because I care,¡± I said, my throat tightening. ¡°I never wanted this. I want to do as much as I can to help.¡±

    ¡°Then help,¡± he said, gesturing to his leg. He crossed his arms defiantly¡­ and also covering up a shiver.

    Fear.

    I walked carefully to the side of his bed, and sat down, reaching out to the blood soaked bandages. I couldn¡¯t meet his gaze. I took a breath and focused.

    The wound was appalling. Not the worst I¡¯d ever seen, but terrible nonetheless.

    Magic flowed through my hands, and I relaxed at the familiar task. He sighed in relief behind me, though I¡¯d only just begun. Pulling back the nerves was always the first step in healing, and he promptly fell asleep as soon as the pain stopped.

    The lack of hostility was nice, and freed me to focus on my work.

    I couldn¡¯t hold his anger against him. He was wounded and lashing out. I didn¡¯t know how much he truly blamed me, if at all.

    Though that hardly mattered. I blamed myself enough for the both of us.

    Once my work was done, I slipped away, and told a nurse that he¡¯d fallen back to sleep. From there, I went back to the hotel and told Lou and Slick about the visit.

    They read more into his hostility than I had. Still, as long as he didn¡¯t say anything, it didn¡¯t really matter.

    They both seemed like they wanted to forget everything and put it behind them.

    ¡°So, staying at Kito¡¯s isn¡¯t going to be a thing,¡± Lou said. ¡°Where should Aera stay now?¡±

    ¡°Maybe Alice¡¯s,¡± Slick said. ¡°She knows about the magic now, so I bet she¡¯d be happy with that.¡±

    Lou nodded slowly.

    ¡°But what should Aera do for money?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I have some saved up from my time with Kito,¡± I said. ¡°I will be fine for some time. There is no rush.¡±

    With the amount of money I¡¯d need for my purposes, the paltry amount I¡¯d received was insignificant.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Lou said, looking relieved. ¡°Let¡¯s just not worry about it for a little bit. That¡¯s good.¡±

    I hid a frown. That wasn¡¯t like Lou. But then, I supposed, dealing with the situation with me when she seemed like she¡¯d rather run away screaming was rather like Lou.

    Slick seemed to notice the same thing.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take Aera to Alice,¡± he said. ¡°Maybe you want to head home, rest up some?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need to rest,¡± Lou said, with a bit of her usual defiance back in her tone. ¡°I¡¯ll just do some homework, is all.¡±

    ¡°That sounds good,¡± Slick said. ¡°You ace it, Lou.¡±

    She nodded, and got to her feet. Having something that she needed to do - even if it was a bit insignificant - seemed to revitalize her a little. She said a quick goodbye and then left.

    Slick sighed as soon as she was gone.

    ¡°She is unwell,¡± I said.

    ¡°Lou is¡­¡± he hesitated. ¡°She¡¯s strong. She¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    We could only hope.

 Ch. 5 - The Sound of Music

    Alice was delighted to have a spellcaster good at magical cleaning as a roommate. I was stuck with the couch, of course, but she gave me permission to make it a bit more comfortable.

    Keeping her home clean took almost no time from my day, since only maintenance was required. About two minutes every morning and evening, and I was done. I decided to spend some of my time crafting an enchantment to hold the language spell for me. I most certainly did not want a repeat of the Kito incident.

    Lou seemed to crave company, after what had happened, so I spent much of my time with her. Helping her with homework was quite enlightening.

    ¡°Take a look at this, Aera,¡± she said, as we settled in against the trees at a nearby park. ¡°I learned about it today in class.¡±

    She pointed at a passage in a textbook. I read a little about an artifact of this nation, a symbol of its purpose, called the ¡°Statue of Liberty.¡± Upon a plaque was inscribed a poem.

    Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,

    With conquering limbs astride from land to land;

    Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand

    A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame

    Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name

    MOTHER OF EXILES. From her beacon-hand

    Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command

    The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.

    "Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she

    With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,

    Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

    The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

    Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,

    I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

    ¡°See,¡± she said, smiling warmly at the passage. ¡°You¡¯re really welcome here.¡±

    I gave her an abrupt hug, which startled her.

    ¡°¡®Mother of exiles,¡¯¡± I said with a laugh. ¡°Your country desires the refuse of other lands, and from them, forges an empire.¡±

    ¡°Not an empire,¡± she said. ¡°A democracy. E Pluribus Unum. It¡¯s America¡¯s motto. ¡®Out of many, one.¡¯¡±

    My fingers brushed against the image on the page. It reminded me of the purpose for the portal my parents were trying to forge. To find a home for the huddled, terrified masses of our people. The mundanes, who were simply ill equipped to live in the unending, raging violence of my world.

    ¡°This is a good country,¡± I said. ¡°I have visited many nations, and none, that I¡¯ve seen, have an approach such as this. Your country even denigrates the mere idea of nobility! It is refreshing to see.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. America¡¯s great,¡± she said with a grin. ¡°Best country in the world.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d believe it,¡± I said with a smile.

    Of course, I¡¯d not actually seen any other countries, but still, it was unusual to see a land so accepting of others.

    She smiled at the page.

    ¡°Is there any of your work I might be able to help you with?¡±

    She chuckled.

    ¡°I¡¯m great at the math bits,¡± she said. ¡°But a lot of the English stuff is boring me out of my head. We¡¯re reading Shakespeare. If you want to read it with me, keep me company, I might just manage to stay awake long enough to learn it.¡±

    I laughed.

    ¡°I¡¯d be happy to.¡±

    As it happened, I didn¡¯t find the Shakespeare very boring. Neither did Lou, actually - making little dolls out of dirt fight each other, as if they were the characters in the play, made the reading much more amusing.

    We continued junkyard diving together on the weekends, and Lou provided a portion of the earnings. We still had to be careful, though, to avoid selling too much and drawing attention.

    I also helped out with the band as much as I could. I was able to tweak their instruments slightly, to improve the sound quality a little. I told them it was just cleaning them thoroughly - which was partially true. Since the instruments were used, it was believable enough, and they were delighted with the results.

    Alice was an excellent roommate. We¡¯d talk about trivial nothings when she was off, and she was happy to have me around. I cleaned and went shopping for food, she cooked, and we played cards together. It was relaxing.

    Occasionally I visited Kito, providing a little of my magic to improve some of his goods. Lou and Slick, however, preferred to act as though he didn¡¯t exist. I modified his stump so that it was utterly painless to use the wooden peg leg he was given. He was never entirely happy to see me, but his resentment seemed to fade somewhat over time.

    We all knew this was just a period of transition, but we were happy enough. For my part, I started losing faith in the idea of being rescued. Still, I tried not to think about it too much.

    It was hardly weeks after the incident with Kito that Slick received some excellent news.

    ¡°A producer is coming!¡± he said abruptly, as soon as Alice opened the door for him.

    ¡°A producer?¡± Alice said, comprehension dawning slowly.

    ¡°Yeah!¡± he said. ¡°A guy¡¯s coming to sing for them, see if they want to pick him up, and Domiano says I can open for him!¡±

    ¡°Open for him?¡± I asked, walking out of the kitchen with a pot of soup I¡¯d reheated.

    He nodded enthusiastically, bouncing on his feet with boundless energy.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to play first,¡± he said. ¡°Before this Sinatra guy. It¡¯s supposed to be just getting the crowd into the feel of the music, before the real show, but if we do an amazing job, they¡¯ll notice us!¡±

    ¡°When are they coming?¡± Alice asked.

    ¡°November 30th,¡± he said. ¡°So we got about a month.¡±

    ¡°The cellist,¡± I said. ¡°We haven¡¯t much time to find him.¡±

    Slick nodded and his bouncing intensified.

    ¡°Cellist?¡± Alice asked.

    ¡°For the band,¡± Slick said. ¡°We need a good cellist, and Aera says she can find one.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve prepared the spell,¡± I said, smiling. ¡°I haven¡¯t really practiced it, but it should work! Where should we go?¡±

    ¡°Well, you can¡¯t just up and grab a cellist off the streets,¡± Slick said with a wry smile. ¡°There¡¯s a little concert hall where a lot of folks go to practice. It¡¯s not easy, ¡®cause it costs money to use the space, but cellists can¡¯t go hauling that huge thing everywhere, y¡¯know? So I bet we can find some there.¡±

    ¡°Excellent,¡± I said. ¡°When should we be off?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a bit late, now,¡± he said. ¡°But we could try tomorrow? I figure there ought to be some folks there on a Saturday.¡±

    ¡°And Lou can come, too!¡± I said.

    He laughed. ¡°No reason not to have her around.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll have to hear about it later,¡± Alice said. ¡°I¡¯m working tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll swing by after, and tell you about it,¡± he said.

    ¡°This should be fun,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ve never used a spell like this before.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not, uh¡­ not gonna hurt anyone, will it?¡± Slick asked uneasily.

    ¡°Not a concern,¡± I said with a smile. ¡°If my spell fails, I¡¯ll just get a bit of a headache, that¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°Well that¡¯s... good then,¡± he said.

    ¡°What should we do in the meantime?¡± Alice asked, smiling at Slick. ¡°Good news is a good occasion, after all.¡±

    ¡°Maybe I should find time to practice some more,¡± Slick said, looking away as he started to pace back and forth.

    She gave him a stern look. He failed to notice.

    ¡°Maybe I should get the boys now. Or should I get them tomorrow?¡±

    ¡°Slick?¡± I said.

    He looked at me. ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°I think you should take Alice on a date.¡±

    Alice sighed in an exaggerated way. ¡°I don¡¯t need the help, hon.¡±

    ¡°Of course not,¡± I said. ¡°But I think he does.¡±

    Slick gave me a perplexed look while Alice burst out laughing.

    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure I know how to take her on a date without help,¡± Slick said, looking back and forth between us, confused.

    We both laughed, and Alice tugged him towards her room to get his opinion on what she should wear out.

    The next morning greeted Lou, Slick, and I as we approached the practice hall.

    It was far too early in the morning. The sun hadn¡¯t even begun to warm the Earth, and I huffed out a cold sigh, my breath slipping through the air like a fluffy ghost.

    Apparently it was hard to make money playing music, and so the most likely practice times were very early or very late, as the musicians were liable to have other jobs.

    We stepped inside the building and I looked around. I noticed Lou doing the same, though Slick looked like he knew where he was going.

    Though, really, it was obvious. We were following the sound of music.

    We slipped into a little hall with a dozen or so musicians working their magic. And magic it was - my world had nothing like the intricate complexity of these wooden devices. The sounds they made were magnificent.

    I whispered to Slick, ¡°Which ones are the cellos?¡±

    ¡°The big ones,¡± he said, gesturing.

    The instrument was insanely large. It was four feet tall, with the wielder almost cradling it from behind, using a bow across the strings and fingers along the neck. It seemed entirely unwieldy, but I had to admit, the sound was lovely.

    I shook my head and cast the spell I¡¯d made.

    The spell was a simple sort of enhancement, really. I could normally see souls with my magesense, but it wasn¡¯t something I could get much from, usually. Souls were intricate, tangled things of astounding complexity. To find something specific without violating too much privacy was almost impossible.

    So my spell was actually not helping me to ¡°find¡± anything - rather, it simply blinded me to everything except what I was looking for.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

    Without proper etiquette holding me back, I dove in.

    Useless. The next. Broken. The third. Selfish. The fourth. Complacent.

    ¡°None of these will do,¡± I said, after I¡¯d examined a few more.

    ¡°That fast?¡± Lou asked.

    ¡°What, none of them?¡± Slick asked, echoing Lou¡¯s surprise. ¡°He¡¯s good, over there, isn¡¯t he?¡±

    I glanced at the one he¡¯d indicated and shook my head.

    ¡°He likes attention,¡± I said. ¡°He¡¯s all show and no spirit.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± he said. ¡°Well, uh, there¡¯s some other rooms.¡±

    ¡°And a full day,¡± Lou said with a smile.

    The next room had a number of skilled individuals. One of them, I made note of to go back to, if we couldn¡¯t find a decent option.

    Despite Slick¡¯s claim that the rooms would probably be empty during the day, there was a steady supply of musicians. Still, the cellists seemed less common than the other types.

    It was exhausting in a way I wasn¡¯t accustomed to. Examining the spirits of these men - and interestingly, it was mostly men - was mentally straining. Still, ignoring little details like attachments, random fluctuations in emotion, and so forth, made my job ever so much easier.

    Lou and Slick were feeling a little disheartened by sunset, though Slick tried to give us all a pep talk about how more musicians should be coming in at that hour. He¡¯d gone through a few packs of those disgusting cigarettes again, and Lou had had a good number, as well.

    I examined the next group of musicians with a sigh, not expecting much.

    But then¡­ I saw him.

    Sweat glistened off his balding head as he poured every ounce of his spirit into the song. The almost grim expression of determination on his face was at odds with the sweet and breathless joy that sang to me from his heart.

    He was beautiful.

    ¡°Aera? Are you okay?¡± Lou asked me.

    ¡°Hush,¡± I said, waving her away, as I watched, enraptured.

    It seemed like cheating to watch a soul like this, as he played music.

    Every stroke of the bow across the strings seemed to resonate his heartstrings, in perfect harmony with the melody. His eyes moved across the sheet in front of him with an ease born of long practice. He was a magnificent, dancing beast, bound to the song by strings of aether, as they guided every mote of his existence.

    ¡°Who¡¯s she looking at, Lou?¡± Slick asked from somewhere distantly behind me.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s that guy.¡±

    ¡°Him? He¡¯s kind of¡­¡±

    ¡°Old? Ugly?¡±

    ¡°Lou! And he¡¯s not that old.¡±

    ¡°Old enough to be my father.¡±

    A sigh.

    ¡°I can¡¯t tell which cello sound is his, from here. We¡¯ll have to get him alone.¡±

    ¡°If she picks him.¡±

    ¡°With the way she¡¯s looking at him? I don¡¯t think that¡¯s disapproval, Lou.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s up to her.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡±

    A brief eternity later, the music ended, and I staggered back. Pain momentarily blinded me as I recoiled from the backlash of maintaining my Sight for too long.

    ¡°You alright?¡± Lou asked as she stabilized me.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m¡­¡± I shook my head. ¡°We must speak to that one.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s our guy?¡± Slick asked.

    ¡°I hope so,¡± I said.

    ¡°You hope?¡± Lou asked.

    ¡°He¡¯s not¡­ perfect,¡± I said. ¡°He lacks ambition, so the promise of a producer might not appeal. He could be difficult in some ways, but I think¡­ if you can persuade him to join you, Slick, he is extremely likely to contribute to your success.¡±

    Now that the music had ended, the wild spirit had returned to its home, and curious eyes looked at us from behind thick glasses. He¡¯d noticed us looking at him and was uncomfortable with the attention.

    ¡°Maybe you should ask him out here,¡± Slick said.

    I nodded and walked up to him. The sweat on his forehead had begun to disappear after the song had ended, but he was getting nervous again as I approached.

    ¡°The song was beautiful,¡± I said in a wistful tone, smiling at him.

    ¡°Y-yes, ma¡¯am, er, I mean, miss,¡± he said, swallowing and turning a little red.

    ¡°The others are about to play in a bit,¡± I said. ¡°Would you be willing to speak to me for a moment in the hallway?¡±

    He gaped at me for a second.

    ¡°About¡­ about what?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Your skill with music,¡± I said. ¡°That is why I came here - to look for someone who lives and breathes music.¡±

    My words made his heart flutter, though his face only revealed nervousness. I knew I should withdraw my senses, but I was caught in admiration that defied my good manners.

    I reached my hand out to his.

    ¡°Come,¡± I said.

    He glanced at my hand, blushed again, and stood up without my aid, carefully setting his cello against the wall. He muttered to the others that he¡¯d be right back.

    I led him out to the hallway, where Slick was pacing again. The cellist looked at the two, then back at me, and stayed quiet.

    ¡°Hello, sir,¡± Slick said in a charming voice, reaching out his hand. ¡°My name¡¯s Slick Williams.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m, um, I¡¯m Mr. Davis,¡± the cellist responded, shaking his hand.

    ¡°Mr. Davis,¡± Slick said with a nod. ¡°I¡¯m the lead vocalist of a little local band, called the Boston Boys, and I¡¯ve been looking for a cellist to add to our group.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Mr. Davis said, looking bewildered. ¡°And¡­ you¡¯re asking me?¡±

    ¡°Aera, here,¡± Slick said, gesturing at me, ¡°Has an eye for talent.¡±

    Mr. Davis looked at me with some curiosity. I smiled again, making him blush and look down awkwardly.

    ¡°Skill, rather,¡± I said. ¡°Skill and passion. You care about the music, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I do, miss, um...¡± he said, not meeting my eyes. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t want to be too familiar.¡±

    ¡°Too familiar?¡± I asked.

    Lou smiled up at me, ¡°He means he¡¯s not comfortable using your first name.¡±

    ¡°But you two use it,¡± I said, confused.

    ¡°We¡¯re kids, and treated you the same,¡± she said with a shrug. ¡°He¡¯s regarding you as a woman.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± I said, glancing over at Mr. Davis, who was now looking at me with open curiosity.

    ¡°I¡­ take it you¡¯re not from these parts,¡± Mr. Davis said.

    ¡°The accent didn¡¯t give it away?¡± Slick muttered, but Mr. Davis didn¡¯t seem to hear him.

    ¡°No, sir,¡± I said, giving him a warm smile that forced his gaze back to his feet. ¡°I¡¯m not used to favoring surnames.¡±

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t want to make you uncomfortable,¡± he said.

    ¡°Then, please, call me Aera,¡± I said.

    ¡°Right, then, A-Aera,¡± he said, swallowing, looking back into my eyes. He seemed transfixed for a moment and then went on. ¡°You, um, you feel free to call me Benjamin, if you want, that is, I mean, ah¡­¡±

    ¡°Benjamin,¡± I said, smiling. ¡°Thank you for being familiar with me.¡±

    Slick coughed as though he were choking on something, and Lou covered her face, while Benjamin just flushed again. Obviously I¡¯d said something wrong, but I didn¡¯t have time to dwell on it.

    ¡°Anyway, Mr. Davis,¡± Slick said, as soon as his coughing fit subsided, ¡°We¡¯re pushing to make the best music the country¡¯s ever heard. I got a place I play at regular, and we¡¯ll be opening for someone in front of a producer, in a month.¡±

    Benjamin had a faint twitch of his head that could arguably be called a nod.

    ¡°Is this a paid position?¡± he asked.

    ¡°You¡¯d be getting a fair share of the profits,¡± Slick said. ¡°Right now, it¡¯s not much, just enough to take care of the instruments, but if we get a proper single selling good, we¡¯d be ace.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Benjamin said, brushing his hands together uneasily. ¡°I don¡¯t really know any of you, and I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯m what you¡¯re looking for.¡±

    Lou smiled.

    ¡°You¡¯re what he needs,¡± Lou said, sticking her thumb at Slick. ¡°Like we said, Aera¡¯s got a good eye. You feel like you¡¯re a bad match, then you can bail, and that¡¯s fine. So, here and now, we¡¯re just asking you to commit to a few practices with the band, to see how you like it.¡±

    He was looking a little more at ease, and then she added, ¡°Plus, Aera likes to visit the practices, bringing some food and drinks for the group. Free food, good company, great music - what¡¯s not to like?¡±

    He smiled a little at that, and I could see his spirit shift with a familiar note - one that my spell blocked. I couldn¡¯t quite see¡­ and it felt so similar to something in my own heart...

    Impulsively, I banished the spell, though I felt horribly improper.

    Loneliness.

    ¡°Well, then, I guess I can¡¯t really say no to that, can I?¡± he asked, pushing his glasses back to the top of his nose.

    Lou and Slick simply grinned, while I matched Benjamin¡¯s timid smile.

    That evening, I groaned into my pillow, thinking of the tongue lashing my mother would have given me for my impropriety.

    ¡°The world is yours for the taking, my daughter,¡± she¡¯d say. ¡°But while power is your birthright, so, too, is the limit on its use. Knowledge, power, land - whatever you wish is yours, but do not hide like some common thief. That which you claim, claim openly, and pay in generous excess of what is fair for it.¡±

    I put the pillow over my head.

    My mother was the more aggressive of the two, but this was an area in which my parents disagreed. My father felt that knowledge should never be limited. He would freely examine the souls of anyone he wished, which often annoyed my mother. She made a point of advising anyone who wished to speak to her that magesense was part of the price of her acquaintance, but they knew and agreed before she Saw them. Free will and choice, in her mind, was paramount.

    With enemies, of course, she gave them no grace in any regard.

    Still, even my father would frown at my entirely selfish use of magesense, with neither consent, nor even allowing the target to be aware. I had taken something from Benjamin purely for impulsive curiosity.

    It was too late to fix it. But¡­ I could at least try to be extra nice to him.

    Benjamin did a number on the band. Slick was dedicated, but Rick and Johnny were more just along for the ride. With Benjamin on board, Slick was no longer outnumbered. When Slick pushed for something musically, Benjamin quietly complied, with absolute intensity. Rick and Johnny felt the pressure, and upped their game accordingly.

    The practice sessions were still enjoyable for the band, but had taken on a weight to them. It was serious now.

    I did what I could to be useful. I wasn¡¯t much of a cook - rather, I couldn¡¯t cook at all - but I did have an appreciation for good food. I also was quite good at keeping food fresh.

    This was a convenient combination for all parties. I happily went and ordered large amounts of tasty things from various restaurants, ¡°locked¡± them into stasis with magic, and for practice time, I¡¯d bring them to the group. Benjamin was particularly fond of clam chowder, so I made a point to bring that more often.

    By the time November 30th came around, the song Slick had written was in fine shape. His voice was smooth, the saxophone trilled beautifully, and the cello and drums made a wonderful background.

    Alice was working, as usual. We¡¯d gone to a hairdresser that morning and done her hair up in a nice style. Lou was looking stylish, too. She was too much of a ¡°tomboy¡± - whatever that was - to wear a dress, but she was looking quite sharp in the pantsuit I¡¯d refitted for her.

    Domiano was flitting all over the club, making sure everything was in order. Though, of course, he wasn¡¯t particularly stressed. To him, these were just rich patrons, and that was all the justification he needed to pay extra attention to the proceedings.

    Alice was given a bit of grace from the other waitresses, letting her stand aside and watch the performance, while they took her tables.

    Slick had gone through several packs of cigarettes in his nervousness and was probably going to put a hole in the floor with his pacing. Rick and Johnny were a bit antsy, too, but Benjamin was completely calm. After all, he only cared about the music.

    Lou surreptitiously pointed out the producers that had warranted all this attention. They were a handful of middle aged men, well dressed, and enjoying some martinis. There wasn¡¯t really anything to see.

    Slick came onto the stage with the band. They were getting ready to play the song Slick had poured his life into for this last year.

    Unfortunately, the producers weren¡¯t paying attention. They seemed to be chatting with each other, while waiting for the ¡°real¡± performance to begin.

    That wouldn¡¯t do at all.

    If Slick was going to be ignored, it would be due to the weakness of his music, and not because of pre-existing notions.

    I took a deep breath and released a gentle wave of magic into the club. It wasn¡¯t designed to do anything. Still, I knew that even mundanes could feel magic in the air. It created a feeling of tension, of inevitability, of power, of purpose, of potential.

    The club quieted and stilled as I gradually increased the intensity. The producers stopped talking and looked at the stage with curiosity.

    Success.

    Slick seemed to have been taken by the feeling, too. He went up to the microphone and grinned. He was vibrant with life. He looked healthy, energetic, sharp.

    ¡°Thanks, everyone, for coming to the Cocoanut Grove. We¡¯ve got a new song for you folks, written by our band here, The Boston Boys. Let¡¯s see how much you want to dance with Swing Boogie!¡±

    I smiled and settled back. The Boston Boys looked incredible up there, and the crowd was paying attention. This was going to be good.

    Rick moved first, his saxophone shining in the air as the riff set the mood. Johnny¡¯s drums rolled in, and Benjamin soared into the song.

    My pulse seemed to move with the lure of a dance, my body aching to move along with the beat. It was as though the magic infusing the air had begun to boil from the intensity.

    And when Slick jumped in with his cheerful voice, the magic ignited! Joy flooded to all of the hearts, and laughter broke out among several of the audience members. Pairs hopped up and moved to the dance floor, unable or unwilling to resist the compulsion of the beat.

    The moment of actual magic was fleeting, but the beauty of the song was more than enough to maintain the ¡°spell,¡± as it were.

    Lou and I were laughing, while Alice grabbed her boss and twirled around him a little, making his old face light up with warmth. Half the audience was dancing outright within hardly a minute, and even the producers were snapping along.

    By the time the song ended, there were cheers from the audience, many of them breathless from the dance. The producers were talking and grinning.

    The only downside was that the poor kid who was supposed to be the highlight was getting kind of ignored on the stage. He sang his heart out, and was honestly quite good. Still, the producers seemed to be ignoring him as much as they¡¯d originally intended to ignore The Boston Boys.

    I did feel a tiny bit guilty about that.

    The guilt faded as delight took its place. The Boston Boys all sat down at our table, once they¡¯d packed away their equipment.

    ¡°I felt real good about that one,¡± Slick said, grinning, his face still shining with sweat. ¡°Good job, boys!¡±

    We finished listening to Sinatra¡¯s song, as I paid for a round of drinks for us all. A few minutes later, Alice swung by, her eyes sparking.

    ¡°Slick,¡± she said, in an almost conspiratorial whisper that we could all hear, ¡°There¡¯s a Mr. Deeds who wants to see you.¡±

 Ch. 6 - Power

    After a bit of a conversation, Slick emerged from the back of house with a grin bright enough to light the whole city.

    ¡°So? What¡¯d they say?¡± Alice said, as soon as she dragged him over to our table.

    ¡°They want to purchase the song!¡± Slick said. ¡°They want to make it a single, sell it, and put it on the radio.¡±

    ¡°How much are you going to get for it?¡± I asked.

    ¡°They didn¡¯t do an official proposal,¡± Slick said. ¡°But the gist of it is, they¡¯ll pay me a bit up front, and I¡¯ll get a cut of all the record and radio sales.¡±

    ¡°How big of a cut?¡± Lou asked.

    ¡°Ten percent,¡± Slick said. ¡°And they want me to make an album, too.¡±

    Lou nodded. ¡°Same cut on the album?¡±

    ¡°Probably?¡±

    ¡°Tell ¡®em you¡¯ll take twenty percent of the album,¡± Lou said.

    ¡°Lou, I ain¡¯t a negotiator,¡± Slick said, raising his hands with a laugh. ¡°Maybe you ought to do that sort of thing. But I don¡¯t want ¡®em to turn me away, y¡¯know?¡±

    ¡°They wouldn¡¯t be offering you jack all if they didn¡¯t think they would make money off of you,¡± Lou said. ¡°It¡¯s not personal. It¡¯s business. If they refuse to play ball, you can accept that deal, and they¡¯ll still do it, since they¡¯re expecting to make bank.¡±

    ¡°Look, Lou, they¡¯re already just going to be sending me a paper in the mail for me to sign and stuff,¡± Slick said. ¡°It¡¯ll have all the details.¡±

    Lou pointed her finger at him aggressively. ¡°No signing anything till I look at it.¡±

    Slick laughed again.

    ¡°You got it, Lou,¡± he said.

    The mood was cheerful, and the rest of the night was spent in celeration.

    It was only about a week before the proposal came in the mail. Lou spent that entire week studying intensely at the library. When she evaluated the proposal, she decided it was reasonably fair, and let Slick sign it. Some weeks afterwards, he had to go record the song in the studio, which proved to be exhausting for the band.

    It was a few weeks after the recording, while I was simply cleaning up in Alice¡¯s house, when it happened. A voice came over the radio.

    ¡°And now, a new song from a local band, The Boston Boys, playing, ¡®Swing Boogie!¡¯¡± the cheerful voice said.

    It lacked a little from the real performance - the radio quality wasn¡¯t perfect. But still, I found myself dancing around the room, laughing as I moved. He¡¯d succeeded! And it was beautiful, even just over the radio.

    Unsurprisingly, Slick found me not too long after, to collect me, Alice, and Lou to celebrate again with the band.

    The song became intensely popular on the radio. It took months to start really slowing down its frequency.

    ¡°Alice!¡± Slick called out one day, as he pretty much barged into the house. He looked half insane.

    ¡°Yes, Slick?¡± she said, looking uncertain.

    ¡°This,¡± he said, handing her a piece of paper. ¡°Look at this.¡±

    She took it uncertainly. When she saw what was written on it, her jaw dropped and the paper started fluttering out of her hands, until she snatched it up again.

    ¡°Oh my god, Slick,¡± she said.

    ¡°What is it?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Look,¡± she said simply, handing me the paper.

    It was a little rectangular piece of paper. Part of it was printed, and part of it looked handwritten. One of the handwritten lines said, ¡°Oscar Williams.¡± Another line said, ¡°Three hundred fourteen thousand, five hundred eighty six dollars and thirty two cents.¡±

    ¡°What is this?¡± I asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s a check, Aera,¡± Slick said. ¡°Three hundred grand, for the song!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s to be split between everyone, right?¡± Alice said.

    ¡°Yeah, between the band,¡± Slick said. ¡°Lou says it¡¯s a good idea to have it split five ways - one for each of the band members, and one for the band as a whole, for expenses like doing tours, instrument upkeep, stuff like that.¡±

    ¡°But why is it made out to Oscar?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Because that¡¯s my real name,¡± Slick said. ¡°I go by Slick ¡®cause it sounds nicer for a stage. And, well, ¡®cause I¡¯m not real attached to the name Oscar.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± I said. ¡°And this is a lot of money?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a crazy amount of money,¡± Alice said. ¡°We¡¯re rich, Aera.¡±

    ¡°You both seem quite excited for something that¡¯s just food, housing, and clothes,¡± I said. ¡°Or am I missing something?¡±

    Alice laughed.

    ¡°You can do anything with a lot of money, Aera,¡± she said, sounding dreamy. ¡°Travel the world, get anything you want, buy land, anything.¡±

    ¡°This, then¡­ economics¡­¡± I said, my eyes widening. ¡°That is the true power of this world?¡±

    They both laughed.

    ¡°You could say that,¡± Slick said. ¡°They say money makes the world go round.¡±

    ¡°So how much power is this?¡± I asked. ¡°Enough to own a country?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Slick said, raising an eyebrow. ¡°Nothing like that.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s enough to live comfortably for the rest of our lives, if we¡¯re careful, even on just Slick¡¯s cut,¡± Alice said, and Slick nodded.

    That didn¡¯t sound particularly impressive to me. A single, trivial pair of individuals, without significant material ambitions?

    But I smiled anyway, not wanting to diminish their joy.

    ¡°Though,¡± Slick added, ¡°That¡¯s not all of it! The song¡¯s still playing on the radio, and singles are still selling. I¡¯ll be getting checks regular, though most of ¡®em will be a lot smaller than this, until the next album comes out.¡±

    Alice hugged him, looking incredibly joyful. It was strange to see what the acquisition of power for mundanes looked like. I did my best to congratulate them as earnestly and cheerfully as possible.

    The pair excitedly chattered back and forth about all sorts of plans for what they¡¯d do with the money. Lou had found out right away, since she was home when Slick got the letter.

    For my part, I was just glad that this transitory phase of life was over. Alice was nice and all, but she was happy with the little things in life. Content. Complacent. Slick, at least, was ambitious, and Lou was sharp and intense. They felt a little more like my family.

    And now, some measure of this power would go into acquiring a place for me to begin constructing a lab. I¡¯d made a few little enchantments over the months, and read a number of books.

    At least, I had once I¡¯d added Lou¡¯s language to the enchantment - Slick was very nearly illiterate. Relaxing as it had been, I was very eager to move on.

    Our first order of business was purchasing a house. Lou and Slick¡¯s parents were less than entirely supportive, and the pair was quite eager to move away. I needed my lab. And of course, we needed a better place for the band to practice.

    When I told them that I was confident that it was simply not possible for a house to be damaged beyond my ability to repair, Lou became especially excited. Slick was often busy charming people around the city, playing Swing Boogie at various locations, and Lou took over the job of looking for a house. Technically, he was adult - eighteen, and barely at that - but she was unquestionably the more mature of the two. Her body language and intense gaze made up for short stature, and she wasn¡¯t generally questioned on her age.

    She found a treasure.

    ¡°Here it is,¡± she said, as we drove through the upper class neighborhood.

    Lou was driving. She¡¯d gotten a pickup truck as a way to make the process of finding a house faster. Also, she liked its sheer practicality.

    It was a bit tight for the three of us, though. Alice had decided to avoid the close confines. Besides, she wouldn¡¯t be moving in.

    We passed a lot of nice looking homes, and I was questioning Lou¡¯s judgement at first.

    Then we saw it.

    The once white walls were crumbling from disrepair. The lawn had been completely abandoned and was overgrown, still yellow from the last grips of the passing winter. Virtually all of the windows were broken. Lou parked, and we walked up the stone path. The smell of mold filled the air as we approached.

    We weren¡¯t really supposed to go inside, but none of us cared about that. Still, I had to use magic to track the supports beneath the floor. The wood was so badly damaged by moisture that it wouldn¡¯t support our weight everywhere. There was a set of stairs to a second floor, but I had absolutely no faith in the stairs to support us.

    The architecture was well designed, and it had once been lovely, but the damage done was extreme.

    The backyard was a perfectly ordinary mess of overgrown plants, with a tall hedge blocking the view of the neighbors. I sighed wistfully at the idea of making my own garden back there.

    We found an entrance into the basement, and that is when we got the first hint as to what had happened in this place. There was a bathtub openly out in the basement, and a remarkable amount of piping. There was no sign of rooms. It was simply a wide expanse of concrete.

    The roof of the basement had some unusual, and quite familiar, damage patterns.

    ¡°There was an explosion here,¡± I said, noticing the damage pattern was also on the wooden supports.

    ¡°An explosion?¡± Lou said, looking around. ¡°Nothing looks burned.¡±

    ¡°Not of fire,¡± I said. ¡°Water, or something like it. Maybe a little fire, but mostly hot liquid and pressure.¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± Lou mused. ¡°Maybe bootleggers from Prohibition.¡±

    Slick nodded.

    ¡°Bootleggers?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Fifteen years back, Prohibition was a thing,¡± Slick said, his voice a little muffled due to the fact that he was lifting and holding his shirt against his mouth. ¡°Alcohol was illegal everywhere. But lots of folks made it anyway, in secret.¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± I said. ¡°But the damage is not that old.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not illegal anymore,¡± Lou said. ¡°Two years ago, it was legal again. Maybe around then is when this happened?¡±

    ¡°Two years,¡± I said, looking it over. ¡°Yes, that might be. But why an explosion?¡±

    We were quiet for a minute. Lou was thinking, and Slick just shrugged.

    ¡°I think I¡¯ve got it,¡± Lou said, grinning. ¡°Let¡¯s say, they had a bunch of kegs and things, making the bootleg liquor, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡± Slick said.

    ¡°And then,¡± Lou went on, ¡°They get arrested, and go to jail. And nobody checks on their stuff.¡±

    ¡°Then things went wrong,¡± I said, and Lou nodded.

    ¡°A bunch of barrels could have exploded,¡± Lou said, ¡°And when they did, it sprayed the stuff everywhere.¡±

    ¡°And that wrecked the house,¡± Slick said.

    It was an excellent hypothesis for the type of damage seen. I nodded.

    ¡°But why is it only being sold now?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I dunno,¡± Lou said. ¡°The realtor guy said he¡¯d acquired it about a year ago.¡±

    ¡°If the guys in jail couldn¡¯t keep it anymore¡­¡± Slick said, then shrugged.

    ¡°Between the damage and the ill reputation, that bodes well for our purposes,¡± I said. ¡°How much is this place?¡±The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    ¡°He¡¯s asking for three thousand dollars,¡± Lou said with a grin. ¡°The land¡¯s worth that much. But I bet I can negotiate him down even more.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a good deal,¡± Slick said.

    ¡°Aera, you can really handle all of this?¡± Lou asked.

    ¡°It might take some time,¡± I said. ¡°A day to make it safe to live here, a week to make it acceptable. A month to make it beautiful.¡±

    Slick shook his head.

    ¡°Just crazy what you can do,¡± he said. ¡°Wish I could do something like that.¡±

    ¡°Well, you could,¡± I said with a shrug.

    They both looked at me sharply.

    ¡°What do you mean, I could?¡± Slick asked.

    ¡°I could teach you,¡± I said. ¡°Obviously magic works here, so there¡¯s no reason why you shouldn¡¯t be able to learn it.¡±

    ¡°Just¡­ teach me,¡± he said, sounded flabbergasted. ¡°Just like that.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not easy,¡± I said, raising an eyebrow at his reaction. ¡°And it takes time. And your ability will depend on your talent, among other things. But why shouldn¡¯t I be able to teach it?¡±

    ¡°Because no one can do that stuff,¡± Lou said, looking bothered - perhaps even upset, for some reason. ¡°If it was as easy as learning, someone would¡¯ve figured it out by now.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps,¡± I said with another shrug. ¡°I suppose the only way to know is to try.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d rather not experiment with that,¡± Lou said, giving me an uneasy look.

    Slick¡¯s look, on the other hand, was eager.

    ¡°Is there anything I could do with that magic stuff, for music?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Certainly,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t know much of those magics, but I know the basics. We could see if magic can be taught, and get you a new tool for your music, at the same time.¡±

    ¡°That sounds swell,¡± he said with a grin.

    ¡°Yeah, well, let¡¯s maybe move this conversation out of the moldy basement,¡± Lou said, still looking uncomfortable.

    ¡°Good idea,¡± I said with a laugh.

    We carefully made our way back outside, with only a few pieces of wood breaking off in the process.

    ¡°That place smells something awful,¡± Slick said, wrinkling his nose.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Lou said. ¡°But it¡¯s got a garage!¡±

    I smiled as we visited the last notable location on the property. The garage, being detached from the basement, was actually in perfectly good shape.

    ¡°We¡¯ll practice in here,¡± Slick said, looking around at the walls. ¡°It¡¯s just the right size.¡±

    ¡°It seems perfect for our needs,¡± I said, breathing a sigh of relief. ¡°Enough rooms for us all, a secluded basement for my lab, a place for a garden. It¡¯s lovely.¡±

    ¡°How should we hide the way you¡¯re fixing it?¡± Lou asked, looking contemplative.

    ¡°I dunno,¡± Slick said with a shrug. ¡°We could just throw a tarp on it?¡±

    Lou blinked at him, and then started laughing.

    ¡°Actually, yeah,¡± she said. ¡°A giant tarp over the whole thing for a few months should do the trick. Anyone asks any questions, we¡¯ll tell them it¡¯s a private job, from family and friends.¡±

    ¡°Excellent,¡± I said. ¡°So when do we move in?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s swing by the realtor,¡± Lou said with a smile. ¡°I imagine we¡¯ll have to wait for the check to clear, but that should be all. And it¡¯ll have to be Slick buying it, of course.¡±

    We immediately headed out to the realtor. The conversation that resulted was one of the most boring ones I¡¯d ever been privy to. Apparently there were a lot of issues with owning a home - legal limitations, property taxes, and seemingly endless paperwork.

    Honestly, it didn¡¯t seem like ¡°ownership¡± at all. When my family wanted to move, they simply found a spot they liked, then transported our tower to the location. If the local city or country objected, they¡¯d just be sent some sort of enchanted trinket, which almost never failed to get them to leave us be.

    The idea of someone telling us what we could or couldn¡¯t do on our own property was unthinkable. Worse, the idea of property tax! Having to give the government money just for ¡°owning¡± part of the land?

    It was renting the land, clearly. Just with a little more liberty than their perception of renting, which simply involved someone else between them and the government.

    Still, it was close enough for our purposes.

    Lou and Slick negotiated the realtor down to $2,500, but he refused to go lower, saying that the land itself was too valuable for that. Eventually, they came to terms, and Slick wrote out a check, as well as signing a number of documents.

    As it happened, since the realtor knew Slick - and who didn¡¯t, anymore? - he went ahead and gave him the title and a key. After all, he knew Slick had the money. Slick even signed an extra slip of paper as a favor to the realtor - an ¡°autograph,¡± he called it.

    Afterwards, we had a bit of an impasse. Lou and Slick wanted to head out to celebrate, and I wanted to get started on the house. We came to an agreement - I¡¯d work on the house for a few hours, and then they¡¯d pick me up to celebrate.

    The rumbling engine faded into the distance as they left me at the house. I smiled warmly, possessively, at the dirty walls and stepped inside.

    The door creaked in protest as it closed behind me. Suddenly I realized I was alone.

    A strange feeling started to overtake me as I slid to the ground, sitting and leaning against the door.

    This house was mine. Yes, on paper, it was Slick¡¯s, but that wasn¡¯t the truth of it. The house had been purchased for me to rebuild as I pleased. It would be fashioned of my power, and thus, the only truth that mattered was that it was mine.

    That strange, almost numbing feeling in my heart grew and I found myself laughing. Laughing, like I¡¯d lost my mind.

    Mine. Not some bit of furniture in Alice¡¯s house, or as part of some labor arrangement in Kito¡¯s store. Not in a room within a tower that was unquestionably my parents¡¯.

    Tears started flowing, in strange contrast to the giddy laughter.

    I¡¯d never had a place where I belonged to any degree. My parents wanted a brilliant researcher to assist in their ambitions, and had explicitly procreated with that goal in mind. I had¡­ not exactly fulfilled that hope. Really, only my brother Nordrid had any likelihood of fulfilling it. But I was the oldest, and thus, the disappointment.

    Here, the expectations were almost nonexistent. There was no pressure. There were no monsters. I would be able to tend my garden to my heart¡¯s content.

    And yet, there was not a single soul in all the world like me. I was unique, and as such, I was alone.

    Except for these strange mundanes. Lou, with the sharpness of her intellect. Slick, with his ambition, and now, his economic power. Benjamin, with the fire of his passion.

    There were steps I could take. Things I could do. And a future I still could not bear to examine.

    Still, what could I do but try?

    I looked around at the broken shambles that were mine to rework as I pleased. My heart settled into a comfortable state of simple action. There was a plan, I would act on it, and not think about anything else.

    I considered my priorities. Stability, then air quality. I¡¯d have a hard time cleaning out the mold if I had to watch my step for collapsing floorboards.

    Pulling myself to my feet, I carefully walked across the floor, letting my will seep into it. Unlike Alice¡¯s house, this was in truly bad shape, and it required a solid measure of magic. Quite a lot, for the little fledgling spellcaster that I was.

    Magic flowed through me. It felt good - surprisingly so. I¡¯d spent so long stubbornly resisting my family¡¯s training that I¡¯d not thought about how I¡¯d feel being cooped up, unable to do any real magic for months.

    The familiar ache of a soul¡¯s fatigue filled me as the magic imbued my strength into the wood. The floors, the supports. I resisted the temptation to strengthen the walls - I needed to prioritize!

    There was a surprising amount of floor to cover. Tiring as it was, it was beautiful in a way. The wood was once the living flesh of a tree, and the familiar structure was soothing. The weakness felt like rot, like death, and banishing it made me feel more alive.

    Aquas - my favored element, of balance, of transformation. It infused every inch of that house, transforming the mold into additional material for the wood and water vapor in the air. Aquas could not create nor destroy any form of matter - it simply allowed it to exist in alternate states.

    All of the material that the wood needed was present. All that was needed was to rearrange the material appropriately.

    Unfortunately, I severely overestimated myself. Not my skill, not my speed, but rather, my endurance.

    By the time Lou and Slick had returned to get me, I¡¯d managed to get all of the wooden supports, for both floors, stable enough to hold our weight. It was still creaky, dusty, and thoroughly unpleasant, but it would hold.

    Unfortunately, Slick had to practically carry me out. I wasn¡¯t in a truly terrible state, not really. I was just fatigued. It was possible to burn through magic in such a way that it harmed the wielder, but I¡¯d never do that willingly, of course.

    We took a taxi, leaving the truck at the house. We were dropped off in downtown Boston, and we saw the rest of the band there, along with Alice. Slick greeted them with overwhelming enthusiasm.

    He ushered us into the restaurant, the Marliave. The little entrance in the back alley wasn¡¯t too impressive, but the wood and beige decor within was quite welcoming. A number of people were drinking at the bar.

    ¡°Hey, everyone!¡± Slick said ebulliently. ¡°A round of drinks on me!¡±

    Alice sighed, but it was scarcely audible over the cheer in the room. Several people clapped him on the shoulder as he guided us past to some stairs leading up. He greeted each one, making the journey take longer than it ought to have.

    Upstairs, a more conventional restaurant was laid out before us. A waitress guided us to a large table and we all sat down. Slick didn¡¯t even slow down in his happy chatter, talking up the waitress so much she had a hard time taking our drink orders.

    Still, I eventually got my drink - a Bay Breeze, a lovely juice cocktail. Slick had himself some whiskey, going straight for the fire, but Lou simply ordered some juice. Benjamin seemed a little uncertain about the process of celebration, but he enjoyed his Old Fashioned nonetheless.

    Slick dominated the conversation, though Rick and Alice gave him a run for the title. Pretty much the only time they stopped talking was to take a bite of the absolutely marvelous food.

    As the night progressed, I quietly listened in as Slick described the house and garage in exaggerated detail, growing wilder as the alcohol seared his mind. I couldn¡¯t help but smile at his enthusiasm. It was much the same as when he¡¯d gotten the money in the first place - excitedly gathering everyone, drinking massive amounts of alcohol, smoking a fistful of cigarettes, and trying to charm every face he spotted.

    As the drink increasingly slurred my thoughts, I chastised myself for my timidity. I¡¯d decided that I needed to be friends with this lot, hadn¡¯t I?

    During a brief lull in the conversation, due to Slick¡¯s mouth being full of cheese, I sat forward and made my move.

    ¡°I have made a decision,¡± I said, startling the others, as I¡¯d not said anything till that point.

    ¡°What¡¯s that, hon?¡± Alice asked.

    ¡°I declare that we are to be friends,¡± I said, nodding.

    ¡°But we¡¯re already friends,¡± Lou said.

    ¡°Really friends,¡± I said, immediately feeling a bit frustrated that I wasn¡¯t completely understood.

    ¡°We¡¯re not really friends?¡± Alice said, frowning a little.

    ¡°More friends,¡± I said, taking another sip of my drink, since it was helping me to be honest with them. ¡°The friendship thing. That. But more¡­ more of that.¡±

    ¡°Aera, Aera, Aera,¡± Slick said, as he finally swallowed the oversized bite. ¡°We¡¯re drinking together, and living together¡­ but not in that way, Alice, ¡®cause you know I l.. lo... uh, I¡¯m not like that, and¡­¡±

    Alice shot him a half bemused, half annoyed look as he rambled.

    ¡°And anyway,¡± Slick continued, waving his drink in the air and splashing a little on Lou¡¯s plate, ¡°Living, and drinking, and working, and laughing together, what¡¯s more friends than that? That¡¯s friends. That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s it. It¡¯s good.¡±

    ¡°It is good,¡± I said. ¡°But the heart is important, too.¡±

    ¡°Your heart is good,¡± Slick said, pointing at me as if revealing a great truth. ¡°Your heart beats like anybody¡¯s, cause you¡¯re like other people, and you¡¯re not a fairy.¡±

    ¡°Ha! ¡®Cause she looks like she¡¯s from a storybook!¡± Rick crowed, as the rest of the band laughed along with the joke. Lou, however, glared at him.

    ¡°No, what I meant was -¡± Slick began, but Lou¡¯s glare upgraded into a jab with her fork.

    ¡°You,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯re drunk. You need to sober up.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have to be sober,¡± Slick said. ¡°Never have to be sober! Unless I¡¯m singing. Then I have to be kinda sober.¡±

    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s a good time to call it a night,¡± Lou said. ¡°You¡¯re soused.¡±

    ¡°But I ain¡¯t finished my drink, Lou!¡± Slick cried out, as though mortally offended.

    ¡°Uh huh,¡± Lou said. ¡°And how many have you had?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need to count ¡®em, either,¡± Slick said, taking an aggressive bite out of his dessert. ¡°I can have as many as I want, ¡®cause I¡¯m rich.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve had seven drinks, Slick,¡± Lou said. ¡°Seven. Most of them were mixed, but still.¡±

    ¡°I should go for ten,¡± he said with a too wide grin.

    ¡°Slick, you don¡¯t want to pass out again,¡± Alice said. ¡°We can come back another time.¡±

    ¡°More drinks for everyone,¡± Slick said stubbornly. ¡°Then, then, when everyone says they¡¯re Aera¡¯s friend, then we can go.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t need a declaration,¡± I said. ¡°I already said my piece.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Slick said. ¡°No, you want more friendship, and I¡¯m gonna make sure you have your friendship. Everybody, everybody, let¡¯s sing! Let¡¯s sing a friendship song!¡±

    ¡°By the gods,¡± I said, ¡°No, that¡¯s really¡­ no, Slick.¡±

    ¡°Friendship, friendship!¡± he sang, and I sank my face into my hands.

    And he continued singing. His drunken self couldn¡¯t apparently think of any lyrics other than ¡°friendship.¡± So, he sang that word over and over again, till Lou convinced him that finishing his drink was what he¡¯d agreed to.

    When the waitress came to accept payment, Slick loudly declared that he was covering all of us. After the group failed to talk him out of it, he then handed over an additional fifty dollars as a tip, leaving the waitress slack jawed.

    ¡°Slick! What are you doing?¡± Alice hissed, loudly enough for everyone to hear.

    ¡°Just think of how happy you¡¯d be if you got a tip like that,¡± Slick said with a crooked grin. ¡°I want everyone to be happy.¡±

    Alice softened and just sighed as we walked or stumbled out of the building. The cool evening air felt nice on my heated face.

    ¡°So, we¡¯ll need how many taxis?¡± Lou asked, looking around the group, thinking. ¡°Let¡¯s see. Slick and I¡¯ll head back to our house. Aera and Alice will go to her place, so us four could be one taxi, and¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, no,¡± I said. ¡°I will go to the house.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not livable yet, though,¡± Alice said.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t the floors a broken wreck?¡± Rick asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m going there.¡±

    ¡°Hon, I know you¡¯re excited, but it¡¯d be dangerous,¡± Alice said.

    ¡°Not for me,¡± I said, and Lou¡¯s expression tightened warily. ¡°I will be fine.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no furniture,¡± Benjamin said. ¡°So there won¡¯t be a bed. I¡¯m sure you can hold off until it¡¯s furnished.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s grass outside,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    ¡°On the ground?¡± Slick said. ¡°No, no, if you want to be in your own place, I¡¯ll get you a hotel for a bit, how¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°Slick,¡± Alice said, then immediately gave up with a sigh.

    ¡°I will be happy there,¡± I said.

    ¡°Aera, you may not be as bad as Slick, but you¡¯re still drunk,¡± Lou said. ¡°I think your judgement is off.¡±

    I crossed my arms and glared at her, which was challenging when the world was tilting.

    ¡°I am going,¡± I said. ¡°What is it you fear so much, anyway?¡±

    Lou sighed.

    ¡°Well, there¡¯s bugs,¡± Alice said. ¡°And it¡¯ll be cold.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a summer night,¡± I countered. ¡°I will not be cold. And I do not fear bugs.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡± Alice said.

    ¡°All right, all right,¡± Lou said, holding up her hands. ¡°Aera can go sleep in the backyard if she really wants. It¡¯s settled.¡±

    Benjamin looked very concerned, Rick seemed bewildered, and Johnny simply shrugged. The rest, of course, had better reason to understand how I might manage.

    It was after midnight when the taxi dropped me off. I staggered a little on my way up the stone path.

    It was chilly, and I could scarcely see the stars through the clouds, especially with the strange glow in the sky from the city lights. Still, I could make out the tangled mess of grass and bushes in the back. I walked behind the house and simply lay down in the little spot of wilderness.

    With the tall hedges at each side, I couldn¡¯t see the neighboring houses. Above was a single moon. I could imagine, with my eyes half closed, that it was a little bigger, and that her sister was just below the horizon. The haze against the sky, I could pretend was the result of some strange experiments my parents were working on. The ever present stench of the city was masked by the entirely ordinary scent of grass and leaves.

    I could almost feel like I was back at home, here.

    A gentle wave of Aquas left my groggy self, softening the plant matter beneath me and weaving it into a little cocoon. It was warm, and soft, and smelled like home. It had been nearly three quarters of a year since I¡¯d arrived, though. I couldn¡¯t really convince myself that I was back home, not even in my sleepy state. It had been too long.

    Still, it felt so nice. Like all those times I¡¯d fallen asleep in my old garden. A smile tugged at my lips as I thought about my father chastising me for falling asleep outside again.

    Gentle dreams of green filled my night.

 Ch. 7 - Friendship

    The sunlight woke me, and I was briefly confused as to where I was.

    Oh, right. The birthplace of my new garden. A smile lit my face as I yawned.

    The leaves unraveled from their weave and the dirt fell from my skin. I felt a bit dehydrated, and there was no water to drink. No matter. I simply drew up water from the water table beneath the soil. I purified most, but not all, of the minerals within - humans needed somewhat salty water, for some reason. Once I was satisfied with the blend, I pulled it through my skin and infused it into my bloodstream.

    Hardly two minutes had passed, and I was refreshed.

    The disarray of the garden condemned me, but I whispered a promise to love it properly, soon. The house was both my obligation and my pride.

    I managed to resist the allure of the greenery for only a week. The house was in far better shape, Lou¡¯s studies were progressing admirably, and Slick was almost never to be seen, even after he and his sister had moved in.

    But the sweet beauty of the garden in my mind could not be ignored. Each day, I slipped from my obligations a little more, falling into temptation.

    Roots grew deeper, stronger. No weeds would choke my prizes. Leaves were rich and vibrant, and hummed with the faintest of enchantments to ward off any insects that dared touch my creations. The insects could have the clippings, and no more.

    The outermost reach was full of tall and fairly conventional plants. I made them extra thorny out of a mild spite. Within that enclosure, however, was my true garden.

    Flower petals of every imaginable color scintillated in the sunlight. A rose of gold and red looked like fire, situated next to a translucent rose of blue and white that looked as though it were carved from glacial ice. A dozen varieties of flowers, enhanced in a myriad of ways, to enhance scent, or to hint at imagination.

    And all of them were brilliantly, beautifully, perfectly alive. No sculptor of dead things was I; my creations flourished, living and breathing according to my will.

    I discovered quite a delight in this world - hummingbirds! These beautiful birds lived on the nectar of flowers, so I created an entire variety just for the remarkable little creatures. Soon, my garden was full of another dimension of color and life.

    Cats also discovered my garden, mostly due to the birds. After screaming in dismay at a series of feathery corpses, I added anti-cat enchantments.

    They were cute, but my garden was a creation of life. While death may have a role in that, I certainly wasn¡¯t going to have it in my own backyard.

    I later had to add birds of prey to the forbidden list.

    Much to my disappointment, neither Lou nor Slick had much appreciation for the garden. Slick thought it was ¡°kind of gaudy,¡± and Lou found it unnerving. Alice loved it, but I just couldn¡¯t seem to feel especially flattered at her opinion.

    Over the next few months, my garden grew to delightful splendor, and the house became eminently stable. Lou, however, started to get a little anxious. While there was a good deal of money to work with, it was finite, and she wasn¡¯t nearly as certain as Slick that he¡¯d continue to earn vast quantities. She wanted more stability - a notion with which I entirely agreed.

    We discussed and decided the best course of action was to start our very own pawn and general goods store. I could supply a much larger quantity of high quality goods, and it should make an excellent steady income.

    The only issue was that Lou couldn¡¯t run it herself, and I was certainly not going to have any part in that. However, Lou, Slick, and Alice all knew just the person.

    I had to admit that I was mildly nervous to meet the infamous Dorothy, who¡¯d been a maternal figure to all three of my companions. She was apparently a humble worker in a grocery store, a concept that I simply could not manage to reconcile with the reverence in their voices.

    We approached the little grocery store, with Lou and Slick leading the way. Alice was apparently uninterested in any possible confrontation, and so opted out. I followed them uneasily inside, and we walked through the rows of goods in the strange metal containers their people favored. It seemed like they really liked keeping food in little metal cylinders and boxes for some reason.

    ¡°Dorothy!¡± Lou called out, her voice as cheerful as I¡¯d ever heard it. Slick was also smiling brightly.

    The object of their attention snapped her head towards the voice.

    Her eyes were a glittering emerald, quite sharp in a face as old and wrinkled as hers. Silver hair was pulled back into a bun and framed a face as gentle and grandmotherly as could be imagined. She was small, a few inches shorter than I was, but quite a bit thicker. Despite the entirely unassuming size, she had a confidence in her posture and expression that made me wary.

    I felt an almost irresistible curiosity, a temptation to peek at her soul, but after my impropriety with Benjamin, I restrained myself.

    Barely.

    ¡°Louise, my dear, and Slick,¡± Dorothy said, her voice pleasant and affectionate. ¡°It¡¯s been too long! A month, was it? Is this the new friend you were telling me about?¡±

    Her eyes locked on me, appraising me, and I found myself utterly unable to speak. I just smiled timidly.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Lou said. ¡°In fact, we uh, we gotta tell you something. Kind of big, and private.¡±

    I¡¯d expected Dorothy to be surprised at such a comment, but she took it completely in stride. Her expression grew a bit more serious and she hustled us off to the back room without an ounce of hesitation.

    ¡°Please forgive my rudeness,¡± Dorothy said smoothly, turning to face me once the door was locked. ¡°I¡¯m Mrs. Hill. Well, not really ¡®missus¡¯ anymore, but that¡¯s alright. What¡¯s your name, dear?¡±

    I tried to speak, failed, swallowed, and tried again.

    ¡°My name is Aera,¡± I said. ¡°Aera Koryn. It is an honor to meet you, my lady Hill.¡±

    ¡°My lady? My, aren¡¯t you charming,¡± Dorothy said, flashing me another grin. ¡°Though, really, you can feel free to just call me missus.¡±

    ¡°Yes, of course, missus,¡± I said, carefully enunciating her favored title, and keeping my face lowered a little.

    Lou gave me a curious look, but Slick was oblivious.

    ¡°So, we¡¯ve been busy,¡± Slick said. ¡°And well, there¡¯s something we need to ask you. But we oughta tell you something, too. And I dunno how to tell you, really.¡±

    ¡°We should just tell her,¡± Lou said, shrugging. ¡°If anyone can handle it, it¡¯s Dorothy.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but she¡¯s got a gun,¡± Slick said.

    Both Lou and Dorothy gave him a sharp look over that. I stifled the urge to roll my eyes. Their obsession with these ¡°guns,¡± these mundane stone throwers, was really getting quite old.

    ¡°I¡¯ve no intention of using that old thing without excellent reason,¡± Dorothy said, her voice chiding, yet still warm, somehow. ¡°Now I take it you¡¯ve gotten yourselves into something, and it involves Aera, here?¡±

    She looked at me as if waiting for an explanation. I swallowed again.

    Then Lou and Slick also looked at me.

    ¡°All the proof that you require shall be made for you,¡± I said, my tone slipping into formality.

    I just couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that this woman had some sort of command, some sort of power, that I didn¡¯t truly understand. Why else would she be treated with such deference and respect?

    ¡°I am of another world,¡± I said, ¡°By means of an unfortunate accident. With me has come great power. Your language would best describe this power as magic. I seek a way home, and I mean neither you nor your people any ill will.¡±

    ¡°Magic?¡± she said, frowning at me. ¡°I think you¡¯ll need to say a little more than that, dear.¡±

    ¡°As you wish,¡± I said, with another bob of my head. ¡°It is the manipulation of reality by way of an integration of one¡¯s soul with the fundamental, ah, material I suppose, of the universe¡­¡±

    ¡°Perhaps not quite so much,¡± Dorothy interrupted with a wry laugh. ¡°I just am afraid that I don¡¯t fully grasp what it is that you can do.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± I said. ¡°Please, allow me to demonstrate to your satisfaction.¡±

    Lacking anything suitable to transform, I used an element with which I was almost entirely useless - Lum, the element of light, of manifesting the raw essence of reality.

    My one and only spell of that element appeared in the palm of my hand - an orb of light, slowly shifting in its form. Mostly that was because I was quite poor at keeping it perfectly spherical, but the natural wave patterns of energy are lovely anyway. Slick looked mesmerized, and Dorothy looked taken aback. Lou glanced briefly at it and looked away.

    ¡°My lord,¡± Dorothy said. ¡°You aren¡¯t a witch, are you?¡±

    My language spell indicated ¡°witch¡± was a spellcaster with some evil connotations, and I frowned.

    ¡°I would imagine none of the words in your language would be a match for me,¡± I said. ¡°I am from another world entirely. That said, as I gather a witch is an evil entity, that would be most inaccurate. My family, and myself, value the wellbeing of others, and take care to use our power in kind and benevolent ways.¡±

    She frowned and looked at me speculatively.

    ¡°These two speak well of you,¡± she said. ¡°Though I daresay they should have told me about this sooner. Mind, I understand why they thought it best to be careful.¡±

    I nodded. Though I didn¡¯t actually understand why it was best to be careful.

    She gave a faint impression of being unsettled, but only in that her expression wasn¡¯t quite as warm and inviting as it had been.

    ¡°Well, then,¡± she said, looking back at the others. ¡°What was it that you were going to ask me?¡±

    Lou grinned and happily started telling Dorothy our plan.

    Dorothy wasn¡¯t entirely interested in the idea of running a store on her own, but she understood both the uniqueness of the situation and the benefit for all parties. She was getting a bit old, she said.

    Lou was good at math, and was confident she could study whatever she needed to in order to handle the store¡¯s finances. Slick wanted nothing to do with it, other than to support his little sister.

    It wasn¡¯t long after that we¡¯d purchased a little shop in walking distance - according to the ever-walking pair, anyway - of our home. Lou¡¯s truck would be perfect for hauling in goods from the junkyard. It took a few weeks to get it set up and all the paperwork in place, which fortunately required no input from me.

    I was simply happy to be able to have more liberty in designing interesting pieces. I had to run them by Dorothy to confirm that they were theoretically possible by mundane means, but I found a number of ways to be creative within the constraints. It was quite a bit of fun.

    I didn¡¯t often see Dorothy working, but she was a marvel. Sweet, grandmotherly thing she was, she had a glare and a curt tone that could set the most belligerent drunks on their rears and apologizing. I¡¯d have sworn it was mind magic, had I not known otherwise.

    She told wonderful stories, when the store wasn¡¯t busy. Sometimes I simply sat and listened. Her first husband, she met by pointing a gun at him - her neighbor - because he¡¯d refused to turn down his radio when she was sleeping. The second, who¡¯d swept her off her feet and taken her on a wild, reckless tour of the country. The third, the only man she¡¯d ever met who could hold his own in both a debate and a glaring contest. Apparently she could never quite decide if she loved or hated him, even on their wedding day.

    The third husband was the one she¡¯d gotten Lou¡¯s gun from - he¡¯d been a soldier, and he¡¯d had it from the war.

    ¡°The war,¡± as though it were a solitary thing. These people had a lot of wars, but somehow that one was special, I supposed. As far as I could gather, it simply was because it had a significant amount of countries involved.

    Dorothy rather enjoyed my company, since I didn¡¯t make her uncomfortable with my magic, and I loved to politely listen to her seemingly endless supply of tales.

    Apparently she was religious - a Christian, which meant that she worshipped some sort of deity, the like of which I could see no evidence for. Still, it was my first inkling of why my magic might need to be kept secret. This religion, quite common in this country, was rather negatively inclined towards the idea.

    Most people didn¡¯t take it too seriously, as more of a behind-the-scenes pressure than any sort of zealotry. Aside from a few demographics. Lou and Slick were not religious, though they still erred on the side of caution. Slick was more experimental, but it did rather explain why Lou seemed curious about anything and everything except my magic.

    Well, possibly. Really, it was more like the existence of magic offended her.

    Over time, as Slick¡¯s popularity started ebbing, the Boston Boys grew more regular in their practice. I often loved to watch Benjamin perform, and almost always resisted the temptation to gaze at his soul when music captured him. Whenever I slipped, I tried to apologize as best as I could, with extra attentiveness with food, drinks, and company.

    He seemed to realize that I favored him, and grew increasingly appreciative of my company. I, too, enjoyed his - he wasn¡¯t particularly intelligent, but he was kind, passionate, and had an interest in literature.

    We used Slick¡¯s tarp idea, and suffered with the lack of sunlight for a few months. In time, the house was again uncovered, and the magnificent artistry of the improved construction was clear for all to see. The gardens - both the guarding thorns, and my private haven - were in fine shape. The front yard was as pristine as any noble manor¡¯s.

    Beneath the floors, in a blocked off portion of the basement, my lab grew. The portal was recreated in as absolutely perfect detail as I could remember, though I still hadn¡¯t the faintest idea how to enchant it. Still unwilling to face the magnitude of the task, I contented myself with enchantment practice, creating a wide array of little toys and tools.

    This made my lab a rather dangerous little room, which to my amusement, actually made it feel more like home. I even had an enchantment go wrong, blowing off a good portion of my arm, and I was so reminded of my mother that I didn¡¯t fully repair the damage for hours.

    And so my days went. Many of my hours went into attempting to improve my skill, however awkwardly it went with neither instructor nor books. Some few hours per week were spent making goods for our little store, and many more than that spent listening to stories. Lou and Slick were lovely housemates, and I would see them each morning and evening. Sometimes I would spend a day with Benjamin, as he showed me various sights around the city.Stolen story; please report.

    Slick did end up taking me up on my offer to train him in magic. To his disappointment, it was a slow process. To my pleasure, he was quite patient. He didn¡¯t engage in training often, but he showed no sign of giving up, and was quite satisfied with my explanation of how difficult it was to ¡°awaken¡± to magical power.

    And of course, with almost all the rest of my time, I spent it in the green embrace of my garden, ever magnifying the intricate beauty within its flowing life.

    Such complacency. Why, the very thing for which I had dismissed Alice.

    Still, it had its comforts.

    ¡°I was hoping to ask you, Aera,¡± Benjamin said one day, as he sat beside me on our living room couch. ¡°What sort of things do you like to do with your time?¡±

    ¡°You ask as though it¡¯s some great secret,¡± I said, smiling at him.

    I took a sip of the wine and suppressed a sigh. It had been a year since we¡¯d moved in. The warm spring air flowed through the open windows of the house, and birds chirped merrily outside.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve tried to ask a few times, but we always seem to get sidetracked,¡± he said with a smile in turn. ¡°Not just about your habits, I mean. About you. Your interests, your home, your family.¡±

    ¡°Rather bold, that,¡± I said, looking away.

    ¡°Please, accept my apologies,¡± he said hastily, and sounded crestfallen. ¡°Truly, I meant no offense. I¡¯ve just been curious for some time, and I¡­ well, I just was hoping to get to know you better.¡±

    ¡°No, please, I¡­¡± I hesitated, and turned to face him. I put my hand on his, and his sorrowful expression lifted. ¡°It¡¯s that¡­ I mean¡­¡±

    He waited patiently for me to continue. I took a second to ease the wave of fearful uncertainty that had touched me, and smiled down at my glass.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that I dislike talking about such things,¡± I said quietly. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ I¡­ I can¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± he asked.

    I hesitated again. As before, he waited calmly, putting no pressure on me. I couldn¡¯t help but notice that he was the only person I¡¯d ever known to do that. He gave me time to think, to feel. I felt a sudden, desperate desire to tell him everything, and I had to look away.

    ¡°I¡¯ve known you for a time,¡± I said softly. ¡°And I like to believe you are a good person. But I have been warned so much¡­ I¡­ I can¡¯t tell you everything, but¡­ tell me, Benjamin. Can I trust you with a secret?¡±

    ¡°Aera,¡± he said, putting down his wine. He placed that hand on top of mine, effectively clasping my hand between his. ¡°Are you in some sort of trouble?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I said. ¡°Well. Maybe. I don¡¯t know. But not really. It¡¯s just¡­ it¡¯s just a secret, that¡¯s all. I can¡¯t tell you, but maybe¡­¡±

    I trailed off.

    ¡°Can you?¡± I asked again. ¡°Can you keep a secret?¡±

    ¡°For you, Aera, I¡¯ll keep anything,¡± he said, and I flushed.

    Once I recovered from my blush, I looked up.

    ¡°Flower sculpting,¡± I said, and he looked confused.

    I held a hand to my lips and giggled.

    ¡°I mean, that¡¯s what I like to do with my time,¡± I clarified, and he only looked slightly less confused. ¡°My garden. It¡¯s not the secret, but it relates, and it, too, must be kept private. Do you¡­ do you wish to see it?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d love to,¡± he said, looking like a strange blend of amused and confused.

    ¡°Come, then,¡± I said, abruptly excited.

    I let my hand stay in his warm grasp as we got to our feet, and I began leading him to the back door.

    ¡°I cannot tell you from whence I come, or of my family, or so many things, but you can see my joy,¡± I said, as I carefully led him through the brambles.

    Of course, he had no way of knowing that without my magic to turn the thorns, there simply was no path at all into the center.

    ¡°By all that is holy,¡± he breathed as we emerged into the sunlight. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anything like this.¡±

    ¡°You like it?¡± I asked. ¡°Changing the flowers, making them look how I please¡­ it is my favorite way to be at peace.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re an artist,¡± he said.

    ¡°An¡­ artist?¡± I repeated, startled. ¡°I¡­ well, I mean, it¡¯s just a hobby.¡±

    ¡°No, this,¡± he said, reaching out and delicately touching one of the tulips, ¡°This is art, Aera. This is beautiful.¡±

    I blushed at that, but he didn¡¯t notice, enraptured as he was in the garden. He walked slowly and carefully, reaching out to touch or smell every single flower he could reach.

    He even looked a little misty eyed as he watched a hummingbird sip from one of the flowers, then spin around him and dart off. He knelt beside the rose bush and simply stared in wonder at the theme of fire and ice within its leaves.

    ¡°How do you make these?¡± he asked, never turning away.

    I knelt beside him.

    ¡°I am sad to say that is something which I am forbidden to share,¡± I said.

    He shook his head, then looked at me.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been trying to guess what your secret is ever since I noticed you avoided those questions,¡± he said. ¡°But this¡­ well, I have no idea. I¡¯d thought you were maybe a runaway princess, or something, but¡­¡±

    He shook his head again, while I laughed.

    ¡°I am no princess!¡± I said, holding my hand up to cover my giggle. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m just an ordinary girl. Not even special within my family; I¡¯m a disappointment to them.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t imagine anyone being disappointed with you,¡± he said.

    My smile turned sad.

    ¡°Even so,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m alone now. I have my garden, and some new friends, but that is all. This land is so very strange to me. And I am forbidden to even speak of anything of my home.¡±

    ¡°So this is just some strange thing from your homeland,¡± he said, glancing at the flowers. ¡°Some skill you¡¯ve brought with you.¡±

    I nodded.

    ¡°I am nothing,¡± I said. ¡°Lou and Slick have been very kind to me, and I have a few skills that has made the arrangement mutually beneficial. But I would have been lost without them.¡±

    He turned towards me and took my hand in his again.

    ¡°I never want to hear you say that you¡¯re nothing,¡± he said. ¡°Look at this place. Look at what you¡¯ve created. You. This is art, Aera, and that comes from your heart.¡±

    He smiled and brushed a strand of hair from my face.

    ¡°This garden is who you are,¡± he said. ¡°That¡¯s what art is - what music is to me, and a painting to a painter, and so on. You can be nothing but an artist, and still be everything.¡±

    A strange feeling filled me. His face was close to mine, and his eyes burned with passion. The warmth of his hand didn¡¯t quite seem enough. His words were warmth in my heart, and I felt a need for more.

    It seemed he felt the same way, as his expression softened and seemed inviting.

    Nervousness started to fill me, and so I quickly looked away, breaking the spell of the moment.

    Still¡­

    ¡°Thank you, Benjamin,¡± I said, my words scarcely more than a whisper. ¡°You cannot yet understand how much that means to me.¡±

    ¡°Then perhaps, one day, you can tell me,¡± he said. ¡°In the meantime, though, it seems I misunderstood quite how far you are from home. Maybe I should show you around the city like before, but this time with an eye on helping you see what America really is.¡±

    I pulled his hand to my face, greedily enjoying the warmth again.

    ¡°Take me, then,¡± I said, and he smiled.

    It was a day to be grateful for.

    The next few weeks were wonderful. He never asked me any questions about my home, but instead, asked me questions about the here and now - what stories I enjoyed, whether I liked the theater show he¡¯d taken me to, what new foods I¡¯d discovered.

    It was such a pleasure to be able to express myself, without being afraid of revealing too much. Sometimes I¡¯d say something that made him look quizzical, but not once did he push me. He felt safe. Comfortable.

    ¡°... and kind,¡± I said, making my case to Lou and Slick, who looked a little confused.

    ¡°Right,¡± Lou said. ¡°He¡¯s a stand up guy. We already know that. What are you getting at?¡±

    ¡°Well, I mean¡­¡± I hesitated. ¡°I¡­ well¡­ I just want to ask permission to tell him of who I am, and what I am able to do.¡±

    ¡°Our permission?¡± Slick repeated, looking confused.

    ¡°It ain¡¯t about permission, Aera,¡± Lou said. ¡°We¡¯re not in charge of you. It¡¯s about being smart. And coming to your friends for advice on something big is a smart thing.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Slick said, seeming slightly less confused.

    ¡°Regardless of how it is phrased,¡± I said. ¡°I feel I would like to talk to him freely.¡±

    ¡°I mean, if you want to talk to him, to trust him, that¡¯s on you,¡± Lou said.

    ¡°Not that I¡¯m sure why you want to,¡± Slick said. ¡°I mean, he¡¯s nice and all, but¡­¡±

    Lou elbowed him. He grew silent, and I fiddled with my skirt a little, uneasy.

    ¡°So I can, then?¡± I said, needing to be sure.

    ¡°Um, yeah,¡± Slick said. ¡°I mean, be careful, and don¡¯t let him push you, but if you really want to tell him, you can.¡±

    ¡°Only if you¡¯re sure,¡± Lou said. ¡°Because you can¡¯t take it back.¡±

    I nodded.

    ¡°I am sure.¡±

    ----------------

    ¡°I always love it when you bring me here,¡± Benjamin said, sighing happily as I guided him to sit down with me next to the rosebush, like before. ¡°It¡¯s so peaceful.¡±

    ¡°I am glad,¡± I said. ¡°I have brought you here for a reason, Benjamin.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± he asked, though he didn¡¯t seem surprised.

    I felt a little tongue tied. Smiling, I simply reached out and plucked one of the fire-themed roses. The petals felt so smooth against my lips as I brushed it against my face, inhaling its scent. Soon winter would come, and I would have to put my garden to sleep, but until then, I would enjoy the pleasures it gave me.

    ¡°Tell me, Benjamin,¡± I said. ¡°Do you still wish to know me?¡±

    ¡°That I do,¡± he said.

    ¡°I have been told of much danger,¡± I said. ¡°Danger which is apparently beyond me to understand. The very knowledge is danger, to any who knows it. To even know my secret is to put your life at risk. Knowing that¡­ do you still wish to know me?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re in danger?¡± he asked. His eyes looked stricken with sorrow.

    ¡°Not immediately,¡± I said. ¡°Only if my secret is discovered.¡±

    He looked concerned, then shook his head as though to shake away an unpleasant thought.

    ¡°I would be honored to be trusted with this secret, Aera,¡± he said.

    Slick, Lou, Alice, Dorothy - four times, now, I¡¯d revealed my secret. Each time had been different, with different reactions. Shock, paranoia, exuberance, and discomfort.

    I had no idea how he would react. I had no idea why it seemed to matter to me so much.

    ¡°I am from very far away,¡± I said softly, gazing at the fire of the rose. ¡°Further than you can imagine. You see, though I am human, my world is¡­ other than this one.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re¡­ an alien?¡± he said, sounding more confused than anything.

    ¡°Human by blood, alien by locale, I suppose,¡± I said. ¡°To me, it is your world that is alien. But the critical facts are these.¡±

    I closed my eyes and sighed.

    ¡°My home¡­ my family¡­ they are lost to me. Something went wrong, and I found myself here, in this bizarre world. I¡¯ve lost them, and I¡­ I¡¯m trying to find a way back, but I¡­¡±

    My throat started tightening. Tears flooded my eyes, yet again, the accursed things.

    ¡°I¡¯ll help you find your family, Aera,¡± he said, his voice tender.

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand,¡± I said. ¡°You can¡¯t, not yet, because¡­¡±

    I took a deep breath.

    ¡°There is a skill that the people of my world have learned,¡± I said, still unable to look at him. ¡°Your language has only one word for it that seems to match, and that word is magic.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re saying you can do magic?¡± he asked.

    His voice seemed a blend of confusion, uncertainty, and sympathy.

    I nodded.

    ¡°Flower shaping,¡± I said, holding up the rose and gazing at the array of colors. ¡°My art with this skill.¡±

    The colors shifted as I shared my heart with the rose, turning blood red with a sheen of gold. Benjamin fell back.

    ¡°What the¡­¡± he said. ¡°What did you do?¡±

    ¡°Magic.¡±

    ¡°Do that again,¡± he said.

    The curiosity in his voice bade me to look at him. He looked fascinated and stunned.

    I smiled and let the rose change to the same glistening hue of brown as his cello. It was a bit odd to see a perfectly healthy looking flower that shade of brown.

    ¡°How do I know this isn¡¯t some sort of¡­¡± he said, then hesitated.

    ¡°A trick?¡± I asked, and he nodded tightly. ¡°Simple enough. Tell me what you wish it to look like, and I will accommodate you. That could be no trick.¡±

    He nodded.

    ¡°Purple, with green polka dots,¡± he said.

    I suppressed a frown. That sounded hideous.

    Such a color scheme on a rose seemed an affront to the flower¡¯s inherent beauty. I shifted the petals into another shape first, making it appear to be a less elegant sort of flower. A daisy seemed reasonable enough.

    Satisfied, I adjusted the color. First, it flickered into a vibrant purple, then green emerged. I was set on making these colors work together, and let both colors shift before my eyes. Benjamin was saying something, but I could not listen, not yet. I would not let this travesty of color stand.

    Dark, royal purple, with spots of bright, glowing green. The green was iridescent, shimmering as though it was simply a captured point of magic itself. The flower now looked as though it were some sort of artifact, with mystical power captured in these strange points of light.

    I pulled back my focus and looked at it. I still wasn¡¯t entirely pleased, but it was vaguely acceptable. I smiled over at Benjamin.

    ¡°That is incredible,¡± he said. ¡°May I see it?¡±

    ¡°Certainly,¡± I said, and handed him the flower.

    He examined it carefully for several minutes before handing it back.

    ¡°Is this the only thing you can do?¡± he asked.

    I shrugged. ¡°I can do a number of things, but mostly life alteration, like this. Changing the form of plants, animals, or people, which includes healing. Changing other forms, like rocks, is within my talent, though I¡¯m not as good at it. And other forms of magic, I range from moderately capable, to nearly useless.¡±

    ¡°Healing,¡± he said, still sounding strangely distant. ¡°How well can you heal?¡±

    ¡°Brains are complicated,¡± I said, adjusting myself on the grass. ¡°Only the most incredible of healers can do anything beyond exceedingly simple fixes with it. Beyond that, though, I could create an entire body from scratch - even if a part were damaged in ways I couldn¡¯t figure out how to fix, I could simply remove it and replace it. As such, I cannot imagine anything beyond my power to heal.¡±

    I didn¡¯t see the point in mentioning how ludicrously difficult that was, and the various limitations I had in attempting such a thing. I was, technically, capable of it.

    He nodded slowly.

    ¡°So this is why you¡¯re in danger?¡± he said, looking like he was still in a bit of a state of shock.

    I nodded. ¡°Lou and Slick tell me that if my power is found, the government will want to take me. No matter what questions I ask them, they insist that they do not know the means, only that they are utterly confident that I could not win.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re right,¡± he said, sighing.

    ¡°You agree?¡± I asked, forlornly. ¡°That I could not hope to stop them?¡±

    He laughed oddly. ¡°No, Aera, I don¡¯t think that you could do anything if they wanted to take you away.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± I asked. ¡°How can you be so certain?¡±

    He sighed.

    ¡°I don¡¯t even want to think about that,¡± he said, his voice pained. ¡°I don¡¯t want to think about what they would do to you.¡±

    A measure of fear grasped at me. I¡¯d not asked Dorothy, since she seemed to regard my power as threatening, and I¡¯d not wanted to make her uncomfortable. Benjamin, though - unlike the others, he was fully into adulthood, and did not strike me as a fool.

    He sighed again, bringing me back to the present.

    ¡°May I have a moment to think?¡± he asked.

    I nodded, and stood up. I attached the flower to another bush, not wanting to condemn it to death, however strange it might look. While Benjamin sat and stared blankly at the rosebush, I tended the rest of the garden.

    Several minutes passed. I turned to address the growth of one of the stalks, and Benjamin was standing before me, with a strange expression.

    ¡°You told me that you¡¯re an ordinary girl,¡± he said.

    ¡°I am,¡± I said, looking down.

    ¡°This is anything but ordinary,¡± he said.

    ¡°This?¡± I said, gesturing at the garden, my heart rising to my throat. ¡°This is ordinary! This is my ordinary!¡±

    I turned away, unable to face him.

    ¡°I am nothing, Benjamin,¡± I said. ¡°My parents, they are special, certainly. But I? I have been nothing but a failure, a disappointment, my entire life! Never good enough! Never strong enough! Never efficient enough!¡±

    ¡°How can you think that you are nothing, Aera?¡± he asked. ¡°With all that you can do? You are incredible.¡±

    ¡°To you, perhaps,¡± I said with a rueful laugh. ¡°To most mundanes - that is, non spellcasters - my power is some great thing. But to me, to my family, to others with such skills¡­¡±

    My voice began to waver.

    ¡°For all that my parents are some of the mightiest people in all the world, I have failed them, by only being ordinary. A common spellcaster, worthy of no more than being a village¡¯s local healer. Not even strong enough to survive on my own, without the aid of spellcasters greater than I. With no more to hope for than to eek out a living in some corner of the world, trading in favors to serve at the behest of my betters.¡±

    I fell to my knees and started crying.

    ¡°All I had that was of any worth was my parentage. And now, without them, what am I? Lost, alone, and endlessly confused, in a world that makes no sense at all. It is you who are strange, and alien!¡±

    I felt his hand on my shoulder, but my heart was breaking and words kept spilling out.

    ¡°I have nothing, Benjamin,¡± I said, my voice falling to a whisper again. ¡°I have nothing but hope of going home, and even that dies a little more each day.¡±

    ¡°You have me,¡± he said quietly.

    His face was blurry through the haze of tears, but it looked kind. So very kind. I leaned forward and he embraced me. His shirt grew damp with my tears.

    ¡°And Aera,¡± he said, his voice gentle, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter how your people might have judged your skill with magic. You are not nothing. You are an artist. You are a friend. And¡­ and you are dear to me.¡±

    My throat was too tight to answer, but I hoped he could feel the effect of his words through the tightness of my embrace.

    It seemed I did have something after all.

 Bonus Chapter - Fun and Learning

    ¡°So much fuss about the idea of marriage!¡± I said, laughing, as we were walking from the theater hall. ¡°To fear marriage to this Paris character, to be forbidden marriage to each other, then to secretly marry? For so much death to be tangled in it? So very strange!¡±

    ¡°Your land doesn¡¯t have marriage?¡± Benjamin asked, intrigued.

    ¡°Perhaps?¡± I said, shrugging. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. My spell tells me the word has a great deal of meaning, but the meaning is muddled. A ritual of binding between two people, perhaps for love, some connection with religion, and an enormous commitment?¡±

    He smiled at me before turning his gaze back to the sidewalk. We¡¯d taken a less traveled course, as usual of late, so that we could speak freely.

    ¡°Here in America, marriages are for love,¡± he said. ¡°When a man and a woman love each other very much, they commit to each other for the rest of their lives.¡±

    ¡°Commit to each other?¡± I asked. ¡°An alliance of some sort?¡±

    He laughed and shook his head.

    ¡°Nothing like that,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s committing to fidelity, to family, to loyalty, to support, to - well, basically, going through life as partners, rather than going it alone.¡±

    ¡°Most of that is similar to what I am familiar with,¡± I said. ¡°But what is this ¡®fidelity¡¯ you mention? Lou must have some knowledge of the word, though with Slick, less so. But all I¡¯m gathering is a sense of importance, something to do with loyalty, embarrassment, and sexuality.¡±

    He raised an eyebrow. Of all my abilities with magic, he seemed to find the borrowing of language most fascinating. He so loved it when I shared the understanding it lended me.

    ¡°It means to be faithful to your spouse,¡± he said.

    ¡°Faithful?¡± I said. ¡°This context tells me of loyalty and sexuality again. There must be some sort of fundamental understanding that I¡¯ve missed, beyond the direct meaning of the words.¡±

    He looked a little uncomfortable and coughed into his hand.

    ¡°It, ah, means that you don¡¯t have relations with someone other than your spouse,¡± he said.

    ¡°Relations?¡± I said. ¡°Oh, a euphemism for sex. What does having sex with people have to do with loyalty?¡±

    He coughed again, now outright blushing.

    ¡°From what you¡¯re saying, I gather that your people are not monogamous,¡± he said.

    The word¡¯s meaning entered my awareness, and the context filled me with a host of meanings.

    ¡°Seriously?¡± I said, giving him a wide eyed stare. ¡°A single sexual partner? For all of your life?¡±

    ¡°Have you had many partners?¡± he asked, looking suddenly reserved.

    I shook my head and blushed. The topic was fine in the abstract, but turning it on me was another matter entirely.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never so much as kissed anyone,¡± I said, and he seemed relieved. ¡°But my mother brought home playthings for her and my father quite often.¡±

    He looked staggered at that.

    ¡°What about getting pregnant by one of them?¡± he asked, sounding flabbergasted. ¡°Or picking up some sort of venereal disease?¡±

    I raised an eyebrow. ¡°Disease? Surely you jest. As far as pregnancy¡­ wait¡­¡±

    I stopped walking and turned to him in horror.

    ¡°Your people,¡± I said. ¡°You cannot control your fertility?¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± he said, giving a wry smile. ¡°I should have realized that wouldn¡¯t be a concern for you.¡±

    He sighed and rubbed at his forehead before continuing.

    ¡°We have some means, though they sometimes fail. And if a woman is with a number of men over time, it can¡¯t be known who the father is.¡±

    ¡°I suppose that would be a situation in which monogamy makes sense,¡± I said, frowning. ¡°Are there other limitations on sexuality that I should be aware of?¡±

    He coughed again.

    ¡°For starters, it¡¯s something that is generally never spoken of directly,¡± he said, still flushing.

    ¡°Oh,¡± I said, looking down. ¡°That is why you seem uncomfortable.¡±

    ¡°I cannot deny that,¡± he said, a rueful smile looking odd on his red face. ¡°But this is probably important for you to know. Perhaps we¡¯ll continue the conversation in private?¡±

    ¡°As you prefer,¡± I said.

    The rest of the afternoon was lovely, but I was very curious to finish our conversation. He was uneasy, but was vaguely cooperative as I insisted on him coming to my house, and then dragged him into my room.

    ¡°Come, sit on the bed,¡± I said, patting the space beside me.

    He flushed again and awkwardly sat on the very edge of the bed.

    ¡°So,¡± I said. ¡°We are in private now. What things should I know of, in regards to sex?¡±

    ¡°Perhaps best not to say that word out loud,¡± he said, tugging at his collar as though warm.

    ¡°Sex?¡± I said, surprised. ¡°The word itself is not to be spoken?¡±

    ¡°Generally, no,¡± he said, still unwilling to meet my eyes. ¡°Euphemisms should be used whenever possible.¡±

    ¡°As you did earlier, when you said ¡®relations,¡¯¡± I said.

    He nodded, then rubbed at his face.

    ¡°I have to admit, this is a very difficult conversation,¡± he said, sighing.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said. ¡°If you prefer, we could simply not discuss it.¡±

    ¡°We should, I think,¡± he said, and swallowed nervously. ¡°I think it¡¯s a good thing to have understanding between us.¡±

    I nodded.

    ¡°I suppose the key issue is just that our people take that subject seriously, compared to yours,¡± he said. ¡°The belief is that such activities should only be done inside of a marriage.¡±

    ¡°All such activities?¡± I asked. ¡°Such as with the hands or mouth, too?¡±

    He flushed bright red and looked away.

    ¡°If you¡¯ve never¡­ I mean¡­ how do you even know about that sort of thing?¡± he asked, sounding incredibly flustered.

    ¡°My parents did not wish me to be taken advantage of in any way, including sexually,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°My mother was exceedingly clear on establishing expectations for relationships of many kinds. Friendships, alliances, sexual trysts, power games, and so forth.¡±

    ¡°Was that really such a concern?¡± he asked.

    I nodded.

    ¡°You spoke of ¡®my people,¡¯ but in a very real sense, I do not have a people,¡± I said. ¡°Lesser spellcasters must obey laws and strictures of society, but powerful spellcasters cannot be coerced or bound by most any means. Forceful ones, anyway. Nor are things like national borders of any concern. Only subtle measures, such as a manipulative friendship, can force their hand.¡±

    I smiled at him, which vaguely softened the growing unease on his face.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure there¡¯s plenty of nations where sexuality is restricted, in my world,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°But such would never apply to me, mostly due to my parentage. No one would dare force me into anything, but my heart is as vulnerable as any.¡±

    ¡°So in a way, you are somewhat like a princess,¡± he said.

    I laughed. ¡°I suppose, though nothing so trivial as mere royalty.¡±

    ¡°Trivial,¡± he repeated, and laughed in a strange way. ¡°While I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d want to go back to our previous topic, I¡¯m actually afraid that I don¡¯t think I can handle any more of this one.¡±

    He brushed aside my confused expression.

    ¡°But, um, I will admit, while our society is generally reserved on the subject, there are differences of opinion,¡± he said. ¡°Such as your, ah, mouth comment. Some people think every activity should be kept for marriage. Others have more relaxed standards.¡±

    ¡°Where do you stand on the subject?¡± I asked.

    He turned bright red again and shifted awkwardly. It took him a few tries to get words out into the open, and once, he even made a strange sort of strangled squeaking noise.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    ¡°I am... less attached to society¡¯s expectations,¡± he said, almost sounding choked. ¡°Like with my music. I just focus on what the song needs, and things like how I look, or whether I get tired, doesn¡¯t matter, if that makes sense.¡±

    I nodded.

    ¡°So, in a relationship, it would depend on the woman you¡¯re with?¡± I said, and he nodded in a jerky way. ¡°If you were with someone who was reserved, you would act accordingly. And if you were with someone with, as you said, more relaxed standards?¡±

    He was quiet for a long moment. He kept glancing in my direction, but never seemed to gain the courage to meet my eyes.

    ¡°A bit of a disadvantage to our different cultures is that expectations might be a bit different,¡± he said, sounding like he was choosing his words with extreme care. ¡°An example is that, if someone in this culture were to, for instance, see the way we¡¯ve been spending time together, they would believe that we were in that sort of relationship.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d¡­ I¡¯d just meant it hypothetically,¡± I said, flushing. ¡°More to understand what you believe. But that means¡­¡±

    I hesitated and looked down at my hands, nervously biting my lip.

    ¡°Does that mean that you wish to do such things with me?¡± I asked.

    I¡¯d not thought that he could get more red, but he achieved a new height of color. He looked incredibly tense, and was sweating. I¡¯d never seen him so uneasy.

    He seemed to need a long moment to simply handle existing, before he made a small, jerky motion.

    A nod.

    Pleasure swept through me at his confession of desire. I¡¯d not really thought of engaging in such things with him, even with the conversation we¡¯d had. I passingly wondered why it hadn¡¯t occurred to me, but that didn¡¯t matter. This was something I needed to think about immediately.

    He felt incredibly safe to me. He was gentle, sweet, and kind. He wasn¡¯t particularly handsome, or significant, but he was good to me.

    For my first time knowing such pleasures, having someone who felt warm and safe seemed like the best option. I¡¯d been too afraid to even imagine pursuing it before.

    Still, the topic seemed to be incredibly difficult to talk about, now that it wasn¡¯t theoretical anymore. The idea of actually doing something...

    Heat swept through me in a decidedly more specific way at that thought.

    But I needed to speak to him. It was entirely unfair of me to simply be too nervous to speak, when he looked like he might pass out from his own nerves.

    I took a breath and steadied myself.

    ¡°That does not seem objectionable,¡± I said.

    That didn¡¯t seem to make his nervousness go away, but he did have a strange type of happiness on his face. For the first time in quite a few minutes, he met my eyes.

    ¡°I am very, very glad to hear that, Aera,¡± he said.

    I leaned in closer, curiosity and desire emboldening me.

    ¡°Does that mean I¡¯m allowed to...?¡± I started to ask, but couldn¡¯t make myself finish the sentence, and looked down awkwardly.

    That bright red color returned to his face and he laughed.

    ¡°Perhaps, for the sake of not giving me a heart attack, we should take things slowly,¡± he said. ¡°But¡­¡±

    He hesitated, looking entranced. I simply waited.

    A moment passed, then another. He turned to the side and put his hand on my cheek again. I warmed at his touch, my smile broadening. He leaned forward and gently pulled my face towards his.

    Our lips touched. He was warm, and soft, and the taste was electric. Desire pulsed through me, desire to learn all the pleasures of the flesh. He made a sound and my heart skipped a beat.

    My hands reached for his face and neck, pulling him closer into the kiss. He trembled and lowered his hand to my shoulder. After a delicious moment, he pulled away. The look he gave me made my nipples tighten against my shirt.

    ¡°Are you certain you wish to go slow?¡± I asked, impulsively.

    He closed his eyes and exhaled carefully.

    ¡°If I stay in this room, I suspect I will end up doing absolutely anything you suggest,¡± he said, sounding hoarse. ¡°Which would be ungentlemanly of me.¡±

    ¡°It would be generous,¡± I said, biting my lip and looking down.

    A sound came from the back of his throat, making me squirm.

    ¡°I¡­ Aera, I believe I need to take a little bit of time to clear my head,¡± he said.

    ¡°Perhaps another kiss first?¡± I asked, still looking down at my hands.

    ¡°If I kiss you again, I don¡¯t think I could trust myself to stop,¡± he said, his voice scarcely audible.

    ¡°Is that so terrible?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I have no idea,¡± he said, laughing wryly. ¡°I am not thinking clearly.¡±

    ¡°Then I suppose it¡¯s wrong of me to ask for more right now,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to regret anything.¡±

    He shook his head disbelievingly.

    ¡°Normally, here, it¡¯s the woman who focuses on protecting her virtue,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s the man who has to worry about not making the woman do something she¡¯ll regret.¡±

    ¡°Because it¡¯s the woman who must endure the pregnancy, I imagine,¡± I said. ¡°But I have no such concerns. If you were to¡­ not stop, there would be no consequences.¡±

    He took a careful, shaking breath at that. Then another. He looked at me and I trembled at the heat in his gaze.

    ¡°I have to leave,¡± he said, sounding pained. ¡°Now. Else, I¡¯ll¡­¡±

    ¡°Very well,¡± I said, and stood up.

    I felt a desire to try to persuade him to stay, but that seemed unkind. And quite greedy.

    He was slow to stand up, and a bit awkward in his positioning. I was confused for a moment, and then remembered details of male anatomy. I flushed again as I realized he was trying to move in such a way that I couldn¡¯t see the evidence of his desire.

    We both stood next to the door, but were still closed within the room together. He hesitated, seeming loathe to actually open it and leave.

    ¡°You really want to be¡­ with me¡­¡± he said hoarsely.

    I nodded.

    ¡°Right now,¡± he said.

    That made me look away and flush again. But¡­

    I nodded again.

    Strange how easy it was to reveal, when he so obviously desired me. He closed his eyes and trembled again.

    ¡°And you¡­ you really wouldn¡¯t¡­ there¡¯d be no regrets¡­ even though it¡¯s your first time¡­?¡± he said, haltingly.

    ¡°You are gentle and kind,¡± I said. ¡°I feel safe with you.¡±

    I want you to be my first time. But I was too cowardly to say those words out loud.

    He took another shaky breath and looked at me.

    ¡°I should leave,¡± he said, but made no movement.

    ¡°I should let you go,¡± I said.

    ¡°Aera¡­¡± he said, groaning and closing his eyes. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know if I should say this, but¡­¡±

    ¡°Tell me,¡± I said, taking a minute step closer to him.

    ¡°This last year,¡± he said. ¡°This time with you¡­ I¡­ oh, Aera.¡±

    He lowered his head for a moment, then looked at me with a determined expression. He touched my cheek gently, and I leaned into the touch.

    ¡°I love you,¡± he said.

    ¡°Love?¡± I repeated, startled.

    Warmth was in my heart, but I didn¡¯t know its name. Was it love? It was nothing like the way my mother looked at my father, or vice versa. It wasn¡¯t like the love of family, but neither did it quite seem like just a friend. Lou, Slick, Alice, Dorothy¡­ they were dear to me. But this was different.

    ¡°I cannot know for sure if I even know what love is,¡± I said, looking away. ¡°For myself, I mean. But I do know some things.¡±

    I looked back up at his face.

    ¡°I care for you dearly,¡± I said. ¡°You mean a great deal to me. You have been good to me. And I want¡­¡±

    I hesitated again.

    ¡°Do you believe you could ever love someone like me?¡± he asked, a catch in his voice.

    ¡°A mundane, you mean?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I know what you think of ¡®mundanes,¡¯¡± he said. ¡°I know you are so much more than I could ever be. I know that even with all that you can do, you seem to think it¡¯s meaningless, and compared to that, we must be like ants. I know that I¡¯m not important, or good looking, or rich, or able to offer almost anything to someone like you.¡±

    He took a breath.

    ¡°But it¡¯s a question that has plagued me for months now,¡± he said and looked down. ¡°Wondering what the future holds. Wondering if you would ever care for me as I care for you.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what the future holds,¡± I said with a little sigh. ¡°To be honest, I have been doing my utmost to avoid even contemplating the matter. I still¡­ I¡­ I¡¯m afraid, Benjamin. I¡¯m afraid to even think of it.¡±

    I ran my hand through my hair, and glanced up at his face.

    ¡°All I have, all that I can offer, is simply this moment,¡± I said. ¡°This, and each moment that follows. I suppose if I am nothing, then you are less than nothing, but I don¡¯t care. My mother told me that it is very hard for a mundane and a spellcaster to be together, but I know it¡¯s not impossible. Perhaps I do love you¡­ perhaps I can love you as you love me¡­ but I simply don¡¯t know. There are truths that matter - you are kind. You are dear to me. I want to continue to spend time with you. And here¡­ now¡­ I don¡¯t want you to go.¡±

    He let out a breath and leaned in closer. His forehead pressed against mine, and we stood like that for a long minute. The very air seemed tense, uncertain, and¡­ vulnerable.

    ¡°One day at a time,¡± he said. ¡°For now, for you¡­ I can accept that.¡±

    Slowly, ever so slowly, he put his hand on my cheek again and pulled my face towards him. I wondered if I was supposed to resist, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to try.

    My lips touched his, and a moan escaped us both. His other hand gripped at my shoulder, and I pressed against his chest.

    Heat. Such heat I felt, against my body.

    ¡°Aera¡­¡± he whispered into my ear.

    His heat was all around me as he gently guided me back to the bed.

    -----

    The tone of our relationship changed after that night. There was a warmth, a seriousness, and a tenderness to our company that hadn¡¯t been there before.

    I also came to the delightful conclusion that I rather enjoyed sex. To my surprise, however, I had to teach Benjamin some of the basics of it! Apparently, their people had either forgotten or chosen to willfully ignore the fact that women were able to experience sexual pleasure.

    I¡¯d never imagined actually appreciating those incredibly awkward and excessively illustrated lessons on the topic my mother had given me. She¡¯d merely wanted to ensure my needs wouldn¡¯t be neglected, and had gone over the top, as usual. But, despite my bright red objections, I had learned the relevant details - and even knew some details of how to give pleasure to men that Benjamin wasn¡¯t aware of.

    Benjamin had found it strange, but fortunately had been entirely willing to cooperate with fulfilling my desires.

    A realization that had come with it, though, was that Dorothy, Alice, and Lou must have been deprived of this knowledge, too. Dorothy felt like a commander, of sorts, so I entreated her for aid. She¡¯d actually known about masturbation - not that she¡¯d fully realized that¡¯s what it was - but hadn¡¯t known how to get pleasure from being with a man.

    Or another woman. Though that was apparently not the correct thing to point out.

    In any case, after her surprise passed, she was perfectly happy to go with me and tell the others the very basics. While I most certainly did not have the nerve to educate them anywhere near as thoroughly as I had been, with Dorothy¡¯s prompting, I managed to stammer my way through the absolute basics.

    Sadly, the belief was so thoroughly ingrained in them that I had to reassure them that I¡¯d examined their biologies well enough to be absolutely certain this was true for them, and not just my own people.

    Since it was relevant to the topic at hand, I also offered a standard treatment my father had trained me in. It was one of the most common magical requests in all of the world. While there were a few ways of going about it, the method I¡¯d learned to control fertility was to simply halt the cycle for women, and to fuse a little tube thing in men. For women, this had the effect of making them unable to get pregnant, and also to prevent menstruation.

    I advised them that the procedure was entirely reversible, and they eagerly accepted. Even Lou, who was often uncomfortable with magic, was slowly coming around. This seemed to particularly warm her up to the skill, as she¡¯d apparently had exceptionally uncomfortable menstrual cycles to date.

    Alice confided in me, as well, that she was delighted they didn¡¯t have to use the condom anymore. When she¡¯d described it to me, I¡¯d been appalled. Who would want to have sex with lamb skin?

    Despite the awkward pseudo drama of that revelation, and the intensification of my relationship with Benjamin, life continued on.

    Though I missed my family, I could not deny that this place, and these people, were increasingly close to my heart.

 Bonus Chapter 2 - Fire and Ice

    Everyone was gathered around - well, those that knew from whence I came, anyway. Benjamin, Alice, Lou, Slick, and Dorothy. I¡¯d said I¡¯d be sharing some stories about my home, and they decided to make a night of it.

    I¡¯d decided to tell them of my mother¡¯s favorite story, first. She¡¯d told me the tale of how she¡¯d met my father many times, in exquisite detail. I wouldn¡¯t share it with quite her enthusiasm, or all the details she chose to include, but even as I settled into my seat, I could almost see her starting to pace with excitement, eager to start the story again.

    Memories of her voice filled my mind, as the words began to leave my lips.

    --------------

    ¡°Where are they?¡± she screamed, as another wave of fire rushed over the fleeing masses. ¡°I was told they would be here!¡±

    She glared furiously at the remains of the castle. There was supposed to be a cabal of monster-crafting casters here, that she¡¯d come to wipe out. As far as she could tell, she¡¯d done nothing but slaughter a few dozen political figures.

    A flicker of magic caught her attention and she turned. Was it¡­?

    No. Just an ordinary caster, not even worth a mote of her effort. He was trying to help evacuate the others. She wouldn¡¯t get in his way.

    Many of the mundanes had enchantments, and some of the knights protecting the rich-looking ones had even required some real effort. But they couldn¡¯t properly control the magic, so of course, they had no chance.

    Not against her, the heart of the Fire Dancer clan.

    Exile of the Fire Dancer clan, you mean? A nasty thought wormed into her head, and she ignored it, just as she ignored the screams of the terrified mob.

    She looked over the castle and surrounding area with magesense, looking for any hint of what she¡¯d been told.

    Nothing. I¡¯ve been misled. Betrayed. Tricked into murdering people¡­ again!

    She was really getting tired of that.

    A flicker of guilt tugged at her, and she pushed it away. It wasn¡¯t her fault. She was betrayed, and she¡¯d pursue her betrayers. False foundations of a deal were a type of betrayal, just as much as outright reneging on deals, and everyone knew how to deal with oathbreakers.

    She surveyed the area again, hoping that she might have been wrong, that there had actually been insane mages here that needed to be killed.

    Something faintly registered in her senses, and she looked at it closely. It didn¡¯t make sense. It was almost like a hollow area, where magic slipped around, and never interacted. That wasn¡¯t natural¡­

    Her instincts saved her hide, as she immediately dodged the attack that hadn¡¯t yet started. From that flickering shield of void magic - actual void magic! A truly capable caster! - came a flurry of spells that dazed her to even perceive. The speed of the attack was staggering.

    Not that they¡¯d have pierced her defensive enchantments.

    Probably.

    ¡°Come and face me!¡± she yelled, delighted, and let the flames dance around her body.

    She didn¡¯t wait, though - she¡¯d never been known for her patience. The depths of fire ripped out of her soul, igniting the air and ravaging the location of the void shield.

    It slipped and¡­ was gone.

    Teleportation! She grinned. Excellent!

    Magic flickered behind her. He arrived, and the magesense blocking void shield couldn¡¯t come with. She felt a myriad of enchantments, so thick with magic that she could barely even tell there was a soul inside that body. Even examining them for a fleeting moment was dizzying - nothing felt particularly powerful, but they were dazzlingly intricate and efficient.

    A challenge!

    Her laughter turned almost to giggles as she released another wild wave of magic, only to feel it deflected away. The enchantments recovered from the blow admirably, but she had felt them buckle under the strain of her power.

    More power, then, and you¡¯ll fall, little enchanter, she thought.

    She drew her might closer to the surface and noticed he was doing something within that little bubble of creations. It didn¡¯t matter, though. Nothing he could do could match her raw power.

    As soon as the blast was released, she felt a sudden, dizzying twist of reality. He¡¯d¡­

    He¡¯d switched places with her.

    ¡°Fuck.¡±

    Her own blast slammed into her, but with her control of fire, it was no true threat. She absorbed the energy as the energy of movement, and as a result, her body went shooting across the sky. Such was her speed that the air ignited on encountering her body. Had it not been for the barriers constantly protecting her flesh, her speed alone would have annihilated her.

    She continued to weave the magic of change, Flamus, to her will, and redirected her movement to a spot of contained air in her hands. When movement was unified, the object moved through the world. When it was chaotic, it was simply heat. A true fireball rested in her hands, bound by the whispering barriers that enclosed it.

    ¡°Taste the true might of Flamus,¡± she said, grinning wildly as she turned to face the ball of assorted magics that was her foe.

    It was euphoric to realize that he was a true threat. He could kill her. Her playfulness subsided somewhat as she started to take this seriously. She might truly see what she was capable of, with him¡­

    She charged.

    He disappeared.

    Her magesense spread like a wildfire, spreading across the surface of Camelot, until she reached the flickering hub of his shields.

    A hundred miles¡­

    He can¡¯t keep it up.

    She charged towards the sphere, and it disappeared again. She ground her teeth, and flew towards his next location. The heat of her passage withered the trees and bushes beneath her, as though from a drought.

    After the third teleportation, she paused.

    Even she didn¡¯t have enough power to simply chase after someone using teleportation magic, and then best him in combat when he finally ran out of whatever enchantment fueled that teleportation.

    She¡¯d felt him casting, and he hadn¡¯t used nearly enough magic for a stunt like that. No, this had been prepared ahead of time.

    Which meant she couldn¡¯t catch him.

    Yet.

    ---

    ¡°You betrayed me,¡± she growled at the quivering man in front of her. ¡°There were no monster-creating mages there! Only three spellcasters in the entire castle, and two were simply guards!¡±

    ¡°Please, Selina, I did not know the information was false,¡± the man sad, his eyes wide with terror.

    ¡°Then you¡¯ll tell me from where you got the information,¡± she hissed.

    ¡°L-letters,¡± he said. ¡°I can show you them all¡­¡±

    ¡°Letters?¡± she demanded. ¡°Words? Literally just words on paper? You arranged to get me to come help save your nation because of some words on paper?¡±

    ¡°Please¡­¡± he said, falling to his knees, too terrified to stand. ¡°Please have mercy, Selina.¡±

    ¡°Mercy,¡± she spat. ¡°Because of your idiocy, hundreds of people are dead. Who were they, anyway?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ if the information was wrong, I do not know¡­¡± he stammered.

    ¡°Useless,¡± she muttered. ¡°By right of traitor¡¯s redemption, I claim the right to your mind and soul.¡±

    He closed his eyes and recoiled, but said nothing. It was a way around the moral quandary of prying into the minds and souls of others - if a spellcaster had been wronged by someone, they could claim the right to access the perpetrator. The more severe the wrong, the greater the right of access. Breaking faith in a deal with one of the great powers of the world was the most egregious offense, and was considered an offense against the world itself.

    Of course, the only people it meant anything to was other spellcasters. Mundanes quite literally couldn¡¯t do anything about it.

    She¡¯d had to learn mind magic in the course of her life, even though it wasn¡¯t Flamus, and as such, she disliked the feel of it in her flesh.

    Knowledge blossomed in her mind, and she soon was snarling with rage again.

    His mind had been tampered with. This was another spellcaster, manipulating her through this idiot pawn.

    And you fell for it. So who¡¯s the idiot?

    These annoying thoughts kept intruding into her mind.

    ¡°You were used by someone else,¡± she said, feeling nearly overwhelmed by frustration. ¡°Your mind was made their tool.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I was mind raped?¡± he asked, horrified. ¡°Truly¡­? What was taken from me?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll pursue the one who did this to you,¡± she said, though she hadn¡¯t the faintest idea how to find them. ¡°I could set you to rights, but¡­¡±

    ¡°Please,¡± he said. ¡°Whatever they did¡­ please¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll see your soul,¡± she said. ¡°I suppose I¡¯ll spare the effort if you¡¯re worthwhile.¡±

    He flinched, and try to beg her away, but it was too late. She grabbed onto his throat, and felt his flimsy sparks of magic - the faint bit of spirit present even in mundanes - pushing at her hand.

    She shoved her sense into his soul, to see what he was made of.

    The initial emotions pushed at her probe. Terror, mostly. Shame, humiliation, and embarrassment. Honestly kind of hard to see through the sheer intensity of the terror.

    But that¡¯s not what she was looking for. She pushed deeper.

    Greed. Self gratification. Pride. Desire to be admired.

    Pathetic.

    For someone this worthless to have been successfully used to turn her into a weapon¡­

    Her teeth bared and magic flowed, almost without her conscious awareness.

    Ash drifted through the air where a man had been kneeling, and her hand fell to her side. Guilt tried to find her heart again, but she pushed it away, as before.

    It was his fault for being so worthless, after all.

    Was it truly?

    She walked out of the building, leaving the pesky thought behind her.

    She¡¯d have to find that mind mage. Manipulating the minds of others in such a way was one of the only truly forbidden uses of magic in all the world. While the crime itself was enormous, the revelation that the mind mage existed was even greater.

    How could the world be safe with a person like that within it?

    She stood, contemplating, and suddenly realized that mind mage could have had an enchantment of some sort near his pawn. She intensified and spread her magesense and felt¡­

    ¡­ a flicker of void magic.

    ¡°You!¡± she yelled in shock, as she turned to face the invisible shielding in the shape of an orb.

    Fear briefly grasped at her heart, as she realized that the enchanter had been watching her. Without her noticing him, he could have¡­

    It didn¡¯t matter. The fear blended with the lingering frustration and guilt, erupting into an inferno. She launched herself at him.

    But this time, she sent disruptive waves of energy through the air. Subtle, for her, and it would have the effect of making enchantments more difficult to control. He¡¯d only be able to teleport through this if he were as skilled as she was powerful.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    She readied a blast to catch him, and¡­

    He disappeared.

    She blinked, then howled with laughter.

    ¡°Brilliant!¡± she said, grinning to herself.

    She¡¯d need to up her game, just to catch the little coward.

    The next three times she spotted him, she¡¯d improved her approach. The third time, she managed to completely disable his ability to teleport, and he¡¯d revealed that he could use Flamus magic for travel in the same way she could. Significantly weaker, and would have been easy to catch¡­ except he simultaneously used gravity altering magic on her.

    Stupid, god damned enchanters.

    ------

    ¡°Selina, you are not welcome in this place,¡± said the booming voice as she walked across the plain.

    It was a nice afternoon, and perfectly suited for walking. The ten foot tall archangel beside her was interrupting the view.

    ¡°Your voice isn¡¯t welcome in my ear,¡± she said. ¡°Buzz off, feathers.¡±

    An eyebrow raised on his perfect face.

    ¡°This land is favored by the god Auloman,¡± he said. ¡°Creatures of death are forbidden.¡±

    ¡°Thanks for the information,¡± she said. ¡°I take it you¡¯re his avatar? So tell him that I¡¯m not here to kill anyone. I¡¯m following a lead.¡±

    ¡°Your reputation extends into the very pantheon,¡± he said. ¡°Death follows you wherever you go.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m here to save people,¡± she said, glaring at him.

    ¡°Your intentions have been well observed,¡± he replied. ¡°This does not change the result of your existence.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve pried into my soul?¡± she asked. ¡°By what right?¡±

    ¡°I am the avatar of the god of the harvest, Auloman,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Yeah, and you think that means something to me?¡± she said, rolling her eyes. ¡°You can tell your god to go fuck himself, and if he¡¯s got an issue with that, he can come talk to me personally. I¡¯d happily give him some specific suggestions on the process.¡±

    ¡°Your irreverence is not wise,¡± he said. ¡°You are surely aware that Auloman is more powerful than you, and would certainly kill you.¡±

    ¡°Obviously,¡± she said, stretching out her arms. ¡°But I¡¯d wager that I¡¯d leave him in a hard way by the time I died. And I wonder how many casters would enjoy an opportunity to try to become the god of the harvest?¡±

    The avatar was silent.

    ¡°Thought so,¡± she said. ¡°If he comes for me, we both die, and so I¡¯d take it as quite a sign of his adoration, if he chose to die just for little ol¡¯ me.¡±

    She grinned. ¡°So, as I was saying, he can go fuck himself, and if he wants to keep his avatar, instead of building a new one, you ought to never fucking touch my soul again.¡±

    ¡°Despite the hostility of your phrasing, the truth of your intentions are known,¡± he said. ¡°Auloman does not need to be your enemy, Selina. There are concerns with the current god of death, and Auloman would support your ascension into that role.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re telling me I¡¯m not allowed into his favored territory, but he¡¯d support me becoming a god,¡± she said flatly.

    He stopped walking and gave her a piercing look. Something about the intensity of it gave her pause, and she stopped to meet his gaze.

    ¡°You are dying, Selina,¡± he said.

    ¡°Fuck off,¡± she said, breaking eye contact and starting to walk again.

    ¡°You have known this,¡± he said from behind her, and her steps faltered. ¡°Your approach to magic is consuming you. Without purpose, without meaning, you will be reduced to ash.¡±

    ¡°I have purpose,¡± she snarled.

    ¡°Your ability to convince yourself of that is waning,¡± he said. ¡°When it breaks, so too will your control of your magic.¡±

    ¡°And with it, my soul, yes, I know,¡± she said, rolling her eyes again. ¡°I take it you¡¯ve visited the elders of my clan.¡±

    ¡°You do not have a clan,¡± he said. ¡°You were not deemed ready to take the mantle, and they were correct. You can become worthy of your power, if you choose.¡±

    ¡°Thanks for the advice,¡± she said. ¡°Oh, right, I forgot, I didn¡¯t want any.¡±

    He was reminding her of things she didn¡¯t want to think about. To distract herself, she took a deep breath and let her spirit go, sensing out the sweet life of the forest.

    ¡°Again? Seriously?¡± she growled, turning her attention to the ¡®hollow¡¯ spot in the forest. ¡°Can I have a conversation without him showing up?¡±

    She was not in the mood to go chasing after him again, so she simply glared in his direction. For some reason, the void magic hiding him weakened, making him easier to spot with her magesense. And even more strangely, he didn¡¯t move.

    ¡°He is not a concern to you, Selina,¡± the avatar said.

    ¡°You know who he is?¡± she asked sharply.

    ¡°I know many things,¡± he said. ¡°Simply accept that he is not a threat to you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been trying to track down that bastard for months,¡± she said. ¡°What¡¯s it been? Four, five months, he¡¯s been following me around? If you know who he is, you will tell me.¡±

    ¡°I will do no such thing,¡± he said.

    ¡°I can force the matter,¡± she said, letting her magic sear her flesh, bleeding out in spurts of flame.

    ¡°Perhaps you have forgotten that I am not in possession of free will,¡± he said. ¡°You are simply incapable of forcing me.¡±

    She rolled her eyes again.

    ¡°You think I¡¯m an idiot,¡± she said. ¡°Of course I know that. But if you have knowledge, then so does Auloman, and I could get it from him.¡±

    ¡°You believe that it would be easier to force a god into sharing knowledge than it would be to catch this enchanter,¡± he said dryly.

    ¡°It¡­ well¡­¡± she hesitated. ¡°He¡¯s slippery, is all.¡±

    ¡°Auloman is not particularly susceptible to coercion, and certainly not by force,¡± he said. ¡°Further, if you died in the attempt, you would not gain the desired information.¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± she said, frowning. ¡°I¡¯ll just have to catch him, then.¡±

    ¡°That is unlikely,¡± he said.

    ¡°You think I can¡¯t do it?¡± she said, glaring at him.

    ¡°With the information available, I am certain that you lack the ability,¡± he said.

    ¡°You can go fuck yourself,¡± she said. ¡°Imaginatively. In the meantime, I will be busy proving you wrong.¡±

    ¡°Your agreement to not enter this territory for the time being is noted,¡± he said. ¡°Thank you for your cooperation.¡±

    She made a rude gesture at him then launched herself at the enchanter. As soon as she even released the faintest smidgen of magic laced with the intent of pursuit, the enchanter disappeared.

    That time, she pursued him for three days before exhaustion forced her to stop.

    It was six months to the day of that first encounter, as Selina went walking through a forest. She¡¯d been attacked a few times by some mindless, rampaging beasts, but they¡¯d proven to be nothing more than a bit of amusement.

    As was her newly formed habit, she pulsed her magesense every few hours, in case the enchanter came back. Sometimes it was days between his visits, and sometimes weeks. She still hadn¡¯t even found out what he looked like.

    She¡¯d been disappointed with his absence the last few weeks. He was fun to chase. No matter what method she came up with for pursuing him, he was always at least one step ahead.

    At the moment, though, she didn¡¯t feel like chasing anyone. She was feeling melancholy, and unwanted thoughts were catching up to her.

    She crested a hill and admired the way the sunlight trimmed the leaves with gold. It was a lovely sight. An hour passed in quiet appreciation.

    Magic emerged behind her, and she turned to face it.

    ¡°You,¡± she said, surprised. ¡°No void magic this time?¡±

    He stood there, vaguely visible behind the haze of his defensive enchantments, unmoving. He didn¡¯t say a word.

    ¡°What do you want with me?¡± she asked.

    He never spoke. She¡¯d tried once or twice to engage him in conversation, and after a minute or two, she always gave up and charged him. Prompting him to bolt, naturally.

    This time, though, she wasn¡¯t in the mood.

    A minute passed while she stared at him, curiosity growing in her.

    He took a step forward.

    She was on her feet in an instant, flames encircling every inch of her flesh. But she didn¡¯t attack or approach him. Curiosity stayed her hand.

    He held a staff that pulsed with magic woven into beautiful, intricate layers. In the hands of a competent caster, this was a mighty weapon.

    To her utter confusion, the staff was lightly tossed to the ground. His movements were almost painfully slow, but it allowed her to watch every little motion he made.

    Another step.

    She swallowed, abruptly uneasy. Was this a trap of some kind?

    An amulet of masterful craftsmanship, so beautiful to her magesense that it was almost painful to look at, was tossed to the side as carelessly as that staff.

    The haze of magic diminished, and she got her first solid look at him.

    For a spellcaster, he looked average. Perfect skin, hair, and physical health, naturally. Looking average simply meant he wasn¡¯t vain - he hadn¡¯t cultivated his appearance as some casters did.

    Still, he was pleasing to look at. His eyes were ice blue, his skin was pale as death, and his hair was completely black. From the mountains of Akerash, then. The sharp lines on his face and somewhat hooked nose gave him a rather predatory appearance. The smirk on his face added to the image, as did the wicked amusement in his eyes.

    His appearance was utterly unlike hers. Her clan had bred themselves as part of their worship of Flamus. Skin the color of desert sands, hair as red as the flames they adored, and a natural talent with Flamus unlike anywhere else in the world.

    Her speculations were cut off as he took another slow step, and tossed a gauntlet to the ground. Like the other pieces, it could have ransomed a king.

    Slowly, one step at a time, he approached her. With each step, he discarded another of his enchantments. By this point, she was stunned into inactivity.

    Finally he stopped, only a few feet from her. He was naked before her, save a simple, unenchanted robe, that had been fitted well to his figure. There wasn¡¯t even a speck of magic on him.

    Absolutely vulnerable.

    ¡°What is this?¡± she asked, frowning at him. ¡°What are you trying to do?¡±

    His eyes tracked her, and his smirk grew minutely. But he didn¡¯t say a word.

    ¡°You know I could kill you, right?¡± she said.

    Still nothing.

    ¡°I¡¯m not to be trifled with,¡± she said, glaring at him.

    Another moment passed. Her frustration started bubbling up.

    ¡°Whatever this trap is, I¡¯m not falling for it,¡± she said, letting her magic flow more thoroughly. ¡°You attacked me. I¡¯m going to take a look.¡±

    No reaction. She extended her magesense around him, slowly and carefully. She didn¡¯t know of a trap to catch someone from their magesense, but this felt like a trap. A gentle poke at his spirit revealed his surface emotions.

    Just¡­ calm. That was it. A bit of amusement, and a few deeper layers that she couldn¡¯t quite penetrate due to his control, but mostly just calm. He truly was not afraid.

    ¡°You don¡¯t fear me?¡± she said. ¡°At all? You¡­ you¡¯re an idiot!¡±

    Not even the faintest flicker of fear touched his spirit.

    ¡°No one mocks me,¡± she said, letting her frustrations show clearly in her magic. ¡°Defend yourself or die.¡±

    A wave of fire passed from her hand, and enveloped him, withering the grasses immediately around his body.

    But¡­ magic is will made manifest, and will is born of desire.

    Deep down, she had not truly desired to harm him, and so the flames simply brushed against his skin. No doubt he¡¯d been uncomfortably warm, but he¡¯d suffered no harm.

    He failed to suppress the smile that overtook his arrogant smirk.

    ¡°You¡¯re laughing at me,¡± she said, her jaw dropping. ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re insane!¡±

    He raised an eyebrow slightly at that, but continued his utter silence.

    She let her defensive spell die down. The flames withdrew, and she looked mortal once more.

    ¡°You attacked me, that day,¡± she said. ¡°By right of war, I claim access to your mind and soul.¡±

    She was bluffing. She didn¡¯t really believe she had any moral leg to stand on, to violate this man¡¯s mind and spirit, but she was going to push him into action somehow. If this didn¡¯t make him move, what would?

    She walked forward and thrust her hand at his throat. He didn¡¯t flinch and simply let her hand grasp the skin of his neck.

    A gasp escaped her. No magic pushed her hand away¡­ not even the natural resistance of a living spirit. To actually, fully touch the flesh of another spellcaster, without any defenses¡­?

    It felt so¡­ intimate. She pulled back and felt a strange impulse to blush. He continued to gaze at her impassively, his face back into its original mildly amused expression.

    ¡°Fine, so, it was just a bluff,¡± she said. ¡°I don¡¯t have right to you, I know that. But you should have¡­ you should have resisted me! Why? Why are you doing this?¡±

    Nothing but the glittering amusement in his eyes.

    ¡°Well, if you¡¯re not going to answer me with words, I will pull it out of you,¡± she said. ¡°Let¡¯s play a game, shall we? If you want me to not dig into your mind and soul, resist me with magic, or say something, or¡­ just about anything, okay?¡±

    She reached towards him again, now trepidatiously. She moved slowly, but still, he did¡­ nothing. It was as though he were simply admiring her, and thought nothing of her approach.

    The warmth of his chest filled her hand, as she was too uneasy to touch his skin again. She¡¯d had sex that had felt less intimate than that. Come to think of it, she¡¯d never had sex as intimate as that touch had been.

    She relaxed into her magesense, and flowed into him.

    Her awareness of his calm deepened, and her eyes grew misty.

    Peace.

    Utter and complete peace. It was like a drink of cool water to her parched soul, and she almost cried out from the feel of it. Unconsciously, she leaned forward, as she fell deeper into his quiet depths.

    Pride. A confidence so absolute that had he not pulled off the stunts she¡¯d beheld, she¡¯d have called him mad.

    Admiration. He had been admiring her. He was thoroughly enchanted by her.

    Trust. He had utter faith in her. He had somehow been completely certain that she would do him no harm. Or was it trust in his own judgement of her?

    And this emotion¡­ deeper than admiration. It couldn¡¯t be love¡­ no, that¡¯d be an even greater madness.

    She pushed past the emotions of his spirit, delving deeper into the core of his being.

    Determination. An overwhelming hunger for the power to fix things. A need to have true, uncompromising control, and utter disinterest in illusory control.

    A sense of purpose. He was driven, insanely driven, towards¡­ something.

    She pulled back, her world spinning.

    I am a dancer, and he¡­ he is a song.

    ¡°Selina,¡± he said, his voice warm, her name a delicate prayer on his lips.

    She simply looked at him, dazed.

    ¡°My name is Jax Koryn,¡± he continued, and raised his hand invitingly, in a gesture she¡¯d seen a thousand times. ¡°May I have this dance?¡±

    ------------

    ¡°And she danced with him,¡± I said, smiling at the group. ¡°That is the story of how my father became my mother¡¯s ¡®harness,¡¯ as they often joked.¡±

    ¡°Well,¡± Lou said speculatively. ¡°That was¡­ interesting.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Slick said, frowning. ¡°Your mother sounds kind of¡­ um¡­¡±

    He looked like he didn¡¯t want to offend me.

    ¡°Monstrous?¡± I suggested. ¡°Murderous? A ravening terror across the land?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ yes,¡± he said, looking surprised.

    ¡°She was,¡± I said. ¡°She fully admits it. It was my father who taught her things like patience and restraint. She¡¯s still¡­ not very good at that, but she¡¯s more than happy to throw my father at political situations when she gets annoyed, rather than blowing them up.¡±

    ¡°So she¡¯s not like that anymore?¡± Alice asked.

    I shrugged. ¡°That was a long time ago. Sixty or seventy years, I believe. She¡¯s still the same, at heart, just more at peace now. She doesn¡¯t destroy things without excellent reason anymore.¡±

    ¡°Uh huh,¡± Slick said, looking unconvinced.

    ¡°But she¡¯s over there,¡± Lou said. ¡°So it¡¯s not really a concern.¡±

    ¡°Except, Aera,¡± Benjamin said. ¡°Does all that seem¡­ well, normal to you?¡±

    I was finding myself surprised by their reactions. I¡¯d expected them to find it sweet and romantic. Or at least amusing, but it was like I¡¯d told a horror story.

    ¡°Yes?¡± I said, uneasily. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s not acceptable to slaughter others like my mother did. But the rest of it¡­ it¡¯s all ordinary.¡±

    ¡°You were talking about gods, and archangels, and monsters,¡± Dorothy said. ¡°That can¡¯t all be real, can it? Just stories?¡±

    ¡°Monsters are common in my world,¡± I said. ¡°They mostly seem to stem from people with magic like mine, that can shape life, and have modified animals and plants. Sometimes wondrous creatures are made, and sometimes horrific ones. Either way, if they¡¯re made well enough that they can breed true, they become a new fixture of the world, for good or ill.¡±

    ¡°That sounds horrifying,¡± Alice said.

    I shrugged. ¡°It is the way of the world. Death from old age is rare, for mundanes.¡±

    Alice simply shuddered, and Lou asked a question. ¡°What about the gods?¡±

    ¡°Gods are simply spellcasters who gained enough power to slip out of normal reality, and command some aspect of the universe,¡± I said. ¡°¡®Archangel¡¯ is just a term that I¡¯d used since nothing else seemed to fit, for the crafted servants of a deity figure.¡±

    The group was silent for a moment. Lou was giving me an uneasy, appraising look, but didn¡¯t say anything. Most of the others seemed a little shaken.

    ¡°I need a drink,¡± Slick said abruptly, and headed off to the kitchen.

    ¡°Yes, a drink would be lovely,¡± Dorothy said. ¡°Alice, if you would get me something, dear?¡±

    ¡°Glad to,¡± she said, flashing a smile at Dorothy as she got up. ¡°Anyone else want anything?¡±

 Ch. 8 - Time Marches On

    Slick stared at his hand for the millionth time, trying to focus on what Aera was telling him.

    Feel it. It will feel like what matters most to you - like music, like Alice¡¯s smile. That warmth in your heart, make it move to your will.

    Aera was smiling patiently at him, making his body all warm and tingly in weird ways, like she always did for his magic training. It was a weird feeling. Like a cross between a bunch of different feelings.

    Like waking up from a dream, and not knowing what was real. Like having been sitting too long, and just needing to get up and run. Like trying to hold in laughter when someone¡¯s told a good joke and you ain¡¯t supposed to laugh. Like trying to tell his dad to stop drinking, and just wishing with all his heart that his dad would finally come back, like when he was a kid. Like the moment when he¡¯d first held Alice¡¯s hand.

    So many feelings at once. But all the same feeling, filling every inch of his body.

    Let your heart love the very air, for it is what carries your music. Decide that the air loves you, too, and that it will move to your will.

    It made no sense. But somehow, this time, as memories and feelings swept over him, it kind of did make sense. Like when he made a song - he wanted the audience to feel what he felt. He put those emotions onto paper; why couldn¡¯t he put it into the air?

    A breaking sensation filled him, like when finally giving in to the need to cry, and it all comes out. That feeling flowed, faster and faster, like his very life was pouring out of him.

    Aera was smiling brighter at him, but he ignored her for now.

    The air above his hand was alive, somehow. He could see it¡­ sort of. He felt it, really, like it was a part of his own body. He tried to move, and¡­

    ¡°You did it!¡± Aera said, the disconcertingly perfect whites of her teeth showing in her smile. ¡°Congratulations!¡±

    The air was twisting in a little cyclone in his hand. He couldn¡¯t see it with his eyes, but his hand felt the air moving.

    A strange sort of fatigue washed over him, like the crash that follows an adrenaline rush. The air stopped moving.

    ¡°It worked,¡± he said, still staring in astonishment.

    ¡°It did,¡± she agreed. ¡°Try again!¡±

    That strange fatigue washed away, as she made his body all intense feeling again.

    Excitement bubbled up in him. He could do magic! Real magic! He tried to focus on moving the air, but it was hard. That humming intensity in his body seemed to soak up his excitement, and it felt almost like electricity was crackling over his skin.

    He glanced up at Aera, making sure he wasn¡¯t doing anything wrong.

    Her smile had turned mischievous, and her eyes were twinkling with amusement, but she still looked encouraging. He figured her being amused was no reason to stop, so he focused again.

    The intensity was driving him nuts, but he couldn¡¯t hold back his excitement. He was going to do it again, and absolutely nothing was going to¡­

    BOOM!

    Aera was giggling, and he looked around in confusion, as the huge gust of wind tore through the house, slamming doors.

    ¡°Slick?!¡± Lou called out from upstairs. ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s great, sis!¡± he said. ¡°I did it! I did magic!¡±

    ¡°Swell,¡± she said. ¡°Could you try not slamming the doors?¡±

    Aera giggled at him again, and he gave her a look. Then he looked back at his hand.

    He suddenly realized how much more aware of his hand he was. It had always been there, but now it was somehow more there. Like it existed more than it had before. He could see it, or feel it, or something.

    Aera leaned in closer, looking at his hand intently. She looked excited - an expression usually reserved for her garden.

    ¡°It makes sense now,¡± Slick said, still focusing on his hand. ¡°I think. Maybe.¡±

    ¡°That feeling,¡± she said, her soft voice sounding unusually intense, ¡°Spread it! Push it to me! Feel me!¡±

    He looked at her in confusion. He didn¡¯t know how to control it, or spread it. How would he even start to move it towards¡­

    Oh.

    He looked in surprise as it just moved. He thought about moving it towards her, and it just did. He had to want it, but that was easy.

    In just a few seconds, he was aware of her, like he¡¯d been aware of his hand. Only something was different.

    ¡°Your neck,¡± he said, staring at the¡­ thing¡­ beneath her clothes. ¡°There ain¡¯t no word for that¡­ what is that?¡±

    Another light giggle emerged from her as her smile grew.

    ¡°It is my language spell,¡± she said, pulling a little necklace up from under her dress. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to lose it again, like I did with Kito, so I put it in here. It has several people¡¯s understanding of English, and I can also learn new words with it!¡±

    Those words didn¡¯t matter almost at all to him.

    So that¡¯s what magic looks like.

    It was real in different ways than the normal world. It extended in directions, in dimensions, that the physical world didn¡¯t have. His brain was balking at trying to understand this thing that he could perceive from above, below, inside, outside, and from the sides, all at once.

    ¡°As for words,¡± Aera went on, as though oblivious to his distraction, ¡°When using languages that have no words for the heart of magic, we mostly use words related to sight. You might say my necklace is ¡®glowing,¡¯ for instance.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not, though,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ there.¡±

    She nodded. ¡°And myself, too, correct?¡±

    He blinked, and immediately understood what she meant. The necklace was really there, intensely so. She was also there, but it felt more¡­ relaxed. And she was surrounded by¡­ nothing. Even beneath her. The floor was just a different type of¡­ nothingness.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± he said.

    ¡°You can see magic and life, now,¡± she said. ¡°If you wish to find different words to describe it, feel free! And please share,¡± she added with a laugh.

    He half smiled at her, and just lost himself in his new awareness.

    ¡°It¡¯ll take time for you to make sense of what you can see,¡± she said. "Don''t worry if it¡¯s confusing for a while."

    ¡°I¡¯m kind of tired,¡± he said after a few minutes.

    More like dazed, really.

    ¡°That¡¯s to be expected,¡± she said. ¡°Even with me infusing you with extra power, there¡¯s only so much an inexperienced soul can take. Rest. You¡¯ll regain your strength within hours at most.¡±

    ¡°¡®Kay,¡± he said, and pulled himself to his feet.

    He started turning towards his room when he saw an angel.

    A warm feeling flowed from her, like being a kid again and racing friends down a hill on a summer day. Her face was the same face he¡¯d seen and kissed so many times, and yet it was there in a way he¡¯d never seen before.

    She was so beautiful. She¡¯d always been, inside and out, but now, it was plain to see as the brunette color of her hair.

    ¡°I can do magic, Alice,¡± he said, smiling his traditional lopsided grin at her.

    ¡°Oh!¡± she said. ¡°Really? I didn¡¯t want to interrupt, but¡­ can I see?¡±

    For that angel, he¡¯d do anything. It was somehow easy to feel that warmth inside his heart, even without Aera¡¯s help¡­

    --------------

    ¡°He¡¯ll be alright,¡± I said, suppressing a chuckle, as Slick collapsed to his knees next to Alice. ¡°He¡¯s just dizzy and disoriented. It happens.¡±

    ¡°No harm done?¡± she asked, helping him get steady on his feet.

    ¡°None,¡± I assured her. ¡°He just needs rest, and to learn his limits, that¡¯s all. He¡¯s a magic user, now.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s so incredible,¡± Alice said. ¡°Could¡­ I mean, I know you feel indebted to Slick and all, but I was wondering¡­ I mean, it really worked¡­ could you teach me?¡±

    ¡°We can try,¡± I said, smiling despite my uncertainty.

    She grinned at me, then looked back at Slick when he mumbled something incoherently.

    It had taken months of practice to get Slick his magic, mostly due to the fact that he¡¯d had a hard time staying fully sober long enough to really put in the focus.

    It didn¡¯t help that he was trying to learn Aeros magic - the magic of controlled chaos, of thought, of sound, and - of course - wind. Of the six elemental types, I was only good at two - Aquas, my natural talent, and Flamus, mostly an inevitable result of living with my mother.

    I had been trained in Aeros, but almost exclusively in mind magic. I¡¯d been taught a few basic mind magic spells, in case of emergencies. Mind reading, memory wiping, that sort of thing.

    Naturally, this didn¡¯t make me the most qualified teacher for trying to figure out sound based magics.

    But it wasn¡¯t like there was anyone better around for the job.

    Alice¡¯s interest in magic was more general, though that contributed to her failure. Magic was will made manifest, which required a degree of intensity within one¡¯s being. A shame that most of my own emotional intensity seemed to result in tears, more than anything else.

    Sadly, Alice had no major drive. Her failure was all but certain. I wouldn¡¯t give up on her, though. I expected that she¡¯d give up after enough hours of failure.

    At heart, Lou and Slick were magic users, whether or not Lou accepted it. They had the fire. Dorothy probably would have been, too, in her youth.

    Alice, though...

    Well, my predictions panned out. Her efforts lasted a week.

    When I¡¯d arrived in this land, I¡¯d been a mere seventeen years old. By the time I¡¯d first enjoyed the physical pleasures of sex with Benjamin, I was nearly nineteen.

    By the time I¡¯d turned twenty, my life had become almost staggeringly complacent.

    Benjamin and I had grown quite comfortable with each other. We never had any particular intensity, but our time together was peaceful and thoroughly enjoyable. He occupied a great deal of my time and energy.

    Lou and Dorothy were having an excellent time with the pawn shop. It was quite profitable, and popular, too. We were making plenty of money from the shop, such that we had no major financial concerns.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    The band wasn¡¯t doing well, though. They¡¯d not done well, after that first song¡¯s popularity died off. Benjamin was fine, since he¡¯d simply tucked the money away and lived the same as he had before, just without his job. Rick and Johnny didn¡¯t share their details, but they had to be on the brink of financial collapse.

    Slick was getting desperate. He kept trying new song ideas, and they kept on not being particularly well received. It wasn¡¯t that they were bad, per se, but he kept on trying to share some deep message, and it seemed like what people wanted was something like Swing Boogie - something that was just plain fun.

    The closer he came to his own financial collapse - which, in his view, was relying on the pawn shop¡¯s income - the more he sank into his alcohol and despair. Alice had halfway moved in with us during the good times. Only halfway, since apparently, living together without being married was an extreme societal faux pas. What with his decline into forgetting his problems with alcohol, Alice had stopped coming over at all.

    Slick seemed to be getting an itch under his skin, a desperate push for another major hit. He even pushed me to learn the piano! Between him and Benjamin, I relented, and let them teach me.

    ¡°I need to do something to help Slick and Alice,¡± I said, as I rubbed the ache out of my fingers, with a touch of magic.

    ¡°Aera, you know that that¡¯s not up to you,¡± Benjamin said with a smile. ¡°Now, try that piece again, but try to go more smoothly this time.¡±

    I huffed at him slightly and put my fingers back on the ivory keys. Fur Elise was lovely, even at the slow tempo I was playing it at.

    ¡°They love each other, though,¡± I said, slipping a little on one of the notes, and making Benjamin wince. ¡°If they separate because of Slick¡¯s self absorbed idiocy, that¡¯d be depressing.¡±

    ¡°What a lovely thing to say,¡± Benjamin said wryly.

    ¡°It is true, though,¡± I said, stumbling again and sighing. ¡°This song is really quite difficult.¡±

    ¡°You could try concentrating on it more,¡± he said.

    ¡°Bah,¡± I said. ¡°All it needs is practice, not concentration. With time, it will become simple. I will merely be patient.¡±

    He gave me a bemused smile.

    ¡°Concentrating on it really does help,¡± he said.

    I shrugged. ¡°Why invite frustration? Of far greater importance to me is the happiness of those I hold dear to me. Like Slick and Alice.¡±

    He laughed, the sound broken by another wince, when I messed up an entire section.

    ¡°What Slick needs is to grow up more,¡± Benjamin said, his voice taking on a more serious tone. ¡°That¡¯s what Alice needs from him. He¡¯s lost in childhood fantasy.¡±

    ¡°You think the band¡¯s success is a fantasy?¡± I asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s not about the band,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s about Slick. He¡¯s tied his whole existence to the idea of being famous and rich. He¡¯s obsessing about it instead of dealing with the fact that it¡¯s not been happening. The band makes reasonable money, just playing at clubs. But he - and Rick and Johnny, for that matter - aren¡¯t willing to accept that. Sometimes it¡¯s important to think about the reality of the future, and plan accordingly.¡±

    I caught something in his tone that made me stop and look at him. The expression on his face was quite serious.

    The fact that he¡¯d been talking about accepting the reality of the future was making me uncomfortable. He¡¯d been bringing it up a lot lately. So I decided to focus on the song, and started over.

    ¡°So you¡¯ve been making plans?¡± I asked, as casually as I could.

    He was silent for a moment. I became acutely aware that no one else was in the house. My intense focus on the music actually did produce better results.

    ¡°It can be hard to plan for a future, when some things aren¡¯t known,¡± he said. ¡°But I¡¯ve been thinking about it for a while. Have you put any thought into it?¡±

    I shook my head and continued to concentrate.

    Really, Fur Elise was a lovely song.

    ¡°You¡¯ll be turning twenty one soon,¡± he said. ¡°We¡¯ve been together for nearly three years. I think¡­ I think that we¡¯re good together, Aera.¡±

    ¡°I think so, too,¡± I said.

    He was silent again. I could feel nervousness start to radiate off of him, and that made me nervous in turn. My fingers slipped on the keys again.

    He was watching me, weighing something in his mind. I didn¡¯t know what to say, so I just said nothing, nervously carrying the song to its conclusion.

    I could feel it pouring off of him, when he¡¯d made some decision, and resolutely decided to carry it through.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been hoping for quite some time that you never finish that portal of yours,¡± he said quietly. ¡°I love you, Aera, and I want you to stay here. With me.¡±

    It turns out that Fur Elise is lovely, even at an extremely slow tempo. I swallowed.

    ¡°Stay here,¡± I repeated.

    ¡°Is it so terrible here?¡± he asked.

    I shook my head. ¡°No, it¡¯s not terrible. And¡­ and I do love you, but¡­¡±

    ¡°But the question is, do you love me enough?¡± he asked, and his voice caught in his throat.

    ¡°I¡­¡±

    Beautiful song. Really, absolutely lovely. I could go faster. It sounded nice a little faster than I¡¯d been playing it. Wasn¡¯t it so pretty?

    ¡°I¡¯m getting older, Aera,¡± he said, his voice low. ¡°I know what I want my old age to look like. I want to be in my own house. I want to be surrounded by my grandchildren. I want to use my old, shaking, withered hands to teach them music. And most of all, I want a wife there with me, holding my hand into my final days.¡±

    I was breathing faster, but my hands were starting to shake with nervousness. I started slipping up on more notes. But Benjamin didn¡¯t seem to notice. He didn¡¯t seem to even hear the music.

    There was only¡­ me.

    One note at a time. One moment at a time. That¡¯s what I¡¯d offered, back then. And he¡¯d accepted, right?

    For now, he¡¯d said.

    I played one note at a time. It wasn¡¯t working. If I didn¡¯t think about the notes that were coming, it was shaky, broken, and not truly a melody at all.

    ¡°Aera,¡± he said, and my name held a wealth of meaning on his lips. ¡°I want you to be my wife. I want you to bear my children. I want you by my side for the rest of our lives.¡±

    Our lives. But I¡­ I was supposed to live for hundreds of years. Did he want to live for centuries with me?

    To even imagine that, I had to accept the idea of giving up ever going home. Of never seeing my little brothers again. Of never hearing my mother going on another crazy tirade about some government or other. Of never seeing my father give her that smile that made her writhe and settle down, glaring at him impudently.

    Of staying in this world, that I¡¯d been promised would attack me for my very existence. Of¡­ what, hiding like this, for the rest of my life?

    I¡¯d stopped playing. I hadn¡¯t realized. I looked at my fingers. They looked blurry. Oh. My face was wet.

    I didn¡¯t want to feel afraid. That¡¯s why I¡¯d been playing my song, one note at a time.

    My hands were trembling with fear.

    A warm hand grasped mine. The warmth was almost enough to drive away the fear.

    Almost.

    ¡°I¡¯m getting older, and I¡¯m starting to run out of time,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll be forty years old next year. It¡¯s time for me to look ahead. So I need to ask.¡±

    The room felt strangely cold. How I loathed fear.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to be now,¡± he said. ¡°It doesn¡¯t even have to be very soon. I can wait. But I have to know what my future holds, and if you¡¯ll be in it with me.¡±

    He took a deep breath.

    ¡°Aera, my beautiful love,¡± he said. ¡°Do you love me enough? Will you be my wife?¡±

    A wide and terrifying future loomed ahead of me. It was as dark as any childhood nightmare, and for much the same reason. It is human to fear the unknown, and how dearly I feared it.

    Tears fell faster.

    ¡°I¡­¡±

    How to respond? What to say? What did I even feel?

    ¡°I can¡¯t¡­¡± I started to say, but I couldn¡¯t even speak.

    I can¡¯t think! I can¡¯t handle this yet! I don¡¯t know! I want to stay, I want my family, I don¡¯t know what I want! I can¡¯t decide anything like this!

    My throat was too tight for any of these words. Lost in my fearful uncertainty, I leapt from the piano and rushed outside to my garden.

    How? How was this place, my sacred haven, still not enough? The sunlight could not warm my bones, the beauty did not reach my heart. Fear of what my future might hold¡­ fear held the warmth back from reaching me.

    I¡¯d placed enchantments on the thorny hedge to permit Benjamin¡¯s passage. He, and only he, was permitted into this sacred place without me around.

    ¡°I understand,¡± he said, from the hedge.

    The heartbreak in his voice¡­ pain joined the fear, and lashed me into silent trembling. I clung to the rosebush, the very bush we¡¯d knelt at when I¡¯d shared my secret with him.

    The words I¡¯d said¡­ I can¡¯t¡­ he¡¯d taken that as my answer...

    ¡°I¡¯ve always known I¡¯ve loved you the most,¡± he said, and I couldn¡¯t breathe. ¡°I wanted it to be enough. It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s okay, Aera. These years¡­ they¡¯ve been the best of my life.¡±

    No¡­ this sounded like a farewell¡­

    Speak! I screamed in my head. Tell him to stay, to wait, to give you time to think!

    My mouth moved against the bush, but I could make no sound.

    Crushing disappointment in myself joined the fear and pain.

    ¡°I¡¯ll always love you,¡± he said. ¡°But I have to move forward with my life.¡±

    He stood there for a moment, as though begging me with his presence to tell him to stay.

    ¡°Benjamin¡­¡± I said.

    His name. Only his name. That was all I could say.

    The only sound was birds chirping in a cruel mockery of this moment.

    ¡°I love you,¡± he said, and it sounded like he died a little with those words. ¡°Thank you for the time we¡¯ve had together. I¡¯ll treasure it for the rest of my life. Goodbye, Aera.¡±

    ¡°No¡­ Benjamin¡­¡± I whispered.

    But it was too late. He¡¯d slipped back through the hedge. I extended my magesense to him, politeness be damned. I cried out at the feel of his spirit. Pain. Disappointment. Resignation.

    ¡°Please¡­¡± I said to the empty garden.

    But only the birds heard my plea.

    The sun was setting before I had any semblance of coherent thoughts.

    I¡¯d¡­ I¡¯d lost him.

    No.

    I shook my head. That was selfish. He was not a thing to be had or lost. He was a person. And the greater truth was this.

    I had hurt him.

    I had hurt him, my Benjamin, because I was a coward. He, too, was shy and fearful, but he had taken every step and every sacrifice from the beginning. Asking me on dates, confessing his desire, sacrificing his cultural standards to give me pleasures, sacrificing time from the family he desired¡­

    All for me. All because I¡¯d been too afraid to do anything. He¡¯d been trying to get me to look forward for months, and I¡¯d dodged the subject, too cowardly to face the reality of my situation.

    This realization didn¡¯t have to hurt him so. If I¡¯d said no to a future with him ages ago, this would have been so much kinder. And if I¡¯d been willing to talk to him about the future, as any sensible pairing did, then this¡­

    He hadn¡¯t dropped it on me all of a sudden. I¡¯d given him no choice.

    And it wasn¡¯t even necessarily a no. I had no idea what my answer was. Even if I decided yes, and to go back to him, that didn¡¯t undo the heartache of this moment.

    Tears flowed again.

    This pain he was suffering was utterly and completely my fault. Because I was a coward.

    I looked at the sky. It was beautiful. Golden and red clouds were a powerful contrast against the azure sky.

    But it was more than beauty. The setting sun¡­ the passing of another day¡­

    The unending march of time.

    I needed to look forward, and face my future immediately. If I chose to accept Benjamin¡¯s proposal, I would tell him as quickly as I myself knew.

    The golden clouds faded to silver, and moonlight was shining on my tear stricken face.

    My children. It had come down to my children.

    If I stayed, I only saw two possibilities.

    I tell them the truth about my heritage, and teach them magic. In so doing, I condemn them to a life of fear and hiding, like me. If I, or they, are discovered at any time, our peaceful existence ends immediately. Either we exist on the world stage in some way, which Benjamin would not be able to handle, or we are destroyed in some way, as the others had predicted.

    Or I hide from them their heritage, letting the memories of my family and my world die with me. I keep magic from them, and live in hiding from my own children. Worse, I risk facing their deaths from something easily fixable, such as disease. At least in this possibility, if I am revealed, they need not necessarily suffer with me.

    Though, of course, they would feel betrayed.

    I felt sick. Curling into a ball, I nestled myself beneath the rosebush.

    There were two truths that mattered. I would not live my life in hiding, save as a temporary measure. And I would not condemn my children to either of those fates.

    The conclusion, then, was clear.

    It was impossible.

    Salty tears watered the rosebush as I let myself mourn the future that could never be. A peaceful life with Benjamin. Children laughing, running past, with his dark eyes. Music filling the halls.

    Fatigue began to blur my thoughts as the sky began to brighten. I had¡­ I had to do something.

    On the rosebush, a strange flower was growing. Still tended, three years later, in an ongoing tribute of memory.

    I plucked the purple daisy with green polkadots and cradled it like a child. My Benjamin¡­

    Fortunately, I did not need these blurry eyes to cast my magic.

    This was a difficult spell, but my parting gift deserved my best. Every cell within this flower grew still, locked within the moment. I whispered silence, silence within time itself, to its silken softness. I nearly passed out from exhaustion, but I refused to give in.

    It was done.

    This silly little flower would never wilt. The petals would remain as soft as the finest silks for so long as the magic held. If I¡¯d crafted it properly, it should last at least a century - longer, if given any sort of power source.

    I took it into the house, where Lou gave me a confused look. She watched in silence as I found a piece of paper, and gently burned words in flowing script onto the page.

    My Benjamin,

    I love you enough, but the future you desire simply cannot be. I wish that it were possible. I will never forget you, and I will forever treasure the memories. I have made this flower ever living, as a gift to you.

    With all my love and aching regret,

    Aera Koryn.

    I folded the letter. I took another paper and used Aquas to weave it into a string, of sorts, gently binding the letter to the daisy.

    ¡°Lou,¡± I said, my voice barely audible.

    But she was standing right next to me. Supporting me, even in her silence. Tears started welling again. The accursed things.

    ¡°Could you arrange for Benjamin to receive this?¡± I asked, holding up the letter.

    ¡°Sure thing, Aera,¡± she said, with unusual gentleness. ¡°Are you¡­ are you alright?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I said, turning towards my room. ¡°No, and I don¡¯t believe I ever will be again.¡±

    I wished that could have been the end. I wished time would just stop, that there were no more words, no more thoughts, no more tears.

    But time doesn¡¯t stop. It is merciless and cruel. This world, with its illusions of a happy future, was cruel. Even worse than the rampaging monsters, and oft evil gods, and frequently insane spellcasters, and all the other horrors of my world.

    On some level, I knew that wasn¡¯t true. This world was, realistically, much better for almost everyone. But my world, I¡¯d been prepared for. My dangers, I could overcome. My family could support me with advice that made sense. It was familiar, and I¡¯d never needed my family more than in that moment.

    My brothers would tease me. My mother would hold me tight and prattle on about all the ways she¡¯d fix things, even utterly ludicrous ones. My father would sing a little song, letting me just rest against him, content in his unending peace, reassured by his confidence.

    I would see them again. I would do whatever it took to go back home. I could not remain in this world.

 Ch. 9 - Loss

    Almost against my will, my pains eased as time continued. Months passed, each less agonizing than the one before.

    Slick wanted me to play the piano in his band. Benjamin was there, and I had to accept. Foolishness, perhaps, but I could not let go of that connection. It was both a blessing and a curse that the band didn¡¯t practice all together very often anymore.

    I pushed myself to learn the piano well. He had the purple flower. It was the piano I would take with me, when I completed the portal.

    Which I still had not yet even begun to enchant, because I hadn¡¯t the faintest idea how.

    Despite my efforts, I didn¡¯t seem to have much talent with the piano. Months of practice improved me considerably, but I couldn¡¯t handle anything at speed.

    Nor could I handle the prospect of failing Benjamin again, even tangentially. There was a spell my mother had tried to teach me, one of her favorites, that I¡¯d blown off. But I remembered enough of her lessons¡­ I could piece it together.

    Flamus, the element of change. Of action, of impetus. Flamus, the very heart of will itself. True time magic was a part of its domain, however limited the application. The ¡°ice¡± side of the equation was about reducing or slowing things down. The ¡°fire¡± side, conversely, was about enhancing, or speeding things up.

    If I could not play the songs at tempo, then I could simply make my very existence faster.

    Some might call it cheating, but as my father would say, ¡°There is no cheating in magic - only efficiency.¡±

    As it turned out, the spell was easier than getting better at the piano.

    Slick was improving in his spellcasting, too. Once he figured out how to make sounds in his mind emerge in reality, he became much more enjoyable for the rest of the band to work with, since he could directly show them what he wanted.

    In January of 1939, Alice brought to my attention an amusing little story that she¡¯d noticed in the newspapers. An alien from another world, sent to Earth as a baby, with special powers, needing to have a secret identity¡­ little wonder that she thought I¡¯d be interested!

    Superman. I thought it was delightful. Alice told me that it was apparently a popular new comic book series, and she went and got me a whole stack of them.

    The character was like a reckless version of my father. It was fairly ludicrous. A true immortal, immune to any and all dangers, and yet, even he feared to reveal his true self.

    Of course, his disguise was hilariously awful. Still, it made for an enjoyable little tale. I imagined it was gaining popularity because of events out in Europe, what with Germany apparently wanting to take over the world.

    This Adolf Hitler character was starting to make people quite uncomfortable. Not that America had been fond of Germany in the first place, but it was getting hard to listen to the radio without hearing about something or other going on out there.

    As time continued to pass, I couldn¡¯t tell if it was getting easier or harder to face Benjamin, when the band practiced together. I almost felt guilty for hurting less.

    The song Slick was working on had a feeling of finality to it. It even focused on a theme of death and redemption. With the money running out, Rick and Johnny getting desperate, and the tension between Benjamin and I, we all had a sense that this was it. If this failed, the Boston Boys were over.

    Domiano, from the Cocoanut Grove, was willing to give a push for this last major attempt. Slick pushed us all to the limit. Even Benjamin was finding the pressure stressful.

    In an attempt to make this the finest display of music ever performed, Slick wanted something special. Part of the song involved execution by electric chair, and he wanted the sound of an actual electric current.

    Not a recording of one. An actual, live spark of electricity.

    Lou tried to talk him out of it, but the man was possessed. Eventually she relented, and agreed to build him a device to make the sound. It took a month or so, but she came up with a rather flashy little thing. Apparently, it was very easy to make something that produced visible electricity. The hard part was making it safe and reliable.

    In the garage - now well maintained, with excellent sound properties, mostly developed through trial and error - the snakelike movement of the electricity was almost hypnotic. The sound was incredibly loud, too. I wasn¡¯t sure how much could be seen through the haze of the Grove, but the device was unquestionably fantastic to see in action.

    August 28th, 1939. It was a beautiful day - sunshine, a nice breeze, a bit warm but not unbearable. It was a day we¡¯d been preparing for all these months.

    Domiano had given Slick this big chance. He¡¯d made this show the focus of the club for weeks, getting people interested in the rebirth of the Boston Boys as the Boston Band. After all, my inclusion meant the old name didn¡¯t quite work anymore.

    People were excited, Lou was nervous, Slick was on the verge of a heart attack, I was amused at how crazy everyone seemed, and Dorothy had absolute faith that things would go precisely as they were meant to.

    It did sadden me a little that, despite inviting practically everyone they¡¯d ever met, neither Lou nor Slick wanted their parents present. When I¡¯d asked, everyone had gone quiet, and Slick had just said he didn¡¯t need the distraction.

    Dorothy wasn¡¯t going, either, though that was because she wasn¡¯t a fan of clubs anymore. Especially crowded clubs. Apparently old age didn¡¯t agree with late nights much. She also didn¡¯t much like the song he was showcasing, though that didn¡¯t slow down her earnest desire for his success.

    The moment slowly, but unwaveringly approached. Even I was getting nervous, despite having absolutely no personal investment in the outcome. Slick¡¯s desperation was both pitiful and contagious.

    Behind the stage, we were all setting up. Alice had taken the night off, looking lovely in her finest dress. Slick kept looking out from behind the curtain as another band played an opening song for us.

    ¡°How¡¯s it looking out there?¡± Rick asked anxiously.

    ¡°It¡¯s crazy packed,¡± Slick said. ¡°Standing room only. People are talking, looking happy. It¡¯s good, it¡¯s real good.¡±

    Johnny was thumping his drumsticks against his legs, a nervous habit of his. Slick was going through cigarettes like candies, and refused to stop pacing.

    ¡°Slick, stop obsessing,¡± Lou said. ¡°It¡¯ll work or it won¡¯t. You did everything.¡±

    ¡°This is it, though,¡± Slick said. ¡°It¡¯s all on the line.¡±

    I¡¯d have told him it would be fine, if I¡¯d liked the song more. It¡¯s not that it was bad, it was just that it seemed so heavy and dark. With all the anxiety about the war, it seemed like gentle, dreaming songs were the most popular. Like that ¡°Somewhere Over The Rainbow¡± song, in the new movie, The Wizard of Oz. It seemed to click with just about everyone, it seemed.

    So I simply smiled at him instead.

    One way or another, time would pass.

    Slick sucked the last wisps out of his third pack of cigarettes for the evening, just before the show started. Lou hauled the spark box up on stage, right next to the piano, where I sat.

    Fortunately the song wasn¡¯t long - my time dilation spell was not easy to sustain. Not particularly draining, but required focus. I got ready to cast.

    The talking voices quieted, and Slick took his place on the stage.

    It was time. My spell interrupted Slick¡¯s brief introduction, making his voice sound bizarrely low. Gravity, too, felt weaker within my little bubble, and I let my hands delicately fall to the keys.

    I wasn¡¯t truly moving faster in time, as that was beyond me. This was a mimicry of that effect. It was mostly my perceptions that were enhanced - my body was still slow, but I could easily use magic to force myself to move at what seemed like the ¡°correct¡± speed for my awareness. Apparently, true time dilation had some bizarre side effects, from what I¡¯d heard.

    It was the cello that began this song. The already low sounds were almost inaudible through my spell, feeling as though they were vibrating my very bones. Even with the alteration to the sound, Benjamin¡¯s music was ever beautiful.

    Slowly, and with careful precision, I played the song. My fingers were wrapped in Flamus magic, so that they¡¯d move ¡°properly,¡± to my perceptions, which meant I had to move with caution - I could easily damage things in this state. I was effectively existing about four times faster than normal, which was no small feat.

    Really, I was quite proud of this magical display. A delicate, yet powerful application of Flamus magic, so subtle that none but a fellow caster should be able to tell I was using any at all. My parents would have been proud.

    Instead of preening, I observed. Lou¡¯s face was barely visible through the dusty haze of the club¡¯s foul air. I couldn¡¯t make out much of the audience, but they didn¡¯t look too enthused.

    Alas. Poor Slick.

    Lou moved her arms, and I watched eagerly. I couldn¡¯t wait to see what the electricity looked like with the hastening spell. This particular part of the song was an easy harmony piece on the piano, and I could do it without looking, fortunately.

    Her hand slowly reached for the dial, and turned it with one smooth, sure motion. The crackling, blue line looked precisely the same as normal, to my surprise. The aura of superheated air, however, seemed to move so slowly. The sound was strange, with the distortion, and delightfully novel.

    The fiery, bright aura of the surrounding air puffed out from the electricity in a delicate, slow motion, hypnotic to watch. It seemed brighter than before, almost as though it had flicks of actual fire, and would spread to perhaps a half inch around the spark.

    Only¡­

    It didn¡¯t stop.

    My eyes widened and my hand raised in a long honed instinct as those flickers grew into true flames above the line of jagged blue. Flamus magic poured through my hand, and I willed it to cup around the box, angling whatever emerging energies upwards, instead of towards me or Lou.

    The flames grew, impossibly fast, even to my perceptions. An instant later, the intensity of the explosion knocked back the barrier, sending Lou flying.

    The impact had been gentle, and evenly spread over her body. She would be unharmed. My breath felt painfully slow in my chest, as fear filled my heart.

    I turned my gaze back to the flames. They rose higher, climbing a plume of dust to the ceiling. The first screams reached my ears then, inhumanly low and wailing.

    I raised my hand again, but hesitated. The barrier to protect Lou had been instinct, and surely no one would have seen that. She¡¯d even been knocked back, as if by the explosion.

    But to stop the fire¡­ should I? It would be so easy right now.

    Blossoming like a demon¡¯s rose, the flames spread upon contact with the ceiling. The shockwave had been stopped by my barrier, but the heat pulled sweat from my skin.

    I could still stop it. I glanced at Slick. He¡¯d turned and looked at the fire, horrified.

    Terror gripped me. Uncertainty. What was I supposed to do?

    My hastening spell began to fail under the anxiety.

    The flames continued to spread across the whole of the ceiling, seeming faster with every second that my control slipped, casting an infernal light on the horrified, screaming masses.

    My heart was pounding, my breath coming fast enough that the air was seeming to rip at my throat. I couldn¡¯t think¡­ I still had time, but should I act?

    A hole in the ceiling. The air conditioner that Domiano had installed. Flames were sucked in as they passed the opening.

    I felt it before I saw it.

    The screams returned to normal pitch as the second explosion destroyed my grasp of the spell, along with a massive chunk of the ceiling. Bodies fell from the dining area on the second floor.

    Tears streamed down my face as I held back the heat from my skin.

    ¡°What do I do?¡± I yelled, as soon as I knew they could hear me.

    ¡°Alice!¡± Slick screamed, his normally beautiful voice an agonized caricature. He looked into the crowd with a terrified expression. ¡°Alice!¡±

    ¡°Slick, please!¡± I sobbed. ¡°Tell me! Tell me what to do!¡±

    Lou was on her feet, and acted decisively. She grabbed one of the stage lights and pointed it at the far wall, where the entrance was. Rick had already joined the mob trying desperately to escape, and Benjamin was curled in a ball on the stage. Johnny was nowhere to be seen.

    The revolving door was unmoving, and people were pushing against it, screaming uselessly.

    ¡°The door is blocked,¡± she said. ¡°People can¡¯t get out.¡±

    ¡°Where¡¯s another door?¡± Slick demanded.

    ¡°There isn¡¯t one,¡± she said coolly.

    ¡°How are we going to get out?¡± Slick said, almost screeching.

    ¡°I can make a door, I can stop the fire,¡± I said. ¡°But it¡¯d be magic¡­¡±

    ¡°Then do it!¡± he said, giving me an insane look.

    Then do it.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    A feeling washed over me with those words. Peace. Confidence. Certainty. I no longer had to hide my magic, which meant my shackles from these years had just fallen to the floor.

    Magic hummed in my veins as my terror instantly vanished. None raised by my mother could fear mortal fire. It was choice, decisions, inaction, and uncertainty that had paralyzed me, and I now stood free.

    The fire seemed more distant. The screams, simply knowledge of the living. Time seemed to slow, but in an entirely different way.

    Then do it.

    I turned smoothly to face the wall behind the stage and darted towards it. Magic moved faster than my legs, and the brick wall melted at its touch. A line of ooze moved from just above my head height, down to the floor. As I arrived, I made a second line, perpendicular to the first and several feet wide, then also down to the floor. A final line connected the rectangular shape, and the wall was pushed out by the pressure formed by the heat.

    Wind seemed to be rushing past, into the dark alleyway, as I turned back to face the inferno. Benjamin ran past me, an apologetic expression on his face.

    Slick grabbed the microphone, which wasn¡¯t working, then used magic instead to amplify his voice. As he spoke, I ran up next to him, to get a better view.

    ¡°Everyone! There¡¯s an exit behind the stage! Be careful, but you can get out!¡±

    A good portion of the mob turned and charged towards the exit. Slick called out reassurances and warnings to be careful a few more times, and the crowd seemed slightly more calm. Very slightly. But that didn¡¯t matter.

    Debris had begun to fall from the ceiling, and someone had to catch it.

    Flamus magic moved at my command, and either deflected or shattered the chunks of ceiling that threatened to crush people. Some individuals tried to push past me with considerable force, but they found me as solid as a metal pole. I would not be disturbed.

    Faces were red and shining with sweat as they poured past me into the cool air outside. Many, however, were laying on the ground. Some were screaming. Some were crying. Some were silent.

    Silent and absolutely still.

    I did not need to think about that yet. My only reality was to act.

    I strode forward, feeling the rush of fire press uselessly against the faint barriers protecting my skin. So many decorations in this place, and they burned with such heat.

    I closed my eyes. How many times had I been unexpectedly forced to deal with flames and explosions, by my mother¡¯s insistence? How many times had I begged her to stop randomly exploding or igniting things around me, only to have her insist I¡¯d appreciate it one day? I¡¯d refused to accept it. Yet, here I was.

    These lives¡­ they owed their thanks to her.

    My eyes opened again as I reached Slick, who had tears mingling with his sweat. He was standing awkwardly, holding a figure in a burnt dress, her arm dangling in decidedly unnatural ways.

    ¡°Aera!¡± he said, his voice choked. ¡°Alice! She¡¯s¡­ she¡¯s hurt!¡±

    I extended my senses into her body. I¡¯d long since learned that all one needs to see for quick assessment of injury was bloodflow. If the heart was beating, the brain properly supplied, and the blood not escaping too quickly, then a person was guaranteed to survive for minutes, at least. With another half second, breathing is also worth checking.

    ¡°She¡¯s fine,¡± I said, feeling a distant surge of relief that Alice¡¯s blood and breath were in order, mostly. ¡°Take her outside.¡±

    ¡°The crowd¡¯s still too thick!¡± he said.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s open the door.¡±

    An actual pile of bodies was pressed up against the revolving door of the club. Even with magic, it would be difficult to disentangle. I did not have time for that.

    I threw my magic at the hinges of the door, and they melted into a metallic goo. The bindings of every connection I could see fell to my power. There was no air pressure imbalance to throw the door out, but without the necessary connections, it collapsed into loose frames of glass and supports of metal. The press of bodies fell outside, and cool air began rushing in.

    ¡°We have to get them out,¡± Lou said from right behind me. ¡°Slick, give me Alice, I¡¯ll get her out of here. You and Aera, get these people out.¡±

    Slick was too frenzied to argue. Lou staggered under Alice¡¯s weight, and I saw that she was favoring her leg, but she didn¡¯t so much as flinch. She stayed by my side, keeping Alice from the flames.

    Some of the people would not survive, even if removed from the building. I quickly threw some healing magic their way - fused a spinal column, stopped hemorrhaging, forced someone to start breathing again.

    Aeros pushed at the still bodies, with Slick¡¯s fervent soul, and I made their passage as slick as my companion¡¯s name. They poured out into the street, almost as if thrown. Slick¡¯s magic was growing dangerously strained, but his emotion was intense enough to sustain it, for now.

    ¡°It¡¯s not enough,¡± I said. ¡°We need to stop the fire.¡±

    ¡°What do you need?¡± Lou asked.

    ¡°Water,¡± I said. ¡°Maybe the bathrooms¡­¡±

    ¡°No,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ve looked at the blueprints. There¡¯s a water main just underground. Can you get to it?¡±

    ¡°Just point where it is,¡± I said.

    She closed her eyes in a brief moment of concentration, then pointed below the bar.

    ¡°There,¡± she said. ¡°About ten feet underground or so. All the water you need.¡±

    I nodded and extended Aquas again, stepping a few paces closer. Digging quickly was hard¡­ but only if the ground was hard.

    Seconds later, Flamus was sending chunks of a strange putty-like material flying through the air. I felt the metal of the pipe with my probing magic, and pulled it open. Water began shooting up, all the way to the ceiling.

    ¡°Excellent,¡± I said.

    Aquas magic moved so easily in liquids. Water, blood, it was all the same.

    A stream of water was pulled to my hand, strengthening the connection, and I breathed. Joy bubbled within my heart, fueling my magic.

    These people were mine to save.

    The water moved, almost as if it were a living creature. It reached out to the fire, withering and boiling at the heat, but relentless. Against my will, the chaos of the flames was powerless.

    ¡°Aera!¡± Lou said. ¡°The water - it¡¯s rising over a few people¡¯s faces. Some of them are alive, they won¡¯t be able to breathe!¡±

    Wait¡­ some of them?

    Joy faltered, and with it, my magic began to slip.

    No.

    For those that live, for any that live, bow to me, my Aquas!

    My flesh began to strain from the force of magic I was attempting to command. But command it I did. The water rose into the air, leaving the bodies nearly dry, and attacked the flames with a vengeance.

    There was so much fire.

    There were so many bodies.

    The flames were retreating.

    ¡°Aera!¡± Slick¡¯s voice, this time. ¡°I¡¯ve gotten them out, let¡¯s go! Alice needs you!¡±

    He tried to tug on my arm, towards the back, where Lou had taken Alice. But there were still flames. I refused to budge. Seconds passed, while he tried to force me, but mere seconds was all I required.

    The fire had fallen.

    Everything was black, except for Slick¡¯s panicked face. Soot and ash covered everything.

    ¡°Aera, please!¡± he yelled.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± I said, and turned to join him.

    Fatigue called to me, but not yet. I couldn¡¯t be tired yet.

    The cool air outside felt strange, and I realized I could drop the barrier that protected my skin. A dull ache left me as the strain of its maintenance was discarded.

    Slick pulled at me, frenzied, to where Lou was kneeling over Alice.

    He almost threw me at her in his terror.

    ¡°She¡¯s barely breathing,¡± Lou said. ¡°Aera, you need to move fast.¡±

    A quick assessment.

    ¡°Minor bleeding in her brain, burned lungs, several broken and shattered bones, considerable organ damage,¡± I said moments later. ¡°On top of severely burned skin. I don¡¯t remember what injuries existed previously - I¡¯ll simply restore her to the best of my ability.¡±

    Slick turned pale at my appraisal.

    ¡°Do it, Aera, please,¡± Slick said, while Lou shook her head.

    ¡°She should seem a little injured, after that,¡± she said. ¡°Safe, whole, but lightly battered and burned for now. Got it?¡±

    ¡°As you prefer,¡± I said deferentially, and Slick squawked.

    ¡°Not too battered,¡± he said.

    ¡°Right. Aera, you do that,¡± Lou said. ¡°I¡¯m going to see where I can go help. I¡¯ll be back soon. Also, if anyone asks what you saw, you saw nothing, got it?¡±

    I looked at her in confusion, but it was too late. She¡¯d already run off to where some emergency vehicles were gathering.

    Alice was all that mattered right now. One thing at a time.

    The sirens, agonized screaming, and Slick¡¯s stream of reassurances to Alice¡¯s unconscious form drifted into the distance.

    There was only blood, and that which was connected to blood.

    First, her brain. It was the only part I couldn¡¯t really fix. The blood vessels had already been cut off by her natural healing processes, so the bleeding had stopped. But there was dead blood where it didn¡¯t belong. I gently cleaned it away, and tried to ensure no damage to the mind-numbingly intricate and delicate tissues of the brain had been done. As far as I could tell, it was just bruised. No major damage.

    Next, correcting the blood loss. She was bleeding into a lung, and from where a bone was sticking out of her leg. Lung first - the leg didn¡¯t matter for survival.

    Her heart was beating quickly, but was straining from need of air. I pulled the blood from her lungs back into her veins, where it belonged, then gently ¡°reminded¡± the lungs of what they were supposed to ¡°look¡± like, using my own as a template. The itty bitty bubbles of flesh that let the blood and air meet were restored.

    Fatigue pushed against me more urgently.

    Not yet.

    Her heartbeat grew stronger. I relaxed a little, but I still had a great deal of work to do.

    The bones were next. All the pieces were there, just in the wrong places. I pulled them into shape, again using my own flesh as a template. The damage to the bone was minor, in the scheme of things - all I had to do was put the pieces together like a puzzle and then fuse them.

    Now that the bones weren¡¯t screwing up everything else¡¯s placement, I could start putting things back where they belonged. Muscles, ligaments, tendons, flaps of skin.

    Now to restore the pieces to health.

    Bruised and crushed organs stretched back into their natural states. Her liver had taken the worst beating. Skin fused into wholeness.

    Slowly, ever so slowly, the red and black began to turn into a light tan, and Slick made choked sounds of joy.

    I checked her one more time. Her heart, her organs, her body cried out in stress, but only in stress. She was fine. She needed sleep, and a lot of it. I put a little mind magic pressure on her, to keep her from waking up.

    I also reddened and dirtied the skin of her face a little.

    ¡°To make her seem more injured than she is,¡± I said, as Slick looked at me in confusion.

    ¡°Yeah, okay,¡± he said. ¡°But she¡¯s not awake. Why isn¡¯t she awake?¡±

    ¡°Her brain was slightly injured,¡± I said. ¡°She merely needs sleep. She will be fine.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, okay,¡± he said again. ¡°Yeah. Sleep. We all need sleep.¡±

    I took a deep breath and the world seemed to tilt a little. I couldn¡¯t rest quite yet.

    Benjamin came over a minute later.

    ¡°Lou told me Alice was hurt,¡± he said. ¡°Is everyone alright?¡±

    Slick nodded.

    ¡°Aera¡¯s tuckered out, but she saved us all,¡± he said.

    Benjamin looked at me and smiled.

    ¡°Are you hurt?¡± I asked, still feeling a hint of ache when I looked into his eyes.

    ¡°No,¡± he said. ¡°I was one of the first people out.¡±

    ¡°Benjamin!¡± a voice called out. Rick. He was hobbling towards us. ¡°You¡¯re alright? And Slick!¡±

    ¡°Lost you in the fire,¡± Slick said. ¡°You okay?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± he said. ¡°Got a twisted ankle, I think, but I didn¡¯t really feel it till I got outside. And my chest hurts like hell.¡±

    Singed lungs, no doubt. But he¡¯d be fine, if he could stand and talk.

    ¡°What about Johnny?¡± Benjamin asked. ¡°Have you seen him?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Rick said, frowning. ¡°I hoped you guys might have found him.¡±

    We turned and looked at the moving figures in the night. Minutes passed, but then...

    ¡°Johnny!¡± Slick yelled, a sound of relief in his voice. ¡°Over here!¡±

    It took a few rounds of yelling before Johnny heard him, and ran over.

    ¡°I¡¯m okay,¡± Johnny said, as soon as he came over. ¡°You?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re fine,¡± said Slick.

    ¡°Not quite,¡± I said. ¡°Slick, you mustn¡¯t feel too relieved, or you¡¯ll pass out.¡±

    The intensity of his emotion was the only thing keeping him going. His will would crumble without that support, with his spirit drained that badly.

    ¡°What?¡± Johnny asked, confused.

    ¡°Nothing,¡± Slick said, giving me a look.

    My magic was still to be secret? I blinked in confusion. How could anything else explain what had happened?

    ¡°What happened in there?¡± Rick asked.

    ¡°Fire,¡± Slick said, to which Rick rolled his eyes. ¡°What¡¯s happened out here?¡±

    ¡°Police, paramedics, firefighters, journalists, and random people are everywhere,¡± Rick said. ¡°It¡¯s insane. People are saying crazy things.¡±

    ¡°The fire was crazy,¡± Slick said.

    ¡°We¡¯re all okay,¡± Benjamin said. ¡°That¡¯s the important thing.¡±

    ¡°Not the only important thing,¡± Rick said. ¡°Look, I¡¯m thinking, the Boston Boys are kind of done.¡±

    ¡°Now?¡± Slick said, dumbfounded. ¡°You wanna do this right now?¡±

    Rick looked away.

    ¡°Silver lining in every cloud, and all, right?¡± he said. ¡°Look, I¡¯ve got some debts built up, and so does Johnny. We disappear now, and maybe we¡¯re just dead bodies, you know?¡±

    ¡°We can make it work,¡± Slick said, but even his unending optimism couldn¡¯t touch his voice. ¡°Rick. We¡¯ve been together foreightyears now.¡±

    ¡°Good eightyears,¡± Rick said. ¡°Good times, yeah? The band is done, and you know that, Slick.¡±

    ¡°Johnny? You, too?¡± Slick said, sounding defeated, as the drummer walked over to Rick¡¯s side.

    Johnny shrugged. ¡°Rick¡¯s right. Time to go.¡±

    ¡°Love you, man,¡± Rick said. ¡°Never gonna forget it. Maybe we¡¯ll see you again sometime, yeah?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Slick echoed.

    Rick smiled awkwardly, and looked at Johnny. They headed off together into the crowd.

    Benjamin knelt next to Slick.

    ¡°I owe you a great deal of thanks, Slick,¡± he said.

    ¡°Oh, no, Benji¡­¡± Slick said. ¡°You¡¯re leaving, too?¡±

    ¡°There isn¡¯t a band anymore,¡± Benjamin said. He glanced at me for a second, then back at Slick. ¡°It¡¯s been hard, these last few months, but I owed you for these years. My cello is burned, and I have no one holding me here. I think it¡¯s finally time I moved on.¡±

    ¡°So this is our final goodbye,¡± I said.

    ¡°Goodbye?¡± Lou¡¯s voice said, from behind me, panting. ¡°What¡¯s happening? Where¡¯s Rick and Johnny?¡±

    ¡°They left, for good,¡± Slick said. ¡°Benji¡¯s leaving, too.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m glad to see you again before I leave,¡± Benjamin said, inclining his head towards Lou. ¡°It¡¯s been life changing to know you all.¡±

    I was trying to keep my eyes dry, for his sake, but I was starting to fail.

    ¡°I believe this is the right choice,¡± I said. ¡°Please, just promise me one thing.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Aera?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Be happy,¡± I said, and closed my eyes.

    I felt his hand on my cheek, just like all those years ago. I opened my eyes to see his were as wet as mine.

    ¡°Sometimes I¡¯ve wondered if one day at a time would have been worth it,¡± he said, his voice low. ¡°I suppose I¡¯ll have to find out. I promise you, Aera, I will try to find where I belong.¡±

    I gave him a smile.

    ¡°Good luck, Benjamin,¡± I said.

    He nodded and said a brief farewell to the others.

    It didn¡¯t hurt nearly as much as last time. I took a breath.

    ¡°Now what?¡± I asked, turning to Lou.

    ¡°We¡¯re a good ways away from the reporters,¡± she said. ¡°We stay here until things die down. Slick¡¯s too big a figure to just go missing. We tell the reporters nothing useful when they show up. They see Slick¡¯s okay, we go home.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Slick said. ¡°We can do that.¡±

    ¡°Also,¡± Lou said. ¡°I checked on Domiano and got him to agree to a cover story, but he wants an explanation soon. So not a word about anything, not yet.¡±

    I nodded and relaxed a little. My soul was already recovering from the strain. I¡¯d be a bit out of sorts for a few days, but I was no longer in danger of collapse.

    It was almost half an hour before the reporters found us, in that little alley. Lou set the tone with a curt, ¡°No comment,¡± and Slick and I simply followed her lead. Eventually they gave up.

    Afterwards, it was time to go home.

    We walked towards where Lou had parked her truck, and a sight greeted me that made my mind freeze. I saw so many things, but I could not feel them yet. Not yet. Not till I was alone.

    Burned, reddened skin was everywhere. Bodies were in bags¡­ five, it looked like. Hundreds of people were injured, and the paramedics were desperately trying to do triage.

    They needed my help.

    We walked past them.

    We carefully put Alice in the car, after my repeated reassurance that she was just deeply asleep. Lou somehow managed to drive us safely all the way home.

    The front door to our home opened and everything was completely normal. Did it even make sense for things to be normal? Benjamin was gone, people were dead, the band was broken, Alice had been fatally wounded, Slick had lost everything, and I had used magic freely.

    Why, then, was our house exactly the way we¡¯d left it?

    The bed had never looked so comfortable. Sleep. Everything would be fine after some sleep.

    Consciousness slipped from me the instant I felt the softness of my pillow.

 Ch. 10 - Perspective

    ¡°Aera, wake up.¡±

    Lou¡¯s voice. I groaned and rolled over. There was almost no sunlight coming through the window.

    ¡°Too early,¡± I mumbled.

    ¡°People are going to be asking questions soon,¡± Lou said. ¡°We need our stories straight before anyone gets here. You need to wake up.¡±

    ¡°An hour¡­¡±

    ¡°No. Now.¡±

    I yawned and tried to glare at her, but I was too sleepy to manage it. Under her unyielding gaze, I pulled myself out of bed.

    ¡°I¡¯m up. Are you happy?¡±

    She sighed.

    I stumbled over to the closet and grabbed a dress at random. If she was going to burst in my room, then she was going to deal with me getting changed in front of her.

    ¡°Stupid, weird, thing with clasps and things¡­¡± I muttered. I couldn¡¯t remember how to put the damned thing on, so I just split the front, stepped into it, and sealed it behind me.

    ¡°You even use magic to get dressed?¡± Lou asked incredulously.

    I shrugged half heartedly and started walking past her.

    ¡°Um, Aera, your hair?¡± Lou said.

    ¡°Right,¡± I yawned.

    Imbuing each strand of hair with a faint bit of repulsion made it naturally disentangle. I brushed my hand through it with another yawn, heading to the stairs.

    ¡°You okay, Aera?¡± Lou asked. ¡°You¡¯ve never been huge on mornings, but you seem fried.¡±

    ¡°Used more magic than usual,¡± I said. ¡°Not enough to hurt me, though. Just feeling sleepy for a few days.¡±

    She nodded, and greeted Slick when we got downstairs. He was sitting on the couch with a bottle of whiskey.

    I blinked at him blearily.

    ¡°Did you sleep?¡± I asked.

    He made a vague grunting noise in my direction. Lou gave him a disgusted look.

    ¡°Also, Aera,¡± she said. ¡°Alice won¡¯t wake up still. Should we be concerned¡­?¡±

    ¡°Oh, right, the spell,¡± I said, stretching as I walked towards Slick¡¯s room. ¡°She can¡¯t wake up till it breaks.¡±

    ¡°You put a spell on her to make her sleep?¡± Lou asked.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I mention that? Maybe not. But yes. She needed sleep,¡± I said.

    I didn¡¯t want to deal with anything right then.

    Closing my eyes, I let my senses drift through the closed door, to Alice¡¯s head. Her brain seemed to have reasonably recovered, so I broke the sleep enchantment.

    ¡°Done,¡± I said. ¡°She¡¯ll be awake soon, probably.¡±

    ¡°Probably?¡± she asked.

    ¡°If you want to wake her, go do that. I¡¯m going to make some coffee,¡± I mumbled as I dragged myself to the kitchen.

    Lou frowned, but started knocking on the door. Alice called out that she was getting up.

    We met up in the dining room, all sipping on the coffee I¡¯d made.

    Alice came in, talking about how bizarrely good she was feeling, which quickly led into a recap of the night¡¯s events. Slick looked ill at the reminder.

    After that, Lou shared with us the cover story she and Domiano had come up with.

    ¡°Why, though?¡± I asked. ¡°Surely no one could believe that. There is no reasonable explanation beyond magic.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s just it, Aera,¡± Lou said. ¡°Most people wouldn¡¯t think ¡®magic¡¯ counts as a reasonable explanation, no matter what the evidence is. Any cover story, as long as we agree on it, will work.¡±

    I rubbed my face for a second.

    ¡°Do we know what actually happened?¡± Alice asked.

    ¡°No,¡± Lou said, but I shook my head.

    ¡°I saw it all,¡± I said, sighing. ¡°I was using my haste spell, that I¡¯ve been practicing. The spark box worked precisely as it was supposed to. The only difference was, in the garage, there was nothing to catch on fire. On stage, I saw it igniting the dust in the air. It was so thick¡­¡±

    ¡°That it exploded,¡± Lou finished, frowning. ¡°I should have thought about that¡­ I should have tested it in a place like the club. Or even at the club, when no one was there.¡±

    ¡°You were thorough,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, Lou. Besides, most of the damage came from when the air conditioner exploded.¡±

    ¡°It definitely ain¡¯t your fault, Lou,¡± Slick said. ¡°It¡¯s mine. I¡¯m the one that pushed you to build the damned thing. This is all on my head.¡±

    ¡°Neither of you should blame yourselves,¡± I said, feeling annoyed. ¡°Slick wanted a strange sound making device, which is fine. Lou built a safe sound making device, which was also fine. The club¡¯s air was so foul that it wouldn¡¯t have taken much. Imagine if a light bulb had broken, say, or some other cause to ignite the dust, and if we hadn¡¯t been there?¡±

    ¡°What, you¡¯re saying what happened was okay?¡± Slick said.

    ¡°Not at all,¡± I said.

    ¡°She¡¯s saying that it was an accident, and if she hadn¡¯t been there, everyone would have died,¡± Lou said.

    ¡°Precisely -¡± I said, but she continued.

    ¡°Except that the fault¡¯s still on me. I made the box, I hit the switch, I started the fire, and because of that, people are dead.¡±

    I sighed.

    ¡°You are both wrong,¡± I said. ¡°The fire started by accident. How and why it started is meaningless. What matters is the fact that I could have stopped it, and in my cowardice, I chose not to. That is why those people are dead.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the one that saved everyone,¡± Lou said, giving me an incredulous look. ¡°And yet you¡¯re still finding a way to blame yourself?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s good that I saved them, but I did not act quickly enough,¡± I said.

    ¡°You saved my life, Aera,¡± Alice said quietly.

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± I said. ¡°But as I said, it wasn¡¯t enough.¡±

    She looked hurt, for some reason.

    ¡°For fuck¡¯s sake, Aera,¡± Lou said. ¡°You hesitated for what, ten seconds?¡±

    ¡°I was under my haste spell,¡± I said. ¡°It was more like thirty seconds.¡±

    I¡¯d long since learned that even two seconds was a massive amount of time in a disaster. Did they not understand this?

    ¡°People are dead, and yet, it¡¯s all about you,¡± Slick said, shaking his head. ¡°You did more than any of us - what does that make us, to you? Just useless lumps?¡±

    Less powerful than I am. But that¡¯d be rude to say. Wouldn¡¯t it?

    ¡°You¡¯re not useless lumps,¡± I said sourly. ¡°I had power, and I used it ineptly. That is on me.¡±

    ¡°But at least you had power,¡± Lou said. ¡°I helped carry one person out, and just told you where the water was. That was it.¡±

    You also declined to learn magic. Your weakness is your own fault. But that¡¯d also be rude. Probably.

    She could have learned it, too. Like Slick, she had an intense soul. Alice had tried to learn, after Slick had succeeded, but it was clear in the first few minutes that she would be unable.

    Slick was intense, passionate, focused, disciplined. At least, in regards to his ambitions. He¡¯d taken to magic remarkably well. Lou, too, had these things, and a sharp mind as well. But she still seemed to have a resentment of magic that I¡¯d never understood.

    ¡°Telling me the location of the water main saved precious seconds,¡± I said. ¡°And that was most excellent. Ultimately, though, it was meaningless - you wouldn¡¯t have had to had I not erred in the first place.¡±

    ¡°The only thing I could do was meaningless,¡± Lou said, giving me an annoyed glare. ¡°No matter what, it¡¯s all about you and your magic. Always.¡±

    I felt an abrupt need to get up and leave the table.

    Fortunately, there was a knock on the door.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get it,¡± I said immediately, beating Lou by a half second.

    I walked over to the door quickly and opened it.

    Red hair in the sunlight.

    The sight surprised me, and my heart ached. The color wasn¡¯t quite right, but for a brief moment, in my sleepy state, it looked like my mother¡¯s hair. Or my little brother Nordrid¡¯s.

    The ache of homesickness pulled down my guard, and my magesense pressed forward.

    Honor. Trying to do the right thing. Focus.

    A mix of sensations, a blend of surface emotion and deeper character, filled me before I pulled my senses back again. I tried not to blush at my impropriety, and focused with my eyes instead.

    The clean cut red hair, topped by his officer¡¯s hat, was around a lightly tanned and freckled face. He was taller than I was - an easy feat - and looked quite sharp in his police uniform.

    I pushed away the stupid impulse to play with his hair, and smiled at him.

    ¡°Greetings, sir,¡± I said. ¡°How might I help you?¡±

    He was smiling in a professional sort of way.

    ¡°Good morning, miss,¡± he said, with a strong Irish accent I¡¯d never heard from up close before. ¡°I am Lieutenant Detective O¡¯Brien, and I¡¯m here to ask some questions about what happened at the club last night. May I come in?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± I said, stepping back from the door and gesturing for him to enter. ¡°Would you like some coffee?¡±

    His smile grew more sincere as he said, ¡°Yes, miss, if you would. That sounds lovely.¡±

    He took off his hat and walked in. Everyone else had stood up to greet him.

    ¡°Lou, Slick, Alice, this is Lieutenant Detective O¡¯Brien,¡± I said, and then gestured for everyone to sit down in the living room. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back with some coffee. Detective? How do you take yours?¡±

    ¡°Sugar, please, and thank you,¡± he said, dipping his head at me.

    I flashed him another smile and collected a few cups of coffee for everyone.

    When I got back, O¡¯Brien had a notepad out and was scribbling some stuff down.

    ¡°I saw lots of things, and scarcely remember any of it,¡± Lou was saying. ¡°It was hell. People screaming, running¡­ it was nuts.¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you run?¡± O¡¯Brien asked.

    I handed him his coffee, and he thanked me again. I sat down next to them.

    ¡°Alice was there, and she got trampled,¡± Lou said. ¡°I had to help her. That¡¯s all that mattered to me, right then.¡±

    ¡°I can understand that,¡± O¡¯Brien said, his tone subdued. He glanced at Alice briefly, as though matching up the name in Lou¡¯s story with the introduction I¡¯d given. ¡°What about the start of the fire? Do you know what happened?¡±

    Lou sighed, and looked away.

    ¡°Fact is, sir, it was my fault,¡± she said, and Slick immediately protested.

    ¡°We talked about this, sis,¡± he said. ¡°I told you to make the damned thing in the first place! It¡¯s my fault!¡±

    ¡°Hold on,¡± O¡¯Brien said. ¡°Let¡¯s just hear what Ms. Williams has to say, first.¡±

    ¡°I made a box to make a spark of electricity,¡± she said, and her face was as depressed as I¡¯d ever seen it. ¡°I tested it a hundred times in the garage. It worked without a hitch.¡±

    ¡°But not at the club?¡± O¡¯Brien asked.

    ¡°It worked,¡± Lou said. ¡°And as far as we can tell, it caught the dust on fire. That exploded.¡±

    ¡°People report two explosions,¡± O¡¯Brien said. ¡°That would be the first, then.¡±

    Lou nodded.

    ¡°The second one was the air conditioner, when the flames reached it,¡± she said. ¡°It happened so fast.¡±

    ¡°Fire does that,¡± O¡¯Brien said. ¡°This sounds to me like a terrible accident. You didn¡¯t mean any harm. Don¡¯t blame yourself too much - this is the sort of thing that¡¯ll weigh on you forever if you¡¯ll let it.¡±

    ¡°And it should,¡± Lou said glumly.

    ¡°Lou, it¡¯s on me,¡± Slick said. ¡°You didn¡¯t even want to build it in the first place.¡±

    ¡°Oscar Williams, correct?¡± O¡¯Brien asked.

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Slick said.

    ¡°I believe I got everything I need from your sister,¡± O¡¯Brien said. ¡°Might I ask you a few questions as well?¡±

    ¡°Of course, sir,¡± Slick said.

    ¡°During the fire, we have reports that you were getting people out the front door,¡± O¡¯Brien said. ¡°Is that correct?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    ¡°How were you able to get the door open?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t, sir. The door fell apart right next to me, and then I did everything I could to get the people out,¡± Slick said.

    ¡°How were you getting them out?¡±

    Slick shrugged.

    ¡°With everything I could do,¡± he said. ¡°I couldn¡¯t even think. Just had to get them out as fast as I could, you know?¡±

    O¡¯Brien nodded.

    ¡°You and your sister seem to have a drive to help people,¡± O¡¯Brien said. ¡°That¡¯s a good thing, though I feel it¡¯s my duty to let you know how dangerous that decision was. You should let trained professionals take care of emergencies.¡±

    ¡°I understand, sir,¡± Slick said, but he didn¡¯t look like he agreed.

    A small smirk appeared on O¡¯Brien¡¯s face, as he seemed to notice the same thing. Slick wouldn¡¯t be holding back anytime soon, no matter what warnings he had.

    Lou and Slick were good people.

    ¡°Well, then, would there be anything else that you noticed from the fire last night?¡±

    ¡°What Lou said. Honestly, I don¡¯t really want to remember it,¡± Slick said.

    ¡°Traumatic experiences can do that,¡± O¡¯Brien said, then he glanced at Alice and I. ¡°Were you ladies also at the fire?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± I said, and Alice agreed.

    ¡°May I have your names, and your statements?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Alice Reed, and I don¡¯t remember anything after the fire started,¡± Alice said. ¡°Slick tells me that he found me bruised up and out cold.¡±

    ¡°You might want to get checked at the hospital, then, miss,¡± O¡¯Brien said. ¡°If it¡¯s bad enough to knock you out, it could be serious.¡±

    ¡°Hopefully not,¡± Alice said. ¡°But thank you for the advice.¡±

    He nodded, then looked at me.

    ¡°Aera Koryn,¡± I said. ¡°I have nothing to share beyond what the others have said. However, there is something I must ask.¡±

    ¡°What might that be?¡±

    ¡°Please, sir, I have to know,¡± I said, leaning in closer. ¡°How many people died in the fire?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not really something I can share, as of yet,¡± O¡¯Brien said.

    ¡°It was our fault, though,¡± I said, and he seemed to soften at something in my gaze. ¡°Please. I have to know how many lives are on our hands.¡±

    ¡°You had something to do with the spark box, as well?¡± O¡¯Brien asked.

    ¡°Not a damned thing,¡± Lou said. ¡°She¡¯s quick to blame herself when there¡¯s absolutely no reason at all to do so.¡±

    Lou glared at me, and O¡¯Brien gave me a confused and probing look.

    ¡°Why do you blame yourself?¡± he asked me.

    ¡°Because I couldn¡¯t save them all,¡± I said, looking down.

    ¡°I think Ms. Williams may have a point,¡± he said, and the smile in his voice made me look up. ¡°Ms. Koryn, you shouldn¡¯t blame yourself for that. No one could have saved everyone in that fire.¡±

    No one in all the world, except me.

    I¡¯d known that, but for some reason, it had never occurred me to quite so plainly till that moment.

    I, alone, in all the world, had the power...

    ¡°Everything¡¯s all right, now,¡± O¡¯Brien said, and I realized he¡¯d seen the anguish on my face.

    ¡°It isn¡¯t,¡± I said. ¡°Please¡­ I saw five black bags there. Please, sir, I have to know¡­¡±

    His face was sympathetic.

    ¡°One of the reasons I can¡¯t tell you is that we don¡¯t know yet,¡± he said. ¡°There were five dead at the scene, as you saw. There¡¯s also a lot of people injured, some critically, at the hospital.¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

    The hospital¡­

    The same barbaric place that had cut off Kito¡¯s leg instead of fixing it. What would they do to these poor people?

    ¡°The doctors are skilled folk, miss,¡± O¡¯Brien said. ¡°They¡¯re taking good care of them, I can promise you.¡±

    ¡°Which hospital?¡± I asked.

    He looked confused. ¡°Mass Main, of course. Biggest one in the city. It¡¯s the only one that could handle that many people.¡±

    The same one that Kito went to.

    ¡°Thank you, sir,¡± I said. ¡°I can only hope they¡¯ll be okay.¡±

    ¡°Regardless of the outcome, there¡¯s no need to blame yourself,¡± he said.

    He looked around at us all.

    ¡°Well, I think I¡¯ve gotten all I need to here,¡± he said. ¡°I want to thank you for your time.¡±

    We responded in chorus, and I escorted him back to the door again. He tipped his hat, and went back to his cruiser.

    I turned around to the others.

    ¡°I have to go to the hospital,¡± I said.

    ¡°And why¡¯s that?¡± Lou asked, her voice a little cold.

    I looked her straight in the eyes.

    ¡°I can heal every single one of the injured people,¡± I said.

    ¡°And what¡¯ll that do?¡± she asked. ¡°You¡¯ll terrify them. You¡¯ll cause a national uproar when people find out. Germany¡¯s on the warpath right now, or have you forgotten about that? What do you think they¡¯ll do? Or the US government? Or Great Britain? When they find out about your power, and the fact that you can share it?¡±

    She glared at Slick for the last part. He looked a little uncertain. Alice took his hand comfortingly.

    ¡°Does it matter?¡± I asked. ¡°Those people-¡±

    ¡°-are under the care of professionals,¡± Lou said. ¡°The smart thing to do is to lie low, at least until the war¡¯s over. The damage that could happen if your power were in the wrong hands¡­¡±

    She closed her eyes and shook her head.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do anything like that,¡± I said.

    ¡°Sure you wouldn¡¯t,¡± she said. ¡°You couldn¡¯t possibly be twisted into making a wrong decision, trusting the wrong person, ever. Right?¡±

    Did she blame me for Kito threatening her brother, all those years ago? I looked away, and she took that as my answer.

    ¡°Right, then,¡± she said. ¡°We lay low. I¡¯ll be the one to talk to people when they come. We did everything we could with the fire, and now we have to keep the bigger picture in mind. Aera¡¯s magic has to stay secret.¡±

    Secret¡­ or actually gone. I walked past them, ignoring Alice¡¯s confused protest, straight to my lab.

    -------------

    ¡°This is Mr. Fitzgerald, with the Boston Post. Are you miss Louise Williams?¡± the reporter asked, later that morning.

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Lou said. ¡°How can I help you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m here to find out some information about the fire at the Cocoanut Grove last night,¡± he said, his voice swift and sure. ¡°You were on the stage, unlike any other performance, is that correct?¡±

    ¡°That is correct,¡± she said coolly.

    She¡¯d already dealt with their rapid fire aggression the previous night. Though this time, she was actually supposed to answer questions.

    ¡°For what reason were you on the stage?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I was operating a device,¡± she said.

    ¡°Was this a part of the performance?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yes, it was. It was creating a little spark of electricity, to make the sound,¡± she said.

    ¡°Was that the cause of the fire?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I believe so, yes,¡± she said.

    His eyes glinted.

    ¡°So you admit to causing the fire?¡±

    ¡°It was an accident. The box never caught anything on fire before.¡±

    ¡°Who created this device?¡±

    ¡°I did.¡±

    His eyes widened a little.

    ¡°You personally?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± she said, annoyed.

    ¡°Was creating the device your idea?¡± he asked.

    ¡°No,¡± she said. ¡°Slick wanted it, so I made it, that¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°Are you a certified electrician?¡±

    Her lips tightened. The glint in his eye was evidence that he knew that women weren¡¯t allowed to get certified as electricians. Informally, anyway - the law may permit it, but a woman had never been certified.

    ¡°No, I am not, but I tested it extensively,¡± she said.

    ¡°Was it tested or examined by a certified electrician, at any point?¡± he asked.

    Her jaw tensed.

    ¡°No, but -¡±

    ¡°And this device was made on the request of Slick Williams, correct?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir, but the device was -¡±

    ¡°So I am to understand that Slick Williams, lead singer of the failing Boston Boys band, pressured his little sister - who has no certifications - into creating a device that set the Cocoanut Grove alight. Would this be correct?¡±

    ¡°It was an accident!¡± she said, gritting her teeth.

    ¡°Apparently, the song was being poorly received by the audience at the time of the explosion. Is it a possibility that the intention was to cover up his failure, by making it appear that the group disbanded as a result of the fire, instead of his ineptitude?¡±

    A scream was trying to emerge from her throat, but there was no way she¡¯d let him have the satisfaction. Her face merely grew harder; her tone colder.

    ¡°Slick had absolutely nothing to do with the design, setup, or use of the device in any way,¡± she said. ¡°He left it in my hands, and the resulting fire was entirely accidental.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for the clarification,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯d like to draw your attention to another point. Did you see Mr. Williams getting people out of the building?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I did,¡± she said.

    ¡°How would you describe the manner in which he removed the unconscious bodies?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± she asked, a little confused.

    ¡°Some eyewitness accounts claim that he appeared to be ¡®levitating¡¯ people out of the building,¡± he said.

    ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding,¡± she said. ¡°You think my brother can levitate people?¡±

    He smiled.

    ¡°What would your response to these eyewitness accounts be?¡± he asked, instead of answering.

    ¡°It was night, the fire was crazy, and smoke was everywhere,¡± she said. ¡°And people can¡¯t levitate people. Obviously.¡±

    ¡°A possible alternative, which is in line with some of the injuries received, is that Mr. Williams threw the bodies out of the door,¡± he said.

    ¡°Are you¡­¡± she started to splutter, then regained her cool demeanor. ¡°My brother is neither strong enough nor stupid enough to throw people out of a building.¡±

    ¡°How else might you explain the unusual eyewitness accounts?¡±

    ¡°Like I said - fire, smoke, and confusion,¡± she said.

    He noted something on his paper, and went on.

    ¡°Being on the stage, Ms. Williams, you had a unique perspective available. Two explosions were heard, which are presumed to be the initial spark of your device, followed by the air conditioner catching fire. However, according to the club owner, Mr. Bianchi, there was a secret door behind the stage, that opened with a series of small explosives.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I heard about that,¡± she said.

    ¡°Did you hear a third explosion, or otherwise witness the opening of this passageway?¡±

    ¡°Nope,¡± she said.

    ¡°Did you see any sign of this doorway, prior to the explosion going off?¡±

    ¡°Nope,¡± she said. ¡°He must have had good work done on it.¡±

    ¡°Were you aware of this passageway ahead of time?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Passingly,¡± she said. ¡°When I was going over the blueprints for the building, double checking electrical lines and such for the device, I noticed some things not matching up, so I asked him about it.¡±

    ¡°And what did he say?¡±

    ¡°There was some weird stuff, dating back from before he took over the club,¡± she said. ¡°He heard that maybe there¡¯d been some gang involvement, and that might have been why there was a deep hole hidden under the bar, plus a secret exit, none of it on the blueprints.¡±

    ¡°Did you ever witness any direct evidence of the existence of either the door or the hole, prior to the fire?¡± he asked.

    ¡°No,¡± she said. ¡°But what does it matter? What else could it have been?¡±

    ¡°An excellent question, Ms. Williams,¡± he said. ¡°On that vein, do you have any idea what the strange, smooth substance around the edge of the false wall might have been?¡±

    ¡°No clue,¡± she said.

    ¡°Did you witness a pale skinned, dark haired woman who seemed untouched by the fire?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Nope,¡± she said.

    ¡°Based on the description, this woman might be a match for a companion frequently seen in your company,¡± he said.

    ¡°Okay¡­? What does this have to do with anything?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Most of the strangest eyewitness reports seem to involve her,¡± he said. ¡°Calm, serene, directing water around, gesturing at wood, which then extinguished, and so forth.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± she said. ¡°Between that and Slick, you might want someone to check for something toxic in the smoke.¡±

    He laughed.

    ¡°You were in the fire for quite some time,¡± he said. ¡°If there were something in the smoke, it ought to have affected you, too.¡±

    ¡°I was on the stage,¡± she said. ¡°The decorations around the tables went up insanely fast. Maybe that¡¯s why none of us saw anything like that.¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± he said, seeming mildly disappointed.

    ¡°Nonetheless, that companion of yours might be worth asking questions to, as well,¡± he said. ¡°Might I have her name?¡±

    She huffed at him.

    ¡°You come to my house, first thing in the morning after a massive disaster which destroyed my brother¡¯s career,¡± she said. ¡°You ask me questions about the fire¡­ but also about stupid crap like the idea of my brother throwing people like some kind of muscle bound lunatic, talking all sorts of weird garbage. And I¡¯ve answered all of your damned questions, and you want to bother more of us?¡±

    ¡°Just trying to get a complete picture, miss,¡± he said.

    ¡°You want to ask about the fire, you ask away. But Slick¡¯s miserable, Alice is hurt, the rest of the band up and left, and my ¡®pale-skinned friend¡¯ doesn¡¯t have crap all to do with the fire. You got questions, you ask them to me.¡±

    He hesitated.

    ¡°Perhaps another time?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Sure,¡± she said sarcastically. ¡°I¡¯ll take your number. Oh, wait, I don¡¯t need it, the info is in the newspaper. Got any more questions for me?¡±

    ¡°That was very helpful, Ms. Williams,¡± he said. ¡°Thanks for your time.¡±

    ¡°Good day,¡± she said, and stepped back, closing the door in his face.

    ----------------

    I started at the lifeless portal uselessly. Not a single speck of magic on it. I wanted it to work. I desperately wished to go home. Desire was the heart of magic¡­ didn¡¯t that count for something?

    But so, too, was knowledge, and I¡­

    I didn¡¯t have the faintest idea what to do.

    ----------------

    ¡°Well, they¡¯re not on your case, at least,¡± Lou said as she set down the morning¡¯s paper on the table.

    Slick painstakingly read out the article in question.

    ¡°What the hell, Lou?¡± he asked, appalled. ¡°They¡¯re blaming you!¡±

    ¡°Wait, what?¡± Alice said, reading it over. ¡°My god, Lou, he¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s on my head, as it should be,¡± Lou said.

    ¡°It¡¯s my fault!¡± Slick said, glaring at her.

    Alice read a section out loud. ¡°Slick Williams, lead singer of the Boston Boys band, put complete confidence in his untrained sister to create a device to produce a loud and visible spark of electricity for his performance. While his judgement was foolish, the absolute confidence of Ms. Williams was clear. Even in the wake of the fire, she refused to consider that her lack of certification or work experience might have had any role in the device¡¯s explosion on stage.¡±

    ¡°Lou, this is terrible,¡± Alice said.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine,¡± Lou said. ¡°Slick¡¯s future career needs a decent reputation, so this¡¯ll get this disaster off his back. It¡¯s focused on me, instead of magic stuff. This is the best outcome.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ everyone will hate you,¡± Alice said.

    Lou smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll take that, gladly, if that¡¯s what¡¯s needed. For Slick, for Aera, for Domiano - it¡¯s worth it.¡±

    Alice hugged her tightly, and Slick awkwardly patted her shoulder.

    -----------------------

    It wasn¡¯t possible. No matter how many tears fell to the floor in this accursed room. It didn¡¯t change the truth.

    My parents spent decades working on the portal. This was their life ambition. Between the two, they had an extraordinarily powerful sorcerer, and one of the world¡¯s sharpest minds. They traded for knowledge from other lands, from other masters. They drew on an entire world¡¯s history of magical advancement in this field.

    And even they, for all their might and resources, failed. The portal which held this culmination of knowledge and power had exploded, forcing me into this world.

    To even imagine I could create a fully functional one, on my own¡­

    My homesickness had blinded me to my reality.

    I was never going home.

    ---------------

    ¡°We need to talk to Domiano,¡± Lou said, sounding exasperated. ¡°For him to believe us, Aera has to come with. Alice? Have you tried getting her out of there?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Alice said. ¡°She¡¯s answered me, but she says she¡¯s too upset to talk to anyone yet.¡±

    ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll tell her that we¡¯ve agreed to meet Domiano today, and so she¡¯s obligated to come with,¡± Lou said, frowning.

    ¡°Forcing her?¡± Alice asked.

    ¡°If there¡¯s a problem, she needs to talk to us about it,¡± Lou said. ¡°We¡¯re her friends. She¡¯s constantly closed off, like she can¡¯t tell us how she really feels about things. Sure, she gabs as much as the rest of us on little things, but the big stuff?¡±

    Alice sighed. ¡°She didn¡¯t tell us about what happened with Benjamin for days¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Lou said. ¡°And I saw the end of it. And she still wouldn¡¯t talk about it.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Alice said. ¡°She needs a friend. But how do we get her to talk to us?¡±

    ¡°I dunno,¡± Lou said sourly. ¡°Might help if she started really seeing us as people.¡±

    ¡°Lou!¡± Alice said, shocked.

    Lou glanced over towards the basement.

    ¡°She¡¯s a good person, Alice,¡± Lou said softly. ¡°But she¡¯s dangerous, too. I don¡¯t like the thought that one person can do so much. How bad it¡¯d be if she weren¡¯t so nice. I don¡¯t like that she dismisses everyone else¡¯s ability as trivial, or cute. As meaningless.¡±

    Alice sighed. ¡°Her stories, too. They¡¯re terrifying, and she acts like they¡¯re sweet. A world like that...¡±

    ¡°You see it, then,¡± Lou said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t see her as dangerous, though,¡± Alice said. ¡°She¡¯s nice. She¡¯s like her father. She¡¯s not her mother.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t she?¡± Lou asked. ¡°Have you ever seen her get mad?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Alice said.

    ¡°Neither have I.¡±

    They were silent.

    ------------

    Emotions, no matter how trying, are no excuse to betray responsibility.

    And so I dragged myself, however unwillingly, up the stairs, once Lou reminded me of an obligation.

    ¡°You seem upset, Aera,¡± Alice said, as I sat down at the table. ¡°You¡¯ve locked yourself away down there for an entire day. Do you want to talk about it?¡±

    ¡°It is nothing,¡± I said. ¡°Domiano. We are to go see him this evening?¡±

    Lou and Alice exchanged a look that I didn¡¯t understand. But then Lou nodded.

    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ll head off soon. Look, Aera, you know you can talk to us, right?¡± Lou asked.

    ¡°Of course,¡± I said. ¡°You are my friends, and dear to me.¡±

    Alice smiled, but the smile seemed a little sad. ¡°I¡¯m glad you feel that way. Sometimes, though, it seems like you keep things close to your heart.¡±

    ¡°Vulnerabilities and incomplete thoughts,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°Nothing of any significance.¡±

    Alice looked confused, and Lou¡¯s gaze was piercing.

    ¡°Those things are significant,¡± Lou said.

    I shrugged again.

    It wasn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t know what they were asking, or that I really thought it wasn¡¯t important. But how could I tell them how utterly trapped I was, when I hadn¡¯t finished thinking over the possibilities? Why worry them, when maybe I¡¯d just missed something?

    ¡°So when are we heading to meet Domiano?¡± I asked.

    They glanced at each other, but didn¡¯t push the matter. Not long after, it was time. Alice didn¡¯t need to come with, so it was Lou, Slick, and myself packing up into Lou¡¯s truck. Slick was practically mute, and probably still thick with alcohol.

    The drive was uncomfortably silent, and I found myself drifting back into thoughts on my reality.

    Soon we¡¯d arrived at Domiano¡¯s house. None of us had been here before, but it was a nice place. Smaller than ours, and comfortable looking. It was full of decorations, leaning towards a mixture of mahogany and gold.

    A young woman, clearly related to Domiano, opened the door when we knocked. She was very pregnant, and looked a bit stressed, though she struck me as someone who smiled a lot.

    We were guided in, and brought to a lovely little dining room. Domiano joined us there, and gestured for us to sit, as his wife brought us some bread and wine.

    ¡°Welcome to my home,¡± he said warmly, as he broke some of the freshly baked bread.

    We thanked him, and talked for a few minutes. I was delighted to hear that he was going to be a grandfather - it was his daughter who had greeted us. He was chattering on warmly about his son in law, his daughter, and how much he was looking forward to playing with the baby.

    His wife brought out a meal of pasta, sauce, and meatballs. The smell was mouthwatering. Afterwards, he quietly asked her to give us all some privacy, and she agreed, heading off with a smile.

    ¡°A good meal is always the best time for heavy conversations,¡± Domiano said, his smile warm, but with a certain coolness underneath. ¡°Recent events have weighed on us all.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Lou said. ¡°It¡¯s been a crazy couple of days. I¡¯m glad to see you¡¯re well.¡±

    ¡°And you,¡± he said. ¡°You seem in remarkably good health.¡±

    Lou smiled tightly. ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    ¡°So, then,¡± he said. ¡°Perhaps there is a sensible answer to why there¡¯s a perfectly smooth exit behind the stage, why there¡¯s a direct hole leading to a water main, and why none of you show signs of burns, despite having been inside the building for a while?¡±

    ¡°Not a great answer, but one we can prove,¡± Slick said. ¡°I¡¯m real sorry for having to keep you in the dark.¡±

    ¡°And we have to ask that you don¡¯t tell anyone,¡± Lou added.

    ¡°Sometimes secrets are necessary,¡± he said. ¡°And you saved my life, with that exit - I¡¯ll keep the secret. Come, then, what is the answer to this puzzle? I¡¯ve managed not even one guess.¡±

    ¡°Well, sir, that¡¯s because it¡¯s not something anyone would guess,¡± Slick said. ¡°Um, well, fact is, Aera here¡­ uh¡­ she¡¯s magic.¡±

    Domiano paused for a second.

    ¡°Magic,¡± he repeated, almost as though he wasn¡¯t entirely sure what the word meant.

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± I said. ¡°Would you care for a demonstration?¡±

    He hesitated.

    ¡°You¡¯re telling me that actual magic is what did all that?¡± Domiano said, looking over at Lou and Slick.

    They nodded, and Domiano looked uncomfortable as he spun the pasta on his spoon.

    ¡°I suppose I will have to see a demonstration,¡± Domiano said.

    His uneasiness was surprising. Would I ever meet two people with the same reaction to my power?

    At least there was plenty here to work with. I used a bit of Flamus magic to raise one of the little loaves of bread, then split it in half. One half floated to his plate. The other half met a little dollop of levitating butter, which spread evenly over the surface, before heading to my plate.

    Domiano stared at the loaf of bread for a long moment before poking it with his fork. Then his eyes met mine, and I saw a hint of something that saddened me.

    Fear.

    Realization hit me. Of course. Those decorations¡­ they were Christian decorations. Domiano was religious. Very much so, if the decorations and reaction were any indication.

    I suppressed a sigh.

    ¡°Lou, Slick,¡± he said, his voice lower than I¡¯d ever heard it. ¡°I¡¯ve known you for years. This isn¡¯t a trick?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s real, sir,¡± Slick said. ¡°I give you my word on that.¡±

    Domiano crossed himself.

    ¡°This secret is no small matter,¡± he said. ¡°I will keep it, as I said, because the¡­ because she saved my life.¡±

    He glanced at me, then continued to address the others.

    ¡°There is also the matter of the club being destroyed,¡± he said. ¡°My livelihood was lost, due to the device that you made.¡±

    Lou seemed to immediately understand.

    ¡°The band split its money among the members, and set aside a full fifth for the band¡¯s needs,¡± she said. ¡°Slick¡¯s out of money, and the rest of the band is gone. But I¡¯ve been managing the band¡¯s funds. There¡¯s still some left.¡±

    Domiano nodded, then his eyes met Slick¡¯s.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s fair to give you all of what¡¯s left, to make up for the club¡± Slick said. ¡°Since the band is done.¡±

    ¡°How much would that be?¡± Domiano asked.

    Slick looked at Lou. She pulled out a little piece of paper from her purse, and wrote down a number, then slid it to Slick.

    He, in turn, pulled out a checkbook and wrote a check to Domiano.

    What was with the silence? I was curious. It was a shame that I¡¯d never learned to use Aeros for spying purposes. My brothers had used it often enough on me. Really, it would have been so easy.

    Alas.

    Slick handed the check to Domiano, who seemed satisfied with it. He tucked it away.

    ¡°I wish to also say something,¡± I said, and the others looked at me. ¡°Domiano, sir, you have been very kind to me and my friends, over these years. If there is anything I can do¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe that will be necessary,¡± he said.

    ¡°Hopefully not,¡± I said. ¡°Even so, healing is perhaps my most significant skill. If you, or any of your loved ones, become ill¡­¡±

    ¡°I appreciate the offer,¡± he said. ¡°But again, I don¡¯t believe it will be necessary. I have faith in God, and in the hands of doctors, should illness come.¡±

    Did he truly have no idea of the value of what I had offered? Or was he just that opposed to the idea of magic?

    I¡¯d also noticed that he¡¯d not touched that piece of bread again.

    ¡°Well, I believe that concludes our business,¡± Domiano said, sounding much more professional than he¡¯d had when we¡¯d arrived. ¡°I can promise you that no one will learn of your secret from me, and I think it¡¯s a good time for me to retire. We probably won¡¯t meet again.¡±

    I felt a sinking certainty that the finality of this farewell was because of me.

    ¡°It¡¯s been good knowing you, sir,¡± Slick said, getting up. ¡°I¡¯ll never forget that you gave me a chance, when no one else would.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve got talent, Slick,¡± Domiano said, shaking Slick¡¯s proffered hand. ¡°You take care of Alice for me.¡±

    ¡°Yessir,¡± Slick said.

    ¡°Been a pleasure knowing you,¡± Lou said, also standing and shaking Domiano¡¯s hand.

    ¡°One of the sharpest women I¡¯ve ever met,¡± Domiano said. ¡°You¡¯ll do well, Lou.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been an honor,¡± I said. ¡°I only wish I could have done more.¡±

    He simply smiled at me in return, and I could tell from his body language that he didn¡¯t want to shake my hand.

    Still, as much as it made me feel unwelcome, I couldn¡¯t blame him. He was trying to be courteous, but it was clear that my very existence was uncomfortable to him.

    We were silent as we got back into the truck.

    ¡°That went about as well as could be expected,¡± Lou said.

    ¡°I guess,¡± Slick said. ¡°We just signed away a lot of money, and an old friend.¡±

    ¡°Why were you being secretive about the money?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Not secretive,¡± Lou said. ¡°Didn¡¯t want an awkward talk about money, so it got over and done quick that way. It was about forty grand.¡±

    Quite a solid amount.

    We were silent for a few minutes. The moment felt serious. It seemed¡­ right, for the mood I¡¯d been in.

    ¡°I¡¯ve realized something,¡± I said, my voice quiet. So quiet that if I¡¯d not muffled the truck ages ago, they wouldn¡¯t have heard me at all.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Slick asked.

    Lou seemed to pick up on my tone, and just glanced at me briefly, before returning her eyes to the road.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been a fool,¡± I said, looking out the window. ¡°All these years, I¡¯ve been promising myself I could go home, but I refused to face the truth. It is, quite simply, beyond my ability.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say that,¡± Lou said.

    ¡°You¡¯re incredible. Of course you can do it,¡± Slick added.

    I shook my head.

    ¡°Assume, for a moment, that I am more brilliant and resourceful than my parents, by far,¡± I said. ¡°And despite lacking all of the resources and knowledge they had access to, I manage to complete the portal in the same amount of time they spent on it.¡±

    ¡°How long was that?¡± Slick asked.

    ¡°About fifty years,¡± I said.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Slick said.

    ¡°Even if I succeeded, what then?¡± I asked. ¡°I go there, just to see my family? By then, I will have lived the majority of my life in this place. And, aside from my family¡¯s love, I had nothing there. No future, no meaning, no purpose.¡±

    ¡°But your family matters to you,¡± Lou said. ¡°You have to go back.¡±

    ¡°If I truly had the choice¡­¡± I said, and sighed as, of course, tears started welling again. ¡°Truly? I would want to make a portal, and see them. I would want to tell them goodbye, and stay here. Because, you see, I¡¯ve realized something else, too.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Slick asked.

    I wiped away the stupid tears.

    ¡°I matter, here,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m the only person in the entire world who could save the people, that day in the club. And more than that - disasters, like the hurricane that hit New York last year. I could have saved many lives then. Or even little things, like local hospitals. No one but myself, in all the world, can make such an extensive difference. Yes, perhaps, some will hate me, or fear me, or otherwise cause me trouble. But¡­ I can help them.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not liking where this is going,¡± Lou said. ¡°You have to stay a secret, Aera, you know that.¡±

    ¡°For now, I suppose, but not for long,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ve realized, since I cannot leave, that means this is my home now. Which in turns means that these are my people. Therefore, it is my duty to assist. My time for hiding is drawing to an end.¡±

 Ch. 11 - Anger

    Lou and Slick argued with me about the idea of coming out, but when I reiterated that I was content to lay low for the time being, they relented.

    Still, the atmosphere was changed. I was no longer a little secret tucked away till I ceased to exist, by this world¡¯s standards. This was my world now, and suddenly, things mattered.

    September 1st felt heavy in a way it otherwise wouldn¡¯t have. Germany began its invasion of Poland. The war was no longer this whispered promise, but now a thing of certainty. Death was coming to allied soldiers in a far off land, and many people had come from Europe. The radios made the news so tangible and close - even though the events were on the other side of the world, we were able to hear about events quickly. Sometimes even the same day.

    Prior to my acceptance of my fate here, I would have discarded the information as yet more war mongering between nations. Now, though, I began to feel the anxiety that was the undertone of so many discussions. America did decide to stay neutral, which came out just days after Germany¡¯s attack, which put a lot of minds at ease.

    The pawn shop was able to handle an employee, so we hired Alice on. It was a challenging transition for her, but she was happy to be working with Dorothy. Since the pawn shop was in walking distance of the house, she moved into one of the guest rooms.

    Slick was depressed, thinking about what he should do for a job, now that the band was done. So he claimed, anyway. Mostly he seemed to be just drinking.

    For my part, I spent my time plotting. If I were going to reveal myself, I needed a plan. It only took me a few days to think of one.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got it!¡± I said one morning, as I charged upstairs.

    Lou, Slick, and Alice looked at me in some confusion as they stopped eating breakfast.

    ¡°Got what?¡± Slick asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ve figured out how I can help people!¡± I said, grinning as I held something behind my back. ¡°The problem of how to use my power to help, but keep all the benefits of secrecy. Alice is the one who gave me the idea!¡±

    ¡°I did?¡± Alice said, looking confused, and glancing at the others.

    ¡°It¡¯s all right here!¡± I said, giggling a little as I pulled out one of the Superman comics.

    ¡°You have got to be kidding me,¡± Lou said.

    ¡°I¡¯m serious!¡± I said. ¡°See, I¡¯d use a better disguise, of course. I was thinking short red hair, and maybe a really unusual skin tone. Greenish, maybe? They could think I¡¯m an alien, like Superman.¡±

    ¡°Did I miss something?¡± Lou asked. ¡°Am I having a bad dream?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the idea?¡± I asked, frowning.

    ¡°I think it sounds great,¡± Alice said.

    Lou looked dumbfounded.

    ¡°So¡­ so many things,¡± she said. ¡°For one, isn¡¯t Superman immune to everything? Like bullets?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure I can block bullets,¡± I said dismissively. ¡°I don¡¯t know of anything your people can do that would threaten me.¡±

    ¡°Big difference between ¡®blocking things¡¯ and ¡®being immune,¡¯¡± Lou said. ¡°What if you mess up?¡±

    ¡°As long as I protect my brain, it doesn¡¯t matter,¡± I said. ¡°I could heal everything else.¡±

    ¡°You could get caught by surprise,¡± Lou said. ¡°You could get followed, and your real identity found. You could get hurt in ways you aren¡¯t expecting. You could be studied at a distance, and weaknesses found out, and used against you.¡±

    ¡°What weaknesses?¡± I asked, my frown deepening.

    ¡°Everyone has weaknesses,¡± Lou said. ¡°With that many eyes on you - and there would be so many - someone would find them.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯d just make enchantments to protect me,¡± I said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t want you to get hurt, Aera,¡± Slick said, ¡°Maybe you could protect your body, but your heart would get hurt. Seeing people like that¡­¡±

    ¡°But what does that matter?¡± I asked. ¡°Sure, some situations may be trying, but¡­ but I could save so many lives!¡±

    ¡°You think you can say no when people are asking you for help?¡± Slick asked. ¡°I¡¯ve got magic, too, Aera. I know how it works. You¡¯d run out of magic before you said no. Then you¡¯d be too tired to keep safe.¡±

    I looked down at that. He had a point. In fact, it was a lesson I¡¯d already learned before. That was not an easy balance to find.

    ¡°Sometime, somehow, you¡¯d mess up,¡± Lou said. ¡°How many mistakes till your whole life, and ours, are wrecked? And the whole world pays the consequences?¡±

    ¡°Why are you so certain that I¡¯d fail?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Everyone makes mistakes, Aera,¡± Lou said, her voice getting heated. ¡°Most jobs, you learn from your mistakes and move on with life. You pull a stunt like that, and you¡¯re living on the line. Even a single mistake could lose everything. Even if you do everything right, it still might not be enough.¡±

    ¡°Well, I, for one, think it¡¯s worth it,¡± Alice said, frowning at Lou. ¡°You¡¯re so pessimistic, Lou. She¡¯s talking about being a hero!¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s talking about getting herself killed, or worse,¡± retorted Lou. ¡°And probably dragging us into trouble, too, for what we might know.¡±

    ¡°Probably?¡± Slick said. ¡°We¡¯d get dragged into it for sure.¡±

    ¡°If she thinks she can do it, I believe in her,¡± Alice said, getting heated as well.

    ¡°If she thinks she can do magic, heal people, stop disasters, sure, I¡¯m there, too,¡± Lou said. ¡°If she thinks she can outsmart some of the sharpest minds in the world, backed by the richest bastards ever born, then I say she¡¯s crazy.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ I need to help people,¡± I said. ¡°I have this power¡­ I can¡¯t just do nothing.¡±

    ¡°I get that, I really do,¡± Lou said. ¡°But the start of a war like this, like I¡¯ve said before, is not the time. You do this now, and we¡¯ll have to distance ourselves, just to stay safe.¡±

    Slick nodded in agreement.

    I pulled back, sorrow hitting me.

    I¡¯d¡­ I¡¯d lose her as a friend? Slick, too?

    ¡°Fine,¡± I said, looking away. ¡°For now. I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll keep thinking.¡±

    Alice looked a little disappointed.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s a great idea,¡± she mumbled beneath her breath.

    I turned and went downstairs to my lab.

    They thought I couldn¡¯t be certain of being safe. I wasn¡¯t going to reveal myself yet - even with this plan, it¡¯d take time. I¡¯d prove myself, to them. There were many legitimate concerns, and I¡¯d address them, one at a time.

    The first thing I needed to create was an enchantment to stop bullets. A necklace seemed perfect. Time to get to work.

    It was only about a week after the fire before phone calls started coming in for both Rick and Johnny. The phone calls for Rick were polite enough, but the phone calls for Johnny weren¡¯t nearly as friendly.

    It seemed they had quite a bit of debt, and the debtors had had enough.

    Rick had even forged documents claiming he¡¯d part owned the house, and had taken out a loan on it. After a bit of hassle demonstrating the actual ownership, we were left alone, though it seemed like Rick was going to have the police on his tail.

    Those days also had some emotional frustrations, too. Slick and Lou could hardly leave the house at all, without being bothered by people about the fire. Some blamed Slick, others blamed Lou, and many hearts had been hurt by the losses. Sometimes hurting hearts aren¡¯t exactly reasonable.

    I wasn¡¯t entirely sure how to feel about the fact that absolutely no one seemed to pay me any attention whatsoever.

    At least I was able to work on the development of my enchantment over those days. I was almost ready to try testing it.

    From what I understood about guns, which was admittedly limited, the concept seemed simple. A little stone made of metal was flung at high speed by the gun, and would tear through the flesh of whatever it impacted. Like a slingshot powered by magic. Or an explosion, in this case.

    Reflecting the bullet would have a potential of hitting bystanders, so I couldn¡¯t use that method, even though it¡¯d be easier. My approach would be more energy intensive, but should have absolutely no risk of harm to others.

    The enchantment was designed to detect things approaching me at high speed - hopefully I¡¯d judged that right - and if it was triggered, activate the defense. It would dissolve whatever was detected using Aquas, then infuse chaos and redirected movement into the sludge with a blend of Aeros and Flamus. Some of the energy would get through, but I figured it¡¯d be harmless, since it¡¯d be spread out. It seemed the point of bullets was a pinpoint strike.

    If everything went according to plan, it would seem to impact, and look like a little goo explosion. Once the magic left the ¡°goo,¡± it would return to normal physics - either metallic dust, or perhaps metal scraps. I wasn¡¯t entirely sure. Metal really wasn¡¯t my thing.

    At present, it was also linked directly to the wearer - myself, naturally - to supply the power needed. I¡¯d create a ¡°battery¡± for it once I got a sense of how much power it needed to function.

    My lab was helpful for building enchantments in the first place, as I¡¯d created tools to help lay the groundwork of the various magical connections. Once made, though, I could do little adjustments from wherever.

    So, to the perspective of the others, I probably seemed like I was just lazing about the house, constantly fiddling with a necklace. I hadn¡¯t told anyone about it, yet - once it was ready, I¡¯d surprise and impress them. Lou, in particular.

    About two weeks after the fire, we had yet another knock on the door. I¡¯d taken to answering it, to spare Lou and Slick the unending heartache. I sighed, displeased at having been distracted from my work, and got up, expecting another angry face.

    When I opened it, though, I was surprised. There were quite a lot of faces. Quite a lot of pale, freckled faces, topped by red hair, attached to similarly dressed bodies.

    The man who¡¯d knocked on the door was a sight. Pudgy, short hair, and sharply dressed, he had a look of arrogance on his face so absolute that even my father would have taken notice, mundane or not.

    ¡°My, aren¡¯t you a sweet thing,¡± the man said in a possessive way, sporting an Irish accent, not unlike the officer¡¯s, a few weeks past. ¡°Johnny¡¯s been keeping some interesting company.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ can I help you?¡± I asked, feeling off put by his tone and approach.

    ¡°Yes, you can,¡± he said, smirking at me. ¡°We¡¯re here for Johnny.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ve come to the wrong place. This is not his residence.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve been told that,¡± he said, pulling a cigar out of his jacket. ¡°Seems like he¡¯s disappeared. A man who owes that kind of money doesn¡¯t just disappear. Rumor has it he¡¯s been here on a number of occasions, and has made some friends here.¡±

    ¡°That would be correct,¡± I said, still a little confused. ¡°He practiced here, back when the band was together, but we haven¡¯t seen him since the fire.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Lou asked, coming to the door. She must have heard my tone from the other room.

    ¡°Another cute young thing,¡± the man said, giving Lou a very inappropriate look over. ¡°Not as nice as your friend, but you¡¯d do.¡±

    ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± Lou asked.

    ¡°Call me Buddy,¡± he said, and smiled, starting to step forward. I stepped back for want of personal space, still confused. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t quite take your word for it, ladies. My men and I will be having a looksee in your house, here, just to make sure Johnny isn¡¯t hiding somewhere.¡±

    My jaw dropped as he continued forward, and I stepped back in utter confusion. Lou seemed strangely subdued. It was like she was afraid, for some reason.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    ¡°Sir,¡± I protested, ¡°This is my house. You don¡¯t just barge into someone¡¯s house.¡±

    ¡°I do,¡± he said, and men started following him inside.

    ¡°Aera,¡± Lou said, bizarrely quiet. ¡°Just¡­ just let them search, alright?¡±

    She was¡­ accepting this?

    ¡°It¡¯s my home,¡± I said indignantly. ¡°They have no right to be here!¡±

    Buddy laughed as he continued into my home. The filthy cur was in my living room, his shoes leaving tracks on my carpet. The carpet that I had personally woven.

    Confusion began to be replaced by anger, though shock was still dominating. I stepped around to get in his way.

    He continued to walk past me, as if entirely unconcerned by my existence.

    Slick appeared then, leaning against the wall of the kitchen for support. His mouth worked as he tried to understand what was happening. Scarcely two seconds passed before he¡¯d decided the correct action was to raise his hands in a cowering gesture of surrender.

    Both of them were just going to give up and permit this?

    This was our home!

    ¡°You are more likely to get what you desire if you ask,¡± I said, glaring at Buddy.

    ¡°Not in my experience,¡± he said.

    ¡°Perhaps you misunderstand the rules of society,¡± I said, my voice heating. ¡°If you desire something, you are to ask. I gave no permission for you to enter my home.¡±

    ¡°You two, head upstairs. Sean, head to the basement,¡± he said, ignoring me.

    Actually ignoring me. In my house. My breathing was growing strained.

    ¡°Aera,¡± Lou said, her tone pleading. She stayed right next to me.

    The men followed his orders, and the violation of my space became more thorough.

    A strange squeak emerged from my throat.

    ¡°Do not ignore me,¡± I said.

    He smiled again, but didn¡¯t look at me. He directed one of his men, who began tearing cushions off of my sofa. Alice was at the pawn shop, fortunately.

    I¡¯d have addressed him by name, but the name was repulsively familiar sounding. He was no buddy of mine.

    ¡°Intruder. I order you to leave this place,¡± I said, moving to stand in front of him again.

    ¡°You¡¯re a cute thing,¡± he said, grinning at my order, and stopping to face me. ¡°I might even want to keep you.¡±

    ¡°Keep¡­ me¡­?¡± I asked, jaw dropping again.

    My mind couldn¡¯t seem to decide between shock, indignation, and anger. I was almost getting dizzy between them.

    ¡°But this one seems more obedient, like a lady should be,¡± he said, looking over at Lou. ¡°Men, grab that one. We¡¯ll keep her to ensure Johnny shows up.¡±

    Two of the men grabbed onto Lou.

    Shock and indignation lost the battle to rage in that instant.

    ¡°You, on the other hand -¡± he began.

    ¡°You will release her,¡± I said, my voice almost a growl.

    ¡°Look, boys, the kitten thinks she¡¯s a tiger,¡± Buddy said, laughing, and his men laughed with him.

    I glanced over at Lou. She was unquestionably frightened. Her expression was still hard, and she was by no means panicked, but¡­

    My hands clenched into fists.

    Never cast magic when angry, unless death is an acceptable outcome. My mother¡¯s predatory grin blended with her voice. It¡¯s quite useful, then.

    But...

    ¡°Go ahead and take the quiet one away,¡± Buddy said. ¡°I¡¯m curious to see how red the kitten can get.¡±

    ¡°You cannot have her,¡± I said, my voice raising far beyond what is proper.

    ¡°Aera, don¡¯t do anything rash,¡± Lou said, as the men began to lead her to the front of the house. ¡°We¡¯ll figure this out, alright?¡±

    Buddy began to laugh in my face again, as I tried not to choke on my own tongue.

    Time¡­ I needed to buy time¡­

    Perhaps a little scare. Yes. Just his leg. A muscle spasm. Make him have to work to keep that arrogance on that ugly face.

    I reached out my hand, and Lou cried out my name, as though to stop me.

    But I couldn¡¯t bring myself to care.

    Magic poured from my hand. It felt good¡­ so deliciously pure, as it flowed into his unresisting leg. How pathetic that little spirit was, how faint the resistance.

    How much I ached to gain control over his flesh.

    My power seeped into his blood, as blood rang in my ears.

    I tried to focus. Just the muscle. That was all. I¡¯d prove my focus was sufficient, even in the face of rage.

    Just a little pull¡­

    His flesh was mine to pull...

    ¡°Aaaahhhhh!¡± Buddy screamed, as the muscle of his thigh was torn out through his pants and exposed to the open air. Blood sprayed from the torn vessels onto the carpet.

    Oops.

    He fell to the ground, grabbing at his leg, trying to control the bleeding.

    In almost the exact same instant, a series of clicking noises filled the room, as guns instantly appeared in the hands of every man there.

    Most of them pointed towards me.

    Most of them made a remarkably loud sound, followed by a flash of light.

    Pain¡­

    ------------

    By god, what has she done? Lou thought, as the mobsters fired at Aera¡¯s furious form.

    Lou moved fast. She had to cover this up, somehow. She pulled her gun from her jacket and fired at Buddy¡¯s leg.

    They¡¯d think the damage was caused by her shot. They¡¯d get it mixed up. This would work out.

    Surprise replaced the anger on Aera¡¯s deceptively angelic face, as the bullets hit and she went flying across the room, just like in the movies.

    ¡°Aera!¡± Lou cried out, choking.

    No¡­ she has to be okay!

    A groan and a cough emerged from Aera¡¯s form.

    ¡°Guns down or I shoot him again!¡± Lou said, slipping away from the men who¡¯d been guiding her.

    Guns were pointing at Lou, now, which didn¡¯t make her feel better. But most of the men were looking at Aera in horror. Was something wrong?

    ¡°It worked!¡± Aera called out, sounding both happy and a little dazed.

    Lou just stared as her friend got up and brushed off several clumps of some sort of grey goop from her dress. Not even her dress was torn, and there was no blood.

    The look on Aera¡¯s face made Lou shudder, and several men began to cross themselves. They pulled back in confusion, as Buddy¡¯s screams began to grow hoarse. Aera looked triumphant, fervent, and even a little bloodthirsty as she looked down at him.

    Aera¡¯s gaze moved to Lou, and instantly softened. It was as though Lou reminded her of little things like being a sane, non-murdering, decent human being.

    The graceful, too-perfect body darted over to the screaming mobster, and she reached out a hand to his thigh. She covered it up with both hands, as though trying to block the view, but the damage was too extreme. Lou¡¯s stomach turned at the unholy, unnatural sight of muscle writhing as it slipped back into position. Blood creeped from the ground back inside, until the carpet looked completely clean, and even the pant leg of the suit fused into perfect shape.

    Buddy stopped screaming, and just stared at Aera incredulously.

    ¡°It was just a bruise,¡± Aera said in an artificially cheerful voice to Buddy, as though hoping to somehow persuade the men of that insane interpretation of events. ¡°You¡¯re such a big baby, making such a fuss over that!¡±

    She stood up, and looked downright smug.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Buddy said, reaching down to feel his leg. ¡°A bruise.¡±

    He stood up carefully, keeping his distance from her. Lou kept her gun on him, since she had no idea what else she should do at this point.

    ¡°So, my men did a good job searching, and we didn¡¯t find Johnny,¡± Buddy said, his voice strained. ¡°That means we¡¯re done here, right boys?¡±

    The men responded in a variety of exceedingly uncomfortable sounds of agreement.

    ¡°Our business is concluded,¡± Buddy said, backing towards the door.

    ¡°I do not believe you will ever have reason to visit our home again, I¡¯m sure,¡± Aera said, sounding as though she believed she were a queen or something.

    ¡°Not at the moment,¡± Buddy agreed.

    He gave her a tight sort of smile as he and his men carefully backed out of the house, keeping their guns trained on Aera the entire time.

    Aera sighed as soon as they were gone.

    ¡°It seemed mother was right,¡± she said, her tone mildly bemused.

    Lou felt staggered at Aera¡¯s attitude. Was this some trivial thing to her? Even this?

    ¡°I really should not use magic when angry. Oh, well,¡± Aera sighed again. ¡°I think some tea would be lovely. Would anyone like some?¡±

    -----------------

    Lou and Slick seemed to be having a really hard time understanding that it was an honest, simple mistake. It was an accidental reveal of magic, to be sure, but really, it wasn¡¯t as though anyone was hurt. I¡¯d fixed all the damage.

    Well. Almost all. A bruise seemed appropriate to leave on the cur¡¯s leg, all things considered. And I¡¯d been bruised, too, from the ten or so impacts. The guns were stronger than I¡¯d given them credit for, but even so, I¡¯d healed the bruises before I¡¯d gotten up from the floor.

    ¡°What I should do at this point is seek them out,¡± I said, sipping at my tea.

    ¡°For the love of¡­ why, Aera?¡± Lou asked, exasperated. ¡°Why in the name of god would you seek them out?¡±

    ¡°To negotiate an agreement of mutual non hostility,¡± I said.

    Their lack of training on such matters was really tiresome.

    ¡°To negotiate an agreement of mutual non hostility,¡± Lou repeated back my sentence, emphasising each word, as though each individual word was uniquely offensive to her sensibilities.

    ¡°That sounds completely nuts, Aera,¡± Lou said.

    ¡°Things are currently unpleasant between their group and myself,¡± I said. ¡°I would like to have reason to believe they will not seek retaliation, or some other response.¡±

    ¡°Or maybe you can just let it go,¡± Lou said, burying her face in her arms.

    ¡°But¡­ but they might want to respond,¡± I said. ¡°You should never leave an enemy without resolution.¡±

    ¡°You know what, just¡­¡± Lou began to say, then made a frustrated noise and got up. ¡°Just don¡¯t, okay Aera? Please just don¡¯t do anything else. Don¡¯t go after them. Don¡¯t make things worse.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡± I said softly, as she went up the stairs.

    Slick wouldn¡¯t even look at me. After the events of the afternoon, he was curled up in his favorite chair, drinking an exceptionally unhealthy amount of alcohol.

    ¡°But I¡­¡± I said uselessly, reaching towards where Lou had disappeared from sight.

    It felt very cold in my home, that afternoon.

    ---------------

    ¡°And that is the story of the fox and the bear,¡± my mother said as I snuggled in her arms.

    I smiled at her as she levitated the book back into its place on the shelf.

    ¡°My sweet Aera,¡± she said, lovingly brushing my hair from my forehead. ¡°Can you tell me what lesson we learned from that story?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the same one as always!¡± I giggled.

    She smiled. ¡°Yes, my child. But what is the lesson?¡±

    ¡°When a bear comes¡­ ROAR!¡± I raised my hands and roared at her with all the enthusiasm in my eight year old body.

    She giggled and hugged me close.

    ¡°That¡¯s one, yes,¡± she said. ¡°And why do you roar at bears?¡±

    ¡°Because they think they¡¯re strong, but we¡¯re stronger,¡± I said. ¡°And they¡¯ll be afraid, and run run run away!¡±

    She kissed my forehead, and I felt the warmth of her breath in my hair.

    ¡°Very good,¡± she said. ¡°And what are bears?¡±

    ¡°Big, furry, monsters!¡± I said, sticking my tongue out at her.

    Laughing, she shook her head. ¡°Those are real bears, but the bears in this story represent something, remember?¡±

    ¡°I know that already,¡± I said, burying my face in her arms. ¡°People who act scary, who act like they¡¯re strong and tough, like a bear.¡±

    Her hand stroked my cheek again, and her smile made my heart feel so warm. My mommy loved me so much, and I loved her so very very much.

    ¡°What about the other lesson from the story?¡± she asked after a moment.

    ¡°That the cute little fox is worse than a bear,¡± I said.

    ¡°Perhaps a bit more specific,¡± she said, and her smile looked strained, like she was trying not to laugh.

    I sighed.

    ¡°Being hunted by a fox is the scariest thing in the world,¡± I said.

    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± my mother said, pinching my cheek. ¡°And what do you do if you¡¯re hunted by a fox?¡±

    ¡°Nothing else matters in all the world, save one truth,¡± I said, making a face as I recited the line. ¡°Not family, not friends; neither gods nor kings. The only truth is this: the hunt must end.¡±

    ¡°Very good, my sweet Aera,¡± my mother said, cooing as she hugged me close. ¡°And you remember what that means?¡±

    ¡°Either I make a deal with the fox, or I kill the fox,¡± I said. ¡°But I don¡¯t want to kill anyone.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, sweet little Aera,¡± my mother said, stroking my cheek again. ¡°If ever a fox hunts you, I¡¯ll be happy to kill them for you.¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t make a deal?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Our family is special,¡± she said, running her hand through my hair. ¡°We¡¯re too powerful to let anyone think that it¡¯s acceptable to hunt us. If anyone dares hunt us - fox, bear, or any other kind of person - no matter the cause, death is the only acceptable option.¡±

    ¡°What if I¡¯d rather make a deal?¡± I asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s your right, my darling,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯d just be careful with that choice. If people learn that they can get things from you merely by threatening you or what you love, they¡¯ll just keep doing that again and again. Best to end that line of thinking with excessive violence, to prevent anyone else from taking that approach.¡±

    I nodded sadly. I didn¡¯t even like killing the bugs that kept getting into my garden.

    ¡°Mommy?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes, Aera?¡± she said, my name a little song in her voice.

    ¡°Will you sleep with me tonight?¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Because the bear illusions were scary,¡± I said, curling into her arms.

    ¡°Silly, sweet Aera, you should never fear bears,¡± she said, laughing. ¡°You could kill one right now.¡±

    ¡°But I¡¯m scared, and I can¡¯t use magic when I¡¯m scared,¡± I said, pouting.

    ¡°No one can, my child,¡± she said. ¡°Fear paralyzes everyone¡¯s magic. But as long as you control or redirect your fear, you could absolutely kill a bear. Maybe tomorrow, we can go bear hunting. The one you kill, we can use to make a new blanket for you. How does that sound, sweetie?¡±

    ¡°It sounds scary,¡± I mumbled.

    ¡°The whole family will be there,¡± she said. ¡°And then you¡¯ll have the fur of a great, big bear to protect you, and keep you warm at night. How could you fear bears, if you sleep with the fur of one you killed?¡±

    ¡°I guess,¡± I said. ¡°You¡¯d protect me?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ll sleep with you tonight, my child, and tomorrow, we¡¯ll go on an adventure, all of us together.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± I said. ¡°Goodnight, mommy.¡±

    ¡°Goodnight, my darling angel,¡± she said.

    The lights dimmed at her will, and soon she was humming a lullaby. The world drifted away in the comfort of my mother¡¯s arms.

    -------

    The room was dark, and my blanket was just a woven thing of cotton. I sighed, staring up at the ceiling. I missed my mother. I missed my family. I missed our adventures, even if they did involve killing more than I¡¯d prefer. I missed my bear blanket. I was still sleeping with it, even to the night before the explosion that brought me to this land.

    And I¡¯d frightened off some bears - the idiot, arrogant Buddy, and his fool servants. Of course, it would be better to meet them, and ensure that they were frightened enough to never threaten me again. Still, it probably would be alright if I let it be, for Lou¡¯s sake. She seemed really upset at the situation.

    I rolled over onto my side, frowning at my window, as the dawn light started to trickle in.

    It was sad to think that, even though I¡¯d ¡°roared¡± at some figurative bears for the first time in my life, both of my parents would have been disappointed in how I¡¯d handled it. Even here, infinitely distant from my home, I couldn¡¯t stop being a disappointment to them.

    Closing my eyes, I tried to remember the lullaby my mother loved to sing to me. Her boundless joy of life carried me back to sleep.

 Ch. 12 - Professor

    Politics, politics, politics. Politics and war.

    It was all anyone talked about anymore.

    While the others were reasonably impressed with my enchantment to ward off bullets, they still - barring Alice - were firmly opposed to me trying to emulate Superman.

    Every day, I read the newspaper. People kept dying from stupid things. Every single death felt like it was my fault. I could save them, but instead, I sat here in my house all day, improving my enchantments, wishing I could save them.

    And why didn¡¯t I? Because I was a coward. A stupid, idiotic, imbecilic coward, who was too afraid to step forward without friends supporting me. Without people making decisions for me.

    Even though I believed this, still, I did nothing. It gnawed at me each day, woke me most nights, left me screaming in my own mind. Yet the idea of stepping forward, alone, without the support of anyone I held dear¡­

    I just couldn¡¯t. I despised my own weakness, but had no idea how to be otherwise.

    It was fun, and strangely painful, to read the Superman comics and wonder how I¡¯d save the people in the story, if I were able to go.

    At least I was able to work on my enchantments. Even if I wanted to go the Superman route, I needed to have them done first anyway. I could pretend I wasn¡¯t a coward, when I was working on them.

    Once I was satisfied that my bullet enchantment was was done with its ¡°battery¡± and general refinement, I began work on another. I¡¯d need some sort of disguise ability.

    I had to have an enchantment to store the precise knowledge of my form - facial structure, hair texture, and so forth. If I were going to make a significant change to my appearance, I needed to have a way to return to what I truly looked like. If that knowledge were lost, it was extraordinarily difficult to regain - far beyond my skill.

    Over the next couple of weeks, the aggression from hurt hearts towards Lou and Slick died down. The newspapers almost exclusively focused on the war again. Alice and Slick were still on the rocks, with Alice never staying in his room, even when she did sleep at our house. The pawn shop was doing quite well, and occasionally, when bored, I¡¯d help out in the store itself.

    The idiot ¡°bears¡± - which Lou informed me was the Irish Mob, apparently - didn¡¯t come back. They didn¡¯t even try to extort me with my secret, to my surprise. I kept expecting a letter with some sort of blackmail attempt, but when nothing came in, I just had to conclude that they¡¯d been frightened sufficiently after all.

    Lou and Slick preferred to act as though that day had never existed.

    Far as we could tell, from the newspapers, the club fire had been written off as an accident, with toxic smoke causing hallucinations in many of the victims. The water main was the only damage the city itself really was annoyed about, but it was written off as faulty construction, since it was the only conceivable explanation for the type of damage it had taken.

    It seemed like the events of the fire were entirely behind us.

    That is, until September 27th.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get it,¡± Lou said, heading over to the door one Wednesdaymorning.

    I just glanced her way from the living room, but continued sipping at my tea and reading the paper.

    ¡°Hello, yes, hello,¡± came an enthusiastic sounding male voice from the door.

    ¡°Um¡­ hi,¡± Lou said, sounding a bit taken aback. ¡°How can I help you?¡±

    ¡°This is the house of Oscar ¡®Slick¡¯ Williams, if I am not mistaken?¡± the voice said.

    ¡°...yes?¡± Lou said.

    I gave up on the newspaper and watched Lou, curious.

    ¡°Very good, very good,¡± the man said. His voice gave me the impression that if he had a tail, it would be wagging excitedly. ¡°I am Professor Rhine of Duke University in North Carolina, and I¡¯m a researcher of parapsychology. I¡¯ve been absolutely fascinated by the investigation into the fire at the Cocoanut Grove, and I was hoping to ask him some questions.¡±

    Parapsychology. If I had no idea what that word meant, then neither did Lou.

    ¡°We¡¯ve answered a whole bunch of questions about that already,¡± Lou said. ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll be able to do anything for you.¡±

    ¡°Oh, but these would be very different questions,¡± he said. ¡°I won¡¯t take up very much of his time. Is he available?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ let me go check,¡± Lou said.

    She turned from the door and yelled for Slick.

    Remarkably, Slick was almost sober, and wandered into view.

    ¡°You don¡¯t want to answer any questions for this guy, right?¡± Lou asked.

    ¡°What guy?¡± Slick said, ambling up to the door.

    My curiosity pulled me from my seat, and I walked up next to them.

    ¡°Mr. Williams,¡± Rhine said, his eyes bright with excitement, though his face didn¡¯t show nearly so much energy. ¡°Your sister doesn¡¯t seem to appreciate the importance of the research I am doing. I am hoping you could be of assistance.

    ¡°Research?¡± Slick said. ¡°What research?¡±

    ¡°I am Professor Rhine, developer of the field of parapsychology,¡± he said, sounding remarkably self important. ¡°If I may come in, and ask a few questions?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ sure,¡± Slick said, sounding a bit off guard.

    Lou sighed.

    ¡°Thank you very much, sir,¡± Rhine said, and stepped into the house.

    ¡°Would you like some coffee?¡± I asked, half to distract him from the sour look on Lou¡¯s face.

    ¡°Yes - cream and sugar,¡± he said, passing me only the briefest glance before locking his attention back on Slick.

    This conversation intrigued me, so I used magic to hasten the coffee making process, so I could listen in sooner.

    Moments later, I came into the living room to see everyone sitting around the coffee table. I set down the cups, and went to sit next to Lou.

    ¡°So, first off, what is ¡®parapsychology?¡¯¡± Lou asked.

    Rhine gave her an oddly dismissive glance.

    ¡°It is the study of the interaction between the human mind and the paranormal - that is, things like extra sensory perception,¡± he said. ¡°The ability to control things with the mind, to speak to the dead, to move objects, and so forth.¡±

    ¡°Speak with the dead?¡± I said, surprised. ¡°That seems impossible.¡±

    ¡°Many things seem impossible to the uneducated,¡± he said, and Lou bristled. He didn¡¯t seem to notice. ¡°Mr. Williams, the point of my being here is that I believe someone with unique abilities was at the club that fateful night, and is responsible for saving all these lives.¡±

    ¡°Uh huh,¡± Slick said. ¡°Hang on, I forgot to get a drink.¡±

    ¡°This is ridiculous,¡± Lou said, as Slick briefly excused himself, heading to the kitchen. ¡°You think someone with special powers was at the club. Seriously?¡±

    ¡°Oh, very much so,¡± he said, giving her an arrogant smile. ¡°You were there, were you not?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Lou said curtly.

    ¡°What I¡¯d give to have been there,¡± he said, sighing wistfully. ¡°To see what you could have seen!¡±

    ¡°I saw people getting burned and killed,¡± she said, looking decidedly annoyed.

    ¡°That¡¯s a very short term way of looking at it,¡± he said. ¡°Though that¡¯s to be expected, from the fair sex.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Lou said.

    ¡°Women are so taken by emotion,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s to be expected that you¡¯d focus on the little details of some accidental injury, when faced with the greatest discovery of our century.¡±

    ¡°Little details¡­? People were killed!¡± Lou said, sounding furious.

    ¡°Yes, that has been established,¡± Rhine said. ¡°Ah, Mr. Williams, welcome back.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Slick said, as he walked back over to the sofa. ¡°So, why are you talking to us in particular?¡±

    ¡°It has been the aim of my entire life¡¯s work to find concrete proof of the paranormal, to find someone with unquestionable ability with extra sensory perception,¡± he said, his tone more serious, but still with a current of excitement through it. ¡°I believe I am finally on the brink of that revelation.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± Slick said, sitting down a bit heavily, as he added some rum to his coffee.

    ¡°The evidence is unprecedented,¡± he said, his smile exclusively for Slick. ¡°Material collected from the site defies analysis - smooth, and perfectly blended brick and concrete, near the false wall. The hole leading to the water main was not there previously - the dirt and concrete were found excavated, also blended, in a soft amalgamation never before created. The opening of the water main is perfectly circular, and most certainly was not caused by the club owner striking it with a hammer, as claimed. Eyewitness accounts, too, are not be be disregarded, and those are quite telling.¡±

    ¡°Maybe you skipped the bit with toxic smoke,¡± Lou said, scowling at him.

    ¡°Which affected even those from nearby bars, who had come to help?¡± he asked dryly.

    Lou didn¡¯t respond to that. Rhine smiled again at Slick.

    ¡°Whoever this person is, he is a hero,¡± Rhine went on. ¡°Whatever concerns he may have about coming forward will be addressed by my department. We are working with the US government on this project, and have their support. This hero, once he demonstrates his ability to the government¡¯s satisfaction, will be given all the aid, fame, and fortune he could possibly require.¡±

    I perked up at that, though Slick seemed decidedly uncomfortable.

    ¡°This person, whoever he or she is, I¡¯m sure has reason to want to stay in hiding,¡± I said. ¡°Else, surely he or she would have come forth.¡±

    ¡°He certainly must be a male, as only a man would have the intellectual capacity for such abilities,¡± he said blithely.

    I covered my mouth, trying not to laugh at the idea of how my mother would react to such a statement. Lou, however, was not amused.

    ¡°Further,¡± Rhine continued, either not noticing or caring about Lou¡¯s expression, ¡°Nothing would truly be able to force such a person into hiding, with abilities like he must have.¡±

    ¡°What abilities have you thus far found evidence of?¡± I asked, looking at him curiously.

    Rhine¡¯s responses were interesting. It was as though he were answering my questions, but for Slick¡¯s sake.

    I smiled at the abrupt realization - he believed Slick was his target.

    And Rhine¡¯s studies suggested that there might be others with magic in the world...

    ¡°Telepathy - that is, the ability to sense the thoughts of others,¡± he said. ¡°That¡¯s a common one.¡±

    ¡°Common?¡± I said. ¡°Such an ability is¡­ I mean, it would be quite dangerous.¡±

    ¡°A common claim, that is,¡± he said, then smiled at Slick. ¡°Again, we¡¯ve not been able to definitively prove the existence of extra sensory perception with proper scientific rigor as of yet. As far as dangerous, well, that is merely a sign of your own ignorance on the matter.¡±

    Lou looked angry, but honestly I felt like laughing.

    ¡°Ignorance?¡± I repeated, amused.

    ¡°Are you an expert in parapsychology?¡± he asked disdainfully.

    Lou coughed in my direction.

    ¡°I¡­ well¡­¡± I hesitated.

    ¡°Precisely my point,¡± he said, and I frowned.

    ¡°To clarify, Professor,¡± I said. ¡°You are saying that there are individuals who possess the ability to perceive the thoughts of others, but you do not believe this to be dangerous?¡±

    ¡°Correct,¡± he said.

    ¡°What about privacy?¡± I said. ¡°Secrets? Avenues of potential manipulation?¡±Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    ¡°In the world that could be created with power like this, ideas like ¡®privacy¡¯ and ¡®secrets¡¯ are meaningless,¡± he said, his voice filling with passion again. ¡°We will be able to remake humanity, so that our minds are linked together, and all knowledge shared equally. In such a situation, there would be no need to manipulate others.¡±

    I blinked in astonishment. Had he no idea whatsoever of the horror he spoke so freely of? Had he thought about the downsides to such a situation to any degree? Was he mad, or just a fool?

    He looked smug at my reaction, as though my slack jaw was in appreciation for his vision. Then he looked at Slick again.

    ¡°It has taken her time to see the obvious, but even she has managed,¡± he said. ¡°The world is ready, Mr. Williams.¡±

    ¡°Ready for what?¡± Slick asked.

    ¡°Ready for the emergence of persons with abilities such as were demonstrated at the Cocoanut Grove, that fateful night,¡± Rhine said. ¡°So let me ask directly - do you have powers of the mind, Mr. Williams?¡±

    ¡°Powers of the mind?¡± Slick said. ¡°No, sir, I ain¡¯t got anything like that.¡±

    Rhine looked like a combination between stricken, disappointed, and disbelieving.

    ¡°But, Mr. Williams,¡± he said. ¡°The evidence is really quite compelling. There are eyewitness accounts of you levitating people out of the building, including from those who weren¡¯t exposed to the smoke.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to tell you,¡± Slick said.

    Rhine frowned.

    ¡°Let me leave you my contact information,¡± he said. ¡°If you change your mind, or if - perhaps - it was some other man at the club, and if any of you saw something¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t think we need your contact info,¡± Lou said. ¡°This conversation is over.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not up to you, miss,¡± he said, handing out a piece of paper to Slick, who looked completely disinterested in it.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take it, sir, and keep it for him,¡± I said, reaching out for the paper.

    Rhine sighed, and let me take it.

    ¡°As the head of this research project, I¡¯ve been granted an office at Harvard University,¡± he said, still looking at Slick. ¡°Please feel free to contact me at any time, if you have further information.¡±

    ¡°Not likely,¡± Lou said.

    ¡°Thanks for your time, sir, but you won¡¯t find what you¡¯re looking for with us,¡± Slick said.

    ¡°Perhaps,¡± Rhine said, as he got up. ¡°In any case, I hope we meet again sometime, Mr. Williams.¡±

    Lou led him to the door, with a bit more force than usual. Once he was outside, she closed the door with similar force.

    ¡°That man is an ass,¡± she said, glaring at the door.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Slick said. ¡°He¡¯s pushy, and he¡¯s arrogant.¡±

    ¡°But also at least a little intelligent,¡± I said, ¡°Right? To be a professor, to be a scholar, this is no minor thing, correct?¡±

    ¡°Well, yeah, but he¡¯s still an ass,¡± Lou said.

    ¡°But a delightful blend of intelligence and foolishness,¡± I said. ¡°He believes women are inferior -¡±

    ¡°Which contributes to him being an ass,¡± Lou noted.

    ¡°Yes, yes, but that means he¡¯s not likely to suspect me,¡± I said. ¡°I can talk to him! I can get information!¡±

    ¡°What kind of information?¡± Lou asked.

    ¡°He said he¡¯s working with the government,¡± I said. ¡°Finding out what threats they may actually pose to me, finding out if there are others in your world with magical talent, seeing what the experts of your world might have thought of - such as that idiotic idea of mental linkage, and so forth.¡±

    ¡°What if he realizes it¡¯s you?¡± Slick asked.

    ¡°If he does, I will negotiate accordingly,¡± I said. ¡°I can guarantee that I won¡¯t let it get out of hand - even if I must invade his mind. Though, of course, I would do no such thing unless he forces my hand.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± Lou said, looking abruptly exhausted. She went to go sit on the couch.

    Slick just looked uncomfortable again.

    ¡°This is valuable information, that I will need, because I will be coming forward at some point,¡± I said. ¡°He believes the person he is looking for is Slick - he will surely believe I am approaching him to get information on Slick¡¯s behalf, perhaps assuming that Slick isn¡¯t coming personally, fearing a trap.¡±

    ¡°You might be giving him too much credit,¡± Lou said wryly.

    ¡°It¡¯s an obvious conclusion,¡± I said, a little confused.

    ¡°To you, maybe,¡± Slick said. ¡°Most people don¡¯t think that way.¡±

    I had no idea what he was on about, but I brushed it aside.

    ¡°The point is,¡± I said. ¡°This information is valuable, and this is a good opportunity.¡±

    ¡°What are you getting at?¡± Slick said. ¡°Asking for permission?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ err¡­¡± I hesitated. That phrasing made it sound so¡­ childish. Why, indeed, did I feel like I needed their permission? ¡°Rather, do you have any objections?¡±

    ¡°Many,¡± Lou said. ¡°He¡¯s an ass, it¡¯s an unnecessary risk, and you¡¯ll probably reveal too much. But if it matters that much to you, I guess it¡¯s fine.¡±

    I was too hungry for this knowledge to be dissuaded by such a halfhearted agreement. The phone rang for Rhine¡¯s office not ten minutes later.

    The conversation with the receptionist for his department went well, and I was able to schedule a meeting for the very next afternoon.

    I was unreasonably excited. Asking questions of someone who had valuable knowledge, without Lou and Slick holding me back¡­

    So what if I slipped and revealed myself? I¡¯d resolve it, and things would be back on my terms. Power negotiations, just as I¡¯d been taught my whole life.

    The time for the meeting came, and my companions wished me well with varying degrees of awkwardness. Clothing was a challenging choice. I desired to inspire respect, but not too much. Aesthetic appreciation, but likewise, not too much - it would be problematic if he developed too personal an interest in me.

    With Dorothy¡¯s help, I decided on an upper class looking dress that was decidedly out of date. With him being older, it should be taken well, but still seem a little off, ideally. As I usually did of late, I also did my hair in a typical updo of this culture.

    Fluttering nervously, I arrived at the university a full hour early. I couldn¡¯t help but laugh at myself. Time slipped away as I admired the landscaping they did. It was often incredibly impressive how much these people managed to accomplish without magic.

    Once it was almost time, I went in and was directed by the Department of Psychology¡¯s receptionist. Not long after, I found myself at his door, and knocked.

    ¡°Come in.¡±

    The wooden door creaked open and I looked inside. Professor Rhine was sitting at a desk writing something down. It looked rather extensive from here. He didn¡¯t hardly seem to notice my presence.

    ¡°What can I do for you, Ms. Koryn?¡± he asked without glancing up.

    ¡°You may recall the conversation we had yesterday at my home, with my good friend, Slick Williams?¡± I asked, taking a seat in front of his desk.

    ¡°Obviously,¡± he said, glancing at me briefly, if only to give me a dismissive look.

    ¡°Due to the unfortunate hostility that seemed to arise during that conversation, it was cut off perhaps too abruptly,¡± I said, wasting a smile on him. ¡°There are concerns which an individual with such power as you propose might desire to be addressed.¡±

    He finished writing his sentence before he spoke.

    ¡°And why would discussing the matter with you be of any use?¡± he asked, again not looking up from his work. ¡°If Mr. Williams is who I¡¯m looking for, then it should have been him who sought me out.¡±

    His dismissive attitude was less and less amusing as time went on.

    ¡°Or perhaps the person whom you seek - not Mr. Williams, as it happens - is interested in finding out more information, and does not wish to reveal himself without said information,¡± I said.

    He looked up at me, though his expression was still dismissive.

    ¡°Are you claiming to know who I¡¯m looking for?¡± he asked skeptically.

    ¡°I choose to make no such claim,¡± I said. ¡°I simply wish to acquire certain information.¡±

    He gave no sign of even recognizing the bait, let alone taking it. I frowned as he looked down and sighed.

    ¡°As I suspected,¡± he said. ¡°In any case, I see no reason not to answer whatever questions you have for the duration of this granted appointment.¡±

    I was either being outmaneuvered to such a degree that I couldn¡¯t see it, or he was legitimately so blinded by his preexisting beliefs that he didn¡¯t notice what I¡¯d said.

    The temptation to peek into his soul to find out which it was plagued me for a moment¡­ but I absolutely would not compromise my standards during such a situation.

    And would it be more dangerous to assume that he was a fool, or to assume he was playing me? I wasn¡¯t sure...

    Whatever. I¡¯d just ask my questions.

    ¡°First, what assurance would such an individual have that he wouldn¡¯t be captured and forced into undesirable actions, by the government?¡± I asked.

    ¡°You clearly don¡¯t have any understanding of the power involved here,¡± he said. ¡°Someone with enough power to achieve what was done at the club would be at no risk from anyone at all.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps,¡± I said. ¡°And perhaps that power has limitations which are concerning.¡±

    ¡°Whatever those limits may be, there still is no cause for concern,¡± he said. ¡°The United States of America is an incredible country. It takes care of its own. Even immigrants like you are given all the rights and privileges of any natural born citizen. There is absolutely no reason to believe that our good country would be anything less than generously accepting of one of its people having parakinetic abilities.¡±

    I cocked my head curiously at him. Interesting that his perspective was so profoundly different than that of the others I¡¯d met. I pursed my lips and considered as quickly as I could.

    Wealth was the only great divide that I knew of - perhaps my companions had suffered under the Great Depression due to being on the low end of that inequality, and their faith in government had suffered accordingly. Whereas others, such as Rhine, perhaps, may have done well enough. I already knew that many had been perfectly well fed even as their countrymen starved to death. If his research was funded by the government, as he¡¯d said, then he and his companions could have literally been saved from devastation by the government.

    A mere hypothesis, but a reasonable one, it seemed.

    And if correct, would suggest that his faith in the government was more emotional than rational. Time to test it.

    ¡°If this person has not had any interactions with the government, and therefore is not yet convinced that they can be trusted, how would you reassure him?¡± I asked.

    He sighed.

    ¡°Miss, just because you don¡¯t seem to understand the obvious, doesn¡¯t mean that this person of power would fail to grasp it,¡± he said, sounding mildly exasperated.

    ¡°Might you enlighten me?¡± I asked.

    His disrespect was moving from mildly amusing to downright annoying.

    ¡°I¡¯m certainly not in a position to attempt to educate a woman on such matters, not within a mere hour,¡± he said. ¡°Were you a student, I suppose I would be willing to spare you the time, but that would never be the case, of course.

    ¡°Are women not permitted to be students?¡± I asked, surprised.

    ¡°They are permitted, of course, because of those new laws,¡± he said with a wry chuckle. ¡°But it¡¯s just to soothe the emotions of the fair sex. They can be so easily riled up. No woman could really achieve anything intellectual.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve met some rather sharp women,¡± I said, forcing a smile.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you believe that,¡± he said. ¡°But the fact is, it¡¯s simple science - women are biologically different from men. They are less intelligent and more emotional. Every educated man knows this.¡±

    ¡°There are, of course, strange variations in birth,¡± I said, my frustration with his attitude increasing. ¡°Some men are gibbering idiots, by a quirk of birth. Surely, by the same quirks, a woman could, theoretically, be born with the intelligence of a man, could she not?¡±

    ¡°Such a change would be far too extreme, I would think,¡± he said. ¡°Even if it did occur, she would still be handicapped from true reasoning by her emotions.¡±

    ¡°And what if emotions were involved in the use of this power?¡± I asked, crossing my arms in irritation.

    He raised an eyebrow and looked like he wanted to laugh at me.

    ¡°ESP is the advancement of the human intellect,¡± he said. ¡°It would require a sharp mind to use. It would not be based on emotion.¡±

    ¡°You seem to know quite a lot about a power that you have never been able to verify in the entirety of your career,¡± I said, smiling too brightly at him.

    ¡°Yes, as you¡¯ve stated, I¡¯ve studied it for my entire career,¡± he said with a sigh. ¡°It is my life¡¯s work, and therefore, it is obvious that I know ¡®quite a lot¡¯ about it.¡±

    ¡°Still, you know nothing compared to one who wields this power,¡± I said.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say ¡®nothing,¡¯¡± he said. ¡°Additionally, he may not know the full potential of his power. I may be able to help him unlock additional depths.¡±

    ¡°I believe we got off track,¡± I said, keep my expression genial. ¡°My apologies for my distraction. I believe that you were going to tell me the reason why you believe this individual should trust the government utterly.¡±

    He rubbed his forehead as though he were getting frustrated. He glanced up again, seemingly annoyed at me for continuing to interrupt whatever it was he was working on.

    ¡°Anyone who is familiar with the United States will understand why the government can be trusted,¡± he said. ¡°The government is elected by the people, and is free from corruption. It was founded on principals of acceptance, equality, and individual freedoms. An ounce of education is all that¡¯s required to understand this point.¡±

    ¡°Free from corruption?¡± I said. ¡°You feel it is absolutely impossible for the public to have ever been misled, in any of this country¡¯s multitude of elections?¡±

    ¡°You underestimate the American public if you believe that we would elect someone corrupt into leadership,¡± he said. ¡°The news media keeps us informed, and they would catch corruption long before it reached any significant part of government.¡±

    I suppressed a sigh and abandoned this line of questioning.

    ¡°Previously, you had stated that someone with this power could read minds, and so forth, and had stated that things like privacy were ultimately meaningless,¡± I said.

    ¡°That is correct,¡± he said.

    ¡°Surely, even you understand that such a phenomenon would take time, and the nature of the transition could be complicated,¡± I said, losing my grasp on the properness of speech. ¡°During this transition, would there not be concerns about certain individuals wanting to gain advantage?¡±

    ¡°This person would have the ability to see any such problems in advance,¡± he said, not having caught the slight against him. ¡°You see, miss, thoughts are projected from the mind, and are simply received by the person with ESP. It is an effortless process.¡±

    His obstinant attachment to his ignorance was seriously beginning to get to me.

    ¡°What if this process were not so easy?¡± I asked. ¡°What if it did take a measure of effort?¡±

    He glanced up at me.

    ¡°What of it?¡± he asked.

    ¡°In such a case, would that not change the moral question to some degree?¡± I asked. ¡°To actively pry, instead of passively receiving?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not how it works,¡± he said, sighing. ¡°Which makes this question pointless.¡±

    ¡°Even so,¡± I said, a horribly irresponsible idea occurring to me. ¡°Would you still find it permissible for someone to access your mind?¡±

    ¡°People with this power would not need permission,¡± he said.

    ¡°Need, perhaps not,¡± I said. ¡°But my question isn¡¯t about them. It¡¯s about you. Would you object to such a person actively, not passively, probing into your thoughts, your memories, your experiences?¡±

    ¡°No one who has nothing to hide would object to that,¡± he said dismissively.

    ¡°The multitude of things such a person might do,¡± I asked, my voice betraying my intensity. ¡°Any of those things? Would you object to any of it?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve already said I wouldn¡¯t,¡± he said, clearly annoyed.

    I stood up.

    ¡°I can call it confirmed, then?¡± I said, walking over to his desk, my presence forcing him to look at me. ¡°You personally, Professor Joseph Rhine of the Duke University of North Carolina, you grant open permission to any individuals with power such as demonstrated in the fire of the Cocoanut Grove, to do anything with your mind as they wish?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve already made that abundantly clear,¡± he said, giving me a frustrated look. ¡°I don¡¯t see why you seem so obsessed with the topic. If it makes you happy, then yes, I do give such permission, not that it matters. If we can move on?¡±

    I started laughing. I couldn¡¯t help it.

    A fool, the like of which I never imagined possible.

    ¡°I assure you, sir, you have given me everything I could possibly need,¡± I said, moving towards the door. ¡°And if this is a game you are playing with me, I would highly recommend that you change your approach immediately, before things occur which cannot be undone.¡±

    ¡°A game?¡± he said. ¡°I have no interest in playing games. I have research to complete. If you are done, then you can see yourself out.¡±

    I smiled at him, but he was already back to his work.

    Just to confirm, I probed him with my magesense. This was no game. In fact, he was scarcely aware that I was present - he was essentially answering questions with half a mind, mostly focusing on his work.

    The only thing I could quickly glean from his soul was a sense of dedication. Foolish though he was in dismissing me, he cared about his work. He was driven and honestly passionate, though the precise nature of his drive and passion eluded my passing glance.

    ¡°I can say absolutely anything to you, and you won¡¯t understand,¡± I said, half to him, and half simply marveling out loud. ¡°No matter what it is, you¡¯ll believe it is the inane ramblings of an ignorant, uneducated, immigrant female.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve understood everything you said, though you¡¯ve somehow failed to see that,¡± he said, again dismissive.

    ¡°I think not,¡± I said. ¡°Farewell, Professor. I¡¯ll see you soon.¡±

    He made a disparaging noise in my direction and I headed out.

    This was going to be fun.

 Ch. 13 - Impossible

    I used a payphone to let Lou know that I¡¯d be home late, and not to wait up for me. She wanted to ask what was up, but I rushed the call and let her go.

    On some level, I suspected that what I was doing was morally questionable. Still, he had explicitly given permission. It wasn¡¯t my fault that he was an idiot, right? And I wasn¡¯t going to be mean or anything, tempting though it was.

    Near the entrance, I double checked my enchantment to store my physical features. It was a little wooden ring, with some diamond woven into the flower design on the top. Diamond was easy to create and quite good for holding enchantments.

    All I really needed to change was my hair and skin tone to be reasonably disguised, which didn¡¯t need that enchantment¡¯s help. After all, my hair would grow back normally if I didn¡¯t mess with the roots, and my skin was easy to ¡°heal¡± back to normal color if all I¡¯d done was essentially dye the surface.

    But I might as well test it out, since I had it. Once I¡¯d confirmed that it most definitely had my physical features ¡°memorized,¡± I slipped away into an unused area behind some buildings. I froze some water in the air into a perfectly smooth surface, and then used that surface to hold some magic, making it require less power. Flamus could reflect anything, even light, and so I let the ice hold a little reflective barrier, to serve as a mirror.

    Looking at the mirror, I considered my options. This was a test, so nothing too extreme. Nothing I couldn¡¯t fix by memory, if it came to that.

    I made the easily reversible changes first.

    Short, auburn hair. Brown eyes. Darker skin - not so much as to be negro, since that would get a lot of negative attention, but perhaps looking cuban would work. Just dark enough to be dismissed as irrelevant, but not so dark that I¡¯d look at all threatening.

    Strange how straightforward the assessment of worth was, by skin hue. It probably was one of the reasons I was generally so well received, since my skin was unusually pale by their standards. Quite good that I¡¯d taken after my father, that way.

    For my more risky change, I decided to simply flatten out my facial structures a bit. That would be the easiest to return to normal, if my enchantment didn¡¯t work right. Flatter nose, cheekbones, chin, and eyebrows.

    Average was the best appearance to aim for, since I wanted to be unnoticed. Significant changes had a nasty habit of looking like something out of a nightmare - it was remarkably difficult to make something look legitimately human, without just copying some human directly.

    It didn¡¯t take too long. Only about thirty minutes, and I was satisfied with the change. Using magesense, I confirmed that Professor Almost-Useless was still in his office.

    Now just to wait till he left.

    Settling down beside his building, I let my mind wander, while keeping my magesense focused on him.

    I almost fell asleep out of boredom before he left the office.

    Yawning, I stood and dusted myself off. Judging by the sun, it was probably six or seven in the evening. Annoying as he was, he at least worked hard, it seemed.

    I walked after him at a quick pace. Fortunately, he paid me absolutely no attention. Hardly surprising, all things considered.

    It was a bit more inconvenient when he got into a taxi. That was harder to keep up with on foot.

    Hmm.

    Instead of following him, I paralleled him via the alleyways. When I was sure no one was watching, I¡¯d use a burst of Flamus magic to launch myself forwards. If anyone were watching, it¡¯d look like I¡¯d been knocked forward by an explosion, never clearing more than a foot or two from the ground.

    It had been almost five years since I¡¯d practiced flying, so my landings were rough, but the worst injury I got was a broken ankle. Dulling my ability to sense pain in response to an injury was a very well honed habit. It usually took the brain several seconds to register pain, especially after a serious injury, giving me plenty of time to cut off sensation before it really hurt.

    I did add this issue to my list of problems to sort out before attempting the Superman plan. Traveling through the city at speed would be necessary.

    Sigh. So many issues¡­

    At least I was easily able to keep up with him.

    Eventually, his travel came to an end, and he was let out at a nice hotel. I walked to the side of the hotel, as though walking around it, while keeping an eye on his spirit.

    He went straight upstairs, and after just a few minutes, stopped moving. His room, presumably.

    Time for more waiting. My range for tracking him with magesense, having gotten a good feel for him, was no more than about a mile. Still, it was enough range for me to enjoy dinner at a nearby restaurant.

    It proved to be decent practice, honestly. Every few minutes, I¡¯d close my eyes and check on him. There was so much life between us, what with all the people in this city, that it was incredibly difficult to make him out. Since he didn¡¯t seem to be going anywhere, that made it easy. He just ate in the hotel¡¯s own restaurant.

    Late that night, I headed back to the hotel, and went to the part of the building closest to his room. I sensed him out carefully and grinned when I discovered he was asleep.

    Just what I¡¯d been waiting for.

    Glancing around to check that no one was looking, I turned the entire surface of my body, and my hair, midnight black. After a second, I added some mottled grey hues, to blend in better.

    My right hand rested on the wooden surface, as high as I could reach, and I produced a sticky goop from my hands, binding me securely. I readied my left hand with similar goo, then used a faint burst of magic to lift myself a few feet before slapping the wall with my left hand.

    Now dangling from that hand, I released my right hand from its binding, and repeated the process. It was a trifle awkward, but an entirely effective way to scale the building.

    When I was level with Rhine¡¯s spirit, I shimmied over to his window and peered in. Sure enough, it was dark and empty. I melted the material of the glass, moving it to either side, leaving the window wide open, and I carefully crawled through the hole. Behind me, I returned the glass to the way it was when I¡¯d arrived.

    The annoying professor was sleeping in bed, wrapped up in a blanket. I stole one of his unused pillows and put it on the floor, next to the bed, for me to sit on. I pushed a tiny bit of magic on him, to help keep him asleep, just in case. Settling in next to him, I rested an arm on his chest, my hand against the side of his face.

    I really wasn¡¯t good with mind magic, and needed all the help I could get. Being in physical contact with a sleeping target was the best possible scenario.

    I took a deep breath and slipped into his mind, as I¡¯d been taught.

    Images. Impressions. Emotions.

    I struggled to maintain my sense of self as my mind was flooded with chaotic sensations. Focus was critical for this¡­ I needed to guide this flood towards what I was looking for.

    Trying to find more about his connection with the government was an exercise in frustration. I didn¡¯t need the name of the man he talked about his contracts with. I didn¡¯t need his impression of how well dressed politicians were. So much useless information¡­

    Ten minutes in, I gave up and took a breather. Then tried again. My spell worked better that time and I fell into an abyss of memory and experience.

    A young woman in a wedding dress smiles at him. They¡¯re kissing, and his heart floods with emotion. She is the perfect complement to his intellect; she is his heart, and he is her mind. They are perfection. They are balance. They are symmetry. This is what life is meant to be.

    Too much. So many memories with her. I could not help but see her as impossibly beautiful, I could not help but love her, with my mind attached to his. He was annoyed at women who don¡¯t know their place, because he believes our place is a good and sacred one, and to defy it is to defy the way the world should be. How dearly he admires what ¡°should be.¡±

    I shook my head and dove in again, trying not to be distracted by his most intense emotions this time.

    A man is claiming to have communication with the dead. He holds her hand while his imagination catches fire. The ramifications of such ability are extraordinary¡­ to have oneself, with thoughts and emotions attached, but without the foibles of biology. To share life with his love, with all mankind, for all eternity.

    The man is shown to be a charlatan. It is frustrating. Records date from the earliest moments of mankind, with powers such as this. Surely such ancient and universal claims cannot all be false. The power over the dead is real, somewhere. It must be. It is too beautiful a vision to be false.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    Another gasp of air, and I sagged against his bed, sweat on my forehead. I stood and got some water from his bathroom, trying to order my thoughts. I still didn¡¯t have what I needed. I went back to him and got into position. The parapsychology thing was important to him - I might be able to find that easily enough.

    Parapsychology. It is his word, his discovery. Many think him a fool, but his dedication and research are unprecedented. He has found so many charlatans, so many liars, so many fakes. He isn¡¯t easily fooled by false claims, and has earned a miniscule amount of respect as a result. He hungers for recognition, for proof. He is growing old, and his time is growing short. He must find it, he must prove himself, he must let his peers know that he was right. There is truth here, and he will find it!

    Another side trail. So many memories of frustrations and attempts. Maybe the desire for recognition was even stronger than his direct interest in the subject itself? It seemed like the need for recognition only grew stronger with time, whereas he was increasingly frustrated with his unending, unfruitful search. Maybe if I focused on the frustration, it might make the search easier¡­

    So many liars and fakes. Still, the records of various abilities can be found in virtually every civilization, in virtually every era of world history. Some are unusual, and can likely be discarded as individual fakes, but claims that have appeared in multiple times and places are more likely to have some connection to reality.

    Brain waves can be detected with EEG machines, and brains are also responsive to electricity. This is a possible link between objective science and parapsychology. It is beautiful, it fits his vision, it must be true. The mind is visible as distinct from the body, in this way. Power, effective immortality for all people, the end of suffering, a better world, a unified and balanced people, an end to all wars¡­ if only he could find someone to bring the beginning to humanity¡¯s ascension. To link the minds, to serve as the connection, to unify the world¡­

    America would be the heart of this new world, as they were the strongest hearts and the sharpest minds. There would be freedom, peace, and happiness for everyone.

    And he would forever share in heart and mind with his angel, and to never fear death or pain again.

    I collapsed onto the floor and groaned. That one had given me a right and proper headache. Each concept, each idea, had been laced with a vast array of memories, and I was overwhelmed. I only was able to keep bits and pieces of the endless legends and stories he¡¯d studied. Translations, cultural comparisons¡­ he was honestly busy.

    That time, I was down for nearly an hour before I dragged myself up again. I looked at him and smiled wryly. It was hard to hate someone that you understood intimately. He could definitely be an ass, but it was just because things kept being other than the way that he thought they should be. He had this vision of what he idolized as the perfect world, and he despised, deep down, anything which failed to fit that vision.

    A shame his vision was pure insanity.

    I could work with him, though. He wasn¡¯t so terrible. I just had to work within the constraints of his vision, and everything would work out.

    I yawned, but my work wasn¡¯t done. An offer of peace and negotiation¡­ I had strength enough for that. Though I wanted to check one last thing.

    I sighed. He really hadn¡¯t been paying me any attention at all during our conversation. In fact, he scarcely remembered anything we spoke about. I was going to erase his memory of any potentially problematic issue, but there was only one. I erased the faint awareness he had of the request to gain permission, since I¡¯d annoyed him enough to actually make note of it.

    Now for the final piece.

    Into his mind I dove again, but this time, I kept my own awareness. I was going to leave an implanted memory. It would be seared into his mind, such that he should remember it perfectly, even over the course of months. I carefully created an indistinct figure of light in his mind, with an androgynous voice.

    ¡°Professor. I am the one that you have sought. There are many aspects of my power and my nature that you are mistaken about, which could result in undesired complications. I desire greatly to come forth, but I must prioritize caution. There are specific concerns that must be addressed, and I believe we can work together to address them.

    ¡°During a conversation we shared, full permission was granted to access your mind as I pleased. You do not remember this conversation. I require privacy and your willingness to cooperate with a cautious approach, else any negotiations between us will cease immediately. I will observe you in the coming days, to see if you appear to have accepted this arrangement.

    ¡°As a gesture of goodwill, I have created an item from wood shavings of this bed to serve as proof that this is not a dream. Do not disappoint me, Professor.¡±

    I examined the memory and tweaked it a few times, to make sure I was satisfied with it, then seared it into his mind. I felt him trying to wake up, from the stress of the implantation.

    Of course, the initial spell to keep him asleep would hold for now.

    My final act for the night was fortunately easy for me. As I¡¯d mentioned in the memory implantation, I gathered some slivers of wood from the bed, and rearranged it. It was a fascinating property of life that all life, without exception, was made in great part by something that could be arranged into diamond. I had no idea why they were made of the same stuff.

    It was really quite convenient, especially since diamond was also useful for enchanting. It made even random tufts of grass a useful material, if one knew this trick.

    It was also a nice trick to know that by contaminating the diamond structure with bits of other things, it would change color. Naturally, this had been something I¡¯d played with, in many cases at the expense of the enchantment training I was supposed to be doing.

    A perfect ring of pure diamond formed, with smooth edges, and a large sphere on top. Inside the sphere I formed the image of a yellow rose, which I¡¯d been told symbolized friendship. Yellow was formed by bringing in a light part of air into the structure, and green was formed by distorting the structure in a weird way. That one had taken a lot of trial and error to get the hang of.

    In the end, I had a beautiful little rose that was about the size of a grain of rice, inside the diamond sphere. I slipped the ring onto his finger. It was especially beautiful, with the dawn light coming through the window.

    Perhaps it was foolish, but I had to see his reaction. I went over to the corner of the room and fused my skin to the wall, to ensure I couldn¡¯t move. Then I matched the color of my surface body exactly to the wall, including the whites of my eyes. If he happened to catch me, I¡¯d just knock him out and erase the memory.

    Once I was ready, I broke the sleep enchantment.

    Almost instantly, he sat up, like he¡¯d been shocked. The look on his face was marvelous - disbelieving, awe-filled, delighted, astounded. He glanced around, looking for something, and almost immediately noticed the ring.

    He tried to get up so quickly that he got tangled in his blankets and nearly tore them apart in his rush to the light switch. When the light came on, he stared at the ring, cradling it.

    Tears fell from his smiling eyes. I could feel the relief in his soul tearing at me with its intensity. He looked at that ring like it was the most beautiful thing he¡¯d ever seen in his life.

    After a long moment of admiration, he looked around the room, as though hoping to spot me. When he saw nothing out of the ordinary, he quickly got dressed and rushed out of the room.

    I grinned at the sound of the door closing. This had definitely been the right thing to do.

    Now to go home and pass out in exhaustion.

    --------

    ¡°You did what?¡± Lou asked, staggered.

    ¡°What part is unnerving?¡± I asked. ¡°I mean, I admit, going into his head was a bit uncertain, morally, but -¡±

    ¡°The ring, Aera,¡± Lou said, making a strangled sound as she sat down.

    ¡°It sounds lovely,¡± Alice said.

    ¡°Sounds like trouble,¡± Slick said, poking his dinner with a fork. He hadn¡¯t been eating as much since the fire.

    ¡°I gave him an opportunity to pursue his vision, a mild threat, clear terms, and incentive to play,¡± I said. ¡°Only an absolute fool would do anything other than comply.¡±

    ¡°And have you seen any indication at all that he¡¯s not an ¡®absolute fool?¡¯¡± Lou asked.

    ¡°Well¡­ he¡¯s a scholar,¡± I said. ¡°Surely your people wouldn¡¯t put imbeciles in charge of major projects.¡±

    Slick seemed to find that a statement worth drinking to. Alice glared at him in disgust.

    Lou just rested her face on her hands.

    ¡°Okay, Aera,¡± Lou said. ¡°You looked in his head. Can you tell me, honestly, that he¡¯ll be rational, from what you saw?¡±

    I hesitated.

    ¡°He¡¯ll be excited,¡± I said.

    She groaned like she¡¯d drunk some poison.

    ¡°Excited,¡± Slick said. ¡°That¡¯s the best you got.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ yes,¡± I said, looking down. ¡°You should have seen his face, though. He was so happy to have that ring.¡±

    ¡°I bet,¡± Slick said.

    ¡°I¡¯d love to see something like that,¡± Alice said.

    ¡°I could make you one,¡± I said with a smile.

    ¡°Alice, it¡¯s not like you could wear it anywhere,¡± Lou said with a sigh. ¡°What¡¯s done is done, and there¡¯s no fixing it now. We¡¯ll see what happens next.¡±

    ¡°More waiting,¡± Slick said, frowning.

    But we didn¡¯t wait for long.

    October 2nd. Just days later.

    It was a lovely day, really. By that, I mean, it was freezing cold and raining heavily, starting first thing in the morning. I shook the water off the newspaper as I brought it inside.

    The weather was beautiful by comparison to the sinking gloom that filled me as I saw the headline.

    ¡°The Impossible¡± In Boston!

    Beneath it was a photograph of the ring I¡¯d given Rhine.

    Beneath that was an article full of problematic commentary by the idiot professor.

    The ring had been appraised at over a million dollars; described as ¡°priceless.¡± Cash rewards were being offered for whomever could find ¡°the impossible,¡± as they were calling me, up to and including the ring itself, if I were captured.

    They were to look for a man - of course - who had saved the people of the Cocoanut Grove, who could fashion diamond from wood, who could read minds and erase memories. This man was too dangerous to be allowed to stay in the city unchecked, though his intentions were deemed benevolent.

    Rhine had claimed I¡¯d threatened him, but sharing this with the world was more important than his life.

    Recognition¡­ of course. I knew that. What he wanted most of all was for this field to be seen as legitimate, and I handed him proof.

    By the gods. I am a fool.

    Lou took in my stunned expression and put down her morning coffee, darting over to where I stood.

    ¡°What happened?¡± she asked. ¡°Did Germany do something?¡±

    Words didn¡¯t seem suitable for the occasion. I hung my head and tossed the paper onto the dining table, where Alice and Slick were enjoying breakfast.

    ¡°That¡¯s pretty,¡± Alice said, looking at the picture. ¡°But that means¡­¡±

    Slick was carefully going over the article while Lou read over his shoulder. He¡¯d dropped out of school at ten to work, and somehow the slow pace of his reading made me more anxious.

    Lou sat down and sighed, putting more sugar in her coffee.

    ¡°Cheers, Aera,¡± Lou said, lifting her cup. ¡°They¡¯re after you now. The whole country knows something¡¯s here.¡±

    Slick glanced up at her, then back at the paper, frowning.

    ¡°How bad is it gonna be, Lou?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Hell if I know,¡± she said, and sighed.

 Ch. 14 - Fox

    Tensions were high in the days after the article was published. The analysis of the ring had caused quite a stir in the nation. Initially, some people were blowing it off as some sort of strange fraud, but the ring kept changing hands, being evaluated by different groups.

    They all concluded it was definitely diamond, and no one had any idea how it could possibly have been crafted. The ring was then passed on to the US Military for safekeeping and further evaluation. With the continuing assurance of authenticity, it became a favorite topic for newspapers and radio shows to discuss.

    I even had the displeasure of hearing Professor Rhine have several interviews on the radio, talking about his ¡°expertise¡± and the specific events leading to the ring¡¯s acquisition.

    For my part, it seemed hiding in a corner and profusely apologizing at every opportunity was the best I could manage.

    Lou and Slick were frustrated with me. Alice didn¡¯t know what to do, and she didn¡¯t exactly thrive with the stress.

    Alice lost her patience with Slick and exploded at him. Though that actually proved beneficial. The fool had believed that she¡¯d separated from him because of his band doing poorly, and it was only in her raw anger that he was able to face the real issue - his drinking, and giving up on life. She wanted the real Slick back.

    Love for her gave him the drive, now that what was obvious had finally gotten through to him. He had the major advantage of having a will of steel, and unbreakable determination. It was a relief for us all. It would be challenging for him, but none of us had any doubt that he¡¯d succeed, now that he¡¯d finally set his sights on something again.

    The economy wasn¡¯t in great shape, yet, and so he got the fastest job he could find - back at the docks that he used to work at. An old friend of his was the boss, now.

    He found it depressing to be working there again, but the pay was profoundly better. There was a minimum wage, now, and a labor union. They couldn¡¯t hire underage workers, which massively cut into their work force. Between that and the union, they had to treat their workers with some modicum of respect.

    At the same time, he made a commitment to stop drinking as much. Along with that, Alice tried to get me to forcibly remove the alcohol from his blood at any time I noticed he was intoxicated. Slick objected, so we compromised on forcibly removing it every time he was a drunken ass. For some reason, he refused to allow me to treat any of his withdrawal symptoms.

    Which was fine, really. Withdrawal symptoms usually originate in the brain, and aside from fixing small bits of damage, there wasn¡¯t much I could have done.

    They also all generally disapproved of me leaving the house, except to make things at the pawn shop. I made an especially large amount of goods, so that I¡¯d need to make fewer trips.

    They wanted to keep me safe, they said, and in so doing, they kept me caged.

    Each day was a torment. There were things I needed to do, that I wanted to do, and I felt I wasn¡¯t able to do anything at all.

    I needed to contact the mob that had attacked me. They knew where I lived, they could reveal me. And why wouldn¡¯t they? Lou and Slick insisted that I do nothing, absolutely convinced I¡¯d only make it worse.

    I didn¡¯t know what to expect. A letter of blackmail seemed the most reasonable. Or perhaps someone would just show up. Maybe one of my companions would disappear, and a letter would follow.

    Fear had paralyzed me. Fear of making the wrong choice. So I just did¡­ nothing. I kept the house clean. I worked on enchantments. The fact that I had to control my emotions to do magic made these things a natural escape. In the moment of casting, I can feel nothing, be nothing but the moment, the reality I will to exist.

    Useless, senseless escapism. But what else was I supposed to do?

    -----------------

    Dorothy was tidying up behind the counter when she heard the door open. She glanced up, expecting to see more customers, but her smile stilled when she saw the man standing there.

    Military uniform, confidence, sharp focus. An officer.

    ¡°Attention, everyone,¡± the officer said in a thick Russian accent, ¡°I need to speak with the proprietor of this shop in private. Please take your shopping elsewhere for the time being.¡±

    Dorothy¡¯s smile tightened a little. This was a man who didn¡¯t know his place. Alice looked concerned.

    ¡°Head upstairs, dear,¡± Dorothy said to Alice. ¡°I can handle this.¡±

    Alice nodded and went up into the workshop.

    The officer walked up to her, his greying hair almost seeming to emphasize his serious expression. She gave him a perfect grandmotherly expression.

    ¡°Are you Mrs. Hill?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Mrs. Hill?¡± she asked, letting her voice shake a little, as though with age. ¡°Hmm. I believe so, yes. It¡¯s so hard to remember sometimes, what with having been married so many times. My friends call me Dorothy.¡±

    ¡°Very well, Dorothy,¡± he said.

    ¡°Ms. Hill,¡± she said, smiling.

    He hesitated.

    ¡°Ms. Hill,¡± he began.

    ¡°Not Missus,¡± she said, pretending not to notice he¡¯d said it correctly. ¡°All my husbands died.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ yes,¡± he said, unsettled. ¡°I was hoping to ask you a few questions.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m aware,¡± she said, letting a faint hint of threat enter her tone. ¡°You made it quite clear, with how you entered my property and threw out my customers. You wouldn¡¯t happen to remember what law it was that lets you do that, would you? My, I¡¯m getting so forgetful.¡±

    His eyes tightened in response. She smiled beatifically at him.

    ¡°Ms. Hill, I don¡¯t intend to take up too much of your time,¡± he said. ¡°There is no reason to get caught up in technicalities. I am here to inquire about a few matters.¡±

    ¡°No need to be hasty,¡± she said. ¡°You know my name, and it¡¯s only polite to tell me yours, as well.¡±

    ¡°My apologies, Ms. Hill,¡± he said, dipping his head politely. ¡°My name is Lieutenant Pash.¡±

    ¡°Very good, Lieutenant. Now, what was it you were hoping that I might be able to help you with?¡± she asked.

    ¡°First, I would like to know the means by which you produce your goods,¡± he said.

    ¡°As all of our customers know, we get some goods in by buying them from our customers. The rest we acquire from the junkyard, and have repaired,¡± she said.

    ¡°This process of repairing,¡± he said. ¡°I would like to examine your shop and your means of doing so.¡±

    ¡°Why, most certainly,¡± she said, giving him another charming smile. ¡°As soon as you have a warrant.¡±

    ¡°While I do not have a warrant at the moment, allow me to reassure you that this matter is of interest to the US military,¡± he said. ¡°There is reason to believe that the repair work done in your shop may be irregular. None of the speculations that we have are illegal in nature, and neither you nor any of your fellows are at any risk in this investigation. As such, I ask again if I may see your shop.¡±

    ¡°So very hasty,¡± she said with a forlorn expression, before looking cheery again. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you how this is going to go. We can try this again on another day. You can make an arrangement to come in when the shop isn¡¯t open, when there are no customers to send out, and I¡¯ll show you all around upstairs. We can sit and have some tea. I make excellent cookies. Do you like cookies?¡±

    ¡°That sounds very good, Ms. Hill,¡± he said, clearly holding back a sigh. ¡°Perhaps this evening, after the shop closes?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be quite tired then, I¡¯m afraid,¡± she said. ¡°I am getting so very old, after all. Don¡¯t get old, Lieutenant, it¡¯s really quite uncomfortable.¡±

    His expression tightened.

    ¡°What time would be best for you?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Let me see,¡± she said, humming to herself. ¡°Before we get to that, what was the other thing you wanted to ask me about?¡±

    He suppressed an annoyed look.

    ¡°I¡¯d rather ask my questions and have them answered immediately, Ms. Hill,¡± he said. ¡°If you intend to delay our discussion, we will simply discuss the matter later.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t much like surprises, Lieutenant,¡± she said, leaning on the table. ¡°My third husband was a Colonel, did you know? Good man. Sometimes. Always talked about his work. The military is such a strict place, I hear.¡±

    He suppressed another sigh.

    ¡°May I have your assurance that you will discuss what you know with me when we meet?¡± he asked.

    ¡°That rather depends on what you¡¯re asking, isn¡¯t it?¡± she asked. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t hesitate to tell you things that are mine to tell, but I can¡¯t help but think you¡¯re after a bit of gossip.¡±

    ¡°This investigation is about significant matters, Ms. Hill,¡± he said.

    ¡°Then you¡¯ll tell me what it is you want to know,¡± she said.

    ¡°...very well,¡± he said, frowning. ¡°There is a young woman with whom you are frequently said to keep company. The information I have on her is limited, but I understand her name is Aera Koryn. I wish to learn more about her.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s a charming young lady, isn¡¯t she?¡± Dorothy said with an absent smile. ¡°Rather young for you, of course. And I don¡¯t think you¡¯re her type. But I suppose I can answer a question or two, not that it¡¯ll do you any good.¡±

    His smile was strained.

    ¡°That is appreciated, Ms. Hill. Now, as for the time we should meet?¡±

    ¡°Oh, you military folks are always in a rush, aren¡¯t you?¡± she said. ¡°Wednesday morning, Alice helps me to set up in the shop. With her help, there¡¯s ever so much less to do. It¡¯s nice to have good help. First thing in the morning, at six, would be a lovely time to have tea.¡±

    ¡°Very well, then, Ms. Hill,¡± he said. ¡°I look forward to discussing with you in two days.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure the conversation will be as charming as you are,¡± she said sweetly. ¡°Careful with the door on your way out. It¡¯s been known to thump into asses.¡±

    He just smiled and quickly made his way out the door. As soon as the door closed behind him, Dorothy went to the phone. That poor girl had a problem heading her way.

    ----------------

    ¡°It¡¯s coming down on us, just as we thought it would,¡± Lou said, after she got off the phone.

    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Slick¡¯s at work,¡± she said, musing. ¡°I¡¯ll call him and let him know what¡¯s up. And Alice already knows¡­ let me think. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anyone else we need to worry about.¡±

    ¡°Let him know what?¡± I asked.

    She shook her head.

    ¡°Dorothy called from the shop. The military was there, asking questions about you. We need to cover our tracks right away.¡±

    ¡°The military? They¡¯re asking about me, in particular?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Lou said, rubbing at her forehead. ¡°You in particular, Aera.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± I said. ¡°And covering our tracks? What do you mean?¡±

    Of all the things I¡¯d been trained on, hiding was not on the list.

    ¡°Dorothy¡¯s got a collection of tools for making things in the pawn shop,¡± Lou said.  ¡°A good bunch of it is her own, though she¡¯s picked up a few extra things over the last few months, what with everything going on. As far as us, if an investigator comes to our house, they might look around, and it¡¯s important they don¡¯t find anything.¡±

    ¡°My lab,¡± I said. ¡°My garden. I¡¯ll need to hide them.¡±

    Lou nodded and had a pained look on her face.

    ¡°My lab can be hidden, by sealing the entryway,¡± I said slowly. ¡°But my garden¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Aera,¡± she said.

    We were silent for a long moment

    ¡°You¡¯re sure this is necessary, Lou?¡± I asked, a note of pleading in my voice. ¡°You¡¯re sure, absolutely sure, that I must continue to hide, even now? You¡¯re certain there is no other way¡­?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± she said. ¡°We¡¯ve got to keep you safe.¡±

    My gaze fell to the floor and my heart ached.

    That night, moonlight shone on my face as I proceeded with the wretched labor. The thorny, enchanted wall of rosebushes retreated, and within lay the circle of my sacred haven. I couldn¡¯t bear to hurt the flowers themselves, yet, so I focused my initial efforts on the various enchantments.

    An eternally flowing stream and waterfall stilled into a deep puddle, then began to seep into the dirt. Dust covered the stone walkway, no longer kept unendingly clean. Flickering lights, like fireflies, no longer illuminated the shadows. My various protections and supports, invisible to the mundane eye in all ways but effect, faded into nothingness.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    Slowly, achingly, I turned my attention onto my creations. Colors dimmed into plain hues. Petals withdrew, and shapes shifted into what I could remember from various flower shops I¡¯d seen.

    I left the roses of fire and ice, that had marked my most precious and painful moments with Benjamin, to the last. I saved one of each, merging their stems, to hide away. The rest of the roses faded until that spot was magical only in memory.

    As I walked back to the house, I turned to face it one last time. The only place that mattered to me in all the world¡­ the only piece of this Earth with any real connection to my own person, to my world¡­

    It was gone.

    Cold bitterness touched my soul as I turned back to the house. I couldn¡¯t accept this.

    ¡°I cannot keep hiding,¡± I told them, the next evening, at dinner. ¡°In a sense, I¡¯ve known this all along, but with my garden¡­ I just cannot continue.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s it, then?¡± Slick asked. ¡°You¡¯re just going to come out, and be done with us?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t mean that,¡± I said, looking away.

    ¡°Then what do you mean?¡± Lou asked.

    ¡°You saw what happened with the club. With the mob,¡± I said. ¡°When the moment comes¡­ I had to act. I must act. I will act. This is unchangeable. This is who I am.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± Slick said. ¡°Which means what?¡±

    ¡°We have to come up with a plan,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t have to come forward immediately - I do fully understand that plans take time. But we must have a way forward.¡±

    ¡°We have a plan,¡± Lou said. ¡°After the war, when things aren¡¯t so screwed up, we can find a safe way for you to come forward.¡±

    ¡°After the war,¡± I said, giving her a look. ¡°And how long will that be? Wars can take many years.¡±

    ¡°So maybe it¡¯ll take years,¡± Lou said. ¡°You need to be patient, Aera.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m tired of being patient,¡± I said. ¡°Yes, I understand that I¡¯ve only decided that I¡¯m committing to this world a mere few months ago. But that doesn¡¯t mean that these last four years haven¡¯t weighed on me. I accepted being trapped in this situation because I viewed myself as being trapped in this world -¡±

    ¡°Trapped?¡± Lou said. ¡°These last few years? Aera, you¡¯ve had a crazy good job, getting paid good money for just a few hours a week. You¡¯ve been going out on the town doing whatever you want, by yourself, or with Alice, or with Benjamin, for years. You¡¯ve had your garden. You¡¯ve been living damned well.¡±

    ¡°But I have had very little in the way of choice,¡± I said.

    ¡°What do you mean, Aera?¡± Alice said. ¡°These years, you¡¯ve done all sorts of things, all your own choice.¡±

    ¡°The kind of life most people would give just about anything to live, it¡¯s not good enough for you?¡± Lou asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t mean to be ungrateful,¡± I said. ¡°And it¡¯s not been miserable or anything, but¡­¡±

    ¡°But what?¡± Slick asked.

    I didn¡¯t know how to say what the problem was. Or maybe¡­ maybe they were right? Maybe I was being unreasonable, feeling trapped like this?

    Still, I couldn¡¯t help but feel that almost every decision I¡¯d made in these last years had been only on trivial, superficial things. Meaningful decisions weren¡¯t mine to make. I couldn¡¯t go anywhere, I couldn¡¯t plan my future. I didn¡¯t know how to put any of these feelings into words.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to describe it,¡± I said. ¡°It has been pleasant, yes, but it has been confining.¡±

    ¡°Back to the point, though,¡± Lou said. ¡°You¡¯ve decided that you want to have a different life, as of two months ago. I get that. You happen to decide this right as a massive war gets underway. Lots of people don¡¯t get to live the lives they want, especially now, with the war screwing up plans. Maybe it feels long, Aera, but the world¡¯s going to be changing over the next few years. And you¡¯ve said that you can extend your life to hundreds of years. This shouldn¡¯t be a big deal.¡±

    ¡°And if I can¡¯t do this?¡± I said. ¡°If I find myself in a situation like the club fire, or with the mob again, and I must act?¡±

    ¡°Sometimes life messes up plans,¡± Lou said. ¡°If it happens, it happens, but it¡¯s not something to aim for.¡±

    ¡°I guess,¡± I said, feeling deflated.

    ¡°Cheer up, Aera,¡± Alice said. ¡°We can go catch a movie tomorrow. How does that sound?¡±

    Incredibly trivial and pointless, I thought.

    ¡°It sounds nice, Alice,¡± I said. ¡°We can do that.¡±

    I was silent for the rest of the evening.

    Seven o¡¯clock on Wednesday morning, October 25th, there was another knock on the door. It was becoming a bit of an ominous sound.

    As planned, Lou answered it.

    Though I couldn¡¯t help but peek out the front window, from the sitting area.

    In the morning fog was a black car, and it looked like someone was still in the driver¡¯s seat, though I couldn¡¯t make out the details. He was wearing a uniform.

    A thick accent came from the front door.

    ¡°Greetings, Ms. Williams,¡± the voice said.

    ¡°What can I do for you?¡± Lou asked.

    ¡°My name is Lieutenant Pash,¡± he said. ¡°I would like to speak to the members of your household about a few matters, if I may.¡±

    ¡°Might be a bit tough,¡± she said. ¡°Slick Williams, head of the house, is off to work soon.¡±

    ¡°If he calls his work, he will find that he has the day off, paid,¡± Pash replied coolly.

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Lou said. ¡°I guess we¡¯ll have to call.¡±

    ¡°In the meantime, may I come inside for our discussion?¡± he asked.

    Immediately, I decided that I liked him more than Buddy.

    ¡°Sure,¡± Lou said, sounding uneasy.

    I darted out of the sitting room, and instead listened in from the kitchen.

    Their footsteps moved from the door, and I heard the cushions shift as someone sat down.

    ¡°Would you be so kind as to gather the other members of this household?¡± Pash asked.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Lou said, and a moment later, she walked past me, through the kitchen.

    I raised an eyebrow at her, but she shook her head.

    She went upstairs and got Slick. I heard murmured voices upstairs, and then they came down. Slick made a quick phone call from right next to me, and he looked a little paler at the confirmation that he was off work.

    ¡°Welcome, Oscar Williams,¡± Pash said, as Slick moved into the room. ¡°Please, have a seat. Is that the entire household?¡±

    ¡°Everyone on the mortgage,¡± Lou said.

    I suppressed a smile. We didn¡¯t even have a mortgage.

    ¡°I see,¡± Pash said.

    I couldn¡¯t resist the temptation. I peeked from around the corner.

    The confidence on his face was the first thing I noticed. Not the self-assured haughtiness of Rhine, nor the grinning arrogance of Buddy, Pash¡¯s confidence looked calm, and somehow absolute.

    He was middle aged, perhaps in his mid forties. Or whenever grey started appearing in men¡¯s hair, at any rate. Despite what I¡¯d grown accustomed to, he looked remarkably healthy and clean. Not to the degree of magic use, but still quite sharp. His hair and shave were clean cut, and there wasn¡¯t a speck of dust on him. I couldn¡¯t see details of his body beneath the tailored lines of his uniform, but his posture and body language gave an impression of strength and fitness.

    I couldn¡¯t see his eyes, as they were focused on Lou.

    ¡°Louise and Oscar Williams,¡± Pash said, his expression both serious and relaxed. ¡°You¡¯ve had an interesting few years, it would seem.¡±

    ¡°Life¡¯s busy. What are your questions?¡± Lou asked.

    ¡°There¡¯s no reason to be so concerned with time,¡± Pash said. ¡°I spoke to Ms. Hill this morning, and she is quite able to run the shop with Ms. Walker¡¯s assistance. There are a few matters for us to discuss.¡±

    It had been a while since I¡¯d heard Alice¡¯s last name.

    ¡°Maybe, uh, I¡¯ll go get a drink then,¡± Slick said. ¡°Would you like anything while I¡¯m up?¡±

    ¡°Some vodka would be excellent,¡± Pash said.

    ¡°Yeah, can do,¡± Slick said.

    Slick looked very nervous as he walked past me into the kitchen. It was silent in the sitting room, and it looked like Lou was losing the staring contest. Pash didn¡¯t even look like he was having a staring contest. Lou¡¯s expression was tight.

    When Slick sat down, Pash spoke again.

    ¡°Thank you for the drink,¡± he said. ¡°Now, let¡¯s see. From the information I have gathered, it would appear that you two had a typical, challenging time of life until September of 1935.¡±

    ¡°That so,¡± Lou said.

    ¡°Indeed. According to a few individuals, including Slick¡¯s coworkers, Slick found a beautiful woman in the river and rescued her. A refugee, apparently, though no one has mentioned from where she has fled.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t hear any questions yet,¡± Lou said.

    ¡°Be patient, Ms. Williams, it will be clear soon enough,¡± he said. ¡°There are no official records of her in any capacity - she has no driver¡¯s license, no social security number, has no reported income or taxes, and no listed phone number. One might assume she doesn¡¯t exist at all, though I have been led to understand that she resides at this very address.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± Lou said. ¡°She¡¯s not officially a resident here, but I can get her, if you like.¡±

    ¡°That would be most excellent, Louise Williams,¡± he said.

    As soon as she moved, I stood up and adjusted my appearance a little. I wanted to look more put together and clean cut, to match him. Lou seemed to ignore me and went straight to the coffee. I heated up the water for her, and for once, she didn¡¯t seem to even notice the use of magic.

    A few minutes later, we both went out to the sitting room.

    ¡°Ah, Ms. Aera Koryn,¡± Pash said, giving me a small smile. ¡°You are just as lovely as all the reports say.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Lieutenant,¡± I said, smiling in return, but the look in his eyes had chilled me to the bone.

    He was a predator.

    ¡°Now that the most involved members have gathered, I thought I would share with you all a few of my findings,¡± he said, sitting back a little, as though entirely at ease.

    I sat down across from him, and tried not to shiver every time he met my eyes.

    ¡°No doubt you all are quite familiar with the recent national discussion on ¡®the Impossible,¡¯ as shared by Professor Rhine,¡± he said.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Lou said. ¡°We spoke to Rhine. He¡¯s an idiot.¡±

    ¡°He has come to some rather questionable conclusions,¡± Pash said. ¡°Though the evidence is truly compelling.¡±

    With that, he pulled out the ring, and I felt myself sinking into my seat. Slick took a deep swig of his whiskey.

    ¡°Would you care to look at it?¡± Pash asked, handing it to me.

    I took it and smiled awkwardly. After looking at it for what I thought was the correct amount of time, I handed it to Lou.

    ¡°Fancy,¡± she said, and held it up for Slick to see, if he wanted. He shook his head, so she idly tossed it back to Pash. ¡°What¡¯s it got to do with us?¡±

    ¡°Patience, Ms. Williams,¡± he said. ¡°I am the officer tasked with the investigation into Rhine¡¯s claims. To that end, my inquiries have extended to looking for other oddities in Boston which might relate. The fire at the Cocoanut Grove was a rather interesting series of reports to look over.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s been investigated already,¡± Lou said.

    ¡°Correct, though you are no doubt aware that occasionally people miss details when they don¡¯t know what they¡¯re looking for,¡± Pash said. ¡°Professor Rhine¡¯s investigation has been useful to that end, but his investigation had a certain limitation that mine does not.¡±

    His eyes met mine again, and everyone was silent. He was waiting.

    ¡°What would that be?¡± I asked, uneasily.

    ¡°He makes many assumptions, Ms. Koryn,¡± he said, with another slight smile. ¡°For instance, among many other points, I do not believe ¡®The Impossible¡¯ must be male.¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± I said, helpfully.

    ¡°How progressive of you,¡± Lou said curtly, while Slick took another nervous swig.

    Pash¡¯s eyes condemned Lou for a moment before returning to me. I couldn¡¯t meet his gaze, and instead watched my thumbs intently.

    ¡°Rhine¡¯s investigation led me to Mr. Williams as a prime suspect, as you are aware,¡± he said, scrutinizing each of us in turn. ¡°I took his investigation further, and looked into Mr. Williams¡¯s history and associations, leading to examining his family, and a rather curious acquaintance. That proved a more difficult lead to follow, but in examining Ms. Williams¡¯ known connections, I discovered a rather interesting character named Kito Bello.¡±

    Lou¡¯s expression hardened, but she didn¡¯t flinch.

    ¡°He was remarkably loathe to discuss with me,¡± Pash said, with a sip of vodka. ¡°In my profession, I am accustomed to seeing people afraid of the military, but Mr. Bello only seemed to show signs of fear when Ms. Koryn was brought up. He refused to share any but the most basic of details, no matter what protections were offered.

    ¡°After discussing with him, I looked into the matter of his leg. The case was dropped as unsolved. When I looked at the details of the case, I noticed that the bullet was 0.357 inches wide. That matched a detail elsewhere on my desk - a gun which had originally been registered to Ms. Hill, and subsequently registered to Ms. Louise Williams, shortly after her 18th birthday. An interesting¡­ coincidence, I¡¯m sure.¡±

    Slick looked terrified, but Lou hadn¡¯t changed her expression. Pash shared a slight smile again.

    ¡°I wonder, Ms. Williams, what I might find, were I inclined to investigate that matter in particular,¡± he said.

    ¡°Get to the point,¡± she said.

    ¡°All in good time,¡± he said. ¡°Between Mr. Kito Bello and Mr. Domiano Bianchi, the only things they were willing to share about your beautiful companion was her name, that she was a refugee, and had been here since September of 1935. Given the fear evidenced by both parties, it seemed worthwhile to find if there were any connections with local gang activity.¡±

    Slick made a strange noise, and Lou broke her staring contest with Pash in order to glare at him for it. I just bit my lip.

    ¡°Imagine my surprise to discover that even the infamous Buddy McCarthy, in charge of the entire local Irish Mob, showed signs of fear.¡±

    ¡°He is in charge?¡± I asked, stunned out of my silence. ¡°Surely you jest! He was an idiot! I¡¯d thought him only some presumptuous fool in charge of a small band of thugs.¡±

    Pash laughed, while Lou glared at me.

    ¡°What?¡± I said. ¡°How could anyone find him impressive?¡±

    ¡°Some people find guns intimidating,¡± Pash said wryly. ¡°In any case, money is the favorite language of the Mob, and they were willing to share some rather curious details with me. Even then, they were hesitant to say more than that this house had been marked as the residence of the ¡®Jewish Witch.¡¯¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± I said, stunned again. ¡°I am not Jewish!¡±

    ¡°Aera,¡± Lou said, almost a growl.

    ¡°... and I¡¯m not a witch,¡± I added, crossing my arms irritably.

    ¡°With your pale skin and dark hair, the mixup is understandable,¡± Pash said. ¡°Though those are the only traits I can see that you share with that lineage. Further, I¡¯ve traveled most of the world, and I have never heard an accent quite like yours. If you are not Jewish, Ms. Koryn, where do you come from?¡±

    ¡°Er¡­ far away,¡± I said, awkwardly. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have heard of it.¡±

    ¡°My knowledge of geography is quite extensive,¡± he said, and his eyes compelled me.

    But I couldn¡¯t speak. I swallowed uneasily and looked down. We were all silent for a moment. Pash seemed to take that as an answer.

    ¡°A few of the interesting claims that the Mob made were that the Jewish Witch could throw bullets with her mind, was immune to bullets herself, and was able to heal others,¡± Pash said. ¡°It sounds like a rather interesting encounter.¡±

    ¡°They showed up, looked for an old companion of ours, were assholes, and then left,¡± Lou said. ¡°No one was hurt. Not all that interesting. Are we done here?¡±

    Pash smiled at her, and I felt a threat in that smile. I wanted to speak, to do something, but¡­

    ¡°Your home is beautiful,¡± Pash said, his attention on the others, to my relief. ¡°It has been a point of curiosity for your neighbors, considering that the home was unlivable when it was purchased, and over the course of a few months, became pristine. None of them ever heard or saw any construction. I¡¯m rather curious, who did you contract?¡±

    ¡°Friends and family,¡± Lou said. ¡°And that¡¯s none of your business, besides.¡±

    ¡°It seems your ¡®friends and family¡¯ made a small error,¡± he said. ¡°Perhaps you were not aware that you are to file any significant changes with a revised blueprint for the city?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t know that,¡± Lou said, smiling and trying not to grit her teeth, with limited success. ¡°Thanks for the tip. We¡¯ll get on that straight away.¡±

    ¡°Very good,¡± he said. ¡°It would be a shame for you to face legal complications from so trivial an issue. Truly, though, this house is quite charming. Might you be willing to show it to me?¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± Lou said, and stood up.

    Slick got up too quickly and staggered a little. He¡¯d been better about not drinking, but he was still quick to fall to it when stressed, and he¡¯d had far too much.

    Pash walked right beside me as Lou gave him a curt tour of the house. He asked to see outside, and my heart twisted.

    We stepped out into the sunshine, where all the fog had burned away, and I forlornly looked at the wreckage of my garden. The plain, mundane flowers were a mockery of the magnificence that had been here days before. A dozen varieties grew, marking the outline of the arrangement of my haven.

    But at least it was ordinary.

    ¡°Most interesting,¡± Pash said, stepping forward to examine one particular flower. He plucked it, making my hand clench, to examine it closer.

    ¡°My daughter¡¯s favorite flowers are marigolds,¡± he said, turning the flower around to examine it carefully. ¡°And I¡¯ve given my wife roses many times over the years. It¡¯s rather unusual to see what appears to be a marigold with the stem and leaves of a rose.¡±

    ¡°... oh,¡± I said.

    My face fell and I looked at the ground. I¡¯d not really tried to mimic normal plants perfectly. Had I destroyed my garden for nothing¡­?

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you won¡¯t mind if I keep this,¡± he said, putting the flower in his pocket. ¡°If you would be so kind as to show me the basement?¡±

    ¡°Look, inspector, you¡¯re really overstaying your welcome,¡± Lou said, crossing her arms. ¡°You¡¯ve shown off, you¡¯ve seen the house, you¡¯ve seen all the work on it. The basement is just storage. We¡¯ll file the blueprints. Are you done?¡±

    Instead of answering, Pash looked at me. I looked down again, still unable to meet his gaze. After a long moment, he spoke.

    ¡°I see. Very well, then, that will be all for today. I thank you for your time,¡± he said, inclining his head at each of us in turn. ¡°I am working with Professor Rhine at the moment. I will be returning soon, to ensure the blueprints are up to date. If you have anything you need to discuss, you know how to reach me.¡±

    With that, he gave me that predatory smile again, and set off. Lou tried to say something to me, but I needed to watch him leave.

    Through the sitting room window, I watched a uniformed young man salute him as he got into the car. The young man started the car and began to drive.

    I curled into a ball on the sofa. I watched in silence as the fox was driven out of sight.

 Ch. 15 - Alone

    ¡°I need to negotiate my surrender,¡± I said, as soon as I felt remotely coherent again.

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Lou said. ¡°Your surrender?¡±

    She and Slick were sitting on the couch, next to me. Lou had a glass of iced tea and a dangerous look on her face.

    ¡°He¡¯s won,¡± I said. ¡°He has us pinned, and I have two choices. To surrender, or to flee.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to run or give up,¡± Lou said. ¡°And Slick, put down that damned bottle.¡±

    ¡°On a day like today, Lou¡­¡± he started, but she cut him off.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be having tough days,¡± she said. ¡°Get over it. Get sober. We¡¯ve got work to do.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand,¡± I said. ¡°Lou¡­ he is clever, and he is hunting me. The hunt must end.¡±

    ¡°He needs evidence, solid evidence,¡± Lou said. ¡°And we won¡¯t give it to him. Aera, you need to fix up the house. I¡¯ll get the old blueprints and write up new ones, but we¡¯ll need to make sure the house can be inspected without finding anything weird.¡±

    ¡°He can get evidence!¡± I said, my voice raising. ¡°He¡¯d merely need to set a trap! Lou, we cannot hide after being spotted.¡±

    ¡°It ain¡¯t a hunt, Aera,¡± Slick said. ¡°You can only take calling it a hunt so far. He¡¯s investigating, sure, but if he¡¯d gotten enough to bring you in by force, he¡¯d have done it already. It¡¯s not like he didn¡¯t know it was you.¡±

    ¡°It is a hunt,¡± I said, feeling desperate. ¡°You¡¯ve not been hunted. You don¡¯t understand how dangerous this is. You are in danger if I continue to hide! I cannot -¡±

    ¡°Aera, chill,¡± Lou said, grabbing my shoulders and making me look at her. ¡°Look at me and take a breath.¡±

    ¡°Lou, please¡­¡± I said, closing my eyes. ¡°If ever you have trusted me, then trust me on this.¡±

    ¡°Last time you tried something, it got in the papers,¡± Slick said.

    ¡°This is different!¡± I said. ¡°You are mundanes, you¡¯ve never -¡±

    ¡°And it comes down to that, again,¡± Slick said, putting down his bottle with a thud. ¡°I¡¯ve got magic, remember? And you still call me a ¡®mundane?¡¯ And you act like we¡¯re not as good as you?¡±

    ¡°You do not understand power!¡± I said, looking at Lou in desperate hopes she¡¯d hear me. ¡°Slick, yes, you have some specks of magic, but you do not understand power. Neither of you! Pash understands power, he knows what I am, please, you have to understand!¡±

    ¡°I think we understand plenty,¡± Slick said.

    ¡°Aera, seriously, stop this,¡± Lou said. ¡°You¡¯re not okay. You need to relax.¡±

    I tried to breathe and focus. She was right about that.

    ¡°He invited my surrender,¡± I said, as calmly as I could manage. Which wasn¡¯t much. ¡°He invited me, gently, without pressure. I do not want him to feel the need to pressure me. All it would take to reveal me is a trap - I can think of a dozen ways, off the top of my head.¡±

    ¡°Like what?¡± Slick asked.

    ¡°A staged accident, where one of you gets hurt in front of me,¡± I said. ¡°If lethally injured, but not immediately dead, I would be compelled to act with haste. He knows that I can heal others.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s beyond fucked up,¡± Lou said. ¡°He gives me the creeps, granted, but that¡¯s too far. Attacking a citizen of our own country? You¡¯re not a citizen, and you¡¯re not even from Earth, so I could see them justifying messing with you. But with us? No. We¡¯re safe, Aera.¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± I said.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see how this plays out, okay?¡± Lou said, keeping me steady. ¡°Let¡¯s fix up the blueprints and the house, let¡¯s see what move he makes next. Without enough evidence to just up and grab you, we should be able to get him off our trail.¡±

    ¡°What about shooting Kito?¡± I asked.

    ¡°A bluff,¡± she said. ¡°He¡¯s not going to get Kito to press charges against me. He admitted he couldn¡¯t even get Kito to fess up to what happened, no matter what he offered.¡±

    I clutched at my dress uneasily. This felt wrong. Listening to her now felt wrong. I shouldn¡¯t continue to hide. But¡­ I only knew what I shouldn¡¯t do, not what I should do.

    So I did what I apparently did best, these last years. I shut up and did nothing.

    Which, in application, was a great deal of work.

    The changes I¡¯d made to the house were considerable. When Lou pulled up the old blueprints and compared them to her new measurements, she groaned. The support structures in the house were in entirely the wrong places. I¡¯d strengthened and curved the wood, so it had a structure more like a tree, within the walls. Strong, but not straight, which was apparently not a thing easily possible by mundane means.

    Deconstructing my garden had broken my heart, and this felt as though I were decorating my own grave. I was erasing every trace of my art, of my investments, of my own self. I kept finding myself thinking of Benjamin. I missed him. I missed his peace, the simplicity of his companionship, his laughter.

    At the same time, I was glad he was gone. He would not have enjoyed dealing with this. Pash would have stressed him enormously. All of this would have, really. It was better for him that he wasn¡¯t here.

    Still, I felt very alone.

    We had to leave the layout of the upstairs the same, because Pash had seen it, giving Lou an interesting challenge of research to try to figure out how to adjust the supports to let the building meet the city¡¯s requirements. She was working about as hard as I was, poring over books, making measurements, and making sketches.

    Another key issue was that I needed to hide the lab. I decided the best plan was to simply ¡°shove¡± it underneath the back yard, to return that section of basement to an open space. I made the lab as small and compact as possible, then worked on displacing the rock bed.

    It was one of the most exhausting weeks of my life. There was nothing particularly difficult or challenging - just a massive amount of magical labor. When the work was done, Lou hired a professional to make and file the blueprint, so we¡¯d have a paper trail. She paid an extra sum of money to speed up the process, with both the contractor as well as city hall.

    During that time, Lou was insisting on thoroughness. She wanted everything to be mundane, even the insides of the walls. All the soundproofing of the garage, all the acoustic effects I¡¯d made for Slick and Benjamin, all removed.

    It was draining work, in every sense of the term.

    A mere two days after we¡¯d submitted the blueprints to the city, there was another knock on the door. Only Lou and I were home, and I scarcely had strength to move, so Lou answered it.

    ¡°Greetings, Ms. Williams,¡± came Pash¡¯s voice, and I sank into my seat.

    ¡°What do you want this time?¡± Lou asked.

    ¡°I noticed that you have filed the blueprints with the city,¡± he said. ¡°However, it would seem there is a problem. Due to the dramatic change from the original, particularly in regards to these supports here and here¡­¡¯

    His voice paused for a moment, presumably while showing something to Lou.

    ¡°... has led to a conclusion that this house has either had faulty construction or the blueprints have been falsified. Combined with other pieces of evidence, I have obtained a warrant to examine the construction.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me,¡± Lou said, sounding legitimately pissed off, despite having been specifically expecting this result. ¡°A warrant to search our house? Over compliance with a city ordinance?¡±

    ¡°The judge agreed to provide a warrant on suspicion that there is a possible connection with an ongoing military investigation,¡± Pash said. ¡°Now, Ms. Williams, if you would step out of the way and permit us to search.¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± Lou said, and stepped back. I saw Pash enter the house, and a number of men followed him inside.

    I dragged myself to my feet, and walked over to the door.

    The men were burly sorts, and wore dubious expressions. They immediately dismantled a small section of flooring, to my annoyance.

    ¡°What did you find?¡± Pash asked, trying to look over their shoulders.

    ¡°Air. Wood,¡± the man replied dryly. ¡°Absolutely nothing out of the ordinary.¡±

    Pash frowned, then looked over at me. I smiled awkwardly.

    ¡°They¡¯re not going to find anything, are they?¡± he asked, though it was more of a statement than a question.

    ¡°Nothing to find,¡± Lou said. ¡°You done here?¡±

    He appraised her for a moment, considering. He had to know I was exhausted, from his glance at me, and the look on his face shifted to a sense of conviction. He¡¯d decided something, though gods knew what.

    He looked at me, then, and held my gaze. My heart ached, and a strange feeling overtook me.

    Take me, Pash, I thought despairingly. Take me away from here. Give me a place where I don¡¯t have to hide.

    The intensity of the thoughts shook me, and I felt Lou¡¯s gaze on my back. I bit my lip, frozen in place like a frightened animal.

    Please, just ask, my pleading thoughts continued. I¡¯ll fail, I¡¯ll give in, I¡¯ll ¡°slip up.¡± Just ask¡­ chained though I¡¯d be, different chains would at least hold me in new ways.

    But I couldn¡¯t speak. I knew it was wrong to even think it, to surrender without even an attempt at negotiation. But I was so tired¡­ so exhausted from the pointless labors my friends had put me to, so emotionally drained from feeling alone and not understood, so endlessly fatigued of a lifestyle that I could not bear.

    I was so tempted to just submit to him, and be done with everything. No hard choices, no decisions, no struggling with who I was. Just to simply give up.

    A slave¡¯s ¡°peace.¡±

    He broke the connection before I could even begin to decide what to think. He left, letting the workers continue to evaluate the house without him.

    I watched him leave, and despaired.

    Over the following days, I was sullen and withdrawn from the others. They¡¯d ask me what was wrong, but I didn¡¯t want to talk to them. I didn¡¯t know what to do, but I felt bitterness and resentment towards them building.

    Yet, for all the frustration I felt at being confined, the idea of stepping forth entirely alone was terrifying. I hated myself for it. I was a slave because I was a coward, and neither of these truths were acceptable.

    I used magic for everything, as my only expression of ire. I glided down the stairs. My coffee was heated with Flamus. The newspaper would hover before me, changing pages without my touch. Even my food was floated to my lips.

    The others complained in a variety of ways. Alice found it creepy. Slick felt the tension beneath the actions, and felt I was shoving my magic in their faces. Like I was insinuating that I was better than them. Lou figured out I was upset, but didn¡¯t understand the depth of it. She just was annoyed that I was ¡°childishly¡± acting out.

    They didn¡¯t understand that I just desperately wanted to be free. To act against their wishes, in this small and harmless way, was the only defiance against their chains that I could see.

    They¡¯d tried to argue with me a few times, but I just wouldn¡¯t. They¡¯d try to talk to me, and I¡¯d go silent. Or leave. I¡¯d had enough of Lou¡¯s justifications for my bondage. Of Slick¡¯s continual insistence that all my issues stemmed from a superiority complex. Of Alice¡¯s refusal to look at anything but the positives, acting like the pains were just ¡°in my head,¡± and I¡¯d be fine if I just stopped thinking about them.

    After a week, I wrote a letter to Pash. I wrote it over and over again, continuously changing my mind about what to say. Sometimes, I begged him to save me from my own cowardice, like an utter imbecile. Other times, I insinuated that the others bound me by moral imposition and imposed ignorance.

    I kept the letter on me, whatever version was most recent, since I didn¡¯t want anyone to find it. It¡¯d make for an annoying conversation.

    Despite my frustrations with the others, though, I just didn¡¯t know what I really wanted. Pash had struck me as a very dangerous person, and quite possibly not a moral one. Being the slave of new masters hardly seemed appealing, in the scheme of things. And it wasn¡¯t like my companions were cruel, by any stretch - they honestly cared for me, and thought they were doing the right thing.

    I just couldn¡¯t get them to understand how caged I felt.

    It seemed my choices were to stay the course, with them - a proposition which seemed increasingly impossible. Or to take my chances with Pash, and most likely be a servant of the US government, to some extent. Or to try to step forth entirely on my own, making decisions which could reshape the entirety of their world.

    That last option terrified me more than anything else. Any wrong decisions I made, all the pain of guilt would be on my own head. How could I bear such a thing? Especially alone?

    No option seemed acceptable, and so I raged in silence.

    Days turned into weeks, and I felt myself going mad.

    It was a warm Thursday evening, especially for the middle of November. Slick and Alice were doing better, but she still wasn¡¯t staying over at our house. Slick would have periods of success with not drinking, but bad days at work kept getting to him, and he kept regressing. Those nights, he usually just passed out in the front sitting room.

    That night, he was on the couch again. Lou was in her room across the hall from mine. I¡¯d gone to sleep with an entirely ordinary amount of silent frustration, sleeping as uneasily as usual.

    I woke to the sound of gunfire.

    Lou! Slick! They must be okay!

    I rushed from the bed as fast as my half asleep self could manage, which involved tripping on, and subsequently ripping apart, my blankets. I ran to the stairs with all the speed and grace of a drunken rhino, turning on lights as I went.

    Smoke was rising from the first floor.

    ¡°Lou!¡± I said, seeing her in the hallway. ¡°Are you alright?¡±

    ¡°The house is burning!¡± she said, as fast as she could, looking terrified. ¡°The fire! You have to stop the fire!¡±

    ¡°I will,¡± I said. ¡°But the guns? And Slick?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll check on Slick,¡± she said. ¡°Put out the fire!¡±

    ¡°Wait!¡± I said, grabbing her arm. I tore off the bullet enchantment and gave it to her. ¡°Put this on!¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± she asked.

    ¡°No questions, there¡¯s no time, it¡¯ll protect you from bullets, now go!¡± I yelled, wrapping myself in a protective barrier, and ran to the nearest source of fire.

    There was a broken bottle, and fluid on the floor was burning. I quickly snuffed it out. But there were easily a dozen of those bottles in the house, and the fire was spreading.

    I had to know who did this.

    I ran to the sitting room, to the large window there. It was pitch black outside from where I stood, due to the lights. Slick was on the ground, shaking in pain as he clutched his thigh. His leg and Lou¡¯s hands were covered in blood. Bullets were continuing to come through the broken window frame.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± I asked, having to yell over the noise of gunshots.

    ¡°Aera, just get the damned fire!¡± Lou said. ¡°Slick¡¯s been shot in the leg, he¡¯ll be fine.¡±The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    ¡°Who¡¯s firing at us?¡± I asked.

    ¡°The fire, Aera!¡± Lou yelled.

    ¡°One moment,¡± I said, and darted to the window, squinting.

    There were men standing next to the road, barely visible except for the flashes of light from their guns. They must have seen my silhouette in the window, because they focused their fire at me, which I blocked. The bullets were much weaker and slower than last time I¡¯d been shot - due to the range, perhaps? One car was still running, big enough to easily hold all four of the men on the lawn.

    There was another car, though, that was parked on the other side of the street in full view of the house, and hadn¡¯t been there the prior evening. A flash of light came from the window. A photographer?

    After a brief spurt of bullets in my direction, most failing to even hit my barrier, the attackers rushed into the waiting car, which pealed off down the street.

    I could go after them, but¡­

    Gritting my teeth, I turned back to the house and poured out my strength to stop the flames. The house wasn¡¯t nearly as flammable as the Cocoanut Grove had been, so I was able to put out the flames quickly enough.

    As soon as the flames stopped, I ran to the window again. The second vehicle was still there.

    Aeros reached from me to the driver. I wanted to peek into his mind, to see who he was, as delicately as possible so that I didn¡¯t overstep my bounds. Non damaging mind magic required subtlety, which was not easy to manage when angry. I tried to cool my rage enough to get solid control of my strength, and focused.

    But the one thing fear is good for is resisting magic. Between the distance, the person¡¯s fear, my anger, and my own inexperience with mind magic, I couldn¡¯t get a grip on him.

    My jaw tightened. That would not do.

    The door opened and I charged down the pathway faster than humanly possible. Another flash of light, then the car turned on and the wheels starting spinning. They spun too fast to grip the road, making the car lurch strangely.

    From right behind the car, I reached to the person¡¯s mind again.

    His fear was cripplingly intense. I couldn¡¯t pierce it without hurting him, not as angry as I was.

    I tried another angle.

    Aquas poured from me and dissolved the side of one of the tires, making it burst. The car swerved, but his fear grew more intense, and he didn¡¯t stop.

    Fine. I ripped apart all of the tires.

    Sparks flew as the rims scraped the asphalt.

    My hand was forward, in a grasping pose, the most threatening position a spellcaster can take. I could destroy him, destroy the car, so easily¡­

    I hesitated. He got further away.

    I can still catch him, but¡­

    Slick¡¯s screams were the only sound I could hear over the pounding in my ears.

    I screamed uselessly at the fleeing car. But I turned back to the house, and ran to help my friend. My captor, my savior, my dubious ally.

    Police would be coming, and I had to heal him before it was too late.

    I was panting by the time I made it back to the house.

    ¡°Aera, what the hell were you doing?¡± Lou asked, as soon as I made it to her side.

    ¡°I tried to find out who attacked us,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I failed. Let me heal Slick.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Slick said, gritting his teeth. ¡°It¡¯s fine. They can take me to the hospital.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± I said, stunned.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need magic to fix everything,¡± Slick said, then closed his eyes and panted.

    ¡°But I¡­¡± I stammered. ¡°I stopped chasing them, to come save you.¡±

    ¡°Good for you,¡± Slick said.

    ¡°I could have found out who they were!¡± I said, my voice tightening into a growl. ¡°Lou, please, talk some sense into him.¡±

    ¡°Check the wound, and tell me how bad it is,¡± Lou said.

    I frowned and reached my magesense within his leg. Tinged with Aquas magic, all of the liquid, all of the little natural transformations, became ¡°visible¡± to me, in the mind bending multidimensional view that magesense permitted.

    ¡°The skin and muscle are notably damaged,¡± I said. ¡°No major blood vessels were harmed, his system is becoming more stable, and the bullet is still imbedded in the muscle of his thigh.¡±

    ¡°Which means what?¡± Lou asked. ¡°He¡¯ll be fine?¡±

    ¡°The bullet needs to be removed,¡± I said.

    ¡°The doctors can do that,¡± she said.

    ¡°He¡¯ll heal, but Lou, I don¡¯t understand,¡± I said. ¡°He¡¯s hurt. He¡¯s been screaming. Why would you not let me heal him?¡±

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t want you to,¡± she said.

    I groaned, then turned to Slick.

    ¡°Slick, please,¡± I said. ¡°There¡¯s no sense in this. Let me heal you.¡±

    ¡°If one of us is hurt,¡± Slick said, gasping, ¡°We look normal. If none of us is hurt after an attack like that, it looks weird.¡±

    I started hearing sirens in the distance. We were running out of time.

    ¡°To hide,¡± I said, staggered. ¡°We just got attacked in the middle of the night, we are being investigated by the military¡­ the time for hiding is over.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Slick said, then gave up speaking and leaned against the couch, sweat glistening on his forehead.

    ¡°Aera, you don¡¯t get to decide that,¡± Lou said. ¡°This one¡¯s on us. This is what we can do.¡±

    ¡°I could decide that,¡± I said. ¡°I could go, right now, and track down our attackers.¡±

    ¡°Would you fucking drop it?¡± Lou said. ¡°Seriously, right now. Slick¡¯s hurt. He¡¯s going to the hospital. We¡¯re staying under the radar. You don¡¯t decide crap like that in the middle of the night right after a disaster like this. The plan is to not reveal magic, and it¡¯s staying that way.¡±

    Anger boiled in my soul, driving tendrils of magic all around my body. I was ¡°bleeding¡± magic, as we called it. It was where we lost control of our magic to a degree, and little changes occurred around us, in accordance with the emotion that had stolen control. My nightgown was shifting in texture and color, hardening and thickening as though I wished to form battle armor. Without my conscious direction, though, the changes were minor.

    Rage had silenced my voice. I¡¯d let the photographer go, for the sole purpose of getting back to Slick in time. Now he¡¯d gotten away¡­ and for what?

    I glared at Slick as the sirens got closer.

    Despite my glaring, or perhaps a result of it, he stayed firm in his resolve.

    ¡°Aera, you need to go clean up the molotov cocktails,¡± Lou said, and my language spell identified those liquid filled bottles, making me grit my teeth. ¡°With the house not having burned down, there can¡¯t be evidence of them.¡±

    ¡°As you command,¡± I growled, half mockingly, as I stomped off to the house to remove evidence of the magnitude of the attack.

    Lou had called for an ambulance as soon as the guns had stopped firing, but the first to arrive were a pair of regular coppers, who¡¯d been called by the neighbors at the first sounds of gunfire. When they saw the extent of the damage, they called for a detective to arrive.

    They tried to get our statements, but only got one out of Lou - Slick was too out of it, and I simply glared at them till they left me alone.

    The ambulance arrived next. They immediately checked us all over - I scarcely managed to permit them to look at my face - and began to work on Slick¡¯s leg. I didn¡¯t want to witness their barbaric practices. I wanted to ignore them, but Slick was my friend, and I just couldn¡¯t.

    They cut away the leg of his pants, cleaned the wound, and wrapped it in a bandage. They didn¡¯t even remove the bullet, and when I advised them of this, they said they couldn¡¯t. He¡¯d have to have surgery, and a doctor was going to cut open his leg to get the bullet out.

    He was given some medication, called morphine, which severely inhibited his mental function in addition to stopping his pain. He was just getting loaded up into the ambulance when the detective arrived.

    I was briefly distracted from my anger by the fact that I recognized him. He briefly spoke with the other coppers, then with the paramedics, before coming up to us.

    ¡°Hello again,¡± the red haired detective said. ¡°You seem to have a bit of bad luck.¡±

    ¡°Luck, indeed,¡± I said, my tone surly. ¡°Entirely random coincidence. Surely.¡±

    The copper gave me a curious look, but Lou caught his attention with a cough.

    ¡°Hello, Lieutenant O¡¯Brien,¡± Lou said, incidentally reminding me of his name. ¡°Nice to see you again. Wish it were under better circumstances.¡±

    ¡°Glad to see that you ladies seem well,¡± he said. ¡°The paramedics tell me that Mr. Williams should have a complete recovery.¡±

    ¡°Magnificent,¡± I said, and my tone was dripping with sarcasm. ¡°All hail the glory of modern medicine, which nothing in all the world can best.¡±

    ¡°Ms. Koryn, was it?¡± O¡¯Brien said, looking at me curiously.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mind her,¡± Lou said. ¡°Aera¡¯s just not handling the attack well. None of us are.¡±

    ¡°With that, I will entirely agree,¡± I said, crossing my arms and glaring at her.

    Lou sighed.

    ¡°Your home has been attacked,¡± O¡¯Brien said with a sympathetic tone. ¡°It is entirely reasonable to be upset. You don¡¯t need to worry, now. You¡¯re in good hands.¡±

    ¡°Ha,¡± I muttered under my breath.

    ¡°The officers gave me a brief rundown, but would either of you be willing to give a little more detail? Perhaps on why you were attacked, if you have any idea?¡± O¡¯Brien asked.

    ¡°For that, we¡¯d have to know who attacked us,¡± I snapped. ¡°A shame we couldn¡¯t get that information.¡±

    I glared at Lou again, but she ignored me.

    ¡°No glimpse of the attackers?¡± O¡¯Brien asked.

    ¡°None,¡± Lou said.

    ¡°Four men, on our lawn,¡± I said. ¡°Each of them held a gun firing many bullets. After perhaps a full minute, at most, of firing at us, they gave up, got into a vehicle, and fled.¡±

    ¡°Interesting,¡± O¡¯Brien said. ¡°Where were you standing, to see this?¡±

    ¡°In front of the window,¡± I said dryly, earning a glare from Lou. ¡°I got marvelously lucky to not get shot.¡±

    ¡°Is that so,¡± O¡¯Brien said, giving me a funny look. ¡°Another point, does the phrase ¡®Jewish Witch¡¯ mean anything to you?¡±

    ¡°I am not Jewish!¡± I spluttered.

    Lou made an exasperated sound and said, ¡°Sir, it¡¯s a strange insult we¡¯ve heard before. Why do you ask?¡±

    ¡°Because it¡¯s been spray painted on the front of your house,¡± he said, and gestured with a flashlight.

    I hadn¡¯t noticed it before, between the lack of lighting and my own distraction, but clearly visible on the front of the house was black paint. The words were slowly illuminated by his flashlight till we read the entire sentence.

    THE JEWISH WITCH MUST DIE

    ¡°Charming,¡± I said. ¡°The Irish Mob, then, most likely.¡±

    ¡°You have some connection with them?¡± O¡¯Brien asked.

    ¡°We had a run in with them, a few months ago,¡± Lou said. ¡°They were looking for an ex band member, and we had a disagreement. They decided Aera was Jewish, and we left on bad terms.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter,¡± I said. ¡°What matters is how to find them, now.¡±

    ¡°Aera, don¡¯t you even -¡± Lou started, but O¡¯Brien spoke over her.

    ¡°Miss, that¡¯s not something you should consider,¡± he said, with authority in his voice. ¡°The Irish Mob are extremely dangerous. If you¡¯ve done something to provoke them, we can give you protection, but under no circumstances should you seek them out.¡±

    ¡°Oh, but I will,¡± I said. ¡°They attacked my home, Lieutenant.¡±

    ¡°Aera, for god¡¯s sake, chill,¡± Lou said.

    ¡°It¡¯s almost two in the morning,¡± O¡¯Brien said. ¡°I understand that nerves are frayed right now. We can discuss more tomorrow. Do you ladies have a place to sleep? I can give you a ride wherever you need to go.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll be going to the hospital, to be with Slick,¡± Lou said.

    ¡°Do you know where to find the Mob?¡± I asked O¡¯Brien.

    Lou threw her hands up in the air and made a strangled yell.

    ¡°I have some knowledge of where we might get more information,¡± O¡¯Brien said. ¡°I¡¯ll be looking into that in the morning. You can trust us to handle this, Miss.¡±

    ¡°The place of contact,¡± I said. ¡°Take me there. You can take her to the accursed hospital.¡±

    ¡°Miss, I¡¯m not letting you in my car for any reason other than to take you to a place to rest,¡± he said.

    I sneered at him.

    ¡°Unless I punched you in the face, hmm? Then you¡¯d take me in your car. Perhaps you could leave me handcuffed in the back seat while you visit this contact of yours.¡±

    Part of me wanted to start giggling at the sheer, ludicrous insanity of the thought. For me, of all people, to try to throw a punch. I hadn¡¯t even the faintest idea how, other than balling up my fist and trying to more or less throw it. I¡¯d never attacked with anything other than magic before.

    O¡¯Brien¡¯s gaze intensified, appraising. He was trying to decide if I was a threat of some kind.

    I felt cold and my jaw tightened. I didn¡¯t want to be looked at like that.

    I took a deep breath and covered my face with my hands.

    ¡°My apologies, Lieutenant,¡± I said, trying to be calm again. ¡°Lou is correct - I am not handling this well. I have no intention of attacking you. I just want to see this resolved, desperately.¡±

    ¡°I do understand that,¡± he said. ¡°You didn¡¯t directly threaten me, either, so I¡¯ll let that go, under the circumstances. I think you need to get some sleep. You¡¯ll think more clearly in the morning.¡±

    I tried to smile in his direction, but it felt twisted on my face.

    ¡°Could you just take us both to the hospital?¡± Lou asked. ¡°I need to check on my brother.¡±

    He nodded.

    ¡°I¡¯ll bring you there. I¡¯ll be looking for you tomorrow, most likely in the afternoon, to discuss the events of tonight in more detail. Let me give you my office¡¯s phone number. If you leave the hospital before I get there tomorrow, please leave me a message with where you¡¯re staying.¡±

    He brought us to his squad car and let us in. I got in the back seat, not wanting to be close to anyone just then. He briefly jotted down his number and gave it to Lou before starting the car and taking us away.

    It was the coldest hour of the night when we arrived.

    Pain and death surrounded me, pressing against me, just as it had on my first visit when I came to see Kito, four years prior. Somehow it felt more acceptable, now, like a decoration on the cloak of rage that billowed around me with every step.

    I went silent again, letting Lou handle the hospital details. I wanted no part of this.

    Slick was in surgery when we arrived, and it wasn¡¯t a very long one. He was put into a recovery room only half an hour or so after we¡¯d arrived. By then, as our nerves began to settle, exhaustion began to take its place.

    Still, even exhausted, emotions were running too high to even conceive of sleep.

    We sat, unmoving, without saying a word to each other.

    After a little while, another patient was wheeled into the recovery room with us. He was a young man with red hair and severe burns, and strangely, he was handcuffed to his recovery bed. I passingly looked him over to ensure he was unconscious, so that if I said anything, it wouldn¡¯t be overheard.

    Though I couldn¡¯t help but wonder why I bothered.

    Fatigue grew stronger with each passing moment, and eventually I found myself passed out on the chair.

    The morning found me less delirious with rage, but no less determined.

    ¡°You gals okay?¡± Slick¡¯s slurring voice asked, dragging me out of my sleep.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about us, you idiot,¡± Lou said, yawning. ¡°You¡¯re the one who got shot. How are you feeling?¡±

    ¡°Fuzzy,¡± Slick said. ¡°Real fuzzy.¡±

    ¡°Is your leg hurting?¡± Lou asked.

    ¡°A little,¡± Slick said. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Is Alice here?¡±

    ¡°We didn¡¯t call her yet,¡± Lou said. ¡°We fell asleep after we got here.¡±

    ¡°We need to call her,¡± Slick mumbled.

    ¡°You rest,¡± Lou said. ¡°I¡¯ll give her a call.¡±

    Slick nodded as Lou went over to the nurse¡¯s station to make the call. The silence between Slick and I was uncomfortable for the several minutes it took for Lou to finish.

    She looked deflated when she got back.

    ¡°Alice is fine, just worried,¡± Lou said. ¡°And there¡¯s some bad news.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Slick asked.

    ¡°Last night, the pawn shop was burned down,¡± Lou said. ¡°Around the same time our house was hit.¡±

    Slick groaned, and my resolve thickened. Lou glanced at me, but I said nothing.

    ¡°A few of the attackers got caught in the fire,¡± Lou said. ¡°Alice says that the police talked to her and Dorothy about it. It seems like they abandoned some of their men inside - apparently the mob offs its own that way sometimes.¡±

    I looked over at the handcuffed, burned man.

    ¡°That man was brought in last night,¡± I said. ¡°Around the same time as Slick. He must be one of them.¡±

    ¡°Probably,¡± Lou said. ¡°But it doesn¡¯t matter. We can¡¯t do anything about it. It¡¯s up to the police.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll find out from him how to contact Buddy,¡± I said, never taking my gaze from the unconscious figure.

    ¡°Again, Aera?¡± Slick said. ¡°Can¡¯t you just give it up?¡±

    ¡°I am done with ¡®giving it up,¡¯¡± I said. ¡°This has gone too far. My home is damaged, and Slick is hurt.¡±

    ¡°Our home,¡± Lou said. ¡°And Slick makes up his own mind.¡±

    ¡°I need to talk to them,¡± I said. ¡°Is that so unreasonable? Just to talk, to make peaceful arrangements, so we needn¡¯t fear this happening again.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to get hurt, Aera,¡± Slick said. ¡°You¡¯re making it hella hard to protect you.¡±

    ¡°Since the moment we first met, you believed I needed your protection,¡± I said, my voice deepening. ¡°I have told you, again and again, that I can protect myself. But you have never had faith in me. And what has that resulted in? Kito getting shot, over what could have been solved with a five minute conversation. Years of telling me what I may or may not do. Six dead, at the club fire. And now, our home and livelihood destroyed.¡±

    ¡°And you not being the pet of someone like Pash,¡± Lou said.

    ¡°You are so unshakably certain that I would become a slave so easily,¡± I said, shaking my head. ¡°I am sick of it. This is something I have decided. I must resolve this with the Mob.¡±

    ¡°And what if you get hurt?¡± Lou asked. ¡°What then?¡±

    ¡°I can take care of myself,¡± I said.

    ¡°Then you don¡¯t need us,¡± Slick said.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have you come with, no,¡± I said. ¡°I would be safer on my own, without needing to protect you, if things get hostile.¡±

    ¡°And what about whoever else is there?¡± Lou asked. ¡°What if they get hurt?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re worrying about the Mob?¡± I asked, flabbergasted.

    ¡°With the stories you told us about your family?¡± Lou said. ¡°Yeah. If you get mad, you could kill someone. And we have a justice system. We don¡¯t just execute people.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t intend to kill anyone,¡± I said, crossing my arms. ¡°I¡¯m not my mother. I¡¯ve never killed anyone. I simply wish to talk to them.¡±

    ¡°Your intentions don¡¯t always work out,¡± Lou said. ¡°Right now, Slick is who we should be focusing on. He¡¯s going to need help getting home and moving around for the next little while.¡±

    ¡°Or he could have competent healing,¡± I said, gritting my teeth, ¡°Instead of wasting everyone¡¯s time on his convalescence!¡±

    A nurse walked over and we were all silent while she checked Slick¡¯s bandages. Afterwards, she said that all he needed was rest and medicine, which could happen at the hospital or elsewhere. Due to the expense, they opted to take him home right away.

    She gave him a bill for the surgery and one night¡¯s stay, which made them both have tight expressions. The nurse then told us where to get some crutches for him, how to check the wound, and said she was going to get the doctor to go ahead and discharge him.

    Slick thanked her warmly, entirely ignoring the look I was giving him.

    Once she was out of sight, he spoke again.

    ¡°You just don¡¯t get it, Aera,¡± Slick said, his voice low. ¡°Tossing magic around like you¡¯ve been this last month or so, acting all better than us. You need to understand that we¡¯re fine, alright? We don¡¯t need your magic. We can build, we can heal, we can do whatever we need to, all without magic.¡±

    I just stared at him. What was the sense in rejecting a superior tool, to suffer, for his arrogance? To prove some sort of point to me? Magic was better than non magic, in all cases - was this not blatantly obvious?

    ¡°Let¡¯s go to Dorothy¡¯s,¡± Lou said. ¡°She¡¯ll take us in for the time being. Come on, Aera, help me get Slick ready.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I said. ¡°I am going to speak to Buddy. Today.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid, Aera,¡± Slick said.

    ¡°I am the one who was trained in how to handle matters like this,¡± I said. ¡°You were not. I must resolve this. Peacefully, if possible. Please, Lou, Slick - I just want your support.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not getting our support in this,¡± Lou said. ¡°I don¡¯t want an ounce of guilt weighing me down when you get hurt or killed because you overestimated yourself. Or if you murder someone by accident. You do this, you do it on your own.¡±

    My throat tightened, and fear of being alone tugged at me again. But¡­

    ¡°So be it,¡± I said, turning to face the wounded mobster. ¡°Go, and heal at the rate of an animal. I will be doing what must be done.¡±

    ¡°Good luck, I guess,¡± Slick said.

    ¡°Goodbye, Aera,¡± Lou said, and there was a touch of heartbreak in her voice. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t die.¡±

 Ch. 16 - Death

    The hospital room feel cool and quiet as I moved beside the burned man. Voices echoed in the distance, as hospital workers labored, but this little room was nearly silent.

    The man¡¯s brain was fine, so far as I could tell, but I couldn¡¯t wake him. After a little poking and prodding, I realized it must be the medication they were giving him.

    So I simply blocked the flow of the liquid through the tube.

    Sure enough, he soon woke, gasping in pain, his only words a plea for relief.

    I leaned over him and he looked at me in agonized confusion.

    ¡°I am the one your people have foolishly called ¡®the Jewish Witch,¡¯¡± I said, and he pulled back in terror. ¡°I will find Buddy, and you will tell me how to get to him.¡±

    ¡°H-hurts¡­¡± he whimpered. ¡°Can¡¯t think¡­ please¡­¡±

    A cruel edge came to my smile, and I reached my power towards his body. I whispered silence to all of his nerves, and he sagged in relief.

    ¡°Oh god,¡± he said, sounding almost completely lucid. ¡°All of the pain is gone.¡±

    ¡°As I can take it away, so can I return it a thousand fold,¡± I said, my voice as cold as ice. ¡°You attacked what belongs to me, so expect no mercy other than my pleasure for your cooperation.¡±

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am, anything you want,¡± he said hastily, the whites of his eyes showing. ¡°Buddy owns a butcher shop, ma¡¯am, do you want the address, phone number, something?¡±

    That was easier than I was expecting.

    ¡°The address, please,¡± I said, and pulled off a small piece of his bandage to write on.

    He gave it to me too quickly to write down, and then repeated it slower when asked.

    ¡°I cannot heal you in your entirety, due to the need for secrecy,¡± I said. ¡°But, in appreciation for your cooperation, I will provide a small measure of healing that will reduce your pain, if you prefer.¡±

    ¡°I dunno, uh,¡± he said, stammering a little. After a second, glancing down at himself, he said, ¡°Uh, yeah, yeah, that¡¯d be nice.¡±

    Without another word, I pushed forth a little magic, healing just the ragged nerves and the area surrounding them. I permitted the morphine to flow again, and as it began affecting his mind, released the magic that silenced his nerves. He flinched a little, but was soon out cold again.

    I was quite pleased at having succeeded so easily, without doing anything immoral. No coercive mind magic, no torture - why, I¡¯d been downright nice to him.

    With an air of confidence and self satisfaction, I headed out of the hospital to get a taxi.

    If it weren¡¯t for the fear plucking at my heart, the lingering rage, the feeling of loneliness, and the uncertainty that I really did know what I was doing, I¡¯d have been in almost good spirits.

    On the way, I took some material from the grass as I walked to thicken my dress properly - I was still in my nightgown. In the heat of my simmering rage and pride, I removed the blemishes I¡¯d grown used to wearing. By the time I got to the shop, it was almost noon, and my skin and hair were perfect again.

    Inside the shop, the coppery smell of blood hung thick in the air. At the wooden counter was a young girl, perhaps as old as sixteen. The look on her face was dismissive and condescending, but like the rest of the mob, she had fair skin, freckles, and an orange mop of hair.

    She¡¯d had no part in anything, I decided. So I would be polite and friendly.

    ¡°Good morning,¡± I said to her, smiling as warmly as I could. ¡°I am here to see someone named Buddy.¡±

    The condescension on her face didn¡¯t shift an ounce.

    ¡°I¡¯m running the store, so you don¡¯t need him,¡± she said. ¡°What are you buying?¡±

    ¡°Your work is excellent, I¡¯m sure,¡± I said. ¡°But I am not here as a customer. It is personal. I must speak specifically to Buddy.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± she said. ¡°And you¡¯ve made some sort of arrangement to see him?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I said. ¡°But it is critical that I see him immediately.¡±

    ¡°No one sees Buddy ¡®immediately,¡¯¡± she said, giving me an unimpressed look. ¡°I can pass along a message, and that¡¯s as good as it gets.¡±

    ¡°I am an exception,¡± I said, slowly failing at the attempt to be polite. ¡°Is he here?¡±

    ¡°Like I¡¯d answer that,¡± she said scornfully. ¡°I don¡¯t know who you think you are, barging in here like this, but I don¡¯t give a damn. You can leave a message for him or not.¡±

    ¡°You must relay the message immediately,¡± I said, getting annoyed. ¡°I can assure you that he would be displeased at the outcome if this ¡®arrangement¡¯ goes poorly.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll pass it along immediately,¡± she said, sighing in an exaggerated way.

    ¡°He will know who I am, if you tell him that the one he has wrongly called a Jewish Witch has come to speak with him,¡± I said. Then added, ¡°Peacefully. Please ensure you mention that part.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± she said, jotting down a note on some paper before heading to the back room.

    I found it curious that she didn¡¯t seem to recognize the name. Were they protecting her? She rather reminded me of a spoiled child of lesser nobility.

    After a minute, she returned.

    ¡°He¡¯ll see you,¡± she said. ¡°Wait here for a few minutes.¡±

    ¡°Why the wait?¡± I asked.

    She shrugged.

    ¡°If he is fleeing, it will end poorly for him,¡± I said, crossing my arms.

    ¡°He¡¯s not running away,¡± she said. ¡°I already told you, he¡¯s going to be out here in a few minutes. He just needs some time.¡±

    I frowned, but decided to wait. My magesense extended into the back room, and I could make out a few signs of human life.

    A few minutes later, there was a sound from the back, and the girl turned and left. As she did so, Buddy and four other men emerged.

    The four men were holding a kind of gun that I¡¯d seen in the movies - tommy guns. They were pointed at me. A security measure for the discussion, I supposed. Still, I regretted the lack of the gun enchantment that I¡¯d given Lou, and wrapped myself in a Flamus barrier in the meantime.

    ¡°Excellent,¡± I said to Buddy, ignoring his men. ¡°There are a number -¡±

    He continued to stride towards me, getting up in my face. I cut off in surprise.

    ¡°Excuse me,¡± I said, annoyed. ¡°Is there some aspect of talking you do not understand?¡±

    He didn¡¯t say a word. I stepped back slightly, confused by his approach, and then he lunged for my throat. He moved surprisingly quickly.

    I gaped at him, offended to the point of speechlessness, as his filthy hand came within a scant inch of my flesh, only stopped by the barrier on the surface of my skin.

    ¡°How dare you!¡± I said, pulling back from his reach.

    Flamus barriers have no friction, innately, and so he was unable to maintain his grip.

    ¡°More tricks,¡± he spat, glaring at me. He pulled a tommy gun from a strap on his side. ¡°Enough bullets will break anything. Let¡¯s get her.¡±

    He stepped back to join his men. I had a fraction of a second to pour strength into my barrier before all five of them started firing at me.

    Rage blossomed as I fully realized what was happening.

    I gave him a chance, and this is how he repays me? With a refusal to even speak to me?

    The bullets slammed into my barrier, one after another. Just one, or five, or ten I could have taken, but...

    ¡°Ack¡­¡± I said, straining against the sheer force of the combined barrage.

    I fell back, desperately pouring more magic into the barrier. It wasn¡¯t enough. The barrier began slipping, cracking¡­

    A bullet slipped through one of the cracks and imbedded into my rib. I shrieked with a blend of pain and fear, desperately needing to keep the fear at bay. My nerves were silenced from long habit, and I tried to focus.

    I couldn¡¯t keep just stopping the bullets in their tracks - the most efficient method was reflection.

    And I was angry.

    Anger consumed my fear and echoed within the barrier, shifting its purpose. For a moment, the barrage seemed sustainable, and I began to hear screams of pain.

    Screams that I enjoyed far too much.

    I staggered back a step, and then another. Even with my rage and the less merciful, but efficient barrier, the power thrown against me was too much.

    It had been mere seconds, and my barrier was buckling again.

    I¡¯m going to die.

    No. I grit my teeth as I began to lose my grip on the magic. If I let myself fully feel afraid, my barrier would collapse entirely, and I would die. Bullets began getting uncomfortably close again.

    But I had been trained for this. I closed my eyes, pretending it was a training exercise.

    Fear is the sister of hope, my mother¡¯s voice rang in my ears. To see the possible future as good or evil is to know hope or fear. Both are of what will come. Magic is of what is now.

    Fear was a standard foe in my training, and as I¡¯d learned, I surrendered my future. There was only the present.

    At present, I was being hit by dozens of bullets each second.

    Truths that matter. Ammunition is limited, thus time favors my success. I can heal everything but my brain.

    Survival. I need only survive a little while.

    Magic began to burn my flesh as I attempted to command more than I could wield. I would have screamed, had I not been gasping for air.

    Cool air. I was outside. They were still firing.

    I don¡¯t need my legs to survive.

    My barrier shrank by half as I surrendered the lower half of my body. Bullets tore through my legs, shredding them with astounding speed, as I cut off the blood supply.

    Collapsed on the ground, a puddle of blood.

    Bullets still coming.

    Not as many. Some of the men had stopped firing.

    I had no strength. My barrier began to fall, and a bullet grazed my arm.

    Bullets all coming from one direction.

    My head is all that matters. As long as I stay conscious, I will survive.

    No fear. Only the present. The present had fewer bullets, a breaking barrier, and distant screams. The screams don¡¯t matter. A heart running out of blood. I sealed the blood vessels. I am alive. My barrier must hold.

    But only if it¡¯s smaller.

    A small circle of magic held in place between the men and myself. Bullets ripped open my abdomen, spilling organs into the street.

    It doesn¡¯t matter. These organs are only necessary for long term survival.

    The bullets stopped.

    Cold darkness beckoned me, but if I passed out, I would die.

    I groaned at the agony of using magic again, but I had no choice. Unlike barriers, I was good at healing. Besides, it didn¡¯t take much raw power at all - it was almost entirely skill.

    Blood flowed back into torn vessels, which fused together. Bone unsplintered. Aside from a little tear on my arm, everything above my rib cage was fine.

    Didn¡¯t need my stomach. Intestines. Uterus. All used as raw material for stopgap measures. The liver functions when damaged. Just stuffed it back in and reattached. Kidneys needed fixing.

    Legs worked again. My dress was in tatters, but it covered what was needed. There was no more evidence of me on the ground.

    Glanced around. Some people were peeking from far away. They wouldn¡¯t have seen much.

    I staggered inside the building.

    Five men lay on the ground in pools of blood. All were dying of blood loss, from the reflected bullets.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    Buddy looked at me with an expression of absolute horror, his pale face almost blue.

    ¡°I will make you a deal,¡± I growled at him. ¡°You will speak to me. You will answer my questions. I will heal you. Agreed?¡±

    ¡°Agreed,¡± he said, his voice strained.

    ¡°I have only defended myself so far,¡± I said, trying to cover up my exhaustion with anger. ¡°Betray me, and you will see me give up any kindness within me. Do you understand?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± he said.

    Had I possessed a stomach, I¡¯d have thrown up from the sensation of my magic. My soul was beyond strained and would tear from my body, killing me instantly, if I pushed it too much further.

    But healing was easy. I could do this.

    Three bullets fell out of his flesh, and his wounds closed behind them. I decided not to waste the effort of giving him back his blood. One, it¡¯d be hard to tell which puddle was his, and it could cause complications if blood were mixed. And two, he¡¯d be fine without it anyway.

    He crossed himself.

    ¡°First,¡± I said. ¡°Why did you leave me be, instead of attempting to extort me, blackmail me, something, for those months?¡±

    ¡°We wanted nothing to do with you,¡± he said, his voice level, despite the fear he was obviously trying to control. ¡°We¡¯d planned to never go to that house again.¡±

    ¡°Why did you?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Money talks,¡± he said, laughing ruefully. ¡°Too good of a deal to pass up. In hindsight¡­¡±

    ¡°Who paid you to attack me?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t give me those details,¡± he said. ¡°But he was from the government, is all I know.¡±

    I groaned.

    ¡°This?¡± I asked myself outloud, to his confusion. ¡°This is the trap he sets for me? What did he expect to get from this?¡±

    ¡°You know who paid us?¡± Buddy asked, an eyebrow raised.

    ¡°I believe I do,¡± I said. ¡°But I don¡¯t understand his motive. Did he say why?¡±

    He glanced out the window. I heard sirens approaching and clenched my jaw. Time was running low again.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask, because I didn¡¯t care,¡± he said. ¡°Told him at first I wouldn¡¯t move against you, but ten grand was too promising. Shouldn¡¯t have taken it.¡±

    ¡°Your men didn¡¯t have to die,¡± I growled. ¡°I just wanted to talk.¡±

    ¡°And I didn¡¯t,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯re some kind of freak. A witch. A demon. I want nothing to do with you.¡±

    ¡°A pact of non hostility,¡± I said. ¡°I agree to never seek you or yours out, you never seek me or mine out. Good enough?¡±

    ¡°Deal,¡± he said. ¡°Never want to see you again.¡±

    ¡°Get the girl, and get out of here,¡± I said, dragging myself to my feet.

    He gave me a strange look as I strained to move properly. He was tempted to attack while I was weak.

    To demonstrate that I was still not to be trifled with, I grabbed my hair. From neck level down, it melted off, fusing with my dress to repair the patches. The remaining chin length hair turned blonde, and I forced a smile at him.

    He no longer looked tempted.

    Good thing he was ignorant. That level of magic was, quite literally, child¡¯s play. I¡¯d been messing with hair since before my earliest memories.

    I ran - or rather, hobbled hastily - through the back of the building. The teenage girl who¡¯d run the store was cowering still as I moved past her, and I was relieved to see she was uninjured. I found a door, and pulled through it.

    My vision threatened to go black, but I held it together. I had to get someplace safe.

    My home was no good. But I remembered where Alice lived.

    I just had to finish fixing my organs, one tiny bit at a time. I just had to pull myself together, and get safe. I would be okay.

    I just needed to...

    --------------

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Dorothy,¡± Lou said with a sigh, taking another sip of coffee. ¡°I just don¡¯t know what to do.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been a rough few months, dear,¡± Dorothy said, patting her on the hand.

    ¡°Aera just keeps making things worse,¡± Slick said. ¡°That¡¯s the issue. I don¡¯t know why she finds it so hard to just not mess things up.¡±

    ¡°She comes from another world,¡± Dorothy said. ¡°Maybe she just doesn¡¯t understand.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sick of trying to talk to her about it,¡± Lou said. ¡°I¡¯m sick of talking about her, too. For God¡¯s sake, we¡¯re just trying to keep everyone safe.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think she wants anyone to try to keep her safe,¡± Alice said. ¡°She¡¯s so sure that she can¡¯t be hurt.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s wrong,¡± Lou said flatly. ¡°She never takes anything ¡®mundane¡¯ seriously. Even though that handful of bullets knocked her flat when the mob came, she still acted like she was invulnerable. Hell, she thought we¡¯d be proud of how well she defended herself. She¡¯s going to get herself killed.¡±

    ¡°Maybe that¡¯s up to her,¡± Alice said.

    ¡°What, just let her get killed?¡± Slick asked.

    ¡°Well, no,¡± Alice said. ¡°I just mean, you both are stressing out so much trying to protect her. Maybe you shouldn¡¯t, that¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°Alice has a point,¡± Dorothy said, taking a sip of her tea. ¡°Right now, Slick should be focused on healing up, and Lou, you should figure out what you¡¯re going to do next. Maybe rebuild the shop?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Lou said, sighing. ¡°I¡¯ve got enough saved up that it¡¯s not going to hurt me any to take some time to think.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve got some thinking to do, too,¡± Alice said, fiddling with her cup. ¡°I¡¯m out of a job again.¡±

    ¡°I might as well retire,¡± Dorothy said, smiling. ¡°It¡¯s been a good four years, but I¡¯m getting old.¡±

    ¡°Damn it,¡± Slick said. ¡°I just realized. I can¡¯t work with my leg like this.¡±

    Lou started laughing, sounding half insane.

    ¡°Great,¡± she said. ¡°We¡¯re out of work, all of us. Aera¡¯s on a suicide mission. And the military is stalking us. Just great.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t fret,¡± Dorothy said. ¡°It¡¯s in hard times that you find out who you are. This will be good for you, in time.¡±

    ¡°Maybe you¡¯re right,¡± Lou said, sounding glum. ¡°Being an accountant for the band and shop, it¡¯s been hard work, and I¡¯ve been good at it. But, I dunno, it doesn¡¯t feel right for me.¡±

    ¡°What would you want to do?¡± Dorothy asked.

    ¡°Hell if I know,¡± Lou said.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll figure it out,¡± Alice said, smiling, then looked over at Slick. ¡°Slick, are you doing alright? You¡¯re looking a little pale.¡±

    ¡°I think the meds are starting to wear off a little,¡± he said. ¡°My leg¡¯s hurting again.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s getting late. Maybe we should go back to my place,¡± Alice said. ¡°Lou? Do you want to stay with me? I¡¯ve got the couch.¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± Lou said. ¡°Beats a hotel, and I¡¯m sure as hell not going back to the house anytime soon.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Dorothy, for having us over,¡± Slick said.

    ¡°Anytime,¡± Dorothy said. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure talking with you all. Take care of yourselves, and don¡¯t hesitate to give me a call if you need anything.¡±

    ¡°Will do,¡± Lou said.

    Lou and Alice worked together to help Slick to his feet, and get him set up with the crutches. He wasn¡¯t used to them yet, and was very awkward in his movements. They said their final farewells, took some cookies at Dorothy¡¯s insistence, and called a taxi, since Lou¡¯s truck was still at the house.

    When they arrived, Alice went to unlock the door while Lou helped Slick out of the car. While she was standing, ready to catch him if he stumbled, Alice opened her door.

    She screamed.

    Lou ran over as fast as her legs could move, shoving past Alice to see what had so frightened her.

    Aera was on the floor, not moving.

    ¡°Oh Jesus in Heaven,¡± Alice said, clutching her hands to her heart. ¡°Is she dead, Lou?¡±

    ¡°Probably not, if she got here on her own,¡± Lou said, moving over to Aera¡¯s side. ¡°Alice, you take care of Slick, okay? I¡¯ve got this.¡±

    Lou didn¡¯t know much about first aid or emergencies, but breathing and a heartbeat were sure signs of life. She leaned her face in next to Aera¡¯s mouth, and felt a breeze.

    ¡°She¡¯s alive,¡± Lou said. ¡°She¡¯s breathing.¡±

    Lou had never seen a living person with that color before. She¡¯d never seen a dead person, either, but some gut part of her insisted that this was what dead people looked like.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Slick said, from the door. ¡°Oh, fuck.¡±

    ¡°Help me move her to the couch,¡± Lou said. ¡°Slick, sit down and stay out of the way.¡±

    As Lou and Alice pulled on Aera, she began to stir.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m¡­¡± she mumbled.

    ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± Lou said.

    Aera struggled to sit up, and her body started shaking.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she said, her voice scarcely more than a whisper.

    ¡°Fine, my ass,¡± Slick said from his chair. ¡°You look like death gave up on his job.¡±

    ¡°Mere overexertion,¡± Aera said, with a faint hint of a smile. ¡°I used too much magic, that is all.¡±

    ¡°This is what happens when you use too much magic?¡± Alice asked, horrified.

    Aera slowly dragged herself to the couch, and sat there gingerly.

    ¡°I confess, I was close to a lethal level of overexertion,¡± Aera said blithely, as though it were insignificant, making Lou¡¯s blood boil in frustration. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize how much force five Tommy guns would exert.¡±

    ¡°Five Tommy guns,¡± Slick repeated, while Alice¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°What the hell happened, Aera?¡±

    ¡°I found out where¡­ where¡­¡± she said, starting to sway from side to side. ¡°Buddy, he has a butcher shop. The patient at the hospital. Asked¡­¡±

    With a slow blink, she fell to her side on the couch, and started snoring.

    ¡°Aera?¡± Slick asked tentatively.

    Aera startled and looked around in confusion.

    ¡°I¡¯m here,¡± she said, dragging herself back to a sitting position, trying to look all formal and regal. ¡°Sorry. Sleepy.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, maybe you should rest,¡± Lou said.

    ¡°Need to tell you what happened,¡± Aera said, yawning and starting to sway again.

    She told them, speaking calmly, once again driving Lou mad. She just refused to take her own well being seriously. The story was punctuated by a few more instances of her passing out, but it didn¡¯t seem to be doing her any harm.

    The only time Aera seemed emotionally invested was when she said that she¡¯d found out that the mob had been paid by someone in the government, which she assumed was Pash.

    During one of Aera¡¯s unconscious moments, the phone rang. Alice went to get it.

    ¡°Hello? Oh! Hello, sir. Yes, sir. That¡¯s right. Oh, they¡¯re right here. Oh, that¡¯d be fine, of course. No, no, it¡¯s not too late. You¡¯re welcome, sir.¡±

    ¡°Who was that?¡± Slick asked, as she hung up the phone.

    ¡°Detective O¡¯Brien,¡± Alice said. ¡°He¡¯s coming by to ask some questions.¡±

    ¡°For the love of¡­¡± Lou said, groaning. ¡°Right now? Look at Aera! That¡¯s not exactly easy to miss!¡±

    ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t want to say no to the police,¡± Alice said uneasily.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, whatever,¡± Lou said, putting her head in her hands. ¡°Maybe we¡¯ll throw a blanket over Aera or something.¡±

    ¡°Blankets are nice¡­¡± Aera slurred out, vaguely conscious again.

    ¡°Maybe getting the rest of the story first would be a good idea,¡± Lou said, giving Aera a sideways look.

    After a poke, Aera resumed speaking, more or less. Halfway through telling the others about pretending to be drunk to the taxi driver, there was a knock on the door.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get it,¡± Lou said, tossing a blanket onto Aera.

    ¡°It¡¯s my apartment,¡± Alice muttered as Lou went for the door.

    A very tired looking Detective O¡¯Brien was at the door.

    ¡°Good evening, Ms. Williams,¡± he said. ¡°May I come in?¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± she said, moving back into the sitting room.

    ¡°Ms. Koryn, are you alright?¡± he asked, looking startled as he took her in.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she said, trying vaguely to smile.

    Lou rubbed her forehead, realizing that Aera hadn¡¯t been conscious for the part where she was supposed to be asleep under the blanket.

    ¡°You¡¯re shaking,¡± he said. ¡°Perhaps you need to see a doctor.¡±

    ¡°I just need rest,¡± she said, her voice slightly slurred.

    ¡°If you say so,¡± he said dubiously.

    He shook his head a little, bringing himself back to his job.

    ¡°I did have a few questions I wanted to ask,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you all here; makes my job easier.¡±

    ¡°What do you want to know?¡± Lou asked.

    ¡°First, do any of you remember anything more about what happened last night?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Nope,¡± Lou said.

    Slick shook his head, and Aera smiled hazily, clearly on the verge of passing out yet again.

    ¡°A second issue came up today,¡± he said. ¡°Did any of you go to a butcher shop on Main street this morning?¡±

    ¡°We went to our friend Dorothy¡¯s,¡± Lou said. ¡°Went there straight after the hospital. Didn¡¯t do no shopping. Why? Something happen?¡±

    O¡¯Brien was giving her a quizzical look, like he had a feeling something was off.

    ¡°Can¡¯t talk about it at the moment,¡± he said. ¡°But I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll see it in the papers. If none of you have anything to add¡­¡±

    His gaze passed over everyone in the room, but no one spoke. For a moment, the only sound was Aera snoring lightly.

    ¡°Ms. Williams,¡± he said, locking his gaze on Lou again, making her abruptly uneasy. ¡°I want you to know that no matter what is going on here, the Boston police have your back.¡±

    ¡°I hear you,¡± she said, tightening up, which seemed to confirm something for O¡¯Brien.

    ¡°You still have my number?¡± he asked, going a little closer to her.

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± she said.

    ¡°That number is for my office,¡± he said. ¡°If I¡¯m not in, someone will take a message for me. There¡¯s nothing you have to be afraid of. I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re dealing with, but whatever it is, remember that there¡¯s good people out there. Alright?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± she said, unable to meet his gaze.

    ¡°Thank you for speaking to me,¡± he said. ¡°I hope to hear from you soon. G¡¯day, everyone.¡±

    With that, Lou let him out of the apartment and sighed wistfully. She just looked at the door for a long minute before turning to look at the others.

    ¡°Let¡¯s figure out how we¡¯re going to sleep tonight,¡± she said. ¡°We¡¯ll talk in the morning.¡±

    ------------

    The next morning, Aera still wouldn¡¯t wake up for more than a few minutes at a time. Lou forced her to drink some water and eat some food before she passed out again. At least her color was better.

    The headlines of the paper weren¡¯t so great.

    ¡°The Boston Butcher Butchered in Butcher Shop.¡±

    ¡°Someone has a sick sense of humor,¡± Slick muttered as he read the headline.

    ¡°What the¡­¡± Lou muttered as she continued reading. ¡°Buddy and the girl were dead. Didn¡¯t Aera say both of them were okay?¡±

    ¡°She did,¡± Alice said. ¡°Let me see, Lou.¡±

    ¡°One sec,¡± Lou said, and Alice huffily looked over her shoulder. ¡°It doesn¡¯t say anything about why they¡¯re dead, other than being shot like the other four. Aera¡¯s going to be pissed.¡±

    ¡°They think it¡¯s a shooter,¡± Alice said.

    ¡°Obviously they think it¡¯s a shooter,¡± Lou said. ¡°The mobsters were shot to death.¡±

    ¡°Anything weird in the paper?¡± Slick asked.

    ¡°Some people said they thought they saw someone come out of the shop, injured,¡± Lou said. ¡°But it¡¯s been written off as fanciful imagination, since there wasn¡¯t any blood anywhere except for the mobsters.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± Alice said. ¡°But who killed Buddy and the girl?¡±

    ¡°Fuck,¡± Lou said, burying her face in her arms. ¡°Let¡¯s just go with that.¡±

    -------------

    I awoke that afternoon with a monstrous headache. It took me an hour or so to get properly back on my feet, now that a desperate need to survive was no longer driving me.

    The others were anxious, and gradually they told me of the events I¡¯d missed. I vaguely remembered O¡¯Brien coming over, but not much else. Apparently he¡¯d convinced Lou that he was onto us.

    Hearing that Buddy and the girl were dead struck a deep chord in me. It was my fault. I assumed that Pash, or one of Pash¡¯s men, had killed them. But they had died because of me.

    ¡°I think this solidifies our position,¡± I said quietly. ¡°We are out of options. I can do no more than weak spells, most likely for several days. This was a trap of some sort - perhaps merely for information gathering. If he sets another, we are lost.¡±

    Lou tried to glare at me, but it didn¡¯t have the intensity she usually had.

    ¡°Aera, I am not going to stand by while you just surrender yourself to the sort of person who would do something like this,¡± she said.

    ¡°Then we need help,¡± I said. ¡°I cannot protect us from him. None of us know any other options.¡±

    ¡°Who could we talk to?¡± Alice said. ¡°We can¡¯t go to the police¡­¡±

    ¡°O¡¯Brien seems like a straight guy,¡± Slick said.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe we¡¯re talking about this,¡± Lou said. ¡°We have to keep this under wraps. We know this.¡±

    ¡°We are also out of options,¡± I said. ¡°Were Alice¡¯s home to be attacked like ours was, we would die, as it stands.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ the police?¡± Lou said, anxious. ¡°You hear stories about them¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know about the police, as a whole,¡± I said. ¡°But Slick is correct. Lieutenant Detective O¡¯Brien¡­ he is trustworthy.¡±

    ¡°How do you know?¡± Alice asked.

    ¡°I¡­¡± I said, looking away and blushing. ¡°I¡­ made an error. When O¡¯Brien first visited us, I glanced at his soul. He is a good man. He could be trusted to do the right thing.¡±

    ¡°What if he thinks the right thing to do is to reveal you?¡± Alice asked.

    ¡°Then let it be over with,¡± I said, feeling exhausted. ¡°Let this be done. We should speak with him, hear his advice, and if he believes I should surrender, then I shall.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re serious, Aera?¡± Lou asked quietly.

    ¡°I know when I am outmatched,¡± I said, my voice as low as Lou¡¯s. ¡°I cannot win this game. If we let things stand, we will lose, and possibly cost your lives.¡±

    We were all quiet for a moment. Lou looked at Slick first.

    ¡°You saw how she was, after yesterday,¡± he said. ¡°Maybe she¡¯s right. Maybe we¡¯re over our heads.¡±

    Lou looked at Alice next.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want any part of this,¡± she said. ¡°I don¡¯t know the right thing to do. But maybe O¡¯Brien does.¡±

    Lou looked at me.

    ¡°You¡¯re sure about this, Aera?¡± she asked.

    ¡°We talk to him or Pash,¡± I said. ¡°Either way, we cannot do this on our own.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± Lou said, looking defeated. ¡°I¡¯ll call him. We¡¯ll¡­ we¡¯ll see how this goes.¡±

 Bonus Chapter 3 - Ice and Fire

    ¡°I believe that concludes the negotiation,¡± Jax said smoothly to the wrinkled old king.

    ¡°Can you be certain of your success?¡± the man asked.

    ¡°The negotiations would not be complete if I were unsure,¡± Jax said. ¡°I have heard of this Fire Dancer¡¯s reputation, and she will fail.¡±

    ¡°But her power¡­¡±

    ¡°Have I been unclear in some fashion?¡± Jax asked, the faint smile that almost always touched his face slipping away.

    ¡°The lives of my children are at stake,¡± the king said. ¡°You need not attempt to intimidate me for my thoroughness.¡±

    ¡°You have made an offer, and I have accepted,¡± Jax said, beginning to feel annoyed. ¡°The offer was made to me, because of your knowledge of my competence. I see no reason to waste time with senseless prattle. I will have your word on your fulfillment of the agreement, and then I will leave.¡±

    ¡°Very well, then,¡± the king said. ¡°You have my word. Go, then, and may the gods show favor on you.¡±

    Jax felt no need to respond, and turned to leave. Were it not for the need for peaceful relations with the countries in which he worked, along with resources, he¡¯d never waste time with politicians.

    The cool spring breeze felt nice on his skin, as he teleported back to the entrance of his tower. He preferred to walk in, rather than have a weakness in his security network that could theoretically be exploited. Teleporting into his home wasn¡¯t necessary.

    At thirty stories tall, it wasn¡¯t yet done. Still, even now, it was a marvel of stone and wood. To the naked eye, it looked almost humble - no larger around than a usual house, and with virtually no decoration. It was plain, and entirely functional.

    To a mage¡¯s eye, however¡­

    It shone with glorious, breathtaking splendor. The enchantments wove and danced in a display that would catch the eye of even the gods, were any inclined to look at it.

    Which was why the surface enchantment was designed to hide the tower from the gods. They could bypass it, if they noticed¡­ but of course, that was the point.

    He wanted no unnecessary attention.

    A few commands left his mind as he entered the tower, and a flurry of servants fluttered about to provide him what he needed. None had any sort of mind, and all were unique, experimental creations - after all, why bother making the same thing twice? Better to forever push the boundaries of the possible.

    Despite the cavalier confidence he¡¯d demonstrated to the king, he was taking this mysterious Fire Dancer very seriously. Many of the stories were obviously exaggerated, and there was a great deal of contradictory information. The only thing he could be certain of was that she was an exceptionally powerful spellcaster who favored Flamus.

    He couldn¡¯t even know for sure she was truly from the Fire Dancer clan. They were known for executing any members who deviated from the clan¡¯s leadership, which begged the question of how a rogue or exile of that clan could even exist.

    He decided to bring some of his finest offensive and defensive enchantments. Hopefully, he wouldn¡¯t have to use them.

    A mere day later, he waited in hiding at the castle, ready to act.

    It was a beautiful landscape. Rolling hills, a fine piece of architecture in the form of a castle, forests serenely casting their shade just south. One could get lost in the view.

    And then another work of art appeared.

    Jax couldn¡¯t help but sigh in appreciation. She was deadly, dangerous, and said to be utterly insane, but she was beautiful.

    As planned, he activated the teleportation enchantment, to evacuate the heirs. Now that she¡¯d arrived, he could track her, and any attempt to follow the heirs would result in his retaliation.

    To his disappointment, she didn¡¯t seem to notice that her targets were gone. In fact, he didn¡¯t even feel a probe into the castle.

    She just started blasting.

    His admiration of her power turned bittersweet at the senseless destruction. The raw force unleashed on that castle would strain even his best work. He couldn¡¯t protect it from her.

    Strange, though, that the orbs and streams of flame were fueled with anger. Strange, too, that the emotion within the magic was so blatantly visible. Wasn¡¯t this a mercenary attack? From the taste of her magic, he¡¯d have sworn it was personal.

    Had the king lied to him? He frowned. He¡¯d not noticed any deception, and neither had there been any tampering on the king¡¯s mind. Not that the king knew he¡¯d looked, of course.

    Her anger seemed to be heightening. She was looking for something, after all.

    Spellcasters, he realized. She¡¯d reacted significantly, with hope followed by disappointment, when she¡¯d noticed some healers fleeing the devastated landscape.

    At least she¡¯d not destroyed the little orchard in which he was hiding. She was looking for spellcasters¡­ could she be looking for him, personally?

    He disregarded the thought after a moment. It didn¡¯t seem likely.

    There was no sense being upset at the damage that had been done. He was curious, and so he would watch her work.

    Absolutely magnificent. Her control of Flamus was achingly smooth, making him feel a pang of envy. The power, too, one would only expect from the gods themselves. He hadn¡¯t been able to see her body yet, but the wreath of fire around her was nothing short of extraordinary.

    Perhaps she truly was a Fire Dancer.

    Her anger seemed to die down to a simmer, and he took the chance to try to examine the emotion. He didn¡¯t have a chance of seeing her soul, not with the sheer amount of magic around her, but the emotion within her spells was so tangible he couldn¡¯t resist.

    It was a righteous anger. She believed that she was doing the right thing.

    He frowned at that. It was a good sign, ultimately, but it made her monstrous reputation rather curious. He had a certain weakness to curiosity.

    She slowed in her aggressive display, and began to scan the area more closely. He held his void shielding steady. He could flee, but he wanted to see what she was up to.

    A wave of power washed over him, but most casters still wouldn¡¯t notice void shielding¡­

    Ah. She¡¯d seen him. Awareness flooded her magic.

    A shame.

    A handful of little orbs containing a flurry of powerful offensive spells fell from his hand and released a month¡¯s worth of magic in a scant second.

    The attacks were homing, spread out to attack from multiple sides, and designed to pierce virtually any barrier¡­ but she dodged.

    He couldn¡¯t help but smile in admiration. The grasp of Flamus that she had¡­ it was beautiful. To use the element of change to fundamentally shatter any spellcaster¡¯s grasp on active spells in her vicinity was truly magnificent. Once her burst of magic began, his offensive spell was no longer under his control, and therefore could be dodged by ordinary means. Even so, the attack was fast enough that most spellcasters wouldn¡¯t have a chance, and yet she dodged as though it were easy.

    ¡°Come and face me!¡± her voice yelled out, mixing delight, excitement, and challenge into a unified melody.

    I think not, he thought to himself wryly.

    Time to leave.

    Another enchantment popped into his hand, and he activated it, putting him hundreds of yards away from her. Hopefully, she¡¯d see that he had access to teleportation, and would give up the chase, instead of forcing him to use his best resources.

    He sighed as she released a wave of magic in his direction, tinged with amusement, of all things. What was he to her? A toy?

    The first few layers of defensive enchantments actually crumbled beneath the force of the blast and he staggered back. The amount of power she casually threw around was a mix of obscene and magnificent.

    His eyes widened as she did something that, for most spellcasters, was almost standard, but unnerving, from her - she began to draw her power forth, so as to amplify its might.

    If that wave was just her playfully flinging magic around¡­

    He didn¡¯t want to kill her, but he couldn¡¯t permit this attack to land. Nothing he had could withstand a focused assault, if what he¡¯d already seen was any indication.

    Somewhat begrudgingly, he pulled out one of his finer pieces. And then impulsively pulled out a common one. If he was going to be using space-time magic on her anyway, he might as well take a gamble on her survival.

    Lum - glorious Lum, the element of the very foundation of existence - hummed within the fabric of reality itself. Using his own magic with speed, precision, and utmost caution, he anchored his location. Next he delicately encased her in an anchor. The magic she wielded was so intense that he couldn¡¯t affect reality within several feet of her, but he could take the entire area around her, with her in it. The fun thing about space-time type teleportation was that unless one were specifically focusing on space-time, it cannot be resisted by any conventional means.

    He scarcely had a second to spare. Almost as soon as his ¡°bubble¡± was in place, the wild fury of her magic was en route. He activated the enchantment that he¡¯d primed, and experienced the usual disorientation from this sort of teleportation.

    He couldn¡¯t help but grin at the look on her face when she¡¯d realized they¡¯d switched places.

    He wondered if she¡¯d notice that he¡¯d used the opportunity to drop a tracking enchantment on her.

    In any case, he was relieved to see that she¡¯d not been killed by her own attack, but rather, had used another excellent display of skill in recapturing the magic, sending her flying away at dizzying speeds. This should, ideally, give him enough time for a proper, long distance teleportation spell.

    He had more than enough time, as it happened. He waited with the spell primed, too curious to simply leave quite yet.

    ¡°Taste the true might of Flamus,¡± she said, her voice echoing across the distance, every whisper of her being glowing with euphoria.

    He also couldn¡¯t help but notice the fact that she wielded a true fireball in her hands. It was almost beautiful enough to make him want to stay, to see it in action.

    Almost.

    As she charged towards him, a phoenix in all but flesh, he released the teleportation spell.

    At a hundred miles away, she would certainly not pursue him. He relaxed and started doing some repair work on the enchantments that had buckled under her attack. One of his better barrier defenses had taken such a beating that if it wasn¡¯t fixed in the next few minutes, it¡¯d be irreparable.

    As he began to focus on the intricate patterns, he abruptly noticed a wisp of spirit, touched by Flamus.

    Was she¡­?

    He expanded his senses back towards where he¡¯d fought the firedancer. To his mixed admiration and displeasure, she was blazing towards him at nearly five times the speed of sound.

    A sigh slipped from him as he put away the barrier enchantment and pulled out another of the precious teleports. He activated it, reaching its max range. This time, he kept an eye on her, to see if she followed him again.

    It didn¡¯t take her long to discover his new location and change course. He wasn¡¯t sure how exactly she intended to deal with him after she arrived - surely, burning through this much magic would exhaust her eventually.

    At least she was easy to spot, with that much raw power pouring out.

    Annoyed at the loss, he took out a third teleportation enchantment, and slipped away again.

    Finally, she gave up the pursuit.

    He managed to salvage some of his damaged enchantments, and then began to return home to his tower, at a much more sustainable rate.

    His mind kept returning to her, as he worked. Envy, appreciation, admiration, and no small measure of frustration plagued him.

    With power like hers, the things he could do would be incredible. He¡¯d never seen a mortal spellcaster with that much raw magic.

    He¡¯d been a prodigy in enchantment work, but no better than average in terms of strength. Still reasonably young, at fifty years old, his enchantments were showcases of efficiency more than anything else. Skilled though he was, he continually had to give up on more ambitious projects due to a lack of strength.

    What heights could he raise to, with someone like that at his side?

    Thoughts of her and her power plagued him into the night.

    He had to learn more about her.

    This infatuation was unwise and distracting. He¡¯d find out something about her character that was repulsive, as had always happened before, and then these obsessive thoughts would leave him.

    He wouldn¡¯t be able to get any work done, otherwise.

    Disappointed in his own inability to drop the matter, he begrudgingly gathered a number of enchantments he felt would be specifically useful against her. He knew that he should take days, at least, to prepare to chase her, but he found himself impatient.

    She hadn¡¯t discovered the tracking enchantment he¡¯d placed on her, and so he was able to go directly to her location without effort. He kept invisible and under a haze of void magic again, to keep from being detected by anything except a focused attempt.

    Her anger was palpable from a mile away. She was grilling some mundane about false information, and her emotions were a tangled mess. Jax tightened his jaw. If she had so little ability to suss out the proper use of her power, then she was even more dangerous than she seemed.

    She needs someone like me to direct her, he thought.

    He chastised himself for the thought.

    She most likely needs to be destroyed, he corrected himself, ignoring the pang in his chest at the idea of destroying such a magnificent work of art. She almost certainly cannot be trusted with power of that magnitude.

    Her conversation had progressed to taking information from the mundane¡¯s mind. To Jax¡¯s relief, she took the matter quite seriously. He couldn¡¯t help but smile at her rage when she saw the mundane had been tampered with. Somehow, being angry for such a good reason was incredibly endearing.

    Her rage induced murder of him, regardless of her judgement of his soul, was a little less endearing.

    There¡¯s your reason, you infatuated buffoon, he thought to himself. That¡¯s enough reason to discard her. She murders too freely.

    But look at the guilt in her heart, another part of his mind replied. She is torn, tormented, wild. It isn¡¯t a lack of a heart, it¡¯s a lack of focus.

    His argument with himself continued until she noticed his void magic.

    All parts of him completely agreed with the idea of getting the hell away from her.

    He activated the teleportation enchantment again, seeking his destination, when a surge of magic from her disrupted his efforts.

    Disruption, from someone I¡¯d decided was lacking in subtle skills? he thought, distracted from his work by another surge of admiration.

    Sighing, he focused his efforts on blending into her disruption wave, weaving through it to find a spot to teleport to. His range would be wretched with that effect, but at least he¡¯d get far enough away to buy some time.

    This time, he was going to sit down and prepare some better escape enchantments. He had a feeling it wouldn¡¯t be long before she stopped his ability to teleport entirely.

    After a week, he couldn¡¯t stand to work anymore. He had to find her again.

    Carefully, he approached the tracking enchantment on her, keeping his distance. He found her in a run down shack a short distance away from a little village. He couldn¡¯t understand why she¡¯d live in a place like that, with power like she had.

    She was incautious in that village. One would think she had no magic at all - she seemed utterly defenseless.

    She bound her hair, dirtied her face, and simply relaxed. Jax was astounded to see her laughing and playing with the children with as much passion and energy as she¡¯d spent trying to question the mundane, and to kill him. She played tag with a wild fervor, acting as though she were really trying to move quickly, at a child¡¯s running pace, when she could outrun the wind by an order of magnitude.

    To his delight, she put no barriers on her spirit, letting her soul be ¡°seen¡± by anyone who glanced her way. He studied it intensely, soaking up every scrap of insight he could glean. Her emotions were a strange tangle. He watched in fascination as a desire for peace warred with a desire to act, as she ached for joy and purpose in unison.

    For three days he watched her, including as she slept. During that time, he integrated the tracking enchantment, to make it even harder to detect. Unless she knew what she was looking for, it¡¯d look like a natural part of her own spirit.

    When she was awake, she acted as though she were a weak caster, and did favors for the townsfolk regularly. She asked for nothing but food and drink in return. She¡¯d also hunt her own meals, as well, reducing even that small burden.

    At the end of those three days, the desire to act had made her impatient, antsy, and anxious. She couldn¡¯t remain. She said loving farewells to the townsfolk, the children especially, and headed off.

    It was when she arrived at her destination, beginning to act like the wild storm of magic that she was, that she again examined her surroundings magically.

    When she found him that time, he hesitated. He felt a desire to talk to her, though he knew it would be foolishness. But if she didn¡¯t charge him¡­

    Alas. Her excited frenzy forced his hand, and he tore past her attempts to stop him from fleeing.

    The next several times he followed her, he managed to avoid her attention. This obsession was rooting deeper in his heart, as he kept finding things that he admired in her. Such a strange blend of characteristics - both gentle and vicious, passionate and peaceful, loving and murderous.

    One note in her soul particularly compelled him. There was an ache in her. Like loneliness, except not for a person - she needed something. As the months slowly passed, that ache kept growing stronger, and he could see it slowly tearing at her soul. He hadn¡¯t the faintest idea what it was.

    He kept trying to convince himself to drop this infatuation, that he didn¡¯t have time to take in a pet, no matter how extraordinary she was. He had a vision, and this was slowing him down.

    Still, no matter how he tried, he couldn¡¯t stop thinking about her. Around three months into his obsessive stalking, he decided to take a different approach.

    The islands of the Fire Dancer clan were hard to get to, mostly due to the fact that the failures of their strange ¡°ascension¡± process were driven to insanity, and permitted to guard the outskirts of their territory. These failures were nothing but raw magic and a desire to act, embodying the core of Flamus, but with no mind to guide that action.

    Jax was amused at the fact that he had an easy time getting in, having been stalking and dodging Selina for months.

    It was a week of careful, respectful, and polite inquiry before he was permitted to discuss with one of the clan elders.

    Once he mentioned that he knew Selina, the elder had to disguise his pain, but didn¡¯t guard his soul well enough to block Jax¡¯s senses. Her loss had hurt their clan dearly. Jax¡¯s curiosity grew.

    Selina had been the hope of the clan - she¡¯d possessed unprecedented talent with Flamus. She¡¯d been half mad before the ascension process had even begun, and it was hoped that her natural affinity for thinking and acting in ways so fundamentally aligned with magic, with Flamus in particular, that she would be able to achieve a new height of power.

    The clan was opposed to the pantheon of gods, and had hoped to forge a new method to achieve godhood. Jax was disappointed in this, realizing the lack of understanding they had of what the gods were, but was honestly impressed by what they¡¯d achieved.

    In a sense, Selina was barely human at all. She was the latest in a long line of strange breeding, trying to create a race of human that possessed uniquely intense potential with magic. Balancing inbreeding problems with amplified potential was an unending challenge, and Selina had demonstrated truly incredible luck.

    Unfortunately - for them - Selina had no interest in becoming breeding stock. She was, as someone who succeeded in their ritual, one of the ¡°Flame¡¯s Heart,¡± and would have been worshipped as a goddess, but not permitted to leave. Most of the ¡°Flame¡¯s Heart¡± individuals were so enamored with their own magic, and so easily distracted, that they were easy to pacify, as long as nothing provoked their anger.

    Selina had proven impossible to contain. She wasn¡¯t the only one¡­ but she was the only one who¡¯d also proven impossible to kill.

    Jax was fascinated to find that the only reason they weren¡¯t hunting her down and trying to capture or kill her even now was that the only ones who could were also Flame¡¯s Heart. Which meant they weren¡¯t allowed to leave.

    He stayed for a time, learning more about this unusual process. They didn¡¯t especially want to share their knowledge, but his enchantments were too fantastic to pass up. They¡¯d focused so heavily on Flamus that they lacked massively in a large number of ways, and couldn¡¯t trade much due to the consequences of their obsession with isolation.

    Jax left the island after nearly a month with a troubled mind and a heavy heart.

    For the next while, as he watched her, he focused on the tangle of emotions that she wore on her sleeve. A sorrow was there, building in her. Her control of Flamus was growing more chaotic. She still had the intuitive control that she¡¯d gained from the Flame¡¯s Heart ritual, but it was as though her mind was beginning to fall apart.

    It was painful to watch. Jax wasn¡¯t entirely sure why it bothered him as much as it did. Something about the idea of a work of art of this caliber breaking down was tearing at him. His obsession continued to grow.

    She gained a lead, about five months since their initial meeting, leading her into an isolationist nation. Shortly after her arrival at the border, a divine avatar greeted her.

    Jax was initially frozen at this. Skilled though he was, he wanted absolutely nothing to do with the gods, and preferred to be unnoticed by them. He felt a flicker of magic in his direction that made it uncomfortably clear that the avatar had noticed him.

    He held his breath, waiting to see what the avatar would do, but it gave no visual sign of its observation. Curious. He slipped a little closer, and the avatar still paid him no heed.

    The conversation she had with it was extraordinary. She casually threatened the god Auloman, and in practically the same breath, was offered a position in the pantheon. No minor role, either - as the actual god of death.

    Jax was flabbergasted at how cavalier she was on the subject. He could see in her spirit that this was no bluff, no artifice.

    Then the avatar mentioned that she was dying.

    Jax¡¯s heart froze.

    Why am I feeling like this? It¡¯s just an obsession. Mere infatuation. This is nothing. She is nothing.

    Lies, he realized with a pang. He¡¯d been lying to himself.

    Her death was a potential that must not be permitted to come.

    A slow smile came to his face and he hung his head in surrender as he realized the obvious. He¡¯d been so taken with her that he¡¯d not examined his own heart at all.

    He¡¯d fallen in love.

    At that realization, the world seemed to sweep away from him. A vision of intense beauty filled his mind.

    His skill with magic, blending with her might. His calm, against her passion. His purpose, with her need to act.

    He could fulfil her. And she¡­

    Desire lashed at him with such strength that it seemed pure pain.

    The idea of her being in love with him¡­

    He had been so focused on his dream of a world free of gods and monsters that he¡¯d not ever permitted himself to acknowledge how lonely it was. The idea of someone standing at his side, someone worthy of the sort of power his dream would grant... Someone who would turn down the position of a god, because she only cared for doing the right thing. Someone who would live in poverty, without the faintest resentment, so that she could know peace and joy with others.

    He¡¯d need to work on her temper issues, but aside from that¡­

    His vision, his dream, his purpose in life shifted within him. She, Selina, was a part of this future. She must be. She would love him, as he loved her.

    It was the only reality that he would accept.

    The avatar went on to say that what she needed to survive was a purpose. He would be her purpose. He, and his vision.

    She noticed him.

    He ached, bound in place by emotions he could scarcely understand. But she didn¡¯t charge.

    Instead, she continued to have a remarkably disrespectful conversation with a divine avatar, but this time, about him. Jax vaguely made a displeased note that, apparently, the gods did know about him.

    He watched, in bemused discomfort, as she complained about him. She was annoyed at this stalking. He decided he wouldn¡¯t do it again, in that moment. He should leave. Probably now.

    He couldn¡¯t quite seem to find the will to turn away, enraptured by her, imagining her smiling at him.

    She told the avatar she was going to chase him, and then charged.

    Begrudgingly, but swiftly, he fled for his life.

    He couldn¡¯t let her catch him. He would prove himself her equal. He had to.

    Three days later, as he was using up some of the last of his emergency stores, she finally backed off.

    That was far too close.

    He returned to his tower and schemed. Days turned into weeks, and her absence felt like fire burning him. He wanted to see her, but this was no longer an excuse of a scholarly study of magic. He was not, and would not be, a stalker. Now that he loved her, that he¡¯d realized the obvious¡­

    He had to show her only the utmost of respect.

    He considered all that¡¯d he¡¯d learned of her, these last months. Her personality, her passions, her values. He thought about what caused her to act, what caused her to be passive.

    In particular, he considered the fact that she only acted with hostility in a few situations. One, when angry and feeling betrayed - that was the worst of her wrath. Two, when she felt that violence was necessary to solve a problem, such as when she believed there was evil that needed to be eradicated. She¡¯d destroyed quite a few monsters in the last months, and was prone to overkill. By¡­ rather disturbing degrees.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    Those, however, were fueled by anger and the desire to help, respectively. Neither applied to her hostility towards him.

    Actually, she didn¡¯t seem hostile to him anymore. It was delight she expressed, more than anything else. She didn¡¯t particularly regard him as a person, so much as something to test herself against. She wanted to fight him again, to prove herself superior to him.

    He smiled as he realized¡­ her issue was that she saw him too much as an equal.

    It really was quite convenient that she left her soul so unguarded. Some would consider it prying to examine an unguarded soul, but he was never one to turn away accessible information. As far as he could tell, she¡¯d never do such a thing, but he was certain she¡¯d get over his prying.

    He considered the things that she had proven she valued, over these months. Honesty. Bravery. Confidence. Power. Trust. He could use that.

    But it wasn¡¯t enough to just see him as an equal, in a non hostile way. He wanted¡­ needed¡­ intimacy.

    He had to stand before her as naked as she stood before the world¡­ and invite her to see his soul. Perhaps in a playful way, since she seemed to find serious things annoying.

    A plan came together in his mind. If he had judged her correctly, it should work perfectly. If not¡­

    There was no ¡°if not.¡± It would work. He had studied her. She would be his. He was already hers.

    Six months to the day they¡¯d met, he sought her out again. He kept at a distance, waiting for a good opportunity.

    Longing flooded him as his eyes found her. She was so beautiful.

    She was feeling melancholy that day, as she wandered the forest. Intelligent beasts avoided her, perceiving her power, though a few dumb, hungry brutes thought she looked tasty. Jax tried not to laugh out loud at the fact that this didn¡¯t even seem to register in her mood.

    Near the afternoon, as she sat on a tree stump and admired the beauty of the forest, he decided it was time.

    Activating a teleportation enchantment, he crossed the several mile gap, and appeared behind her.

    She turned instantly.

    ¡°You,¡± she said, surprised. ¡°No void magic this time?¡±

    She looked suspicious, but he only smiled.

    ¡°What do you want with me?¡± she asked.

    To hold you in my arms for the rest of eternity.

    He waited, instead, for her nerves to settle. As soon as she looked like she wasn¡¯t on the edge of attacking, he took a cautious step forward.

    She flared like a mighty phoenix, and his heart ached to see it. Flames danced around her, encasing her in majesty. Still, though, he¡¯d sparked her curiosity with his unusual approach, and as predicted, she didn¡¯t attack.

    He held out his staff to the side, and after making sure it had caught her attention, he cast it away. Her jaw dropped in a hilarious display of shock, and he suppressed another laugh as he took a second step towards her.

    She stared at him, appraising, as he slowly took off his gauntlets. These were cast to the side as he took his third step towards her.

    The open curiosity on her face and in her spirit soothed any unease he¡¯d had. He had judged her correctly.

    With his already extraordinary confidence bolstered, he continued his approach, until he stood before her without any protections or supports whatsoever.

    His soul lay naked before her, as well. But, as predicted, she refused to look. It was honestly adorable.

    ¡°What is this?¡± she asked, with a cute frown. ¡°What are you trying to do?¡±

    Make you mine, magnificent creature.

    ¡°You know I could kill you, right?¡± she said, puffing out her chest.

    It was very hard not to smile at that. She could have killed him with his full array of enchantments, let alone now.

    ¡°I¡¯m not to be trifled with,¡± she said, with a frustrated tone.

    This is not a game, my darling. This is my entire world.

    She glared at him for a long moment.

    Magic began to flare from her again as she said, ¡°Whatever this trap is, I¡¯m not falling for it. You attacked me. I¡¯m going to take a look.¡±

    Her spirit gradually encircled him, and he tried not to laugh at her wariness. An outright attack, she felt comfortable. But being open with her? That provoked caution.

    ¡°You don¡¯t fear me?¡± she asked, her jaw agape again. ¡°At all? You¡­ you¡¯re an idiot!¡±

    He felt an acute urge to cup her cheek in his hand.

    Not an idiot, my darling. Just in love. Well, actually, I suppose that does make me a bit of an idiot.

    ¡°No one mocks me. Defend yourself or die,¡± she said, pushing latent frustrations and anger into her spirit, as though he hadn¡¯t already seen them clearly.

    The heat was intense, and he had to use a bit of magic to keep it from charring his skin. But as expected, the flames themselves hadn¡¯t touched him.

    Relief flooded him. He¡¯d not doubted himself, but the proof was nonetheless heartening.

    ¡°You¡¯re laughing at me,¡± she said, sounding flabbergasted, which did not help in his attempt to keep his amusement suppressed. ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re insane.¡±

    I¡¯m the insane one?

    He couldn¡¯t help but raise an eyebrow at that.

    ¡°You attacked me that day. By right of war, I claim access to your mind and soul.¡±

    Interesting. She didn¡¯t quite believe those words. Truly, even under these circumstances, she still felt like it would be wrong to examine his soul?

    She closed the distance between them, and grabbed roughly at his throat.

    It took a great deal of will to hold completely still at the feeling of her skin on his. Even the natural resistance of life was gone from him, as his heart embraced the contact, yearning for more still. He closed his eyes for a moment to steady himself.

    The gasp from her didn¡¯t help, as it set his mind to other ways of eliciting such a sound.

    He focused, and opened his eyes again. He mustn¡¯t flinch at anything, even desire. She required control, and he would demonstrate he had enough for them both.

    Her cheeks were faintly flushed as she gazed at him in fascination.

    ¡°Fine, so it was just a bluff. I don¡¯t have a right to you, I know that. But you should have¡­¡± she hesitated, then glared at him again. ¡°You should have resisted me! Why? Why are you doing this?¡±

    She was close enough for him to feel the warmth of her body. She would see his love, soon.

    ¡°Well, if you¡¯re not going to answer me with words, I will pull it out of you. Let¡¯s play a game, shall we? If you want me to not dig into your mind and soul, resist me with magic, or say something, or¡­ just about anything. Okay?¡±

    This time she reached towards his chest, but without the aggression she¡¯d previously shown towards his throat. The feeling of his heart beating under her hand made him abruptly anxious, as though it would give him away. Which in turn made him want to laugh, since being given away was rather the point of all this.

    Her eyes grew misty as her soul slipped into his. He ached at the intimacy of this connection. He suppressed the urge to kiss her, though he honestly wondered if she¡¯d resist.

    He saw it, the moment she perceived his love. She tried to ignore it, at first, looking deeper at his core nature instead. He saw the way she trembled at seeing his vision. She, who needed a purpose, was seeing the soul of someone who lived and breathed for his ambition.

    She tried to resist her own ache, plainly visible in her unguarded soul, as she gravitated towards him.

    She is mine, and I am hers.

    ¡°Selina,¡± he said, emotion infusing the name. ¡°My name is Jax Koryn. May I have this dance?¡±

    He reached his hand out to her, and for a passing moment, she tried to continue to resist.

    But then, as he knew she would, she surrendered to her own nature. She took his hand, and he kissed it, letting his love for her flow through the connection. She gasped again, and he took a breath, to hold himself steady.

    Music began to play from one of the enchantments he¡¯d cast aside, and she gave him an affronted look, like she¡¯d only just then realized he¡¯d set up this entire moment.

    Still, she offered no resistance as he took the lead in their dance, guiding her in a variation on one of the courtship dances of her own people. As a people who¡¯d taken mass breeding seriously, and were thus rather open sexually, the dance was quite¡­ provocative.

    His body moved against hers, and she groaned as she felt the physical evidence of his desire. She grew more aggressive in the dance, attempting to gain control, but he was able to still her with but a single look.

    He touched her, as the dance permitted. His hand cupped her cheek, his fingers ran through her hair. She, too, touched him to the extent he allowed, and his lust grew exceptionally distracting.

    This was a dance that had several parts, the last of which was supposed to be a public orgy. But he¡¯d made a variation, and ended their dance with the finale of mere courtship.

    As the music slowed to a stop, she was panting with desire. She was ready to push him to the ground and have her way with him on the spot.

    ¡°You never do anything halfway, do you?¡± he murmured, amused.

    ¡°Never,¡± she said. ¡°If you desire me, you¡¯ll learn to accept that.¡±

    ¡°And if you are to have me, glorious phoenix, you¡¯ll need to learn patience,¡± he said.

    ¡°Patience?¡± she said, and huffed. ¡°Ha! Never!¡±

    He smiled.

    ¡°Look into me,¡± he murmured, pressing against her. ¡°See how much I desire you.¡±

    She was startled at the invitation, but she slipped into his soul again and gasped with delight.

    ¡°Mine,¡± she whispered hungrily, pulling his face closer.

    ¡°Not yet,¡± he said, smiling and putting a finger on her lips.

    ¡°What do you mean, ¡®not yet?¡¯¡± she demanded. ¡°We desire each other, and nothing can stand in the way of that.¡±

    It took all he had to suppress a grin, and to resist the temptation to give in. But he had a point to make. He had to temper her, else she¡¯d burn wildly and go elsewhere, as she had done a hundred times before.

    He stepped back as she looked at him in confusion.

    He gestured. All of his enchantments teleported back into place on his body, and her eyes glinted with appreciation at the finesse involved.

    ¡°I will see you soon, my love,¡± he said, and bowed.

    With that, he activated the teleportation enchantment, and disappeared. She knew she couldn¡¯t catch him, so she didn¡¯t bother trying this time.

    Still, he examined her spirit from a distance, and finally let himself laugh, as she was contorted in a rather awkward mix of lust, anger, frustration, and bewilderment.

    The next day, he teleported to her side as she was walking next to a river.

    ¡°You!¡± she said, spluttering as the tangle of emotions returned.

    ¡°Indeed,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯re looking lovely, as always.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ but¡­¡± she said, tripping over herself in utter confusion.

    ¡°Tell me, Selina,¡± he said, still thrilling to the feeling of her name on his lips. ¡°Have you ever been to the Akerash mountains?¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± she began, still spluttering.

    Then she gave up on her confusion, just accepting it, and continued walking. He walked alongside.

    She said, ¡°Not personally.¡±

    ¡°There is a glacier there,¡± he said. ¡°It is exquisite. The shades of blue within its depths are unmatched anywhere else in the world. To see fire such as you, amidst such hues¡­ I can scarcely imagine beauty such as that.¡±

    ¡°Are you inviting me to your homeland?¡± she asked.

    ¡°To take you there would be a joy,¡± he said, smirking at her.

    She tried to frown at him, but couldn¡¯t quite manage it, and laughed instead.

    ¡°You are a bizarre creature,¡± she said.

    ¡°And you are more glorious than the gods themselves,¡± he said. ¡°I would almost think I was outmatched.¡±

    ¡°Almost?¡± she asked archly.

    He smiled at her. She felt the impulse to charge him, to fight him again, but she kept it constrained.

    ¡°It is good to see that you know how to resist desire,¡± he said.

    ¡°You¡¯re looking at my soul?¡± she asked, glaring at him.

    ¡°You leave yourself open for all to see,¡± he replied.

    ¡°That¡¯s rude!¡± she said, crossing her arms.

    ¡°To avert my senses from beauty such as that requires will that not even I possess,¡± he said. ¡°To glimpse it would be worth my life, were I not bound to a purpose.¡±

    ¡°What is your purpose?¡± she asked, distracted from her earlier line of inquiry. The intense curiosity within her was at odds with her feigned casualness.

    ¡°In due time,¡± he said, and she flared up again. ¡°Will you permit me to gaze upon your beauty within the heart of Akerash?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ you¡­¡± she spluttered, then glared at him again. ¡°You. Why do you think you can just up and mess with me?¡±

    He took her hand to his lips and kissed it delicately. She stilled.

    ¡°Because I can,¡± he said. ¡°Join me.¡±

    ¡°I could kill you, you know,¡± she reminded him.

    ¡°A feat that few others in all the world could hope to accomplish,¡± he said. ¡°But you are capable of even more. Join me, Selina.¡±

    ¡°What if I don¡¯t want to play your little game?¡± she asked.

    ¡°But you do,¡± he said.

    ¡°Stop looking at my soul,¡± she grumbled.

    ¡°Do you truly mean that?¡± he asked. ¡°For you, I would be willing, but little else has given me such joy as to gaze upon your heart.¡±

    She blushed at that, looking away.

    ¡°I¡­ I guess there¡¯s no harm in it. Since you¡¯ve seen all of me, anyway,¡± she said. ¡°But it would only be fair for me to have free access to see your soul, too.¡±

    ¡°Be welcome, my love, but also be warned,¡± he said, his smirk growing.

    ¡°Warned?¡± she asked. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°The desire I have for you might drive you mad,¡± he said. ¡°Join me.¡±

    She bit her lip uncertainly, then gave him a wry smile.

    ¡°Fine,¡± she said.

    He¡¯d already set up a series of teleportation beacons, allowing him to seemingly instantaneously bring them to a chosen location. He wrapped her in his magic, and activated the beacons.

    The Akerash mountains were dark, in the last minutes of night. The stars glistened like diamonds over the harsh landscape, and both of the visitors used a trifle of magic to stay warm.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t the mountains thousands of miles away?¡± she asked, stunned, as she looked around. ¡°You never went this far when fleeing me.¡±

    ¡°Preparation makes many impossible things possible,¡± he replied. ¡°Come.¡±

    As he walked, he shed his enchantments again. She eyed him warily.

    ¡°Had this been a bluff, or just a game, I¡¯d have killed you for your impudence,¡± she said.

    ¡°Possibly,¡± he said. ¡°But do recall, my dear, that you turned down the role of death. You needn¡¯t focus on it so heavily. Dawn has almost arrived, and I would have you see it in all its splendor.¡±

    She sighed, shaking her head, as she followed him along the precarious ridge. Soon they reached a cliff that overlooked the glacier. She waited a little impatiently, but when dawn crested, she gasped.

    The golden light scintillated in the depths of the glacier, causing it to glow, almost as though it had been born as a new enchantment. She fell to her knees, holding the cliff¡¯s edge almost as though she were a child, lost in rapture.

    After a moment, something else caught her eye.

    ¡°Is that¡­ a dragon?¡± she asked, startled.

    ¡°We¡¯re in his territory,¡± Jax replied. ¡°I¡¯ve arranged to be permitted here for the day.¡±

    She started laughing at that, falling back onto her rear.

    ¡°You¡­ you strange creature,¡± she said, bringing it down to a series of confused giggles. ¡°The things you have done¡­ to negotiate with a dragon over its territory for a¡­ what is this, a date with me?¡±

    ¡°Almost,¡± he said with a smile, then reached out to her again. ¡°Dance with me.¡±

    She accepted more eagerly this time, which warmed his heart. The music enchantment had followed him, and accepted his cue to begin. He led her in the second phase of her traditional dance, modified as before.

    Again, their bodies moved against each other, more provocative than the first. She fell quickly to her lust, and watching her dance was an exercise in restraint.

    This time, as the music reached its end, he pulled her close and kissed her.

    The pleasure of the kiss almost broke his resolve and he let out a choked sound of desire.

    ¡°Not yet,¡± he said as he broke free, barely able to force out the words.

    ¡°Let me have you,¡± she said, pressing into him, nipping at his neck. ¡°Stop resisting this.¡±

    ¡°Soon,¡± he said. ¡°But not yet.¡±

    ¡°I could force it,¡± she growled at him.

    ¡°You could,¡± he agreed. ¡°I haven¡¯t will enough to stop you. But you won¡¯t.¡±

    She whimpered and clutched at him.

    ¡°Why?¡± she demanded. ¡°Why do you wish to wait?¡±

    ¡°Because it is not your body that I have fallen in love with,¡± he said. ¡°I crave it as I¡¯ve craved little else before, but I desire far more.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s nice,¡± she said. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t answer the question.¡±

    He took a breath. It was hard to think under these rather straining circumstances.

    ¡°There are things I wish for you to know, and things I wish for you to feel,¡± he said. ¡°I want you to love me, as I love you. I want you to know me, and to know yourself.¡±

    ¡°I know myself, I¡¯ve seen your soul, and sex has fuck all to do with love, so why the hell are you fighting this?¡± she said.

    ¡°It has meaning, to me,¡± he said. ¡°You are more to me than mere satisfaction of desire, and I wish to be more to you, in turn. The finest way to prove you matter more than desire is to resist it.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps a compromise,¡± she said, pressing her body against his in a way that made him tremble. ¡°Take me here, now, and I¡¯ll give my word to play along with the rest of your game.¡±

    Part of him seemed to have entirely forgotten the point of all this. That same part seemed to think that her compromise was an absolutely excellent idea.

    A groan escaped his lips as he fought to stay in control, and she pushed him to the ground, clawing at his shirt. She didn¡¯t quite let herself tear it, and he ached as she pressed herself against him.

    ¡°Permit me,¡± she said. ¡°I desire you, accursed beast, and I will have you.¡±

    ¡°Soon,¡± he said.

    ¡°Now,¡± she growled. ¡°Don¡¯t make me beg. It¡¯s unbecoming of a lady.¡±

    He couldn¡¯t help but laugh at that, which set her off into a small fit of giggles. She rolled over to his side, nuzzling at his chest.

    ¡°You¡¯re not going to let me, are you?¡± she asked, though it came out more like a statement.

    ¡°Not yet,¡± he said.

    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for the desire I know you feel, I would be mortally offended,¡± she said. ¡°Instead, I am merely bewildered.¡±

    ¡°I desire to make love to you,¡± he said. ¡°I want to sink into you, body and soul. I want to feel the entirety of you wrapped around me, lost in your heat, in your fire. I crave the full intensity that you can bring to bear, enhanced by love and anticipation both.¡±

    Her gaze turned curious.

    ¡°You really believe that you can handle me,¡± she said. ¡°All of me. You know that¡­ I mean¡­¡±

    She hesitated, and looked away.

    ¡°That you are dying?¡± he supplied. ¡°That you were born unusually insane, and were driven to greater heights of madness by the rituals of your people? That certain mental functions, normal for humans in general, are difficult or impossible for you? That you are lost within the core of Flamus itself, bound to be unendingly passionate and driven, with no hope of true peace?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a rather¡­¡± she paused. ¡°Tactless way of putting it, but yes.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps you would disagree with the morality of my actions,¡± he said, turning to face her. ¡°But I have seen you. I have watched you. I have studied you. I know who you are, Selina of the Fire Dancers, in some ways better, I suspect, than you know yourself. And you have seen the conclusion I have come to.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ I don¡¯t understand,¡± she said, burying her face in his chest. ¡°If I am doomed, if I¡¯m insane, then why¡­?¡±

    ¡°And that is what I meant by you knowing yourself,¡± he said. ¡°I would have you see why I love you, before we share in physical pleasures.¡±

    She groaned.

    ¡°That might take a while,¡± she grumbled. ¡°I¡¯m not very patient. Are you so sure about that compromise? They¡¯re good for relationships, I hear.¡±

    ¡°You need to know that you are safe with me, Selina,¡± he said. ¡°And I don¡¯t mean physically - we both know that few besides the gods themselves could threaten you. You need to know that no matter how intense you are, no matter how swept away I might be, that I am strong enough for us both. That you can trust in me.¡±

    She gazed at him, holding very still, and it was clear she understood what he meant by that.

    ¡°It would be maddening, to live with such restraints,¡± she whispered.

    ¡°Would it?¡± he asked. ¡°Though a fire burns brightest when unrestrained, so, too, does it die quickly. I would have you live with me forever.¡±

    She frowned.

    ¡°A lot of women would be a little overwhelmed with how strong you¡¯re coming on,¡± she said.

    He just smirked at her.

    ¡°Is all of this,¡± she said, gesturing to the cliff and at him, ¡°Just an attempt at manipulating me into falling in love with you?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± he said, and her eyes glinted. ¡°But it is to get you to fall in love with who I truly am - none of this is artifice. I intend to impress you, to demonstrate to you that I am who you need, and when you begin to love me, to give you pleasures beyond any you have known before.¡±

    ¡°A bold claim,¡± she said, smirking. ¡°I¡¯ve had quite a few good lovers.¡±

    ¡°How many were as insightful into what it is you truly desire?¡± he asked.

    ¡°None,¡± she admitted, then sighed. ¡°Look, Jax, you¡¯re charming, compelling, and¡­ kind of creepy sometimes. And powerful. And a good dancer. And¡­ lots of things. But¡­¡±

    He waited for her to continue, stroking her hair.

    ¡°Love is¡­¡± she hesitated again. ¡°Sex is easy. Killing is easy. Doing things is easy. Getting attached is easy, and I won¡¯t deny that I¡¯m already feeling attached to you. I do that. But love¡­¡±

    She shook her head.

    ¡°Love is dangerous,¡± she said. ¡°With what I am¡­¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± he said, stroking her cheek. ¡°Tomorrow, let me show you who I am.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to leave,¡± she said, pouting.

    He smiled.

    ¡°Perhaps that will be our compromise,¡± he said. ¡°Might you enjoy being introduced to the local dragon?¡±

    She grinned.

    The next morning, they woke in a meadow, resting on a quickly woven bed of grass and leaves. Goofing off with the dragon had exhausted Selina enough that Jax had easily held off her amorous aggression, and she¡¯d happily passed out as soon as the sun had set.

    He let her sleep for a while as he double checked that they weren¡¯t overstaying their welcome, and then gathered some nuts, berries, and fish from the area, for a nice, local breakfast.

    Selina woke up to the sound of a crackling fire and the smell of roasting fish.

    ¡°You¡¯re still here,¡± she said, surprise revealing the warmth of her emotion.

    He just smiled at her.

    ¡°I¡¯m not the best cook,¡± he said, handing her a Aquas-crafted wooden plate, ¡°But it should be edible.¡±

    She took a cautious bite of the fish, then rolled her eyes.

    ¡°It¡¯s delicious,¡± she said. ¡°I mean, it could use some salt, but -¡±

    She cut off as he immediately cast a spell, and pulled salt out of the dirt.

    ¡°Here you go,¡± he said, giving her a small handful.

    She smiled wryly.

    ¡°Not every problem has to be solved, you know,¡± she said, adding a few pinches of salt to the fish.

    ¡°If it¡¯s bad enough to qualify as a problem, then it is worth fixing,¡± he replied.

    ¡°The world is full of problems,¡± she said.

    ¡°Then we fix the world,¡± he said.

    She paused at that, looking rather silly with a piece of fish halfway into her mouth.

    ¡°You¡¯re serious,¡± she said.

    ¡°A bit premature,¡± he said and chuckled. ¡°We¡¯ll get to that later today, when you¡¯re ready to go.¡±

    Her eyes narrowed as she continued eating.

    ¡°Revealing your master plan?¡± she asked dryly.

    ¡°Yes,¡± he said.

    She blinked at him.

    ¡°You¡¯re just going to answer directly when I ask questions like that, aren¡¯t you?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± he said again, smirking at her.

    She tossed a berry at him.

    ¡°I have a lot of questions for you,¡± she said.

    ¡°Later,¡± he said. ¡°Let me show you what I¡¯m fighting to achieve, and then I will answer any questions you have.¡±

    She nibbled on a nut, looking at him speculatively.

    ¡°I¡¯m ready to go,¡± she said abruptly. ¡°Show me.¡±

    He smiled and reached a hand out to her. She took it, he wrapped her in his magic, and then used the teleport relay to take her to someplace very special to him.

    ¡°Welcome to my home,¡± he said, as she gaped at the tower. ¡°It¡¯s where I -¡±

    He cut off abruptly as her hand closed over his mouth.

    ¡°Quiet,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m admiring this. Best done in silence.¡±

    He tried to suppress a laugh as she moved closer to the tower, examining the magic thoroughly.

    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful,¡± she said, after a minute. ¡°The complexity of these enchantments is like nothing I¡¯ve ever seen. They¡¯re interconnected in ways I can barely even perceive.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said.

    ¡°Though¡­¡± she said.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°I mean, it¡¯s quite complex, to be sure,¡± she said. ¡°But the amount of power in each enchantment¡­ it¡¯s really quite tiny, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    He frowned.

    ¡°You may be accustomed to greater amounts of power than the usual, but I can assure you, the amount of raw power is entirely adequate,¡± he said. ¡°Besides, it¡¯s how that power is used that matters most.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s something to be said for that,¡± she said, smirking. ¡°But as you said, I am quite used to a great deal of heft... in enchantments.¡±

    He suppressed a sigh and just smiled, deciding to play along.

    ¡°You can rest assured that, with my expertise, you would never be left wanting,¡± he said.

    ¡°Can you be so sure?¡± she asked coyly. ¡°I¡¯ve already been left wanting more than once.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t always get what you want, when you want it,¡± he said. ¡°But when it¡¯s yours, you¡¯ll find it greater than you ever imagined.¡±

    ¡°Bold claim,¡± she said, laughing. ¡°You¡¯re really quite proud of your enchanting work.¡±

    He laughed with her, and guided her inside.

    She ooh¡¯d and aah¡¯d appropriately at the various levels of his tower. At the highest level, though, she simply paused again, taking it in. He waited, letting her take all the time she needed.

    ¡°What¡­ what is it?¡± she asked, her voice unusually subdued, after several minutes.

    ¡°My ambition,¡± he said, walking up to the portal. ¡°Though, to be honest, without your help, I¡¯m not sure I would have the ability to realize it. Even with your help, it will be¡­ challenging. You see, my aim is to reach even beyond the gods.¡±

    ¡°Beyond¡­? You mean, beyond the interdimensional planes in which they live?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Precisely,¡± he said, smiling warmly at her. ¡°Standard lore is that there is nothing beyond them but the chaotic wellsprings of magic that fuel the entire world, beyond the power of gods and man alike to harness in their entirety. That lore isn¡¯t entirely wrong - I have reached that level myself.¡±

    ¡°But you¡¯ve also gotten past it,¡± she said.

    ¡°Not¡­ exactly, no,¡± he said, grimacing. ¡°I acquired a set of notes from an old enchanter who¡¯d attempted to create a device that would kill a god by destabilizing its realm - its personal, pocket reality. He employed it, successfully, but the god within used the entirety of his might to try to keep the pathway open.¡±

    Selina flinched a little at the thought of the amount of raw power that would be involved in such a confluence.

    ¡°You understand, then,¡± he said, approvingly. ¡°The god died, and in his last moments, as his very soul was torn, the enchanter realized that he could detect, via magesense, other forms of life. He¡¯d been shielded via a series of sensory relay devices, many of which had been destroyed. But¡­¡±

    ¡°But he¡¯d sensed another world?¡± she asked, her eyes alight.

    ¡°We believe so,¡± he said.

    ¡°We?¡± she asked.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m working alone, now.¡±

    She crossed her arms and glared at him.

    ¡°You said you¡¯d answer all of my questions,¡± she said.

    He sighed.

    ¡°I was working with that enchanter, that¡¯s all,¡± he said. ¡°Now -¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not all,¡± she said. ¡°Spill.¡±

    He rubbed his forehead.

    ¡°Very well,¡± he said, looking away. ¡°That enchanter was my grandfather. In retaliation for creating a god-killing weapon, the pantheon killed him, and everyone in his family one step removed from him, by blood or bonds.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± she said, her arms falling back to her side. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    He gave a faint smile.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± he said. ¡°It happened some years ago. My siblings and cousins are fine, but as you can understand, they aren¡¯t especially interested in continuing my grandfather¡¯s work.¡±

    ¡°So that¡¯s what this is?¡± she asked, confused. ¡°A way to kill the gods?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± he said. ¡°My grandfather¡¯s aims weren¡¯t enough. Killing the gods does nothing - others will replace them.¡±

    ¡°Then what is your aim?¡± she asked.

    ¡°To let them have this world,¡± he said. ¡°Power hungry spellcasters have ruined it. Monsters consume the masses, random magical flurries create natural disasters of monumental proportions, and bickering gods rule every aspect of our existence. Those that lack the talent for spellcasting¡­¡±

    He trailed off, and they were both silent for a moment.

    ¡°You¡¯ve seen me with the village,¡± she said quietly.

    ¡°It¡¯s one of the reasons I fell in love with you,¡± he said, looking at the portal. ¡°So many spellcasters turn their attention away from mundanes, because it¡¯s too painful to get attached.¡±

    ¡°Pain never stops me,¡± she said.

    He laughed, a little sadly.

    ¡°Determination, power, passion, a heart that will embrace those lesser than herself, and refuses to sway even when threatened by the pantheon itself¡­¡± he sighed wistfully. ¡°You are extraordinary.¡±

    She took his hand in hers.

    ¡°So what is your plan, exactly?¡± she asked.

    ¡°To find another world, untouched by man, magic, or gods,¡± he said. ¡°One suitable for humanity. To bring over people, a little at a time, keeping it stable. To -¡±

    ¡°A little at a time?¡± she asked. ¡°Why not a mass evacuation?¡±

    ¡°We have to ensure the new world isn¡¯t destroyed by the same forces that ruined this one,¡± he said.

    ¡°Why not have me become the god of magic, and I¡¯ll prevent anyone else from ever ascending?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Lacking the aptitude to become a god myself, that had never occurred to me,¡± he said dryly.

    She rolled her eyes.

    ¡°I thought you were sure of me,¡± she said. ¡°You should have updated your plans.¡±

    He started laughing at that.

    ¡°And I thought you weren¡¯t interested in becoming a god,¡± he said.

    ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± she said. ¡°Sort of. It¡¯s the politics I wouldn¡¯t be able to stand. I don¡¯t mind responsibility, or power.¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be a lonely thing?¡± he asked. ¡°To be the only god in all existence, to never have another who is your equal?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never had such a thing as an equal in raw power,¡± she said, ¡°Besides, why would I be lonely? I¡¯d have you. Though we¡¯ll have to make you immortal, too, at some point.¡±

    She squeezed his hand, and he pulled her in to give her a kiss.

    ¡°You would join me, then,¡± he said, his faint uncertainties rising to the surface. ¡°In this wild, potentially suicidal ambition.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s some kinks to work out,¡± she said, smirking as she turned towards the portal. ¡°For instance, that isn¡¯t nearly big enough.¡±

    ¡°I daresay that all I have will swell at your touch,¡± he said, returning her smirk.

    She giggled at that, then abruptly turned serious.

    ¡°What is it?¡± he asked.

    ¡°You said I needed to know who you are,¡± she said. ¡°You were right. I need to know. There¡¯s one thing that¡­ one thing that¡¯s a problem.¡±

    ¡°Which is?¡±

    ¡°Going into people¡¯s souls without their consent,¡± she said.

    ¡°Selina, it is knowledge,¡± he said. ¡°Knowledge should be freely available to all.¡±

    ¡°Says the man who maintains shielding of incredible caliber on his soul,¡± she retorted.

    ¡°Under the circumstances, I have to be cautious,¡± he said. ¡°But aside from keeping certain things from the gods, I never hesitate to trade information.¡±

    ¡°Then you can handle just trading, and not taking,¡± she said.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going into their minds, Selina, save to look for manipulations,¡± he said. ¡°Only their souls - it is critical that I know with whom I am working.¡±

    ¡°Then you can ask for permission,¡± she said, crossing her arms.

    His jaw tightened.

    ¡°You say you love me,¡± she said. ¡°I need to know what that means. I need to know if you¡¯re willing to sacrifice a tool for something that I dearly value.¡±

    ¡°It seems premature to surrender something of such utility without exploring all avenues,¡± he said. ¡°You might be persuaded.¡±

    ¡°Maybe,¡± she said. ¡°But, until my mind changes - which it most likely won¡¯t - this is where I stand, and I have to know if you¡¯ll stand with me.¡±

    He frowned, trying to think of a way out of this. She watched him - his face, his body, his soul. Her aggressive stance eased a little as she saw how much this position pained him, but she didn¡¯t back down.

    ¡°Perhaps some sort of compromise might be in order,¡± he said.

    She snorted.

    ¡°You¡¯re talking about being my harness for the rest of my life,¡± she said. ¡°Utilizing my power, giving me direction and focus, being my moral compass so I don¡¯t have to go crazy figuring out the right thing to do, being the person I rely on for not just my life, but for my entire world - this one and the next. A compromise on my values of the sanctity of a person¡¯s will is not in order.¡±

    ¡°In desperate circumstances, I must use whatever resources are available to me,¡± he said. ¡°I would not be able to stand by and, for instance, watch you die, if morally ambiguous resources could change the outcome.¡±

    She frowned.

    ¡°You¡¯ve got me pretty well figured out,¡± she said. ¡°If you know that I would agree it¡¯s a truly desperate circumstance, then fine. But not otherwise.¡±

    ¡°You know that I wouldn¡¯t have fallen in love with you, had I not seen your soul,¡± he said.

    ¡°Good things occasionally result from evil actions,¡± she said. ¡°Besides, nothing wrong with looking at the magic someone uses - you¡¯d have seen me clearly enough from just my spells, loose as I am with putting my heart in them.¡±

    He sighed.

    After another minute of contemplation, he reached out to take her hand. She uncrossed her arms and accepted.

    ¡°Selina, for you, I¡¯d give even my life,¡± he said. ¡°Though it is quite a sacrifice you are asking of me, I suppose I will also surrender one of the most useful insights into knowledge ever known to mankind.¡±

    ¡°You sound so committed,¡± she said dryly.

    He smiled a little.

    ¡°I give you my word, Selina,¡± he said. ¡°Even should you leave me, by death or choice, I will accept this limitation for the rest of my life.¡±

    She startled at that.

    ¡°I¡­ really?¡± she asked.

    ¡°You seem so surprised,¡± he said.

    ¡°It¡¯s just that¡­ it seemed to really matter to you,¡± she said. ¡°To make an oath that reaches beyond us¡­¡±

    ¡°It does matter,¡± he said. ¡°But your values matter more. To hold a piece of what matters most to you in my heart - even should I lose you, in this, I will still have you with me for all of my days.¡±

    Her eyes grew misty.

    ¡°You really do love me,¡± she said, sounding awed. ¡°You¡¯re not just insane. You actually do.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps a little of both,¡± he said wryly. ¡°But I believe our ¡®insanities¡¯ blend well.¡±

    She pulled him closer and stroked his hair affectionately.

    ¡°I think so, too,¡± she said, looking up into his eyes.

    ¡°Selina,¡± he said, her name once again sounding like a prayer, ¡°I would see this moment as the beginning of the rest of our lives. So, I ask you, my fiery beloved - may I have this dance?¡±

    She kissed him, and his skin heated in anticipation. This time, he would hold nothing back, and she trembled in excitement at seeing it in him. Her own passions began to heighten and she gripped his shoulders tightly.

    ¡°You¡¯ve got some hype to live up to,¡± she whispered to him hungrily.

    ¡°The more you desire, the more enjoyable the reward,¡± he said. ¡°Dance with me, and join me in madness.¡±

    She laughed and stepped back, taking a traditional starting position.

    ¡°For the rest of our lives, my harness, let us dance.¡±

 Ch. 17 - Hope

    ¡°Lieutenant O¡¯Brien? This is Louise Williams,¡± Lou said anxiously.

    ¡°Ms. Williams,¡± he said, and a smile could be heard in his voice over the phone. ¡°It¡¯s good to hear from you. What can I do for you?¡±

    Lou swallowed nervously. She¡¯d been adamant that Aera not talk to him over the phone, because that girl had a tongue as loose as a goose. But being on the phone herself was nerve wracking.

    ¡°We need to talk to you,¡± she said. ¡°Soon.¡±

    ¡°Do you have more information on the cases?¡± he asked. ¡°Or is it something else?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ um,¡± she stammered. ¡°B-both? Sort of. I can¡¯t explain over the phone. You need to come here.¡±

    ¡°Immediately?¡± he asked, sounding concerned.

    ¡°Um, no,¡± she said. ¡°Whenever? Whenever. Any time. So, you know, take as long, or not, as you need. Like days, even. Up to you.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps tomorrow afternoon, say, two o¡¯clock?¡± he suggested.

    ¡°Yep, that¡¯s good,¡± she said. ¡°We can do that.¡±

    ¡°Very good,¡± he said. ¡°Thank you for calling me, Ms. Williams. I want you to know I appreciate it. I¡¯ll be by as close to two as I can manage, given my profession.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± she said. ¡°We¡¯ll be here. All of us. For talking.¡±

    ¡°Very good,¡± he said. ¡°Goodnight, Ms. Williams.¡±

    ¡°Goodnight, sir,¡± she said, and then slammed the phone down too quickly.

    ¡°He¡¯s coming tomorrow at two,¡± she said to the group, and then headed to the door.

    She needed to go on a walk. Away. Just away from everything and everyone.

    ---------

    I watched in confusion as Lou abruptly left after her phone call with O¡¯Brien. I glanced at the others and they shrugged.

    Nothing to it, I supposed.

    The next morning was full of a wide variety of anxieties, and no one was talking about anything other than trivialities. For my part, I braided and undid my hair, over and over again.

    I did decide to keep it in a braid, ultimately. They weren¡¯t the fashion, here - they liked to keep their hair raised, in what was called ¡°updos¡± - but I thought it would add a little to the discussion if my I had my hair the way I used to.

    Time seemed to pass far more slowly than usual. Eventually, the clock hit two.

    We all sat on the sofas in silence, waiting for him to arrive.

    A seeming eternity later, there was a knock at the door.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get it,¡± Lou said, jumping out of her seat.

    Alice scowled a little, but otherwise didn¡¯t react as Lou almost ran to the door.

    ¡°Hi,¡± she said, trying to smile at the lieutenant.

    ¡°Greetings, Ms. Williams,¡± he said. ¡°Thank you again for talking with me. May I come in?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± she said, and she nervously guided him in.

    His expression was speculative as he took us all in, sitting silently as though we were planning on telling him something awful.

    I couldn¡¯t help but wonder why they were so anxious about telling O¡¯Brien, and yet were practically cavalier with Dorothy and Domiano. Still, the nervousness was contagious, and I found myself fidgeting as well.

    O¡¯Brien took a seat on the sofa, sitting on the edge, while Lou went and hastily got a glass of tea for him.

    ¡°Good to see you all in good health,¡± he said, nodding at each of us in turn. ¡°I understand that there¡¯s something important to tell me about, which relates to recent cases?¡±

    He left it at that, and looked at us curiously. We all exchanged glances.

    ¡°We¡¯re just telling him, right?¡± I said hesitantly.

    ¡°Sort of,¡± Lou said. ¡°We should¡­ um¡­ clarify some things first, I think.¡±

    ¡°Like what?¡± I asked, confused, as O¡¯Brien¡¯s expression grew more inquisitive.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Lou said. ¡°Just coming out and saying what¡¯s going on seems a little¡­¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯s sensible,¡± I said, crossing my arms. ¡°I¡¯m sure he can handle it.¡±

    O¡¯Brien chimed in, ¡°No matter what it is, I¡¯m listening.¡±

    Slick looked annoyed.

    ¡°Look, maybe we should tell him the whole story of how we found you, first,¡± Lou said.

    ¡°He wouldn¡¯t understand it, if we kept¡­ you know¡­ out of it,¡± I said.

    ¡°But we can¡¯t just say it,¡± Lou said. ¡°He¡¯s¡­ different, you know? He¡¯s a copper.¡±

    ¡°We have ¡®just said it¡¯ plenty of times,¡± I said, rolling my eyes. ¡°Why does his job change that?¡±

    ¡°Because he might not believe us,¡± Lou said.

    ¡°Who ever believes us?¡± I countered. ¡°He¡¯ll need proof, just like anyone else.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡± she started.

    ¡°Alright,¡± Slick said, turning towards O¡¯Brien. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of this.¡±

    He sat up, his posture perfect, like he was on stage and started snapping his fingers.

    ¡°Lieutenant O¡¯Brien, sir,¡± Slick said, with dramatic flair. ¡°Magic is real.¡±

    As soon as the word ¡°real¡± came out of his mouth, his music began. He decided to go with Swing Boogie, the song that had launched his success. Lou, Alice, and I looked at each other in confusion. We hadn¡¯t expected Slick to reveal himself...

    O¡¯Brien had a vaguely impressed look, and started looking around.

    ¡°So where¡¯s the sound coming from?¡± he asked. ¡°It¡¯s a nice trick, but¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s real, sir,¡± Slick said, and changed the sound to that of a distant police siren.

    O¡¯Brien¡¯s eyebrow raised skeptically.

    ¡°Let¡¯s run with that theory for now,¡± O¡¯Brien said. ¡°I take it that you¡¯re ¡®the impossible¡¯ that was in the papers?¡±

    ¡°No, sir,¡± Slick said.

    I raised a hand a little.

    ¡°That would be me,¡± I said. ¡°I taught Slick. I didn¡¯t expect him to show you what he¡¯d learned, at this point¡­¡±

    With that, I gave Slick a speculative look. He shrugged.

    ¡°Tired of it always being about you,¡± he said, taking a gulp of coffee. ¡°Besides, you two were just yammering away, wasting the good officer¡¯s time.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± I said.

    ¡°Right,¡± O¡¯Brien echoed, looking at me. ¡°So, you claim that you can do magic.¡±

    I raised an eyebrow. ¡°¡®Claims¡¯ are of little worth. It is proof that has value, and I will be happy to demonstrate to your satisfaction.¡±

    I lifted the coffee cup I was holding, and shifted it to a black and gold color.

    ¡°And that¡¯s not a trick?¡± O¡¯Brien asked, his eyes sharply focused on the cup.

    ¡°No, sir,¡± I said. ¡°I can change it to any color you choose, to prove it wasn¡¯t pre arranged.¡±

    ¡°Blue,¡± he said immediately.

    The cup shifted to a lovely shade of blue.

    ¡°Green with orange stripes,¡± he said as soon as the color changed, and I complied.

    ¡°Purple, with pink diagonal stripes, and bright yellow stars¡± was next.

    I frowned a little. High speed changes was tiring, and I still hadn¡¯t fully recovered. But my pride was on the line, so I shifted the color at my fastest speed.

    ¡°Red, blue, and a yellowish green plaid,¡± he said next.

    I raised an eyebrow at that.

    ¡°Plaid?¡± I said dubiously.

    ¡°Yep,¡± he said, looking faintly victorious.

    ¡°Plaid is complicated,¡± I complained.

    Lou was trying not to laugh, and both Alice and Slick were grinning at me.

    I grumbled to myself as I tried to get the colors in place right. O¡¯Brien watched intently as the tiny stripes began to overlap. Interestingly, it seemed like the little mistakes I kept making were more convincing than my high speed success.

    While the other colors and patterns I¡¯d been able to create in mere seconds, the startlingly intricate plaid pattern was taking minutes. O¡¯Brien watched closely for a while, and after two minutes, by which point I¡¯d gotten about half the cup done, he sat back, seeming satisfied.

    ¡°You can do magic,¡± he said, sounding a little bewildered, then shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ll deal with that when I have a chance to think. In the meantime, I¡¯m just going to run with it, and hear what¡¯s going on. Let¡¯s start with the butcher shop. Were any of you there?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± I said. ¡°I was.¡±

    ¡°Can you tell me what happened?¡±

    ¡°I found the location from one of their injured men, at the hospital,¡± I said. ¡°On going there, I requested to speak peacefully with Buddy, as I wished to arrange non hostile relations. When he received the message, he came out with four other men, all of whom were wielding tommy guns.¡±

    He nodded, his eyes tightening at that.

    ¡°How did they get shot?¡± he asked, his voice a little low.

    ¡°Initially, I used my barrier to simply block the bullets,¡± I said. ¡°But, to do that is to try to just take, by brute force, all of the power thrown against me. It was too much. An easier, but more dangerous type of barrier is one that simply makes their direction somewhat random. Reflection, in essence.¡±

    ¡°Reflection,¡± he said, his eyes widening and a grin covering his face. ¡°That explains the bullet patterns!¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Lou asked, clearly intrigued by his reaction.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

    ¡°They had half the detectives on the force trying to go over that crime scene,¡± O¡¯Brien said. ¡°No one could make any sense of the bullet trajectories. The closest guess we had was some madman swinging his gun around randomly.¡±

    He demonstrated, holding his arms like he was holding a gun, and moving his entire upper torso and arms around, as though trying to fire at the entire room from several different positions, at random. We all couldn¡¯t help but smile at the display.

    His grin was still bright as he went on, ¡°Thing is, a shooter that crazy would have to have been shot, and there were no other pools of blood. Reflecting the bullets, though - that would explain the lack of another gun or type of bullet, and the lack of a shooter¡¯s blood, and the trajectories.¡±

    ¡°Well, that would be because that¡¯s what happened,¡± I said.

    ¡°Aera,¡± Alice said, frowning at me. ¡°Let the man have his fun.¡±

    At that, O¡¯Brien instantly sobered up and looked professional again, as though Alice¡¯s comment reminded him that he was on the job.

    I suppressed another smile.

    ¡°Moving on. The attack on the house?¡± he asked, completely serious looking again.

    ¡°They used molotov cocktails,¡± Lou said. ¡°The house was starting to burn down, but Aera snuffed it out. Otherwise basically like we told you.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d said they¡¯d visited before, too? What happened there?¡± O¡¯Brien asked, his eyes alight with curiosity, even though his face was stoic professionalism.

    ¡°They tried to grab Lou,¡± Slick said. ¡°Aera wouldn¡¯t have none of that. She got mad, and ripped apart Buddy¡¯s leg. It was real messy.¡±

    O¡¯Brien looked at me in surprise. I blushed.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said, looking down at my hands. ¡°I know better than to use magic when I¡¯m angry, but I couldn¡¯t let them have Lou.¡±

    ¡°And what happened with his leg?¡± O¡¯Brien asked.

    ¡°Oh, I healed it back to normal,¡± I said. ¡°I can heal any injury, other than the brain.¡±

    ¡°Convenient,¡± he said. ¡°That¡¯d be why you said you left on bad terms. Did anyone stay hurt?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I said. ¡°Well, I let Buddy keep a bruise on his leg, because he¡¯d insulted me.¡±

    O¡¯Brien covered his mouth, but I could see from his eyes that he was suppressing a smile. Lou just huffed at me, annoyed.

    ¡°So, you were the reason for the weirdness with the Cocoanut Grove, too?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± I said. ¡°The fact was, I was a coward, and hesitated too long before acting. I could have stopped the fire before most people even realized there was a fire.¡±

    ¡°Not this again,¡± Slick said. ¡°Aera, you saved hundreds of people. And the fire wasn¡¯t your fault. When is that going to stick in your head?¡±

    ¡°But six people died,¡± I said, suppressing a groan of frustration. ¡°I could have, and should have saved them, too. Do their lives mean nothing?¡±

    ¡°Again? Right now?¡± Lou asked, exasperated. ¡°Will you two just stop?¡±

    ¡°I understand where Aera¡¯s coming from,¡± O¡¯Brien said, then looked over at me. ¡°When you have the power to make a difference, failing to do so in time weighs on you. A lot of people on the force have to face that.¡±

    Slick looked surprised, and I gazed at O¡¯Brien openmouthed.

    He understood.

    The feeling of relief at having been understood almost made me feel dizzy.

    ¡°Have I been essentially caught up with what¡¯s going on?¡± O¡¯Brien asked. ¡°Obviously there¡¯s more details, but I¡¯ve got the basic idea?¡±

    ¡°Not¡­ quite,¡± Lou said. ¡°There¡¯s, um, an issue.¡±

    ¡°A big issue,¡± Alice said.

    ¡°A nasty issue,¡± Slick said.

    O¡¯Brien looked a little impatient.

    ¡°I¡¯m being hunted by the government,¡± I said.

    He raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°A military investigator named Lieutenant Pash,¡± Lou supplied. ¡°He¡¯s onto Aera, but doesn¡¯t have enough evidence to move against her.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± O¡¯Brien said.

    ¡°Further, I have reason to believe he murdered Buddy and the teenage girl at the shop - or at least was involved,¡± I said.

    O¡¯Brien¡¯s eyes narrowed sharply at that.

    ¡°I spoke to Buddy after the altercation, and healed him in exchange for answering my questions. He told me that the Mob had been paid by someone in the government to attack my home and shop,¡± I said.

    ¡°Considering that the only bloke from the government we¡¯ve seen is Pash, gotta be him,¡± Slick said.

    ¡°More to the point,¡± Lou said, ¡°He¡¯s been bugging us, pushing for evidence. This seems to line up - like he was trying to push Aera into doing something, without directly getting his hands dirty.¡±

    ¡°And killing the only person who knew he was involved,¡± O¡¯Brien said. ¡°It¡¯s a reasonable theory. That said, it¡¯s all circumstantial. But you say both Buddy and the girl were fine when you left?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t check the girl,¡± I said. ¡°I just saw her cowering, and she didn¡¯t look injured. Buddy, though, was¡­ fine. I healed everything he couldn¡¯t heal himself, given time.¡±

    O¡¯Brien nodded.

    ¡°Can you describe the extent of your interactions with Lieutenant Pash, to date?¡± he asked.

    Lou answered him, and quickly summarized our encounters, directly and otherwise, with the investigator. O¡¯Brien looked thoughtful.

    ¡°What are your intentions from here?¡± he asked.

    ¡°We are out of options,¡± I said, raising my trembling hand. ¡°I overexerted my strength, and cannot protect myself for a time yet. Pash has won. His next trap would take me, and possibly kill the others. I had thought the best course was to negotiate my surrender with him, but on discussing with the others, it occurred to us to seek your input first.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing you spoke to me,¡± he said, leaning forward and looking at me intently. ¡°America accepts anyone who comes to our shores, and you are as welcome here as anyone else. Our laws are here to protect you. What you¡¯ve described is harassment at best, and extremely illegal at worst, if he is behind the mob¡¯s attack. There is no reason for you to surrender.¡±

    ¡°Told you so,¡± Lou muttered under her breath.

    ¡°But it doesn¡¯t matter that it¡¯s illegal,¡± I said, getting anxious again. ¡°He does not care! Laws cannot hold those with power!¡±

    He raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°Do you feel that¡¯s true of yourself?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± I said. ¡°It is not laws that hold me, nor threats of punishment. No mundane jail could ever hold me. It is only because I value morality that I can be coerced.¡±

    He seemed vaguely displeased by this.

    ¡°Well, that may be,¡± he said, ¡°But this investigator doesn¡¯t have magic or anything else we haven¡¯t figured out how to deal with. He¡¯s a normal person, and our laws will hold him. He¡¯s been harassing you, and there¡¯s enough of a case, especially with the construction warrant, to get a restraining order placed on him.¡±

    ¡°But how could you know if -¡±

    ¡°I will take care of him, Aera,¡± he said, the authority in his voice compelling. ¡°This is my city, you are a lawful resident of it, and I have both the power and authority to protect you.¡±

    He was absolutely certain.

    I sat back, dazed again.

    ¡°A restraining order, you said?¡± Lou asked, but her voice seemed distant.

    I truly looked at Lieutenant O¡¯Brien for the first time.

    It was strange, like he¡¯d not really been real to me, till that moment. He¡¯d been just some random person I¡¯d interacted with. Even with the glimpse at his soul, I¡¯d not quite taken him seriously.

    Now, though¡­

    That ginger hair was framing a face that told a story. Faint scars told me that he¡¯d been hit before - punched, probably, and a number of times. Lines at the corner of his eyes spoke of long nights of stress and focus. Curves faintly visible beneath the cloth of the uniform hinted at a body thick with lean muscle.

    The wave of awareness that flooded me was intoxicating.

    He was a very attractive individual.

    And I was very lonely.

    I blushed abruptly and looked away. Fortunately, O¡¯Brien didn¡¯t seem to notice - he was talking to Lou.

    ¡°- else you need to do,¡± he was saying. ¡°I¡¯ll be able to take care of everything from here.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a relief,¡± Alice said. ¡°So we can just go back to the way things were, before he showed up.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± O¡¯Brien said.

    I frowned and leaned forward.

    ¡°No,¡± I said, and even before I continued, Lou groaned. ¡°Lieutenant O¡¯Brien, I cannot remain in hiding for the rest of my life. I feel trapped. I must come forward. Lou and Slick feel I must stay in hiding, but¡­¡±

    I trailed off.

    ¡°For now, they¡¯re right,¡± he said, and I sagged in my seat, dejected. ¡°We need to keep you safe, and with everything that¡¯s going on, that¡¯d be hard to do if you came forward right now. There needs to be a plan in place, and that¡¯ll take time.¡±

    ¡°How much time?¡± I asked, half grumbling.

    ¡°At least six months, upwards of a few years,¡± he said, and I startled. So little time? ¡°It depends some on how much trouble Lieutenant Pash gives us, as well as how things go with the war. But you¡¯re going to need to do some research, find out who to talk to, get a number of plans in place, and make sure there are no loose ends. That¡¯d take at least a few months, I figure.¡±

    ¡°Would you be willing to help with that?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes, but keep in mind, I have a lot of work on my plate,¡± he said. ¡°I can absolutely get you started, and see if I can find some good leads, but most of the legwork will be up to you. Even then, it¡¯ll be a bit before anything can be done.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± I said. ¡°But in the meantime¡­ I can¡¯t just sit here. It¡¯s driving me mad. I can¡¯t just sit back and do nothing. I have to do something to help.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± O¡¯Brien asked.

    ¡°I can heal, make enchantments, all sorts of things,¡± I said. ¡°It is wrong for me to just sit here and waste my time.¡±

    ¡°Hold on,¡± he said. ¡°What¡¯s an enchantment?¡±

    ¡°Oh. It¡¯s like the necklace I made,¡± I said, reaching for my neck before remembering that Lou still had it. ¡°Lou? Can you give it to him?¡±

    She took it off and tossed it to O¡¯Brien, who looked at it in some confusion.

    ¡°I¡¯ve stored some magic in that,¡± I said, ¡°And I gave that magic a job. Whoever wears that necklace will be protected from bullets until the magic runs out.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s useful,¡± he said, looking at the necklace more closely.

    ¡°Come to think of it, you should keep that,¡± I said. ¡°In case Pash decides to attack you. I can make more, for the others. Just so you know, I expect it would only be able to hold off perhaps ten bullets, before it breaks. If you bring it to me after getting shot a few times, I can simply recharge it.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t plan on getting shot,¡± he said, smiling wryly as he put on the necklace. ¡°But I appreciate it, nonetheless. As far as helping others, generally, when someone wants to help people, they join the force.¡±

    He was talking to me, but gave Lou a look as he spoke.

    ¡°Women?¡± Lou asked, her tone odd. ¡°In the police force?¡±

    ¡°Yep,¡± he said.

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that involve taking orders from someone in authority over me?¡± I asked, frowning.

    He hid a smile.

    ¡°That it would,¡± he said. ¡°But it¡¯s a job about protecting and serving the people, and it¡¯s a good way to make a difference.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I could take orders for very long,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ve been struggling with just Lou and Slick.¡±

    Slick gave me a look, and O¡¯Brien managed to not quite chuckle.

    ¡°What about these?¡± he said, lifting the necklace. ¡°These ¡®enchantments.¡¯ Could you make other kinds, too?¡±

    ¡°All sorts of kinds,¡± I said. ¡°Given enough time, I could do¡­ well, just about anything.¡±

    ¡°You could make these for the police,¡± he said. ¡°That¡¯d be useful.¡±

    ¡°It would,¡± I said. ¡°But wouldn¡¯t they have to know about my abilities?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± he said. ¡°You could work on making ¡®em, and then have a bunch ready to give to the police, when it¡¯s time.¡±

    I frowned, and then abruptly grinned at an idea.

    ¡°But you know what I can do!¡± I said. ¡°I can make things for you!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll trust your judgement on that, for now. In the meantime, I think we¡¯ve settled everything here. I¡¯ll deal with Lieutenant Pash, and keep you up to date with any developments in that regard.¡±

    ¡°So, we just rest and stuff, for now,¡± Slick said.

    ¡°That¡¯d be about right,¡± O¡¯Brien agreed.

    ¡°How long, do you think, before I can repair the house?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know much about construction,¡± O¡¯Brien said. ¡°But maybe, try to fix things that are deeper inside than just the front room, and then hire a crew to fix that part up?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea,¡± Alice said. ¡°They can stay with me, in the meantime.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear it,¡± O¡¯Brien said, and stood up. ¡°It sounds like everything¡¯s in order. I¡¯ll take care of Pash, you lot can get your house back into shape. I¡¯ll keep in touch, and feel free to call if there¡¯s any issues.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll walk you to the door,¡± Lou said, getting to her feet.

    I looked over at her curiously. She had an unusual expression on her face - some sort of blend of intensity and timidity.

    I couldn¡¯t quite make out their conversation, but I figured it wasn¡¯t polite to eavesdrop. Taking another nap was probably the better plan, anyway. I needed to finish recovering so I could make more enchantments.

    ----------

    Lou paused at the door, and O¡¯Brien seemed to realize she wanted to ask him something, as he waited patiently.

    ¡°Did you mean what you said?¡± she asked. ¡°About women, as police?¡±

    ¡°I did,¡± he said. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be the first woman officer, but from what I¡¯ve heard, you¡¯d be a good one.¡±

    ¡°You think so?¡± she asked, surprised.

    He nodded. ¡°Protecting people, even if it means getting ourselves in harm¡¯s way, is what we do.¡±

    She looked down at her feet for a moment, then looked up to him.

    ¡°How¡­ how would someone go about becoming an officer?¡± she asked.

    ¡°There is an academy, but we¡¯re real short of officers at the moment,¡± he said. ¡°If someone puts a good word in, a person could just take a test, and if they do well, they¡¯d get in.¡±

    ¡°Would you¡­ I mean, would that be something you¡¯d do?¡± she asked, uneasy.

    He chuckled.

    ¡°From what I¡¯ve heard, not just today, but the various times I¡¯ve seen you, I¡¯ve got quite a lot to work with, to write you up a letter,¡± he said.

    She smiled timidly.

    ¡°What about the test?¡± she said. ¡°What¡¯s on it?¡±

    ¡°A physical component, basically running an obstacle course,¡± he said. ¡°And a mental component. Seeing if you know the procedures, and such.¡±

    ¡°For the knowledge stuff, where would I find that?¡± Lou asked.

    O¡¯Brien smiled and said, ¡°Tell you what. I¡¯ll swing by in a few days with a stack of books for you to study, if you like.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯d be great,¡± she said. ¡°I¡­ well, it¡¯s appreciated. That, and that you think I can, I mean.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s my job to observe things,¡± he said. ¡°And to help when it¡¯s needed. Good luck, Ms. Williams.¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Lou said, smiling sheepishly.

    Her heart seemed to have some sort of odd pitter patter when he smiled back. Lou froze up and gave him a curt farewell before closing the door on him a little too quickly.

    She tried to shake off that weird flushed feeling as she turned back to the sitting room. Aera was already asleep on the couch, and Alice and Slick were smiling, looking more relaxed than they had in some time.

 Ch. 18 - The Season of Giving

    O¡¯Brien came by two days later with a big box of books, some of which were pretty dusty. I watched as Lou thanked him, and then tore into the books with a fervor.

    When she¡¯d mentioned the idea of becoming a police officer, I emphatically supported her. It seemed to match her like nothing else ever had. Radios were fun, but really, just toys and money to her. Math, she was pretty good at, and so she handled finances well, but she found it boring. She completely lacked the customer service skills to run a shop herself - she was too quick to give annoying customers lip.

    And apparently, her mother¡¯s idea was for Lou to be a housewife. Cooking, cleaning, and raising children¡­ the idea of Lou doing that made me shudder. She could manage scrambled eggs and coffee, and she could probably raise a cat. Maybe two.

    Something about the idea of being a police officer sat well with her in a way that no career idea had ever done.

    She had to succeed. But, she was afraid. She didn¡¯t admit it, of course, but it was clear to see. Her fervor to study had an undercurrent of uncertainty. When she made a mistake when one of us quizzed her from her books, she looked like she¡¯d been slapped. Like perhaps, deep down, she was afraid her mother was right, and she couldn¡¯t do this.

    I needed her to succeed. Despite frustrating the life out of me sometimes, she was my friend, and this was what she needed.

    ¡°There are all sorts of enhancements that can be made to the physical body,¡± I said one evening, as she took a break from studying. ¡°Layering crystal structures into the bone can help prevent it from breaking, and sort of hold the pieces together if it does break, for instance.¡±

    ¡°You do that to yourself?¡± she asked, uneasily.

    ¡°I don¡¯t bother,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m not doing anything physically strenuous, and such enhancements take some work to maintain.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± she said. ¡°Mind telling me why you¡¯re telling me about this?¡±

    ¡°Well, you have that test coming up,¡± I said. ¡°Your mental acuity is exceptional, but your body is small and weak, especially compared to males.¡±

    Apparently that was the wrong thing to say.

    ¡°You¡¯re suggesting that I need to cheat because I¡¯m a woman,¡± she said flatly.

    ¡°Um,¡± I said, flinching a bit from the look she was giving me. ¡°It¡¯s not cheating, really, just using resources you have available¡­¡±

    ¡°It is cheating,¡± she said, putting her hands on her hips and giving me a death glare.

    ¡°Ah,¡± I said, shrinking back from her gaze. ¡°I¡­ okay. But, you could sort of see it as canceling out the bias of your judges? Since they probably think less of you for being a woman?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s an objective test, Aera,¡± Lou said, her glare getting worse. ¡°They¡¯re going to time me. There¡¯s no bias in that.¡±

    I felt like I couldn¡¯t shrink anymore.

    ¡°O¡­ okay,¡± I said. ¡°Um. So, you¡¯ll succeed, for sure, then.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I will,¡± she said. ¡°On my own merit.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± I said, nodding emphatically. ¡°You will do wonderfully.¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯re not going to interfere at all with that,¡± she continued. ¡°No matter how helpful you think it is.¡±

    ¡°Suggestions aren¡¯t bad, though, right?¡± I said. ¡°I mean, I could help you with exercise, make sure you¡¯re eating enough of the right foods for your body to build muscle properly¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure I can manage to exercise without someone looking inside my muscles,¡± she said dryly.

    ¡°Ah¡­ yes,¡± I said. ¡°But I mean, you are quite thin. I could help with food choices¡­¡±

    ¡°Aera,¡± she said, with an exasperated sigh.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said. ¡°I just want to help.¡±

    ¡°I know that, and I appreciate it,¡± she said. ¡°But I am going to make this happen on my own, all right?¡±

    ¡°Very well,¡± I said. ¡°But please, let me know if there is anything that I can do to help.¡±

    ¡°I will,¡± she said.

    Not long after making things awkward, again, we arranged for the construction workers to come and finish up the house, after I fixed it up. One day, while I was making sure nothing was out of place, the phone rang.

    It was for Slick - a movie producer, Sol Lesser, wanted Slick for a major role in an upcoming film. I immediately got Slick to call him back, and Slick was clearly overwhelmed as he told us the details.

    Seemed like Mr. Lesser had heard about Slick¡¯s recent line of misfortunes, and thought the publicity would make him a more appealing pick. Between that, his good looks, and his amazing singing voice, Slick was in, if he wanted.

    While it wasn¡¯t Slick¡¯s first choice of career, it was a way to get him back on the stage. And it certainly beat working on the docks!

    He was excited, and with that excitement, he came back to life. It was only days before Alice started having that lovestruck look on her face again. He signed up for acting classes immediately. Lou and I footed the bill, since he was out of money. He swore he¡¯d pay us back, though I was pretty sure Lou cared as little as I did.

    It was worth it just to see him alive again.

    By the time the house was livable, Alice had been successfully swept off her feet, and let him stay with her. Slick did check out the house, but even though it would have made more sense for him to live there with Alice, he had no interest in doing so. Lou, on the other hand, flat out refused to even visit the house again. She got tense every time the subject was brought up.

    So, I moved in by myself. It felt a little lonely, but Alice¡¯s small apartment was far too crowded. Besides, it was nice living on my own for once.

    About two weeks after our discussion with O¡¯Brien, I received something in the mail. It was a bit unnerving, because I¡¯d never received anything addressed to myself before.

    I opened it quickly, and read over the narrow writing.

    Dear Witch,

    You are clever and cunning. A fine huntress and prey. Your red haired hero has proven difficult in getting proof of your ability. I was hoping to see the full extent of what you can do.

    However, Rhine claims to have found a person with capabilities to see the future. I, as always, have my doubts. I will be in Chicago working with him on that case.

    I ask that next I am in town, you remove these restrictions, call off your dog, and reveal your true self. We can do much good for the world. The world is full of people who do not understand power, who do not even understand what it is to be more than they are. The world, in short, is filled with idiots who need guidance.

    With your talents you could help guide the world.

    I will be back.

    Lt. Mikhail Pash

    I was so excited.

    ¡°Lou! Alice! Slick!¡± I said, rushing over to them. ¡°Look, look! Pash sent me a letter! He¡¯s being nice!¡±

    Lou looked skeptical as she put down her fork and took the letter from me.

    ¡°That¡¯s not all that nice, Aera,¡± she said. ¡°He called you a witch.¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t told him yet that I don¡¯t like that term,¡± I said. ¡°There¡¯s no reason to take it personally.¡±

    ¡°What are you going to do now?¡± Alice said.

    ¡°I should call O¡¯Brien,¡± I said. ¡°He¡¯ll be happy to hear it worked!¡±

    The first few times I tried calling him, he wasn¡¯t in, but then I finally got a hold of him. Lou stayed near me, listening in.

    ¡°Lieutenant O¡¯Brien!¡± I said as soon as he said hello.

    ¡°Um¡­ yes?¡± he said, sounding confused.

    ¡°This is Aera,¡± I said. ¡°I received a letter from Lieutenant Pash!¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± he said. ¡°He¡¯s not supposed to contact you by any means -¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± I said. ¡°He¡¯s being nice! Mostly. I thought you might want to come by and see the letter for yourself?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll hang onto it, as evidence of breaking the restraining order, in case it¡¯s needed. I¡¯ll swing by today, if that works?¡±

    ¡°It does,¡± I said. ¡°What time?¡±

    ¡°Maybe around six,¡± he said. ¡°Unless that¡¯d interrupt dinner?¡±

    ¡°Why not come by and just stay for dinner?¡± I suggested, unthinking.

    ¡°Sure,¡± he said. ¡°If it¡¯s no trouble.¡±

    ¡°None at all,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll see you at six!¡±

    As soon as I hung up the phone, I noticed Lou staring at me.

    And then my words clicked in my head. I stared at the phone.

    ¡°You just asked him to dinner,¡± she said.

    ¡°I¡­ I did, didn¡¯t I?¡± I said.

    ¡°Yeah, you did,¡± she said, and then gave me an odd look. ¡°You¡¯re interested in him.¡±

    ¡°Me?¡± I said. ¡°In O¡¯Brien? As in¡­¡±

    ¡°As in, he¡¯s a handsome man, kind of interested,¡± she said, her smile turning wry.

    ¡°I¡­¡± I hesitated, then resumed staring at the phone.

    I¡¯d noticed he was a handsome man. I¡¯d become aware of him, but I hadn¡¯t consciously decided to do anything about that.

    ¡°Lou¡­¡± I said slowly, a blush covering my cheeks.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°I have no idea what I¡¯m doing,¡± I said.

    She laughed, and I heard an odd note in her voice.

    ¡°Seems like a habit of yours,¡± she said, her tone wry again. ¡°Doing things without thinking about what it means.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I did that,¡± I said, then wrenched my gaze over to her. ¡°Lou! Help! I don¡¯t know what to do!¡±

    ¡°What do you want to do?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I¡­¡± I hesitated. ¡°Um, well, for now, I need to.. I don¡¯t know¡­ I want to look nice? But it¡¯s not a date, so¡­¡±

    She laughed. ¡°I am not the person to ask about that.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± I said, turning away. ¡°Alice! Help! I need clothes!¡±

    Alice¡¯s initial confusion turned to delight when Lou explained what happened. She helped me with my hair, and came up with a design for a dress for me to quickly put together.

    By the time six o¡¯clock came, I was wearing a nice housedress that could reasonably be worn casually, but also looked nice enough to be attention gathering.

    The fashion at the time, for housedresses, was for complex patterns on the fabric, but a straight color or sequins for special occasions. I compromised with a tighter fitting housedress cut, but with fabric that looked like silk. I thought a dark, forest green would look nice.

    When we heard a knock on the door, Alice jumped up to get it. Lieutenant O¡¯Brien stood there, looking sharp, but fatigued.

    ¡°Hello, Ms. Walker,¡± he said, with a tip of his hat. ¡°Thanks for having me.¡±

    ¡°Our pleasure, Lieutenant,¡± she said, and welcomed him in.

    He blinked in surprise when he saw me, and I immediately wanted to flee. I just smiled, instead, suppressing the instinct to roll my eyes at my own cowardice.

    ¡°Welcome, sir,¡± I said, walking up to him. ¡°We¡¯re having a casserole for dinner tonight. Please, have a seat.¡±

    He smiled at me, and thanked me as he put aside his hat. Lou and Slick also greeted him, and he sat down at the dinner table. He¡¯d arrived on time, so the food was fresh from the oven.

    I may have splurged a little that afternoon on ingredients - we were having a scalloped potatoes and ham casserole, with fresh vegetables on the side, and wine to drink.

    ¡°It looks great,¡± he said. ¡°If I may, could I see the letter before we eat?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± I said, and grabbed the letter off the kitchen counter. ¡°Here you go.¡±

    He read it quickly.

    ¡°He called you a dog,¡± I said. ¡°But other than that, it was pretty nice, I thought.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been called worse,¡± he said, chuckling. ¡°What he says is a little unnerving, but I¡¯m glad you called me. I¡¯ll hang on to this.¡±

    ¡°As you prefer,¡± I said. ¡°Now, let¡¯s eat!¡±

    That earned a grin from the copper, and he earnestly dug in.

    We laughed and talked as a group. While O¡¯Brien had given me a speculative look, he didn¡¯t make any comment about my clothing choice. It was good, lighthearted conversation, mostly about dealing with annoying, stupid individuals, as that was something we¡¯d all had to deal with with our jobs. I was the least able to relate, but I had a blast listening to their stories. O¡¯Brien had quite a few.

    ¡°You must¡¯ve been hungry,¡± Alice said after a while, chuckling as she served O¡¯Brien another serving.

    ¡°Yep,¡± he said, grinning at her. ¡°But that¡¯s not the only reason I eat fast. I¡¯ve got eleven brothers and sisters - dinner was a sight.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± I asked. ¡°Siblings making it hard to eat?¡±

    He nodded, then swallowed before speaking again. ¡°Some would steal from the plate, some would pull pranks, whatever. First one that was done eatin¡¯ would have more time to either mess with the others, or dodge. Not that I¡¯m claiming to be innocent, myself.¡±

    Another grin flashed on his face before he took his next bite.

    ¡°I know that feeling,¡± I said, glad to finally have relevance to the conversation. ¡°I have two little brothers, and we¡¯d mess with each other all the time. Like one time, my brother Nordrid made a bunch of illusion spiders on my spoon, just before I took a bite. Scared me right out of my seat!¡±

    O¡¯Brien¡¯s fork stopped in the air.

    ¡°Did he get away with it?¡± he asked, curious.

    ¡°Nope,¡± I said, with a wicked smile. ¡°My mother chastised him for it, and while she was distracted, I turned his soup to acid.¡±

    They looked at me in horror.

    ¡°Not a strong acid,¡± I amended. ¡°Just enough to startle him. It was like taking a bite of food that¡¯s too hot.¡±

    ¡°Heh,¡± O¡¯Brien said, smiling at me. ¡°I¡¯d not thought about that side of having magic. I can only imagine what it¡¯d have been like if my siblings and I could cast spells.¡±

    ¡°We had good times,¡± I said, my voice getting a little wistful. ¡°We messed with each other a great deal, but we also helped each other a lot. There¡¯s all sorts of fun games we played with spells. And other things. Eivan, the youngest, was really clumsy. I healed him from falls more times than I could count.¡±

    ¡°We got hurt from falls all the time,¡± O¡¯Brien said, while Lou fiddled with her fork uncomfortably. ¡°Had to heal the old fashioned way, but we learned to be careful.¡±

    ¡°Ain¡¯t that the truth,¡± Slick said.

    ¡°That¡¯s a known problem with spellcasting,¡± I said. ¡°With ready access to healing and other supports, casters often don¡¯t have a good sense for how to stay safe. Some even get addicted to healing magic.¡±

    ¡°Addicted?¡± Alice asked, surprised. ¡°Why would healing be addicting?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve been unconscious every time I healed you,¡± I said. ¡°But the sensation of something wrong becoming right again is very¡­ relieving. Very satisfying.¡±

    ¡°That sounds like it would be addictive, for the right kind of person,¡± O¡¯Brien said. ¡°Is there a way to treat that?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I said. ¡°Mind magic can help a little, but if the caster can create the effect they¡¯re addicted to themselves, then they are beyond hope. Our language has a word for someone who gets that way, which sort of means ¡®person walking to their own gravesite.¡¯ If a caster becomes addicted to any aspect of their power, death is the only outcome.¡±

    The table was silent.

    ¡°Interesting,¡± O¡¯Brien said after a minute. ¡°A bit depressing, but interesting.¡±

    ¡°She does that,¡± Lou said casually. ¡°Where she comes from, things like death and horrors are normal.¡±

    ¡°In her defense, it¡¯s not all rosy here, either,¡± O¡¯Brien said. ¡°If you were telling someone about our world, the right questions would easily get answers full of death and horror.¡±

    ¡°Indeed,¡± I said, smiling at O¡¯Brien. ¡°This world is full of things mine is generally lacking; disease, for instance. My world has monsters - yours has children who are born unwanted. I¡¯m not sure which is worse.¡±

    ¡°There are no unwanted children?¡± he said, surprised.

    ¡°Temporary infertility enchantments are the most common in all the world,¡± I said.

    ¡°That¡¯s convenient,¡± he said.

    ¡°Many things she does are convenient,¡± Alice said. ¡°My walls used to be stained yellow, believe it or not.¡±

    ¡°Many things she does are dangerous,¡± Lou said. ¡°If she weren¡¯t so nice, she¡¯d be a monster herself.¡±

    O¡¯Brien¡¯s eyes narrowed a little as he caught the tension in Lou¡¯s comment.

    ¡°But you are nice,¡± Slick said to me with a smile, trying to ease the taut atmosphere. ¡°And you¡¯re the only person with magic, other than me, so it¡¯s fine.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said, looking down.

    Even with all the stories I¡¯d told, they had no idea what a ¡°monster¡± spellcaster looked like. They thought my mother was monstrous, despite her good intentions.

    The conversation drifted to the sorts of magical music Slick had learned, and I made sure to stay out of it, for the most part. I didn¡¯t want to make things awkward again.

    After dessert - a delicious apple pie - O¡¯Brien thanked us again, and headed off. Even though he¡¯d worked all day, he was going right back to his office.

    He¡¯d left quite a wake of peace behind him. Considering the time of year, that was quite a blessing. I¡¯d received Pash¡¯s letter, confirming that we were at least temporarily free of his influence, on December fourth.

    That gave us right at three weeks to get ready for Christmas, without anything to worry about. My relationship with Lou and Slick had felt cold, ever since our house was attacked, but getting that letter seemed to help improve things.

    We all had fun preparing for the holidays. I was mostly doing enchanting work, Lou was mostly studying, and Slick was mostly practicing, so Alice was the one most involved in spicing both our homes up. We¡¯d often all go out together, and listen to Alice cheerfully tell us about her activities.

    Making them presents was, as always, a challenge. I wanted something that felt appropriate for the unique events we¡¯d been dealing with. I also still felt a little lingering bitterness at having felt chained, after the Cocoanut Grove fire, so I wanted the gifts to be magical.

    For Alice, I made a dress - an absolutely magnificent dress. It took quite a bit of feedback from Dorothy before it could be considered reasonably mundane. I¡¯d initially made it styled like sequined dresses, but with diamonds instead. Apparently that was excessive. I did, finally, find a way to get it to glisten and gleam without overstepping the bounds of the mundanely possible.

    Alice had been an orphan Dorothy had raised, so Dorothy had a great deal of insight into her tastes. By the time it was complete, it was an absolute masterpiece. I made matching hats, gloves, shoes, and a handbag to go with it, as well as earrings and a bracelet.

    For Dorothy, I got an enchanted snowglobe. I wasn¡¯t good at illusions, but I could copy simple things reasonably well, so I went and got a number of little decorative pieces for reference.

    I purchased a plain snowglobe, and carefully removed the little dog that was inside. I added more water, to fill the globe, and then carefully recreated the scenes that I¡¯d gathered. The ¡°snow¡± particles would seem to change to match the illusory scene. When it was done, it would only activate in her presence, if she was alone, and it would shift through various imagery. I selected a tropical beach, a miniature city, a cabin in the woods, Santa standing in the snow, and for fun, a bottle of wine surrounded by guns. I snuck a peek at her collection, to mimic those. All of them would be dusted by snow if she shook her globe.

    I hoped it would make her think retirement thoughts.

    For Lou, I got her an enchanted magnifying glass. It would permit the holder to see through items, up to about an inch through solid material. I wasn¡¯t sure how helpful it would be, and the interface was awkward, since she couldn¡¯t use magic, but it certainly fit the theme of her hopefully becoming a detective.

    For Slick, I enchanted a radio. Since he could use magic, I was able to make it more nuanced. It would record anything with one type of activation, and with the other, would play it back. It was designed to hold up to fifty recordings, in addition to functioning as a normal radio.

    Which left my final gift.

    At first, I struggled to think of something. Finally, it was Alice who had the idea.

    A simple bottle of Irish whiskey, the best I could find for sale. But rather than simply sending it to Lieutenant O¡¯Brien, I would take it to his house personally.

    And, if he went along with it, I¡¯d go inside.

    It was one of the most nerve wracking plans I¡¯d ever come up with. For this culture, women didn¡¯t tend to make the first move, but I wanted him. If I didn¡¯t approach him, he would just be professional.

    My stomach was tied in knots as I stared at the phone. A week before Christmas was when Alice had suggested the idea, and I had to make the call.

    If I went home without calling, I was sure I¡¯d lose my nerve. Lou looked highly amused as I nearly wrung the skin off my hands in nervousness.

    It took several attempts to dial his number, and when I did, I almost hung up on him.

    ¡°This is Lieutenant O¡¯Brien speaking,¡± he said, as he picked up the line.

    ¡°Hello, sir,¡± I said. ¡°Um, this is Aera calling.¡±

    ¡°Aera?¡± he said. ¡°Did something happen?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ no,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s that, uh, well, I¡­¡±

    I coughed a little.

    ¡°You see, I got you something,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s a¡­ a gift? For, um, Christmas.¡±

    Lou looked amused.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to do that,¡± he said.

    ¡°I know!¡± I said, a little too high pitched. ¡°I know I didn¡¯t have to. But I¡­ well, I wanted to. So, um, I did.¡±

    ¡°I appreciate the gesture,¡± he said.

    ¡°I, uh, I¡¯d like to give it to you,¡± I said.

    ¡°I could come by at some point, and pick it up,¡± he said, and I could almost hear him smiling.

    ¡°No,¡± I said. ¡°I mean, um, you c-could, but I was thinking, if maybe I could, if it¡¯s no big deal, that I could possibly arrange to bring it, um, to you. Not to your office, but um, to w-where you live, like your house, possibly.¡±

    ¡°I suppose that¡¯s reasonable,¡± he said, and I swore I could hear him trying not to laugh.

    ¡°Yes?¡± I said. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s good! Um, for that, though, I¡¯d, uh, I¡¯d need to know¡­ um¡­ your address?¡±

    He did chuckle at that, and gave me his address. I dropped the pen as I was writing it, but then picked it up fast enough that I didn¡¯t need him to repeat himself.

    ¡°It¡¯s in a bad part of town,¡± he said, sounding apologetic, ¡°So you¡¯ll want to be careful, and not go walking around.¡±

    ¡°Be careful?¡± I said. ¡°Of what?¡±

    There was no sound for a moment.

    ¡°I suppose that you wouldn¡¯t need to worry about random mugging,¡± he said, sounding like he was wanting to laugh again.

    ¡°No, sir,¡± I said. ¡°But if you want, I could catch them for you! I could even bring them, like another gift! Though¡­¡±

    He laughed.

    ¡°No, thanks,¡± he said. ¡°The extra paperwork would not be the best Christmas gift, though I appreciate the thought.¡±

    ¡°Um, sure. That makes sense,¡± I said. ¡°I was thinking¡­ are you¡­ are you off Christmas Eve?¡±

    ¡°Nope,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m working, and on Christmas, too. But you could come by after work on Christmas Eve. I¡¯m usually home by about nine or ten.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that sounds good,¡± I said. ¡°I will be there! And with your gift, like I said, since that¡¯s why I¡¯m going there.¡±

    Lou buried her face in her hands.

    ¡°I look forward to it,¡± he said. ¡°Thank you again.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± I said. ¡°Um, t-thanks for accepting, and um, bye!¡±

    With that I abruptly hung up the phone, and as soon as it was on its base, Lou burst out laughing.

    ¡°That was the most ridiculous and pathetic thing I¡¯ve ever seen,¡± she said. ¡°But it was also adorable. For your sake, hopefully he likes that.¡±

    I scowled at her, and proceed to curl up in a nervous ball on the couch. Lou continued to give me amused looks and randomly chuckle to herself.

    My nerves seemed to settle into a solid ball of excited and anxious anticipation by the time Christmas Eve came along. The day of, I was practically in a state of shock.

    At last, everything was in order, and I was ready. Alice had helped me to get my clothes in line, the bottle of whiskey was purchased, and it was time.

    I was going to make my move.

 Ch. 19 - Pursuit

    It was an interesting walk to O¡¯Brien¡¯s place. I arrived early and, as expected, he wasn¡¯t there. So, I took a stroll around his neighborhood. I half wanted someone to try mugging me, just so I¡¯d have something to take my mind off things.

    He¡¯d been honest when he said it was a bad part of town. The apartment next to his had some woman yelling inside. She was mad about something, though I couldn¡¯t make out any details. The buildings in the area were poor quality, though not as bad as Slick¡¯s and Lou¡¯s home, when I first met them. A number of unsavory people gave me speculative looks, but my cheerful demeanor must have put them off.

    For a few hours, I wandered, frequently checking back to see if he¡¯d arrived. At ten thirty seven, according to my watch, I saw a police car pull up to his apartment. It was a bit of a distance away, and I took a breath.

    After checking to make sure no one was watching, I used a bit of magic to speed up my movement, catching up to him as he unlocked the door.

    ¡°Oh, Aera,¡± he said, hearing me approach and turning around, ¡°Good timing. I was afraid you¡¯d have to wait, since work held me up again.¡±

    I decided not to mention that I¡¯d waited, and smiled instead.

    ¡°Hi,¡± I said shyly, then lifted up the bottle. ¡°I brought you a bottle of whiskey. I hope you like it.¡±

    He took it from me and looked at the label. He looked a little surprised.

    ¡°It¡¯s a nice one,¡± he said. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± I said, and took a breath. My heart was pounding in my ears. ¡°Would you¡­ maybe want some company while you try it?¡±

    ¡°That sounds like a fantastic way to spend my Christmas Eve,¡± he said with a warm smile, and I almost swayed on my feet.

    He¡¯d accepted!

    Alice had assured me he would. She¡¯d said that he wasn¡¯t half as dense as Slick, and he had to know I was interested in him.. That if he was going to reject me, he wouldn¡¯t have given me his address in the first place.

    Even so, the moment of asking was terrifying. And it wasn¡¯t going to be the only unnerving topic I wanted to bring up.

    He opened the door and gestured for me to go inside. I stepped in and looked around.

    It was very small, about the same size as Alice¡¯s apartment, when I¡¯d first stayed with her. The furniture was simple and mismatched, but looked very comfortable.

    ¡°Please, have a seat,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll grab some cups.¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said.

    I sat down on his sofa, and squirmed a little awkwardly when he rinsed out and quickly washed a pair of coffee mugs. I wasn¡¯t sure if it would be weird to offer to clean them, but at least it wasn¡¯t long.

    He sat down on the chair across from me and gave me a rueful smile.

    ¡°Sorry I don¡¯t have proper cups for this sort of thing,¡± he said.

    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± I said.

    He poured a small amount of whiskey into each of the cups. As I picked up mine, he took a sip and made a happy little sound.

    ¡°That¡¯s really good,¡± he said. ¡°Most of the good drinks disappeared over prohibition. How¡¯d you get this one?¡±

    I took a sip before answering. I tried not to wince. The flavor was rich, but the burn was far too much. I quickly adjusted the nerves in my mouth to be less sensitive to the burning.

    ¡°Slick gave me some leads to follow,¡± I said. ¡°He got into drinking too much when he was wealthy, and got to know half the bartenders in the city, it seems. Talking to the bartenders got me connected to some alcohol hoarders, who had some nice bottles saved up from before prohibition began.¡±

    ¡°Impressive,¡± he said, taking another sip.

    His expression suggested he had an understanding how expensive this bottle was, but he didn¡¯t comment.

    ¡°So what are your plans for Christmas?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Working,¡± he said wryly, and his smile turned warm.¡°But I¡¯ll also be spending as much time as I can with my nieces and nephews. Got a huge gaggle of the little tykes. It¡¯s how I spend most of my holidays, with family.¡±

    ¡°That sounds lovely,¡± I said.

    ¡°It¡¯s a good life, even if they¡¯d disagree,¡± he said with a laugh.

    ¡°They disagree?¡± I asked.

    ¡°They think I work too much,¡± he said, taking another sip of whiskey. ¡°My ma, especially, wants me to settle down and have a family of my own. She just doesn¡¯t accept that it¡¯s never going to happen. My nieces and nephews are enough for me, and my work is too important.¡±

    I nodded. I took a sip and smiled at the smoothness of the taste.

    It was quite nice, though I hadn¡¯t had nearly enough to be bold enough to use his comment as a way to bring up the real reason I¡¯d wanted to come by, so I took another angle.

    ¡°It¡¯s noble of you, to care so much for the city,¡± I said.

    ¡°Someone¡¯s got to,¡± he said with a shrug. ¡°My siblings aren¡¯t the only people with families. The city¡¯s full of people. Most of ¡®em good, and a good number of bastards. I want those families to be safe.¡±

    ¡°I envy that,¡± I said with a sigh. ¡°To do something of value, to make the world better¡­ I look forward to the time when I can.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like you¡¯ve already taken some opportunities to do so,¡± O¡¯Brien said.

    I frowned and leaned forward, looking down.

    ¡°I¡¯ve tried,¡± I said. ¡°The fact is, as I said before, I¡­ well, I was a coward.¡±

    My voice turned pleading as I continued, ¡°I have to do more, next time something happens. I can¡¯t just sit back and let people die again¡­¡±

    ¡°Then don¡¯t,¡± he said.

    I looked at him in surprise. The others had always pushed back when I¡¯d said something like that.

    ¡°You mentioned it before, too,¡± he said. ¡°It matters to you - not wanting to be cowardly.¡±

    I nodded.

    ¡°Then don¡¯t,¡± he repeated. ¡°If that¡¯s what you¡¯ve decided you need to do, then learn to stand up for yourself and do what¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°Even if it compromises the secret?¡± I said, awkwardly parroting the others¡¯ argument.

    ¡°It¡¯s your secret,¡± he said, shrugging. ¡°There¡¯s better and worse choices to make regarding it, but the choice is yours alone.¡±

    I looked at him, feeling a strange warmth in my heart.

    We were silent for a moment, while I took in his words.

    ¡°So what are your plans for Christmas?¡± he asked, breaking the silence.

    I shook my head a little to snap back to reality.

    ¡°Nothing much,¡± I said. ¡°Giving each other little gifts, having a nice dinner, and giving Lou a break from studying. She¡¯s applied for the test, by the way. She¡¯s scheduled to take it on January second.¡±

    He nodded.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad for her,¡± he said.

    ¡°So am I,¡± I said. ¡°I want to thank you for the suggestion - she¡¯s taken to it like a fish to water.¡±

    That earned a bright smile.

    ¡°I¡¯d hoped it would,¡± he said. ¡°She¡¯s a feisty one, and I expect she¡¯ll do the force proud.¡±

    ¡°She will,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s a shame she has such an issue with magic. I¡¯ve tried to make her comfortable with it, but to no avail. That ¡®feistiness¡¯ you speak of would make her quite talented.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± he asked, and leaned back a little, giving me a curious look. ¡°I¡¯ve thought about that magic of yours quite a bit since we last met, and have more or less convinced myself I¡¯ve not lost my mind.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± I said with a laugh. ¡°If you¡¯re actually curious¡­ I could show you some more.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to treat you like a circus freak,¡± he said wryly. ¡°Though I can¡¯t deny I am curious.¡±

    I smiled.

    ¡°This is the most difficult, complex spell that I know,¡± I said, and closed my eyes in concentration.

    It had been years since I¡¯d used my magic in this way. Four years - the last time was my first day in this world.

    Matter flowed into my body from around me, and since raw material was a bit lacking, I trimmed a little from my own fat, muscles, and skeleton. Far more halting and awkward than the demonstration four years prior, burgundy wings slowly grew from behind my shoulder blades.

    Once it was done, I took a deep breath. That had been harder than I¡¯d expected. I¡¯d gotten rusty with my lack of practice. Aside from the haste spell I¡¯d fashioned, tending my garden, and trivial little magics, I¡¯d hardly done anything at all these years.

    ¡°Amazing,¡± he said, looking at my right wing in fascination. ¡°May I touch it?¡±

    ¡°Certainly,¡± I said, reaching the wing out to him.

    I managed not to frown when the movement was as awkward as the magic had been. Learning to use additional limbs was hard on the brain, and I¡¯d not realized how easily it could be lost.

    He gently stroked the feathers at first, and seeing my acceptance, moved onto the couch and examined in closer detail. I tried not to giggle at his fascination as he poked and prodded the muscles and skeleton beneath the fragile skin.

    ¡°You can fly?¡± he asked after a minute.

    ¡°Yes,¡± I said, then gave him a rueful smile. ¡°In theory, anyway. It¡¯s been a few years - I probably would need a good deal of work to manage it again.¡±Stolen story; please report.

    ¡°How, though?¡± he said, his tone bothered. ¡°These wings are beautiful, but there¡¯s no way they¡¯re big and strong enough to carry a human. I guess you could glide, but flight?¡±

    I dropped my jaw in astonishment.

    ¡°That¡¯s incredible,¡± I said, and he seemed taken aback. ¡°I¡¯ve been showing off this spell since I learned it when I was about ten or so - a simpler version back then, of course - and you¡¯re the first mundane to ever realize that!¡±

    ¡°Thanks, I think,¡± he said.

    ¡°It truly is a wonderful thing,¡± I said, leaning towards him eagerly. ¡°Most think, aha, it is magic, of course it works! But magic follows rules, it has limits. These wings, they are not for flight, not directly.¡±

    I held out my right wing, the one closest to him, as a demonstration.

    ¡°It is useful to have the ability to control falls in a physical way, for when one loses concentration,¡± I explained. ¡°Not dying from falls is the most important skill in flying.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d imagine so,¡± he said dryly.

    I suppressed the urge to stick my tongue out at him playfully, and just smirked at him instead.

    ¡°The wings can be used for gliding, but mostly are to be used as a framework, to shape the magic,¡± I said. ¡°The ¡®true¡¯ wingspan, the barrier of magic that commands the air, is the same shape and position as the physical wing, only it is perhaps ten times the size.¡±

    With that, I used the ludicrously poor illusion skill I had to create little pinpoints of light. These were used to show the outline of the wind barrier that would be used for true flight. I bent the wing, as though flapping it in slow motion, and let the little lights match the pattern.

    ¡°The strength of the muscle is only to move the physical wing,¡± I went on. ¡°The actual strength of flight is purely from the magic pushing back against the air. Even then, the wings are insufficient - most flighted things require a tail, else they tumble out of control. As such, the legs provide the other framework, for a ¡®tail¡¯ wind barrier. My legs mark the outside of the barrier, and based on their position, the ¡®tail¡¯ changes shape, like the wings.¡±

    He nodded.

    ¡°Couldn¡¯t you do the wing thing with your hands and arms instead?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yes, but there¡¯s two problems with that,¡± I said. ¡°One, it¡¯s nice to have hands available for things. And two, the arms don¡¯t bend in ways that are best for flight. The tail doesn¡¯t need to be complicated, so legs are fine, but wings can be shaped to match one¡¯s needs, such as for slow, soaring flight, or high speed chases.¡±

    ¡°Huh,¡± he said. ¡°Sounds like, even with magic, it¡¯s a lot of work.¡±

    ¡°You have no idea,¡± I said. ¡°I was happy to learn to make the wings, since they were pretty, but flight was¡­ extremely painful.¡±

    ¡°Painful?¡± he asked.

    I nodded.

    ¡°My family had a rule that we could only have things we acquired ourselves,¡± I explained. ¡°Once I could make clothing, they no longer purchased clothing for me. Once I could heal, they no longer healed me. And so forth. They didn¡¯t want us to be entitled, due to our wealth and power.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s some sense in that,¡± he said, but his tone was cautious.

    ¡°They insisted I learn to fly,¡± I went on. ¡°I broke my bones dozens of times. The only time they healed me was when I fell unconscious.¡±

    He frowned.

    ¡°I take it you¡¯re very used to dealing with pain,¡± he said.

    ¡°Temporary pain, yes,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°I¡¯ve grown very fast at silencing my nerves, so that I cannot feel it. But if pain lasts longer than even a minute or two, I cannot stand it at all.¡±

    He chuckled.

    ¡°I suppose we all have our weaknesses,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s wild to think of the things you learned. Me, when I was in school, I¡¯d daydream about being about to do things like that. My favorite idea was teleportation. Can you do that?¡±

    I laughed.

    ¡°They tried to teach me that,¡± I said. ¡°By the time I was skilled enough to begin learning, I¡¯d grown more adept at avoiding it. It was far too complicated - I wanted no part of it.¡±

    ¡°I suppose teenagers are the same everywhere,¡± he said with a laugh. ¡°Avoiding schoolwork, even if it¡¯s learning teleportation.¡±

    ¡°It seems so,¡± I said. ¡°Though, that reminds me of something I wanted to bring up.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± he asked.

    ¡°The enchantments,¡± I said. ¡°There¡¯s two basic kinds, essentially. Passive ones that function the same, no matter the situation - they¡¯re good for mundanes, animals, and objects. Like if I wanted to protect a building, or make someone infertile, say. The anti-bullet enchantment is an example of that.¡±

    He nodded.

    ¡°The other kind is an active enchantment,¡± I said. ¡°They act differently, based on what the user wants to do with them. They can be dramatically more complicated and intricate. But those need to have someone who has, at the very least, awakened to their magic in order to use them.¡±

    ¡°Awakened to their magic?¡± he said. ¡°Odd way of putting it.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s another sense,¡± I explained. ¡°Another way of perceiving the world. The transition is pretty straightforward - you can¡¯t see, then you can. Takes some practice to get the hang of it, but once it starts, it¡¯s yours. You don¡¯t need much to use an active enchantment, but you have to at least see the magic in order to interact with it.¡±

    ¡°Huh,¡± he said. ¡°Interesting.¡±

    ¡°So, I wanted to ask if you wanted me to awaken you to magic,¡± I said. ¡°If not, I can make simplistic enchantments that anyone can use, but if so, I can make nearly anything, given enough time.¡±

    He took a deeper sip of the whiskey than usual.

    ¡°An interesting suggestion,¡± he said after a minute. ¡°On one hand, the simpler enchantments would be good to have a lot of, to give to the police, when the time comes. On the other¡­ well, I¡¯m interested in what sort of things you might be able to make.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s really up to you,¡± I said. ¡°For Lou, I made a magnifying glass that can see through objects. I could make a more specific version of that - would that be useful?¡±

    ¡°Not especially,¡± he said. ¡°Could you make something that can talk to the dead?¡±

    I blinked.

    ¡°Um¡­ no, actually,¡± I said. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ you have no idea how involved something like that would be.¡±

    ¡°What about seeing back in time?¡± he suggested.

    I shuddered. An Lum. The magic of shadows - of possibilities, of potential, of chance. Rigging a coin flip was easy, but time magic?

    Except I didn¡¯t want to say that I could do anything, and then shoot down two suggestions in a row.

    ¡°Technically possible,¡± I said slowly. ¡°That would take some work.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯d probably be the most useful thing you could make,¡± he said. ¡°Figuring out what happened in the past is almost my entire job. That, and getting the evidence to prove it.¡±

    ¡°It would be limited,¡± I said. ¡°Time magic is¡­ challenging. I¡¯ll need to think about some options, and then talk to you about them. Best when sober, I think.¡±

    I smiled nervously.

    ¡°I should come by again, then,¡± I said. ¡°It shouldn¡¯t take me more than a day or so to get a few ideas together. When would be a good time to come back?¡±

    He frowned.

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to get time away,¡± he said. ¡°For the next few weeks, I¡¯ll probably be pretty swamped. I¡¯ll be squeezing time away from work for family, for the holidays, and then I¡¯ll need to catch up on work. Maybe best if I call you, once things settle down.¡±

    I took a slow sip of the whiskey. It burned more in my veins than in my throat, and my unease felt further away. More importantly, this sounded like it was leading to the end of our conversation, which meant I was out of time.

    Now or never.

    ¡°That¡¯s agreeable,¡± I said, and went on as casually as I could manage, ¡°It sounds as though your life is often terribly busy.¡±

    ¡°I keep myself occupied,¡± he said, with a faint smirk.

    ¡°Do you ever manage to make time for¡­ other things?¡± I said. ¡°With women?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve given it a shot, from time to time,¡± he said, his tone relaxed. ¡°Wasn¡¯t too long ago that I got out of a relationship. A coworker of mine set me up with her, and we had some good times. But I worked too much. She couldn¡¯t handle being second place to my job. After a while, I found her with someone else.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s despicable,¡± I said.

    Not that I had an issue with the idea of multiple partners, but trust was the core of any relationship. I felt myself fuming on his behalf.

    He shrugged.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t take it personally,¡± he said. ¡°It was her way of being done with us.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ she betrayed you,¡± I protested. ¡°If she was done with your relationship, she should have simply told you as much.¡±

    ¡°People don¡¯t always do the best thing, especially when emotions get tangled up in it,¡± he said. ¡°What people do says something about them, not about the people they¡¯re close to. She felt hurt, so she wanted to hurt me back. My mistake was not realizing the problem sooner. When I saw what she did, I clued in. So I ended it. All there was to it.¡±

    ¡°It sounds like you have a lot of experience with things ending,¡± I said, and he nodded. ¡°For me, I¡¯ve only had one. I was with a man for a few years, and he¡­ he wanted to marry me. But he didn¡¯t perceive the problems with that, with the situation I¡¯m in.¡±

    He nodded again.

    ¡°I¡¯ve had quite a few relationships,¡± he said. ¡°They always end up wanting more than I can offer. Seems like we both had that issue, to an extent.¡±

    I swallowed.

    ¡°One could see that as being a compatibility between us,¡± I said.

    ¡°One could,¡± he said. ¡°There is the issue that nothing could happen with us as long as we have a working relationship.¡±

    ¡°What? Why?¡± I said, surprised.

    He hid a smile with another sip.

    ¡°There¡¯s a few issues with that,¡± he said. ¡°One is that it¡¯s not uncommon for women to be interested in the hero who saves the day. That kind of infatuation doesn¡¯t tend to last all that long. Don¡¯t get me wrong, it¡¯s not like women are throwing themselves at me all the time, but it¡¯s a pattern I¡¯ve noticed.¡±

    I crossed my arms.

    ¡°You¡¯re not my hero,¡± I said.

    ¡°I¡¯m not?¡± he said, with a raised eyebrow.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t need your help,¡± I said. ¡°It was helpful, don¡¯t misunderstand, and I do appreciate it. But that¡¯s not why I¡¯m interested.¡±

    As with inviting him to dinner, I realized what I said after the words came out of my mouth. I blushed, and he looked amused.

    ¡°Then why are you interested?¡± he asked.

    I dropped my jaw at him.

    ¡°You can¡¯t just ask a question like that!¡± I said.

    ¡°One thing I¡¯ve learned, when it comes to relationships, is that beating around the bush is a waste of time,¡± he said, then leaned back again, waiting.

    I glared at him, and he just smiled.

    ¡°Fine,¡± I said huffily. ¡°It¡¯s because¡­ you¡­ when you were over, and we were talking, you¡­¡±

    His smile shifted into a smirk as I started stumbling over my words. I was tempted to throw something at him.

    ¡°You know who you are,¡± I said, making an exasperated noise. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to describe it better than that. Your confidence, your certainty, the way you looked at me¡­ I noticed you, then. In¡­ in that way. I mean -¡±

    I cut off, blushing again, and he chuckled lightly.

    ¡°Interesting,¡± he said, and I felt like either throwing something at him or running away screaming.

    Instead I took a long drink of whiskey, even though I was already starting to get past tipsy.

    ¡°A second issue is with the power dynamic,¡± he said. ¡°The fact is, you¡¯re a young woman, much younger than I am, and I¡¯m in a position of authority over you. With the situation you¡¯re in, you don¡¯t have a lot of people you can talk to. I don¡¯t want to be in a relationship where I¡¯m a cop taking advantage of a lonely young woman.¡±

    ¡°Hmph,¡± I said, crossing my arms again. ¡°You forget who I am. Are you so sure it is not a powerful young sorceress taking advantage of a lonely, old cop?¡±

    ¡°Touche,¡± he said, raising his glass in the air with a laugh.

    I smiled triumphantly.

    ¡°There is an issue that can¡¯t be addressed so quickly, though,¡± he said. ¡°The simple fact is, as long as I¡¯m working on your case, it would be wrong for us to even discuss the idea of having something between us.¡±

    ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± I said. ¡°And aren¡¯t we already discussing it?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been discussing reasons to not have a relationship with you,¡± he said with a laugh. ¡°Beyond that, it¡¯s a professional conflict of interest. Police aren¡¯t supposed to have any sort of relationship to the work we do - we¡¯re supposed to pass the responsibility to someone else if we¡¯re personally involved.¡±

    ¡°Which you can¡¯t right now, because of the secret,¡± I said, sighing.

    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯d look bad for your case if the copper working it has an apparent ulterior motive, and it¡¯d look bad for me, like I was taking advantage of you.¡±

    ¡°So¡­ that¡¯s it, then,¡± I said.

    ¡°For the time being,¡± he said. ¡°Let¡¯s hold off on this conversation for now. We¡¯ll see how things settle over the next few weeks. I¡¯ll call you when I know I¡¯ve got a little time, and we can discuss those enchantment ideas.¡±

    ¡°That sounds reasonable,¡± I said, feeling uncertain.

    ¡°I¡¯ve had a wonderful evening with you,¡± he said, starting to stand up. ¡°I look forward to talking with you again. Do you think you¡¯ll be all right heading home?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± I said, standing as well. ¡°I¡¯ll take a taxi back.¡±

    He walked me over to the door.

    ¡°Goodnight, Aera,¡± he said.

    ¡°Goodnight, Lieutenant,¡± I said, and stepped outside.

    The cool air did wonders for my heated flesh and sluggish mind.

    Alice was curious to hear all about what happened, when I next visited. Lou was oddly standoffish - neither condemning nor supportive, but still curious. Slick didn¡¯t care at all about the details, beyond supporting O¡¯Brien for trying to do what was right.

    For the next few weeks, I worked on building more anti-bullet enchantments, so that everyone close to me could have one. When I wasn¡¯t working on that, I often chatted with Alice. She had many opinions on the things O¡¯Brien said, some of which were more flattering than others, and loved to discuss it.

    Considering how out of sorts the whole thing made me feel, I enjoyed having someone to talk to about it.

    The holidays were fun for everyone, and immediately afterwards, it was time for Lou to take her test. We all encouraged her as much as we could, and as soon as she left, we anxiously discussed our hopes and expectations.

    When she returned, she was nervous, but pleased, saying she thought she¡¯d done well. From there, it was just a matter of time.

 Ch. 20 - Desire

    Lou stood in front of the door, more uncomfortable than she¡¯d ever felt in her life.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine,¡± she muttered to herself.

    But then, she was good at knowing when people were lying, herself included.

    Courage won over cowardice, and her small knuckles rapped on the door. After a moment the door opened.

    ¡°Louise!¡±

    The woman¡¯s face lit up at seeing her guest. Her eyes were a little teary as she pulled Lou into her arms.

    ¡°Yeah, yeah, I¡¯m here,¡± Lou said awkwardly to her mother.

    ¡°It¡¯s been years, darling,¡± her mother said, then held Lou out at arm¡¯s length to look her over. After a half second, she frowned. ¡°Lou, you¡¯re still not wearing makeup.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need it,¡± Lou said, shrugging. ¡°Can I come in?¡±

    ¡°Oh, of course, silly me,¡± her mother said lightly, half rushing back inside. ¡°Charles! Charles, dear, guess who¡¯s here!¡±

    ¡°Who?¡± a voice responded, sounding hazy, his voice deep and vaguely annoyed.

    ¡°It¡¯s Louise!¡± her mother cheerfully said, as Lou timidly stepped inside. ¡°She¡¯s home!¡±

    ¡°Hmph,¡± her father grumbled. ¡°Does she have a man?¡±

    ¡°She doesn¡¯t have a ring, I checked,¡± her mother said, and Lou suppressed a heavy sigh. ¡°Unless you¡¯re doing things the old fashioned way?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not engaged,¡± Lou said, keeping the sulleness out of her tone. She was trying to act cheerful, but it was hard.

    ¡°That¡¯s all right, dear, I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll happen soon,¡± her mother said, ushering Lou fully into the sitting room.

    ¡°Anyway, I was hoping to tell you some news,¡± Lou said, taking a seat as she forced a smile.

    ¡°What?¡± her father asked.

    ¡°I, uh, I have a career now,¡± Lou said.

    ¡°Oh, no, honey, you don¡¯t have to do that,¡± her mother said. ¡°I¡¯m sure, soon, the right man will come al-¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a police officer,¡± Lou said, cutting her mother off.

    ¡°What?¡± her mother asked, her voice as blank and shocked as her father¡¯s had been.

    ¡°A junior detective,¡± Lou said, swallowing. ¡°I took the tests a couple of weeks ago, and I passed ¡®em. I got a call yesterday from the BPD - er, the Boston Police Department - saying that I¡¯m hired.¡±

    ¡°The¡­ the police?¡± her mother said, sitting back with a stunned expression.

    ¡°That¡¯s a man¡¯s job,¡± her father said.

    ¡°Yeah, I know you¡¯d like Slick and I to switch careers, but it wouldn¡¯t suit either of us,¡± Lou said, straining to keep her tone level.

    ¡°Louise, I love you,¡± her mother said, tears starting to form. ¡°You know that I want the best for you. But this isn¡¯t right. There isn¡¯t a woman alive meant for violence. The police deal with criminals, Louise. Criminals! With guns!¡±

    ¡°Yes, mother, I know that,¡± Lou said.

    ¡°What is wrong with you?¡± her father asked.

    ¡°Everything,¡± Lou said, crossing her arms as heat started to form in her eyes. ¡°Everything¡¯s wrong with me, since I was a kid. I¡¯ve figured out what I am, what I¡¯m good at, and this is it.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about,¡± her mother said, leaning forward, her eyes shining. ¡°You¡¯ve never given being a woman a chance, Louise! You¡¯ve resisted your whole life! You don¡¯t know what people say¡­¡±

    ¡°Actually, I do know,¡± Lou said. ¡°Believe it or not, I¡¯ve got functioning ears.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t talk to your mother like that,¡± her father snapped.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± Lou said, out of old habit, but kept her eyes on her mother. ¡°Look, I didn¡¯t come here to argue with you.¡±

    ¡°Then why did you come here?¡± her father asked, annoyed.

    ¡°Because you¡¯re my parents,¡± Lou said. ¡°This is¡­ this is a big deal to me, all right? What you wanted for me didn¡¯t fit me, and being a detective does. I just wanted you to know about it. To understand, I guess.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± her mother said, wiping at her eyes. ¡°Oh, Louise¡­ you can¡¯t raise a family like this.¡±

    ¡°Maybe I don¡¯t want to,¡± Lou said.

    Maybe she¡¯d never get Aera to reverse her spell. No monthly cycles, no children of her own, her life actually belonging to herself¡­ wasn¡¯t that a choice she could make?

    ¡°That¡¯s not even natural,¡± her father said.

    ¡°You¡¯d deny us grandchildren?¡± her mother said, paling further.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t even thought about that yet,¡± Lou said, her voice raising despite herself.

    ¡°You have to!¡± her mother said, almost yelling. ¡°You have to think about these things! You can¡¯t just give up on being a woman, becoming a police officer, getting caught up in violence, and not think of the consequences!¡±

    ¡°Maybe I want my own god damned life,¡± Lou said.

    ¡°Louise!¡± her mother said reproachfully. ¡°Don¡¯t use such language in our house!¡±

    Lou suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. She also resisted pointing out that she¡¯d picked up such ¡°language¡± from being mostly raised by Dorothy.

    ¡°Look,¡± Lou said. ¡°I¡¯m not here to fight you over my life decisions. I just thought, maybe you could be a part of my life.¡±

    ¡°We are a part of your life,¡± her mother said. ¡°How could you say something like that? You and your brother are the ones who abandoned us! Before you were even of age, Louise!¡±

    Lou rubbed her eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, mother,¡± she said, pulling herself slowly to her feet.

    Her mother hesitated at the tone in her voice.

    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have come here,¡± she said.

    ¡°No, what you shouldn¡¯t have done is forget who you are,¡± her mother said.

    ¡°¡®Forget,¡¯¡± Lou repeated with a wry chuckle, before turning towards the door, aching like she¡¯d gained ten years. ¡°I made a mistake. Maybe I¡¯ll make it again someday. Who knows.¡±

    ¡°Louise¡­¡± her mother said pleadingly.

    Lou looked back. Her father was glaring angrily at her, but still hadn¡¯t taken his lazy ass off the ratty couch. Her mother¡¯s face was covered in streaming tears, reaching out a hand as though wanting to stop her from leaving.

    ¡°I go by ¡®Lou,¡¯ in case you ¡®forgot,¡¯¡± Lou said, as she opened the door. ¡°I¡¯ll love you no matter what, so I¡¯ll probably do this again. Till then.¡±

    With that, she closed the door behind her, ignoring her mother¡¯s protests.

    Her chest felt tight and strangely numb. Lou couldn¡¯t seem to move towards her truck, so she just went walking instead.

    It was a new neighborhood. Slick had given the two a big chunk of money, as a farewell gesture, shortly after hitting it big. They¡¯d moved, and just lived off the money. Complete charity cases, now. Her father was too miserable to work, ever since he¡¯d gotten hurt.

    Which meant that nothing around here was familiar.

    After a while, her legs led her to a nice, old tree. She sat down on the snow under its shade and leaned against the bark.

    It was then that she began to feel.

    Her tears fell as silently as the snow.

    -----------------------

    ¡°Hi, Alice!¡± I said, beaming, as she opened the door.

    ¡°Aera, hi, come on in,¡± she said, stepping back with a smile.

    ¡°O¡¯Brien invited me back!¡± I said as I bounced into her apartment. ¡°In two days¡­ oh, Alice, I¡¯m so nervous¡­ Hi, Lou and Slick!¡±

    Alice laughed and pulled me over to the couch. Lou seemed a bit distracted, and Slick looked tired.

    ¡°Did you make a new dress?¡± Alice asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to make,¡± I half wailed. ¡°Alice¡­ why can I never seem to figure these things out?¡±

    ¡°You have it more together than Lou does,¡± Alice said, chuckling at Lou in a friendly way. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen her in a dress at all, let alone a fashionable one.¡±

    Lou smiled tolerantly.

    ¡°Oh, speaking of Lou,¡± I said, smiling back at her. ¡°How¡¯s the job going?¡±

    ¡°It was the brother!¡± Slick said instantly, which made Lou roll her eyes and Alice start giggling.

    ¡°... what?¡± I asked, confused.

    ¡°My first case was kind of stupid,¡± Lou said.

    ¡°It was brilliant,¡± Alice said, still giggling.

    ¡°It took me the whole day¡­¡±

    ¡°But the brother did take it,¡± Slick said, grinning.

    ¡°Would you two stop it?¡± Lou said.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± Slick said, and Alice just laughed a little louder.

    ¡°This old lady forgot she¡¯d asked her little brother to take her car to the mechanic,¡± Lou said.

    ¡°She¡¯d reported it stolen?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Lou said. ¡°She swore her neighbors were in on it, and had a bunch of suspects lined up. Stupidly, I asked them all questions, before going to the mechanic to find more details on the car, since the lady couldn¡¯t remember.¡±

    ¡°And there it was!¡± Slick said, with a dramatic gesture.

    ¡°Yep,¡± Lou said with a sigh.

    ¡°Aera, Aera,¡± Alice said. ¡°Lou asked the mechanic if he¡¯d stolen it!¡±

    ¡°I was joking!¡± Lou said. ¡°Obviously! Which is why I mentioned it to you two! Which I obviously never should have done!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re going to have so many wonderful stories to tell, Lou,¡± I said, chuckling.

    Lou smiled a little more warmly at that.

    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to some serious cases,¡± she said.

    ¡°Of course,¡± I said. ¡°But these are good ones for learning. They¡¯re wasting the department¡¯s time, otherwise, but for you, it¡¯s practice.¡±

    ¡°Guess that¡¯s true,¡± Lou said wryly.

    ¡°Have you told your parents the story?¡± I asked, and her expression twitched in a weird way. ¡°Or¡­ did I forget something? Last I heard, you were going to go visit with them, and tell them about your job, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Lou said.

    ¡°Did that go well?¡± I asked.

    ¡°About as well as expected,¡± Lou said, shrugging. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­ good, then?¡± I said hesitantly. ¡°Um. Well, I suppose you won¡¯t mind if I take Alice for a bit for some shopping?¡±

    ¡°For your date with O¡¯Brien?¡± Lou asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a date, exactly,¡± I said.

    ¡°What is it, then?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I have no idea, to be honest,¡± I confessed with a sigh. ¡°He¡¯s a strange man, but I like him.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s great,¡± she said, her tone a little off.

    I wished I knew what to say. Obviously asking about her parents had bothered her, and changing the subject hadn¡¯t helped.

    ¡°Right, well, I guess we should be off,¡± I said, awkwardly looking over at Alice.

    She gave Lou a gentle smile before standing up.

    Before stepping out the door, I looked back, hesitating.

    Then I smiled and shook my head. Lou was made of stronger stuff than I was. She was fine.

    Alice and I had a lovely time shopping together.

    Two days later, I had another completely new dress that had undergone no less than thirty color changes that day alone.

    Not that I really believed that the hue of my dress would really influence the conversation much, but¡­

    Alas, what was a girl to do?

    This time, he was going to be home around eight, he¡¯d said. As before, I arrived a little early, without expecting to see him for a while. His work was a priority even over an established partner - this was a trait I could either put up with, or not. Fortunately for me, I had plenty to do.

    I sat down on the stairs leading up to his door and fiddled with the improved bullet enchantment I¡¯d been working on. I¡¯d noticed a flaw in the previous design when I¡¯d tripped in the kitchen one day.

    Hopefully no one else had noticed that particular problem.

    To my happy surprise, O¡¯Brien showed up almost on time - just a few minutes after eight.

    I¡¯d been almost comfortable until I¡¯d seen him. My hopes for the night flooded into my mind at the sight of his face and I couldn¡¯t breathe. Part of me was convinced that my new best plan involved shrieking in terror and bolting.

    Breathe, you idiot, I thought to myself.

    Another part of me reminded me that I technically had the option of erasing his memory if I screwed up too badly.

    I mentally kicked myself again, and forced a smile at the serious face. His accursed eyes had the remarkable ability to see right through me, and I couldn¡¯t breathe again.

    He can¡¯t read your mind, thrice cursed moron, I thought harshly. He can read body language, though, so relax!

    His serious expression grew into an amused smirk as he approached the door. He could tell that I was absolutely not relaxed.

    ¡°Good evening, Aera,¡± he said, and my smile grew more strained.

    ¡°Hi,¡± I managed, while suppressing certain nerve signals in my stomach.

    It was completely ridiculous that the body would respond to anxiety with nausea, of all things. I was trying to charm a partner, not eat poison! How did that physical response even make any sense?

    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you again,¡± he said as he made his way up the steps.

    I stood, holding on the railing in a graceful way, and most certainly not looking like I was about to pass out from not breathing.

    ¡°You¡¯re not cold?¡± he asked, glancing down at my rather limited, dark red dress.

    Aha! So he did notice these things!

    ¡°Not at all,¡± I said, smiling. ¡°I know a trick or two to keep warm.¡±

    Another interpretation of my words occurred me to far too late, and I froze solid.

    ¡°Useful,¡± he said, stepping past me to unlock the door. ¡°Come on inside - I imagine it¡¯ll be more comfortable, in any case.¡±

    ¡°Yep,¡± I said, turning around and walking after him.

    These clothes were a terrible idea. They weren¡¯t revealing enough to be damnable, quite, but they were shaped well enough that it was impossible to even wear the accursed thing without thinking about¡­ things.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.

    I¡¯d wanted him to think about those things, not for me to become so flustered I couldn¡¯t think at all.

    ¡°I get the feeling you could use a drink,¡± he said, giving me an amused look as he started towards his kitchen.

    ¡°Yes, actually, that¡­ that is an excellent idea,¡± I said.

    He chuckled as he washed out the coffee cups again. He then grabbed the same bottle of whiskey that I¡¯d brought for Christmas. It looked like it hadn¡¯t had lost more than maybe a shot or two since then.

    While he poured a few shots worth of whiskey into the cups, I attempted to remember the basics of survival. Like breathing, a sustainable heart rate, and generally not exploding.

    ¡°I still haven¡¯t mentally gotten off work just yet, so I may as well start with that,¡± he said, sitting down and looking completely, annoyingly comfortable. ¡°Have you figured out what you might pull off, with seeing the past?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± I said, my anxiety fleeing from me. This was a very comfortable subject. ¡°I have two suggestions in mind, for if you accept learning magic. If not¡­ honestly, I can¡¯t figure out a passive enchantment that could handle it.¡±

    ¡°Can anyone learn magic?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Er¡­ sort of,¡± I said, feeling a bit thrown off as I considered the question. ¡°There¡¯s different¡­ let¡¯s call it, types of talent that people can have?¡±

    ¡°That makes sense,¡± he said. ¡°So anyone can learn it, but some would have a hard time, in different ways?¡±

    ¡°Exactly,¡± I said, delighted at how quickly he understood. ¡°Some may be faster to see the magic, some faster to understand how to use it. I can get a pretty good insight into how¡­ aligned a person is. That is, their potential.¡±

    ¡°How do you expect me to fare?¡± he asked, eyes lighting up with more curiosity.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t, um, examined you,¡± I said, swallowing. ¡°But you¡¯re both intelligent and passionate - that handles most of the biggest issues, really. So, at worst you¡¯d be mediocre. I¡¯d be stunned if you proved awful at it.¡±

    ¡°No pressure, then,¡± he said wryly.

    I quickly apologized, and he laughed, waving me off.

    ¡°How long do you think the training would take, before I could use the things - ah, the enchantment?¡± he asked.

    ¡°That I can¡¯t tell you,¡± I said. ¡°If you deeply want to learn magic, and have a prodigy level of talent, you¡¯d be awakened in under a minute.¡±

    He cocked his head, making me hesitate.

    ¡°So it really depends on me ¡®getting it,¡¯¡± he said, musing out loud. ¡°It¡¯s not that the process takes time, it¡¯s that it has to click.¡±

    I nodded.

    ¡°Slick attempted to learn for perhaps two hours per week, and it took him several months,¡± I said. ¡°Though he has focus issues. Alice tried for a few weeks before she gave up. The process involves me watching the spirit, and when she finally understood what magic requires, she didn¡¯t have the¡­ well¡­ heart, I suppose. You have to care, powerfully, about what you¡¯re doing.¡±

    ¡°Emotion based,¡± he said, summarizing.

    ¡°Only if you like unexpected, frequently explosive outcomes,¡± I said wryly. ¡°Emotion fuels the magic, but it¡¯s the mind that shapes it.¡±

    ¡°Which is why you¡¯d mentioned both passion and intelligence as key points,¡± he said.

    ¡°Correct,¡± I said, smiling.

    ¡°Sounds worth trying,¡± he said. ¡°How long would it take to make the enchantment?¡±

    ¡°I have two in mind,¡± I said again.

    ¡°Right, right,¡± he said. ¡°What are your ideas?¡±

    ¡°One is to track the history of an area,¡± I said. ¡°I could make the enchantment cover an area that¡¯s about the size of this apartment, give or take - the enchantment could let you specify, and a smaller area would require less power. It could take your mind back in time for a while. Currently, I¡¯ve managed half an hour, but I could probably get it to a full hour or two back, given some more practice.¡±

    He nodded, his gaze intent and fascinated.

    ¡°You¡¯d ¡®watch¡¯ everything that happened in that area, able to move around, see from different angles, listen, feel, whatever you preferred,¡± I said. ¡°Technically, you could see outside of it, too, because the light would¡­ nevermind. In short, it would send a pretend, ghost version of you back in time, and you¡¯d watch the time progress at normal speed. Since it¡¯s actually messing with time, it doesn¡¯t take any real time, in the present - you¡¯d have the hour¡¯s worth of memory in an instant, as far as anyone else is concerned.¡±

    ¡°That could definitely be useful, for some cases,¡± he said. ¡°The other one?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a little harder to describe,¡± I said. ¡°Um¡­ basically, most things just¡­ do what they¡¯re doing. If I throw a ball, it will definitely go where I¡¯m throwing it, and not, for instance, turn into a random potted petunia.¡±

    He chuckled at that. ¡°I¡¯m following so far.¡±

    ¡°People, on the other hand, are sometimes predictable, and sometimes not,¡± I said. ¡°Generally, put food in front of a starving person, and he¡¯ll eat it, even if you tried it a thousand times.¡±

    He nodded.

    ¡°Sometimes, though, other things might happen,¡± I said. ¡°Like your gun - shoot at a target, and sometimes you¡¯ll hit, sometimes you¡¯ll miss.¡±

    ¡°Chance is important for this,¡± he said.

    ¡°Yes,¡± I said. ¡°For An Lum in general, really.¡±

    He gave me a confused look.

    ¡°Nevermind, I am not explaining An Lum right now,¡± I said, laughing. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ a headache. Anyway. At any given point in a person¡¯s life, their immediate future is almost absolutely certain. There are some points, though, some very few points, that involve some element of chance, that can dramatically change the course of a person¡¯s life. I think the best translation for this is a crux point.¡±

    ¡°Still following you,¡± he said.

    ¡°Good,¡± I said. ¡°Say you step out in front of a car - the car might, or might not, hit you and kill you. Obviously, that makes a big difference in your future.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d say so,¡± he said, and I chuckled.

    ¡°The moment that you chose to step out, or maybe the moment the driver noticed you - wherever that critical point of chance is found, which causes a massive change in your life, that¡¯s the crux point,¡± I said. ¡°The other enchantment idea is to track a recently dead person, and allow you to witness every major crux point in his or her life.¡±

    He blinked slowly as he processed that.

    ¡°How recently?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Um¡­ within a month or so,¡± I said.

    ¡°Not too recent, then,¡± he said. ¡°How much would I be able to see?¡±

    ¡°Similar to the first idea,¡± I said. ¡°See, hear, whatever, like a ghost around the moment. You¡¯d have maybe a minute before and after each crux point.¡±

    ¡°Which might let me see the moment they died,¡± he said.

    ¡°Maybe,¡± I said. ¡°But it would almost certainly show the moment at which they were condemned to death. The final crux point could be hours or even days before the actual death.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    ¡°It might not even involve them,¡± I said. ¡°If someone were trying to decide to assassinate your person, for instance, and the assassin¡¯s skill was beyond any reasonable chance of failure, then what you¡¯d see is the deciding moment to hire him.¡±

    ¡°That is incredible,¡± he said.

    ¡°So which would you like me to work on first?¡± I asked.

    He exhaled slowly, and took a sip of his whiskey. He barely looked like he was present, and I could practically hear his mind whirring with thoughts.

    ¡°There¡¯s no guarantee I¡¯d understand what I was seeing, in those crux points,¡± he said after a minute.

    ¡°Unfortunately, no,¡± I said. ¡°I could build another enchantment to store your memories of the experience, to keep it perfectly clear, for study. But that¡¯s the best I could do.¡±

    ¡°With the first one,¡± he said. ¡°If you get a smaller area, could you go further back?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­¡± I swallowed. ¡°Probably?¡±

    ¡°How long would that one take?¡± he asked.

    ¡°At least a month,¡± I said. ¡°Probably two, honestly.¡±

    He nodded.

    ¡°That¡¯d be the best option, then,¡± he said. ¡°Even if it¡¯s only an hour, there¡¯s a lot I can do with that.¡±

    ¡°Then it¡¯s settled,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll be working on that, for the next while.¡±

    His eyes were bright, but still somewhat distant, as though he were caught up in memories.

    ¡°We¡¯ll need to work on awakening you to magic, too,¡± I said, to which he vaguely nodded. ¡°Which reminds me, I¡­ noticed a flaw with the bullet enchantment, and I need to replace it.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with it?¡± he asked, touching the necklace.

    ¡°Er¡­¡± I hesitated, and blushed. ¡°Well, you see, it works in part by dissolving anything that comes at it too quickly¡­¡±

    ¡°Anything,¡± he repeated.

    ¡°... yes,¡± I said. ¡°Including, ah, my coffee table, when I tripped the other day. Mind, I was running, and I hit it pretty fast, but it occurs to me that I think people can punch that fast¡­¡±

    His expression was a mixture of amused and horrified as he looked down at his necklace.

    ¡°What would it have done to his hand, if I¡¯d been punched?¡± he asked, sounding morbidly curious.

    ¡°Um,¡± I blushed. ¡°It¡­ may have dissolved the flesh into a mucky paste and then¡­ sort of¡­ exploded it a little?¡±

    He paled slightly.

    ¡°And the new one definitely doesn¡¯t do that?¡± he said.

    ¡°I¡¯ve changed it so that it will only react to metal,¡± I said. ¡°Hopefully you don¡¯t get shot with wooden bullets, but I¡¯m pretty sure they don¡¯t exist.¡±

    ¡°Here¡¯s hoping I don¡¯t get attacked with coins,¡± he said wryly.

    ¡°It does have to be moving pretty quickly,¡± I said. ¡°I used Lou¡¯s gun to set a speed standard - if it¡¯s going much slower than a bullet, it won¡¯t activate.¡±

    ¡°How the hell did you hit your coffee table that fast?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Er¡­¡± I hesitated again. ¡°I didn¡¯t actually trip. It was more of an explosion that I was dodging¡­¡±

    He laughed, shaking his head.

    ¡°You talk about explosions like they¡¯re commonplace,¡± he said.

    ¡°For me, they are,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°It¡¯s a common byproduct of things going wrong - my mother¡¯s trained me quite aggressively to always be prepared for them. She¡¯d randomly explode or set on fire all sorts of things, when I was a child, until I learned to react properly, every time. I was burned so often¡­ Once, when I started to get complacent, she made my favorite snuggle toy explode, just as I was getting ready for sleep.¡±

    ¡°That¡­ is excessive,¡± he said.

    I shrugged.

    ¡°It¡¯s just how my mother handles things,¡± I said. ¡°She always wanted us to be prepared to handle anything.¡±

    ¡°How old were you?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± I said. ¡°Seven or eight, maybe? Does it matter?¡±

    ¡°When you have children, do you think you¡¯d do that?¡± he asked. ¡°Do you think you¡¯d destroy a young child¡¯s favorite toy, burning them when they least expect it?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I said. ¡°But I¡¯m not my mother. Besides, if she hadn¡¯t, Lou would be dead from the Cocoanut Grove fire.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure she meant well,¡± he said. ¡°But that¡¯s too far, even if something good eventually came from it. I¡¯d even go so far as to call that abuse.¡±

    ¡°Abuse?¡± I said, and laughed. ¡°Hardly! My mother loves me dearly.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen many cases of people who badly hurt the people they love, for all sorts of reasons,¡± he said.

    ¡°I think you¡¯re projecting your work onto me,¡± I said, smiling. ¡°My mother is wonderful.¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± he said.

    ¡°She is,¡± I insisted. ¡°I don¡¯t deny I have issues with her, but they¡¯re not with how she treated me. Not directly, anyway.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± he asked.

    ¡°My parents are two of the most powerful spellcasters in the world,¡± I said. ¡°They expected me to follow in their footsteps. My father was gentler about his expectations than my mother was, but they were both¡­ they¡¯re disappointed in me.¡±

    ¡°They told you that?¡± he asked.

    ¡°No, but it¡¯s obvious,¡± I said. ¡°I was raised explicitly to be something, and I¡¯m not. What else would they be, but disappointed?¡±

    ¡°Their choices don¡¯t define you,¡± he said. ¡°Whether or not they¡¯re disappointed in the result is up to them. What the result is, is up to you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve no idea what that result is,¡± I said, looking at my feet.

    ¡°Maybe not the whole picture, but there are some important choices you¡¯ve made,¡± he said, his smile warm.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked uneasily.

    ¡°You¡¯ve decided that it¡¯s important to not be a coward,¡± he said. ¡°To stand up, and do the right thing, even if it hurts you. Sitting back and taking orders - that¡¯s the person they were raising, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°They tried not to,¡± I said, looking away. ¡°They wanted me to make decisions. They just impressed on me how¡­ how significant the decisions of powerful people are. An entire nation could rise or fall, based on my mother¡¯s whim. Plagues could start or stop by accidental byproducts of other choices¡­¡±

    ¡°You were afraid to choose,¡± he said.

    I nodded.

    We were silent for a moment.

    ¡°A few years ago, I shot a man,¡± he said, and I looked up at him. ¡°He was drunk, maybe crazy, and was running at me with a knife. I knew the easiest shot would be his chest, and the best shot to just knock him down would be an arm or a leg. I had to decide, in that moment, whether I should risk my life to save his, gambling on my aim.¡±

    He took a slow sip of his whiskey and looked deeply into the amber liquid.

    ¡°I was tired, that day,¡± he said. ¡°I hadn¡¯t been to the gun range in a while. I was afraid, and the knife wasn¡¯t the reason. I was afraid of guilt, of killing someone who didn¡¯t need to die.¡±

    He was silent for another moment.

    ¡°What did you do?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I shot him in the chest,¡± he said. ¡°He died minutes later.¡±

    My breath was slow and steady.

    ¡°You do understand, then,¡± I said softly. ¡°Does¡­ does the guilt plague you?¡±

    ¡°Not anymore,¡± he said, looking back into my eyes. ¡°Hard choices are part of the job. Learning to make those choices isn¡¯t an easy thing, but eventually, it becomes normal.¡±

    Tears welled up in my eyes, and I looked away, so he wouldn¡¯t see.

    ¡°With what I can do, that is what I must be,¡± I said. ¡°I have to be able to make those choices.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re young, Aera,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s hard, but you¡¯ll figure it out, as long as you¡¯re willing to.¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± I chuckled. ¡°I shall. Though¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± he asked.

    ¡°You called me by my name,¡± I said.

    ¡°That I did,¡± he said uncertainly. ¡°Is that all right?¡±

    I laughed.

    ¡°Yes, of course,¡± I said, looking over at him. ¡°It just reminds me that I don¡¯t know your first name.¡±

    He smiled ruefully.

    ¡°Easily fixed,¡± he said with a chuckle. ¡°My name is Liam.¡±

    ¡°And¡­ I can call you that?¡± I said hesitantly.

    ¡°Yes,¡± he said with a laugh. ¡°At least when I¡¯m not on duty.¡±

    ¡°All right, then,¡± I said. ¡°Liam.¡±

    He smiled at me as I blushed at speaking his name.

    ¡°Speaking of being on duty,¡± he said. ¡°I thought I¡¯d get you up to date with what¡¯s going on with your case.¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± I said, taken aback. ¡°Of course.¡±

    ¡°Pash is out of the city,¡± he said. ¡°We had some discussions regarding you and the restraining order, but nothing interesting was revealed. He¡¯s agreed to leave you alone, and all the paperwork¡¯s been filed. Everything¡¯s in order.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± I said, uncertain. ¡°Which means¡­¡±

    ¡°Which means that, unless something happens, the case is closed,¡± he said.

    I blinked as comprehension dawned.

    ¡°So¡­ there is no case. So you¡¯re not on my case. Which means¡­¡± I said, trailing off again.

    He smiled.

    ¡°Certain restrictions are not longer in place,¡± he said. ¡°But there¡¯s some things to discuss on that subject.¡±

    ¡°Y¡­ yes,¡± I said, my heart rate starting to increase again.

    ¡°I think the most important thing for you to know is that I¡¯m not really in a position to have a serious relationship,¡± he said. ¡°Like with my ex, who never accepted it, anyone I was in a relationship with would always be second place to my job. And I¡¯m not looking for marriage or settling down.¡±

    ¡°What if it weren¡¯t for¡­ those things?¡± I said impulsively. ¡°What if it were just for play?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re talking about having sex,¡± he said, and I almost choked.

    ¡°You¡­!¡± I said, my jaw dropped. ¡°You can¡¯t say things like that!¡±

    He smiled again.

    ¡°I can, and I will,¡± he said. ¡°If we¡¯re going to discuss something, we should discuss it clearly.¡±

    I just gaped at him.

    ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t,¡± I said. ¡°I mean, to say things like that so¡­ directly? Talking about it in the abstract is one thing, but¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re afraid,¡± he said.

    ¡°I¡­ fine, yes,¡± I said, sighing. ¡°It¡¯s terrifying to say things like that.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve mentioned not wanting to be a coward,¡± he said casually. ¡°This would be a good way to work on that.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me,¡± I muttered under my breath and groaned.

    He waited.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to make me say it, aren¡¯t you,¡± I said flatly.

    ¡°Yep,¡± he said.

    I turned bright red.

    ¡°Would a simple ¡®yes¡¯ do?¡± I said after a moment.

    He took a sip of his whiskey.

    ¡°For now,¡± he said.

    It was silent again.

    ¡°Argh,¡± I said. ¡°Seriously? Fine! Yes!¡±

    He shifted minutely in his seat as I glared at him. This conversation had turned too quickly for me.

    ¡°That¡¯s surprising,¡± he said, giving me a quizzical look. ¡°It¡¯s generally men who want sex, not women.¡±

    ¡°Just because your culture is stupid, and keeps women from knowing their own pleasure, doesn¡¯t mean that I am ignorant of such things,¡± I said, my voice heated.

    ¡°A woman¡¯s pleasure?¡± he asked, his eyes lighting up with fascination.

    ¡°Yes,¡± I said, relaxing a little as I turned my mind towards a more general, abstract thought of biology, instead of¡­ personal things. ¡°Women have different organ structures, in that regard, but are equally capable of pleasure and reaching orgasm.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± he asked, leaning forward. ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°Through appropriate stimulation of the relevant nerves, just as in a male,¡± I said. ¡°Though some aspects are quite different. I¡­ well, I guess it¡¯s not equal. For one, a male is usually more easily able to achieve orgasm, but females can have multiple in one session.¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯ve experienced that?¡± he asked.

    I blushed bright red.

    ¡°You!¡± I said. ¡°Argh. I¡­ fine, yes, but¡­¡±

    ¡°Is that a difference between your people and ours? Is there a physical difference?¡± he asked.

    ¡°No,¡± I said. ¡°Not that I can tell. With women, the mental state is more critical for her pleasure - the more intensely she desires such pleasure, the more physically capable she becomes of receiving it. Here¡­¡±

    ¡°If she doesn¡¯t know it¡¯s possible, it might not be possible,¡± he said.

    ¡°It¡¯d still be possible,¡± I said. ¡°Just unlikely to be discovered by accident. And if it were, who¡¯d admit it, in this culture?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a good point,¡± he said, and then leaned back. ¡°If I understand you, that¡¯s what you¡¯re wanting with me. Just sex.¡±

    I could have choked to death on the surge of blood to my face.

    ¡°No!¡± I said, half yelling. ¡°Argh¡­ I¡­¡±

    He raised a hand in a pacifying gesture.

    ¡°Maybe the best thing is to tell me what it is you want,¡± he said. ¡°That way we¡¯re on the same page.¡±

    I leaned back and contemplated simply merging into the couch. I could disappear. I had the power.

    Slow breaths steadied my heart as I considered how to answer him.

    ¡°I told you about how I was¡­ meant to be engaged,¡± I said, looking at his wall. He nodded in my peripheral vision. ¡°What he wanted¡­ maybe, one day, that¡¯s possible. But not right now. Right now, I¡¯m trapped in this point of preparations. Soon, this life is going to end.¡±

    He looked at me quizzically.

    ¡°Living freely, making simple decisions, enjoying time with friends,¡± I said, shrugging. ¡°Simple things. It¡¯ll be gone. One way or another, I¡¯ll be on the world stage, and who knows what¡¯ll happen then. All I know, all I have, is this little bit of time. And what was it you said? Six months, to a few years?¡±

    I looked over at him and he nodded again.

    ¡°I¡¯m lonely,¡± I said, looking away again. ¡°I¡¯ve been feeling choked in a way I can¡¯t describe. If I must wait, then I want to fill this time with productivity, and I want to fill it with joy. With¡­ companionship.¡±

    ¡°With no plans of commitment for afterwards,¡± he said.

    ¡°Ideally, with every expectation of it ending at that time,¡± I said, looking away. ¡°That would be¡­ that¡¯d be the best case, for me. I¡¯d be willing to compromise. If¡­ I mean, just sex is an option.¡±

    I carefully breathed, keeping my head steady as those words came out.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you want, either,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m willing to¡­ to figure things out.¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t decided what I want yet,¡± he said, sounding a little wistful. ¡°I¡¯ve mostly figured out what I can¡¯t do, and what I shouldn¡¯t do. I¡¯m still uncomfortable with the fact that I¡¯m thirty four, you¡¯re twenty one, we met in the context of having authority over you, and I still am in an interesting position over you, considering what I¡¯ve learned.¡±

    I rolled my eyes.

    ¡°And why is it that my power over you doesn¡¯t mean anything?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Because I¡¯m a man,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s the way it is.¡±

    ¡°Why does that matter?¡± I asked, honestly confused.

    He hesitated.

    ¡°Generally, men have power over women,¡± he said cautiously. ¡°Usually, women have to be worried about men potentially forcing the issue.¡±

    ¡°You mean rape?¡± I said, raising an eyebrow.

    ¡°Yes,¡± he said. ¡°Not that you¡¯d have to worry about that with me in particular, but it¡¯s an undertone to these sorts of issues. I can¡¯t be unaware of it, not with what I¡¯ve seen.¡±

    I rolled my eyes again.

    ¡°Rape is a non concern, at all. You realize I could rape you, right?¡± I said dryly.

    ¡°What?¡± he asked. ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°I could grow a penis, and force you to grow a vagina,¡± I continued dryly as his eyes widened. ¡°That¡¯d be the easiest. I could implant suggestions into your mind. Paralyze you, but force you to be functional, and responsive. All sorts of things. The power balance goes only one way, here, on every level.¡±

    ¡°Huh,¡± he said, shifting in his seat again, looking confounded.

    He took a long drink of whiskey.

    ¡°Not that I would,¡± I added hastily.

    ¡°I understand,¡± he said, then shook his head to clear it.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said after a minute. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to make you uncomfortable.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine¡­ more than fine, actually,¡± he said, smiling at me. ¡°I appreciate different perspectives, and that¡­ that one smacked me upside the head harder than my ma¡¯s wooden spoon.¡±

    I laughed.

    His smile grew warmer.

    We were silent for a minute.

    ¡°You¡¯re wanting to ask me something,¡± he said.

    ¡°Yes,¡± I admitted.

    ¡°What is it?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I¡­ can¡¯t find the words,¡± I said, looking away.

    ¡°I can guess,¡± he said.

    ¡°I doubt that,¡± I muttered.

    He smiled.

    ¡°You¡¯re wanting to ask if I¡¯ll fix your loneliness,¡± he said.

    ¡°What?¡± I said, startled. ¡°No! No, that¡¯s a terrible question!¡±

    ¡°It is?¡± he said, surprised.

    ¡°Yes, it is!¡± I said. ¡°It is not anyone¡¯s job to fix my loneliness, and it¡¯s not something you could answer - at best, you could say you¡¯d try. No, that wasn¡¯t my question at all!¡±

    ¡°Then what is?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I wanted to know if you want me to stop pursuing you,¡± I said impulsively, then blushed again.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ not what I expected,¡± he said.

    ¡°I desire you,¡± I said, the alcohol making me bizarrely brave. ¡°But I¡¯ll stop trying to pursue you, if you want.¡±

    The room was silent for a moment.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to stop,¡± he said.

 Bonus Chapter 4 - Need (NSFW)

    The air felt strangely cool on my heated skin.

    He desires me.

    This feeling was alien. It was as though I were a predator, and he was my prey. Knowing he desired me¡­ I felt powerful, somehow. My skin was tight, my heart¡¯s pounding was a thing of readiness instead of fear, my muscles were aching to make me move. To move against him¡­ to touch, to take, to conquer¡­

    This was nothing like what I¡¯d felt before. With Benjamin, it was a thing of love - a feeling of sharing, of closeness, of intimacy. This was a thing of¡­ I had no idea. Power? Lust? Hunger? My breath felt hot on my lips, as though invisible tongues of flame escaped my lungs, as though I were a mighty, fire breathing dragon, roaring out for all the world to hear of what was mine.

    The feeling that was overtaking me must have been visible, somehow. O¡¯Brien - no, Liam glanced at me, and shifted minutely again.

    He coughed slightly, as he looked at his whiskey closer than entirely necessary.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s good to note that I¡¯m still not entirely sure what¡­ what I do want, exactly,¡± he said, not meeting my eyes for the first time in this conversation.

    Cold water struck my heart, and uncertainty followed in his wake. I snapped back to my reality.

    He¡¯d said I was allowed to keep trying, but that didn¡¯t mean I was going to win.

    ¡°Of course,¡± I said, awkwardly. ¡°But¡­ surely you¡¯ve thought about it some.¡±

    He nodded slowly.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve been thinking about that quite a bit, especially these last few minutes,¡± he said, his tone dryly amused.

    ¡°... and?¡± I prompted.

    ¡°I¡¯m one to take my time with things,¡± he said, still looking at his whiskey. ¡°I like to make my decisions with a clear head, and make sure I¡¯ve thought things through. I could be wrong, but I¡¯m getting the impression you¡­ would want something to happen tonight.¡±

    Words were simply impossible, so I nodded.

    ¡°Best to get expectations clear,¡± he said. ¡°That¡¯s not really likely to happen.¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s not impossible,¡± I said, noting his word choice.

    That predatory warmth hissed through my veins again as, at last, I made him blush.

    It was only a little, a scarcely visible flush in his cheeks, but it still felt like a victory.

    ¡°I also have to admit, the part of all we¡¯ve talked about that¡¯s most¡­ interesting,¡± he said, completely sidestepping my observation, ¡°Is the part about a woman¡¯s pleasure. I imagine that you could teach me quite a bit on that subject.¡±

    ¡°Your interest is academic,¡± I said, frowning.

    He laughed, more heartily than I¡¯d ever heard from him before.

    ¡°¡®Academic,¡¯¡± he repeated, still laughing, as though he found the word almost absurd. I hoped it was the alcohol, and not that I¡¯d said something stupid. I wasn¡¯t thinking all that clearly, myself.

    ¡°There¡¯s definitely an ¡®academic¡¯ interest,¡± he said, after he mostly managed to bring himself to merely chuckling. ¡°There¡¯s something, too, that I¡¯m having a hard time understanding, on that point.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± I asked.

    He met my eyes again, and curiosity shone in them.

    ¡°The things you can do, with a body. You¡¯ve said you can heal almost anything, you can¡­ grow things on people,¡± he said with a smirk, ¡°You can do all those things, but you can¡¯t¡­ do that? Make that pleasure?¡±

    I chuckled.

    ¡°I can, in ways you can¡¯t imagine,¡± I said. ¡°There¡¯s a few issues with that. For one, if I were to, for instance, put myself in a position of feeling unending orgasm¡­¡±

    His eyes widened with fascination.

    ¡°... then it would become dull. Ordinary,¡± I continued. ¡°Beyond that issue, that sort of thing is dangerous. Any physical sensation can be created whatsoever, by someone with my skill set. It¡¯s addictive. Like the issue with healing magic - if someone goes down that path, they either break free of it, which is unlikely, or they die.¡±

    ¡°That makes sense,¡± he said. ¡°But even with that, I¡¯m trying to understand why you need¡­ well, anyone. Or anything.¡±

    ¡°I can give myself pleasure,¡± I said. ¡°Not just with magic, either. With hands. Men can do that, too.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m very familiar with that,¡± he said, smirking.

    I blushed and decided to ignore that comment, and just go on with my point.

    ¡°But even though men and women can do that,¡± I continued, ¡°There¡¯s something special about being with someone. There¡¯s that feeling of being wanted by someone.¡±

    My voice grew hazy and thick with feeling as my mind began to drift to pleasant thoughts and memories.

    ¡°There¡¯s that feeling of closeness. The warmth of a body against yours. The softness of someone¡¯s skin. The sounds¡­¡±

    I trailed off, my mind drifting into pleasant thoughts.

    A slow, focused breath of air brought my attention back to Liam. The expression on his face make my blood heat again.

    ¡°That¡¯s very¡­¡± he said slowly, taking a moment to exhale again. ¡°That¡¯s quite a vivid image you painted there.¡±

    Was that¡­ was it desire in him? I glanced at his face hopefully. I wished I could know¡­ was it a general lust, based on memories I¡¯d provoked, or did he want me? How was I supposed to know?

    We were silent for a moment, as I wasted thoughts wishing it were ethically acceptable to just peek into his mind¡­

    What I¡¯d give to know what he was thinking.

    And yet, I was too afraid to ask.

    You don¡¯t want to be a coward, his previous words echoed in my head, and I frowned. This is a way to practice that.

    ¡°What are you thinking?¡± I blurted out, before I lost my nerve again.

    ¡°That assumes my thoughts are coherent,¡± he muttered, almost too quiet for me to make out. He shook his head a little.

    I decided to be patient. Surely he¡¯d reward my impromptu courage with more than that.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you can blame me for feeling a little overwhelmed,¡± he said, glancing up at me with an amused smile. ¡°My mind¡¯s trying to wrap around all of the possibilities, and I just¡­¡±

    He hesitated, seeming lost for words. I continued waiting.

    ¡°For a really¡­ crude example,¡± he said, almost seeming exasperated with himself, ¡°You could, for instance, change your breast size.¡±

    I laughed.

    ¡°I can, at that,¡± I said, entertained at his line of thought.

    For fun, I decided to demonstrate such power. First, I shifted my fat reserves, slimming down in my belly and legs, and made my breasts larger. I grew them to the point of being almost comically large.

    I also decided not to change the size of my dress, making most of the increase more¡­ visible.

    His eyes widened as he watched the change.

    I then switched the direction, making myself essentially flat chested, rounding out my bottom with that mass instead. This time I did adjust my dress, keeping the same amount of skin showing.

    He continued to watch in fascination as I returned to my original shape, with a dramatically reduced amount of coverage on my chest.

    I decided more demonstrations were in order. I shifted my hair and skin color. My skin danced through all the shades of brown, and my hair bounced around some ordinary colors, followed by whimsical ones, like blue, iridescent purple, translucent, and mirrored.

    My control of magic was a bit off, but fortunately, this sort of change was easy.

    ¡°I have to admit, that looks like fun,¡± he said, smiling warmly.

    I shifted everything back to normal. Except the dress. Though it was disappointing that he wasn¡¯t even glancing at my cleavage.

    ¡°It is,¡± I said, and then smiled at him coyly. ¡°I could look like anything you desired.¡±

    He laughed at that, warm amusement in his voice.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to change your appearance, Aera,¡± he said. ¡°I doubt there¡¯s a man alive who¡¯d reject you based on how you look. That was more just my mind trying to wrap around all of what you¡¯re offering. It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s quite a package.¡±

    ¡°But you¡¯re not sure if you¡¯re interested,¡± I said, uneasy again.

    He shook his head.

    ¡°If I wasn¡¯t interested at all, this conversation would have gone very differently,¡± he said.

    So¡­ that meant he was interested, right? I frowned, trying to understand his cautious word choice.

    ¡°I just want to make sure there are no issues,¡± he said, shifting in his seat. ¡°I don¡¯t want anyone to get hurt, at any point. I don¡¯t want us to find ourselves in a position where someone¡¯s holding the other one back, say, from a more serious romantic prospect. I want to be absolutely sure that this is what you want.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not sure that this is what I want?¡± I asked, gaping at him.

    ¡°You¡¯re young, Aera,¡± he said, giving me an almost tired expression. ¡°You¡¯re inexperienced - from what you¡¯ve said, I take it your only experience was with your almost fiance, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but why does that matter?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Emotions are hard to predict sometimes,¡± he said. ¡°You could end up wanting things you don¡¯t currently expect. You could find yourself wanting more than I can offer, and then we¡¯d be in an uncomfortable position where I¡¯ve got power over your situation, I know a dangerous secret, and as you said, you¡¯ve got magic, tangling things up in that direction.¡±

    ¡°I know what I want,¡± I said, my voice heating in a different way.

    ¡°What you¡¯re¡­ proposing,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s not exactly a normal thing. I¡¯m not saying it¡¯s unreasonable, it¡¯s just different, which means it warrants some thinking. We¡¯d have to make sure we set the right boundaries. It¡¯s not a normal relationship, but I¡¯d agree to not pick up any other women while we¡¯re together, as an example.¡±

    I opened my mouth to protest that I wouldn¡¯t care, and then closed it. It was horribly selfish, but the idea of having his time belong to me was too tantalizing to resist.

    And then I realized another aspect of what he¡¯d said.

    ¡°You¡¯re saying¡­¡± I said slowly, predatory heat filling me with aches again. ¡°You¡¯re saying that you are agreeing to this exchange of pleasure and knowledge, that there¡¯s just details to work out.¡±

    ¡°If¡­ if this really is what you want,¡± he said, giving me a searching look.

    The flames of lust and victory began to command my flesh, and I leaned towards him. A slow breath left him as he took in my expression.

    ¡°Liam O¡¯Brien,¡± I said, my voice somehow taking on an almost catlike, purring tone, ¡°I am completely aware of what I desire. Your body, your mind, your touch, your heat, your¡­ masculinity. I desire you, and I would have no delay.¡±

    Where the hell had that come from?

    The thought was a flickering distraction from the heat boiling my blood as I gazed hungrily at him. That same thought was replaced by a mental note that alcohol combined with lust made me act¡­

    Truthfully, it made me act in a way that was thrilling.

    He stood up from his chair and walked over to the sofa. He sat down next to me, and put an arm over my shoulder.

    Human brains were stupid, useless things, obviously. Why¡­ how had I been so bold mere seconds prior, and now, on feeling the weight of his arm on me¡­

    A pathetic squeak escaped my throat.

    ¡°Then it seems tonight will be a night of learning,¡± he said.

    The heat of his breath was on my neck, and I trembled.

    I couldn¡¯t do this. I was going to die. The intensity of the fire in my chest was going to make my heart explode. I was going to explode with such an overwhelming display that all of Boston would be nothing but a smoldering crater.

    My body curled in on itself, desperate for relief from the downright painful ache in my heart, and I hid my face in the nearest available hiding spot.

    Which happened to be his chest.

    Mmm¡­ this is nice¡­

    ¡°So, then, teacher,¡± he said, a smile in his voice. ¡°What will be my first lesson?¡±

    ¡°Lesson?¡± I repeated with a groan. ¡°So¡­ academic? Why can¡¯t you just¡­ I mean¡­¡±

    A slow chuckle tickled at my ear.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to talk me into this tonight,¡± he said, his tone amused. ¡°But, you did. That doesn¡¯t change the fact that¡­¡±

    He hesitated.

    ¡°I know what you¡¯re going to say,¡± he said, serious again. ¡°I know, I know, you made your point, but the fact is, I¡¯m not thinking that clearly. And I will not take advantage of you, in any way. I refuse. So tonight¡­ tonight is on you.¡±

    But I want you to ¡°take advantage,¡± I thought with a groan. You stupid, ridiculously well behaved, demon spawned cur...

    His voice returned to an almost playful tone as he continued, ¡°But I assure you, I¡¯ll be a very attentive student.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re¡­ curious,¡± I said slowly.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    ¡°Very,¡± he said. ¡°Irresistibly. The idea of being able to give a woman that kind of pleasure¡­¡±

    He shook his head, which sent interesting ripples through the warmth of his chest.

    I groaned into his shirt and muttered a variety of curses that, hopefully, he wouldn¡¯t be able to make out, due to my words being muffled.

    Was that really the way he felt¡­? While I was lost in an almost agonizing haze of desire, he was just tolerating being with me, in order to get information? He didn¡¯t¡­ he didn¡¯t want this¡­?

    I buried my face more aggressively into his chest, my body curling up, as my anxiety and uncertainty grew.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I¡­¡±

    My voice cut off as I swallowed. Could I even confess this fear?

    A strangled laugh came out of my throat as I realized I didn¡¯t have much of a choice. He¡¯d practically beat it out of me, between his questions and his searching gaze.

    ¡°I want¡­ I need¡­¡± I said, my voice scarcely more than a whisper. ¡°I¡­ I have to know¡­¡±

    ¡°What?¡± he asked gently, after I went silent.

    I half wondered if my nose was going to leave a bruise on his chest, as forcefully as I was trying to hide my face.

    ¡°Do¡­ do you¡­¡± I hesitated again, trembling. ¡°Please... Do you¡­ do you want me?¡±

    A sharp intake of breath cooled the air next to my ear.

    ¡°You¡¯re asking if I physically want you?¡± he asked, disbelieving.

    I nodded into his shirt.

    ¡°Oh, Aera,¡± he breathed. ¡°I¡­ I have to apologize. Let me correct this and make it as explicitly clear as I possibly can.¡±

    He reached up to take my hand, that was currently gripping at his shirt. I relaxed and let him move me lower.

    I gasped as he placed my hand against throbbing, firm heat¡­

    It scorched me. Searing flames boiled my blood and robbed me of sanity as I pulled my head back, to look him in the eyes.

    His gaze was unwavering and intense as he spoke.

    ¡°I desire you,¡± he said.

    A faint whimper escaped me as I quivered, paralyzed by his gaze and the heat beneath my hand.

    ¡°Show me,¡± he said, his voice low and seeming to resonate through every inch of my skin. ¡°Show me how to give you pleasure, Aera.¡±

    I closed my eyes. I was going to kill him. I was going to strangle him to death, shrieking, and then I was going to hit him over the head until some sense was knocked into him, and then I was going to make him act like a proper man, pinning me down and taking¡­

    A half mad giggle slipped out of me at the absurdity of that order of events.

    He smiled at my giggle, reassured by it, it seemed. My expression turned desperate, pleading, as he continued to sit, unmoving.

    Desire warred with uncertainty. I¡­ I didn¡¯t know how to take.

    I shifted in my seat, getting on my knees on the sofa so that I could face him directly. I wasn¡¯t willing to take my hand away from the proof that he wanted me. The gently pulsing firmness was continual reassurance that I didn¡¯t have to be afraid.

    My other hand rose slowly, cautiously, to his face. His breath caught as I gently traced my fingers along the day¡¯s worth of stubble. My eyes fell to his lips and I leaned closer to him. The tip of my finger traced over their softness. He didn¡¯t respond, but the heat beneath my left hand twitched, echoing within me as an empty ache that longed to be filled.

    My face was an inch from his, my lips parted, my gaze locked on my target. Could I¡­?

    What foolishness was this, that my hand was on his erection, and I was still afraid to dare to even kiss him?

    My fear slowed me, but need assaulted my hesitation. I fell closer until my lips lightly met his, and I moaned as he responded. He kissed me back, precisely as gentle as I had been.

    More¡­

    I pressed closer, greedily deepening the kiss, and he matched me. A faint sound from his throat made me quiver, and then I found my tongue dancing with his.

    I hadn¡¯t realized that there was such a thing as skill with kissing, but apparently he had it. I let go of his desire to wrap myself around his neck, pulling him closer, deeper into the kiss. My breasts pressed against his chest, and my left knee found itself crossing over his legs, so that I was almost perching on his lap.

    ¡°Please¡­¡± I whispered, taking a breath between kisses.

    ¡°Tell me,¡± he murmured, and I whimpered in response.

    ¡°Touch me,¡± I said, writhing against him, my heat pressing against his thigh.

    He moved instantly, and put his hand to my face. He traced along my jawline, just as I had done to him, a wickedly amused smile on his face as his eyes met mine.

    ¡°Where?¡± he asked.

    I could have screamed. Emotion hummed in me so intensely that if I gave it a scant hint of will, of intention, magic would burst forth. My mind was so lost that I had no idea what it would do, aside from probably trying to make him take action, somehow.

    If his apartment caught on fire, it would be his fault.

    My left hand snaked up to his and pressed it more firmly against my skin. I slowly lowered it, forcing him to feel along my neck, my pulse hammering against his touch, descending along my inferno towards where it raged hottest.

    Our lips danced again as I made him touch me.

    As his hand reached my dress, I hesitated. I wanted to feel him against me.

    With a flicker of will, my dress began to unravel into scattered threads beneath his hand.

    A tremble moved through his body as I made him hold my naked breast, and made him pinch and tug at my nipple. His left arm lowered from my shoulders and pressed against my lower back.

    I rose slightly, shifting my torso upwards as I withdrew my aching desire from his thigh. I let go of his hand for a moment and grabbed at his head, pulling his mouth down to my other breast. He eagerly complied, licking and kissing at my pert nipple.

    ¡°Firmer,¡± I whispered, and moaned as pleasure crackled along my skin like lightning.

    After a moment of basking in the sensation, I put a finger beneath his chin to raise his face to mine. While I took another kiss from him, my hand took his again and forced him lower once more.

    The fire in my veins had burned the dress to scarcely more than ash, and he pulled back for a moment to gaze at my naked body.

    For some reason, I felt no embarrassment. I raised up, proud, and soaked in his gaze. Emboldened, I moved his hand directly to the source of my inferno.

    ¡°It¡¯s slippery,¡± he said, surprised, as his fingers began to explore. ¡°Damp is normal, but this¡­¡±

    ¡°Men are not the only ones who change in response to physical need,¡± I said. ¡°Feel me¡­¡±

    His fingers were too gentle as they probed my wetness.

    ¡°Wet, to ease your passage,¡± I said, breathing harder. ¡°Swollen, to press against you. Within changes, as well¡­ stretching to accommodate you, tightening to pull you in deeper¡­¡±

    His breath caught again, and his muscles tightened. The arm at my back pulled me closer as his hand pressed more firmly against my heat.

    I groaned and my nails dug into his shoulder.

    The cloth prevented me from feeling his skin, and a little growl escaped me. My nails lightly slashed across his chest, and his shirt tore open, revealing faintly scarred musculature beneath a small tuft of red fur.

    ¡°My shirt,¡± he said, startled.

    ¡°I¡¯ll make you another one,¡± I growled, and pushed him off to the side, making him lay back.

    He laughed lightly as I pressed against him and leaned down to kiss at his exposed skin, while grinding against his hand.

    Pleasure mounted¡­ but it wasn¡¯t quite enough¡­

    ¡°Here,¡± I whispered, and reached down to guide his hand again.

    ¡°I do not have a name for this in your language,¡± I said, trembling as I made him explore my swollen clit. ¡°But this¡­ it has nerves designed for pleasure, like you have. Only¡­ it¡¯s different.¡±

    ¡°Different how?¡± he asked, mimicking the motion I had demonstrated.

    ¡°If a woman doesn¡¯t feel desire, touching this directly can be uncomfortable¡­ even painful,¡± I said, my eyes closed. ¡°When we need¡­ it swells, like you. It can be made to¡­ to reach orgasm, too.¡±

    ¡°Show me,¡± he said, his voice husky.

    ¡°Like this,¡± I whispered, guiding him.

    My legs clenched, gripping his waist as his hand moved.

    ¡°Like yours,¡± I murmured, aching. ¡°Would you have me be so gentle?¡±

    He finally got the message. I felt the strength in his arm as his touch became firm and almost rough. Pleasure mounted again and I gasped.

    Leaning in, I hungrily claimed another kiss as I made his free hand grab my rear. He used the leverage the position offered to move aggressively against my clit and I trembled.

    ¡°Almost¡­¡± I panted, gripping with both hands at his shoulders as I kissed him again.

    Another tremble shook his body as I writhed above him.

    Perspective abruptly filled my mind. He was mine. I had won¡­ this man, that I had been fantasizing about for months... he was touching me, groaning with need, kissing me, pleasuring me...

    A wild sound, half scream and half moan, burst from my chest as fire and lightning flooded my body with pleasure. I fell against him, quivering.

    ¡°I felt that,¡± he said, delight in his voice.

    I suppressed a laugh as I panted, resting against him.

    ¡°It was like¡­ like a popping sensation. It was twitching,¡± he said, then added hesitantly. ¡°Does that mean you¡¯re satisfied?¡±

    I did laugh, then.

    ¡°Were I only slightly full of desire, then that would be enough,¡± I murmured. ¡°But after this torment, you accursed beast, I want much more.¡±

    His eyebrow raised curiously at first, and then a grin overtook his face as I used a spot of magic to rip his pants away.

    I may have accidentally used a bit too much force, as the shreds of cloth flew into the wall with an audible thud.

    ¡°This is what I desire,¡± I said, as I lowered my gaze.

    Standing proudly amidst a tangle of red fur, my prize twitched at the attention. I moved against him, rubbing my wetness against its length, moaning softly at the sensation.

    A choked groan emerged from him as he gripped my waist tightly.

    ¡°If that¡¯s what¡¯s next,¡± he said, his tone forcibly cautious.

    I made a frustrated noise.

    ¡°I want no more from you than you are willing to give,¡± I said.

    ¡°That¡¯s a man¡¯s line,¡± he said with a laugh.

    ¡°Then perhaps I should just take your manhood,¡± I muttered, then I smiled, despite myself.

    ¡°I never imagined a woman could want it like this,¡± he said, pressing himself against my heat, drawing a moan from me.

    He closed his eyes and took a slow breath.

    ¡°Aera, I have to be honest with you, with you saying you want ¡®much more,¡¯¡± he said, and I frowned at yet another delay. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can take much at all.¡±

    Another slow breath escaped him.

    ¡°The feeling, when I made you orgasm¡­¡±

    His erection throbbed against me with an almost painful intensity and his grip tightened.

    A predatory smile covered my face, and he became captured in my gaze.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t have to be an issue,¡± I purred.

    ¡°Is that so?¡± he asked, his hips moving against mine, continuing to rub his length against me.

    ¡°But I must warn you, lover,¡± I said, smiling wickedly. ¡°My control of magic is a little compromised at the moment. Should I release my will into your body, only two things are certain - you will be fine, and I will be satisfied.¡±

    His eyes danced with delight.

    ¡°That sounds like it could be fun,¡± he said.

    ¡°It will be,¡± I murmured. ¡°May I, Liam O¡¯Brien?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± he answered instantly.

    My grin took on an almost cruel edge. He had no idea what he¡¯d just agreed to. Hell, even I had no idea what he¡¯d just agreed to. All I knew was that my magic was bursting at the seams, and my mind was in no shape to command it.

    My laughter filled the air as my spirit flooded into his body. I found the key to his pleasure and I bound it to my own.

    ¡°Mine,¡± I said, leaning forward to grip onto his shoulders.

    I lifted slightly, positioning myself, and then impaled myself on him.

    The heat and fullness of the sensation ripped from me the last vestiges of my sanity and I lost myself to the beast of lust that had been roaring to get out.

    Scarcely seconds passed before Liam cried out in climax, but then a strange choked sound followed, as his pleasure was not met with relief. His erection swelled larger and his eyes widened with a desperate expression.

    ¡°Aera¡­!¡± he said, insensate.

    My grin widened as I intensified the pace. His grip tightened painfully and finally, finally his accursed restraint shattered. All of his strength was given to me, in waves of motion and ecstasy.

    He took from me, and I took from him, and there was nothing but heat, and wetness, and wild, bestial desperation, as we both claimed our pleasure.

    Orgasm tore through me and I paused in my motion, paralyzed briefly by its intensity. He made another choked groan, feeling my internal spasms massage him.

    ¡°Aera¡­ please¡­¡± he moaned, as he tore into me, panting with his second climax.

    ¡°I am not finished with you yet,¡± I growled, leaning against him to resume taking from him what I desired.

    Fatigue called to me, but I refused to listen. Another flood of magic left my spirit, banishing the signs of fatigue in both of our bodies.

    More¡­

    My hazy mind wanted more, and I freed my magic to find it. He began to grow inside of me, thickening and lengthening, until each thrust filled me entirely. I¡¯d never felt such a thing and I fell against him, utterly lost to the sensation.

    ¡°So¡­ tight¡­¡± he moaned, slamming against my depths.

    The perfection of this pleasure sang to me, and I rose to greater heights. It was too wonderful to only be mine. The binding between us tightened and he made a wild sound, suddenly able to feel my pleasure.

    He shifted in his motion, amplifying the sensation, and I screamed as another orgasm broke my will. With my release, he flooded my womb with his own wet heat.

    Sanity slowly crawled back into my mind as I found myself collapsed against him, damp with sweat, satisfied to a degree I¡¯d never known.

    A long moment passed in silence, as we both recovered from the experience.

    ¡°That was¡­¡± he breathed. ¡°That was enjoyable.¡±

    He reached up to stroke my hair and I suddenly couldn¡¯t handle the sight of his face. What I¡¯d done¡­ and even now, I was naked, and he could see me...

    I squeaked and buried my face in the nearest hiding spot, which again happened to be his chest.

    ¡°You¡¯re kidding,¡± he said with a laugh. ¡°After that, you¡¯re feeling shy again?¡±

    My face was hot with blood.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never done anything like that,¡± I muttered into the warm flesh of his pectoral muscle.

    Inexplicably, he managed to figure out what I¡¯d said.

    ¡°Not even with your ex?¡± he asked, sounding surprised.

    I shook my head and curled up closer to him, as though trying to hide my nakedness from his sight by pressing it against his body.

    Seriously, human brains are stupid, sometimes.

    ¡°Why not?¡± he asked.

    More blood managed to get to my face. I wasn¡¯t sure how that was possible.

    ¡°I was too shy to suggest anything,¡± I said. ¡°He never asked. We didn¡¯t¡­ we never talked about it. About¡­ sex things. Ever.¡±

    ¡°Poor guy,¡± he said. ¡°He missed out.¡±

    ¡°So that means¡­¡± I said, daring to peek slightly out from behind the mound of muscle. ¡°You¡­ you liked¡­ I mean¡­¡±

    He laughed.

    ¡°Aera, I think it¡¯s a reasonable conclusion that men aren¡¯t physically capable of feeling the amount of pleasure you just gave me,¡± he said, smirking at me. ¡°And on top of that, it was a novel experience. And I was able to make you reach orgasm, three times.¡±

    I blushed again, and he patted my shoulder with another chuckle.

    ¡°There¡¯s also that,¡± he said, looking down at himself. ¡°A nice bonus. I think I¡¯ll keep it, at least for a while, if that¡¯s all right.¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± I stammered. ¡°It¡¯s permanent. Unless I try to change it back. I should have asked. It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s not that you were small, I just¡­¡±

    He laughed again.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Aera,¡± he said. ¡°You warned me. And I know I wasn¡¯t that small - I¡¯ve been in locker rooms before. I was average. And now¡­¡±

    He frowned a little, fiddling with it, while I mostly hid my face again.

    ¡°It might be the biggest one I¡¯ve seen,¡± he said, speculating as he poked at it. ¡°Not the longest, but maybe the thickest.¡±

    His words abruptly reminded me of how he felt inside and I bit my lip. A pleasant shiver ran through me as I realized that his seed was still within me.

    He must have noticed something.

    ¡°You¡¯re not satisfied?¡± he asked, bewildered.

    I flushed again.

    ¡°I am!¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m good! Wonderful, even! Absolutely perfect!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± he said, another chuckle in his voice.

    ¡°I was just remembering¡­¡± I said, pressing my face against his warmth.

    ¡°Those are some good memories we just made,¡± he said, stroking my hair. ¡°I¡¯m just amused at the fact that we didn¡¯t even make it to the bed. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever look at my sofa the same way.¡±

    ¡°And¡­¡± I said, hesitating. ¡°And we¡¯ll make more memories like that?¡±

    ¡°Not tonight, or tomorrow,¡± he said. ¡°I do still have work in the morning.¡±

    ¡°But soon?¡± I said hopefully.

    ¡°Soon,¡± he agreed, smiling down at me. ¡°Come on, then, let¡¯s head to sleep in my bed. You can go in the morning.¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ sure,¡± I said, awkwardly covering myself with my hands as we started to get up.

    ¡°Aera, look at me,¡± he said, once he stood.

    I swallowed and gave him a look over, turning bright red as I did so.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be embarrassed about,¡± he said.

    My pathetic squeak was the most eloquent disagreement I could come up with.

    ¡°You¡¯re beautiful,¡± he said, reaching out a hand to help me up. ¡°You know full well that your body is perfect.¡±

    ¡°Only in health,¡± I protested, turning away from his inquisitive eyes. ¡°T-that¡¯s the only change I make. I keep it healthy. It¡¯s otherwise¡­ I mean¡­¡±

    ¡°To be honest, Aera, I¡¯m not sure what constitutes a perfect body other than perfect health,¡± he said wryly.

    ¡°Proportions?¡± I said weakly.

    His eyes were laughing as I glanced at him. He walked over and gently ran his fingers along my jaw, then down my neck, my chest, my hips¡­

    I flushed again at his touch.

    ¡°The size of your breasts, the curve of your sides, and so on?¡± he said, and I nodded mutely.

    He shook his head.

    ¡°Aera, even if that mattered to me - which it doesn¡¯t - why would I care, with what you can do?¡± he said. ¡°You can just change your ¡®proportions¡¯ whenever you want.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡± I hesitated. ¡°This is¡­ this is what I really look like. What I was born to. What children would inherit.¡±

    His eyes flashed in abrupt understanding.

    ¡°That¡¯s what matters to people where you come from,¡± he said. ¡°People who use magic.¡±

    I nodded.

    ¡°I¡¯ve looked up words, and I like ¡®sorcerer¡¯ best,¡± I said shyly.

    ¡°Sorcerers, then,¡± he said. ¡°What you look like at any given moment doesn¡¯t matter much - it¡¯s what you were born as. That¡¯s how you¡¯re physically judged, as a partner. As a mate.¡±

    I nodded again.

    He smiled at me, and lifted my chin to look me square in the eyes.

    ¡°Aera,¡± he said. ¡°For starters, I¡¯m not having children with you. So how you¡¯d breed makes absolutely no difference. Secondly, you are beautiful. And you¡¯re not allowed to disagree - that¡¯s my opinion on the matter, and that¡¯s all there is to it. Now come on, it¡¯s late, we need some sleep.¡±

 Ch. 21 - Values

    So warm.

    It was too early in the morning, and I didn¡¯t want to get up. I didn¡¯t want to let go. The warmth was mine and I would never, ever¡­

    ¡°Aera, please let go,¡± Liam whispered to me, a laugh in his tone. ¡°I need to get going to work.¡±

    ¡°Too early,¡± I mumbled, and nuzzled against him.

    Wait¡­

    ¡°Ahh!¡± I yelped, and retreated under the blanket.

    ¡°What happened? Are you okay?¡± he asked, giving me a concerned look as I peeked out from behind a pillow.

    His face was handsome. The rough stubble on his chin had felt so wonderful on my face when we¡¯d kissed. Those eyes had been so piercing, especially when¡­

    ¡°Is that all?¡± he said, smiling wryly at me, probably in response to my red face. ¡°I hope it¡¯s just embarrassment and not regret.¡±

    ¡°Regret?¡± I said, bewildered. ¡°What would I possibly have to regret? Last night¡­ it was¡­¡±

    My voice cut off as I flushed again.

    ¡°Memorable?¡± he suggested, and I nodded.

    ¡°Wonderful,¡± I added with a shy smile.

    ¡°Good,¡± he said, getting up from the bed without a hint of self-consciousness. ¡°I probably shouldn¡¯t have given in, not when I had alcohol in my system, but as long as you don¡¯t regret it, I suppose it¡¯s fine.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t regret it, do you?¡± I asked timidly.

    He paused at his dresser and turned to smile at me. He was completely naked and completely comfortable with that fact. I felt both annoyed and envious of that.

    ¡°That was probably the best night of my life,¡± he said, his eyes dancing.

    I peeked out a little more and smiled.

    ¡°Same,¡± I murmured.

    It wasn¡¯t as sweet as my memories with Benjamin, but those¡­ those were special. They didn¡¯t get the indignity of a simple ranking system. Love was its own category.

    But then, my memories with Benjamin never involved quite as much raw pleasure as that...

    ¡°There is an issue of clothing,¡± he said, as he put on some underwear, which made it easier for me to breathe. ¡°I have extra uniforms for work, fortunately, but I¡¯m pretty sure your dress is scattered around the living room.¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ if it¡¯s okay, could I have the scraps of your other uniform?¡± I said. ¡°I can make something out of that.¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± he said, chuckling.

    I got up from the bed, keeping the blanket wrapped around me. When he gave me an amused look, I blushed and fled from the room as fast as I could move.

    I returned a few minutes later to put the blanket back, while wearing a hastily crafted black and blue dress from the bits of his uniform I found. I¡¯d also taken the time to quickly clean up the mess, during which I heard his shower going.

    Liam was in the bathroom, shaving, when I got back. I took a moment to just admire him, and try to come to terms with what had happened.

    It wasn¡¯t the sex itself that had me so flustered, though I¡¯d have been nervous and giggly about that under the best of circumstances. It was how I¡¯d acted. The memories scarcely seemed real¡­ to imagine that I could be so bold¡­ it was like I¡¯d been a different person.

    And what was more, I¡¯d loved every moment of it. Even now, as I timidly watched Liam¡¯s smooth cheeks emerge from under the shaving cream, the idea of being that way again was intoxicating in a way that alcohol could never dream of.

    I wanted to do that again.

    ¡°If you keep looking at me like that, you¡¯re going to make it hard for me to drive,¡± Liam complained playfully.

    ¡°Who, me?¡± I asked, grinning at the flushed warmth that was starting to spread again. ¡°Since when would I make things hard?¡±

    ¡°Ha. Ha,¡± he said dryly, throwing me a bemused look.

    I giggled and ran out into the front room.

    ¡°Would you like some coffee?¡± I called out.

    ¡°Sure,¡± he said.

    I skipped around his kitchen, too full of nervous energy to move normally, and made two cups of coffee. He liked his with just sugar, I remembered.

    ¡°Smells good,¡± he said as he walked into the kitchen.

    I grinned at him, glad he couldn¡¯t see my thoughts. I¡¯d made myself a little problem¡­ maybe I should have encouraged him to get changed before things happened. As it was, seeing him in uniform reminded me of how it looked shredded¡­

    I bounced over to him, handed him his coffee, and fled to his table to sit down.

    ¡°You¡¯re lively this morning,¡± he said, smirking at me.

    ¡°I had a good night,¡± I said, biting my lip as I smiled up at him. ¡°... soon, you said?¡±

    He sat down at the table and chuckled.

    ¡°Why do I get the feeling I¡¯ve bitten off more than I can chew?¡± he asked wryly.

    I just grinned at that.

    ¡°Maybe next week,¡± he said, taking a sip.

    ¡°That long?¡± I asked, frowning.

    He raised an eyebrow at me.

    ¡°I¡¯m busy, Aera, you know that,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s hard to get time away from work, and even when I do, I¡¯m usually tired.¡±

    ¡°Well, fine,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll just have to look forward to next week. When?¡±

    He just laughed.

    ¡°Let me see what cases I have lined up, and I¡¯ll figure out the timing,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll call you this evening.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± I said, smiling up at him.

    We were quiet for a moment while we finished our coffee. As soon as he was done I quickly took the mugs and cleaned them on the way to the counter.

    ¡°Useful,¡± he noted, as he headed over to the door.

    He clipped on his badge and holster from where he¡¯d left them the day before.

    ¡°I guess it¡¯s time,¡± I said, as he opened the door.

    ¡°It is,¡± he said.

    I looked up at his face and wished it wouldn¡¯t be so long before I could see it again. See it¡­ touch it¡­

    My eyes fell to his mouth and I bit my lip. I wanted...

    Maybe¡­

    Memories emboldened me, and I darted forwards. My arms wrapped around his neck and I pulled his face to mine, stealing a sweet kiss. His response was warm and encouraging, but my nerves were too much. I broke the kiss, giggled nervously, and looked away.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see you next week,¡± he said, his tone amused. ¡°Have a safe walk home.¡±

    I nodded and bounded down the steps, past his cruiser. I quickly spun around to look at him one last time, taking in his laughing eyes, before fleeing from his neighborhood.

    I couldn¡¯t possibly be alone just then. I¡¯d have gotten so wound up that I¡¯d have surely exploded.

    So I headed to Alice¡¯s, instead, fixing up my dress as I went.

    ¡°Good morning, Aera,¡± she said, looking sleepy. ¡°How did it go? You have to tell me everything!¡±

    I giggled as a response, and she ushered me in.

    ¡°Lou¡¯s at work, and Slick¡¯s at training,¡± she said with a conspiratorial smile as we went to her couch. ¡°So it¡¯s just us girls.¡±

    ¡°It was amazing, Alice,¡± I said, bouncing in my seat.

    ¡°Just look at you glowing,¡± she said with a giggle of her own. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­ you kissed, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    I flinched a little in surprise.

    ¡°You did!¡± she squealed. ¡°And only on the second date! He moves fast, doesn¡¯t he?¡±

    ¡°Er¡­ well, I kissed him, rather,¡± I said, sheepishly.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t!¡± she said, dropping her jaw. ¡°You¡¯re supposed to wait for him to make the moves!¡±

    ¡°I¡­ um¡­ I was impatient,¡± I said, looking at my feet.

    I really should have considered the culture before thinking about talking to Alice.

    She giggled at me.

    ¡°You have been impatient with him, haven¡¯t you?¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯ve been making all the moves! Is he a good kisser?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± I said, grinning at her like an idiot. ¡°He¡¯s an amazing kisser.¡±

    ¡°He looks like he would be,¡± she said, nodding as though pleased with her own powers of observation. ¡°So you two are an item now, then?¡±

    ¡°Um, sort of,¡± I said.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± she asked.

    I just looked at her for a moment, and tried to decide if I could tell her the truth.

    There was only one way to really know, but¡­ if it backfired, then¡­

    I could always tell her the truth later.

    ¡°It¡¯s complicated,¡± I said. ¡°He¡¯s really hard to talk to, sometimes. He¡¯s sort of¡­ pushy.¡±

    ¡°Did he try to go too far?¡± she asked, suddenly serious.

    ¡°No!¡± I said, half choked. ¡°No, not at all, he was not¡­ um¡­ he was a perfect gentleman.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± she said, grinning again. ¡°You¡¯re a sweetheart, Aera, and you deserve a proper gentleman.¡±

    Certain sounds, of breaths and moans, slipped into my mind and I just blushed, clueless as to how to respond.

    ¡°You really like him, don¡¯t you?¡± she said, her face alight.

    ¡°Yes,¡± I said, glad for an easy question. ¡°It¡¯s complicated, though. We¡¯re¡­ um¡­ it¡¯s a temporary thing.¡±

    ¡°Temporary?¡± she asked, shocked.

    I shrugged.

    ¡°When I come forward, with magic, I¡¯ll probably have to leave,¡± I said. ¡°I didn¡¯t want anything holding me back.¡±

    ¡°And he¡¯s okay with this?¡± she said, hesitantly.

    I nodded.

    ¡°He¡¯s lonely, too,¡± I murmured.

    ¡°What does that even mean?¡± she asked, confused. ¡°A temporary thing¡­ what even is a relationship, if you¡¯re not hoping to get married?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ what is it with you and Slick?¡± I said, thinking it somewhat comparable.

    Her eyes flashed with hurt, and I froze at my error.

    ¡°Slick¡­ he will ask me to marry him, though,¡± she said softly. ¡°Won¡¯t he?¡±

    ¡°Does he want to be married?¡± I asked. ¡°It¡¯s been years.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong,¡± she said, sighing. ¡°I know we fight sometimes, but¡­ I guess he¡¯s not sure of me.¡±

    ¡°He loves you, Alice,¡± I said.

    ¡°If he loves me, he should ask me to marry him,¡± she said, and I glimpsed the depth of her fear in her eyes.

    ¡°Maybe he¡¯s afraid,¡± I suggested.

    ¡°He¡¯s not a coward, Aera,¡± she said. ¡°He wouldn¡¯t let fear stop him - he¡¯s not like that. It¡¯s something else.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I said. ¡°But what you have with him¡­ it¡¯s nice, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Maybe that¡¯s what¡¯s wrong,¡± she said with a heavy sigh. ¡°I should never have given in... now that I¡¯m not a virgin anymore, I¡¯m not worth marrying.¡±

    Right. Virginity. Benjamin had explained the concept once, when I¡¯d gotten confused by the mention in a book. Even with the translation spell, it had been too context-laden to make any sense of it.

    ¡°But weren¡¯t you a virgin, when you were with him?¡± I asked. ¡°If he¡¯s the one who you stopped being a virgin with, then why would that matter?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s called losing your virginity,¡± she said, smiling sadly at me. ¡°And yes, he¡¯s the one I lost it to. But it means that I¡¯m not¡­ I¡¯m not pure, anymore. And maybe that¡¯s why.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s not particularly religious,¡± I said.

    ¡°Everyone cares about virginity, Aera,¡± she said. ¡°Not just Christians.¡±

    I don¡¯t, I thought to myself.

    I started to turn away awkwardly, leaving the thought unsaid, but it felt different for some reason.

    I¡¯d just spent the night being pushed to not be afraid to speak up when it was needed, and now¡­

    If I said nothing, what would she think? That I agreed, that maybe that was the problem?

    No.

    Being afraid to speak on a personal subject did no good - I wasn¡¯t going to be a coward anymore. The intoxicating heat of memories spurred me to bravery.

    ¡°Not everyone cares about that,¡± I said, and she looked at me in surprise. ¡°Where I come from, how I was raised, there wasn¡¯t even a concept of virginity.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± she asked.

    I nodded.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a virgin, either, and O¡¯Brien didn¡¯t mind,¡± I said. ¡°But that¡¯s beside the point. Slick isn¡¯t especially cultured. He doesn¡¯t care about anything, really, except three things. He cares about his music, his sister, and you. Nothing else matters, and you know that.¡±

    ¡°Then why wouldn¡¯t he ask me to marry him?¡± she asked, looking defeated. ¡°If I really matter that much¡­¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯s because he¡¯s a thick headed dunce who¡¯s afraid to touch anything that¡¯s not broken, and hesitates even then,¡± I said. ¡°If he¡¯s happy with you, why would he want to change anything?¡±

    ¡°But¡­ I want to be married,¡± she said, looking down. ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean it is broken?¡±

    ¡°Does he know that?¡± I asked.

    ¡°How could he not know that?¡± she said.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    ¡°It¡¯s Slick we¡¯re talking about, isn¡¯t it?¡± I asked dryly.

    She was silent for a second.

    ¡°You really think that he might not know I¡¯m waiting for him to ask?¡± she asked quietly.

    ¡°Honestly, Alice, I¡¯d be shocked if he had any idea at all,¡± I said. ¡°Since when does he think about these things? Isn¡¯t that why you fight with him, half the time?¡±

    ¡°So what do I do?¡± she asked, still looking down. ¡°I couldn¡¯t possibly say anything to him.¡±

    Memories of the previous night¡¯s frustrations came to me, and I smiled. I supposed Liam really had a point, with the whole talking openly thing.

    ¡°I could suggest the idea to him,¡± I said.

    ¡°No!¡± she said. ¡°Aera, you couldn¡¯t!¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡± I asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s supposed to be on him,¡± she said. ¡°I don¡¯t want it to be someone else¡¯s idea. He has to want to.¡±

    ¡°Then maybe you¡¯ll have to wait,¡± I said. ¡°Or maybe, you can look for opportunities to bring up the idea, without outright telling him.¡±

    ¡°I suppose,¡± she said, with a sigh.

    ¡°One thing is certain, Alice,¡± I said. ¡°He loves you. He¡¯s an idiot sometimes, but he loves you. You know this.¡±

    She smiled weakly up at me.

    ¡°I guess so,¡± she said, and then took a quick breath and made herself smile. ¡°But we were talking about you and the handsome copper!¡±

    ¡°Er¡­ right,¡± I said.

    ¡°So you think you¡¯re not going to ever marry him,¡± she said.

    ¡°That¡¯s correct,¡± I said.

    ¡°Do you think you¡¯ll find someone to marry after you come forward?¡± she asked. ¡°Or maybe, if you and O¡¯Brien get along well enough, that you might marry him then?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if marriage is ever going to be in my future,¡± I admitted.

    ¡°What?¡± she asked, horrified. ¡°How could you think that? You¡¯re beautiful, Aera!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not about my looks,¡± I said, thrown off.

    ¡°But¡­ I mean, why wouldn¡¯t you get married?¡± she asked. ¡°As pretty as you are, you¡¯d have no trouble.¡±

    ¡°My life will be complicated, Alice,¡± I said with a sigh. ¡°I don¡¯t know how it¡¯s going to go. But settling down¡­ I might not have that option.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡± she hesitated. ¡°But wouldn¡¯t you be lonely?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s kind of the point of a temporary tryst, like I¡¯m having with O¡¯Brien,¡± I said wryly.

    ¡°Oh, honey, I think your language spell messed up,¡± she said. ¡°You used the word ¡®tryst.¡¯ That word is usually used for¡­¡±

    She hesitated briefly.

    ¡°It¡¯s usually used for unbiblical relations,¡± she said primly.

    That strange, intoxicating heat from the previous night hissed at me from deep in my heart.

    I will not turn away. I will not hide.

    ¡°Interesting,¡± I said, unable to resist its call, startled by the feeling. ¡°It would appear my language spell is working better than I realized.¡±

    She gaped at me, and I blushed, confused at myself. Why did I rise up, instead of submitting, when I felt challenged by her? That wasn¡¯t like me¡­

    Wasn¡¯t it?

    ¡°You mean, you intend to have a carnal relationship with Lieutenant O¡¯Brien?¡± she asked, shocked, leaning forward and whispering conspiratorially.

    There¡¯s no reason to be embarrassed, Liam¡¯s words echoed in my mind.

    And the sight of him casually getting dressed in front of me¡­ hadn¡¯t that provoked envy in me?

    I didn¡¯t want to be embarrassed.

    ¡°Is there a reason not to?¡± I asked, a quiet challenge in my gaze.

    She flinched.

    ¡°I know you don¡¯t believe, but¡­¡± she hesitated again, lost for words. ¡°It¡¯s not¡­ it¡¯s not right, Aera. You have to protect your virtue! Even if you¡¯re not a virgin anymore, you can¡¯t just¡­ just give yourself away to people.¡±

    ¡°What if I don¡¯t consider it a virtue?¡± I said, my tone cool. ¡°What if I don¡¯t consider it as ¡®giving¡¯ anything away? You remember me telling you, with Dorothy¡¯s help, about a woman¡¯s pleasure. Am I not taking what I desire, rather?¡±

    ¡°Your homeworld is so twisted¡­¡± she said, a pitying look in her eyes. ¡°You don¡¯t even realize how precious your virtue is¡­ oh, honey. You¡¯re here now. You¡¯ve got to understand that the values of your world didn¡¯t come with you.¡±

    ¡°But these are my values,¡± I said. ¡°And they¡¯re all I have of my homeland.¡±

    ¡°And what will people think of you and your homeland, if you¡¯re nothing but a whore?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m not trading sex for money,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m not giving away sex at all. I¡¯m taking what I want.¡±

    ¡°Fine, a harlot, then,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s unnatural, it¡¯s perverse¡­ Aera, honey, it¡¯s disgusting. And¡­ wait, and O¡¯Brien, he¡¯s going along with this?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± I said, feeling heated.

    ¡°No¡­¡± she said, a horrified look in her eyes. ¡°I thought he was a good man! You lied to me, you said he was a gentleman!¡±

    ¡°He is a gentleman,¡± I said, crossing my arms. ¡°It took a great deal of persuasion to take from him what I wanted.¡±

    She looked like I¡¯d slapped her.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t,¡± she whispered. ¡°You¡¯re telling me that you¡­ you persuaded him to have carnal relations with you, on your second date¡­?¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t even a date,¡± I said. ¡°The first time, he refused to discuss the subject at all, and last night, there was no expectation of any relationship, when I arrived.¡±

    ¡°Oh, and how did that go?¡± she asked scornfully. ¡°¡®Oh, Mister O¡¯Brien, I am a wanton strumpet, and ready for you to have your will of me,¡¯ and he just takes advantage of your innocence? You may not know better, but he has no excuse!¡±

    ¡°He resisted so much it was annoying,¡± I said. ¡°He gave every imaginable reason not to - though, to his credit, he didn¡¯t attempt to persuade me based on what others might think. He respected that I have different values. He wouldn¡¯t even touch me, kiss me, nothing - I had to initiate everything!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re worse than a harlot,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ you¡¯re a seducer! A succubus! Perverting a good man like that? Aera! How could you?!¡±

    ¡°I did seduce him,¡± I said, my voice dropping to a growl. ¡°It was my choice, my victory, my pleasure. And I didn¡¯t force him - he agreed to everything, in the end! There¡¯s nothing wrong with that!¡±

    ¡°But he knew it was wrong,¡± she said. ¡°You just admitted it! You seduced him into something he knew was wrong, and that is evil!¡±

    ¡°No, he never called it wrong, Alice,¡± I said. ¡°He said it was different, that it was unusual. He seemed to have a hard time believing that I wouldn¡¯t have a problem with it. But the only thing he cared about was how I felt!¡±

    ¡°You used a good man to fix your own loneliness, without even thinking about whether it was wrong,¡± she said, looking disgusted with me.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t wrong,¡± I said. ¡°And it was a mutually enjoyable experience.¡±

    ¡°It is wrong, Aera!¡± she said. ¡°How can I make you understand that?¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t,¡± I said. ¡°Because saying that having sex with others for pleasure is wrong, is the same as saying both of my parents are wrong, that most of my entire world is wrong.¡±

    ¡°You think your parents aren¡¯t wrong?¡± she asked, disbelieving. ¡°Aera, your parents are monsters! Your mother is the vilest being I¡¯ve ever heard of, save Satan himself, and your father is hardly better!¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re good people, Alice!¡± I said, growling.

    ¡°No, they aren¡¯t!¡± she said. ¡°Your parents have murdered people, Aera. Murdered them! Hundreds, maybe even thousands of people! Your mother even murders people just out of anger alone, and your father has destroyed entire countries!¡±

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t kill them, though, not usually,¡± I said. ¡°And he only does that to countries that get in our way. And my mother, she¡¯s better than she used to be¡­ most of those stories were from before she met my father.¡±

    ¡°You honestly believe that this pair of mass murderers you call parents are good people,¡± she said, staggered. ¡°By god above, Aera, I thought you¡¯d learned some things since coming here.¡±

    ¡°How am I supposed to learn what¡¯s right and good, if all you ever want to talk about is dresses and jewelry?¡± I asked sarcastically.

    She actually cooled at that.

    ¡°Maybe you¡¯re right, Aera,¡± she said. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s kind of my fault. I knew you didn¡¯t have proper parents.¡±

    I fumed at that, but she raised a hand haltingly.

    ¡°It¡¯s not right of me to hate you for having bad parents,¡± she said. ¡°That¡¯s not your fault, any more than it¡¯s my fault for not having parents at all. You say O¡¯Brien is a good man, right?¡±

    I was still angry, but I cooled down enough to just nod at that.

    ¡°Talk to him about it,¡± she said. ¡°I don¡¯t think¡­ I¡¯m not good at serious conversations. You¡¯re right about that. Lou isn¡¯t the best choice, either, and Slick would probably run away in terror if you tried to talk to him about these things.¡±

    She smiled a little, and I couldn¡¯t help but match it. It was a funny image.

    ¡°And Dorothy?¡± I asked.

    She frowned.

    ¡°Don¡¯t let her know about this,¡± she said, leaning in with pity in her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s too late to hide that from O¡¯Brien, so it¡¯ll just be our little secret for now, okay?¡±

    I grit my teeth in frustration.

    ¡°You don¡¯t want her to think badly of you, do you?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Well¡­ no,¡± I admitted.

    ¡°Then don¡¯t tell her,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m sure O¡¯Brien can help you understand. Men can be dogs, but it sounds like he was trying to do the right thing, and you just made it hard for him.¡±

    She reached out to take my hand. I awkwardly let her.

    ¡°I believe in you, Aera,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯re better than this, I know it. You¡¯re a good person. This isn¡¯t you. It can¡¯t be. You can¡¯t get your virginity back any more than I can, but you can be more than a harlot. I know it.¡±

    It was a lot easier to argue with her when she was being hateful.

    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to O¡¯Brien about it,¡± I muttered.

    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful to hear,¡± she said, and leaned forward to give me a hug, which I awkwardly accepted.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be okay, honey,¡± she said as she let go. ¡°I understand it¡¯s hard, living in a different place. But you¡¯re smart. You¡¯ll figure things out.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±

    ¡°Just please promise me something,¡± she said.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± I asked.

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand why we value chastity, right?¡± she asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ correct,¡± I said, confused.

    ¡°So I¡¯d like you to promise me that you won¡¯t do anything with O¡¯Brien, not until you understand,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m not begging you to agree with me¡­ but to at least understand the choice you¡¯re making. You can do that, right?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re kidding,¡± I said flatly.

    ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± she said. ¡°You admitted it yourself, Aera, you don¡¯t understand the value. Can you really say, for certain, that it¡¯s worthless, if you don¡¯t understand it?¡±

    ¡°I guess not,¡± I said.

    ¡°And would I really be your friend, if I just let you throw away something precious, because you didn¡¯t understand its worth?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Objecting to my choice is one thing,¡± I said. ¡°But would a true friend stop me from making my own choices?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not telling you to stop being a harlot, Aera,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m just asking you to wait a little first, before doing it again. For your own sake. Just a little patience, and a little learning. If you really think that being a harlot is the right thing to do, I can¡¯t stop you.¡±

    This feeling made me sick to my stomach. She was a friend, and she was judging me. A part of me, a huge part, wanted to submit to this, to make the judgement stop, to gain her approval.

    Another part of me remembered that feeling from the previous night. That feeling of utter perfection. Of knowing what I wanted, of taking the moral precautions, and once I had the right of it, to take my claim with absolute devotion.

    It had felt so good, and the physical pleasure wasn¡¯t the half of it. Being that way¡­ being unafraid, bold, confident, daring, and sure of myself¡­ I¡¯d never done that before.

    Who was I? The timid, submissive, sweet girl that Alice was pleading with, or the wild, confident, fearless seductress who had hunted and claimed her prey, without guilt or hesitation?

    ¡°Maybe you¡¯re right,¡± I said, looking away, and heard her sigh in relief. ¡°Maybe the problem is I don¡¯t understand enough.¡±

    ¡°So you promise?¡± she pushed.

    ¡°I¡¯ll make you a deal,¡± I said.

    ¡°A deal?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I will agree to try chastity out while I try to learn about it,¡± I said. ¡°But if I do, you have to agree to still support me, to still be my friend, and to never judge me for this, if I decide chastity is pointless.¡±

    She flinched.

    ¡°Aera, you can¡¯t ask me to give up my values,¡± she said. ¡°If you choose to be a harlot? Right now, I can give you grace because you¡¯re naive, because of your parents. But to do that knowingly? How could I overlook that, Aera?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re asking me to give up my values,¡± I said. ¡°To give up freedom for chastity.¡±

    ¡°We value freedom, too,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to give that up.¡±

    ¡°Freedom of choice?¡± I said. ¡°Like how women can choose any career that they want? Like how people can choose to marry anyone of any color? Like how men can have sex with each other? Like how anyone can walk down the street naked?¡±

    ¡°Aera, that¡¯s not fair,¡± she said. ¡°That¡¯s too many issues at once, and all of them are so different. Like men with men¡­ that¡¯s disgusting!¡±

    ¡°Why the hell is that disgusting?¡± I asked. ¡°Why does it matter?¡±

    She shook her head.

    ¡°I cannot even start to talk about that. But that¡¯s beside the point, isn¡¯t it?¡± she said. ¡°You don¡¯t understand the problem.¡±

    ¡°Oh, really?¡± I asked.

    ¡°You¡¯re allowed to choose evil,¡± she said. ¡°Isn¡¯t that always the truth? But if I were a murderer or a thief, you¡¯d be right to stop being my friend. This is an evil that you¡¯re allowed to choose, it¡¯s not against the law, and like I said, I can¡¯t stop you. Or if you were to drink too much, and waste away into nothing, I can¡¯t stop it, but I also don¡¯t have to stand by and watch.¡±

    ¡°Speaking of Slick, how have you been enjoying the lessons I shared from my world about how to know pleasure?¡± I asked pointedly.

    ¡°Aera, I already admitted I¡¯ve done wrong,¡± she said. ¡°But I love Slick, and I will say yes the minute he asks me to marry him. And that¡¯s been true since before I lost my virginity to him. That¡¯s not true with this thing with O¡¯Brien. You don¡¯t love him.¡±

    ¡°Since when does love have anything to do with sex?¡± I demanded.

    ¡°Since always!¡± she said. ¡°That¡¯s what sex is! It¡¯s the physical act of love! That¡¯s why they call it lovemaking!¡±

    ¡°Well, my people don¡¯t call it lovemaking,¡± I said. ¡°They call it all kinds of things, but not that!¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have a people!¡± she said. ¡°Isn¡¯t that what you¡¯re always saying? Your mother this, your father that, but you don¡¯t have a people. A culture. A country. You¡¯re just these - these random kings of your own little land, living by your own little rules, with nothing. You have no idea what it is to have a society, a world outside of yourself.¡±

    ¡°Spellcasters kind of are our own people,¡± I said.

    ¡°Is that so?¡± she asked. ¡°I seem to remember you making it a point how they all could live by their own, personal moral codes, and sometimes those codes hurt people. I don¡¯t know, like maybe your mother and father?¡±

    ¡°So what?¡± I said. ¡°Maybe I don¡¯t really have a people or a culture or whatever. Maybe the way I was raised, it doesn¡¯t make sense to you. But I¡¯m not completely clueless.¡±

    ¡°Ha!¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯ve been completely clueless since the day we met!¡±

    ¡°Only because I¡¯m the one in a new world!¡± I retorted. ¡°Had any of you come to my world, you¡¯d have been dead in a week. You would have been lost, and ravaged by beasts - beasts that I¡¯ve been trained to kill, and protect people from.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve been trained to kill things,¡± she said. ¡°And how exactly does that make you less clueless?¡±

    ¡°Our worlds run by different rules,¡± I said. ¡°You¡¯d be clueless in mine, I¡¯m clueless in yours. But some things are equal between our worlds. Like biology. Most living things reproduce with sex, a great many living things find pleasure in it, and the humans of my world don¡¯t make such a fuss about it! It¡¯s like any other biological activity, such as eating and breathing - none of which requires a specific emotion.¡±

    ¡°Sex is special, Aera,¡± she said. ¡°You can¡¯t seriously believe it¡¯s like everything else.¡±

    ¡°Was last night¡¯s activity not proof that love is not required for sex?¡± I asked. ¡°Or the existence of prostitutes?¡±

    ¡°You loved Benjamin, didn¡¯t you?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Yes, of course I did,¡± I said.

    ¡°Can you really say it was the same?¡± she asked. ¡°With Benjamin, and with O¡¯Brien?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve had dinner with friends and with Slick,¡± I retorted. ¡°Can you truly say that a night out with friends is just as intimate as a romantic dinner?¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re admitting it is different,¡± she said, as though she felt like she was right.

    ¡°Of course it¡¯s different!¡± I said. ¡°Everything is different with love! Whether eating dinner, or smiling at each other, or holding hands, it¡¯s all so much more with love! Sex is nothing special that way.¡±

    ¡°It is special, Aera,¡± she said, her voice almost taking a pleading tone. ¡°It is! You¡¯re sharing your body with someone else. That means something. It¡¯s special¡­ sacred, even.¡±

    ¡°When you eat food, you¡¯re creating your body,¡± I said. ¡°So why is eating food together not sacred?¡±

    ¡°Sex is a bigger deal than eating food together!¡± she said. ¡°Stop saying that! You know it is!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s more awkward, sure,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s more embarrassing to try, because you can get rejected. Because trying to get what you want is a frightening thing. I¡¯ve been afraid of that most of my life. No, I¡¯m sorry Alice, but I don¡¯t see any reason for sex to be special.¡±

    She stopped.

    ¡°You really don¡¯t,¡± she said, her voice almost calm again. ¡°You really think sex is just¡­ what, nothing?¡±

    ¡°As special as the person it¡¯s with,¡± I said. ¡°Like eating dinner, or going to a theater show.¡±

    ¡°You really think that,¡± she said, sounding dumbfounded. ¡°Like¡­ all sex?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Like you mentioned¡­ men with men? Or people of different colours?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Why should I care how anyone else goes about achieving orgasm?¡± I asked.

    ¡°So if a coloured man approached you, you¡¯d just have sex with him?¡± she asked.

    ¡°No,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s about desire. I¡¯d want to know him, first.¡±

    ¡°So you would, then,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯d be okay being with a negro. Honestly.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not understanding, Alice,¡± I said. ¡°My parents are different colors, too.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re mixed?¡± she asked, looking stunned again.

    ¡°My father has skin paler than mine,¡± I said. ¡°The skin of his bloodline is almost pure white. My mother¡¯s skin is closer to what you¡¯d call hispanic. I take more after my father in hue than my mother, but yes, I¡¯m mixed.¡±

    ¡°But she had red hair,¡± she said, her voice dazed.

    ¡°That¡¯s because we have different races than here,¡± I said.

    She put her face in her hands and was quiet for a second. I took the chance to breathe and regain my own senses.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do, Aera,¡± she said after a minute. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do with you. What you believe¡­ it¡¯s wrong. It¡¯s so wrong. I don¡¯t know how to help you understand.¡±

    ¡°You aren¡¯t understanding my values, either,¡± I said. ¡°You have this ¡®chastity¡¯ value, and I have one of individual freedom. To you, chastity is more important, and to me, individual freedom is the most important. As long as you don¡¯t hurt or coerce anyone, you should be able to do absolutely anything you want.¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that mean I¡¯m allowed to care about chastity, by your rules?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± I said. ¡°And you¡¯re allowed to not be my friend, either. But¡­¡±

    I trailed off.

    ¡°But you want to be friends,¡± she finished for me.

    I nodded.

    ¡°So what do we do?¡± she asked after a minute. ¡°Is it even possible for us to stay friends, if you don¡¯t change?¡±

    ¡°I like to think so,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to O¡¯Brien. I¡¯ll try to understand. I just¡­ want you to try to do the same thing. To try to understand my values.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to even think about, Aera,¡± she said. ¡°The idea is so disgusting. To even imagine someone I don¡¯t love, touching me like that...¡±

    She shuddered and I sighed.

    ¡°That¡¯s not the sort of thought that¡¯d be helpful, I think,¡± I said. ¡°You¡¯re still making it about sex. It¡¯s about freedom. It¡¯s about doing what you want, without being afraid of what others think.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not about that, either,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s about caring about yourself. Valuing yourself. You are precious, Aera, and you should treat yourself like you¡¯re precious.¡±

    I raised my hands in a gesture of surrender.

    ¡°I¡¯ll try, Alice,¡± I said. ¡°Can you at least do the same?¡±

    She looked down for a moment and then nodded.

    ¡°I think I should head home,¡± I said. ¡°I have some thinking to do.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ll think about it, too. And don¡¯t worry about the others. I won¡¯t even mention it to Slick, not yet.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, I guess,¡± I said, sighing as I got up.

    Apparently it wasn¡¯t enough that I had to hide my magic. I had to hide my joy, too.

    My gaze was in the clouds for most of the way to the house. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if I¡¯d ever be free. Free to just be honest. To be myself. To find out who I even was.

    The city felt as cold as the snow that blanketed it.

 Ch. 22 - Choice

    ¡°Liam, we need to talk,¡± I said, as soon as I walked through his door.

    He paused in his motion, as though my words had temporarily turned off his brain, before resuming putting away his badge and gun.

    ¡°All right,¡± he said, walking over to the sofa.

    I flitted over to the sofa and perched next to him. He gave me a wary look.

    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m a harlot?¡± I asked, getting straight to the point.

    He blinked.

    ¡°Whiskey it is, then,¡± he said, standing up and heading to the kitchen.

    I looked after him in some confusion.

    ¡°Do you want some?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Water would be best, I think,¡± I said. ¡°I think I need a clear head.¡±

    He muttered something, but I couldn¡¯t make it out.

    He sat down more heavily than usual and took a sip of his drink, savoring it before he swallowed. I sipped nervously at my water.

    ¡°What brought this on?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I talked to Alice,¡± I said, looking down.

    ¡°Ah,¡± he said. ¡°And she was less than understanding, I take it.¡±

    I nodded.

    ¡°She said that I¡¯m just naive,¡± I said with a sigh. ¡°That because of bad parenting, I don¡¯t know what chastity is, and that I should ask you.¡±

    ¡°Tell her she owes me one,¡± he muttered under his breath.

    He gave me a bemused look before continuing.

    ¡°I¡¯m not answering a question like that,¡± he said. ¡°You dropped this on me with no warning - it¡¯s only fair that you let me catch up before we get into it. Now. Tell me, in essence, what the key points of the conversation with Alice were.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± I said, grinning at his commanding tone, and he flashed a smile back at me.

    I repeated the conversation I¡¯d had with Alice to the best of my ability. He didn¡¯t comment, other than to occasionally encourage me to move on to the next point.

    ¡°I get the basic idea,¡± he said, after I¡¯d finished. ¡°But I want to clarify some points. Your parents - they had no conception of sex as anything unusual or special at all?¡±

    ¡°They had slightly different ideas,¡± I said. ¡°My mother was always one to take what she wanted, in sex and in everything. She was generous when pleased - again, in sex and in everything. She thought nothing of it other than a form of pleasure, and was quite enthusiastic about it.¡±

    He looked amused at this.

    ¡°My father felt there were two kinds of sex,¡± I said. ¡°There¡¯s sex with a person, and sex with a body. With a person, it¡¯s sort of special - it¡¯s a thing of trust, of vulnerabilities, of honesty, of intimacy.¡±

    ¡°That sounds about how most people here view it,¡± he said.

    ¡°With some differences,¡± I said wryly. ¡°Letting someone examine the inner workings of one of his favorite enchantments was more intimate, in his opinion.¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± he said.

    ¡°The other kind of sex, to him,¡± I went on, ¡°Is sex with just a body. It¡¯s where the other person amounts to a living tool for your own pleasure. Just the same as using a carved bit of wood, or an enchantment, or animated plants, or beasts, or¡­¡±

    ¡°Wait, wait, wait,¡± he said, holding his hand up. ¡°Beasts? Your father had sex with animals?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I said, looking at him in some confusion. ¡°Though I don¡¯t know why that would matter. He mostly cared about his work - finding playthings wasn¡¯t worth his time. He¡¯d share with my mother, of course, when she found some playthings, but for him, it was either my mother or enchantments.¡±

    ¡°When she found playthings?¡± he repeated, looking staggered.

    ¡°She brought home men and women fairly often,¡± I said. ¡°She¡¯d have her pleasure with them till she got bored of them, and then sent them off wherever.¡±

    He took a deep breath.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have nearly enough whiskey for this,¡± he said, giving his glass an almost sullen look.

    ¡°If I¡¯m understanding this right, your¡­ your mother,¡± he said, as though struggling over his words. ¡°She kidnapped people and raped them?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± I said. ¡°No! They were always willing! More than willing - eager, even.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± he said, seeming almost painfully relieved. ¡°So consent matters to them. And you.¡±

    I nodded.

    ¡°That¡¯s kind of the cornerstone of morality,¡± I explained. ¡°You can never tell someone they¡¯re not allowed to do something, with only one exception. If it hurts or coerces someone, in any way.¡±

    ¡°Which is why sex with animals is okay,¡± he said, taking a deep breath. ¡°For the sake of my sanity, Aera, please tell me you haven¡¯t and don¡¯t intend to do that.¡±

    I gave him a confused look again.

    ¡°I don¡¯t see why I¡¯d bother,¡± I said. ¡°If I wanted something inhuman, I¡¯d just animate plants.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve done that?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Not yet,¡± I admitted. ¡°Magic requires a significant amount of emotional commitment, and I was always too nervous and embarrassed to commit to the process.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± he said, taking a deep drink of whiskey. ¡°Alice owes me seriously for this one.¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said, looking down. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to inconvenience you, I just want to understand what¡¯s wrong.¡±

    He laughed.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, honestly,¡± he said. ¡°Someone needs to have this conversation with you, and of the people you know, I guess I¡¯m the best man for the job.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± I said. ¡°So¡­? What am I missing? Or is Alice just crazy?¡±

    ¡°Oh, no,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯re not getting me into any traps here. You¡¯re going to sit right there for a few minutes, and I¡¯m going to think. And then, I¡¯m going to direct this conversation where it needs to go.¡±

    ¡°Um,¡± I said. ¡°I¡­ okay.¡±

    After a few seconds of silence, Liam looked off at the wall, his eyes glazed over as though gazing into the distance.

    The minutes ticked by with an almost painfully slow pace. I kept glancing at him hopefully, but he was resolutely staring at the wall.

    ¡°All right,¡± he said at last, looking back into my eyes. ¡°First things first.¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡± I said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think less of you for what you¡¯ve done,¡± he said. ¡°I don¡¯t think of you as a harlot, or a whore, or anything along those lines.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± I said.

    He grimaced a little at my question, then gave me a rueful smile.

    ¡°You feel too alien,¡± he said. ¡°The way you looked at me¡­ it wasn¡¯t like you were some weak willed person, desperate for sex in general, or for any sign of affection. Or like you wanted to use sex to get something, like money, or thinking it could get me to love you.¡±

    ¡°Of course not,¡± I said, startled.

    ¡°That¡¯s a harlot,¡± he said. ¡°Chastity - I¡¯ll get into that, but basically, it¡¯s a way of valuing yourself. And it¡¯s assumed everyone thinks about sex that way. So, if you give away sex too easily, it means you don¡¯t value yourself. But that¡¯s not the way it felt, with you. It felt like you were pushing for sex because you valued yourself.¡±

    I nodded and blushed a little.

    ¡°You helped me to not be afraid,¡± I said. ¡°To be bold enough, brave enough, to¡­ find myself. To find the best part of myself.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why I crumbled,¡± he said. ¡°When you told me what you wanted like that¡­ my god, Aera, you were beautiful.¡±

    I blushed brightly.

    ¡°You were calm, confident, sure of yourself, you knew exactly what you wanted, and you accepted it completely,¡± he said, a wistful tone in his voice. ¡°The look on your face, the way your voice sounded¡­ I¡¯ll never forget that.¡±

    A nervous grin added to my blush.

    He shook his head as though clearing away the memory.

    ¡°I got sidetracked, but I was trying to say you felt too different, too alien,¡± he said. ¡°Like you weren¡¯t a woman of my world at all. Like I was talking to a queen in some foreign land, surrounded by her harem and servants. Telling her that she¡¯s weak for having all these consorts at her command doesn¡¯t fit. Though I guess you¡¯re more of a princess in that analogy.¡±

    I chuckled.

    ¡°So having sex freely is seen as a weakness?¡± I said.

    He nodded.

    ¡°That was the first point. The second,¡± he paused to take a quick sip of whiskey. ¡°Let me ask you something. After the Cocoanut Grove was on fire, you were upset about people dying, when you could have saved them.¡±

    I nodded.

    ¡°Why?¡± he asked. ¡°Why did it matter if they died?¡±

    I was startled for a minute before remembering the obvious. It¡¯s not that he didn¡¯t know the answer - he just wanted to know mine.

    ¡°Because they¡¯re human,¡± I said. ¡°And because human life matters.¡±

    ¡°Why does human life matter?¡± he asked.

    I opened my mouth to answer, and then hesitated.

    ¡°I guess I don¡¯t know,¡± I admitted. ¡°It was always obvious. People matter. Their lives, their choices, their hopes and dreams. It all matters.¡±

    He smiled with a triumphant gleam in his eye.

    ¡°Over here, we have a general answer to that question,¡± he said. ¡°Basically, it¡¯s that humans are special, because we¡¯re more than animals. That we¡¯re not animals at all.¡±

    ¡°But we are animals,¡± I said, frowning. ¡°Biologically speaking -¡±

    He cut me off with a gesture.

    ¡°This is the point you¡¯re missing,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s not about biology, or science, or any of that. It¡¯s about the soul. Why it matters more if a person is killed than an animal.¡±

    I settled back and listened.

    ¡°Ask anyone if humans are animals, and you¡¯ll get one of two answers,¡± he said. ¡°One is that we¡¯re not animals. Another is that some of us are. Animals just do what they want, what their instincts tell them. A bitch in heat will have sex with literally the first male dog that shows up.¡±

    I nodded at that.

    ¡°There¡¯s no thinking to it, no meaning,¡± he said. ¡°And it¡¯s more than sex. Animals eat when they¡¯re hungry, even to the point of getting fat and sick. Raccoons can be caught by putting a shiny object in a kind of hole, where they could escape if they just let go of the bait. But they won¡¯t - they¡¯ll hang on, to the point of getting killed.¡±

    ¡°So¡­ it¡¯s about making smarter choices, beyond our instincts,¡± I said.

    ¡°That¡¯s part of it,¡± he said. ¡°Chastity is a virtue. One of a handful of traits our people tend to revere as uniquely important in people. And chastity is about abstinence. Not just from sex, but to abstain from animal impulses of all kinds. It¡¯s the¡­ proof, I guess, that we¡¯re more than just animals.¡±

    I blinked slowly as I took that in.

    ¡°Someone who¡¯s perfectly chaste won¡¯t just not have sex,¡± he said. ¡°They won¡¯t drink, or gamble, or party, or keep lots of money, or eat unhealthy things, and so on.¡±

    ¡°That sounds horrible,¡± I said, gaping.

    He chuckled.

    ¡°The idea isn¡¯t that it¡¯s fun or easy,¡± he said. ¡°The idea is that, someone who¡¯s able to achieve that ideal, they¡¯ve achieved what we all want. That complete conquest of their animal nature.¡±

    ¡°What we all want?¡± I repeated.

    He shrugged.

    ¡°We all want to matter,¡± he said. ¡°We want to mean something, to be important, to have value.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± I said softly.

    ¡°You¡¯ve got a shortcut to that feeling,¡± he said. ¡°Your magic is so unquestionably useful, you¡¯d be insane to think you¡¯re worthless. But most people struggle with that.¡±

    I snapped my head back in shock. Those words hit too close to home.

    Isn¡¯t that how I¡¯d felt, with my family, before coming here? Isn¡¯t that the very reason why I was able to fully commit to being in an alien world for the rest of my life?

    He nodded at my reaction, pleased he¡¯d made his point.

    ¡°It¡¯s a reason why a lot of people dream of being rich, or famous, or all sorts of things,¡± he said. ¡°People desperately want to matter, and more than that, they need to believe they matter. And that¡¯s what makes the idea of chastity special - it¡¯s a way for absolutely anyone to have worth, even though it¡¯s hard. They just have to be more than animals.¡±

    ¡°But why is sex special?¡± I asked. ¡°You talked about greed, and mindless lust, and gluttony, not just sex itself.¡±

    ¡°While we¡¯re at it, let¡¯s add pride, envy, wrath, and sloth to that list,¡± he said dryly. ¡°Resisting these things, abstaining from these impulses, is chastity - the opposites to these are individually prized, too, as virtues. Sex is special, because¡­¡±

    He hesitated, and then sighed.

    ¡°It¡¯s the things Alice said, in part. But I guess it¡¯s mostly because the world has fallen in every other area,¡± he said. ¡°Look at the war across the pond, for plenty of that. The war years ago was supposed to be the end of all wars, and yet, here we go again. Wrath and pride are destroying Europe, and countless people with it.¡±

    He rubbed at his face.

    ¡°We don¡¯t even have to look that far to see it,¡± he said. ¡°The rich don¡¯t give money to the poor, so greed has won. Prohibition happened because people wanted to defeat sloth, and it was a complete mess. Politicians are all proud men. People eat as much as they can, especially after the craziness of the depression.¡±

    He sighed again.

    ¡°I guess sex is just special in that it¡¯s the last one left,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s the last bastion of virtue. If people start having sex as freely as they want, then there¡¯s nothing left.¡±

    ¡°But can¡¯t people still refrain from these things?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Individuals can, sure,¡± he said. ¡°But the world at large? Our society? It¡¯s hard to be proud of a country when it¡¯s made up of mostly animals.¡±

    I frowned.

    ¡°So, by engaging in such things, others feel like it makes the entire country just that little bit worse,¡± I said.

    He nodded.

    ¡°And in some ways, a lot worse,¡± he said. ¡°The other day, I found a girl, not much younger than you, who¡¯d been raped and stabbed to death.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s horrible,¡± I said.

    ¡°It¡¯s worse than horrible,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s common. It¡¯s kind of the general idea that, while every society has some parts of it that are just animals, the better a society is, the further it is from that. People don¡¯t want to live in a world where finding a girl like that is common.¡±

    ¡°So then, the idea is that people have to work together,¡± I said. ¡°To be chaste, and pure, and humble, and so on, all together, and that makes the whole society have more meaning. And is safer from the darker parts of human nature.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re getting it,¡± he said, his smile warm.

    ¡°So, sex. It¡¯s the last way to prove that we, as a society, are more than animals,¡± I said. ¡°Is that why you act like it¡¯s bad to have sex with animals?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s¡­ go with that,¡± he said, flinching. ¡°You¡¯d be best to never even mention the idea again. It¡¯s considered one of the basest and most disgusting things in our world.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± I said. ¡°What about plants?¡±

    He rubbed his face.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ probably fine, I think,¡± he said, clearly uncomfortable.

    Since I was talented with plant magic, that was naturally going to be my preferred method, when I didn¡¯t have a sexual partner - once I worked up the nerve, of course. Beyond that, I was only interested in humans anyway, so there was no point pushing it further.

    ¡°So, being more than animals,¡± I said. ¡°Is that why, when Alice was talking, she kept saying things like, ¡®nothing more than a whore,¡¯ or ¡®you can be more than just a harlot?¡¯¡±

    ¡°Exactly,¡± he said with a smile.

    ¡°Then why were you willing to have sex with me?¡± I asked.

    He flinched and hesitated.

    ¡°I get the impression, with how you were raised, the only difference between men and women is biological,¡± he said.

    ¡°Of course,¡± I said, startled.

    My mind darted back to Professor Rhine, and his issues with my being female.

    ¡°Here, it¡¯s assumed that there¡¯s differences,¡± he said cautiously. ¡°It kind of goes back to the idea of purity - that people are best when we are who we¡¯re supposed to be, when we strive for the ideal. Men and women should marry before having sex. Whites with whites, coloreds with coloreds, and so on. They should have children, and raise them with utmost care. Women should care for the home, and men should bring home the income. Everyone should be kind to their neighbors, and always strive to do the right thing.¡±

    I nodded slowly.

    ¡°Otherwise, the world as a whole, falls closer to its base nature,¡± I said.

    ¡°Right,¡± he said. ¡°And men and women have different strengths, different natures. One of those is that men are assumed to be halfway fallen to lust under the best of circumstances.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± I said. ¡°Is that why Alice said men are dogs?¡±

    He laughed.

    ¡°Yes,¡± he said. ¡°Like the bitch in heat - it¡¯s not just that the female accepts any male, but all the males will rush to the first female who might be available. It¡¯s kind of accepted that, given a chance, most men will fall to lust.¡±

    ¡°So, then, for this purpose,¡± I said. ¡°Women are the guardians of virtue?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a romantic take on it,¡± he said. ¡°But you get the idea. If a man commits adultery, it¡¯s kind of the mistress¡¯s fault - she should have known better. If a man and woman have sex before getting married, likewise, it¡¯s the woman¡¯s fault. Of course he¡¯ll have sex, if she makes it available. One of a woman¡¯s major jobs in life is to not make it available, except and until she¡¯s married.¡±

    ¡°And if a man rapes a woman?¡± I asked. ¡°Like the girl you found?¡±

    ¡°If she fights back, then it¡¯s proof it¡¯s not her fault,¡± he said. ¡°She did her job.¡±

    I blinked at him.

    ¡°And you believe all that?¡± I asked. ¡°You agree with it?¡±

    He sighed and took another sip of whiskey.

    ¡°Honestly, Aera, I don¡¯t know,¡± he said, and his voice sounded impossibly heavy. ¡°Can I really call a woman who likes sex evil, with the things I see on my job every day?¡±

    He rubbed at his forehead again.

    ¡°You have no idea what we see out there, Aera,¡± he said quietly. ¡°I know what evil looks like. I see it when I have to hold a child who¡¯s beaten and terrified of his parents, but even more scared of me, because they¡¯re all he knows. I see it when some young punk casually murders someone for a few bucks. Or when one of my coworkers can¡¯t take the pain of caring anymore, and just gives in. Takes some bribes, and drinks the pain away.¡±

    He gave me a sad smile.

    ¡°I saw it painted on the walls of a butcher shop, a few months ago,¡± he said. ¡°And in the bullet holes of someone¡¯s home, with hate painted on her front walls.¡±

    I took his hand, and he squeezed it appreciatively.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got it easier with us, Aera,¡± he said with a sigh. ¡°People may be disappointed in me for falling to your charms, but it¡¯s half expected, and thus forgivable. But with you being a woman¡­¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    ¡°Then I¡¯m a sign of bringing down society, as a whole,¡± I said.

    He nodded.

    ¡°Do you think what we did is wrong, though?¡± I asked. ¡°Either that I did wrong, or you did?¡±

    He hesitated and my heart sank.

    ¡°Sometimes I have no idea what is wrong,¡± he said, spinning his glass slowly in front of his face. ¡°Some things are obvious. Killing people. Stealing. Taking advantage of beautiful young women from another world.¡±

    He shot me a wry smile at that, and I smiled back.

    ¡°A lot of people think drinking is wrong,¡± he said, and lifted his glass to me. ¡°Any alcohol, at all. Hence prohibition. So, ¡®what we did¡¯ was wrong by some measures, before we even discussed the matter.¡±

    I nodded.

    ¡°I was raised Irish Catholic,¡± he said, going back to looking at his glass. ¡°The church has lots of opinions on what is right and wrong. But¡­¡±

    His gaze turned distant.

    ¡°A lot of the worst things I see are committed by religious people,¡± he said. ¡°Coworkers, too, that¡­¡±

    He hesitated.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± he said, shaking his head. ¡°Maybe I¡¯m damned because I gave up on the church. Maybe there is someone up there who would rather I confess to a priest every week, and take bribes, instead of having sex with a woman who wants me, and do my damnedest to make my city safe. How am I supposed to know?¡±

    ¡°For what it¡¯s worth, I see no sign that such a being exists,¡± I said.

    ¡°Neither do I,¡± he said, and then looked at me. ¡°Fact is, Aera, I just can¡¯t. I can¡¯t get tangled up in little questions of right and wrong, not with what I work with. Maybe what we did is wrong. Maybe it¡¯s fine. I just don¡¯t know. All I know is that I¡¯m trying my best, and when I die, I guess I¡¯ll find out if it was good enough.¡±

    I squeezed his hand and my heart ached.

    ¡°My mother would never be a person to look at for things like ¡®rising above your base nature,¡¯ or ¡®restraint,¡¯ or sanity in general, really,¡± I said, and he chuckled. ¡°My father, though¡­ he was very gentle.¡±

    Liam¡¯s endlessly inquisitive eyes held my own.

    ¡°My father¡¯s approach was that the only way to truly conquer something was to truly know it,¡± I said. ¡°He helped kill my taste for sugar by letting me eat as much as I wanted, and didn¡¯t take away my nausea, for instance. I felt wretched for days, and all the result of my own choice.¡±

    ¡°Interesting take,¡± he said.

    ¡°He said nothing is more alluring than the forbidden, and the unknown,¡± he said. ¡°Cake always looks more delicious than it tastes, as it were.¡±

    ¡°Especially cake that you¡¯re not allowed to have,¡± he said with a chuckle.

    ¡°Exactly,¡± I said, smiling. ¡°He didn¡¯t talk about human nature in these terms, but I know what he would say - if human nature is a dog, it should be well treated and beloved, as one¡¯s servant and best friend, not beaten and outcast.¡±

    ¡°And if that ¡®dog¡¯ proves stronger than you?¡± he asked.

    I flinched.

    ¡°Well, honestly, he would say that would demonstrate who you truly are,¡± I said. ¡°And if you¡¯re not strong enough to be more than nothing, then you have no more worth than a corpse.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s harsh,¡± he said.

    ¡°My whole world is that way,¡± I said. ¡°Populations continually expand and are destroyed, in unending waves. Death is commonplace, and only spellcasters have any ability to resist its call.¡±

    ¡°I guess the intricacies of morality weren¡¯t an issue,¡± he said.

    ¡°No,¡± I said. ¡°No, intricacies were a thing. I remember the most painful and powerful lesson my father ever taught me. I didn¡¯t even know it was a lesson for a long time.¡±

    ¡°What happened?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I was maybe thirteen or fourteen,¡± I said. ¡°We moved, as we sometimes did. This time, we moved to the outskirts of a small village. It was generally ordinary, except for one oddity.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± he asked.

    ¡°There were no spellcasters,¡± I said. ¡°Not one, in the whole town. And there hadn¡¯t been, for a few years.¡±

    ¡°Which means what?¡± he asked.

    ¡°We have no doctors, in our world,¡± I said, and his eyes flashed with understanding. ¡°We have no real sense of engineering principles, or metallurgy, or science at all, really. Scientific principles are only explored by spellcasters, in context of magic, as a rule.¡±

    ¡°Non spellcasters never try?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Mundanes is the best translation, I think,¡± I said. ¡°And why would they bother? They had a hand-to-mouth existence, fighting to survive despite a deadly world. Those that rose above the ordinary would either become spellcasters themselves, or be sort of picked up and sponsored by one.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± he said. ¡°So this town was in bad straits.¡±

    I nodded.

    ¡°It functioned well enough, to my young eyes,¡± I said. ¡°I thought nothing of it. My parents were distant and aloof to the town, to a degree I didn¡¯t then understand - they were normally helpful and generous. I later realized this was part of my father¡¯s plan.

    ¡°At first, my brothers and I played with the local children. They thought we were just the children of some random spellcasters, and had no idea that we all could use magic ourselves. It¡¯s rare for the young to have any real skill.

    ¡°Until one day, when one of the children we played with slipped and hurt his leg. It wasn¡¯t all that bad, really. Just a gash. As soon as he said it meant he had to go home, I healed it without a second thought. After all, I wanted to keep playing.¡±

    ¡°So they found out about you,¡± he said.

    I nodded.

    ¡°The children didn¡¯t understand what had happened,¡± I said. ¡°They thought it was fun - a new toy, of sorts. My brothers and I were happy to demonstrate, and for a short while, we had an amazing time showing them magical games. Then, of course, the parents found out that I could heal.

    ¡°My brothers are younger than I, and neither are talented at healing magic. So, it was just me. At first, it was a simple little thing. One of the children asked me if I¡¯d fix his father¡¯s arm. Then someone¡¯s illness. Then someone¡¯s eyes. Then a disease that had harmed the livestock.¡±

    His face tightened. ¡°They were having you fix everything.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± I said with a sigh. ¡°My brothers were asked to help with some things, like scaring away beasts, or hunting. But my strengths were called on most. Soon, I went home exhausted each night, barely able to stand. I was only a child - I just didn¡¯t have the strength to support the needs of the entire town.¡±

    He nodded.

    ¡°At first, they were incredibly grateful,¡± I said. ¡°They lavished me with praise and gifts. But over just a few months, they became demanding and entitled. They acted like healing was easy, like wanting to go play instead was just being a selfish child. I just wanted to help, though, not be made a slave.

    ¡°And then, the worst thing happened. As my father knew it eventually would. Someone was critically injured, and I was practically dragged to the rescue.¡±

    I smiled sadly.

    ¡°He¡¯d been skewered by one of the cattle - not too dissimilar to bulls, here. One of its horns had stabbed right through his chest.¡±

    ¡°He was alive after that?¡± Liam asked.

    ¡°They killed the beast, and the horn held the blood in,¡± I said. ¡°They brought me right to the scene. At first, I didn¡¯t really grasp how bad it was - all sorts of things bleed badly, and even by that age, there was no single system, aside from the brain, that I couldn¡¯t fix at least reasonably well.

    ¡°But this was a massive wound. His stomach had been torn open, and the acid was in his blood. A muscle below the ribs that helps control breathing was completely rent. The ribs on his right side had been broken, and were skewering his lungs. Beyond that, he was also bleeding rapidly enough that I had minutes, at most, before his death.¡±

    I sighed at the memory.

    ¡°I froze,¡± I admitted, and tried to keep tears from welling. ¡°I panicked. I¡¯d go and try to heal one thing, and then decide that, surely, this other part was more important, and change course. Fear paralyzes magic, and one of the few ways to overcome that is by pouring in additional power.¡±

    ¡°So you were exhausted,¡± he said.

    ¡°Like never before,¡± I said. ¡°Not only was I pouring out more power than I could wield, burning my own mind, body, and spirit in the effort, my efforts frequently failed, due to my own panic. Had I had someone there, reassuring and guiding me, I¡¯d have saved him. Had I even had faith in myself, I¡¯m sure he¡¯d have been fine. Instead¡­¡±

    He squeezed my hand.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said. ¡°You were too young for that.¡±

    ¡°I kept trying, even after it was too late,¡± I said, tears starting to flow freely. ¡°They didn¡¯t know it was too late, so they just let me stay there, weeping onto his body, as I poured out magic into a corpse. I was unwilling to give up. And so I woke up, two days later, in the home of one of the villagers.¡±

    He pulled me into his arms, and his warmth soothed the ache of the memory.

    ¡°The man¡¯s wife was understanding,¡± I said. ¡°I didn¡¯t grasp how she could forgive me for failing, but she did. She thanked me for trying so hard. The man¡¯s son, though¡­¡±

    I swallowed.

    ¡°He¡¯d seen me playing with flowers the day before,¡± I said. ¡°He screamed at me, saying if I hadn¡¯t wasted my magic on flowers, I¡¯d have saved his father. I didn¡¯t know if he was right, so I just ran. I ran and ran, until I was back home. My mother took one look at me, and swept me up in her arms. My father joined her shortly afterwards.

    ¡°After I¡¯d explained what happened, I lashed out at them. I told them that they were terrible, that they could have saved that man, that if I¡¯d had their help, he¡¯d have been alive. I got angrier when they didn¡¯t get upset at me. When my father simply told me I was correct.¡±

    I took a deep breath.

    ¡°He went and got a map of the world. He sat down next to me and showed it to me. ¡®Every one of these glowing spots is a city,¡¯ he told me. ¡®Within the next month, every single one of these places will have someone die before their time, and we can save them. Where shall we move next, Aera?¡¯¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s cruel,¡± Liam said, pulling me closer to him. ¡°You were far too young for that!¡±

    ¡°No, I wasn¡¯t,¡± I said. ¡°That¡¯s what being a powerful spellcaster means, in that world. They could either hide it from me, or let me find it on my own. They chose to try to warn me, and then let me find it in a controlled way.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t change the fact that asking you that question is cruel,¡± he said.

    ¡°Crueler than letting me realize it somewhere other than in the arms of those who loved me, who understood, and desperately wanted to do the right thing?¡± I asked.

    He frowned at that.

    ¡°None of my lessons ever struck home as deeply as that one,¡± I said. ¡°But while that moment, that realization of the damning power to choose particularly struck me, so, too, did my father¡¯s words afterwards.¡±

    Liam stroked my hair.

    ¡°He told me that I will have times when I believe the choices he and my mother made were wrong,¡± I said, smiling sadly at the memory of Alice calling them monsters. ¡°He said that it was inevitable, as I grew, and there was a good chance they¡¯d even agree with me at times. Especially in hindsight. But, while morality was complicated, painful, and seemingly impossible at times, there was only one truth that I could hold to, with utter certainty.¡±

    I smiled up at Liam.

    ¡°Good intentions may fail, but they are still good,¡± I said. ¡°The only thing that is unquestionably good is choosing to try to do the right thing. To learn, to grow, to improve, to unendingly hold moral values as the center focus of life. Even if you fail, even if you realize you could have done more, even if you moved to the wrong city¡­ as long as you live, you can keep trying.¡±

    I stroked his stubble as he looked into my eyes.

    ¡°That man died that day,¡± I said. ¡°But my father reminded me of the lives that I had saved in those few months, too. Our being there had been a blessing to that town, even though I couldn¡¯t fix everything. My brothers and I decided together what parting gift my parents should make for the town, and then they let me decide where we should move next. Not to mourn those who we chose not to save, but to choose where to go, to decide what part of the world we could touch, and make better.¡±

    His eyes were so beautiful as a small smile lifted his cheeks.

    ¡°By the measure by which I was raised, Liam, you are an angel among men,¡± I said. ¡°Perhaps if you and I were to try to adopt the stringent values of this society, we could strive to make this world better in every way. Maybe there is some merit to these virtues, like chastity. But I¡¯ve already learned that even if we can do anything, we can¡¯t do everything. We will overextend ourselves, we will fail, and opportunities to do good things will be lost.¡±

    I pulled myself up to my knees and held his face in my hands, admiring the texture.

    ¡°So let¡¯s not worry about trying to be this virtuous, underlying fabric of society, you and I,¡± I said. ¡°We have the power to make the world better in concrete ways, not just abstract ones.¡±

    He smiled wryly.

    ¡°Things like chastity are just for lesser people, then?¡± he asked.

    I frowned at that.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to persuade me to have sex with you,¡± he said with a chuckle. ¡°You¡¯ve already done that. I may not have everything figured out, but I¡¯m fine with where things stand.

    ¡°As for you, though,¡± he continued. ¡°Question is whether you think the idea of the virtues have merit, and if so, whether they should be applied differently to you, because of your power. If they matter, then magic or not, Alice is right to call you a harlot and distance herself.¡±

    I blinked in surprise and pulled back.

    ¡°Got you there, didn¡¯t I?¡± he said, laughing, and I scowled.

    ¡°Look, Aera,¡± he said. ¡°One way or another, the values of this society are different for you. Way I see it, you¡¯ve got just a few choices available.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± I said hesitantly.

    ¡°One option is to embrace these values,¡± he said. ¡°If you do, then you¡¯d have to see us having sex outside of marriage as wrong.¡±

    ¡°Like you do?¡± I asked, challengingly.

    ¡°Like I said, I don¡¯t embrace them myself anymore,¡± he said with a shrug. ¡°I¡¯ve given up on the church and a lot of ideas that people hold as sacred. I¡¯ve resigned myself to doing the best I can in a messed up world.¡±

    ¡°Like my parents,¡± I said.

    He smiled ruefully, ¡°I don¡¯t know if I like that comparison. I may need to hear some more of these stories, what with Alice saying they¡¯re vile monsters.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re good people,¡± I said. ¡°Alice was wrong about them, and she¡¯s wrong about me.¡±

    ¡°Then that suggests that option isn¡¯t for you,¡± he said. ¡°Another is to falsely adopt these values - to live by standards you don¡¯t agree with, so that people will think better of you.¡±

    I scowled at that.

    ¡°A third choice,¡± he said, chuckling at my reaction, ¡°Is to live according to what you think is right, hiding your actions from others, and knowing that you¡¯ll be despised if you¡¯re found out.¡±

    My scowl deepened.

    ¡°And then, the fourth option, you could just accept that you live differently, and accept that you¡¯ll be hated for it,¡± he said. ¡°To do your thing and not hide it. You¡¯d have lots of hate on your shoulders, for probably your entire life.¡±

    ¡°And the fifth option?¡± I asked, hoping he¡¯d saved the best for last.

    ¡°I don¡¯t see a fifth option,¡± he said, shrugging. ¡°Follow the standards, honestly or not. Reject the standards, openly or not. That¡¯s pretty much it.¡±

    ¡°With no clear idea about what is actually the right answer,¡± I said.

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t that what your father was getting at?¡± he said. ¡°That there are no right answers, just attempts to do the right thing?¡±

    I groaned.

    ¡°Maybe we should just have wild, distractingly intense sex, and forget this conversation ever happened,¡± I muttered.

    He laughed hard at that.

    ¡°In all honesty, Aera, you don¡¯t have to decide your stance right now,¡± he said. ¡°You could decide that these virtues do have merit. That chastity does have value.¡±

    ¡°Even though you don¡¯t?¡± I asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that I think they¡¯re worthless,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s that I can¡¯t handle figuring out what the right answer is. I¡¯m too busy figuring out murders to figure out fundamental truths about the universe.¡±

    ¡°Let me think for a moment,¡± I said, leaning against him.

    He seemed entirely content with this, idly stroking my hair and relaxing.

    Long minutes passed as I went over memories and discussions. A point came to mind and I glanced up at Liam again.

    ¡°I have a question,¡± I said.

    ¡°Shoot,¡± he said.

    ¡°The idea of an animal in you - that a human¡¯s fundamental nature is dangerous, dark, and overpowering - do you believe that?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± he said, glancing down at me. ¡°With even the little bits from work I¡¯ve told you, it¡¯s hard to think someone who¡¯s all the way human could do things like that.¡±

    ¡°Do you think that¡¯s true of you, personally?¡± I asked. ¡°That there¡¯s a beast in you, that only doesn¡¯t do evil because you¡¯re stronger than it is?¡±

    He shifted uncomfortably.

    ¡°Maybe,¡± he said, looking away. ¡°The worst I¡¯ve seen¡­ no, that doesn¡¯t appeal to me on any level. But I can¡¯t deny that I have some dark thoughts from time to time.¡±

    I smirked at him.

    ¡°Everyone has those, don¡¯t they?¡± I asked. ¡°Even I thought about brutally murdering you a few times last week, when you were making me work for it.¡±

    He gave me a startled look and laughed.

    ¡°You¡¯re kidding,¡± he said.

    ¡°Not that I would act on it,¡± I said. ¡°Thoughts and actions are different. But what if it¡¯s not as bad as you fear?¡±

    ¡°What are you getting at?¡± he asked.

    ¡°My father favored facing the darkness, rather than hiding it,¡± I said. ¡°And, there¡¯s a skill I want you to be aware of. I can modify memories. Remove them, if you wish.¡±

    He shifted uncomfortably again.

    ¡°The idea of chastity is to keep the evil inside locked up, where it can¡¯t escape, right?¡± I said. ¡°Let¡¯s try letting your beast out completely.¡±

    He froze.

    ¡°Aera, I¡¯m not sure that¡¯s a good idea,¡± he said.

    ¡°I¡¯m the one person in the world you could try that with,¡± I said. ¡°You cannot hurt me. You cannot force me. If I want you to stop, you will stop, and there¡¯s nothing you can do about it. On the off chance you injured me, I¡¯d be able to fix it.¡±

    The look he gave me was a blend of fascinated and horrified.

    ¡°You can do absolutely anything to me, and with me, that you like tonight,¡± I said, smiling up at his stunned face. ¡°I want this. I want to see the darkest of who you are.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s kind of¡­¡± he hesitated. ¡°Really personal, though, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no bad outcomes here,¡± I said. ¡°If it¡¯s awful, then that¡¯s a testament to how incredibly strong you are as a person, to overcome it. If it¡¯s not, then that¡¯s a testament to you being fundamentally good. Either way, you¡¯re a good person, no matter what.¡±

    He just stared at me.

    ¡°We can test this idea, of chastity,¡± I said. ¡°If the worst within you is harmless, then the idea behind chastity is at least a little wrong, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯re wanting to test it with me, not you, because the worst in you would be a nightmare, if it¡¯s bad,¡± he said slowly.

    I nodded.

    ¡°Aera, I don¡¯t know if I can do that,¡± he said. ¡°What if I¡­ did something really awful, and you couldn¡¯t look at me the same? Or if I couldn¡¯t stand myself?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why I mentioned mind magic,¡± I said. ¡°If there¡¯s anything you want either of us to forget, I give you my word, I¡¯ll make it happen.¡±

    He just stared at me again.

    ¡°It¡¯s for learning,¡± I said. ¡°To learn who you really are, with absolutely no consequences. Can you really say no to that?¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re saying, if the worst in me is not that bad, then you¡¯ll, what, abandon the idea of chastity?¡± he said. ¡°Based on what¡¯s in me?¡±

    ¡°I already don¡¯t favor the idea,¡± I said. ¡°But if it is bad, then that kind of means that maybe locking up what¡¯s inside is a good thing. Then maybe I should take the idea more seriously.¡±

    He processed this for a long moment.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I even could,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ve got a lot of years of keeping myself under control, so I don¡¯t think I could let go.¡±

    ¡°I could help with that,¡± I said. ¡°I could go into your mind, and weaken your ability to restrain yourself.¡±

    He hesitated again.

    ¡°Maybe I¡¯ve learned that you have magic, but on a gut level, I can¡¯t believe that I can¡¯t hurt you,¡± he said. ¡°The idea is painful. I can¡¯t hurt you, Aera.¡±

    ¡°Try,¡± I said, grinning. ¡°Test me. Punch me, Liam.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t hit a woman,¡± he said.

    I frowned at him, then started giggling. He looked at me in confusion, but then his jaw dropped as my features changed.

    Mimicry was the easiest form of shapeshifting, so after a minute, he looked at a giggling copy of himself. I shifted the dress into a plain shirt and pants.

    ¡°Now I¡¯m not a woman,¡± I said, and then laughed at the lowness of my own voice. ¡°Surely you can punch yourself!¡±

    ¡°But I know you¡¯re still a woman,¡± he said slowly.

    I pulled open my pants and glanced in with an obvious smirk.

    ¡°Nope,¡± I said. ¡°Definitely no female parts.¡±

    He reached out and picked up his glass of whiskey again.

    ¡°You sure know how to overwhelm a man, Aera,¡± he said, taking a sip.

    ¡°Okay, this isn¡¯t working,¡± I said, and shifted my features back, using the necklace enchantment I¡¯d made for tracking Rhine. ¡°New plan. Lift your arm.¡±

    He blinked at me, and then tried to lift his hand. A half second later, he stared at his arm in shock.

    ¡°I paralyzed the nerve controlling the muscle,¡± I said. ¡°Try again.¡±

    He moved, and his arm spasmed awkwardly.

    ¡°I scrambled the messages in the nerve controlling the muscle,¡± I said. ¡°Try again.¡±

    He gave me a funny look, and then tried to move. This time, his arm responded, but it didn¡¯t lift.

    ¡°I put a barrier over your arm, blocking its passage,¡± I said. ¡°Try again.¡±

    ¡°Ahh!¡± he yelled at the weird sensation.

    ¡°I disconnected the tendons that control your arm,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s normally really painful, but I numbed the nerves first.¡±

    ¡°Okay, Aera, I get the idea,¡± he said.

    ¡°Does your gut believe me yet?¡± I asked.

    His expression had changed to inquisitive instead of uneasy.

    ¡°Partly,¡± he said. ¡°All right. Let¡¯s try the punching thing.¡±

    He stood up, and I stood next to him. I wrapped myself in a simple absorption barrier. He threw a little punch at my arm, and it barely moved.

    ¡°You can do better than that,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m an evil drunk guy! Take me down!¡±

    He laughed, shaking his head, and threw a more serious punch at my chest, still holding back. I didn¡¯t budge an inch, and grinned at him.

    Finally, he put his full strength into it. He launched at punch at me with all the power in his body at my heart, and his hand simply stopped on impact.

    ¡°My face,¡± I said. ¡°Don¡¯t hold back.¡±

    He shook his head, but lined up a shot, and punched me square in the face. My head didn¡¯t so much as turn.

    ¡°No offense, Liam, but you¡¯ve got nothing on tommy guns,¡± I said wryly, and he chuckled.

    ¡°All right, so I guess that¡¯s convincing,¡± he said. ¡°But I still don¡¯t know if it¡¯s a good idea to¡­ cut loose like that.¡±

    ¡°What are you afraid of?¡± I asked.

    He gave me a sad look.

    ¡°I guess I¡¯m afraid of finding out,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯ve addressed everything else. But I¡­ I don¡¯t want to be a monster. I have no idea what I¡¯d do if you cut off my ability to restrain myself.¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t look, you¡¯ll never know,¡± I said, walking up to him. ¡°Maybe you are, maybe you aren¡¯t. You can find out the truth. And if it¡¯s too much, neither of us will have to remember. You could even just have me forget, and you remember, if you want to learn the lesson without being afraid of my judgement.¡±

    He hesitated.

    ¡°Help me, Liam,¡± I said to him, stepping close. ¡°Help me to know what it is to be human. Show me the darkest depths of the heart of a good man.¡±

    ¡°Aera¡­ I don¡¯t know if I can do that,¡± he said.

    ¡°Because you¡¯re too afraid to face who you really are?¡± I asked. ¡°I know that feeling. You helped me with that last week.¡±

    He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

    ¡°You really believe this will be helpful to you?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I have no idea,¡± I said. ¡°I do know that my father said the surest sign you needed to know an answer was if you feared it. So while, to me, this is a matter of testing, of curiosity, your reaction tells me that this is an answer you need.¡±

    ¡°I can live my life never knowing,¡± he said, opening his eyes again.

    ¡°You can,¡± I said. ¡°You can live and always wonder what you are, what you might do, if ever you gave in to your own nature. Or you can face your fears, and know which of them are mere shadows.¡±

    ¡°When you put it that way, it makes it seem like the right thing to do is to¡­¡± he hesitated and shook his head. ¡°But, Aera, I feel like if I did that, I¡¯d regret it.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Some things should never be done,¡± he said.

    ¡°Even if no one is hurt?¡± I asked. ¡°Even if it is a harmless, if frightening, way to see the truth?¡±

    ¡°You realize this would mean I¡¯m putting a lot of trust in you, right?¡± he said.

    ¡°If it makes you feel better, your consent is only required for moral purposes,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t actually need your cooperation to do this to you.¡±

    ¡°But you wouldn¡¯t, without my consent,¡± he said.

    ¡°Of course not,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s just that¡­ it¡¯s kind of beyond trust. By merely existing, your life and mind are in my hands, aren¡¯t they?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not exactly reassuring,¡± he said. ¡°It still means I¡¯m consenting to letting you be with me as I face my own demons.¡±

    ¡°I guess that¡¯s up to you,¡± I said. ¡°Do you trust me?¡±

    He ran his hand through his hair and cursed under his breath.

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll agree under a few conditions,¡± he said.

    ¡°I¡¯m listening,¡± I said, grinning.

    ¡°One,¡± he said. ¡°You will promise to stop me if I go too far. And I don¡¯t mean far enough to actually hurt you, because I know I can¡¯t. I mean far enough to even make you think less of me. At all.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯d have to be worse than my worst thoughts for that,¡± I said wryly. ¡°I can easily agree to that.¡±

    ¡°Two. If I go far enough that you think it justifies the idea of people keeping themselves chained up, as you put it, then you¡¯ll put a stop to it instantly,¡± he said.

    ¡°Agreed,¡± I said.

    ¡°Three. If I give any indication that I can¡¯t handle what I¡¯m doing, it stops,¡± he said.

    ¡°Only if reassuring you that I¡¯m okay doesn¡¯t work, if that¡¯s okay?¡± I said.

    ¡°That¡¯s fine, I guess,¡± he said. ¡°And four¡­ this is probably impossible, but, I¡­ I¡¯d like some assurance that you won¡¯t hate me for whatever we find.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± I said. ¡°And if I somehow do, I can erase the memory of it.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re sure about this, Aera?¡± he asked. ¡°You are absolutely positive?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m only sure that I can handle it. It¡¯s you I¡¯m worried about.¡±

    He laughed weakly.

    ¡°Okay, I guess. Let¡¯s do this,¡± he said.

    I smiled and reached into his mind. The idea of slipping into his mind was tantalizing. At least I knew my own demons, in that regard. Without restraint, I¡¯d dig in eagerly, curiously examining memories and motives, to glean a full understanding of who this man was.

    Morality directed my restraint, though, not arbitrary rejection of my own nature. As such, I carefully directed my focus to the connection between his spirit and his body, ignoring all sorts of juicy areas.

    The brain itself was far beyond any hope of my ability to influence, but how his spirit interacted with his brain - that is, his mind - was in my grasp, however tentatively.

    I whispered a command into his mind to be unaware of any resistance to desire, to be oblivious to the process of second guessing himself. Next, I amplified his perception of desire, so that the things he¡¯d normally regard as wants would come across as undeniable needs. Finally, I added a sense of certainty that the correct way to handle conflicting desires was to do both, one after the other.

    ¡°I think that covers it,¡± I said, pulling back from him. ¡°How do you feel?¡±

    ¡°Like something is a little off,¡± he said, frowning. ¡°Even with what you said, I can¡¯t put my finger on it.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s supposed to be subtle and intangible. If you can tell it¡¯s there, you can resist it, and I¡¯m bad at this. You¡¯d rip my spell to shreds.¡±

    He chuckled.

    ¡°That actually is very reassuring,¡± he said. ¡°So if you were to leave it on me, it wouldn¡¯t last?¡±

    ¡°My work?¡± I said. ¡°If you want it to stay, it¡¯d last a few months, at most. If you want it gone, I doubt it¡¯d make it through the night.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m wondering why I¡¯m not doing anything yet,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯re sure it¡¯s working?¡±

    ¡°Do you want to do anything?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Hold still and not do anything horrible,¡± he said wryly.

    ¡°Well, look at you, doing exactly what you want,¡± I said, sticking my tongue out at him. ¡°Maybe I should try making you mad.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯d be interesting to see,¡± he said, raising an eyebrow.

    I poked him in the shoulder, and he gave me a bemused look.

    ¡°You do know what I do for a living, right?¡± he asked dryly.

    ¡°Fine, then,¡± I said. ¡°Take this!¡±

    I punched him in the arm and looked up at him expectantly. His face looked terribly amused and he patted me on the head.

    ¡°That was too cute,¡± he said.

    ¡°I could use magic on you,¡± I said, wiggling a finger at him. ¡°Your life is in danger! Defend yourself!¡±

    He just raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°You¡¯re a terrible liar, Aera,¡± he said.

    ¡°Well, maybe I should do something else, then,¡± I said, grinning mischievously and giving his body an obvious look over.

    He smiled.

    My clothes began to withdraw from my body, slowly revealing skin, while I tried to hold myself seductively.

    He lunged at me, pulled me into his arms, and kissed me aggressively, pressing my body against his.

    ¡°It is working,¡± he said as he ran his hands down my sides.

    ¡°That was sexy,¡± I said, wriggling a little against him. ¡°Do it again.¡±

    He laughed earnestly as he picked me up, making me squeak, put me on his shoulder, and walked into his bedroom.

    It didn¡¯t take long to find out exactly what he wanted to do with me. And I loved every minute of it.

 Ch. 23 - Heart

    The next morning, I had the pleasure of seeing the tables turned on my delightful lover. He sheepishly asked me to never mention the things he¡¯d done that night.

    I had no problem with this, though I wanted to make sure he wasn¡¯t upset by the events. He hadn¡¯t been violent - unless one counted an absolutely delightful level of bestial aggression - but he had been, in his opinion, rather perverse.

    Even I hadn¡¯t anticipated him taking such wonderful advantage of my shapeshifting ability. Who knew that seeing me transform into a mirror image of him would have given him such fun ideas?

    The most important thing, though, was revealed - even without any sense of restraint, he had been kind, caring, and generous. He wasn¡¯t as happy with the results as he could have been, considering that he¡¯d discovered that he had an inner pervert, but he was still a good person.

    And for my part, I had absolutely loved those discoveries.

    This resulted in my acceptance of my awkward place in this society. The idea of these virtues was wrong, to me. They were pursuits of the extreme, and in my opinion, balance was far more valuable. With every virtue and aligned sin, both extremes were unappealing. It was a nuanced balance that I would pursue, and out of respect for my new understanding of the values of this society, I would keep each of these virtues as an intentional aspect of my ideal balance.

    For chastity, then, neither surrender to impulses nor unyielding resistance were mine. Rather, I would intentionally pursue pleasures. Within that, I would command and control my impulses, to ensure that the heart of chastity - rising above my base instincts - was always mine. I would always strive to ensure that I was never ruled by them.

    Which made for a difficult conversation with Alice.

    She didn¡¯t understand. Perhaps she couldn¡¯t. The most she could offer me was to refuse to hate me, and to not tell the others. She¡¯d even keep the secret from Slick, since she was certain he would not be able to be in my company, knowing ¡°what I was.¡±

    This, of course, was after persuading her that I had no intention of seducing Slick.

    While I missed her friendship, I didn¡¯t mourn it much. It didn¡¯t really appeal to me to be friends with someone who would feel such harshness towards me for something that had absolutely nothing to do with her.

    Between Alice¡¯s distance, Slick¡¯s filming, Lou¡¯s work, and Liam¡¯s unending busyness, I found myself unendurably lonely. I occasionally visited Dorothy, but like Alice, I couldn¡¯t talk to her about anything of substance.

    I missed Benjamin, sometimes terribly, but even my dreams about him began to change. On a deep level, I was understanding how impossible a truly fulfilling relationship would have been between him and I. What we had was sweet, but ultimately superficial. Those treasured memories gave me both a bittersweet joy and perspective on what it was I needed.

    I even thought longingly of contacting Lieutenant Pash from time to time. At least my life wouldn¡¯t be boring.

    I worked in the silence of our home, building the enchantments that Liam had requested, living for those few hours of delight I squeezed out of his schedule. I kept intending to teach him magic, but I kept doing other things with him instead.

    Shapeshifting into different women and selling jewelry in pawn and similar shops kept my income satisfactory. Knowing that the enchantments I was building would help make the city safer kept my conscience satisfied. When the enchantments irritated me, I¡¯d take a break, often by trying to hone various skills. I tried to imagine what I¡¯d need when I came forward, to be safe, but it was so hard to guess.

    It was a melancholy and contemplative time. Between the time to think and Liam¡¯s unyielding pressure to be honest with myself, I learned a great deal about what mattered most to me.

    And one thing revealed itself to me as an absolute certainty.

    A cool February evening had me sitting on Liam¡¯s sofa, this time enjoying a cup of wine.

    ¡°I¡¯ve decided something,¡± I said, and Liam¡¯s eyebrow raised at my tone. ¡°I want more.¡±

    He looked like he¡¯d frozen solid with those words.

    ¡°Aera,¡± he choked out. ¡°You¡­ we discussed, when things started¡­¡±

    ¡°Wait, not romantically more,¡± I said, raising my hands as I realized what he thought.

    ¡°Then what do you mean?¡± he asked, looking exasperated.

    ¡°Just this,¡± I said. ¡°What we have. It¡¯s perfect and wonderful. I just want more of it.¡±

    He expression was both relieved and bemused.

    ¡°Aera, really, you¡¯ve got to stop it with starting conversations like that,¡± he said.

    ¡°I¡­ what?¡± I said, confused.

    ¡°Nevermind,¡± he said with a sigh. ¡°To your point, you understand how busy I am with work.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± I said. ¡°Which is why I¡¯ve thought up a few ideas.¡±

    He looked at his glass of wine and muttered something about strength that I couldn¡¯t quite make out.

    ¡°I think I should move in,¡± I said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if that would give you as much time as you think,¡± he said. ¡°Most days, I leave as soon as I get up, and fall asleep as soon as I get home.¡±

    ¡°But I can still kiss you goodbye in the mornings,¡± I said. ¡°And if I take care of all your household chores, then that frees up more time for other things. Also, what about dinner?¡±

    ¡°I usually eat out,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s faster than cooking for myself. More edible, too.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t cook well,¡± I said. ¡°But I can make fantastic salads! And I¡¯m sure I can learn a few things about cooking. Then you could come home for dinner, and we can eat and talk together.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s also the problem of¡­¡± he hesitated, and rubbed at his face. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking, Aera, and really, it should have occurred to me before we started all this. But I hadn¡¯t mentioned it, since our relationship was on the down low, anyway.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± I asked, frowning.

    ¡°I¡¯m the only one with any official power who knows about your magic,¡± he said. ¡°When Pash comes back, and it¡¯s certain he will, he¡¯s going to be trying to get leverage over you. If it¡¯s found out that you and I are in any sort of relationship, then there will be questions about my objectivity, which could limit my ability to help you. That¡¯s not a risk we can afford.¡±

    ¡°But these visits have been fine?¡± I asked.

    ¡°You come by once every few weeks, usually,¡± he said. ¡°Which is possible to notice, but it¡¯s not that much. Beyond that, no one that I know knows that you exist, nor do we go on dates, or go anywhere in public together. If you lived here, though? That¡¯s a lot harder to miss.¡±

    I nodded.

    ¡°I can just change my appearance, then,¡± I said.

    ¡°Your accent is very unusual. Could you change that?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Um¡­ no, actually,¡± I admitted. ¡°I could easily enough, if I knew the language.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t¡­?¡± he started to ask, and then shook his head. ¡°It¡¯d probably be a good idea to learn that at some point, especially if it lets you hide better.¡±

    ¡°My ex suggested learning it,¡± I said with a sad smile. ¡°I suppose it was in line with his hopes of a long term future, but since I didn¡¯t plan on staying, I didn¡¯t see the point.¡±

    He nodded.

    ¡°It seems like moving in isn¡¯t really an option, then,¡± he said. ¡°Not until you learn the language and can hide better.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯d take ages,¡± I said, frowning.

    He smiled at that.

    ¡°There must be an alternative,¡± I said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have any issues with the idea of you moving in, on a personal level,¡± he said. ¡°If you think of a suggestion that addresses the issue, then I¡¯d accept.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m still not happy about only having you every few weeks.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± he said wryly. ¡°You complain about that almost every time you visit.¡±

    ¡°Hmph. I¡¯m not dropping the matter. I will find a solution,¡± I said.

    ¡°Of that, I have no doubt,¡± he said dryly.

    ¡°There is another matter, related to that,¡± I said.

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    ¡°The enchantments,¡± I said. ¡°I finished the first one last week. It¡¯s just been sitting around uselessly. I think you should try to work more reasonable hours for a while, so you can learn magic.¡±

    ¡°That sounds reasonable, until you think about what ¡®work more reasonable hours¡¯ means,¡± he said. ¡°We don¡¯t have enough detectives to cover all the cases that come in. Even with all my work, a lot of cases are left unresolved. You¡¯re asking me to leave even more cases open.¡±

    ¡°And how many of those cases could you solve faster with the enchantments?¡± I asked. ¡°These, and others I¡¯ll make, in time? Take the time now, learn magic, and then you¡¯ll be able to go back and do much more.¡±

    He looked contemplative.

    ¡°I have to admit, I¡¯ve gotten more comfortable with the idea of magic,¡± he said slowly. ¡°But there¡¯s also the concern that every time you come over, you only manage to have a few minutes of conversation before you start dragging me to the bedroom.¡±

    I blushed and gave him a look.

    ¡°That¡¯s because it¡¯s so long between visits!¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m deprived!¡±

    He laughed.

    ¡°That lends to the idea that even if I were to agree to leave off more cases, we might not get much done,¡± he said, looking amused. ¡°That wouldn¡¯t be acceptable.¡±

    ¡°What if I agreed to stay on topic?¡± I asked. ¡°I really do think it¡¯s worthwhile to teach you. And besides, you could probably learn some spells that would help directly, too.¡±

    He nodded thoughtfully.

    ¡°Back in December, you said that you could get a good sense of my ability, if you examined me, which you hadn¡¯t yet done,¡± he said. ¡°Have you done so since then?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s kind of¡­¡±

    I considered my words.

    ¡°Private, I guess is the best way of putting it,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s examining your very soul.¡±

    ¡°How about you go ahead and do that, and give me a better idea on what to expect?¡± he asked.

    I nodded.

    I closed my eyes and extended my mage sense into his spirit. He felt very warm and familiar. The surface was full of curiosity, backed by an unyielding sense of resolve.

    I pushed past it.

    My heart ached. Pain¡­ there was so much pain, here. Most of it felt empathetic - like he¡¯d witnessed too much pain, rather than directly experiencing it himself. Scars, of a sort, laced his soul in arching patterns, connecting a thousand different moments of experience. Some of these pains, some of the deepest, were quite personal.

    I¡¯d gotten distracted. That wasn¡¯t mine to know. I pulled my attention away from that and focused on other aspects - parts of one¡¯s being that had never been given words in the English language. Parts that had been direct focuses of my own training, and so I was able to analyze them with ease.

    ¡°You¡¯re a Lum caster,¡± I said, as I opened my eyes and smiled at him. ¡°Those aren¡¯t all that common.¡±

    ¡°What does that mean?¡± he asked.

    ¡°There are six elements,¡± I said. ¡°Four primary, and two fundamental. They¡¯re sort of more philosophical approaches to magic, but are basically the six ways of trying to use it. Mine is Aquas - named for water, or liquid, as the balance point between solids and gas. It¡¯s the element of balance, of harmony, of transformation.¡±

    He nodded.

    ¡°I assume it¡¯s also good with water?¡± he asked.

    ¡°To an extent. Liquids are easier than solids or gas to manipulate, but it¡¯s named for the concept, more than actual water. Healing, shapeshifting, and directly affecting emotions themselves are the strengths of Aquas,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s one of the four primary elements - Aquas; Flamus, or fire; Grath, or Earth; and Aeros, or air. The two fundamental elements are Lum, or light, and An Lum, or shadow.¡±

    ¡°You said that Aquas is just named for water,¡± he said, and I nodded in confirmation. ¡°So the other elements, are they the same? Like Flamus - it¡¯s named for fire, but isn¡¯t fire?¡±

    ¡°Excellent again, Liam,¡± I said with a laugh. ¡°Fire isn¡¯t exactly real - you can¡¯t touch it, hold it, or anything like that. Rather, it¡¯s just a process; one that creates light and heat. Flamus is named for that idea - it is the process of taking action, the will to choose, the pressure behind the need to step up and do something.¡±

    ¡°Interesting,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ve met a number of people who have a lot of drive. Would they be Flamus casters?¡±

    ¡°Possibly, if that¡¯s their strongest affiliation,¡± I said.

    ¡°So what does it mean to be a Lum caster?¡± he asked. ¡°Does that mean that¡¯s the only magic I¡¯d be able to use?¡±

    ¡°Not at all,¡± I said, laughing. ¡°It just means that¡¯s the sort of approach that you¡¯d naturally take, so those spells will be much easier for you. It¡¯s not actually about light, any more than Aquas is actually about water itself; rather, it¡¯s the element of existence. That which is. About reality. Not about changing things, but about the creation of and understanding of what is real.¡±If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ¡°With that description, I could have told you that was my element,¡± he said, chuckling.

    ¡°Exactly,¡± I said. ¡°That¡¯s true for everyone. All people align with some elements more than others, but there¡¯s always one that resonates best.¡±

    ¡°Why is it rare?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Lum and An Lum are both fairly esoteric,¡± I said. ¡°Lum is about the fundamental nature of reality, of existence. An Lum is about its opposite - hence the naming scheme. It¡¯s about potential, about possibility, about chance.¡±

    ¡°Which is why that was used for your time magic enchantments,¡± he said.

    ¡°Exactly,¡± I said again, pleased at his understanding. ¡°The four primary elements are about ways of doing things, and the two fundamental elements are more about ways of being. The majority of people align with the primary elements, because the majority of people have a deep focus on how they interact with the world.¡±

    ¡°But the fundamental elements are able to do things, though, aren¡¯t they?¡± he asked. ¡°They also interact with the world?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s¡­ different,¡± I said. ¡°Like, if you wanted to make light, you could do it with Lum or Flamus. Doing it with Flamus feels like you¡¯re changing the world, pushing energy into it, to make light happen. With Lum, it¡¯s more that you decide the world must have light in it, at this spot, and so your personal reality is made to supercede actual reality. Sort of.¡±

    ¡°Huh,¡± he said. ¡°That sounds¡­ fun, actually.¡±

    ¡°It is,¡± I said, smiling. ¡°Though I¡¯m not all that good with Lum, myself.¡±

    ¡°How good you are with the various elements - that¡¯s a reflection of who you are as a person, then?¡± he asked, and I nodded again. ¡°So that means what? That you¡¯re not especially rooted in reality?¡±

    ¡°Not exactly,¡± I said. ¡°It more means that I don¡¯t think in those terms at all. I don¡¯t concern myself much with wondering what is real, what reality ought to be, or in pursuit of the purity of truth.¡±

    He just stared at me for a second.

    ¡°When you put it that way, I have a hard time accepting that anyone doesn¡¯t think about those things,¡± he said. ¡°Even though I know people don¡¯t. So, Aquas - what does that mean, for who you are?¡±

    ¡°I seek to be at peace,¡± I said. ¡°I desire no enemies, and want no ill will from anyone. Aquas is the gentlest and most emotional of the elements. My heart must be whole and at ease, and that is my deepest priority.¡±

    ¡°Everyone wants that, though,¡± he said.

    ¡°Nearly so,¡± I agreed, ¡°Just like nearly everyone will tell you they prefer to know truth to lies. But that doesn¡¯t mean that the essence of this idea is central to their nature.¡±

    He nodded and looked thoughtful.

    ¡°I have to admit, I haven¡¯t made that a priority for myself at all,¡± he said quietly.

    I bit my lip uneasily, unsure if I should reveal what I¡¯d seen in him¡­

    ¡°Reality, possibility, balance, and will,¡± he said, musing out loud. ¡°What are the other two, then?¡±

    ¡°Aeros, which I¡¯m reasonably decent at, is named for the chaos of gasses,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s a bit hard to describe - though I suppose they all are, if you go in depth - but it¡¯s about chaos. About gaining control of chaos, about making sense of things, about understanding. It¡¯s the domain of the mind, the patterns that emerge in the wind to produce sound, about the spark of creativity. That sort of thing.¡±

    ¡°Interesting,¡± he said. ¡°And the Earth one?¡±

    ¡°Logic and order,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m not good with Grath, though that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m illogical. Rather, it¡¯s about structure. Routine. Patterns. Deep, structured analysis. Rigid thinking. Lou was an accountant for a time - I couldn¡¯t help but think it was a perfect job for someone Grath affiliated.¡±

    ¡°What does it actually do?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Um,¡± I said. ¡°The only thing I know how to do with Grath is to create a framework via which I build diamonds, since they¡¯re a simple structure.¡±

    He laughed.

    ¡°So maybe engineers, architects, and other sorts of things like that, they¡¯d be likely to be Grath?¡± he asked.

    ¡°If they¡¯re happy with those jobs, they have to have at least a little Grath affiliation,¡± I said. ¡°All sorts of people who like to make plans and stick to them have a healthy measure of Grath in them.¡±

    ¡°So, if you were to, for instance, tell me your affiliations, from strongest to weakest, would that give me a decent sense of who you are as a person?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± I said. ¡°At least, how they approach the world. For mine, I favor Aquas, am pretty good with Flamus and Aeros, reasonably capable with An Lum, and struggle with Lum and Grath.¡±

    ¡°Do you know my list?¡± he asked.

    I nodded, but he continued before I mentioned them.

    ¡°You¡¯d mentioned before that you¡¯d get a sense of my ability,¡± he said. ¡°Was that just the element alignment, or was it more?¡±

    ¡°Much more,¡± I said, and winced a little. ¡°Um¡­ there¡¯s some issues. You have the ability, but it will be difficult.¡±

    ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± he asked.

    I hesitated and looked at my glass for a minute.

    ¡°It¡¯s personal,¡± I said quietly. ¡°I didn¡¯t look at the details, but you¡¯ve¡­¡±

    I hesitated again.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been hurt a great deal,¡± I said.

    He nodded.

    ¡°It will be hard to commit the entirety of yourself to your magic, unless you can accept the entirety of yourself,¡± I said.

    ¡°Ah,¡± he said. ¡°I have commitment issues. And self acceptance issues.¡±

    I fidgeted a little.

    ¡°Well, I already knew that, too,¡± he said, laughing a little.

    ¡°That¡¯s easier,¡± I said, not meeting his gaze. ¡°I was afraid you¡¯d disagree with me.¡±

    ¡°Can that examination be wrong?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I could do a bad job at examining,¡± I said. ¡°But the source of the information is the very soul. It¡¯s just what is. It can¡¯t be wrong.¡±

    ¡°With that issue, do you think we should give up on the idea of teaching me magic?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Oh, no,¡± I said. ¡°As I said before, you¡¯re both intelligent and passionate. You just will have some obstacles to overcome - and honestly, you may find the process healing.¡±

    ¡°Healing?¡± he asked, his voice low.

    ¡°Magic requires commitment and self acceptance,¡± I said. ¡°You¡¯re stubborn, and if it¡¯s in the pursuit of a goal you¡¯ve accepted, I¡¯m certain you¡¯d be able to make it happen. While it¡¯s just a small thing, in pursuit of an immediate goal, if you get used to forcing yourself into temporary states of mind, of commitment and self acceptance, it¡¯d get easier and easier.¡±

    ¡°Eventually leading me to doing so without forcing it,¡± he said.

    ¡°Possibly,¡± I said, smiling. ¡°But, I have to be honest with you. Since your innate objection to these things is rooted in pain, the process of making this happen will hurt.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be a good officer if I refused to do something just because it¡¯d hurt,¡± he said wryly.

    I decided not to go into how much more compelling spiritual pains are than physical pains. Besides, he was stubborn. I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d give up.

    ¡°That¡¯s fair,¡± I said.

    ¡°Since we¡¯re talking about it, maybe we could give it a shot for a little while. We¡¯ve got the whole evening,¡± he said.

    Uncertainty tried to bubble out of my throat in the form of asking if he was sure, but I froze instead. I didn¡¯t want to give him an out, exactly. I wanted him to learn this. With Slick, it was more of an eager joy in sharing, but with Liam, it was more personal. I wanted him to see through me even more clearly than he already could. I wanted him to understand me. I wanted my past to be more than just fanciful stories that I occasionally talked about as we drifted off to sleep.

    ¡°You can stop me if you feel overwhelmed,¡± I said, as a compromise to myself. ¡°It¡¯s this first part that will probably be hardest for you. I¡¯m going to flood your spirit with magic, highlighting it. It will let you see yourself. Once it stops being something that¡¯s happening to you, and rather becomes something that is yours, that¡¯s when you will be awakened.¡±

    ¡°I understand, I think,¡± he said, looking curious.

    ¡°Just¡­ remember something,¡± I said, looking down. ¡°I¡¯ve already seen it. You don¡¯t have to hide anything.¡±

    ¡°All right,¡± he said with an uneasy tone.

    Slick hadn¡¯t resisted the pains of his past. He¡¯d sort of mentally added them to his list of Things He Can Use In Songs, and in so doing, embraced them. Liam, on the other hand¡­

    I focused. Having worked out the technique with Slick, it was easy enough. Gentle warmth flowed from my hand, through the air, into Liam¡¯s heart. He took a slow breath, reacting to the sensation. It amplified at a cautious pace, and the instant I noticed him wince, I let it simply hold steady.

    ¡°What is that?¡± he asked, gritting his teeth.

    ¡°Who you are,¡± I said softly.

    ¡°I feel like I can remember everything,¡± he said, sounding dazed. ¡°Only, I can¡¯t. Not the details, anyway. But everything I¡¯ve ever felt¡­ it¡¯s all right there.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re quite perceptive,¡± I said with a smile. ¡°That is the raw ¡®stuff¡¯ of magic. To use it, you must wield that feeling of your entire being. To accept it, command it, and sacrifice it.¡±

    ¡°Sacrifice it?¡± he asked.

    ¡°The power comes from you, and that power is lost,¡± I said. ¡°You have to be able to accept it in the height of its intensity, and also to completely let it go.¡±

    My senses were locked on his spirit, and so I saw every emotion that passed through him. I saw doubt flicker into existence, and hid my reaction. He didn¡¯t know if he¡¯d be able to do this.

    But to my relief, I saw his iron clad resolution attack that doubt with a vengeance. In a very Lum sort of way, he¡¯d decided that the correct reality was one in which he succeeded, and he¡¯d merely need to make it so.

    ¡°Should I be doing anything right now?¡± he asked.

    ¡°You won¡¯t be able to command your spirit as long as this is hurting you,¡± I said. ¡°Right now, you need to just focus on accepting who and what you are. If it becomes easy, I¡¯ll increase the intensity, up to the point that¡¯s required for actually using magic. Once you can face the truth of your nature without flinching, then we¡¯ll be ready for the next step.¡±

    He took a breath and looked away.

    ¡°Will ramping it up make this process go by faster?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Up to you,¡± I said. ¡°If you get overwhelmed, I¡¯d guess it would backfire. Fear will hurt the effort. That said, the sooner you can face yourself at full strength, the faster we can move on. This is the only unpleasant part.¡±

    ¡°Increase it,¡± he said.

    I nodded and poured more magic into his heart. He closed his eyes and trembled.

    ¡°I can see him,¡± he said, his voice scarcely audible. ¡°My father. He died when I was ten. It¡¯s like I¡¯m back in time, at his deathbed. The way it felt to hold his hand for the last time¡­ it¡¯s one of the strongest things I¡¯ve ever felt, and it¡¯s back, like it was yesterday.¡±

    I could see that moment so clearly in him, and my eyes grew misty. Fear. Anticipation of loss and loneliness. Aimless rage. A desperate desire to reject this moment, to make it not real. A distant, howling scream of inevitability, of mortality. A wretched, tender sorrow. A cruel half wish that his father was already dead, so this moment would be gone. A wish that this moment could last an eternity, to stop the inevitable.

    ¡°The past is gone,¡± I said quietly. ¡°That ten year old boy still lives, in your past, in your memory, but these feelings are his and no longer yours. They helped shape you, but do not define you.¡±

    ¡°My father¡­¡± he said, his voice distant. ¡°He was a good man.¡±

    ¡°Then he would have been proud of you,¡± I said.

    That broke something in him. His will crumbled to the amplified intensity of the emotions of his past. I reached out and took his hand, squeezing it soothingly, as tears shone on his cheeks. He turned away, trying to hide from my view.

    ¡°Don¡¯t hide it,¡± I said. ¡°I can see your very soul, and that tells me far more than a few drops of water on your face ever could.¡±

    ¡°Men don¡¯t cry,¡± he said through gritted teeth.

    ¡°Your society is idiotic,¡± I said, and he chuckled weakly. ¡°Humans cry. Humans feel. Humans mourn. That ten year old boy should feel like he¡¯s allowed to cry, and if he wasn¡¯t permitted, then you should let him cry now.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not a child,¡± he said, still resisting me.

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be crying if you didn¡¯t need to cry,¡± I said. ¡°You drink when you¡¯re thirsty, eat when you¡¯re hungry, and sleep when you¡¯re tired. You submit to the needs of your body, to keep it healthy. So, too, should you submit to the needs of your heart, to keep it healthy.¡±

    He looked up at me, then, his eyes red and watery.

    ¡°You think this is healthy?¡± he asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s not about ¡®thinking¡¯ or ¡®guessing,¡¯¡± I said. ¡°I can see your very soul. You are wounded, Liam, and these wounds have never properly healed. I don¡¯t know what has wounded you so, though it looks like this pain with your father is simply the only one you¡¯re permitting yourself to feel, at all, like it¡¯s the only pain you think a person¡¯s allowed to feel.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m really going to have to go through every single thing I¡¯ve dealt with in my life,¡± he said in a monotone.

    ¡°How can you expect to wield the power of your soul, if you cannot face the existence of your soul?¡± I asked. ¡°You are strong enough to overcome this; I know you are. These pains are good, because it means you know how to care, and how to love. It means that you can feel for others who have known pain.¡±

    His spirit recoiled at my words, lost briefly in a myriad of empathetic pains. I felt loss, desperate wishing to fix things, sympathy, blind rage, and so many other feelings flitting through him.

    ¡°Will it always be like this?¡± he asked quietly.

    ¡°No,¡± I said. ¡°The time will come when you can look at the ten year old boy you once were, and simply feel sympathy for the pain he knew, just as you sympathize for the pain of others who lose their loved ones.¡±

    ¡°I remember the look on her face,¡± he said, captured by a memory that my words had provoked, his voice miles and years away from here. ¡°Anxious and nervous. When she saw my face, she was terrified, but hid it well. She held hope until the last moment, when I told her.¡±

    His face rested in his hands.

    ¡°It was the first time I¡¯d told someone that the person they loved was dead,¡± he said, his voice growing haggard. ¡°I never¡­ no one ever gets good at that, Aera.¡±

    ¡°It hurts ever so much less if it is a stranger,¡± I said softly.

    ¡°Why does that matter?¡± he asked, staring at me.

    ¡°Because if there were no love, then there would be no suffering for love,¡± I said. ¡°Her pain, and yours, were born of the joy of that man¡¯s life. He had lived, and it was good.¡±

    ¡°You talk like you think you know what you¡¯re talking about,¡± he said, anger flaring a thousandfold beyond what he¡¯d normally experience. I didn¡¯t take it personally. ¡°You haven¡¯t killed people. You haven¡¯t had to face the widows and children and tell them you failed. You haven¡¯t had anyone you love die!¡±

    ¡°No one knows pain quite like a spellcaster,¡± I said softly. ¡°To wield our souls is to accept our emotions and experiences, and to perceive it in others in a way you cannot yet understand. I may not have done these things, but your pain is in my heart, and I feel its power. I am Aquas, and I have been made to see many shattered hearts, to grasp their pains. I understand, Liam.¡±

    Anger twisted through him, leaving sorrow and despair in its wake, and an ache for compassion. I leaned forward to hug him. At first, he pulled away, trying to maintain his denial, but his will crumbled under the intensity of his amplified memories.

    He rested his face on my shoulder and wept.

    We stayed in that position for over an hour. I carefully used Aquas to address his physical needs, such as dehydration from his tears or muscle aches from not moving. I also delicately pushed at his emotions from time to time, to ensure he wouldn¡¯t be overwhelmed, to hopefully assist him in accepting himself.

    His pain was gut wrenching. I silently wondered if perhaps I was wrong - if awakening someone to magic who was this wounded was wise. Or if maybe the problem was that this approach wasn¡¯t best¡­ perhaps Aeros to get him in a better state of mind? Or even to forcibly make him use his own soul, and let him figure it out from there?

    Reaching for his own magic would be a difficult, limiting process without addressing these pains first, though. But then, he wasn¡¯t an Aquas caster¡­ was emotional balance as important for him as it was for me?

    I hated that I didn¡¯t know. That I was possibly making someone I valued suffer more than necessary.

    He slumped in my arms, exhausted, and I used a bit of Flamus to support me so I could lift him. I carried him awkwardly to his bed and dressed us both for sleep, cleaning him up so he could rest comfortably.

    As I slipped into bed, he reached for me and pulled me close, mumbling something incoherently. I let him hold me and settled in to go to sleep.

    Before I managed to fall asleep myself, though, he stirred. A nightmare. I blinked and wondered if I was supposed to withdraw my senses from him - if I kept aware, I would know more personal things, but I could also help him more. I decided utility was more important than privacy, under the circumstances.

    ¡°Who¡­?¡± he asked, dazed and confused.

    ¡°It¡¯s Aera,¡± I said. ¡°You fell asleep. It¡¯s okay.¡±

    ¡°Aera,¡± he said, clutching me close.

    His spirit was aching. He needed to feel like he was loved. That he was wanted. He needed acceptance and reassurance.

    I kissed him tenderly, pushing my own heart into his, pushing him to feel what I felt towards him. He responded by shivering and kissing me back with quiet need.

    We made love that night, as he sought from me freedom from his pain and loneliness. I could not give him real love, but I had kindness and caring in plenty. Every moment of anxiety or unease he felt, I whispered it away with touches, kisses, and affection.

    It wasn¡¯t pleasure he craved so much as closeness and intimacy, which I shared with him to the limits of my ability. When the moment passed, he didn¡¯t pull away. Nor did I make him. Within me he remained as we both fell asleep.

    ¡°Aera.¡±

    I yawned and opened my eyes to see him gazing at me with a strange expression on his face.

    ¡°Good morning,¡± I said to him with a smile.

    He continued to stare at me.

    ¡°Last night,¡± he said, as though it were a complete sentence.

    I waited for him to continue, and gave up after a minute.

    ¡°What of it?¡± I asked.

    He continued to stare for a moment and then pulled me to his chest with a slow sigh.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to thank you,¡± he said, so quietly that I could barely hear him.

    Warmth bubbled in my heart as I smiled up at him.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to respond,¡± I said, playfully mimicking his structure. ¡°But¡­ it was a joyous thing, Liam, to share with you.¡±

    He hugged me tightly and was loathe to let me go. By the time he left that morning, he was almost late for work.

    That evening, he called me and let me know that he¡¯d be able to work on ¡°our project¡± a few days each week. I was glad he wasn¡¯t frightened away.

 Ch. 24 - Awakening

    ¡°I¡¯ve got it!¡± I squealed into the phone.

    ¡°Hello, this is Lieutenant O¡¯Brien,¡± he said, with a significantly heavier dose of dryness to his tone than usual.

    ¡°I know how to move in!¡± I said.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear it,¡± he said. ¡°Can you give me more specifics?¡±

    ¡°How do you feel about adopting a pet dog?¡± I asked.

    There was a moment of silence while I grinned like a crazy person.

    ¡°I¡¯m open to discussing the option, though I¡¯m not entirely sure how it relates to the issue at hand,¡± he said after a minute.

    I giggled and said, ¡°I¡¯d just have to update the enchantment I already made, to make sure it holds all the details of my normal biology, rather than superficial ones. And then, I could find a dog - a big one, since I need a decently large skull for my brain. Then, I could copy its biology into an enchantment, so I could shapeshift into it!¡±

    I could almost hear him rubbing at the bridge of his nose, as I heard a faint sound that was definitely the sound of him sighing.

    ¡°While I appreciate your enthusiasm, I believe a little more clarity into how this addresses the issue would be useful,¡± he said.

    ¡°The human me could quite simply never be seen around you again!¡± I said happily. ¡°Really, it¡¯s quite convenient for traveling around the city, since I can run and no one would think it¡¯s weird. I can change appearance with incredible ease, since fur length and color are as simple as it comes, and that¡¯s the biggest identifier for dogs. I could temporarily remove things like the stomach, liver, and so forth, and have room inside my abdomen for things like groceries. I could make the back wall of your apartment a sort of magical door, so I could slip in and out without anyone seeing. The human me could disappear entirely, so no one would have any idea!¡±

    ¡°That¡­ actually is fairly solid,¡± he said, sounding impressed.

    I giggled again.

    ¡°So you agree, then?¡± I asked.

    ¡°One or two more things, first,¡± he said. ¡°Are there any risks to consider?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ sort of,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ve never done this before, and there will be a bit of work involving the brain, so technically I could make a mistake and die.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a rather significant issue,¡± he said dryly.

    ¡°You drive to work every day in a metal box powered by explosions,¡± I said. ¡°Those things kill people all the time.¡±

    ¡°Granted,¡± he said, chuckling lightly. ¡°I suppose a better question is, how likely is this risk?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d be extremely careful, naturally,¡± I said. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t suggest it if I weren¡¯t confident in my success. Or¡­ rather, confident in the precautions I¡¯ve thought of. But there¡¯s just no getting around the fact that I¡¯ve never done this before, have no one to talk to about problems I don¡¯t know enough about to predict, and have no one to help fix things if something goes wrong. So¡­ honestly, I don¡¯t know. But I¡¯m confident enough that the prospect doesn¡¯t frighten me, for what it¡¯s worth.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s worth quite a bit,¡± he said. ¡°Is there anything I could do to help lower the risk?¡±

    ¡°Maybe,¡± I said. ¡°After I get the first things done - finding a dog, copying it, and so on - then maybe I could talk over my plan and precautions, and see if you can maybe think of anything that could go wrong.¡±

    ¡°I can try,¡± he said. ¡°How long would you expect this to take?¡±

    ¡°At least a week, if everything goes perfectly,¡± I said. ¡°Probably more, though by how much is anyone¡¯s guess.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s reasonable,¡± he said. ¡°And I feel it must be asked: does this plan cause you any concerns, personal or otherwise?¡±

    ¡°It sounds like fun!¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of spellcasters who were able to do this sort of thing, and I¡¯ve always liked the idea. I just never wanted to invest the work into making it happen, when I was younger.¡±

    ¡°I think that covers everything,¡± he said. ¡°As long as you¡¯re sure and you¡¯re careful, I think you can go ahead and get started.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± I said and giggled again. ¡°I¡¯ll go find a dog! Any preferences?¡±

    ¡°Nope,¡± he said, and laughed. ¡°Good luck.¡±

    ¡°Thanks!¡± I said. ¡°You, too! Go get all the crazy drunks!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not what good luck looks like,¡± he said dryly.

    ¡°Well¡­ whatever is good for you, then,¡± I said. ¡°Solve everything!¡±

    He laughed.

    ¡°Thanks, and goodbye,¡± he said, hanging up the phone.

    I hung up quickly and spun in an excited circle before running out the door.

    Then I ran back inside because I realized I should probably call a taxi, as I had no idea where to go.

    The taxi driver was a bit confused when I told him I was interested in adopting an adult dog, but he knew about a place called the Animal Rescue League of Boston. They took in homeless, lost, and abandoned cats and dogs, and would return them to the owners or let new people adopt them. They were focused on trying to be nice to the animals, which I thought was wonderfully sweet, so I told the taxi driver to take me there right away.

    When we arrived, I was pleased to note that the building was older. They¡¯d been working on their vision for some years. Inside, the smell of animals was a bit overpowering, but I didn¡¯t mind. It reminded me a little of the forest.

    Since my needs were a little unusual, I decided to look around with mage sense rather than asking awkward questions. It wasn¡¯t long before I found a surprisingly perfect candidate.

    In one of the back rooms was a large dog that was seriously injured. From what I could tell, it had been given some remarkably subpar medical attention and was in wretched straits. It pleased me that my efforts would result in making the poor thing¡¯s life better, too.

    I went up to the counter to speak to the receptionist. I told her that I was interested in a charity case - I wanted to take in a dog, ideally a large one, since I liked those. I wanted to feel like I was saving an otherwise condemned creature - one that was injured, like with a missing leg. One with whom I could share the benefit of my husband¡¯s wealth, by giving it excellent care.

    Minutes later, they brought me to see the dog I had ¡°accidentally¡± described perfectly.

    ¡°Poor thing,¡± I said as I knelt beside the pathetic creature.

    My heart ached with sympathy as I stroked the dirty fur on the top of its head. He really was not having good luck with life. Infested with some sort of skin disease - mange, they told me, he also had fleas and other parasites, a missing foreleg, and a few chunks missing from his ear.

    ¡°This creature is long overdue for kindness,¡± I said. ¡°I will take him home immediately and clean him up, then give him medical attention. How much will you charge me for him?¡±

    It was a bit expensive, but they wanted to recoup their medical costs, which I thought was entirely reasonable. As I paid them, they told me a few details they felt would be helpful to know. I purchased a collar, leash, and some dog food, then called for another taxi. The taxi driver was not even slightly pleased at taking the mangy mutt in his car, but it only cost a few dollars to change his mind.

    As soon as I got home and brought him carefully inside, I used a spot of Aeros to put him to sleep. He was suffering too much for my tastes. The extent of his trouble was enough to actually make me put in a solid amount of effort. Cleaning him, alone, was a five minute process - and that was just external cleaning!

    Biology, fortunately, operates by mirroring, so I was able to regrow his missing leg by making a mirror copy of the healthy foreleg. I was able to fix the rest of his missing bits with the same principle. The dog food and some water included all the raw material I needed to grow and repair everything on his body. I did have to be careful, since I wasn¡¯t as sure of the various systems dogs had, by comparison to humans, but they really did seem to line up quite well to each other.

    Getting the dog¡¯s health and hygiene to perfection took hours and nearly exhausted me of my magic. I decided to just pretend it was my actual pet for a little while. I woke him up and he came to with wide eyes and a shake. It was adorable seeing a stunned expression on a dog, of all things, but it was quickly followed with delight. His tail started wagging with remarkable speed and he jumped up to lick my face.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you a sweetie!¡± I cooed as I scratched him behind the ears.

    He made a happy whimper to tell me that, yes, he was a sweetie, and then decided to explore the house with quite a bit of excitement.

    He really was a beautiful animal, now that he was in pristine health. They¡¯d mentioned at the shelter that they thought he was part border collie and part shepherd, with possibly some other bloodlines included. He may have been unlucky in some ways, but his bloodline inheritance was not one of them.

    His luxurious mane of brown, black, and white fur moved in patterns that reminded me of the wind on fields of tall grass. His sharp face with bright blue eyes made him look intelligent - and indeed, he really did seem fairly clever, from my brief interaction with his mind. Long legs were full of boundless energy as he flew around the house in a delighted blur.

    I shifted some plates into shallow bowls for him and set out some food and water. I glanced back at the blur now racing in the opposite direction around the house and realized I ought to give him a name. After all, we¡¯d be working together for at least a little while.

    ¡°What should I name you?¡± I asked him.

    The sound of my voice sent him running to me. He stopped and I couldn¡¯t help but see his mouth hanging open with his tongue lolling out as a grin.

    ¡°Woof,¡± he suggested.

    ¡°That won¡¯t do at all,¡± I said. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ what do you remind me of? Your eyes shine like the stars, but you certainly don¡¯t hold still enough to be one. But a shooting star¡­ that¡¯s perfect!¡±

    I reached out and gave him a nice rub behind the ears again.

    ¡°Your name is Comet,¡± I said, and he made another woofing sound of agreement.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad you like it,¡± I said. ¡°Are you hungry, Comet?¡±

    With that, I offered the dog bowl. He sniffed at it warily, and seemed to be watching me for some sign of aggression. I frowned a little at the implication, but he didn¡¯t hesitate too long. Soon he was chomping down the food with the same reckless abandon that had defined his exploration of my home.

    ¡°You do realize that your stomach has a limited capacity, don¡¯t you?¡± I asked him, as he showed no sign of stopping. ¡°You were starving before, silly thing, but you have fat reserves and everything now. You can stop eating.¡±

    I extended my senses into his abdomen and saw his stomach begin to distend from the internal pressure. I rolled my eyes.

    ¡°You are literally harming yourself, you foolish thing,¡± I said, as I pulled the food dish away.

    Apparently this cued him to realize he wasn¡¯t hungry anymore, as he didn¡¯t push to keep his food. He started to bound off, but his stomach wasn¡¯t having any of that. Instead he yawned then jumped up onto the couch and made himself comfortable. From his perch, he watched me curiously.

    ¡°A nap is an excellent idea,¡± I said. ¡°Thank you for the suggestion. Goodnight, Comet.¡±

    He cocked his head at me as I made my way to the kitchen for a quick snack. I decided a simple can of beans would do, and ate it straight out of the can, heating it on the way to my mouth with each bite.

    The next morning, I awoke to a pile of fur beside my bed, from which curious eyes watched me again.

    The sweet furball was really charming. I found myself occasionally stopping my work to just give him affection. He was also quite insistent on going for runs, so I made a quick tracking enchantment on his collar, put it on him, and took him out. His love of life was infectious, and he seemed to understand on some level that I had saved him. That, or he was simply a naturally kind creature who would have loved me either way.

    I had a lovely time with Comet. Sometimes, he¡¯d just snuggle up to me while I worked on copying over all my biological details to the enchanted necklace. It made the whole process ever so much more peaceful and relaxing.

    By the end of the first week, I found myself contemplating whether it¡¯d be possible to actually keep Comet as a pet. The fact was, though, that I couldn¡¯t expect to care for him long term, with my uncertain future, and Liam¡¯s hours simply weren¡¯t compatible with Comet¡¯s boundless energy.

    My work progressed without any issues, and Liam¡¯s sessions were also going well. He didn¡¯t suffer again like he had the first night, to the relief of us both. He had always been gentle, but he grew subtly more content with life as the aches and pains that had burdened him all these years were soothed away. And for my part, I no longer suffered with boredom or loneliness. At least, not much.

    It was also nice that Comet didn¡¯t care at all about the war. Lately, it seemed Finland was getting a lot of attention from Soviet Russia, which had something or other to do with Germany¡¯s advance. The Soviets had signed some sort of non aggression pact with Germany, and it seemed like they were coordinating their invasions. At least, that¡¯s what I¡¯d been able to glean. It often felt like even buying groceries held extra tension from each new dastardly thing Hitler or the Soviets did. It was just inescapable.

    A week¡¯s time found the starting preparations for my shapeshifting venture complete. I had my own biology meticulously memorized, as well as Comet¡¯s. I had studied his brain and figured out which sections were responsible for basic instincts, and which sections were more or less for thinking. I¡¯d need to keep some aspects of dog brain function, and I figured copying those parts wholesale should work.

    I had a sort of tracking enchantment on Comet¡¯s brain, monitoring all the things it did to keep him functioning. I didn¡¯t want to miss anything important, though it really looked like it worked just the same as a human¡¯s brain. The only difference was size and prioritization - the part involved in processing smells, for instance, was dramatically larger than the human equivalent.

    My precautions to ensure the process didn¡¯t kill me, however, required a bit more care and precision before I was willing to move forward. I ended up crafting those parts over the course of nearly two weeks.

    There wasn¡¯t enough room in the skull for the dog instinctual bits and the human thinking bits to both fit, unfortunately. I decided my plan would be to put the human thinking bits in his skull, and to reduce lung capacity a little to fit the dog brain parts next to his heart. I¡¯d have to keep an enchanted string of sorts inside my body at all times, to give a properly fast connection for the brain parts, but that wouldn¡¯t compromise either my human or dog forms.

    That was longer term, though. Better to have a disgustingly oversized dog head at first, to make sure the basic process worked without any issue.

    I¡¯d built a perfect copy of the merged brain I needed to make, and as far as I could tell, it was perfectly functional. Well, not on my first try, naturally, but I¡¯d finally managed an approach that worked.

    It was a copy of the entire final body I planned on, not just the brain. I¡¯d further adjusted it to be the same weight as I was, so I wouldn¡¯t have limitations with needing to find materials to turn back to normal. Comet was several pounds lighter than I was, even with giving him some fat reserves.

    I also made a pseudo organ to hold the excess raw material that didn¡¯t align properly to Comet¡¯s form, and tucked it in just underneath the spine. I then realized I¡¯d need more space for things like enchanted jewelry or money, so I made the organ more involved. It had compartments for different things I¡¯d need to store, had an internal texture not too unlike leather, and could stretch easily, as needed.

    The middle of March found me finally ready to attempt shapeshifting. Liam still wasn¡¯t awakened, though he¡¯d finally grown comfortable with the feeling of his own soul. His biggest issue became letting go of the feelings, once they¡¯d started. His mind was cooperative, but his heart just didn¡¯t want to let go.

    I decided to tie Comet out in the dead garden while I attempted the spell. I imagined the poor creature would be terrified at the process. I went down to the lab and wrapped myself up in all the protective enchantments I¡¯d made. Liam had offered to be there when I tried for the first time, but I thought there was no sense in wounding him further if things went wrong. And it was likely to be a highly disturbing process, even if everything went well.

    I started with the easy parts, first. A massive dog head emerged from around my otherwise unchanging skull, and everything below the brain stem shifted to match Comet¡¯s biology. It was amusingly challenging for my brain to handle the sensation. My body felt weirdly wrong in ways that my human brain simply wasn¡¯t equipped to handle. Since I knew it was coming, I wasn¡¯t bothered at all, but it was nonetheless interesting.

    I allowed one of my protective enchantments to take over all of the automatic parts of brain activity. It would, hopefully, let me transition from one biological type of brain to another without interruption of function. As tested, it took over without any issues.

    Next, I slowly began to shift over parts of my brain, one section at a time, with the aid of one of my new enchantments to guide the process. Automatic breathing - which I assumed was no issue if it went wrong - went first. My heart was pounding with my anxiety, which seemed like a good sign, since that meant the dog body was responding to my human brain¡¯s signalling of fear.

    Slowly, cautiously, I switched over each part of the brain that needed changing. It felt incredibly strange, and somehow incredibly natural. As though, on some level, it made perfect sense that my limbs were now responding to my control on an intuitive level, and that my conscious mind was the strange part, thinking something was odd about this.

    It made me a little uncomfortable, wondering if my brain was keeping other things from me, too, that I might want to be aware of. But that was for another time.

    I pushed the next change, and¡­

    I blinked in confusion, awake and fully human. I sighed and checked on my enchantments. Apparently, the part of the brain I changed that last time made my consciousness go out of control, demonstrating a wild insanity. As planned, one of the enchantments monitored my consciousness, knocked me out when it detected the abnormality, and forcibly shifted me back to normal.

    Now I¡¯d have to make a new approach to switching my brain functions over and recharge the enchantments before trying again. It took enough power - due to my hopefully excessive degree of caution - that I couldn¡¯t reasonably get more than one attempt per day.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    That is, one attempt on my own person, per day. I was able to run through a few simulations, of a sort, with a ¡°dead¡± version of my shapeshifted self that I kept in the basement. I was certain I¡¯d figured out the problem, and my next attempt would be flawless.

    Eight attempts later, I was about ready to murder everything that dared to even have a brain. Liam was worried about the fact that I¡¯d died nine times, in a manner of speaking, and thought I might want to give up this attempt as beyond my skill level.

    I refused.

    I did have to admit to needing a new approach. I couldn¡¯t seem to integrate dog brain functions and human brain functions without issues cropping up. The final merged version looked functional, but I didn¡¯t want to make it completely active, because then there¡¯d be another intelligent mind in there that I¡¯d have to kill, over and over again.

    It was Liam who realized that if my enchantments could replace the dog¡¯s instinctual parts for the transition anyway, I could just use them instead.

    It grated on me as inefficient - magical things were never as efficient as biological things - but I had to admit, it should work. It¡¯d just limit my time in dog form according to my ability to keep the shapeshifting enchantment charged. Else I¡¯d be shortly dead.

    It also grated on me to know the vulnerability of the process - if anyone disrupted the magic while I was in dog form, I¡¯d be unable to function until I restored it. But it wasn¡¯t like anyone could disrupt it anyway.

    I begrudgingly decided to go along with his idea and set about building a more efficient, more permanent enchantment to mimic all the autonomous functions of Comet¡¯s brain.

    And I wouldn¡¯t even need to have the awkward extra brain bits in my chest. I¡¯d be able to fit everything I needed in Comet¡¯s skull.

    While I was finishing preparing for my new plan, Lou brought some people into the house. It had something to do with a case, and they needed a place temporarily. I didn¡¯t ask about the details. I was just happy that someone could keep Comet company while I figured out what to do with him on a more permanent basis.

    Early April found me finally bounding along the city in my new form. With a full charge, I expected the enchantment to last me a long time, perhaps even weeks. My shapeshifting enchantment was put in a crystal and permanently kept safely tucked away above and behind my heart. The language spell was now the only one on a necklace, which I kept in the storage organ in my abdomen, along with the enchanted rings and other items I needed on my person.

    A lot of random people petted me and commented on how beautiful I was as I tested out the form. I thanked them with doggie smiles and a wagging tail. It was a surprising amount of fun. Sometimes other dogs tried to give me some trouble, but I still had full ability with magic, so that proved nothing more than another source of amusement. Considering the speed limit inside the city was twenty miles per hour, and they had limits like traffic lights and pedestrians, I was dramatically faster than anyone driving.

    Liam was surprised to find a dog hanging around his cruiser, and he figured out it was me before I even had any fun messing with him. It was only mildly disappointing, though, since the look on his face when he realized it was me gave me something to giggle about for days.

    I moved in shortly after, and Liam quickly gave up any sense of territorialism over his apartment. It was soon full of pots that were bursting with greenery, had aesthetically matched furniture which I designed according to his tastes, and was in immaculate condition.

    Liam found himself appreciating the nearly complete lack of chores. He still had to take care of his car, since I didn¡¯t know anything about it, but he continuously expressed gratitude over things like laundry, dishes, and ironing.

    All that was left was getting him past these last few humps in the process of learning magic, and then¡­ well, I had no idea. But I was sure I¡¯d think of something.

    ¡°Just claim it as your reality,¡± I said, laughing.

    ¡°It still feels strange,¡± Liam said.

    ¡°Tell it it¡¯s not strange,¡± I suggested. ¡°Tell it that it belongs to you.¡±

    ¡°Oh, mighty magic that¡¯s inside me, I declare that you belong to me,¡± he said, peeking open an eye and smiling at my explosion of giggles.

    ¡°You know what I mean!¡± I said, trying to resume concentration on pouring magic into him.

    ¡°See, Aera, that¡¯s just it,¡± he said. ¡°I don¡¯t actually know what you mean.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a Lum caster!¡± I said. ¡°How can you not know what I mean by making it your reality? That¡¯s supposed to be confusing for me, not you.¡±

    ¡°Well, try telling me the Aquas way, and we¡¯ll see if I can get it by comparison,¡± he said.

    ¡°The Aquas way?¡± I asked and blinked. The answer came to me in an instant. ¡°Make love to it. Like we did the first night I showed you your spirit.¡±

    He paused at that and looked at me for a long moment.

    ¡°You mean to accept this... feeling, this magic of yours,¡± he said softly. ¡°To accept it the way you accepted me.¡±

    I nodded.

    ¡°Magic is intimate,¡± I said. ¡°It is to caress and command your very soul.¡±

    ¡°It feels so soft,¡± he said. ¡°Does that even make sense?¡±

    ¡°It probably is a bit soft for you,¡± I said wryly. ¡°Lum is¡­ well, not rigid exactly, but¡­¡±

    ¡°But more tangible,¡± he said, frowning in concentration. ¡°It¡¯s hard to get a good grip on this. Do you think you could try to make it more Lum like?¡±

    I grumbled internally at the prospect, and then sighed. At least it wasn¡¯t Grath.

    As my focus shifted, my heart moved with it, and I felt sort of stuffed up. Lum just felt so awkward, like slime was in my veins instead of blood. I also needed to make sure it was as pure and unattached to me as possible, so that he could take it from me. It took a bit of wrangling before I thought it felt right, and then I pushed it into his soul.

    ¡°Ohh,¡± he said, taking a deep breath. ¡°That feels incredible.¡±

    ¡°Hmph,¡± I said. ¡°Damned Lum caster not appreciating Aquas properly.¡±

    He peeked open an eye again and caught me giving him a mischievous grin. He flashed a smile back.

    ¡°This feels like it makes sense,¡± he said. ¡°Like it¡¯s actually there, for once, and definitely not my imagination.¡±

    ¡°Stop insulting Aquas,¡± I grumbled and he laughed.

    ¡°I¡¯m serious, though,¡± he said, and reached his hand out, palm up, looking at it intently. ¡°It¡¯s right there.¡±

    Light began shining from his hand and he yelped in surprise, making it go out.

    ¡°Did I just¡­?¡± he said.

    I giggled as I stopped pouring magic into him. He didn¡¯t need mine, now.

    ¡°Yes, you ¡®just,¡¯¡± I said.

    He held out his hand cautiously, with an expectant look. Nothing happened. He frowned.

    ¡°You¡¯re asking,¡± I said. ¡°You don¡¯t ask Lum to do things. It just does. Or doesn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a wrench,¡± he said, still looking at his hand. ¡°You need it to do things, but you don¡¯t think about the wrench. It just exists, and it works.¡±

    ¡°Maybe?¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t use wrenches.¡±

    He smiled. He took a breath to relax himself, and steadied his focus. A second later, his hand began to glow gently.

    ¡°Perfect,¡± I said.

    ¡°This is incredible,¡± he said, staring at the light coming off of his hand. ¡°I don¡¯t just feel it, I can kind of see it. Beyond¡­ I don¡¯t mean the light, I -¡±

    ¡°I know what you mean,¡± I interrupted with a laugh. ¡°That¡¯s something I¡¯ve attempted to translate as ¡®mage sense.¡¯¡±

    ¡°Mage, spellcaster, sorcerer - you keep using different words,¡± he said, smirking at me.

    ¡°You would, too, if your society depended on spellcasters in order to function,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m trying to sort of translate the various dedicated words to English ones that match at least decently. It¡¯s a pain.¡±

    ¡°I can imagine. So what is mage sense?¡± he asked.

    ¡°You¡¯re pushing forward your spirit to examine your target,¡± I said. ¡°It comes as part of the process, when you can directly control your soul. You can examine all sorts of things with it. Try looking at me.¡±

    I moved closer to him on the couch, so he wouldn¡¯t have to extend his senses far.

    ¡°This is incredible,¡± he said again, his eyes closed as he looked at me. ¡°What am I seeing, exactly?¡±

    ¡°My soul,¡± I said. ¡°Well, my soul is that Lum-like rigid blob in the middle, and the spirit is the more fluffy-like bits around it. Looking at my spirit, you can see my surface emotions and my intentions. Looking at the surface of my soul, you¡¯ll see the pressure behind those emotions and intentions - kind of, why I feel that way. If you push all the way into the soul, you can begin to understand its core structure. Who a person fundamentally is.¡±

    ¡°Pride,¡± he said slowly. ¡°That¡¯s what you¡¯re feeling? Pride? Joy? A sort of giddy delight?¡±

    ¡°Very good!¡± I said, grinning hugely at him.

    ¡°It¡¯s that easy?¡± he said, sounding stunned.

    ¡°You thought it was hard?¡± I asked.

    He shook his head and opened his eyes.

    ¡°I thought it was a spell, something that would take a lot of time to get,¡± he said. ¡°Why don¡¯t you use this sense on people all the time?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s rude,¡± I said.

    ¡°I can see refusing to use this randomly, but if the situation is important, that¡¯s useful information,¡± he said. ¡°Like Pash. Have you used this on him?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I said. ¡°I used it accidentally on you because I was half asleep and your red hair caught me off guard. It¡¯s how I knew you were trustworthy. But I try to never use it without direct permission.¡±

    I felt his spirit still probing mine. It was impressive that he didn¡¯t feel the need to close his eyes, new as he was.

    ¡°It¡¯s not much different from reading body language, though,¡± he said. ¡°If you just look at the spirit, not the soul.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± I said.

    ¡°You have no idea how useful this is for me,¡± he said. ¡°Would it upset you if I used this on the job, when interrogating people?¡±

    ¡°Not at all,¡± I said. ¡°My father never really cared about that, either, but my mother was quite insistent. She made all of us go along with her on that point.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not with them anymore,¡± he said. ¡°What do you think about it?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I guess,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s incredibly useful, but a lot of people would be uncomfortable with someone looking at who they are.¡±

    ¡°A lot of people would be uncomfortable with you even existing, as powerful as you are,¡± he said. ¡°Maybe when more people have magic, there should be precautions in place, but right now, knowing who you can trust could make a massive difference for the world. You could be sure that you¡¯re not being taken advantage of.¡±

    I paused briefly before answering and his expression shifted.

    ¡°You¡¯re reconsidering,¡± he said slowly. ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m looking at? It¡¯s... tangled, but I think¡­ on the surface of your soul, those heavy things, is that what you¡¯re weighing, to try to decide?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re going to be dangerous with this,¡± I said wryly. ¡°Lum casters have always been known to be generally more talented with mage sense, but you¡¯re good at this.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s weirdly similar to reading body language,¡± he said. ¡°And I¡¯ve got years of experience at that. This just feels more¡­ more¡­¡±

    He frowned.

    ¡°It¡¯s annoying, isn¡¯t it?¡± I said with a chuckle. ¡°Having experiences for which your language just has absolutely no words for?¡±

    ¡°A little,¡± he agreed. ¡°This is incredible. I think this mage sense will be more useful to me than your enchantments, to be honest.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind that,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m just glad you achieved it.¡±

    ¡°You really are,¡± he said, frowning. ¡°Why is it that much of a relief?¡±

    ¡°Slick isn¡¯t really a spellcaster. I mean, he has magic, but¡­¡± I frowned, trying to think of the right words. ¡°See, where I¡¯m from, we have a word for people like Slick. People that have awakened to magic, have some limited spellcasting ability, but in application are just the same as mundanes with more skill, or mundanes with enchantments.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Aera, but I¡¯m not hearing anything that matches the feeling of significance I¡¯m picking up in you,¡± he said.

    ¡°There are people with magic, and people without magic,¡± I said. ¡°We are different. We live different lives. The world looks different. Choices have different meanings. An enhanced mundane is still a mundane, in the end, if that makes sense?¡±

    ¡°I think it does,¡± he said quietly. ¡°The mundanes matter less to you than spellcasters, and you wanted me to join you in your status.¡±

    ¡°That sounds about right,¡± I said, glad he seemed to understand.

    ¡°I think there¡¯s some more clarification that would be helpful,¡± he said, seeming reserved. ¡°In what way do mundanes matter less, to you?¡±

    ¡°Those with power shape the world, and those without just live in it,¡± I said, shrugging. ¡°It¡¯s just the way it is.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s use a hypothetical situation for a moment here,¡± he said. ¡°If there were a spellcaster and a mundane that both needed saving, would you think the spellcaster¡¯s life mattered more?¡±

    ¡°Of course it does,¡± I said. ¡°But likewise, if there were both a spellcaster and a mundane that had committed some crime, and were generally bad people, I would be inclined to give the mundane grace, whereas the spellcaster might need to be killed, or maybe bound.¡±

    ¡°Bound?¡± he said. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°It is the worst punishment imaginable,¡± I said. ¡°My brothers and I would do anything to avoid it. It¡¯s where the spirit is held back by an enchantment, to prevent it from reaching out. If that happens, it¡¯s impossible to use magic, so long as the enchantment holds.¡±

    His eyes lit up in a way that made me uncomfortable.

    ¡°How hard is that to do?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Depends,¡± I said. ¡°If you mean doing it in the heat of the moment against another spellcaster who¡¯s resisting you, it¡¯s nearly impossible. If you mean attaching a pre-made enchantment on a spellcaster who isn¡¯t resisting, anyone can do it. Why do you ask?¡±

    ¡°I think that¡¯s a solution,¡± he said.

    ¡°To what problem?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Of magic being too powerful,¡± he said. ¡°If you¡¯re going to be bringing magic into the world, it¡¯ll be important for spellcasters to be subject to the law. Having a system in place to use this sort of binding as a way of keeping them in line will be necessary.¡±

    ¡°But our world doesn¡¯t have that,¡± I said, the first words of protest I could think of.

    ¡°You¡¯ve told me quite a bit about your world, Aera,¡± he said quietly. ¡°Do you want this one to be like that?¡±

    ¡°No!¡± I said. ¡°But¡­¡±

    I hesitated. The entire point of my parents¡¯ life work was to have a better world for people to live in, especially mundanes.

    But surely that couldn¡¯t mean being actually forced to abide by the laws of some nation, did it?

    ¡°There must be another way,¡± I said.

    ¡°Another way for what?¡± he asked.

    My mouth worked.

    ¡°Is it really necessary to constrain spellcasters?¡± I asked.

    ¡°You mean, to ask people with magic to do things like obey the laws of the land?¡± he asked pointedly.

    ¡°But some nations are awful,¡± I said. ¡°Some nations have stupid laws. You can¡¯t really expect a spellcaster to obey those, can you?¡±

    ¡°But regular people should,¡± he said. ¡°People like Lou. Slick. Like me.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s different,¡± I said.

    ¡°How?¡± he asked.

    My mouth worked for another minute.

    ¡°Do you think that people who have power - whether it¡¯s money, political power, or magic - shouldn¡¯t have to obey laws?¡± he asked.

    These words hurt me. Stories flashed by in my mind - stories I¡¯d never told them, since they were horrible. Stories of spellcasters who, unlike my parents, did not have kind intentions at heart. I knew the depth of evil that people could fall to. Everyone knew those casters had to be stopped.

    But that was just stopping the great evils. Murder, rape, twisting others into abominations, slavery of the sort this world had never conceived of, and dozens of other unspeakable evils.

    Short of things that would bring other spellcasters to wipe you from the face of the world, though, if people were powerful enough to ignore the laws, then they did. That¡¯s just how life worked. I couldn¡¯t imagine my parents obeying laws. Just the thought of suggesting it to my mother seemed ludicrous.

    ¡°Maybe there¡¯s somewhere in the middle?¡± I said. ¡°Some balance short of forcing powerful people to obey laws and still allowing for ways of stopping great evils?¡±

    ¡°So you do believe that, then,¡± he said, seeming disappointed. ¡°That regular people should obey laws, but powerful people shouldn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± I hesitated.

    His disappointment in me was lashing at my heart. We were silent for another long minute.

    ¡°To me, the more important question is whether you think powerful people¡¯s lives matter more,¡± he said. ¡°Not out of a sense of utility or function. But as people. Morally. Do I matter, Aera? Does my life have meaning, compared to someone more capable?¡±

    ¡°You matter,¡± I said. ¡°You¡¯re talking about things that I¡¯ve just never thought about before. Laws just don¡¯t exist for people like me. They¡¯re nuisances, at most. But¡­ you matter. That is something I know.¡±

    ¡°Do I matter as much?¡± he asked. ¡°And is it because I¡¯m human, or because you care about me personally?¡±

    ¡°I care about you,¡± I said, looking down as I tried to make sense of conflicting thoughts. ¡°But with strangers¡­ it¡¯s hard, Liam. It¡¯s hard to try to separate the ability to shape the world from the idea of an inherent moral value. Utility does matter.¡±

    ¡°All men are created equal,¡± he said, and his words had the weight of a quote. ¡°That¡¯s an idea that our entire country is founded on.¡±

    ¡°That idea is nonsense,¡± I said. ¡°Some men are born brilliant, and others are born too disabled to even feed themselves. By what measure are people equal?¡±

    He shook his head.

    ¡°It¡¯s not saying that everyone is born with exactly the same intelligence, or health,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s about the worth of a person, as a person.¡±

    ¡°Which means what?¡± I asked. ¡°What sense is it to ascribe value to something that cannot be measured in some fashion?¡±

    ¡°Morality can¡¯t be measured, Aera,¡± he said. ¡°Does that mean it has no value?¡±

    I frowned at him.

    ¡°You¡¯ve stumbled into another major belief of our society,¡± he said. ¡°We have a strong belief that humans have a value much higher than their ability to provide some use.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ we¡­¡± I hesitated. ¡°I never thought about this sort of thing, Liam. Human lives matter¡­ I know that. You know that I know that.¡±

    ¡°If lives matter because they¡¯re human lives, then why does it make a difference if they have magic?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Maybe it doesn¡¯t,¡± I said. ¡°But¡­ Liam, you have to understand, constraining a person¡¯s magic is¡­ it¡¯s terrible!¡±

    ¡°So is prison,¡± he said. ¡°A solid portion of my job is sending people there. If people with magic don¡¯t matter more, then why should they have even more privilege?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re talking about giving mundanes, governments, the ability to bind spellcasters,¡± I said.

    ¡°Yes, I am,¡± he said.

    ¡°And making me follow the law,¡± I said.

    His lip twitched, as though torn between trying to smirk and trying to frown.

    ¡°That would be correct,¡± he said.

    ¡°This is insanity,¡± I said.

    ¡°It¡¯s insane to ask you to follow the law?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yes!¡± I said.

    ¡°So you break it, then?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have the faintest idea,¡± I said. ¡°Part of not having to follow the law means not having to bother learning what it is in the first place.¡±

    He sighed heavily.

    ¡°Do you at least see the irony in the fact that you found yourself in a relationship with a police officer?¡± he asked after a second.

    ¡°I guess it¡¯s kind of ironic,¡± I said. ¡°But I really didn¡¯t think about the subject. It¡¯s not like you could arrest me or anything.¡±

    He made a sound that was somewhere between a chuckle and a groan.

    ¡°I think we ought to let the conversation drop,¡± he said. ¡°I can see that you¡¯re overwhelmed, and that you¡¯re honestly wanting to do what¡¯s right. I¡¯m pretty sure you do understand, at some level, that things can¡¯t operate the way they did in your world. So you can take some time to think about it.¡±

    I looked at my feet. We were quiet for several minutes. I thought, and he watched my soul wrestle with priorities.

    ¡°I guess I just don¡¯t want to be afraid of someone being able to do that to me,¡± I said quietly.

    ¡°Most people have to fear the government¡¯s power, Aera,¡± he said, taking my hand in a comforting way.

    I glanced up at him.

    ¡°That¡¯s normal¡­?¡± I said. ¡°And¡­ and you think that¡¯s right? For people to live their entire lives in fear of what others might do?¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s not the government, it¡¯d be something else,¡± he said. ¡°In your world, it was spellcasters and monsters, mostly, if I understand.¡±

    He was right about that. But¡­ I didn¡¯t want him to be right about this. And yet, I knew for a fact that the reason I wanted him to be wrong wasn¡¯t because I was convinced of the moral superiority of my position, but that I was afraid of the consequences of his position.

    An accursed truth of spellcasters is that we can¡¯t hide from such things like mundanes can. Once it was brought to light, there was no ignoring a conflict in my own soul. The only way for conflicting views to exist in a person without causing conflict is for that person to be ignorant of them.

    Which meant that this was going to diminish my ability with magic until I came to some sort of resolution, some form of peace. I had to have an answer, understand what that answer meant about myself, and accept myself entirely.

    I wanted to kick something.

    ¡°Besides,¡± Liam continued, ¡°People don¡¯t generally have to fear the government, because most people aren¡¯t doing anything wrong.¡±

    ¡°But doesn¡¯t that mean people have to trust the government?¡± I said.

    ¡°Yes,¡± he said, amused. ¡°People do trust the government. If they didn¡¯t, there¡¯d be another revolution.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± I said, sagging against him.

    I did not like this. I either had to accept my original views, and understand that it meant placing myself consciously above others, on a moral level, or¡­ or¡­

    I shuddered and he hugged me close. His disappointment had faded almost entirely. I supposed it was due to the fact that his mage sense was still probing me and he must have been satisfied with what he perceived.

    I did technically have the option of being a hypocrite, where I decided all other spellcasters that emerged ought to live by these restraints, but I didn¡¯t have to. Or that I should have to, as well, but simply chose not to.

    So to voluntarily accept a choice that was more evil, for a reason I clearly identified as rooting itself in cowardice, or to accept the basic premise of what he was saying.

    ¡°I hate being a coward,¡± I muttered as I pulled myself to my feet and stomped over to the kitchen.

    ¡°You¡¯re sulking,¡± he said, surprised.

    ¡°This is hard,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be a coward, I am a coward, and this is¡­ ugh.¡±

    He chuckled.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re taking this seriously enough,¡± I grumbled.

    He upgraded to full laughter.

    ¡°You¡¯re making fun of me!¡± I said.

    ¡°Not at all, Aera,¡± he said, getting up to stand next to me. ¡°I want you to know that I very much appreciate that you¡¯re taking the matter seriously. It¡¯s an important issue.¡±

    ¡°Then why are you laughing?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Because you¡¯re adorable when you¡¯re sulking,¡± he said, stroking my cheek affectionately.

    ¡°Hmph,¡± I grumbled. ¡°You just don¡¯t appreciate how hard this is on me.¡±

 Ch. 25 - Protect and Serve

    Back in March

    ¡°What you¡¯re talking about sounds a lot like a bribe, sir,¡± Lou said cautiously to the councilor.

    ¡°Don¡¯t insult me,¡± he said. ¡°This investigation cannot be permitted to have an impact on my career. The commissioner is familiar with the situation. Talk to him and don¡¯t bother me again.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re suggesting¡­?¡± Lou started to ask.

    ¡°I¡¯m not ¡®suggesting¡¯ anything,¡± he said, giving her a dark look. ¡°Look, miss, either you handle this or your boss does. All that matters is that it will be handled with discretion. Do you understand me?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I understand perfectly,¡± Lou said, giving him a smile and taking care not to bare her teeth at him. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to the chief, and we¡¯ll get things sorted out.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± he said. ¡°Now get out of my house.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Lou said, and promptly turned on her heels.

    Her hands ached from clenching the steering wheel too tightly the entire drive back to headquarters. She couldn¡¯t get the memory of the bruises out of her head. Or the look on his wife¡¯s face. Hopelessness - no one should look like that.

    It was all she could do to not storm into the police chief¡¯s office when she got in. She feigned patience as she waited for him to be available.

    ¡°Sir, there¡¯s a problem,¡± she said, as soon as she went inside.

    ¡°Yes, there is, Williams,¡± the chief said while giving her a dark look. ¡°First, you don¡¯t come barging into my office like that.¡±

    ¡°Er¡­ sorry, sir,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s just that -¡±

    ¡°And secondly, you wait for me to give you permission to speak,¡± he said frostily. ¡°Is that understood?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± she said, her lips tight.

    ¡°It¡¯s good that you came here,¡± he said. ¡°I was about to call for you. Why are you on Councilor Harrison¡¯s case?¡±

    ¡°Uh,¡± she stuttered a little in surprise. ¡°Sergeant Moore said he was too busy, and to just grab some of the new cases from his desk. I thought a domestic violence case would be a good one for me.¡±

    He pinched the bridge of his nose in irritation.

    ¡°I¡¯ll need to have a word with Moore, then,¡± he said. ¡°Williams, in the future, if you¡¯re helping other detectives on cases, you are to individually check each of those cases with them, in case they relate to pre-existing situations. Is that clear?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± she said.

    ¡°Now, Moore was selected for this case specifically, because he¡¯s worked on it before,¡± he said. ¡°That means you¡¯re off the case. You¡¯re to turn over all materials you¡¯ve collected on the subject over to him immediately. Is that understood?¡±

    ¡°I do understand, sir,¡± she said. ¡°However, I have a concern.¡±

    ¡°Really,¡± he said, his tone cold. ¡°And what exactly would that be?¡±

    ¡°Sir, I spoke to the councilor, and he offered a bribe,¡± she said.

    ¡°This is why the matter belongs to Detective Moore,¡± he said. ¡°Dealing with the councilor requires a certain amount of tact and discretion. What the councilor offered was not a bribe. His regular donations and political support for the BPD help keep the city as a whole safe. That is what we are here to do, isn¡¯t it, probationary officer Williams?¡±

    ¡°What about his wife and kids?¡± she asked, trying to keep her voice level.

    ¡°The allegations that Mrs. Harrison made against her husband have never gone to trial, and you may remember that people are innocent until proven guilty,¡± he said coolly. ¡°This department is not going to lose the Councilor¡¯s support over unsubstantiated allegations. Is that understood?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± she said, her throat tight.

    ¡°Good,¡± he said. ¡°After handing over your materials, get back to work.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± she said again, and spun on her heels.

    Tension filled every inch of her body as she collected the materials she¡¯d gathered. Witness statements. Hospital bills. Doctor¡¯s statement. Photographs.

    This would not stand.

    She quickly made a copy of all her materials by hand, skipping her lunch to do so. Afterwards, she begrudgingly handed over the folder to Moore, who told her off for grabbing the wrong case. He¡¯d not even realized it was in the stack.

    Afterwards, Lou did not get back to work on her other cases. Instead, she walked with deliberate calm over to O¡¯Brien¡¯s office.

    He glanced up at her and his expression tightened.

    ¡°I did skip lunch today,¡± he said, as she started to open her mouth to speak. ¡°Thanks for reminding me. I could use some decent coffee. Have you tried out Cafe Crisp down the street yet? They¡¯ve got quick food.¡±

    ¡°Uh, no, I haven¡¯t,¡± she said, the wind knocked out of her sails.

    ¡°Good,¡± he said, standing up. ¡°I¡¯ve also got some more cases I can drop on you, and we can go over them together while we¡¯re there before you take them on. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    She followed him with a huff. She didn¡¯t say a word as they walked, and he seemed entirely content with that.

    Too content. She still wasn¡¯t used to how much more calm and relaxed he seemed lately. He¡¯d had a bad week at the end of February, but after that, the stress seemed to fade away. She¡¯d figured it was too personal to ask, and he hadn¡¯t mentioned, so she was left wondering.

    They arrived at the little shop. O¡¯Brien got them both some coffee and some pastries, then led her over to a table towards the back. The shop had a radio blaring too loudly about the Soviets attacking a city in Finland. She listened for a moment, and couldn¡¯t help but feel for the civilians there. The Soviets had one hell of a force, and Lou could only imagine the slaughter. The sound of Kito screaming in pain came back to her mind and she suppressed a shudder.

    ¡°I wish I didn¡¯t know that look,¡± O¡¯Brien said, giving her a sad smile. ¡°You stumbled into something, I take it.¡±

    ¡°You know about Councilor Harrison?¡± she asked.

    He nodded and her body tensed.

    ¡°You know?¡± she asked, nearly hissing. ¡°You know, and you¡¯re doing nothing?¡±

    He took a sip of his coffee.

    ¡°It¡¯s not the first time,¡± he said quietly. ¡°And I don¡¯t mean this case. I take it you spoke to the chief.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s accepting bribes, O¡¯Brien,¡± she said, keeping her voice as quiet as she could manage. ¡°Accepting bribes! He gave me this bullshit about protecting the entire city and how that matters more than the bastard¡¯s wife and kids!¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± he said quietly.

    ¡°O¡¯Brien,¡± she said, ¡°We can¡¯t just do nothing.¡±

    He sighed.

    ¡°There¡¯s not much we can do,¡± he said, and he looked at her with the face of an eighty year old man. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯re just going to let this go? I thought you were a good person!¡±

    He didn¡¯t seem to take offense.

    ¡°A lot of people have tried,¡± he said, his voice heavy. ¡°Did you ever wonder why we had a hard time filling the ranks, even with the depression?¡±

    She blinked.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think about it,¡± she said.

    ¡°People have been giving you a hard time because you¡¯re new, and because you¡¯re a woman,¡± he said, and she nodded. ¡°But you haven¡¯t even begun to see how bad it can get. As much as they don¡¯t want to deal with the bad stuff, they don¡¯t want to scare away everyone new before they can handle it.¡±

    She frowned.

    ¡°You¡¯re saying if I push this, it¡¯ll make my life harder,¡± she said.

    ¡°What we put up with can break anyone,¡± he said, and she heard a tremor in his voice. ¡°The more you care, the easier it is to crack under that kind of pressure. Coppers who push back too hard¡­ they¡¯ll get broken, or they¡¯re fired. Or one then the other. And, if needed, silenced in some way or another.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re saying that I could get killed?¡± she asked.

    His face was painfully tight.

    ¡°There¡¯s been a few odd coincidences,¡± he said. ¡°And one thing you just can¡¯t do is investigate another officer. So I can¡¯t say for sure.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re in charge of the homicide unit, and you can¡¯t investigate other officers?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m just in charge of all the cases,¡± he said with a sigh. ¡°Chief Roberts is in charge of the unit - and therefore, me. And only Internal Affairs can investigate officers.¡±

    ¡°So why doesn¡¯t Internal Affairs do something?¡± she asked.

    His face remained drawn.

    ¡°Fuck,¡± she said. ¡°Them, too?¡±

    ¡°All I can say about that is that they regularly report that the BPD is free of corruption,¡± he said. ¡°Barring occasional officers who, coincidentally, were inconvenient.¡±

    Lou glared at him. He continued to calmly drink his coffee in silence.

    ¡°You¡¯re saying that I should drop this,¡± she said coldly. ¡°Because some fucking corrupt assholes are running the fucking BPD and they might fucking murder me to keep me quiet on the subject, if I don¡¯t break from their assholery first.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you what you should do,¡± he said. ¡°I can only tell you what I chose. I decided that I became an officer to help people, and I¡¯d help more people on the force than I would as a civilian or a corpse.¡±

    ¡°Fuck this and fuck you,¡± she said, glowering at him.

    ¡°My feelings exactly,¡± he said with a dry laugh. ¡°Look, Lou. No matter what happens, I¡¯ve got your back. I¡¯m trying to do the best I can, and I¡¯ve probably made some wrong choices along the way. Just¡­ don¡¯t take on more than you can handle. You need to think about this.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need to think about this, O¡¯Brien,¡± she said, almost snarling at him. ¡°This is not okay. I am not going to fucking stand by and let a woman and her kids get fucking sent to the fucking hospital because some fucking asshole has money and sway. You hear me?¡±

    He smiled at her, and something in his smile made her rage cool.

    ¡°Flamus,¡± he said under his breath.

    ¡°Huh?¡± she asked.

    He shook his head.

    ¡°Something Aera was teaching me about,¡± he said. ¡°Another way of understanding who people are. This isn¡¯t really a choice for you, is it?¡±

    ¡°No, it isn¡¯t,¡± she said. ¡°Tell me, O¡¯Brien. How do I fix this?¡±

    ¡°Before I give you anything,¡± he said. ¡°You tell me straight. This is something you¡¯re willing to get ridiculed for, mocked, stomped on, tormented, fired, and possibly killed, all for just a chance that you might make things a little better.¡±

    She glowered at him again. But she did think about it. At least, she tried. It was a frightening prospect, and she didn¡¯t want to die, but that didn¡¯t feel as real as the bruise on Mrs. Harrison¡¯s side. Or the way her youngest son looked when Lou asked him questions about his dad.

    And none of it felt as real as the gut wrenchingly unacceptable idea of standing by and doing nothing when that was going on.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    ¡°Bring it on,¡± she said.

    He looked at her for a long moment and she held his gaze. After a while, he was satisfied with what he saw and closed his eyes. He looked a little green.

    ¡°God, I hope I¡¯m not getting you killed,¡± he muttered.

    He slowly pulled out a pen and his notepad and wrote down a number and a name. He tore off the paper and slid it over to her.

    ¡°Who¡¯s this?¡± she asked.

    ¡°A contact in the FBI,¡± he said. ¡°You won¡¯t get anywhere in the BPD directly, and since you¡¯re new, the FBI won¡¯t take you seriously. But¡­ I know a guy, and he owes me a favor. Tell him I gave you his number, and I can confirm what you¡¯re telling him off the record. I can do more to smooth things over for you if I¡¯m not in the spotlight. You might be able to get a real investigation in the works. You¡¯ll have to let him know that the corruption includes Internal Affairs, which is why you¡¯re not going through them. The FBI will have to be careful not to tip anyone off about the investigation, because they¡¯re good at covering their tracks when they get nervous.¡±

    He stood up as though his bones were made of lead.

    ¡°Anything else I should know?¡± she asked, as she stood up next to him.

    ¡°Aera made you one of those anti bullet enchantments, right?¡± he asked.

    She nodded.

    ¡°Wear it,¡± he said. ¡°Wear it, and for the love of god, please be careful.¡±

    ¡°I will,¡± she said. ¡°Thanks.¡±

    ¡°This is not something to thank me for,¡± he said, turning away. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    He left and she had a feeling he¡¯d rather her not come with. She looked at the pain in his movements and made a quiet resolution. She wasn¡¯t exactly suicidal to begin with, but this was a more compelling reason not to die. She couldn¡¯t bear the thought of adding more burdens to that man¡¯s shoulders.

    First things first. She had a woman and children to save.

    A phone call was followed by a drive in her personal truck, rather than the police cruiser. She arrived at the councilor¡¯s house and discussed options with Mrs. Harrison.

    ¡°You need to get away from him,¡± Lou said.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have anywhere to go,¡± Mrs. Harrison said with a sigh. ¡°I appreciate what you¡¯re doing, but we¡¯re trapped here.¡±

    ¡°If you had a place, somewhere, you would take the kids and leave?¡± Lou asked.

    ¡°Of course I would,¡± Mrs. Harrison said. ¡°He almost killed Johnny.¡±

    Lou stared at her, but it looked like the woman was being straight. She reached into her pocket, pulled out her keys, and started pulling one off the chain.

    ¡°This is the key to my house,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s big - a family home, but currently, it¡¯s just a friend of ours that¡¯s staying there. She¡¯s nice, don¡¯t mind her. You take yourself and your kids there for now. Change your name, and no one has to know where you went. You stay as long as you need until this blows over.¡±

    ¡°Your¡­ your personal home?¡± Mrs. Harrison said, her eyes watering.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Lou said, and started writing down the address. ¡°Look, I¡¯ve been taken off the case, so I¡¯m having to push the investigation from another angle. Might take a bit longer than it ought.¡±

    ¡°But at least you¡¯re trying,¡± Mrs. Harrison said. ¡°Every other time¡­ they always just stopped. Thank you, Detective Williams.¡±

    ¡°Just doing my job,¡± Lou said, feeling a little awkward.

    ¡°No,¡± Mrs. Harrison said. ¡°I cannot thank you enough. This is more than anyone else has ever done for us.¡±

    ¡°Then they failed at their job,¡± Lou said, a little heat worming its way into her voice.

    Mrs. Harrison smiled warmly at that, thanked Lou again, and immediately began gathering up her children to pack.

    Lou left, and found a pay phone. She called Aera, hoping she¡¯d be home.

    ¡°Hello?¡± the strangely accented voice answered.

    ¡°Good, you¡¯re home,¡± Lou said. ¡°You¡¯re going to have some company for a while.¡±

    ¡°I am?¡± Aera answered, sounding confused and pleased. ¡°Who?¡±

    ¡°Some folks from a case I¡¯m working on,¡± Lou said. ¡°They need a safe place to stay for a while, and I offered my house, since there¡¯s nowhere else. Gotta keep it quiet that they¡¯re there.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful,¡± Aera said. ¡°Do they like dogs?¡±

    ¡°... what?¡± Lou asked, startled. ¡°I didn¡¯t ask, why?¡±

    ¡°Because I have a dog now,¡± she said. ¡°But I need to find a home for him soon. I¡¯m almost done with him.¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Lou asked, holding back a sigh of exasperation.

    ¡°I¡¯m learning to transform into a dog!¡± Aera said happily. ¡°It¡¯s so I can move in with O¡¯Brien.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± Lou said, deciding that this was not a subject to pursue, for her sanity¡¯s sake. ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be fine. Just remember that they can¡¯t see any magic.¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes,¡± Aera said. ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll like him. He¡¯s very friendly.¡±

    ¡°Look, Aera, they¡¯ll be heading over pretty soon,¡± Lou said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get everything ready!¡± Aera said. ¡°And I¡¯m learning to cook, too. Maybe I¡¯ll make them something. When are they coming?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Lou said. ¡°Soon. Just giving you a heads up. I have to get back to work.¡±

    ¡°Very well,¡± Aera said. ¡°You should call again sometime, when you¡¯re not busy! It¡¯s been too long.¡±

    ¡°Not sure when I won¡¯t be busy,¡± Lou said.

    ¡°I understand,¡± Aera said. ¡°Liam¡¯s always busy, too. Good luck with your work, Lou!¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Lou said. ¡°Bye, Aera.¡±

    She hung up the phone and shook her head. That girl was an unending headache. She glanced around nervously, but she was in a phone booth, and no one could hear her. She dialed the number O¡¯Brien had given her.

    ¡°Senior Special Agent Kramos,¡± a man¡¯s voice answered.

    ¡°Hello, sir,¡± Lou said, pushing down her nerves with all she had. ¡°I am Detective Williams with the Boston Police Department. Do you have a moment?¡±

    ¡°How did you get this number?¡± Kramos asked.

    ¡°Lieutenant Detective O¡¯Brien gave it to me, and said he¡¯s calling in a favor,¡± she said.

    ¡°Why isn¡¯t he calling?¡± he asked.

    ¡°The fallout¡¯s going to be on me,¡± she said. ¡°But O¡¯Brien says you can call him to confirm everything I¡¯m reporting, off the record.¡±

    ¡°Interesting,¡± he said.

    There was the faint sound of movement, like he was changing position, or grabbing something.

    ¡°What¡¯s this about?¡± he asked, sounding interested.

    So she told him.

    The next few weeks were tense for Lou. No one knew there was an investigation happening - at least, not that she could tell. She had to pretend to be going along with the chief¡¯s attempt to silence her. She also pretended she had no idea where the councilor¡¯s wife and kids disappeared to.

    It irked Lou that the officers were generally treating her better. It was like they felt she could be relied on for the long term, now that she¡¯d backed off the case like she¡¯d been told. She caught a lot of looks on faces that she previously wouldn¡¯t have understood, but now recognized as a sense of solidarity, of recognizing her choice of the lesser evil.

    It was hard to focus on her work.

    It was difficult and chaotic under the best of circumstances, and these were not the best of circumstances. With O¡¯Brien¡¯s recommendation, she went straight into detective work instead of having to be a beat cop first. This was in part due to the fact that the Bureau of Investigations was painfully short staffed - the BPD had lost a lot of people in the labor strikes in ¡®19 and resulting political shitstorm, and hadn¡¯t recovered. ¡°Regular¡± cops were needed in larger numbers than detectives, since it seemed like the BPD was big on keeping up an image of having enough manpower to keep the city safe. In the Bureau of Investigations, though, it was painfully obvious that it was failing miserably in that task. Boston had some of the worst crime rates in the country. Murders, especially.

    She wasn¡¯t put in homicide, or any unit, outright - rather, as a newbie, she was practically a janitor for all of the units. The whole Bureau was all in Police Headquarters, which made it simpler. Any cases that were minor, or inconvenient, or assumed to be straightforward legwork, they dropped on her. Beyond that, she was often snatched up and sent to gather information to help with other cases. She was ¡°given¡± a Sergeant as a mentor, whose job included answering questions and either letting her tag along on his cases, or finding people for her to shadow, but the Bureau was busy enough that, after the first few weeks, she almost exclusively worked alone.

    On May 7th, an unusual sight caught Lou¡¯s attention. O¡¯Brien had been remarkably healthy since shortly after things had started with Aera, but she noticed he looked pale, as she spotted him walking to his office with another cup of coffee. There was no reason he could be sick with Aera living in his house.

    She meandered over to his office. He never bothered closing the door, since he was endlessly walking in and out. It did provide a small measure of privacy; though, between the open doors and thin walls, it wasn¡¯t hard to listen in, if someone were inclined.

    ¡°You alright?¡± she asked, stepping next to him.

    He gave her a strange look, as though he were seeing through her completely. He stopped breathing for a moment, then shook his head.

    ¡°Fine,¡± he said. ¡°Sorry. I should have realized it¡¯d be noticeable. Maybe I ought to have taken the day off.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re sick?¡± she asked. ¡°Even with the remedies you¡¯ve got?¡±

    ¡°Not something that can be fixed,¡± he said. ¡°And I¡¯m not sick. I¡¯m¡­ it¡¯s okay, Williams.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re pale and you¡¯re acting weird,¡± she said pointedly.

    He glanced around carefully, like he thought he could see through the walls, and was looking for eavesdroppers. Lou raised an eyebrow curiously.

    ¡°Did she ever tell you about how she can figure people out?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Lou said, frowning. ¡°It¡¯s how she got Slick a cellist for his band.¡±

    He looked startled and then amused at this.

    ¡°Did she, now?¡± he asked, chuckling. ¡°What she does - I can do that, now, too.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Lou said, taken aback.

    ¡°As of last night,¡± he said. ¡°I can do things and I can see people. See who they are. I¡¯ve been looking at everyone in the department.¡±

    With that his face tightened again and he looked down at his desk.

    ¡°It¡¯s bad?¡± she asked quietly.

    ¡°It¡¯s overwhelming,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s not all bad, but¡­ I¡¯m not used to this. Thank you for letting me know that I¡¯m looking off. I think I¡¯ll take an early lunch.¡±

    ¡°Need some company?¡± she asked.

    ¡°No, but thank you,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± she said.

    She left his office with an uneasy feeling. She wasn¡¯t sure how to feel about the fact that both her brother and her sort of boss had magic.

    After a few days, O¡¯Brien couldn¡¯t handle it anymore. He told the chief that he wasn¡¯t well and needed to take a week off. The chief pushed back, but O¡¯Brien wouldn¡¯t waver. It was the first time he¡¯d pushed for time off in his entire tenure on the job, so eventually the chief gave in and let him have it.

    Lou only knew this because O¡¯Brien seemed to have interpreted her quiet curiosity as a question, and he¡¯d freely mentioned it all. It wasn¡¯t like him, which creeped her out.

    He and Aera were going to take a week out in the woods, far away from people. He needed to come to terms with the fact that he could see things he knew were truth, and be able to do nothing about them. Previously, it had only been suspicions, coincidences, and uncertainties about what people¡¯s motives were, or exactly how involved they were. Now that he could be certain, it tore him apart to play ignorant.

    The department felt colder when he was gone. She realized that she might have felt too isolated to even try to push back, had she not had a more senior detective on her side. Somehow, it just felt less safe without him around.

    Which was stupid. They didn¡¯t even work together. It was just the same building, and she said ¡°hi¡± every few days.

    When he returned from his week off, he looked a lot better. He swung by her desk to let her know that he¡¯d gotten the hang of things, so she didn¡¯t need to worry.

    It wasn¡¯t long after that when rumors started flying around about an investigation by the FBI. Lou was found by an agent and asked about the location of Mrs. Harrison. After pushing the FBI agent to assure her that Mrs. Harrison would remain safe, Lou gave him the phone number and address.

    Days later, everything exploded.

    Once the press got word of the results of the investigation, Lou¡¯s entire world was flipped on its head. Her boss and a number of her coworkers were fired, and there was a major reshuffling of authority. The mayor even renounced the Commissioner. The tendrils of corruption ran deep, and according to the press, there had been major connections with the Irish mob. The FBI also found a gambling house that was practically run by the BPD, which Lou hadn¡¯t expected at all.

    Of course, everyone wanted to know who tipped off the FBI. Lou wasn¡¯t sure where the information had ultimately come from, but she was pinpointed as the whistleblower.

    A number of coworkers who¡¯d covered their trails well enough to avoid getting sacked turned hostile towards her. Others, who were more neutral to the proceedings, weren¡¯t exactly happy with the massive increase in workload that the firings caused. The new BPD commissioner rained hell on everyone¡¯s heads, pushing to ensure that the BPD¡¯s ability to protect the city wouldn¡¯t be compromised.

    It was a mess.

    The trial for Councilor Harrison was a headache for Lou. It had become the centerpiece of the investigation, from the eyes of the public, as it had been this piece of corruption that had launched the process. Mrs. Harrison had testified to her failed history of working with the police, and hailed Lou as a hero who¡¯d stood up for people.

    The war tensions that had been brewing in the city found a place to ignite in the population. Any other time, this would likely have been brushed off, but the people needed to latch onto something. The councilor was being crucified as a symptom, and the crowds were massive. They were crying out for his blood - in some cases, literally.

    It didn¡¯t help Lou¡¯s mood that they were more upset about him bribing the police than they were about him beating his wife and kids, but such was life.

    Lou had to testify about his attempt to bribe her directly. This brought even more attention on her head, as she was one of the only people willing to testify on the matter.

    The jury found him guilty, to the delight of the masses. Once it was over, Lou tried to make her way past the seemingly endless sea of journalists back to her car when she noticed a familiar face.

    He was harder to recognize, without his uniform and wearing an angry scowl, but it was definitely Detective Moore. Ex detective, rather.

    Not good. She tried to ignore him, and focused on getting to the car.

    ¡°You did this!¡± he yelled as he shoved his way over to her.

    Her heart began pounding.

    ¡°You destroyed everything, you bitch,¡± he said as he got closer.

    It irked Lou that the journalists were letting him approach, when they¡¯d previously been making it difficult for her to leave. Probably because this was more interesting. She cursed them under her breath.

    ¡°Did my job,¡± she said, still trying to get back to the car.

    A waft of something caught her attention and she stiffened. He was drunk.

    ¡°This is what you wanted?¡± he demanded as he got to her. ¡°You wanted to have all these people looking at you like you¡¯re some damned hero?¡±

    ¡°Get out of my face,¡± she said, trying to walk past him. The car. No one - drunk ex copper or journalist - was getting between her and escape.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you ignore me, you traitor,¡± he said.

    That poked a nerve.

    ¡°I¡¯m not the one that betrayed the city,¡± she said, glaring at him.

    The journalists looked like they were in heaven. She frowned and resumed trying to get to her car.

    ¡°They¡¯re sending me to prison because of you,¡± he said. ¡°My job, my wife, everything, it¡¯s all because of you!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve got a trial, last I heard,¡± she said. ¡°If you weren¡¯t a traitorous pig, then you¡¯d be fine. But wait, you are. So fuck off.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re just going to walk away?¡± he demanded, moving to keep pace with her.

    ¡°Good observation,¡± she said dryly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare walk away from me,¡± he said.

    ¡°Deal with it,¡± she said.

    ¡°Go to hell, bitch,¡± he said, and she heard a sound that had her turning towards him as fast as she could move.

    Time seemed to slow down as she tried to reach for the gun in his hand. Her throat tightened. She couldn¡¯t get shot. He couldn¡¯t get shot. The crowd couldn¡¯t get shot. She had to get him to point the gun straight up or straight down¡­

    There was a deafening boom.

    Then she felt an impact.

    Lou didn¡¯t spare her bruised stomach so much as a glance as she grabbed the hot gun from the confused man¡¯s hands. He was too drunk to react properly, so she easily knocked him to the ground.

    ¡°You¡¯re under arrest,¡± she said to his prone figure. ¡°Again. You idiot.¡±

    ¡°I shot you,¡± he protested, as the sounds of cameras clicking filled the air.

    ¡°You missed,¡± she said.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t miss,¡± he said. ¡°What the hell?¡±

    She didn¡¯t have any handcuffs on her at the moment, so she settled for pointing the gun at him threateningly.

    ¡°It was pointed right at her,¡± one of the journalists said.

    ¡°How could it have missed?¡± another asked.

    ¡°Did anyone else get shot?¡±

    ¡°There were a lot of people behind her - is everyone okay?¡±

    ¡°No one¡¯s hurt.¡±

    ¡°Where¡¯s the bullet?¡±

    ¡°Was there a misfire?¡±

    Lou simply ignored the horde of journalists and waited for another copper to show up. It didn¡¯t take long before someone she didn¡¯t recognize came by and handcuffed the drunken Moore.

    Finally she made it to her god damned car.

 Ch. 26 - Identity

    ¡°Just a heads up, Lieutenant Pash is back in the city,¡± O¡¯Brien said to Lou, as she came by to drop off some reports on his desk.

    She blinked at him in surprise.

    ¡°Fuck,¡± she said, and he gave her an amused look. ¡°The year¡¯s not up - what happened?¡±

    ¡°He sought me out,¡± he said. ¡°He made it clear that he¡¯s not approaching Aera quite yet - he¡¯s still working with lawyers.¡±

    ¡°Lawyers?¡± she asked. ¡°What for?¡±

    ¡°Thing is, Aera¡¯s not a citizen,¡± he said. ¡°And she¡¯s in a hard way - she can¡¯t become one without saying where she¡¯s from. She can¡¯t tell the truth, obviously, but if she lies, that¡¯s a serious offense and gives him leave to go after her from that angle.¡±

    ¡°Huh,¡± she said. ¡°So she¡¯s stuck as¡­ what, then? I don¡¯t really know immigration law.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s technically an illegal immigrant,¡± he said, wincing. ¡°She doesn¡¯t have a visa, or any papers. Not like it¡¯s a big deal, previously, since it wasn¡¯t like she was wanting to buy her own house, or vote, or things like that anyway.¡±

    ¡°So the restraining order¡­?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Still valid,¡± he said. ¡°The restraining order doesn¡¯t have anything to do with the victim - it¡¯s about legally restricting the abuser.¡±

    She nodded.

    ¡°So what¡¯s his angle?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Pash came to me to give me an opportunity to ¡®rethink things,¡¯¡± he said, rubbing his hand through his hair. ¡°He¡¯d prefer Aera to surrender herself to the US military willingly, and since I¡¯m working with her, he thinks I can convince her to give in without him having to push things.¡±

    ¡°What would pushing even mean?¡± she asked.

    ¡°If her status is called into question, legally, then she has to go through the immigration process, and if she¡¯s rejected, she can be ¡®deported,¡¯¡± he said.

    ¡°Which brings in the question of where she¡¯s from,¡± she said.

    ¡°Which makes her either a liar, and therefore subject to the government as an illegal immigrant who broke the law,¡± he said. ¡°Or, her origin is revealed, with all the problems that go with that.¡±

    ¡°Fuck,¡± Lou said. ¡°One way or another, he¡¯ll have an ¡®in¡¯ on her. What does he want to do with her, exactly?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± he said. ¡°I do know he does intend to play it cautiously with her - I got that much from his soul.¡±

    ¡°You looked at his soul?¡± Lou said, glancing at the door and getting quieter.

    But it was pointless - O¡¯Brien could tell if someone was eavesdropping far better than she could.

    ¡°Yes,¡± he said, frowning. ¡°He¡¯s a hard read, even with that talent.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± she asked. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that was possible.¡±

    ¡°I asked Aera about it, without telling her I was talking about Pash,¡± he said. ¡°Apparently, all living things use some magic, whether they mean to or not, but it usually can¡¯t extend beyond their own souls. Which means that their souls obey their desires, even if they can¡¯t do anything else. If a person desires to be hard to read, then it makes their souls more opaque. With Pash, I can only see the surface feelings, and not what¡¯s deep inside.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s inconvenient,¡± she said, then frowned. ¡°Can you read me?¡±

    He laughed.

    ¡°You¡¯re not quite as opaque as Pash is, but you¡¯re a tough nut to crack, too,¡± he said, and then smirked at her. ¡°But only your soul. Your body language is easy.¡±

    She made a rude noise at him, and he laughed again.

    ¡°Can you break past it, and see him anyway?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I could, but there¡¯s a problem with that,¡± he said.

    ¡°Of course there is,¡± Lou said.

    He smiled.

    ¡°One, I don¡¯t really know how,¡± he said, which made her chuckle. ¡°But the bigger issue is that Aera¡¯s pretty sure that even someone who has no idea about magic could tell that something weird is happening.¡±

    ¡°Which means Pash would probably clue in pretty fast,¡± she said.

    He nodded.

    ¡°Damn it,¡± she said. ¡°What did you get off him?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s slippery,¡± he said. ¡°Intelligent, disdainful of people, and believes some people are far inferior to others.¡±

    ¡°No wonder Aera likes him,¡± Lou said darkly.

    ¡°Aera does respect people,¡± he said, ¡°But I know what you mean. We¡¯ve been working on that. Would you believe she¡¯s spent weeks agonizing over the crisis of whether or not magic users should have to obey laws?¡±

    ¡°For fuck¡¯s sake,¡± Lou said. ¡°Seriously?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the hardest problem she¡¯s had to deal with in years,¡± he said dryly. ¡°Apparently, it¡¯s straining her badly enough that she¡¯s weaker with magic by half.¡±

    ¡°That¡­ is¡­¡± Lou said, spluttering. ¡°God damn it, O¡¯Brien, how the hell do you put up with that?¡±

    He laughed and shook his head.

    ¡°It¡¯s a learning experience,¡± he said. ¡°Though, the biggest thing that keeps me from getting frustrated is knowing that I¡¯m having an impact on her. She¡¯s not going to sit passively, when the time comes. She plans on reshaping the entire world. She needs friends who can support her, in healthy ways, and keep her from making horrible decisions.¡±

    Lou frowned.

    ¡°I hadn¡¯t thought about that,¡± she said. ¡°I don¡¯t like this, O¡¯Brien. No one should have as much power as her. She¡¯s just one god damned person.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± he said, sighing. ¡°I¡¯ve learned that there¡¯s ways to bind magic, to make a spellcaster mundane. I¡¯ve been trying to get Aera to accept the idea of governments having the power to do that to people. It¡¯s¡­ slow going.¡±

    ¡°She can¡¯t handle the idea of being like us,¡± Lou said, glowering. ¡°She¡¯s too good for that.¡±

    He shrugged.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s more that she¡¯d rather everyone be like her,¡± he said. ¡°Magic is so normal to her that taking it away is like taking away someone¡¯s eyesight.¡±

    ¡°Huh,¡± Lou said, then gave him an inquisitive look. ¡°I never really tried to figure her out, I guess.¡±

    He nodded and gave Lou a serious look.

    ¡°She¡¯s very alien to our world,¡± he said. ¡°The way she thinks, acts, feels, and believes aren¡¯t like anything we¡¯re used to. It¡¯s bigger than any usual culture difference, and entire wars have happened over that. Magic exacerbates the problem, but that doesn¡¯t make her wrong, or evil. She¡¯s young, she can learn, and she¡¯s got a good heart. As long as it¡¯s people like us that are influencing her, and not people like Pash, this doesn¡¯t have to end badly.¡±

    Lou looked away, feeling like she was being chastised, however kindly. It was true that she¡¯d been frustrated with Aera¡¯s differences, instead of trying to understand the reasoning for them. Or trying to teach Aera to stop being so¡­ so¡­ god damned frustrating.

    Lou sighed heavily.

    ¡°It¡¯s just too big,¡± she said, feeling a wave of depression. ¡°Problems that are right in front of me - it¡¯s something I can handle. But one person, being able to do that much¡­ what the hell is she going to do to the world, O¡¯Brien?¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s too much for me, too. But one of the only things we can do is decide who influences her right now, before she changes entire nations.¡±

    Lou frowned.

    ¡°You¡¯re right. We should have a barbeque this weekend,¡± Lou said. ¡°You, me, Slick, Alice, Dorothy, and Aera. A nice get together.¡±

    O¡¯Brien gave her a curious look.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if you realize, but Alice and Aera had a falling out,¡± he said.

    ¡°Wait, what?¡± Lou asked. ¡°I thought they were pretty tight.¡±

    ¡°They had a cultural disagreement,¡± O¡¯Brien said cautiously, and Lou¡¯s eyes narrowed.

    He was concerned that Lou would have a problem with this, too.

    ¡°Fuck that,¡± Lou said, with all her usual grace and subtlety. ¡°Spit it out. I¡¯m not playing that game.¡±

    O¡¯Brien laughed, and smiled at her as though enchanted by her response, which made no sense to her. She wasn¡¯t trying to be likeable.

    O¡¯Brien¡¯s eyes glazed for a second, and Lou realized he was doing that sensing thing again. Aera sometimes did that, when she was doing magic shit. She gave him a curious look.

    ¡°Someone walked by,¡± he said by way of explanation. ¡°They were curious what we were talking about, but decided to keep on walking instead.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s creepy,¡± Lou said, and his smile turned apologetic.

    ¡°In any case, Alice disagreed with the kind of relationship Aera wanted with me,¡± he said, and Lou tightened up.

    Knowing that he couldn¡¯t see that she was envious of that relationship, as long as she didn¡¯t want him to see it, was very reassuring. But now that she knew the trick, she was going to be airtight.

    ¡°More than that,¡± Lou said, giving him a look, and he chuckled.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to make you uncomfortable,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s a private matter.¡±

    He was about to continue, but she cut him off.

    ¡°If it makes you uncomfortable, fine,¡± she said. ¡°If it makes Aera uncomfortable, I don¡¯t give a damn - I want to know what I¡¯m dealing with, if I¡¯m going to be hanging out with her again. If you think the problem is that it¡¯ll make me uncomfortable, you can go fuck yourself, after telling me what¡¯s going on.¡±

    He laughed again.

    ¡°You are aware that professionalism is a thing that exists, don¡¯t you?¡± he asked, looking terribly amused.

    ¡°You want me to watch my mouth around you, because you¡¯re my boss?¡± she asked.

    He shook his head, but was smiling.

    ¡°I¡¯m just glad that you don¡¯t talk like that to anyone else,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s been hard enough trying to keep you from getting fired.¡±

    ¡°How¡¯s that going anyway?¡± she asked, then frowned. ¡°Wait a sec, you¡¯re distracting me from the question.¡±

    ¡°Excellent observation, recruit,¡± he said in a formal tone, but his eyes twinkled with mirth. ¡°I¡¯m trying to make you a case example of what the BPD is supposed to be, with the big wigs. If you¡¯re sacked, it makes it look like we¡¯d rather have corruption than people holding us accountable.¡±

    ¡°Because that¡¯s true,¡± she said, scowling.

    ¡°Which I¡¯m pointedly not commenting on,¡± he said dryly. ¡°There¡¯s various excuses going around about why you¡¯re bad for morale, and other nonsense, which is being argued about and wasting everyone¡¯s time. I¡¯m pretending that the only reason I¡¯m getting involved in that political idiocy is because I recruited you based on you being what we¡¯re supposed to aim for, and if you¡¯re sacked, it ¡®makes me question¡¯ what it is the BPD is all about.¡±

    ¡°Huh,¡± she said, and looked at her feet. ¡°Um¡­ thanks.¡±

    ¡°Just trying to do the right thing,¡± he said, with a strange smile that she couldn¡¯t read.

    She had to admit, creepy and wrong as magic was, the ability to see what people really felt was an enviable thing. It bugged her when people - especially O¡¯Brien - were hard to understand.

    ¡°Speaking of,¡± she said. ¡°I didn¡¯t forget about that question with Aera and Alice.¡±

    He laughed again.

    ¡°Fine, fine,¡± he said, lifting his hands in a mock gesture of surrender. ¡°You¡¯re sure you want to know?¡±

    She gave him a look, and he chuckled.

    ¡°Keep in mind, I¡¯m only answering this because I consider you a friend and an ¡®ally¡¯ with dealing with the issue of Aera and her magic,¡± he said, and she nodded. ¡°This doesn¡¯t leave this room.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± she said.

    ¡°The issue is that Alice considers Aera a harlot, because Aera wanted a temporary, sexual relationship with me,¡± he said.

    ¡°Temporary?¡± Lou asked, tightening up her reaction again.

    He nodded.

    ¡°She just wants some company until she comes forward with magic,¡± he said.

    ¡°And you¡¯re okay with that?¡± Lou asked, raising her eyebrow archly.

    He coughed a little.

    ¡°Being an officer has become my entire life,¡± he said, with a bit of a sad smile. ¡°I get my ¡®family¡¯ itch taken care of with my nieces and nephews. Since I¡¯m not looking to settle down and raise a family of my own¡­¡±

    He shrugged.

    ¡°It¡¯s lonely,¡± she said, speaking in part from personal experience.

    ¡°Not lonely enough to make me change my life plans,¡± he said. ¡°But to accept a woman¡¯s offer of a vacation from the bachelor life?¡±

    ¡°So¡­ you¡¯re still basically single,¡± she said cautiously. ¡°Sort of. Long term, I mean.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a fair way of looking at it,¡± he said.

    ¡°That¡¯s so weird,¡± she said. ¡°How does that even work? How does that feel? Do you even care about her at all, or¡­?¡±

    ¡°It is weird,¡± he said, looking contemplative. ¡°But it¡¯s kind of like having a best friend that you share everything with. Only we also ¡®share¡¯ sexually.¡±

    ¡°You see her as just a friend?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Always have,¡± he said. ¡°She¡¯s beautiful to look at, but personality wise¡­ she¡¯s interesting, and I do appreciate her, but she¡¯s not the kind of person I could really fall in love with.¡±

    ¡°Huh,¡± Lou said, feeling a little overwhelmed. She had absolutely no idea how to feel about this.

    But she understood better than she cared to admit. She didn¡¯t really want to settle down and have a family, either, and worse, she¡¯d never been a proper woman. She¡¯d kind of assumed that she¡¯d probably be stuck being alone her whole life, too.

    While she wouldn¡¯t have been okay with something like what he and Aera had, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder if she¡¯d change her tune after years of being alone. Could she really blame him for that?Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    As for Aera? She was monstrous by this society¡¯s standards in a dozen ways - her interest in sex didn¡¯t even make Lou¡¯s list.

    ¡°Why are you okay telling me all of this?¡± she asked on an impulse.

    ¡°Because you really want to know,¡± he said, shrugging. ¡°I don¡¯t care about privacy. I just don¡¯t want to deal with the hassle of things being widely known. But I can see enough of your soul to know that you, personally, really want to know.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± she said, looking at her feet.

    ¡°Nothing to be embarrassed about,¡± he said with a kind smile. ¡°It¡¯s normal to be curious about weird things. I¡¯ll never reject honest curiosity.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not just the relationship that¡¯s weird,¡± she said. ¡°You are weird. Ever since you got magic, you¡¯ve changed.¡±

    ¡°Not¡­ exactly,¡± he said, with another glance at the door.

    She waited a moment for the passerby to leave, so O¡¯Brien would go on. He gave her a speculative look and she shivered, feeling abruptly certain that her soul was being judged.

    ¡°Were you just prying?¡± she asked.

    He grinned sheepishly, like a kid who just got caught staying up past his bedtime.

    ¡°I guess I do know how to pry, after all,¡± he said, looking abashed. ¡°I noticed something in you, and I just needed to understand what it was.¡±

    She swallowed and tightened up again. If he found out she had a crush on him, she¡¯d just fall over and die.

    ¡°What did you find?¡± she asked.

    ¡°It looked like fear that I¡¯d been hurt,¡± he said. ¡°Like you were afraid that I¡¯d been really affected by getting magic.¡±

    She nodded uneasily.

    ¡°You care about me,¡± he said, and she blushed, to which he hastily amended, ¡°I don¡¯t mean like that.¡±

    But I do, she thought.

    ¡°All I was able to see was that you wanted to be absolutely certain that I was okay, before you pushed me back out of your soul,¡± he said.

    ¡°I pushed you out?¡± she asked, surprised.

    He nodded.

    ¡°You¡¯re stronger than most people,¡± he said. ¡°Stronger than Pash. I think it might be because of how much magic you¡¯ve been exposed to.¡±

    She frowned at that. She didn¡¯t like the idea that magic had changed her.

    ¡°I appreciate the hard work you¡¯ve been putting in on your cases,¡± he said, his tone still relaxed and reassuring, but his words confused the hell out of her for a second. ¡°But it¡¯s important to understand how uncomfortable you¡¯re making the rest of the team. You need to try to keep that in mind, when you¡¯re working with them.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± she said, holding still and blinking in confusion.

    ¡°O¡¯Brien, I need a minute of your time,¡± Chief Roberts said from behind her.

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± O¡¯Brien said with a nod. ¡°Williams, we¡¯re done here. You¡¯re dismissed.¡±

    She turned and left the office, feeling a little thrown off.

    She didn¡¯t find out if he was actually okay or not. It made her feel uneasy and awkward, as she went back to work.

    A few hours later, O¡¯Brien came by with a stack of notes he wanted her to go over.

    ¡°By the way,¡± he said quietly, giving her a kind smile. ¡°The only change is that I don¡¯t hate myself anymore for the mistakes I¡¯ve made.¡±

    With that, he continued walking, leaving her looking after him in confusion.

    This magic thing was creepy as fuck.

    That Saturday, Lou got together with Slick and Alice to discuss the issue of Aera. O¡¯Brien was busy, as usual, but she¡¯d discussed with him piecemeal at work anyway. They had collectively decided that Aera should not be involved in this discussion, because one way or another, she¡¯d make their brains explode. At least, that was Lou¡¯s opinion - O¡¯Brien simply thought that Aera was ¡°ill suited¡± to the task of figuring this out.

    Slick was happy before Lou brought up the subject. He was excited about the upcoming release of his movie, Our Town, due to come out the following Friday.

    His co-star, Martha Scott, was as skilled as she was beautiful, and that woman could make any man swoon. She¡¯d given Slick absolutely no grace, and had made him work halfway to his grave. He didn¡¯t collapse under the pressure, and instead, per his usual, he thrived with the intensity.

    Alice laughingly recounted how he¡¯d even repeat his lines in his sleep, and once fell out of bed because his sleeping self thought he was on set. Amused as she was about how his dedication would bleed over into everything else, she was especially grateful for one part in particular - he¡¯d been worked too hard to drink, at all. Given a choice between alcohol and sleep, he consistently picked ¡°sleep,¡± because he was perpetually exhausted.

    At first, he¡¯d thought it wasn¡¯t as good as pursuing his music directly, but a number of things changed his mind. Long periods of intense, mind-shattering work, followed by long periods of leisure, suited his personality perfectly. It also had the benefit of keeping him in the public eye, meaning that he¡¯d always have an audience for his music. Additionally, since movies tended to always have music in them anyway, he was realizing the potential of writing songs to capture the emotions of different scenes.

    Once he¡¯d realized the benefits of getting involved in film, it turned his passion into a locomotive. Lou and Alice were beyond relieved at the results.

    It took a while for Slick and Alice to finish happily discussing the subject, and afterwards, Lou brought up the real reason for the visit.

    She first had to have a serious conversation with them regarding Aera¡¯s moral weirdness, considering the issue between Alice and Aera. Alice proved to be uncompromising, in more than one way. Not only was she flat out unwilling to reconsider her stance on Aera¡¯s status as ¡°nothing but a harlot,¡± she also couldn¡¯t emotionally handle heavy subject matters. Even bringing up the subject of how Aera might change the face of the world had Alice backing out, refusing to participate, or even listen.

    Slick, at least, was accepting - in a manner of speaking. He thought Aera was ¡°weird as hell,¡± but couldn¡¯t bring himself to care about trivialities. He expressed a preference to never think about or hear about Aera¡¯s relationship with sex ever again, which all parties thought was entirely reasonable.

    Lou brought up O¡¯Brien¡¯s point that this timeframe was the best opportunity to provide guidance for Aera, helping to shape her into something more reasonable. That the best way to do that was for them to be her friends, to talk to her about things, to listen, and to help her to understand what was really important.

    On more than one level, Alice was not up for this at all. Slick found the idea unnerving, but he couldn¡¯t deny its worth. He, like Lou, had long since realized how fortunate their world was that Aera valued kindness and generosity so much. Unsurprisingly, it had never even occurred to Alice.

    So, they agreed on their plan of action. Lou and Slick had the convenient excuse of Lou¡¯s first months on the job and Slick¡¯s movie for why they¡¯d not hung out with Aera for so long. They¡¯d go back to being her friends, almost like usual, and would use the looming threat of the war to drag Aera into discussions about morality and international conflicts. Friday was a perfect day to start, since getting together for his movie¡¯s opening night was a fantastic excuse.

    Then, once they felt she was ready, or when they got worried about Pash making his move, they¡¯d get her to talk to Pash. Her, and the rest of the group all together, to help make sure she didn¡¯t agree to anything stupid, or say something she shouldn¡¯t.

    ----------------------

    ¡°They didn¡¯t!¡± I exclaimed in horror, as Lou gave me an amused look. ¡°What happened next?¡±

    ¡°I had to pretend I¡¯d dodged all of the bullets,¡± Lou said, laughing. ¡°They were so confused! So confused that they couldn¡¯t even fight back properly, and I arrested every single one of them. I didn¡¯t even realize the mob had family in the BPD.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t imagine how they felt,¡± I said, giggling. ¡°Trying to jump you in secret, because you¡¯d put their family in prison, and then you just¡­ I don¡¯t even know. What could they have thought?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Lou said. ¡°I¡¯m just glad I got you to recharge and improve the enchantment right away, after the thing at the Councilor¡¯s trial. Even with the changes, those bullets started hurting after the tenth or so shot.¡±

    I shuddered.

    ¡°I wish you were more accepting of what I can do,¡± I said. ¡°It frightens me to think of what would have happened if they¡¯d used weapons that my enchantment wasn¡¯t prepared for.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Lou asked. ¡°I accepted the enchantment, I didn¡¯t reject it.¡±

    ¡°I mean, not learning magic yourself,¡± I said. ¡°I taught Slick and Liam, but you didn¡¯t want to learn.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a good point,¡± Slick said, frowning at his sister. ¡°I don¡¯t want you getting stabbed or beaten up.¡±

    ¡°Not everyone needs to learn magic,¡± Lou said, sighing and rubbing at her face.

    I wasn¡¯t sure what to say, so I just took a sip of apple juice. Ever since Lou and Slick started wanting to spend time with me again, Lou had cautioned me to never have alcohol near Slick, just in case it brought back old habits.

    ¡°But some people will,¡± Slick said, frowning. ¡°In a few years¡­ what¡¯s the BPD gonna do, if there¡¯s spellcasting criminals?¡±

    Lou groaned and looked at her apple juice like she resented it for being non alcoholic.

    ¡°You¡¯re not going to do that, are you?¡± Lou asked me. ¡°Teach people magic freely?¡±

    ¡°I hadn¡¯t really thought about it,¡± I said. ¡°I really have no idea what¡¯s going to happen when I¡¯m no longer hiding.¡±

    ¡°Y¡¯know, Pash only has a restraining order for a year,¡± Slick said, an odd look on his face. ¡°It¡¯s probably a good idea to figure out some plans, since there¡¯s not much time left.¡±

    ¡°I suppose that¡¯s true,¡± I said. ¡°I had entertained the thought, once, of making an Academy of Magic, and becoming a teacher. And then, when students become advanced enough to become teachers themselves, for me to ¡®retire¡¯ and become a groundskeeper, maintaining a beautiful array of greenery all around the Academy. It seemed a little fanciful, though.¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, yeah,¡± Lou said. ¡°Like the question of where you¡¯d even set up this Academy - people all over the world would want to go there, and it¡¯d become a huge international arguing point. You¡¯d want it here in the States, so America would benefit, of course, but wherever you put it, there¡¯d be fighting over it. Some countries might even want to invade and capture weaker spellcasters - like around Slick¡¯s strength, since he couldn¡¯t fight people off like you can.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­ not good,¡± I said, frowning.

    ¡°You¡¯re saying I could be a target, because of how weak I am?¡± Slick asked, wide eyed.

    ¡°A small army marches up to Aera, and she¡¯ll laugh at them,¡± Lou said. ¡°Same army walks up to you, Slick, and you¡¯ll be saying ¡®yes, sir,¡¯ in a new york minute. And then they could make you teach others.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t teach nobody,¡± Slick said.

    ¡°Maybe you can, maybe you can¡¯t,¡± Lou said, shrugging. ¡°But if they think you can, and they think they can catch you, then you¡¯re fucked.¡±

    The room was silent for a minute.

    ¡°I guess I shouldn¡¯t teach people, then?¡± I asked timidly.

    ¡°Not saying that,¡± Lou said with a sigh. ¡°See, if you don¡¯t teach people, then you¡¯ll be the sole target, assuming they don¡¯t find out about Slick or O¡¯Brien. And a lot of people would figure it¡¯s best to kill you outright, if you¡¯re too hard to capture.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± I said.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Lou said, taking a sip of her juice again.

    ¡°So what the hell is she supposed to do?¡± Slick asked, giving Lou a bewildered look.

    ¡°Why the hell do you think I would know?¡± Lou asked, rolling her eyes.

    ¡°Because you thought about this stuff,¡± Slick said. ¡°And because you¡¯re wicked smart.¡±

    ¡°I mostly keep noticing all the ways the entire world ends,¡± Lou said, scowling. ¡°You wonder why I¡¯ve been trying so damned hard to keep Aera a secret for five years now, despite the fact that she¡¯s not wanted to be a secret for a single day in all those years?¡±

    ¡°Wait, you realized these problems back then?¡± Slick asked.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t realize the issues that would come from her teaching magic, until she mentioned the idea of teaching you,¡± Lou said. ¡°But the rest of it - from the instant I saw those damned wings in the alley, my first thought was ¡®fuck¡¯ for a reason.¡±

    ¡°Those were your first thoughts?¡± I asked, surprised. ¡°That seems quite pessimistic.¡±

    ¡°Ha,¡± Lou said darkly. ¡°I always figured I was more of a realist than anything, but having worked in the BPD for five months, now I know I¡¯m a realist.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you see any good outcomes?¡± I asked, uneasy.

    ¡°Nope,¡± Lou said. ¡°Even if only one in a million want you dead, and the rest practically worship you¡­ that¡¯s still enough to make an army, just here in our own country. And I¡¯ve learned enough about magic that I could kill you myself, if I wanted - as knowledge about your strengths and weaknesses spreads, your time starts running out.¡±

    ¡°Then I must become stronger,¡± I said.

    ¡°Oh, great,¡± Lou said sarcastically. ¡°Let¡¯s solve the fundamental problem of one person having way too much god damned power by making them even more powerful.¡±

    ¡°So¡­ I shouldn¡¯t, then?¡± I asked awkwardly.

    ¡°I want to ask you something serious, Aera,¡± Lou said, giving me a piercing look that startled me. ¡°I want you to think about it before you answer.¡±

    ¡°Um, okay,¡± I said.

    ¡°Your parents had good intentions, and were still monsters anyway,¡± she said. ¡°How bad is it, when spellcasters don¡¯t have good intentions?¡±

    I swallowed.

    ¡°To be honest, Lou, you don¡¯t want to know,¡± I said quietly. ¡°I have never told anyone in this world of those stories, and I never intend to. I can only say that, even as pessimistic as you can be, Lou, I doubt your worst nightmares have even glimpsed the truth of it.¡±

    Slick looked pale, and Lou simply nodded, as though she¡¯d expected as much.

    ¡°So, here¡¯s the real question,¡± Lou said. ¡°You¡¯re sweet, but fact is, Aera, you haven¡¯t dealt with much shit yourself.¡±

    I nodded, unsure where she was going with this.

    ¡°What would have to happen, for you to go bad?¡± Lou asked, her gaze unwavering.

    I started to answer, and she cut me off.

    ¡°Not your first thought,¡± she said. ¡°Take a second. Think about it. Give me a real answer.¡±

    I looked down at my feet while I did as she asked. What would it take to make me evil?

    The room was silent for several minutes. Once, I would have felt awkward, but my time with Liam had accustomed me to contemplative silences.

    ¡°Fatigue,¡± I said, at last, a pang of fear deep in my heart. ¡°If I fight too long and too hard, trying to do the right thing, and surrender is easier¡­ I could possibly give in. Stop trying, stop thinking, stop caring, and just let myself follow orders.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± Lou said, looking relieved for some reason.

    ¡°Why is that good?¡± Slick asked, beating me to the punch.

    ¡°Because if she knows that, then she can do something about it,¡± Lou said, smiling. ¡°So, Aera, here¡¯s one of the plans you can never forget - you start getting exhausted from trying to do the right thing, you get the fuck out. Run, hide, pretend to be mundane, whatever it fucking takes. Because our world is not ready for how bad it can get, and no matter what the consequences are for you bailing early, it¡¯s still better than you going bad.¡±

    I nodded, immediately feeling the same relief that she¡¯d felt.

    ¡°I believe this means I should work on becoming stronger,¡± I said, and she nodded slowly. ¡°The more capable I am of doing good in the world, the easier it will be to avoid being overwhelmed.¡±

    ¡°I can accept that, but I want something from you,¡± Lou said.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± I asked, confused.

    ¡°The stronger you are, the more of a threat you are, if things go south,¡± she said. ¡°I want you to promise me to be damned careful, and not just with your magic. I want you to promise to take time on the regular, think yourself over, and fess up to yourself if you realize you¡¯re starting to go sour.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re afraid of me,¡± I said, startled at the realization.

    ¡°You just now realized that?¡± Lou said. ¡°I¡¯ve been scared shitless of what you represent since the day I met you. I¡¯ve been thanking whatever¡¯s up there that you¡¯re nice, and trying not to think about how bad it¡¯d have been if you weren¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve thought about this way more than I have,¡± Slick said, frowning.

    ¡°No shit,¡± Lou muttered under her breath.

    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t want you to fear what I can do,¡± I said, giving her a searching look.

    ¡°How many ways could you kill me, in the next five seconds?¡± Lou asked.

    I blinked, then looked away awkwardly.

    That list was rather sizeable.

    ¡°Thought so,¡± Lou said, taking another sip of her juice, while Slick fidgeted, clearly uncomfortable.

    ¡°That¡¯s why you don¡¯t want to learn magic?¡± I asked quietly. ¡°Because you wish it didn¡¯t exist?¡±

    ¡°Pretty much,¡± Lou said.

    ¡°But it does exist,¡± Slick said.

    Lou was quiet at that.

    ¡°Pretending it away ain¡¯t gonna do anything, Lou,¡± Slick said.

    Lou rubbed her forehead, in almost the exact same way Liam did.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how else to deal with it,¡± Lou said, her voice low. ¡°I¡¯ve just been trying to focus on what I can actually do, y¡¯know? Dealing with murderers, and druggies, and shit like that is way easier than thinking about what magic might do to the world.¡±

    ¡°Why now?¡± I asked. ¡°You¡¯ve avoided talking about it for years, and now I know why. But¡­ now you¡¯re talking about it.¡±

    ¡°Because our time is up,¡± Lou said, rubbing at her face. ¡°We¡¯ve got less than six months before Pash can go after you again, and odds are good it¡¯ll be a hell of a lot less time than that. O¡¯Brien made me face that fact.¡±

    ¡°He does that,¡± I said quietly.

    Lou gave me a desperate, searching look which pierced my heart.

    ¡°I just don¡¯t know what¡¯ll happen when he gets a hold of you,¡± Lou said, her voice quavering. ¡°I don¡¯t know what it¡¯ll mean for the world.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, either,¡± I said. ¡°But¡­ I¡¯ll have you two, and Liam, right? You¡¯ll help me?¡±

    Lou¡¯s face was drawn and Slick looked worried.

    ¡°Who knows,¡± Lou said darkly. ¡°We¡¯ll try, but it may not be an option. You may be completely on your own.¡±

    The room felt very cold.

    I found myself almost missing the loneliness I¡¯d felt, back when I was bored in the big house. Spending time with Lou and Slick wasn¡¯t as warm and carefree as it had been before. Maybe because Alice wasn¡¯t there, bringing her unending optimism and energy to the forefront.

    It seemed like all of our conversations turned heavy and painful at some point. I thought it must be the combination of Lou dealing with the same strains that had broken Liam¡¯s soul, with the increasingly depressing news of the war.

    The horrors of the battles at the Western Front were hard for even me to ignore. It had gotten to the point that I tried to avoid turning on the radio, because hearing about it made me sick to my stomach. Lou practically forced me to listen to wartime events, giving me a dirty look every time I tried to avoid it. But, to me, it seemed pointless. If I wasn¡¯t going to do anything about it, why torment myself with sympathy?

    But alas, I couldn¡¯t escape it, despite my efforts. Each week that passed, I grew more convinced that, surely, it couldn¡¯t get worse. But the German war machine seemed unstoppable, and the death toll - civilians and soldiers alike - was gut wrenching.

    On June 18th, the prime minister of Great Britain, Winston Churchill, gave a speech. Lou forced both Slick and I to sit down in the living room and listen to the entire thing. She¡¯d arranged to work a later shift, so we could be there for the start of the broadcast just before noon, our time.

    The entire speech was depressing. But the last of it shook me to the core.

    ¡°What General Weygand called the Battle of France is over. I expect that the Battle of Britain is about to begin. Upon this battle depends the survival of Christian civilization. Upon it depends our own British life, and the long continuity of our institutions and our Empire. The whole fury and might of the enemy must very soon be turned on us.

    ¡°Hitler knows that he will have to break us in this Island or lose the war. If we can stand up to him, all Europe may be free and the life of the world may move forward into broad, sunlit uplands. But if we fail, then the whole world, including the United States, including all that we have known and cared for, will sink into the abyss of a new Dark Age made more sinister, and perhaps more protracted, by the lights of perverted science.

    ¡°Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, ''This was their finest hour.''¡±

    ¡°This is it,¡± Lou said, breaking the silence after Churchill¡¯s speech, her face as anguished as I¡¯d ever seen it. ¡°He¡¯s all talking about how they¡¯re going to turn the war around, but¡­¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t think they¡¯ll stop the Germans,¡± Slick said.

    Lou looked like she wanted to cry.

    ¡°They¡¯re unstoppable,¡± Lou said, her eyes closed. ¡°All these battles, all these months, they¡¯re just not stopping. They bomb cities, killing god knows how many civilians. When London falls¡­¡±

    Slick went to sit next to his sister, and put a hand on her shoulder.

    ¡°It¡¯s time,¡± Lou said quietly, her voice shaking. ¡°O¡¯Brien knows Pash¡¯s number. We can¡¯t keep Aera away from this anymore. We¡¯re going to call him, we¡¯re going to talk, and we¡¯re going to come up with a plan.¡±

    ¡°You sure about this, Lou?¡± Slick asked.

    ¡°No,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m not sure about anything. But I do know that this cannot be allowed to go on, not if we can do something about it.¡±

    I went to her other side, mimicking Slick¡¯s position. I wanted to give her a hug, but I didn¡¯t know if I could.

    ¡°I will do what I must, Lou,¡± I said. ¡°And I promise you, no matter what happens, I will try to do the right thing. I won¡¯t let them break me.¡±

    She trembled at that, and a tear traced down her cheek. It was the first time I¡¯d ever seen her cry.

    I gave her a hug, then, and she accepted it freely.

    Time, at last, to see what tomorrow would hold.

 Ch. 27 - Voice

    I checked the mirror for the dozenth time. Nothing short of perfection would do, and so far as my eyes could see, I had achieved it.

    ¡°Would you get out of the bathroom, Aera?¡± Lou said from outside the door. ¡°How long could it possibly take to get your hair ready?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s more than my hair, Lou,¡± I said, frowning at what I thought might be a microscopic wrinkle. It was just a shadow.

    ¡°Just come downstairs already and get some tea,¡± she said. ¡°He¡¯ll be here any minute.¡±

    With that, she walked off.

    The color of my skin didn¡¯t look quite right under the lighting. I frowned again. Maybe I should adjust the downstairs lights to give off sunlight, or as close as made no difference. But I probably didn¡¯t have enough time for that.

    I sighed. Lou was right. Best to head downstairs and be ready, else I¡¯d risk looking rushed, and that simply would not do.

    After one last look over, I made my way to the living area. The others were there already, chatting and waiting. Liam gave me an extremely amused look as I walked in.

    ¡°What is it?¡± I asked. ¡°Is something wrong?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve kind of been thinking of you like royalty for some time,¡± he said. ¡°I never thought I¡¯d actually see you dress the part.¡±

    ¡°This is how your royalty dresses?¡± I asked, surprised.

    ¡°They wish,¡± Lou said with a laugh. ¡°Even before the war, I doubt Queen Elizabeth herself could get something that fancy.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m with Lou on this one,¡± Slick said. ¡°If we were out in the sunlight, I think I might go blind.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re making fun of my clothing?¡± I said, gaping.

    ¡°You look beautiful, Aera,¡± Liam said, trying not to laugh. ¡°I just don¡¯t think they could have imagined you could make something that looks as otherworldly as you do.¡±

    ¡°Well, this sort of style is from my world,¡± I said, glancing down at the scintillating hues of my dress.

    ¡°What¡¯s with all the jewelry, though?¡± Lou asked. ¡°You don¡¯t normally wear half as much as that.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a sign of power, among spellcasters,¡± I said, and dipped my head sheepishly. ¡°It¡¯s sort of a bluff, though, because normally, all of these pieces should be enchanted, whereas these aren¡¯t. But he can¡¯t tell the difference, anyway.¡±

    ¡°Why are you even making yourself a peacock?¡± Slick asked. ¡°It¡¯s not like Pash don¡¯t already know what you are.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m being honest with who I am and where I¡¯m from,¡± I said, shrugging. ¡°I¡¯m wearing normal, formal attire for meetings between figures of power. Why should I dress as though I¡¯m from here?¡±

    ¡°As good of a point as that may be,¡± Liam said, eyes bright with amusement, ¡°I just can¡¯t wait to see Pash¡¯s expression when he sees you.¡±

    ¡°Speak of the devil,¡± Lou said, looking out the window. ¡°I think he just pulled up.¡±

    As though a plug were pulled, the mirth drained from the room. Their reactions bothered me - yes, Pash was a bit unnerving, but his arrival was not some harbinger of doom. Was it?

    ¡°I¡¯ll let him in,¡± Liam said, getting to his feet.

    Lou looked pale and Slick was twitchy as Liam walked over to the door.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can help in this conversation,¡± Slick said. ¡°I¡¯m gonna go sit in the kitchen. I¡¯ll listen in, see if I can give some thoughts later.¡±

    ¡°You read like a book,¡± Lou said, smiling at her brother. ¡°Get out of here, and don¡¯t drink anything.¡±

    Slick gave her a tolerant look as he got up and headed to the kitchen.

    I tried to remember the etiquette lessons my parents had taught me. But it had never been a priority, because we¡¯d assumed I wouldn¡¯t be a significant figure in any major negotiations for decades, at least, and so I¡¯d have plenty of time to learn.

    One thing I did know, though. I wanted to make a clear impression that I was the one with power, not Pash, and that I was graciously accepting his assistance in my plans, not surrendering.

    Liam waited until Pash knocked on the door before opening it.

    ¡°Greetings again, Detective O¡¯Brien,¡± the voice came from past the door.

    Liam simply nodded, and stepped back, gesturing for Pash to come inside. I noticed that he positioned himself to easily watch Pash¡¯s face.

    Pash stepped in and a half second later his eyes met mine. He froze, blinking rapidly, for a long second.

    ¡°Never in my life have I seen such splendor,¡± he said. ¡°Aera Koryn, I am honored to meet you properly, at last.¡±

    ¡°Your admiration is appreciated, Lieutenant,¡± I said crisply. ¡°Come, sit, and let us speak.¡±

    Lou gave me an odd look, as though I was making her uncomfortable. Pash stepped in with his usual aura of authority, and sat down on the sofa. I stood next to a chair opposite him, and once Liam sat down, I finally took my seat.

    That encompassed pretty much all I remembered from the ettiquete lessons - first impressions, and the most powerful people sit last.

    Everyone was unnerving me. Pash looked at me as though he were consuming every last scrap of information attainable, from my expression, to body language, to clothing. Lou analyzed him with equal intensity. Liam was obviously honed in on Pash with mage sense, delicately applied to avoid detection.

    I supposed I could look at Pash¡¯s soul, but¡­ it felt wrong. Besides, I didn¡¯t need to, since Liam was on it. I¡¯d just focus on my own presentation, rather than trying to read the investigator.

    ¡°It is good for us to be able to speak openly,¡± Pash said, graciously accepting a cup of tea from Liam. ¡°May I ask what prompted you to decide to come forward?¡±

    ¡°I am not coming forward as of yet, Investigator,¡± I said. ¡°I have simply decided that it is time to make use of your knowledge and resources, to prepare the most advantageous plan for the future.¡±

    ¡°Advantageous to whom?¡± Pash asked.

    ¡°This world¡¯s future,¡± I said. ¡°I had intended to wait until the matter of Germany¡¯s advance was resolved, but it would appear that my influence may be required, for the benefit of mankind.¡±

    Pash couldn¡¯t see Lou¡¯s face from where she was sitting, and she pointedly rolled her eyes at me. I didn¡¯t know if she was laughing at me, or trying to tell me that my posturing was too obvious. Possibly both. Maybe best to tone it down a little.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure mankind will thank you,¡± Pash said, his tone a little dry. ¡°What is your vision for mankind¡¯s future?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t really know,¡± I admitted, and Pash raised an eyebrow. ¡°To be honest, that is a significant reason why I haven¡¯t come forward sooner. There are many forces at play in the world, and finding a fair and moral approach has proven challenging.¡±

    ¡°You have reason to believe that allying with America would not be the best course to that end?¡± he asked, striking me as incredibly cautious.

    Liam spoke up.

    ¡°There are reasons to be concerned about what the government might want to do with Aera, if they find her under their control,¡± he said.

    ¡°That would depend in great part on what it is she is capable of,¡± Pash said smoothly. ¡°Additionally, it would depend on what she intends to do.¡±

    I sighed.

    ¡°Lieutenant Pash, here is the simple truth,¡± I said. ¡°I am an artist - a sculptor of flowers.¡±

    He raised an eyebrow again.

    ¡°The truth is, I am not interested in combat, or in ruling the world,¡± I said dryly. ¡°I am not especially interested in politics at all, for that matter. I do understand that the uniqueness of my position gives me little choice in that.¡±

    ¡°You speak of the uniqueness of your position,¡± Pash said. ¡°Are you the only one with your ability?¡±

    ¡°I imagine so,¡± I said, sighing. ¡°I¡¯ve been in your world for five years, now. So far as I can tell, your people cannot use magic, without my help.¡±

    ¡°We can, with your help?¡± he asked, and Lou gave me a sharp look.

    ¡°Yes,¡± I said. ¡°I can create things, called enchantments, that store magic and can be used by others.¡±

    His eyes narrowed.

    ¡°If I may, was that how Officer Williams avoided injury, after Councilor Harrison¡¯s trial?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Lou said. ¡°Look, Lieutenant, you¡¯re asking a lot of questions here. We didn¡¯t call on you just to tell you everything she can do.¡±

    ¡°I meant no offense,¡± Pash said, with a charming smile. Liam¡¯s eye twitched. ¡°My curiosity got the better of me. I simply wish to establish what the aim of this conversation is, before I know what knowledge and assistance you require.¡±

    ¡°In the spirit of honest communication,¡± Liam said. ¡°What was your role in the Irish Mob¡¯s attack on Aera¡¯s home?¡±

    ¡°It was an unfortunate and hateful attack, which I do not condone in the least,¡± Pash said. ¡°Though I cannot deny that my role as an ¡®investigator¡¯ still applied, in that I took advantage of their hate to learn more about Ms. Koryn.¡±

    Liam frowned.

    ¡°Just a heads up, Pash,¡± Lou said. ¡°Don¡¯t try lying - we can see through any bullshit.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps so,¡± Pash said, and smiled at me. ¡°I am led to understand that one¡¯s intention plays a pivotal role in such things.¡±

    ¡°Wait,¡± I said, taken aback. ¡°How do you know that?¡±

    He looked amused, and said, ¡°Let us move on.¡±

    ¡°No, not moving on,¡± I said, leaning forward. ¡°I must know this, Investigator.¡±

    ¡°In time, perhaps,¡± he said.

    I frowned. Yet¡­ I couldn¡¯t. I just couldn¡¯t willingly use mage sense on him, without his permission, no matter what Liam said.

    ¡°Investigator,¡± I said. ¡°In my homeland, we can perceive the souls of others. It is considered standard to do so in negotiations, and it is considered rude to look without first asking. May I have your leave to perceive you?¡±

    Liam suppressed a sigh.

    ¡°Considering that I lack such an ability, it seems rather one sided,¡± Pash said.

    ¡°You imply that you know of how to block such perceptions,¡± I said. ¡°I could let you know if you do indeed have such ability.¡±

    ¡°Beyond the concern of it still being quite one sided,¡± he said, ¡°there is a further concern that you may possess the capability to break through what defenses I may have gained.¡±

    ¡°With respect, Investigator,¡± I said. ¡°Granting permission does not grant me additional power. Were I inclined to simply take what I wished from you, you have no means by which to stop me. You needn¡¯t worry about me breaking your defenses - I merely wish to look, not violate you. As far as it being one sided, perhaps I could offer some knowledge in exchange.¡±

    ¡°I am not presently interested in making trades of knowledge, Ms. Koryn,¡± he said. ¡°I believe it is in the best interest of all parties to make our intentions and positions clear, so that we can have a better understanding, moving forward.¡±

    The temptation to simply take what I wanted gnawed at me. I could hear Liam¡¯s justification and my father¡¯s beliefs in my mind. My jaw tensed, but I backed down. Lou¡¯s fear hurt me more than curiosity tempted me. I couldn¡¯t go bad. I wouldn¡¯t. To me, it felt wrong, even though my mind was unsure, and that was something which mattered.

    After a brief silence, Pash spoke again.

    ¡°To that end, if I may inquire what your intended position is,¡± he said with a questioning tone.

    I sighed.

    ¡°America has been kind to me,¡± I said. ¡°Despite the concerns of others with whom I have spoken, and personal displeasure at certain aspects of society, I am generally pleased with this country and its aims. Further, from what I have heard of Hitler¡¯s aims, it would seem that to favor life is to oppose him. I am not entirely loyal to America, nor am I convinced that the reports we hear about Germany are necessarily correct. As such, I am open to improved education. But if my knowledge is correct, then providing for Germany¡¯s defeat would appear to be the best course.¡±

    ¡°My position in the military grants me more information on the subject than is available to the American public,¡± Pash said. ¡°Allow me to assure you that the Fuhrer¡¯s regime is, in fact, worse than it appears.¡±

    ¡°Considering that I cannot see your soul, I see no reason to trust you,¡± I said.

    ¡°In this society, gaining trust is a key component of negotiations such as this,¡± he said.

    ¡°In my society, trust is established first, before all else,¡± I said.

    ¡°May I remind you, Ms. Koryn, that you are not in your world,¡± he said.

    ¡°May I remind you, Lieutenant Pash, that you have pursued this exchange with someone of my world,¡± I said.

    ¡°Do recall who called whom to set up this particular meeting,¡± he said.

    I frowned.

    ¡°I will permit this point to be dismissed for now,¡± I said, and his eyes glinted. ¡°The fundamental issue, however, remains. I know of no reason to trust you.¡±

    ¡°The standard approach of our world is to judge a man by his actions,¡± Pash said. ¡°You may note that I have respected the choices you have made, and have placed no undue pressure on you whatsoever.¡±

    ¡°Except for the Mob¡¯s assault on me,¡± I said, glaring at him.

    ¡°Why do you believe I was behind that attack?¡± he asked.

    ¡°It benefited you too much,¡± I said.

    ¡°The animosity of someone with as much power as you possess is hardly a benefit, Ms. Koryn,¡± he said dryly.

    ¡°Buddy said someone from the government paid them off,¡± I said.

    ¡°Someone from the government?¡± he asked, raising an eyebrow. ¡°Did he say what part of the government? Or why he believed they were from the government?¡±

    I frowned.

    ¡°And really, Ms. Koryn,¡± he went on, ¡°Those in my position would generally be both described, and recognized, as being from the military. Boot camp seems to have that effect on people.¡±

    ¡°So maybe you, personally, didn¡¯t set it up,¡± I said.

    ¡°Now you claim that I indirectly arranged for the Irish Mob, with whom you have had a previous, serious altercation, to attack the single most valuable resource ever found in America, based on a vague claim by the leader of said Mob, made under duress,¡± he said, raising an eyebrow. ¡°If I understand correctly. Did you examine his soul, to know if you could trust him?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I admitted.

    ¡°Then why do you believe him?¡± he asked.

    I frowned.

    ¡°So who did pay them off?¡± I asked.

    ¡°That, I¡¯m afraid, is not part of my investigation,¡± he said dryly.

    ¡°Someone murdered Buddy and that teenaged girl,¡± I said.

    ¡°Not you?¡± he asked, looking faintly relieved. ¡°That is encouraging.¡±

    I scowled at him.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t killed anyone,¡± I said.

    ¡°What of the thugs in the butcher shop?¡± he asked.

    ¡°The bullets reflected off of my defenses,¡± I said. ¡°I was too unprepared for the situation, and failed to prevent their deaths, but I did not kill them.¡±

    ¡°Interesting,¡± he said.

    Both Lou and Liam gave me an uncertain look.

    ¡°We¡¯ve gotten sidetracked,¡± I said, and he had a faint smile. ¡°The issue stands of why I should trust you.¡±

    ¡°I am not asking you to swear your loyalty to me, Ms. Koryn,¡± Pash said. ¡°We are simply exploring the possibility of cooperation. It is not asking for much trust to tentatively go along with what I am able to share, considering the care and respect I have shown towards you until now.¡±

    ¡°She had to get a restraining order on you,¡± Liam said.

    ¡°Was that her idea?¡± Pash asked. ¡°Or yours?¡±

    ¡°She didn¡¯t know what her options were,¡± Liam said.

    ¡°Perhaps more to the point,¡± Pash said. ¡°She never requested that I stop my investigation.¡±

    ¡°She obviously didn¡¯t want your investigation to continue,¡± Liam said. ¡°There¡¯s no point in playing ignorant.¡±

    ¡°Actually, Detective, she did not particularly make her interests clear,¡± Pash said, giving me a curious look. ¡°She did not flee, upon being discovered. She did not hide, and merely covered her tracks, while otherwise remaining in plain sight. She did not contact me to discuss, nor rejected me in any fashion, until the restraining order - which I heeded without hesitation.¡±

    ¡°They wouldn¡¯t let me do anything,¡± I said, and Lou gave me a sharp glare.

    ¡°They wouldn¡¯t let you?¡± Pash asked, giving me an intent look.

    ¡°She¡¯s got a funny way of looking at things sometimes,¡± Lou said.

    I sighed.

    ¡°I find myself reliant upon the expertise of others, when my knowledge is lacking,¡± I said.

    ¡°Curious,¡± Pash said. ¡°If I may, what would you have done upon noticing my investigation, had it not been for the input of others?¡±

    ¡°It is impossible to answer,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°I would have openly revealed myself five years ago, and you would have never been involved in the first place.¡±

    ¡°You did not wish to hide?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Never,¡± I said. ¡°I despise it as I despise little else.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I must add to their expertise,¡± Pash said. ¡°Revealing yourself is an extremely risky course of action, especially considering current events.¡±

    I felt like sagging into my seat. Lou¡¯s expression looked twisted, like she wasn¡¯t entirely sure how to feel about the fact that Pash was agreeing with her. Liam¡¯s face was stony and entirely unreadable.

    ¡°That isn¡¯t to say your talents must remain unused,¡± Pash said. ¡°While keeping you a secret from the Axis is of paramount importance, there are nonetheless ways by which you can change the course of this war.¡±

    ¡°What would you suggest?¡± I asked, feeling uneasily certain that I was somehow falling into a trap.

    ¡°My suggestion would be to make a careful, slow, cautious plan by which you are introduced to the US military, making your abilities and knowledge available with the aim of assisting America, and bringing down Germany and the Soviets,¡± he said.

    ¡°Via your direct influence, naturally,¡± I said.

    ¡°Of those you know, I am the most knowledgeable in regards to matters of military,¡± he said.

    This wasn¡¯t just familiar - this was one of the key lessons my parents had taught me about watching for influence. Making himself a critical feature of my future activity?

    ¡°I suspect I would be able to present my abilities in a convincing fashion to other members of the US government, if necessary,¡± I said, my tone cool. ¡°For instance, I could simply approach President Roosevelt himself, personally.¡±

    ¡°Do keep in mind that the US government has no policies in place to deal with someone of your skill set, nor do any of them have any experience with the matter,¡± he said. ¡°The odds are, anyone that you approached would feel overwhelmed and out of their element, leading to a high likelihood of regarding you as a threat. This could severely delay your plans, and otherwise cause undesirable complications.¡±

    ¡°I find it very concerning that you feel the need to insert yourself, personally, into my future affairs,¡± I said, giving up on subtlety.

    ¡°A side effect, rather than my intention,¡± he said. ¡°The simple truth is, even with my connections, persuading others of your abilities in a non threatening way would take a great deal of work. Attempting to ensure that this knowledge doesn¡¯t cause inadvertent disaster, from someone misjudging the situation out of naivete or fear, requires a great deal of subtlety. I would imagine that the best suited of those you know, aside from myself, would be Lieutenant Detective O¡¯Brien.¡±

    Liam frowned at that.

    ¡°I also would imagine,¡± Pash went on, ¡°that the good detective would rather not get tangled up in the military, especially considering recent problems with the police department.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t tell if he wanted to be involved, or if it really was the natural, obvious choice. My parents hadn¡¯t given me any insight into how to know the difference, without looking at his soul.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think Aera should be pressured into making any decisions at this particular moment,¡± Liam said. ¡°We have time to consider our options.¡±

    ¡°Time is an interesting resource,¡± Pash said, giving me a small smile. ¡°With it, decisions are made, people are killed, and nations are changed.¡±

    He¡¯s threatening me with guilt over the deaths in Europe if I delay, I thought to myself. Only¡­ he¡¯s kind of right. Isn¡¯t he?

    ¡°Don¡¯t even go there,¡± Lou said, giving Pash a dark look. ¡°Hitler¡¯s murdering spree is not Aera¡¯s fault - not now or ever. If she¡¯s willing to help out, that¡¯s her generosity, not her obligation.¡±

    ¡°Are we not all expected to do our part, for humanity?¡± Pash asked. ¡°The intelligent, to create. The hard working, to build. The wise, to lead.¡±

    ¡°The snakes, to shove it up their asses and stop manipulating good people,¡± Lou said.

    Liam desperately tried not to laugh, and while he successfully kept his face straight, he did turn a little red from the effort.

    ¡°Your dedication to protecting your liege is charming,¡± Pash said.

    ¡°She¡¯s not my liege,¡± Lou said, bristling.

    ¡°If you say so,¡± Pash said, then gave me a small smile again. ¡°I commend you for your acquisition of such a remarkable degree of dedication.¡±

    ¡°They are not dedicated to me,¡± I said.

    ¡°An interesting statement, considering what I¡¯ve uncovered,¡± he said. ¡°Unyielding, unbreakable loyalty is an unusual thing to gain, by conventional means.¡±

    ¡°Just because you¡¯re a snake who can¡¯t figure out how to make friends without bribing them doesn¡¯t mean decent people don¡¯t exist,¡± Lou said.

    Pash simply smiled.

    ¡°Since we are on the topic of unusual connections,¡± Pash said. ¡°Perhaps you might be able to help me understand an interesting bit of intelligence the military has gained from German communications networks.¡±

    I blinked in confusion, and Lou looked uneasy.

    ¡°What would that be?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Might you know why it is they are looking for someone by the name of Aera Koryn, who precisely matches your description?¡± he asked.

    ¡°They are?¡± I asked.

    ¡°It is unclear what they know about you,¡± he said. ¡°But from what we can gather, they¡¯ve been looking for you for at least a year.¡±

    ¡°Did they find out about magic, and are seeking me out that way?¡± I asked, uneasy.

    ¡°According to the intelligence reports, they don¡¯t know what country they will find you in,¡± he said. ¡°If they had discovered you via spying on America, one would expect they could narrow their search.¡±

    ¡°Other than my name and appearance, what are they looking for?¡± I asked.

    ¡°The communications simply indicate your name, your appearance, and to not attempt to capture you, or reveal themselves to you by any means,¡± he said. ¡°They are simply to pass along the message of your location with utmost haste.¡±

    I just stared at him in utter confusion. He patiently waited for my brain to attempt to catch up with what he was saying.

    ¡°When did you find out about this?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Late April,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s the reason I came back to Boston, and was willing to risk pushing the investigation with you again.¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯d mentioned this detail then, we¡¯d have talked sooner,¡± Liam said, giving Pash a dangerous look.

    ¡°If Ms. Koryn had given any indication of being willing to discuss such matters, I would have been more than willing to provide relevant intelligence,¡± Pash said.

    ¡°This is maddening,¡± I said, rubbing at my forehead, half tempted to pull out my own hair. ¡°I am tired of these games! From the start, I have wanted simple, straightforward, honest communication, with nothing held back, and for reasons of ¡®caution¡¯ and ¡®fear,¡¯ some exceedingly interesting information has been denied to me.¡±

    ¡°If that has been your desire, Ms. Koryn, you may wish to rethink your assessment of the expertise of those you have worked with to date,¡± Pash said.

    Both Liam and Lou were not happy with this line of discussion.

    ¡°What¡¯s done is done,¡± Liam said. ¡°Right now, figuring out what Germany knows about Aera is our biggest concern.¡±

    ¡°Indeed,¡± Pash said, his gaze meeting mine again. ¡°Of all the global concerns, the Jewish Witch¡¯s involvement is clearly the biggest.¡±

    ¡°I am not Jewish,¡± I said, giving Pash a dark look. ¡°Nor do I like the term ¡®witch.¡¯¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Pash said. ¡°What term do you favor?¡±

    ¡°I like ¡®sorcerer,¡¯¡± I said.

    ¡°Sorcerer, then,¡± he said. ¡°Again, it is interesting, the degree of loyalty the sorcerer has attained, even from one who has otherwise demonstrated more concern for the welfare of others, such as the nations actively being razed by the Axis forces.¡±

    ¡°You are implying an accusation that I have used mind altering magic on my companions to bind them in loyalty to me,¡± I said.

    ¡°Is that possible?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yes, but I would never do that!¡± I said.

    Lou actually flinched and I gave her a confused look.

    ¡°Nice reveal, Aera,¡± Lou said darkly, and Pash actually chuckled.

    ¡°The revelation of the existence of mind magic?¡± I said, still confused.

    ¡°It is useful information,¡± Pash said.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have hesitated to reveal that, even if you¡¯d asked directly,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t understand the problem.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s worried about you using mind control, Aera, obviously,¡± Lou said.

    ¡°His worry is irrelevant,¡± I said, rolling my eyes. ¡°If I wanted to, I would do so, and no one could stop me. I don¡¯t intend to.¡±

    ¡°But you might be persuaded, under unfortunate circumstances,¡± Pash said. ¡°Knowing you have the capability is significant.¡±

    I shrugged.

    ¡°In any applicable sense, I don¡¯t,¡± I said. ¡°I am quite unskilled at mind magic. It¡¯s theoretically possible, but it would take a great deal of practice before I could be considered a threat in that specific regard.¡±

    ¡°Would you stop doing that, Aera?¡± Lou asked.

    ¡°Doing what?¡± I asked.

    ¡°In a game like this,¡± she said, her jaw tense, ¡°the person who gives the least information wins.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to play any stupid games,¡± I said. ¡°I am tired of caution. I am ready to do something.¡±

    ¡°I can assist you with this, Ms. Koryn,¡± Pash said.

    ¡°Oh, no,¡± Lou said. ¡°You are not dragging her into something without it being damned clear what she¡¯s getting into.¡±

    ¡°Her choices are her own, are they not?¡± Pash said.

    ¡°He has a point, Lou,¡± I said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you even get into this,¡± Lou said to me, and then looked at Pash. ¡°Back on the topic of Germany looking for Aera. What is going on with that?¡±

    ¡°The information we have is limited,¡± Pash said. ¡°It would be easier to find more, if we knew what we were looking for.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re asking what possible categories of people might be searching for me,¡± I said.

    ¡°That would be useful, yes,¡± he said.

    ¡°No,¡± Lou said, giving me a dark look again. ¡°Aera, for god¡¯s sake, at least get him to agree to give you something if you¡¯re going to answer that.¡±

    I sighed.

    ¡°Lieutenant Pash,¡± I said. ¡°I do understand that your position is challenging. You are dealing with someone of previously undiscovered capabilities, with exceedingly limited means beyond the most paltry imaginable - my words - to understand my abilities, motivations, and limits. To whatever ends you have, I understand that knowledge must be one of the few holds you have over me, and you intend to protect that resource.¡±

    He simply smiled.

    ¡°That being said,¡± I went on, ¡°I should ask, even if in nothing else, that you be willing to speak openly and freely on the matter of Germany¡¯s pursuit of me, and I would agree to do the same, so that we may have some degree of cooperation.¡±

    ¡°I will agree to that,¡± he said.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said. ¡°As far as who would be looking for me, there are a few ideas that come to mind.¡±

    He looked very interested, and Lou looked very uncomfortable.

    ¡°The most obvious, and unfortunately most unlikely, is my family,¡± I said.

    ¡°Your family?¡± he said.

    I nodded.

    ¡°I came here by way of an accidental discharge with a device my parents were constructing, in hopes of learning how to bridge between worlds,¡± I said. ¡°In a sense, my arrival here, alive, is proof of their brilliance and success, however problematic the results. I imagine that they would have attempted to find me.¡±

    ¡°So you believe the ones looking for you might be your family?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Unfortunately, while they¡¯re the only ones that I know want to find me, I cannot imagine how it could be them,¡± I said. ¡°My parents are powerful enough that if either of them were here, the world would be ruled by them in short order. If either of my brothers were here, they would be less powerful than I am, but I can¡¯t imagine why they¡¯d be working in cooperation with any nation at all, let alone Germany. If they sought me, they¡¯d do so on their own.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± he said. ¡°And your other speculations?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know the full details of the explosion,¡± I said. ¡°Another possibility is that a random spellcaster or bit of magical equipment came through the portal, and arrived in or near Germany.¡±

    ¡°What would your expected results of that be?¡± he asked.

    ¡°A spellcaster¡­¡± I shook my head. ¡°The possibilities are too varied by far to predict. How one would be capable of finding out my name and description, but not able to even narrow down which continent I¡¯m on, is presumably possible, but staggering. I suppose a theoretical way is if one made a spell specifically designed to provide visions of another spellcaster, they found me, but don¡¯t know how to track me down more conventionally.¡±

    ¡°Such a spell is possible?¡± Pash asked.

    ¡°I imagine so,¡± I said dubiously. ¡°It is firmly within areas of magic that I am unskilled in, but I guess it¡¯s possible. I don¡¯t see how someone could have such a thing and not be able to figure out what continent I¡¯m on, though.¡±

    ¡°And the idea of magical equipment?¡± he asked.

    ¡°When I arrived here, I arrived absolutely naked,¡± I said. ¡°All of my clothing and enchantments were gone. If they¡¯d simply arrived elsewhere - such as on the opposite side of the Earth - that could be a possibility, I suppose, though it likewise seems a stretch.¡±

    ¡°What could people do with what you had on you, at the time?¡± he asked.

    ¡°A great deal,¡± I said. ¡°I had numerous protections that my father had crafted. Perhaps, by exposure to enchantments, they managed to gain magic themselves, or reverse engineer it, or something¡­¡±

    ¡°Enchantments can provide people the ability to use magic themselves?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Not to my knowledge,¡± I said. ¡°But I¡¯ve not tested it, so who knows? I can say that it has the same flaw as the lone spellcaster - by what madness have they managed to know my name and description, but have no idea even what direction I¡¯m in?¡±

    ¡°Do you believe there may be some means by which the Germans know of you, that does not involve magic directly?¡± Pash asked.

    ¡°Not that I can imagine,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ve been incredibly passive for these five years - you know all there is to know of my actions, I imagine, so if I¡¯ve done something to draw their attention personally, you would know best of us all. If something nonmagical came through, like a book, that doesn¡¯t really answer it either. We spoke a different language, so texts would be challenging to translate, and even if they were, they¡¯d seem gibberish, talking about magic or beasts - and what would even have my name and description, but not the name and description of anyone else in the family? Why would they look for me, specifically, based on some random book?¡±

    He nodded.

    ¡°I just don¡¯t understand it,¡± I said, shaking my head. ¡°It must be magic, somehow¡­ but how? Who?¡±

    ¡°If it is magic, do you believe you might be able to trace it?¡± he asked.

    My face tightened.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ a long distance away from here,¡± I said.

    ¡°It is,¡± he said dryly.

    ¡°If I went there¡­¡± I said.

    ¡°That is not happening,¡± Lou said. ¡°Flat out.¡±

    ¡°I believe your knight is correct,¡± Pash said, making Lou scowl again. ¡°Going into an enemy country at war is dangerous under the best of circumstances, and if they have some unknown access to magic, that complicates the matter. Is it possible to search from here?¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± I hesitated. ¡°P-probably? Maybe? I¡­ look, I haven¡¯t any idea how to do that, other than the vague theory. I¡¯d need to invent the spell from scratch¡­ and then have it function clear across the planet. Even from London, that would be challenging, but from here?¡±

    ¡°How long would such a process take?¡± Pash asked.

    ¡°At¡­ least a month,¡± I said. ¡°If I¡¯m being quite optimistic.¡±

    He nodded again.

    ¡°If the Germans do have the ability to use magic, how dangerous would you estimate that to be, with and without your aid?¡± he asked.

    I sighed and fiddled with the end of my braid.

    ¡°Spellcasters have such a range of ability,¡± I said. ¡°We can rule out the extremely powerful - there¡¯s no way that a powerful spellcaster would ever need the cooperation of a nation of mundanes. The most power they could possibly have is someone middling, like myself.¡±

    He nodded.

    ¡°If they have a single person of mediocre power, or several weak ones, they could do exceedingly useful things, but of limited effect,¡± I said. ¡°For instance, I could destroy an entire city, but not all at once. I¡¯d need to either gather and store power for perhaps a month or two, and release it all at once. Or slowly destroy it myself over the same stretch of time. A team of ten spellcasters of my strength could wipe out a city each week. But if they did that, they could do absolutely nothing else.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± he said. ¡°The power you have is extremely versatile, but cannot be replicated or expanded.¡±

    ¡°Correct,¡± I said.

    ¡°And could you oppose such spellcasters?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Again, with the same limited constraints,¡± I said. ¡°I could create offensive enchantments, pouring in all of my strength to do so, and those offensive enchantments could break their defenses. That, of course, leaves us undefended. I could instead create defensive enchantments, but conversely, it leaves us unable to properly penetrate whatever they¡¯ve developed. I could do both, but each side could be insufficient for the task. It tends to boil down to a match of raw power, leveraged by efficiency of application.¡±

    ¡°As well as tactics in the use of that power, I imagine,¡± Pash said.

    ¡°I suppose,¡± I said. ¡°I know nothing about that sort of thing, though.¡±

    ¡°What about direct confrontation - you against them?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I have been trained in combat, but primarily as a means of surviving the monsters that inhabit our world,¡± I said. ¡°My general approach to opposing other spellcasters is to openly reveal the power I have - if I¡¯m significantly more powerful than they are, most likely, they¡¯ll surrender immediately. If they don¡¯t falter, but don¡¯t reveal themselves, I am to push to know their strength. If I see that they are more powerful than I am, I should immediately surrender.¡±

    ¡°That is all there is to it?¡± he asked, surprised.

    I shrugged.

    ¡°Again, I¡¯m not focused on combat,¡± I said. ¡°The only conflict I would have with another spellcaster is if they intend to kill me for some reason, or capture me for political or enslavement purposes. If I am overpowered, it¡¯s best to let myself be captured, since I cannot fight someone who is stronger than I am. Were I trained in combat against other spellcasters, it would be different. I do know there are ways to best casters who wield more power. I, for instance, could be defeated by a skilled combat mage that is weaker than I am.¡±

    ¡°Congratulations on a shit ton of information, Pash,¡± Lou said. ¡°Your turn.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that I do not presently have much more information on the topic,¡± he said. ¡°However, the information that Ms. Koryn has provided will be useful in further surveillance of Germany. If I can persuade military officials of the existence of magic - a task for which Ms. Koryn would be invaluable - then America can focus its search.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me,¡± Lou said. ¡°All that, and you¡¯ve got nothing to give us?¡±

    ¡°Not quite nothing,¡± Pash said. ¡°Further details include that there are no pictures of Ms. Koryn - merely a drawing. I have examined one such piece of paper acquired from a fallen German soldier.¡±

    ¡°Can we have it?¡± I asked.

    ¡°That would be challenging to do, without revealing your ability to the military,¡± Pash said. ¡°Should you be willing to do so, I imagine it would be easy to arrange, within a few weeks at most.¡±

    ¡°Is it exactly like her?¡± Lou asked. ¡°Or is something different?¡±

    ¡°It appears hand drawn by pen, then copied by some means, such as by a press,¡± he said. ¡°Lacking color or complexity of shading, it cannot capture full detail. However, as a sketch, it is nearly perfect, suggesting both perfect clarity of vision and an excellent artist.¡±

    ¡°Are there other signs of magic use in the German forces?¡± I asked.

    ¡°That is unclear,¡± he said. ¡°None of the Allied forces would have any idea what they¡¯re looking for, or how to report it. The Germans do have superior technology on a variety of fronts, but our intelligence does not have the ability to distinguish between ordinary technological developments and magical influence, without your assistance.¡±

    ¡°That makes sense,¡± I said, nodding slowly.

    ¡°You are likely the only person in the world who can prepare the Allied forces for dealing with such a threat,¡± Pash said.

    ¡°Hold it right there,¡± Lou said. ¡°You¡¯re doing that ¡®persuading Aera to join you¡¯ thing again.¡±

    ¡°Lou, he¡¯s right,¡± I said. ¡°I cannot simply stand by, if they are up against magic.¡±

    ¡°Yes, you can,¡± Lou said. ¡°Forever? No. But for a little while, to figure out what you want to do, with time to think? You can do that.¡±

    ¡°They are dying now,¡± I said. ¡°He can bring me to the military. We can find a way to use my abilities.¡±

    ¡°Not that I¡¯m all into selfishness,¡± Lou said. ¡°But you gotta remember your own life in this, plus what comes after. The military will want to suck you dry, and use you to make all sorts of things. You don¡¯t want our world to become like yours, remember?¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡± I said.

    ¡°No buts,¡± Lou said. ¡°You¡¯re not agreeing to anything right now.¡±

    ¡°With all due respect, Ms. Williams,¡± Pash started to say.

    ¡°Ain¡¯t going to work on me,¡± Lou said.

    His smile tightened.

    ¡°The extent of effect that I can have, without proof of Ms. Koryn¡¯s ability, is limited,¡± he said. ¡°I am a Lieutenant and an investigator, not a General. I can speak to virtually anyone in the US government, if needed, but that does not mean I can quickly and decisively arm this country against a type of foe that it is not ready to acknowledge even exists.¡±

    ¡°That makes sense, Lou,¡± I said.

    ¡°Persuading you to serve the military however he wants does make sense, I agree,¡± Lou said. ¡°For his aims. Which are what, exactly?¡±

    ¡°I am loyal to the United States of America,¡± he said. ¡°I would not see Hitler as ruler of the Earth.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± she said. ¡°Your accent is decidedly Russian.¡±

    ¡°You may recall the numerous immigrants of which this good country is composed,¡± he said dryly. ¡°Might I also point out that there are many exceptionally good reasons for those who have lived in Russia to be disinterested in Russia¡¯s ultimate victory.¡±

    ¡°You do too good of a job giving good answers,¡± she said. ¡°I don¡¯t trust that.¡±

    ¡°The trust issues displayed are understandable, under the circumstances,¡± Pash said, and Lou scowled again.

    ¡°That solid of an answer, that quickly?¡± she asked. ¡°You¡¯re very fast to respond to what should have been offensive.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid, Ms. Williams, that you are not the first person to question my loyalties,¡± he said.

    ¡°He¡¯s doing it again,¡± Lou said to me. ¡°See what I mean?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s intelligent,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t see the issue.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± Lou said with a sigh, and then looked at Pash. ¡°Thanks for coming over, this conversation is done.¡±

    ¡°I do believe that Ms. Kor -¡± Pash began.

    ¡°Nope,¡± Lou said. ¡°Out. We¡¯ll be in touch.¡±

    ¡°But -¡± I said.

    ¡°Ms. Williams,¡± Pash said, turning his smile on her.

    ¡°My name is on the house¡¯s title,¡± Lou said. ¡°And I have a badge. You want to play this game?¡±

    ¡°Very well, Ms. Williams,¡± he said, getting to his feet. ¡°Thank you for your hospitality.¡±

    ¡°Do you see it now, Aera?¡± she asked.

    ¡°No?¡± I said.

    ¡°For fuck¡¯s sake,¡± she said.

    Pash gave her a vaguely tolerant smile, then returned his attention to me.

    ¡°I hope to see a good future for all the world, Ms. Koryn,¡± he said. ¡°I do hope that the suspicions of your compatriots do not dissuade you from doing what you know to be the correct course of action.¡±

    ¡°I should not have let you talk again,¡± Lou said, starting to use her physical presence to coerce Pash¡¯s movement. ¡°Out. Now. Bye, Lieutenant.¡±

    With that, Lieutenant Pash was unceremoniously herded out of the house.

    ¡°That was interesting,¡± I said cautiously, as soon as the door closed.

    ¡°We got almost nothing from him,¡± Lou said, glaring at me.

    ¡°We found out that he wasn¡¯t behind the mob attack,¡± I said. ¡°That¡¯s helpful.¡±

    ¡°Actually, Aera,¡± Liam said. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure he¡¯s lying about that.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± I said. ¡°You saw that in his soul?¡±

    Slick came out of the kitchen, looking uneasy, but didn¡¯t say anything.

    ¡°Not exactly,¡± Liam said. ¡°All I could see without breaking through was that he was very intent on you believing that he had nothing to do with it.¡±

    ¡°But that doesn¡¯t make him guilty,¡± I said.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t make him innocent, either,¡± he said.

    ¡°He didn¡¯t ever completely deny it,¡± Lou said.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad you caught that, too,¡± Liam said, smiling at Lou.

    ¡°I figure it¡¯s because he couldn¡¯t tell if we could catch explicit lies,¡± Lou said.

    ¡°Probably,¡± Liam said. ¡°It was hard to get a good read on him, especially since Aera made it problematic to try breaking through his resistance.¡±

    ¡°Did you get anything else?¡± Lou asked.

    ¡°The German intelligence was interesting,¡± Liam said. ¡°I got the clear impression he only revealed it because he hoped he¡¯d get more from Aera by doing so.¡±

    ¡°Fucking worked, too,¡± Lou grumbled. ¡°I think that part was legit, at least.¡±

    Liam nodded.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if he knows more about it than he let on,¡± he said. ¡°He¡¯s not quite airtight, but isn¡¯t far from it.¡±

    ¡°Creepy bastard,¡± Lou said. ¡°What do you think he wants with Aera?¡±

    ¡°I think she¡¯s a useful tool to him,¡± he said, frowning. ¡°Maybe for military advancement, maybe because he thinks she¡¯d be useful for winning, and he wants to be on the winning side?¡±

    ¡°You think he¡¯d turn if he realized he was on the losing side?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I get that impression,¡± Liam said.

    ¡°Same,¡± Lou said. ¡°But I wasn¡¯t too sure.¡±

    ¡°Me, too, and I wasn¡¯t even in the room,¡± Slick chimed in. ¡°But that¡¯s mostly because he seems slimey.¡±

    ¡°Wait, please,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t understand - how could you get an impression like that without looking at his soul?¡±

    ¡°The way he spoke,¡± Lou said. ¡°The way he looked at you. The way he seemed to revolve around you, like your opinion was the only thing in the entire damned world that made any difference. I insulted him, outright, and what did he do? Exactly what you would think was most admirable.¡±

    ¡°But how would he know what I thought was most admirable?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I dunno,¡± Lou said sarcastically. ¡°Maybe because he¡¯s been investigating you, and because you¡¯re easier to read than my damned brother?¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡± Slick protested, which Lou ignored.

    ¡°You think he can¡¯t be trusted,¡± I said.

    ¡°Hell no,¡± Lou said, at the same time that Liam said, ¡°I don¡¯t believe so.¡±

    ¡°Is¡­ he an enemy, then?¡± I asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that simple,¡± Liam said. ¡°The only thing I feel confident in saying is that he prioritizes his own aims, and that I believe he had something to do with the Mob attack on your house. The thing is, if his aims are compatible with ours, he could be possible to work with.¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯d be better to find someone else,¡± Lou said. ¡°Can¡¯t be that hard, especially if O¡¯Brien gives ¡®em a look over for someone with a good heart.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t just go into a military base and start examining people,¡± Liam said. ¡°As closed off as Pash is, he may be our best resource. Worse, if we try a different angle, we might alienate him and make an enemy of him.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re saying we should do what he says?¡± Lou said, disbelieving.

    ¡°Not at all,¡± Liam said. ¡°I think the best course of action is for Aera to try to figure out a way to track down whatever¡¯s going on in Germany. In the meantime, I¡¯ll keep up with Pash, and put pressure on him to get us more information on that subject. Depending on how successful Aera¡¯s efforts are, and how cooperative Pash is, we¡¯ll be better informed for making decisions.¡±

    ¡°That sounds good,¡± Lou said, nodding.

    ¡°Um,¡± I said. ¡°Did you miss the part where I have absolutely no idea how to do that?¡±

    ¡°I caught that,¡± Liam said, smirking at me. ¡°But you might pull it off in a month?¡±

    ¡°If I¡¯m very lucky!¡± I said. ¡°It is Aeros magic! And the planet is very large.¡±

    ¡°You can try to make the spell, then,¡± Liam said. ¡°And if you¡¯re successful, but the only problem is range, then we can look at the possibility of getting you close enough, safely, to find out what¡¯s going on, depending on what range you manage.¡±

    ¡°I believe you are underestimating how difficult this task is,¡± I said.

    ¡°Aera, we¡¯re talking about you taking some time to make a spell, in the safety of your own home,¡± Liam said. ¡°Whether or not you can succeed isn¡¯t the biggest issue here. It gives us an excuse to take the time to get more information, if nothing else.¡±

    ¡°People are dying,¡± I said.

    ¡°They¡¯re dying here, too,¡± Lou said.

    ¡°I want to save them, too,¡± I said, scowling at her.

    ¡°You can¡¯t save everyone,¡± Liam said, giving me a knowing look, and I frowned.

    ¡°I know that,¡± I said. ¡°But I am supposed to at least try to do my best. Trying to invent a nonsense spell that will likely consume all of my time, and I will probably fail at since I don¡¯t really know the basics behind it and have no resources to draw on, and will probably provide limited use even if it does work, is not doing my best.¡±

    ¡°Being Pash¡¯s pet isn¡¯t doing your best, either,¡± Lou said. ¡°He¡¯s shown that he can play you like a god damned violin.¡±

    ¡°I have been trained in how to deal with things like that!¡± I said. ¡°I will not be his pet!¡±

    ¡°Aera,¡± Liam said. ¡°I think you¡¯ve learned just enough to overestimate your ability to handle these things. Pash knows how to play power games, too, and he¡¯s significantly more experienced at it.¡±

    ¡°There is a difference between being charmed by a person, and being made their pet,¡± I said.

    ¡°Not that big of a difference,¡± Lou said.

    ¡°And he¡¯s not good enough to fool you two,¡± I said. ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean something?¡±

    ¡°Nope,¡± Lou said. ¡°He wasn¡¯t ¡®aiming¡¯ at us. You scared the ever loving shit out of him. If you weren¡¯t a spellcaster, I bet he¡¯d have managed to play us all for fools.¡±

    Liam coughed.

    ¡°Boss man excluded, of course,¡± Lou said, as though she¡¯d planned on saying that in the first place.

    Liam gave her a thoroughly amused grin, which she also ignored.

    At least, mostly. I caught a little sparkle in her eye. She was having fun with him.

    It warmed my heart to see. It was good to see her playing around, even if the means of doing so were strange.

    ¡°Whose pet am I to be, then?¡± I asked. ¡°I feel like I get no say in what happens at all.¡±

    ¡°Of course you get a say,¡± Liam said. ¡°What¡¯s your suggestion?¡±

    I scowled at him, and Slick tried not to openly snigger at me.

    ¡°These things take time!¡± I protested.

    ¡°Exactly the point,¡± Lou said. ¡°Take your time. Invent the spell thing, or don¡¯t. In the meantime, O¡¯Brien can see if he can squeeze something out of Pash.¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± I grumbled, wanting to kick something. Very violently, too. Maybe even hard enough to bruise my foot.

    ¡°One way or another, we need to find out what Germany¡¯s up to, with Aera,¡± Liam said. ¡°And no matter what, we cannot risk them finding out where she is.¡±

    ¡°If they have magic, and the ability to research more spells, then finding me is inevitable,¡± I said.

    ¡°Which simply means that we need more information, and quickly,¡± Liam said.

    ¡°I cannot get information from Germany quickly,¡± I said. ¡°Once again, let me point out: the planet? It is very large.¡±

    ¡°But American spies can,¡± Lou said. ¡°O¡¯Brien will take that angle. Aera, you know magic best - if this spying across the planet thing is too much for you, then you figure out a better idea.¡±

    ¡°You¡­ this¡­ this is madness!¡± I said.

    ¡°What exactly are you expecting the military to do?¡± Lou asked. ¡°Tell you to make them flowers? It¡¯s going to be difficult, one way or another.¡±

    ¡°And they¡¯ll be leaning on your expertise on the matter,¡± Liam said. ¡°Being ready to address exactly what you can and can¡¯t do with magic, without revealing enough to put America in danger from overzealous military men, is something you need to work on regardless.¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m going downstairs. I will work on¡­ something.¡±

    Liam¡¯s smile was strained, but understanding. I did not feel especially friendly. I turned and left.

    Time to try to do what I¡¯d decided I would never do, from childhood - research new magic.

 Ch. 28 - Discovery

    This was ridiculous.

    I stared sullenly at the little model of Boston I¡¯d built. It was a terrible model. I made it out of wood, and someone might say it vaguely resembled a map of the city - if someone was generous, and possibly also the parent of a young child.

    I was attempting to get a spell to let me know where some enchantments I¡¯d hidden throughout the city were located. I¡¯d successfully found enchantments in my own house, which wasn¡¯t saying much, since I could do that with mage sense from the time I was three years old. Trying to use a spell to manage it outside the range of my mage sense, though¡­

    I kicked the model of the city. A piece broke off. I kicked the piece. I stared at the notes I¡¯d made for how to track the stupid enchantments - which were enchanted to broadcast a tracking signal, no less. The notes looked all sensible, organized, and perfectly valid.

    Which meant my understanding of the subject was off in some fashion. Or my thinking was off. Or¡­ my emotions. That was always a real possibility. I wasn¡¯t sure if pent up frustration was necessarily the most compatible emotion to track things.

    Or maybe I just was terrible with Aeros, and was simply outright failing to make it do what it was supposed to do. That was a possibility, too.

    I kicked the model again.

    Or maybe I was perfectly okay with Aeros, but this sort of tracking took a type of skill other than I anticipated. Or maybe I was missing some key idea that an average Aeros favoring spellcaster could answer in under three seconds.

    But, of course, I had no spellcasters to ask questions. I had no one who understood magic enough to even bounce ideas off of. I had no books. I had no enchantments made by others for me to study, to glean insight. I didn¡¯t even have experience with a scholarly, research focus on magic - as much as my parents tried to give me that, I¡¯d refused with all the defiance a teenager can manage.

    I was completely alone and I had no idea what I was doing.

    And I was exhausted. I¡¯d done nothing else for weeks. Pash had revealed to Liam that the Germans had stopped trying to find me, a week or so ago, which apparently meant that it was even more important for me to sit quietly while we figured out what they were up to.

    I¡¯d ¡°invented¡± dozens of little spells, exploring different avenues to try, and half of them were a complete waste of time. The other half was entirely useless in application, only good as a form of practice, or confirming certain ideas.

    For instance, I had successfully made a spell to track enchantments in my house, and was even able to bind that into another enchantment, and give it to Liam, who was able to find magic items with it. Even after temporarily blinding his mage sense. So obviously the fundamental idea worked.

    Of course, for some reason, I couldn¡¯t get the spell to work further than my own range at mage sense. Which was suspicious, since I didn¡¯t know why my personal skill at mage sense would have anything to do with the range of a spell, unless I was accidentally using it as part of the process.

    I sagged against the wall, trying not to cry.

    All this time. All this effort. All this power. I could have saved a thousand lives in hospitals. I could have built a few dozen anti-bullet enchantments. I could have refined one of the spells that I already knew, expanding it into other applications, and had nearly guaranteed success - like how I¡¯d done with the timeline magic, for Liam, all those months ago.

    Instead, I couldn¡¯t even tell anyone why I was failing.

    A faint sound caught my attention and I dragged myself upstairs. The house was so lonely. I didn¡¯t want to work in Liam¡¯s apartment, though. Partly it was that he was distracting, but the bigger part was that I¡¯d constructed a research lab in the basement, which had a variety of magical tools designed to help with the process.

    Fat lot of good that did me, though. I kicked a stair on my way up.

    The sound was the phone ringing. I glared at it sullenly, but at least I¡¯d hear someone¡¯s voice. Even Comet¡¯s happy noises would have been nice, but the Councilor¡¯s kids loved him so much that they decided to keep him when they left, after the trial.

    ¡°Hello?¡± I answered, trying my best to sound like I wasn¡¯t about to bite off anyone¡¯s head.

    ¡°Good, you answered,¡± Lou said, sounding relieved. ¡°Been trying to reach you. Look, there¡¯s a case, and you¡¯ve gotta come to the scene. But be careful. No one sees you. Got it?¡±

    ¡°Um,¡± I said, rubbing at my eyes. ¡°Sure? I can shift into a dog and head down. Where do I go?¡±

    She gave me the address. ¡°I¡¯ll be here, and no one else is. Come down right away, if you can.¡±

    ¡°Very well,¡± I said. ¡°I will leave immediately. See you soon, Lou.¡±

    ¡°See you,¡± Lou said. ¡°And don¡¯t forget about being careful.¡±

    I just hung up.

    No one commented on a dog running around the city with a map in his mouth, occasionally stopping in alleyways to check where he was going. I was practically invisible.

    It only took about thirty minutes of running to find Lou. It was a nice break from enchantment work, and running as a dog was very relaxing. By the time I arrived, my mood had improved.

    Lou¡¯s mood, however, had not.

    ¡°I take it that¡¯s you,¡± Lou said, giving me a funny look as I ran up to her, tail wagging.

    ¡°Woof,¡± I agreed.

    ¡°Right,¡± she said. ¡°Come inside.¡±

    She looked around nervously and then led me inside what looked like an abandoned apartment building. I expanded my mage sense. No one else was inside.

    ¡°Okay, you can go human now,¡± she said.

    I nodded and shifted back. I¡¯d barely begun when Lou turned green and looked away.

    ¡°Holy mother of god, that is disgusting,¡± Lou said, shuddering.

    It was several seconds before I could respond.

    ¡°Liam finds it interesting,¡± I said.

    ¡°He finds everything interesting,¡± she said. ¡°Including disgusting things. He¡¯s head of homicide, Aera, seriously - nothing turns his stomach.¡±

    ¡°You have a point,¡± I said, smiling. ¡°So why am I here?¡±

    ¡°I really want this to not be magic, but I don¡¯t see another explanation,¡± Lou said. ¡°I called O¡¯Brien, and he agreed I should bring you in. Come on.¡±

    She led me up a flight of stairs and into a cordoned off room. She pointed at a severed arm on the ground. I blinked at it in surprise.

    ¡°How long has that been there?¡± I asked.

    ¡°At least ten hours,¡± Lou said. ¡°That¡¯s when the landlord called. So probably a hell of a lot longer than that.¡±

    ¡°It looks healthy,¡± I said.

    ¡°Which is why you¡¯re here,¡± Lou said. ¡°Arms should not look healthy if they aren¡¯t attached to people.¡±

    I nodded and walked over to the arm. I knelt beside it and examined it curiously.

    It was still alive, in a sense. Magic was actively flowing through it, keeping the cells alive, in a sort of stasis. No blood was flowing, and it would die soon, but the stasis effect was strong enough to keep it stable for some time yet. Based on its strength, I guessed that a spellcaster had lost his arm a few days ago, but hadn¡¯t ¡°let go,¡± magically.

    I turned my attention to the actual injury. The ¡°cut¡± was perfect. Too perfect. In fact, I¡¯d only ever seen that kind¡­ of¡­

    ¡°Oh gods,¡± I said, pulling back from the arm in horror, falling on my rear.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Lou asked. ¡°It¡¯s magic, right?¡±

    ¡°Lou¡­¡± I said, crawling backwards over to her.

    ¡°What? Aera, you¡¯re freaking me out,¡± she said.

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand¡­¡± I said.

    ¡°That is why you¡¯re here,¡± Lou said. ¡°Tell me what¡¯s going on!¡±

    ¡°Teleportation,¡± I squeaked.

    ¡°I need more than that,¡± she said.

    I closed my eyes, feeling a wave of panic fill me as my mind connected dots together. Tears began to flow, as my heart grew overwhelmed.

    ¡°Teleportation is not an easy spell, Lou,¡± I said. ¡°To instantaneously travel from one place to another¡­ it is monstrously difficult. It takes a large amount of power.¡±

    ¡°Keep going, Aera,¡± Lou said, keeping her voice warm and encouraging. ¡°What does this mean?¡±

    ¡°This is a mistake in teleportation,¡± I said, swallowing past a lump in my throat. ¡°A serious one - the caster either teleported his body away, and failed to bring his arm; or the caster successfully teleported his arm, but not the rest of his body.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± she said. ¡°And that means what?¡±

    My mind relentlessly assaulted me with conclusions. Terrifying, wretched conclusions. I could barely breathe. But explanations made sense to me¡­ words fell from my mouth, in a detached monotone, at odds with my terror.

    ¡°There is someone in your world, who has somehow attained the ability to teleport with Aeros magic,¡± I said. ¡°This someone, or several someones, is new at this. This means that magic is being learned.¡±

    ¡°Why are you freaking out this much, though?¡± she asked.

    I turned around and clutched at her shoulders. She had to understand.

    ¡°Someone is learning Aeros magic,¡± I said, pleading. ¡°The same domain as mind altering magic. Powerful, complex Aeros magic - far beyond me, requiring skill and knowledge on par with what I have with Aquas. Whoever this caster is, he or she is my equal or better. And he or she is improving.¡±

    ¡°How¡¯s that possible?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Here is a guess, Lou, that terrifies me,¡± I said. ¡°What if Germans acquired enchantments, and they did, in fact, figure out how to awaken themselves with these enchantments? And one of these enchantments was a teleportation device - of which there are many in my parents¡¯ home. Using said device would not cause this sort of damage - but if they reverse engineered it, and have begun training soldiers in the use of teleportation¡­¡±Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    ¡°Then they might be able to use teleportation, but badly enough to make a rookie mistake,¡± Lou said, frowning at the arm. ¡°Any other guesses?¡±

    ¡°We know, for certain, that someone used teleportation magic, badly,¡± I said. ¡°No one could realistically have figured it out entirely on their own, in five years, even if spontaneously awakened. No conceivable use of an enchantment of my parents¡¯ could go this badly. If they knew teleportation before coming here, it¡¯s inconceivable that they¡¯d still be this bad. Therefore, someone must have gained that ability from a text, or enchantment, or something. What can explain that?¡±

    As I spoke, I calmed down enough to really look at Lou. That¡¯s when I realized that she was, in fact, panicking. It was just that her way of panicking involved going cold and staring down the problem like she thought she could make it flinch if she growled at it enough.

    ¡°Why¡¯s the arm still all pink and stuff?¡± she asked.

    ¡°The magic never let go,¡± I said. ¡°Whoever did this - they didn¡¯t come back for their arm, but didn¡¯t let it go, either.¡±

    She took a deep breath. I used the opportunity to continue to try to not panic.

    ¡°You think it¡¯s the Germans,¡± she said after a second, not looking at me.

    ¡°Who else could it be?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Here,¡± she said, seeming to ignore my question. ¡°In Boston. There are Nazis here.¡±

    She muttered something vaguely obscene sounding under her breath.

    ¡°I guess that explains why they¡¯re not looking for you anymore,¡± she said, sounding glum.

    ¡°What should we do?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I have no idea,¡± she said, sitting down on the floor next to me, staring at the exposed innards of the arm.

    ¡°We should call Pash,¡± I said.

    ¡°What?¡± she said. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Because this is beyond us,¡± I said. ¡°If the Germans are here, in America, if they have the ability to teleport¡­ then it would be wrong to keep it from the military. And he might have an idea what to do.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s going to try to take you,¡± she said, her voice oddly monotone.

    I shivered.

    ¡°Not today,¡± I said, clutching at my dress. ¡°I won¡¯t go anywhere with him today.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯re a mess.¡±

    ¡°We have to show this to him,¡± I said. ¡°Do you know how to reach him?¡±

    Her face tightened. ¡°Yeah. I know his number.¡±

    ¡°Call him,¡± I said. ¡°Bring him here.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re sure about this, Aera?¡± she asked.

    I just looked at her.

    She cursed again.

    ¡°Fine,¡± she said. ¡°Wait¡­ around, I guess. I¡¯ll go find a phone.¡±

    I stared at the blurry image of the arm for a brief instant, and then Lou was back next to me. I realized I¡¯d gotten a little stiff from not moving.

    ¡°He¡¯s on his way,¡± she said.

    We both sat there silently. My eyes started hurting from crying too much.

    There was a knock on the door.

    Lou got up. She went to the door, opened it, and just walked back to me. Pash stood there with an intrigued look. When he caught my tear-soaked expression, he looked wary.

    ¡°Thank you for contacting me,¡± Pash said cautiously. ¡°Officer Williams provided no details; if I may ask what has happened?¡±

    ¡°Take a look, investigator,¡± Lou said, pointing at the arm.

    Pash walked carefully over to the arm and examined it for a moment, without touching. He seemed particularly intrigued by the ¡°cut¡± side, getting a close look at the bizarrely healthy flesh that appeared openly exposed to the air.

    ¡°Fascinating,¡± he said, then stood and looked at me. ¡°Could you provide more insight?¡±

    I nodded, wiped my eyes dry, and explained the conclusions of my examination. I didn¡¯t mention the biggest problem - the fact that they were learning magic. I gave the impression that it was probably just enchantments.

    ¡°The arm is still attached to the caster?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± I said.

    ¡°Can you find out anything about who it¡¯s attached to?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Oh,¡± I said. ¡°Um, yes, actually.¡±

    I stood up and walked back over to the arm. Kneeling, I reached my magesense inside, examining the magic. Then my ¡°grip¡± turned aggressive, as I sought to pull at the magic, to understand details of its connection.

    ¡°He¡¯s using an enchantment,¡± I said. ¡°So I can¡¯t get see too much of his soul. I was able to¡­ oh.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Lou asked, getting closer.

    ¡°He noticed my attempt,¡± I said, as the magic seeped out of the arm and the blood in the veins started emptying on the floor.

    ¡°Could he have learned more about you just now?¡± Pash asked.

    ¡°Depends on his skill,¡± I said. ¡°Most likely, he just noticed someone tugging at his magic, and decided to break the connection before I found too much. But it does mean he knows I¡¯m onto him.¡±

    ¡°Better and better,¡± Lou said sourly.

    ¡°Ms. Koryn,¡± Pash said somberly. ¡°If the Germans have found you, then the situation has become far too dangerous for you to remain in hiding. You require the military¡¯s protection.¡±

    ¡°What could the military possibly do to protect me from spellcasters?¡± I asked.

    ¡°There are many options,¡± he said. ¡°Based on what you¡¯ve indicated, they have no capabilities beyond what you could construct yourself, correct?¡±

    ¡°I am specialized in different magic,¡± I said. ¡°But other than that, yes.¡±

    ¡°If you create enchantments, soldiers can be equipped to protect you accordingly,¡± he said. ¡°Further, you can be given information necessary to better protect yourself. Most importantly, by preparing the military to handle the situation, Germany¡¯s advance should be able to be stymied, requiring their casters to focus elsewhere.¡±

    I closed my eyes.

    ¡°Not today,¡± Lou said. ¡°Just tell us what you know about this, and we¡¯ll¡­ we¡¯ll talk about it.¡±

    ¡°Officer Williams, if I may, I am concerned that your discussions with Ms. Koryn appear to universally result in concluding that she should hide in your home, regardless of what she feels is best.¡±

    ¡°With all due respect, Pash, she¡¯s not ready to handle people squeezing her dry.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I am,¡± I said, opening my eyes.

    ¡°Aera, seriously, would you stop that?¡± Lou said.

    ¡°I can handle that, Lou,¡± I said. ¡°Why do you never have faith in me?¡±

    She rubbed at her face and looked at Pash.

    ¡°Not today,¡± she said. ¡°Aera needs some time to think.¡±

    Pash simply looked at me and I exhaled slowly.

    ¡°I assure you, Lieutenant, I take this matter extremely seriously,¡± I said. ¡°I will not engage in discussion with Lou or anyone over whether or not I will address the matter - I simply must do so. I do, however, need time to consider what approach is best, with this new information.¡±

    ¡°As you wish, Ms. Koryn,¡± Pash said. ¡°When should I expect your call?¡±

    ¡°Within a week, at most,¡± I said.

    ¡°Very well,¡± he said, inclining his head. ¡°I will make preparations and await your call. Thank you for informing me of this matter.¡±

    He turned to Lou.

    ¡°Officer Williams, considering that this is the result of enemy forces on our land, I will need to take this arm as evidence,¡± he said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± Lou said. ¡°You want it, you take it up with my boss. I¡¯ll sign whatever paperwork is involved.¡±

    ¡°As you wish,¡± he said. ¡°Good luck to you both.¡±

    With that, he turned and left.

    Lou just groaned.

    ¡°What the hell are we going to do¡­¡± she said, glaring at the arm as though this was its fault.

    ¡°We talk to Liam and Slick,¡± I said. ¡°We tell them to meet us at our house at a certain time, according to schedules, in a few days. Until then, we all think.¡±

    <hr>

    The house was quiet when I got home. I supposed I could have gone to Liam¡¯s, but it didn¡¯t feel right. The faint echo of my footsteps were the only thing I could hear as I went straight through the house and out the back door.

    The yard was in an overgrown and wretched state. My feet slowly pulled me into the center, where my garden had once thrived. The bushes were still there, though they were plain. Still, my mind¡¯s eye could see the beauty that once grew here. I found myself at that place again, where roses of fire and ice once grew, where I had shared precious moments with Benjamin.

    In the peace of that broken place, thoughts came to me more freely. This place, where Benjamin had knelt beside me and wished for a simple life with me at his side¡­ here was my last farewell. My last surrender of a peaceful existence.

    A surrender of my childhood, perhaps. My time of carefree whimsy was nearly past. My time of being able to rely on the judgements of others, to trust in them, was over. In a few days, I would be isolated from those I held close to my heart, and I would have to judge my own best course.

    I¡¯d assured everyone that I could handle this. But¡­ could I?

    A deep fear paralyzed me. I didn¡¯t want to be held back, and yet, the idea of moving forward...

    There were no sounds save for chirping birds and rustling leaves.

    <hr>

    ¡°Aera, seriously, you need to eat something,¡± Lou said. ¡°It¡¯s been three days.¡±

    I didn¡¯t respond.

    ¡°Aera,¡± Lou said, sounding frustrated. ¡°If you don¡¯t do something other than stare at that bush, I¡¯m going to take this sandwich and shove it down your throat, one bite at a time.¡±

    A faint smile tugged at my lips, cracking the salt lines of dried tears on my face.

    ¡°So you do hear me,¡± Lou said.

    She sat down next to me and sighed.

    ¡°There is water and energy in the garden,¡± I said, not taking my eyes from the bush. ¡°I don¡¯t really need to eat.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± Lou said, sounding like I¡¯d said something she didn¡¯t want to think about. ¡°Can you tell me what the problem is?¡±

    I closed my eyes.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do,¡± I whispered. I took a breath, and said in a more normal tone, ¡°I know what my family would do. But me¡­? I just¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°Well, you can start with that,¡± she said, her tone encouraging. ¡°What would your family do?¡±

    ¡°My mother is easy,¡± I said with a faint chuckle. ¡°She¡¯d have never been in this position. She¡¯d have just taken over the world and been done with it.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s not go with that one,¡± Lou said dryly.

    ¡°My father would have been cautious,¡± I continued, smiling a little at her comment. ¡°He¡¯d have taken time aside, much like I ended up doing, but he¡¯d have used the time to build a proper home for himself here. Full of enchantments. When he felt he was effectively immune to anything your people could manage, he would have presented himself to governments. He¡¯d have made a very simple arrangement - they either play by his rules, and gain access to his power, or they refuse, and he goes elsewhere. Any remotely sane government ought to cooperate with that.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ possible?¡± Lou said, sounding surprised. ¡°I¡¯d never thought about an approach like that. Could you have done that?¡±

    ¡°Easily,¡± I said, sighing. ¡°The arrangement, not the enchantments. I¡¯d be more vulnerable than him, but I could have done that, too. It¡¯s sort of the standard approach of powerful spellcasters, if they want to work with governments.¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you try something like that?¡± Lou asked.

    ¡°Because it was never up for discussion,¡± I said, looking down at the ground. ¡°I was simply told that the government would be victorious against me, no matter what I did, and I was never told why, no matter how I asked. I was always treated as naive for thinking otherwise.¡±

    ¡°...oh,¡± Lou said, shifting a little. ¡°Um, what about your brothers?¡±

    ¡°Eivan, the older of the two, would have talked a big game, but would probably end up cooperating with whatever government got to him, after a while,¡± I said. ¡°He could be difficult and rebellious, but not particularly driven. He¡¯d have given up fighting, to take an easier course.¡±

    Lou nodded.

    ¡°That¡¯d be dangerous,¡± she said. ¡°And the youngest brother?¡±

    ¡°Nordrid,¡± I said. ¡°He was sweet. It¡¯s hard to know for sure, since he was only twelve when I last saw him, but my guess is that he¡¯d have found a way to put his foot down about the usage of his power. He¡¯d shown a knack for mind magic, and probably would have been inclined to heal broken minds and hearts.¡±

    ¡°Heal broken minds and hearts?¡± Lou asked.

    ¡°If someone¡¯s addicted to drugs, to make them not addicted,¡± I said. ¡°If someone suffers from painful memories, to take the sting out of them. If someone¡¯s sexually attracted to wrong things, like children or what have you, to simply correct their desires. That sort of thing.¡±

    ¡°Huh,¡± she said. ¡°Can you do that?¡±

    ¡°Only temporarily,¡± I said. ¡°If they cooperated, I might manage something that¡¯d last a few months. He couldn¡¯t do permanent things, either, but by the time he turns my age, I bet he could.¡±

    She nodded.

    ¡°So what¡¯s the right approach for you?¡± Lou asked.

    I hugged my knees close.

    ¡°My father¡¯s seems best,¡± I said. ¡°But¡­ I don¡¯t know if I can manage it.¡±

    ¡°A sandwich is a good place to start,¡± she said, holding it up.

    Another smile tugged at my lips.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can eat anything, Lou,¡± I said. ¡°My throat is too tight, my stomach too unsettled.¡±

    ¡°Then you need to find a way to be okay again,¡± she said. ¡°What would help?¡±

    I closed my eyes and didn¡¯t respond for a minute.

    ¡°Have you talked to the others about getting together, before I go to Pash?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Lou said.

    ¡°Making decisions can be difficult,¡± I said, my eyes still closed. ¡°Once things get going¡­ I¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    She exhaled slowly.

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to believe that, what with you being out here for three days, refusing to eat, drink, or talk to anyone,¡± she said.

    I shrugged.

    ¡°Remember the Cocoanut Grove?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yeah?¡± she said.

    ¡°I was in a wretched state until Slick told me that I could do something,¡± I said.

    ¡°Then you just did whatever you needed to,¡± she said, nodding slowly. ¡°I get that. So what you¡¯re saying is, you want to just go ahead, get everyone together, and get started?¡±

    Panic surged in my heart and she flinched at the look on my face.

    ¡°You don¡¯t want to decide that,¡± she said.

    ¡°I need to,¡± I said through gritted teeth, tears flowing freely again.

    ¡°I understand,¡± Lou said, and held the sandwich out. ¡°Eat up. When you do - and only then - I¡¯ll get the others and let you know when it¡¯s time.¡±

    I sighed and took the sandwich.

 Ch. 29 - Truth

    ¡°It¡¯s time,¡± I said softly, as I met their gazes.

    Lou was uneasy. Liam looked serious. Slick was uncertain. Alice and Dorothy were here, too, which was nice.

    ¡°We¡¯ve had an interesting few years,¡± I said.

    ¡°Some good times,¡± Slick said. ¡°It ain¡¯t all over, though.¡±

    ¡°Maybe,¡± I said, swallowing.

    I wasn¡¯t going to cry. Not this time. No matter how terrifying the idea of facing all this was.

    ¡°There¡¯s some things that we need to address,¡± I said. ¡°Slick - I want to ask you a favor.¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡± he asked, surprised.

    I pulled out a little book that I¡¯d written while sitting in the garden, fashioned of Aquas magic from the wreckage of my art.

    ¡°Since you travel a lot now, as an actor, I thought you¡¯d be the best person to give this to,¡± I said, holding the book out. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ memories.¡±

    ¡°Of what?¡± he asked, taking it from me.

    ¡°Of my world, and of my time here,¡± I said. ¡°In case¡­ in case something happens to me. If my family ever manages to get here, they would be glad to have a record of what I chose to say about them, and about my time here. Precious memories. And they¡¯d find you easily, having magic.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± he said, looking uncomfortable.

    ¡°Also,¡± I said. ¡°Even if my family never sees it, the rest of your world might be interested, too, at some point, so I wrote it in English.¡±

    He flipped through the pages briefly, curious about its length. It wasn¡¯t much - just a few hours worth of writing, over the five days since the incident with the arm.

    ¡°I can do that,¡± he said quietly.

    I nodded.

    ¡°Alice,¡± I said. ¡°I know we¡¯ve had disagreements, but I wanted to tell you that despite it, I¡¯ve been thankful for the friendship we¡¯ve had over the years.¡±

    ¡°Er¡­ sure,¡± she said awkwardly.

    ¡°Liam,¡± I said, turning my attention to his gentle smile. ¡°Our time together has been wonderful, and has now passed, as much as I might miss it. I will always care for you.¡±

    ¡°Same,¡± he said.

    ¡°Aera, you¡¯re talking like you¡¯re about to die,¡± Lou said.

    ¡°I might - isn¡¯t that what you¡¯ve all implied, from the start?¡± I asked, struggling to hold back another wave of tears. ¡°I don¡¯t have any idea what to expect.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve implied that the government will rake you over the coals and wreck havoc on the world, sure,¡± Lou said. ¡°Still worried about that. But it¡¯s not like anyone¡¯s going to try to kill you tomorrow. Even if someone did, he¡¯d have a snowball¡¯s chance in hell of succeeding. You¡¯ve got time, and you¡¯ve got us. We¡¯ll figure it out as we go.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± I said, wiping at my eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for crying again.¡±

    The group laughed.

    ¡°Honey,¡± Dorothy said, with a kind smile, ¡°we¡¯ve known you for years now. Tears on your face isn¡¯t a surprise to any of us.¡±

    I flushed a little.

    ¡°I guess,¡± I said. ¡°The last thing to address, then, is whether anyone has any ideas other than calling Pash and cautiously going along with him.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the best way to get information,¡± Liam said. ¡°None of us know enough to have another approach. Not a decent one, anyway.¡±

    I nodded.

    ¡°I thought as much,¡± I said. ¡°Is¡­ is there anything else we should do, before I call him?¡±

    ¡°Maybe you ought to call him now,¡± Dorothy said. ¡°I¡¯ll make us up something tasty while you¡¯re on the phone, and we¡¯ll spend some quality time for a bit.¡±

    ¡°I like that idea,¡± I said. ¡°Thank you. I¡­ suppose I¡¯ll go do that. Um - Lou? You know his number, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± she said, getting up.

    I went to the phone next to the kitchen, and Dorothy started pulling out some tea. Lou gave me the number, then stood back as I pulled at the rotary dial.

    The phone rang several times. I began to hope, foolishly, that he wasn¡¯t available, just to not have to deal with it yet.

    But then¡­

    ¡°This is Lieutenant Pash,¡± he said.

    ¡°Hi,¡± I said. ¡°This is Aera. Um, Aera Koryn.¡±

    ¡°Ms. Koryn, it is good to hear from you,¡± he said. ¡°I take it you are ready to take action?¡±

    ¡°Y-yes,¡± I said. ¡°Um, what is your plan?¡±

    ¡°I believe details would be best discussed in person,¡± he said. ¡°We can meet at Professor Rhine¡¯s office, and discuss collaboratively. Would you be available tomorrow morning?¡±

    ¡°With¡­ Rhine?¡± I asked, startled. ¡°But he¡¯s an ass!¡±

    His tone was laced with amusement as he answered, ¡°I am aware that there are differences in opinion. However, as his ¡®expertise¡¯ will unquestionably be called on, I believe it would be wise for you to correct certain errors in said ¡®expertise,¡¯ prior to him providing reports.¡±

    ¡°That actually makes a great deal of sense,¡± I said, pursing my lips thoughtfully. ¡°Tomorrow morning would be fine. What time?¡±

    ¡°Eight in the morning would likely best serve our interests,¡± he said.

    ¡°Very well,¡± I said. ¡°I will be at Rhine¡¯s office at eight.¡±

    ¡°I look forward to discussing with you then,¡± he said. ¡°Farewell, Ms. Koryn.¡±

    ¡°Farewell,¡± I said, and hung up.

    I looked over at Lou, and she had a vaguely displeased look on her face.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Nothing,¡± Lou said, shaking her head. ¡°I¡¯m just hoping you¡¯ll get better at negotiation stuff with practice.¡±

    Perhaps she had a point.

    The rest of the evening was comfortable. Once things moved from awkward pseudo-farewells into the realm of socializing, Dorothy essentially took over and made everything feel right. Even Alice was having a nice time.

    The night gradually wound down to an end. Dorothy and Liam went home, but Lou, Slick, and Alice decided to stay for the night.

    The next morning, I was tempted to run away. But I gathered my resolve. The others wished me luck as I left.

    I arrived at the university quite early. I wanted to look around and maybe get a little sense of what to expect. The anxiety bubbling in my gut certainly had absolutely nothing to do with the decision whatsoever.

    Shifting my appearance so as to not get caught by surprise, I awkwardly made my way into the building. None of the students paid me any attention as I walked along towards Rhine¡¯s office.

    It appeared unused, at the moment. There were no students or staff near his door. I walked closer and pressed my magesense through the door. No one was inside. I wondered if it would be bad to just go inside anyway. Would Rhine really -

    ¡°Greetings, Ms. Koryn,¡± a voice said from behind me, making me squeak and spin around.

    Pash was looking faintly amused as I tried to catch my breath from the surprise.

    ¡°But¡­¡± I spluttered. ¡°How did you know it was me?¡±

    ¡°Of your many talents, Ms. Koryn, subterfuge is not among them,¡± he said, his tone wry.

    ¡°But I don¡¯t look anything like myself!¡± I protested. ¡°I didn¡¯t speak, so my accent couldn¡¯t give me away. Really, Pash, how could you tell?¡±

    He chuckled.

    ¡°How many people carefully and nervously examine Professor Rhine¡¯s door at seven in the morning, would you guess?¡± he asked.

    The look on his face gave me the impression that this was only one of a large list of details that gave me away.

    I frowned.

    ¡°Maybe this wasn¡¯t the best avenue to take, but I could escape your notice,¡± I said, trying not to sound like I was sulking.

    ¡°Is that so?¡± he asked. ¡°I¡¯d be curious to see that.¡±

    ¡°Wait a second,¡± I said, blinking. ¡°You¡­ how did you know that I could shift my appearance?¡±You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± he said, and his smile broadened a tiny amount.

    ¡°Then¡­ how?¡± I asked.

    ¡°For now, Ms. Koryn, simply understand that there are many skills, other than magic, that are useful in gaining knowledge,¡± he said.

    ¡°You guessed it,¡± I said, not wanting to drop the point. ¡°You were prepared for that possibility?¡±

    ¡°There are also non magical ways to disguise one¡¯s appearance,¡± he said. ¡°Though none quite so perfect as yours.¡±

    I sighed. I¡¯d already known that, in part from Slick¡¯s time as an actor, but I¡¯d not put the pieces together.

    ¡°I just don¡¯t know what to expect with you,¡± I said.

    ¡°A problem which our discussion is meant to solve,¡± he said. ¡°Come, Ms. Koryn. Let us sit in Rhine¡¯s office and discuss the future.¡±

    He pulled out a key and unlocked the door before gesturing for me to go inside first. I stepped in uneasily and sat down in the chair, shifting my appearance back to normal. As soon as I did so, I abruptly remembered the etiquette lessons - I¡¯d just insinuated that Pash had more power than I did. My jaw clenched at the mistake.

    For all my lessons, I really had no idea what I was doing. The thought didn¡¯t do much to ease my nerves. I swallowed anxiously.

    ¡°You needn¡¯t be so uneasy, Ms. Koryn,¡± Pash said, with a kind smile that didn¡¯t quite seem to fit on his face. ¡°We will be joined by the professor shortly, but in the meantime, I believe it would be best to discuss how I see things best unfolding, and how you feel about the approach.¡±

    ¡°Um, okay,¡± I said.

    ¡°The first two questions to occur to any general are these,¡± he said. ¡°¡®What are you capable of, and are you a threat.¡¯¡±

    I nodded.

    ¡°I believe that things will go far smoother if these two questions are addressed prior to formally introducing you to military command,¡± he said. ¡°To address them, I believe the best course of action is for you to cooperate with a series of tests, administered by the professor and myself.¡±

    He must have noticed the concerned look on my face, and added reassuringly, ¡°Any test that you object to can be waived - it is about providing a report, not harming you in any capacity.¡±

    I nodded.

    ¡°Between my position and the professor¡¯s, along with recorded evidence of the tests, the report will be taken seriously,¡± he said. ¡°Further, by cooperating with us in a process that reveals strengths and weaknesses, you would provide a reason to believe that you can be trusted.¡±

    ¡°May I have a moment to think about this?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Of course,¡± he said, and sat back in Rhine¡¯s chair.

    Thoughts echoed in my mind, as I tried to find a problem with his plan.

    Never reveal the truth, my mother¡¯s voice whispered, dulled by the age of my memories of her. Make them over estimate you or under estimate you, but never reveal the true extent of your ability.

    I nodded slowly. As long as I was careful to only reveal aspects of my abilities, to the extent that they could learn to deal with magic, I would be fine.

    ¡°That seems acceptable, though I do have a question,¡± I said.

    ¡°Yes?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Do I have to be nice to Rhine?¡± I asked.

    Another smile tugged at his cheek, and his eyes were glinting with mirth.

    ¡°Do as you wish, Ms. Koryn,¡± he said, his tone dry. ¡°I expect it will prove interesting.¡±

    ¡°That depends on him, I should think,¡± I muttered.

    ¡°With that addressed, am I to understand that you will cooperate with this plan?¡± he asked, and again had a cautious note to his voice.

    ¡°I believe so,¡± I said. ¡°There might be issues with details, as they come up, but I see no reason to object to the idea.¡±

    ¡°Excellent,¡± he said.

    ¡°Can you give me more detail about what to expect, regarding the tests?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Certainly,¡± Pash said. ¡°One of the rooms that Professor Rhine has access to, here in the university, is equipped with -¡±

    ¡°You started without me?¡± Rhine said, sounding affronted as he stepped through the door.

    Anxious as I was, I found myself on my feet, turning around to see him.

    ¡°Ms. Koryn arrived early, so I took the opportunity to clarify some expectations,¡± Pash said smoothly. ¡°Nothing of any significance was discussed in your absence.¡±

    ¡°Hmph,¡± Rhine said, and gave me a look. ¡°Ms. Koryn, I am curious to see how you¡¯ve somehow managed to persuade him so thoroughly.¡±

    ¡°You¡­ you don¡¯t believe that I have magic?¡± I asked, startled.

    ¡°¡®Magic!¡¯¡± he said. ¡°Bah! It¡¯s psychic ability, not magic.¡±

    ¡°Because, of course, you know more about it than I do, and arguing over semantics is the finest proof of that,¡± I said dryly.

    ¡°I am the foremost expert in the world on the subject,¡± he said, glaring at me.

    ¡°Wrong,¡± I said, matching his look of disdain. ¡°I am the foremost expert in the world, with a wealth of knowledge far in excess of your cobbled together conclusions based on ancient myths.¡±

    ¡°How dare you,¡± he said. ¡°You sit in my office -¡±

    ¡°At the behest of a military investigator,¡± I said, cutting him off, and letting a touch of magic infuse my voice, to silence him, ¡°because I believe tolerating swine is acceptable, if it means saving the world from Hitler.¡±

    ¡°You arrogant woman,¡± he said, his eyes flashing with building rage, ¡°To think that you sit here, believing yourself special, believing that gives you the right to disrespect your betters -¡±

    I burst out laughing.

    ¡°My betters?¡± I said. ¡°You? And him?¡±

    I thumbed over at Pash, and giggled.

    ¡°I am not from your world, professor,¡± I said. ¡°But in my world, academia is considered the highest of all statuses, the twin of magic, as magic without knowledge is useless. I don¡¯t know what has gone wrong in your world for an idiot of such magnificent proportions to achieve such a status, but it pains me to even witness it.¡±

    ¡°I am not going to stand here and let a con artist insult me in my own office,¡± he said.

    Pash coughed.

    ¡°Before you kick her out, Professor Rhine, might I suggest that we permit her a brief demonstration, and see if it is to your satisfaction,¡± Pash said.

    ¡°Very well,¡± Rhine said, visibly annoyed. ¡°Let¡¯s see her reveal herself for what she is.¡±

    ¡°Indeed,¡± I said, fire tickling at my heart. An idea had occurred to me that was simply too delicious to resist.

    I glanced down at his desk and saw his full name - Joseph Rhine.

    ¡°Considering that you are the one I must persuade, Joseph,¡± I said, and he twitched with rage at the disrespect, ¡°I have a little suggestion. With your permission, I will use a little magic on you, personally. It is permanent. May I?¡±

    He rolled his eyes.

    ¡°Get on with it,¡± he said.

    ¡°I will take that as consent, then. You have no one to blame but yourself,¡± I said, grinning.

    My smile felt oddly vicious on my face. Pash looked intrigued, and I was trying not to burst out laughing.

    I reached out a touch of mind magic first, numbing his awareness, so he wouldn¡¯t stop me before I was done. From his perspective, it would seem instantaneous. I then used Aquas magic in a remarkably similar way to how I¡¯d practiced with O¡¯Brien on a few occasions¡­

    ¡­ and made him female.

    Not just any female, either. He was adorable. Big breasts, tiny waist, exaggerated hips, an angelically soft face, with a very cute haircut. I even took a bit of his shirt and made a baby blue ribbon - the most stereotypically feminine color in the world - to put in his hair, to go with the brown curls.

    Pash was trying not to laugh, and was doing a remarkable job at keeping his face straight. I released the numbing effect of mind magic.

    ¡°W-what¡­?¡± he said, looking down, stunned. ¡°You¡­ this¡­ what did you do?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Joseph, I¡¯d thought it was obvious,¡± I said dryly.

    ¡°Change me back!¡± he said, sounding desperate and confused.

    ¡°Not yet,¡± I said, my voice turning cold. ¡°Professor Rhine, you have insulted and demeaned me from the moment we first met, and I have had enough of your idiocy. This change is permanent, but as I did it once, so I can do it again. If you apologize to me, sincerely, for your disrespect, I will grant you another measure of my power to transform you again.¡±

    ¡°The only disrespect I showed you was because I believed you were a fake,¡± he said, his tone submissive, and very feminine. ¡°I was wrong about that.¡±

    ¡°Wrong,¡± I said. ¡°You have dismissed me from the start for being female, and then compounded it by insinuating I lack intelligence because of my accent.¡±

    ¡°You are female, and you do speak incorrectly,¡± he said. ¡°Accent is a part of language. That was a reasonable conclusion.¡±

    ¡°Biological sex is meaningless!¡± I said. ¡°Human minds vary to an extraordinary degree, and women are equally as capable as men of reaching any of the extremes of intellect.¡±

    ¡°That is simply false,¡± he said.

    ¡°Really?¡± I asked sweetly, and decided another demonstration was in order.

    Courtesy my practice with Comet¡­

    My skull split apart, revealing my brain to ¡°open¡± air. It was actually shielded by a barrier, to keep it from being contaminated. I did also have to use the shapeshifting enchantment to help keep things working.

    My face remained the same, but the entirety of my hairline was simply pulled back. I playfully made a theatric ¡°bow¡± towards them, so they could see the inside.

    Rhine looked green, and Pash¡¯s jaw was hanging open.

    ¡°Would you care to point out the differences?¡± I asked, still saccharine sweet. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s in this section?¡±

    I used the shapeshifting enchantment to take over the simplistic functions of my brain stem, and then delicately separated the higher functions of my brain, allowing me to split it in two. I lifted the top portion.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Professor?¡± I asked. ¡°Can¡¯t point out what part of my brain is different from yours? Should I pull yours out, too?¡±

    ¡°Enough,¡± he said, looking like he was about to throw up.

    I immediately reversed the process, putting everything back the way it was supposed to be. That trick was difficult, but incredibly satisfying.

    ¡°I doubt the finest of your scientists hold a candle to the knowledge I have of the human brain,¡± I said coldly. ¡°Do not disrespect me again.¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± he said, looking like he was about to faint.

    ¡°Also,¡± I said. ¡°About the accent - that, too, is not a sign of any failure of intelligence on my part. Do keep in mind that I still don¡¯t know your language.¡±

    They both looked surprised at that.

    ¡°But you¡¯re speaking English,¡± Rhine said, dazed.

    ¡°I¡¯m speaking the combined knowledge of the language from my companions, which I have stored in here,¡± I said, holding up the necklace. ¡°This ¡®accent¡¯ is the result of trying to speak my own language and having the process circumvented and changed on the fly. It¡¯s extraordinarily complex, and having an accent as a side effect is entirely reasonable.¡±

    ¡°How quickly can you gain new languages?¡± Pash asked, curiosity shining in his eyes.

    ¡°Depends,¡± I said, taken aback. ¡°It takes a few seconds to pull the knowledge from someone¡¯s mind, in which case I have to ¡®hold¡¯ it actively. I can slip up and drop the language, which can be awkward. Building an enchantment like this, though, took a few days.¡±

    ¡°Fascinating,¡± Pash said. ¡°The demonstrations you have made are remarkable, though they are not precisely what I had in mind for testing.¡±

    I frowned.

    ¡°In what way was this demonstration inadequate?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Primarily, that it wasn¡¯t being recorded,¡± he said, with a rueful tone that made me smile, despite my pique. ¡°Though it was quite compelling, the aim of the tests is to catalogue your abilities, rather than inspire awe.¡±

    ¡°And now you know I have power over biology,¡± I said, with another disdainful look at Rhine. ¡°Which is my specialty, as it happens.¡±

    Rhine didn¡¯t respond, still dazed, and Pash smiled.

    ¡°Do you feel you still have enough strength, after that demonstration, for some testing?¡± he asked.

    ¡°That was nothing,¡± I said haughtily. ¡°Complex though it was, the power involved was only a shade more than trivial.¡±

    ¡°Then I believe we should begin that process next,¡± he said, then looked at Rhine. ¡°Under the circumstances, I believe Professor Rhine might need a few minutes to get his thoughts in order. Perhaps we might take a break, and meet you again in, say, half an hour?¡±

    ¡°Acceptable,¡± I said, and turned to leave.

    As I stepped out the door, the high of the exchange started coming down. I was surprised at how good that felt.

 Ch. 30 - Tolerance

    My anger had settled considerably by the time I returned to Rhine¡¯s office. While I didn¡¯t regret the end results, I was trying to steel myself to avoid a repeat performance. I didn¡¯t want to have either the reality or reputation of having a bad temper. I knew what that turned into.

    Rhine was almost groveling in apology, but the nature of his apology annoyed me. He was throwing words at me in order to get what he wanted - that is, to be transformed back into a male. He had no respect for me; he only respected my power. He didn¡¯t believe that he¡¯d done anything wrong, other than make a misjudgement about the reality of my power.

    When I clarified that my anger was primarily due to his disgusting, blatant disregard for academic principles - that is, his failure to favor evidence over assumptions - he finally picked decent words of apology to throw at me. They were about as sincere as a schoolyard bully¡¯s forced apology, but by then, I was tired of dealing with him.

    Pash served, more or less willingly, as the template for a male body, and I restored Rhine to the best of my ability, according to my memory.

    Afterwards, Pash brought up the subject of the test, and I agreed to come with.

    He set off down the hall, and I followed, along with Rhine. After a brief walk, he guided us into a room that had a table with a few objects on it, and to the side, an actual film camera. I¡¯d heard them described enough to recognize it, and was surprised. There was also a microphone set up to record sound.

    ¡°You can go sit at the table,¡± Pash said, gesturing. ¡°Profes- ah, Mister Rhine, if you would administer the test while I operate the equipment.¡±

    Rhine¡¯s face twitched in irritation, and he took a seat on the far side of the table, grabbing a deck of cards as he did so. Pash went to the camera and sound recorder, and got them ready.

    I sat down opposite of Rhine, looking at him curiously. He gestured at Pash, and then spoke.

    ¡°This is test one with subject alpha,¡± Rhine said, in clipped, professional tones. ¡°The purpose of this test is to demonstrate the subject¡¯s psychic ability.¡±

    He looked at me, drew a card, and said, ¡°Please tell me which card I am holding.¡±

    ¡°Er¡­¡± I hesitated. ¡°Previously, you¡¯d given me blank permission to access your mind, but that was a test of your intelligence, which you failed. Now that you¡¯ve learned a little more, morally, I feel the need to ask your permission to go into your mind.¡±

    Rhine sighed.

    ¡°Cutting it here,¡± Pash said, and started changing something on the camera.

    ¡°Obviously you have permission to proceed with the test,¡± Rhine said, annoyed.

    ¡°It¡¯s a moral boundary,¡± I said. ¡°Going into your mind is no minor feat!¡±

    ¡°Either way, you can do so with both of us, for this test,¡± Rhine said dismissively.

    I looked over at Pash, and he nodded slightly.

    ¡°Very well,¡± I said.

    ¡°We are ready to begin recording,¡± Pash said, and Rhine nodded.

    ¡°This is test one with subject alpha,¡± Rhine said again, in almost exactly the same tone as before. ¡°The purpose of this test is to demonstrate the subject¡¯s psychic ability. Please tell me which card I am holding.¡±

    I slipped Aeros magic into his mind, to gain access to his ability to see. It was the closest thing to ¡°psychic¡± among my abilities. As I gained control over his eyes - therefore making him lose control - he jumped back in shock and dropped the card.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± asked Pash, curious what had happened.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Rhine said dismissively. ¡°I felt the effect. Let¡¯s begin again.¡±

    Once more, Pash prepared the camera for a fresh recording, followed by Rhine presenting the test in dull, professional monotone.

    This time, while he flinched when I gained control over his eyes, he didn¡¯t drop the card.

    ¡°Three of spades,¡± I said, rubbing at my own eyes. It was a strange sensation.

    Pash began writing down notes.

    Rhine nodded, and grabbed another card, giving me an expectant look. I raised an eyebrow, but went along with it.

    Ten seconds later, I said, ¡°Ten of hearts.¡±

    Then he grabbed another card, as Pash wrote some more.

    ¡°How many of these are we going through?¡± I asked.

    Rhine¡¯s lip twitched in annoyance.

    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t take too long to go through the entire deck,¡± he said.

    ¡°You must be joking,¡± I said, staring at him.

    ¡°Why on Earth would I be joking?¡± he asked.

    ¡°That¡­ that is¡­ incredibly tedious¡­¡± I said.

    Pash¡¯s cheek tightened in a faint smile.

    ¡°If you can go through the entire deck without any errors, it is a significant demonstration of your ability,¡± he said.

    I frowned.

    ¡°But it¡¯s so pathetic,¡± I said. ¡°If we¡¯re testing my ability to control the mind, why not have me make you break your own finger, and then heal it?¡±

    ¡°We have a set arrangement of tests, designed by my department, for you to work with,¡± he said. ¡°You agreed to cooperate with the tests, so let us continue.¡±

    I gave Pash a dark look, and his expression was a blend of amused and apologetic.

    He¡¯d really been letting his expression be more readable over the last few times we¡¯d met.

    ¡°Fine,¡± I said, grumbling.

    ¡°We will edit the tape to remove this dialogue,¡± Pash said. ¡°Continue.¡±

    Rhine held up the next card, and I rolled my eyes.

    ¡°Seven of clubs,¡± I said after another several seconds.

    By the time we got halfway through the deck, I was annoyed, fatigued, with a headache, and a bizarre sensation in my eyes, like my mind wasn¡¯t attaching to them properly. That said, I¡¯d gotten faster - I could get the information in half the time.

    Pash and Rhine switched off, so that I was going into Pash¡¯s mind for access to his sense of sight. It was incredibly tempting to misbehave and look at things I wasn¡¯t supposed to, but I restrained myself.

    While recording, Rhine wrote his own notes. I vaguely wondered what they were writing down, but I wasn¡¯t curious enough to push the matter.

    By the time we reached the end of the deck, I¡¯d slowed down to a full ten seconds again, maybe even longer.

    ¡°Last one¡¯s done,¡± I said, feeling like smashing my face against the table. ¡°Let¡¯s not do that again¡­¡±

    ¡°The elapsed time of the test, in total, is sixteen minutes,¡± Rhine said. ¡°This concludes test one.¡±

    ¡°We should take a ten minute break,¡± Pash said, giving me that miniscule smile again. ¡°I will go take a smoke.¡±

    I made a face, and he looked curious.

    ¡°Those things fill your lungs with gunk,¡± I said. ¡°I cleaned out Slick¡¯s lungs once. It was disgusting.¡±

    ¡°Interesting,¡± Pash said. ¡°Perhaps we can add that to the list of tests. However, I would not be the initial volunteer.¡±

    Rhine¡¯s face twisted a little, and I realized that Pash had effectively volunteered him into the activity.

    I didn¡¯t feel like commenting further. I just laid my head down on the table and made incoherent grumbling noises.

    Rhine also apparently wanted to smoke, and a number of minutes later, both of them returned. My headache had diminished somewhat. Unfortunately, magic strain was not something that magic could fix, so I was going to have to deal with it.

    This time, Rhine started the recording, while Pash sat down at the table.

    ¡°Before the test begins,¡± Pash said, ¡°this test is to have you levitate this ball.¡±

    He gestured at a little rubber ball, which was probably lighter than the deck of cards.

    ¡°Like this?¡± I asked, in a tongue in cheek way, using a touch of Flamus to send the ball flying into the air.

    Both looked fascinated.

    ¡°That is correct,¡± Pash said.

    ¡°Can I make it interesting, say by flying it around in various fun ways?¡± I asked, demonstrating some loop de loops, and spinning the ball all around the room.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid, for this test, you are simply to hold it in the air,¡± he said.

    ¡°Right,¡± I said, raising an eyebrow. ¡°For how long?¡±

    ¡°As long as you can,¡± he said.

    ¡°You¡¯re kidding¡­¡± I said.

    He looked curious, and I started making my seat more comfortable.

    ¡°Is that an issue?¡± he asked.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be here for hours,¡± I said.

    Both of them looked surprised again. I rolled my eyes. It was annoyingly stupid to make a series of tests without actually asking me what I was able to do.

    ¡°Perhaps ten minutes will suffice,¡± Pash said.

    ¡°If I¡¯m going to be holding something for ten minutes, how about I hold you?¡± I asked dryly.

    ¡°Would that be equivalent effort?¡± he asked.

    ¡°No,¡± I said. ¡°And that¡¯s why it wouldn¡¯t be so boring. You¡¯d take more power, since you¡¯re heavier, but for ten minutes, that¡¯s still well within my strength. The bigger issue is making sure I don¡¯t pinch anything, or cut off circulation, which means I¡¯d at least have something to do for those ten minutes.¡±

    He smiled.

    ¡°In any case, let us simply proceed with the test as planned, for now,¡± he said.

    I sighed, and Rhine began recording.

    When Pash indicated, with his introduction of ¡°test two with subject alpha,¡± I levitated the little ball and waited.

    At least it was a different element, so it required a different type of focus. The shift in strain was like exercising a different muscle, leaving me with plenty to work with.

    At the ten minute mark, I amused myself by splitting the ball into eight pieces, and making them fly around each other in various patterns. Both men watched in fascination for a moment.

    ¡°I can put the ball back together, if you like,¡± I said, after I was done.

    ¡°We have no further need of it,¡± Pash said.

    With that, he stood up, and swapped with Rhine again.

    ¡°The third test will be for you to turn this stone into a diamond,¡± Rhine said, holding out an entirely ordinary rock.

    ¡°But¡­¡± I started to protest.

    ¡°We know you are capable of that. Boring as it may be, this is the test chosen,¡± Rhine said.

    I shook my head.

    ¡°But it has no diamond bits in it,¡± I said.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡± Rhine asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know the words,¡± I said. ¡°But diamond is made of itty bitty bits. Those bits are in everything that¡¯s alive, but they¡¯re not in rocks.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ see,¡± he said. ¡°What could you turn the rock into?¡±

    I extended my mage sense into the rock.

    ¡°Um¡­ metal,¡± I said. ¡°There¡¯s some metal bits in here.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not very impressive,¡± Rhine said.

    I gave him a dark look.

    ¡°What about gemstones?¡± he asked.

    I looked at the rock again.

    ¡°Quartz, maybe?¡± I said.

    ¡°Even less impressive,¡± Rhine said. ¡°How did you make the diamond ring?¡±

    ¡°From shavings of wood, from your hotel bed,¡± I said.

    He sighed.

    ¡°I suppose we can delay the tests while I get some wood,¡± Rhine said.

    ¡°Not really necessary,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t need long hair - I could take off a handful of it, make diamond out of it, and grow more later. Or, if you¡¯re willing to be patient, I can make it from the air.¡±

    ¡°From the air?¡± Pash asked, startled.

    ¡°The air we breathe out has the bits that make up diamond,¡± I explained. ¡°But there¡¯s not a lot of it, so it¡¯d take some time to gather.¡±

    ¡°What you are describing sounds like atoms,¡± Rhine said. ¡°You can see individual atoms?¡±

    ¡°Not exactly,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s more that I can feel patterns, and I¡¯ve learned to recognize and use some patterns to various ends.¡±

    ¡°We will have to incorporate that into future tests,¡± Rhine said. ¡°In the meantime, I will go gather some wood to use, since that¡¯s what was used previously.¡±

    I nodded, and he quickly left the room. Pash was giving me a contemplative look, but didn¡¯t speak for a moment.

    ¡°Carbon atoms,¡± he said, surprising me.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡± I said.

    ¡°The name for the ¡®diamond bits,¡¯¡± Pash said, with an amused smile.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said, feeling a little torn. I felt like I wasn¡¯t supposed to be grateful to him, because he wasn¡¯t trustworthy, but gratitude was filling my chest anyway.

    ¡°You are quite welcome, Ms. Koryn,¡± he said.

    After a few minutes, Rhine returned with a chunk of wood. It looked like part of a broken branch from outside.

    ¡°I believe this will do,¡± he said, putting it on the table, and I nodded again.

    He sat down next to me while Pash got the camera ready again.

    ¡°This is test three with subject alpha,¡± Rhine said, in exactly the same tone as before. ¡°The purpose of this test is to demonstrate the subject¡¯s ability to transmute wood into diamond.¡±

    ¡°I forgot to ask,¡± I said sheepishly. ¡°Do you want me to narrate the process?¡±

    ¡°No need,¡± Rhine said.

    I nodded and got to work. First, I pulled out all the water, and then all the other non carbon atoms from the framework. All of the carbon was attached to non carbon, which is why that step was more difficult, but it only took me a few seconds.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    When that step was completed, I had loose, black soot in my hands. Rhine and Pash were fascinated, and I treated them to an amused smile before the final step. Now that it was pure, I simply had to compress it all together, and get it to bind to itself in the pattern it liked most.

    Once done, I presented the final product to Rhine. The most natural shape that magic takes is a sphere, always. In three dimensions, anyway - it takes the shape of a circle, in two dimensions, and in one dimension, there is only one shape - a line. I could have permitted it to take the shape most natural for diamond, but I thought it¡¯d be nicer to showcase the preferences of magic.

    Rhine picked up the three inch diameter sphere and gave it an appreciative look before turning to the camera.

    ¡°This will be sent along with the video as evidence,¡± Rhine said. ¡°That concludes test three.¡±

    With that, Pash turned off the camera.

    ¡°I believe that will be all for today,¡± Pash said.

    ¡°How much more of this inanity should I expect to endure?¡± I asked.

    Rhine gave me an annoyed look as he started packing things away.

    ¡°There is a long series of recorded demonstrations that we have planned,¡± Pash said.

    ¡°These demonstrations are pathetic,¡± I said. ¡°You¡¯ve asked nothing of me that I couldn¡¯t do from the time I was five, nevermind that I wouldn¡¯t have done them so well.¡±

    ¡°With all due respect, Ms. Koryn, we haven¡¯t any idea what you were capable of at five,¡± Pash said smoothly.

    ¡°With all due respect, Lieutenant, you never asked,¡± I said. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it make far more sense to sit down with me and have me tell you my capabilities, and then design your tests accordingly?¡±

    ¡°While I will be happy to have dinner with you,¡± Pash said, catching me by surprise, ¡°and hear about what you can do, this set of tests has less to do with the extent of your ability, and more to do with persuading others to listen, without causing unrest.¡±

    ¡°Hmph. It seems like a waste of my valuable time,¡± I said.

    ¡°It is good of you to be willing to sacrifice it, for the sake of a peaceful introduction,¡± Pash said, making my lip twitch in consternation. ¡°As far as that discussion, perhaps Thursday evening?¡±

    ¡°Very well,¡± I said. ¡°And in the meantime? I¡¯ve been wasting my time trying to figure out how to track magic - I honestly don¡¯t think I¡¯ll manage it in under a year, at the rate I¡¯m going.¡±

    ¡°Every advancement in that attempt is invaluable, if the Germans do, indeed, have access to magic,¡± Pash said.

    ¡°Fine,¡± I muttered. ¡°I suppose I should be off, then?¡±

    ¡°As you prefer, Ms. Koryn,¡± Pash said. ¡°I will call you as soon as we are ready for the next set of tests, and I will pick you up at eight o¡¯clock on Thursday.¡±

    The following two days were more of the strange torture, of feeling I could do so much more, and was held back by the advice of others. Still, I tried, and grew more aggressive in my approach. If something went massively out of control, it wouldn¡¯t be as large of a problem now, since I¡¯d already been ¡°found out.¡±

    Thursday evening, I wore a simple dress, trying to look formal, but not fetching, since aside from talking with Pash, I wasn¡¯t sure what the plan was.

    At eight o¡¯clock, the doorbell rang, and I answered it to see Pash looking quite sharp, but not particularly military.

    ¡°Greetings, Ms. Koryn,¡± he said with a charming smile. ¡°You look lovely, as always. Shall we?¡±

    I nodded as I stepped outside with him, and said, ¡°Where are we going?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s an italian restaurant that I suspect you haven¡¯t tried,¡± he said. ¡°The food is excellent.¡±

    ¡°A restaurant?¡± I said, surprised, as I started to get into his car. ¡°An actual restaurant? For the sort of discussion we¡¯re going to have?¡±

    ¡°There is no reason to concern yourself,¡± he said. ¡°No one will have any idea what we are talking about, as long as you don¡¯t mention that you are ¡®the impossible.¡¯¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t planning on it,¡± I said huffily, and he smiled.

    The ride was quiet for a moment, aside from the muted roar of the engine.

    ¡°Any new information on the testing process?¡± I asked.

    He nodded.

    ¡°We submitted the report Tuesday afternoon,¡± he said. ¡°There has been a bit of excitement over the contents, but, as expected, it is well controlled. As I understand, the material is being discussed by higher ranking military officials as of earlier today. I expect to hear from them tomorrow.¡±

    I nodded thoughtfully.

    ¡°That does sound quite¡­ tame,¡± I said. ¡°Did you know, one of my ideas was to walk into a military base, demonstrate my power, and whenever they stopped trying to kill or capture me, to talk with whomever hadn¡¯t run away?¡±

    He chuckled at that, long and slow. I had a feeling that this rumbling amusement was as close to belly laughing as this man ever got.

    ¡°That would have been fascinating to see,¡± he said, mirth still thick in his voice. ¡°I imagine the results would depend in great deal upon which base you approached. Some commanders would merely escalate, and would not think to stop and simply discuss.¡±

    ¡°Truly?¡± I asked. ¡°In the face of a superior foe, your people would keep trying?¡±

    ¡°To date, humanity has never encountered an enemy that cannot be overcome by the application of more numerous or more powerful weapons,¡± he said. ¡°Explosives, in particular.¡±

    I frowned at that.

    ¡°And, forgive me if I am mistaken, Ms. Koryn, but would such a tactic fail against you?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I suppose not,¡± I said with a sigh. ¡°Though, really, I would be able to tell when my defenses were crumbling. I¡¯d have to make the choice whether to flee or fight back, if it got bad enough.¡±

    ¡°And if you could not flee?¡± he asked.

    I opened my mouth to answer, but made no sound.

    The fastest and most effective way to instantly kill a mundane is to snip the base of the brain stem, my mother¡¯s voice whispered, and I shuddered, just as I had shuddered when she¡¯d first told me that.

    Connections in the spine itself could be magically replicated, such as by an enchantment. Stopping the heart permitted consciousness for several seconds, permitting various mind magics to record, transmit, or otherwise provide control. An attack could still continue after the heart was stopped, though not for long.

    That approach was something that could only be blocked by someone who was personally a spellcaster, or had powerful or specialized enchantments, since I¡¯d learned to trace the path through the very nervous system of the target.

    I could make all of the attackers drop dead on the spot.

    But¡­

    Only if I could will it to happen. Only if I wanted to. Which meant...

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t do that,¡± I said softly. ¡°Not on purpose.¡±

    He nodded.

    ¡°It is good that you did not choose that approach,¡± he said.

    I felt like curling up in a little ball.

    We were quiet for the rest of the drive. Pash looked contemplative.

    ¡°Here we are,¡± he said, as we parked.

    I got out of the car and walked with him into the restaurant. We were guided to our seats in the back. There was enough ambient music, combined with enough distance between tables that it would be hard for anyone to overhear anything we said.

    We sat and made meaningless small talk about the restaurant while our orders were taken. Once I expected us to not be disturbed for a few minutes, at least, I decided to change the topic.

    ¡°As for the real reason we¡¯re here,¡± I said, and his eyes glinted, as the only sign that he knew what I was talking about. ¡°I believe the best approach is to briefly describe the six elements, which will give you the tools to predict how magic might be made to work.¡±

    He nodded, either completely failing to hide the intensity of his interest, or having decided not to bother trying.

    As I explained, he asked very few questions, and then, only to clarify aspects that I hadn¡¯t described well.

    ¡°That¡¯s why I was using Aeros for the card test,¡± I said. ¡°I connected the chaos of my mind with the chaos of your mind, swapping in your mind¡¯s ability to understand sight. That¡¯s also why you lost control of your eyes - I¡¯m not good at mind magic, so I ended up taking over all of your connection with sight.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± he said, looking thoughtful. ¡°But surely that¡¯s not the only element you could have achieved that with.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Lum, for instance,¡± he said. ¡°Would you have been able to simply know the nature of the card¡¯s existence?¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± I said. ¡°Um, maybe? That does sound like Lum, but I can barely do anything with that element. I, personally, couldn¡¯t do that.¡±

    ¡°What about making a way to see it, from a distance?¡± he asked. ¡°A way to redirect the light to your eyes?¡±

    ¡°A mirror, you mean?¡± I said.

    ¡°Perhaps in a way that others couldn¡¯t see,¡± he said, looking amused.

    ¡°I can imagine the idea of how to make a sort of light bending device that could get light only from where I need it, and direct it where it needs to go, while letting all other light pass through, leaving it effectively invisible,¡± I said. ¡°But you have to understand, there¡¯s¡­ sort of two parts of magic.¡±

    His eyes lit up again.

    ¡°There¡¯s raw power, which I have a decent measure of, and can apply equally to all of the elements,¡± I said. ¡°I can make light with Lum, and I can make it bright enough to blind you. Probably bright enough to scorch your flesh into withered scraps. But, the other aspect, the part that makes the idea of elements matter, is control.¡±

    I tried to think of how to express it.

    ¡°Like being amazing at giving speeches, but bad at handwriting, because of damage to your hands,¡± I said. ¡°Even if all the words are there in your head, actually making them come out properly just won¡¯t work if you can¡¯t hold a pen.¡±

    He nodded thoughtfully.

    ¡°So you are poor at grasping the element of Lum,¡± he said, in his slow, contemplative way.

    I nodded.

    ¡°I¡¯m not terrible at comprehending it, which is what that word usually means,¡± I said. ¡°But, on a gut level, on a spiritual level, however you describe the equivalent of the hands with which I hold magic, my hands shake and stutter at trying to command Lum.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± he said. ¡°Which of the elements are you skilled with?¡±

    ¡°Aquas,¡± I said immediately. ¡°I would likely be called masterful in my skill with it, even back home. Flamus and An Lum are my next best elements, though I¡¯ve been getting rustier with An Lum. Aeros, I¡¯ve gotten quite a bit of practice with since coming here, especially with creating the language enchantment.¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± he said, musing. ¡°With Aquas - let me think. I imagine that you could make the cards partially transparent, and modify your eyes to match, so that only you could see through them.¡±

    ¡°True,¡± I said. ¡°But it¡¯s important to also understand the limit of knowledge. I don¡¯t actually know how eyes work. Rather, I know enough to enable me to copy someone else¡¯s eye, copy the function, and make it compatible with my own process of vision. If I had, for instance, some sort of bird that could see another type of light, I could copy that bird¡¯s sight, and do so myself. But, aside from making my vision perfectly clear, I simply don¡¯t know enough to enhance my sight.¡±

    He nodded. ¡°And the transparency effect itself?¡±

    ¡°As long as I have the knowledge, such a process would be child¡¯s play,¡± I said, with a shrug. ¡°I haven¡¯t got that knowledge, but a simple book on the topic would be all I¡¯d need.¡±

    He tapped his finger on his chin.

    ¡°With Grath, then, I imagine you could make the back of the card change to match the pattern on the front?¡± he asked. ¡°Perhaps by raising it in relief?¡±

    I thought for a second, trying to force my mind into the rigid pattern of Grath thinking, then nodded.

    ¡°I think that¡¯d work,¡± I said. ¡°Though, Grath is the other element with which I am wretched.¡±

    ¡°Flamus is giving me some trouble,¡± he said, still looking contemplative, and I laughed.

    ¡°Flamus is wretched for discreet information gathering,¡± I said wryly. ¡°It would, however, be fantastic at simply acquiring the card by force.¡±

    ¡°That I can imagine,¡± he said. ¡°As for An Lum - would you simply know which card it was?¡±

    I shook my head.

    ¡°An Lum isn¡¯t great at giving actual knowledge, exactly,¡± I said. ¡°Instead, you¡¯d ¡®randomly¡¯ guess which card it was, and happen to be correct.¡±

    ¡°Fascinating,¡± he said. ¡°Was there a reason you didn¡¯t use that element?¡±

    ¡°Three reasons,¡± I said. ¡°One, he said it was a test of my ¡®psychic¡¯ ability, so I figured the type of magic that was the closest fit to that was the best choice.¡±

    He chuckled at that.

    ¡°Two,¡± I continued, ¡°it¡¯s a hard element for most people to understand, and if people asked me how I did it, it¡¯d set up a challenging precedent to work with. An Lum is reliable, and it does follow rules, but if your understanding of it is imperfect, you¡¯re liable to come to false conclusions. If your people did that, they might end up concluding I was lying about something, especially if they didn¡¯t want to admit to being wrong.¡±

    ¡°An exceptionally wise concern,¡± he said. ¡°And the third reason?¡±

    ¡°An Lum is known as simultaneously the most powerful and least powerful of all the elements,¡± I said. ¡°To do anything in the moment with An Lum requires an extreme amount of power. But it is the only element with the ability to truly perceive the future or past. I¡¯ve made an enchantment for O¡¯Brien along those lines, actually.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± he asked. ¡°What sort of enchantment?¡±

    ¡°It permits him to see the history of an area, up to an hour back,¡± I said, choosing the simpler of the enchantments to explain. I further described how it worked.

    ¡°Is he a spellcaster, then?¡± he asked, and I spluttered.

    ¡°I, er, I mean,¡± I said, trying to go back to a straight face. ¡°I-it¡¯s an enchantment, so he doesn¡¯t, um, need to be a spellcaster to, um, do that.¡±

    He raised an eyebrow and smiled as I shoved a bite of cold pasta into my mouth to give me the excuse to not say anything. My masterful deception did not appear to be especially effective.

    ¡°I see,¡± he said, and thankfully, he didn¡¯t seem to intend to push the matter. ¡°Are there any other key aspects of magic I should know about?¡±

    ¡°Probably,¡± I said. ¡°I can¡¯t think of any other major fundamentals I should mention off the top of my head. What you know should suffice for designing tests that are not ludicrously pathetic.¡±

    He chuckled at that.

    ¡°You should be aware that Rhine and his department are the ones involved in designing the tests,¡± he said with an amused glint in his eye. ¡°My role is to simply assist in their research process, and to supervise for the purpose of validating the results with the military.¡±

    ¡°Why is he in charge, when you are the one with intelligence?¡± I asked.

    A deep chuckle emerged from him, just like the one in the car that made me think it was as much as he ever laughed.

    ¡°I suspect our society would look far different, if intelligence were the deciding factor in placing people into positions of power,¡± he said dryly.

    ¡°I suppose my world is no better, for that,¡± I said with a sigh. ¡°Outside of spellcasters, all sorts of people rule for all sorts of reasons, some more sensible than others. Within spellcasters, the only law is power, and certain lines that must never be crossed. Intelligence only plays a role in that it¡¯s hard to achieve truly great power with magic without it.¡±

    ¡°Which does not always end well, I suspect,¡± he said.

    ¡°You have no idea,¡± I said, closing my eyes and shuddering. ¡°Perhaps¡­ perhaps I should tell you some of the stories, so that there¡¯s another measure of protection to prevent such things happening here.¡±

    ¡°Another time,¡± he said with a smile. ¡°We will have a great deal of time together, you and I, and I see no reason to bring down a perfectly good dinner with such morbid tales.¡±

    ¡°I suppose so,¡± I said, giving him a wry smile.

    I wasn¡¯t quite so much a fool as to believe he wasn¡¯t manipulating me. Between the distrust the others had for him and the fact that Lou believed that he was choosing his words to align with my preferences, it made this transformation of his rather suspect.

    The change was as slow as though he were simply growing to trust me and that this was his true self beneath the harsh exterior I¡¯d seen before. From the cold, rigid investigator who¡¯d scared the life out of me, into the sort of intelligent, personable, charm that I found nearly irresistable for a friend? It was far too perfect to be believed.

    And yet, even though my mind was nearly completely sure it was an attack, a fool part of my heart wanted to believe that this revelation was actually truth, and wanted to trust him.

    Even though I knew from first meeting him, that he was a fox.

    But he could be a nice fox, the thought whispered in my mind.

    I was obviously an idiot. Still, I didn¡¯t want to call him out on it. Better to face the nice approach than to force him to try a different angle of attack, one that I might not see through. I just had to somehow guard myself against his newly acquired charm.

    Which included not letting this last manuever make me feel like I was obligated to have more evenings like this, in order to share more knowledge of my homeworld.

    Yes, because more evenings as lovely and pleasant as this one would be terrible, that snide part of my mind thought.

    I smiled at my own idiocy, directing the smile at the pleasant foe with amusement glinting in his eyes.

    ¡°Going back to the subject of the tests,¡± I said, ¡°Is there any chance you might be able to influence them to perhaps be less mind numbingly boring?¡±

    ¡°I fear that would prove difficult,¡± he said, his smile warm. ¡°The tests are designed with the aim of demonstrating only one capability at any given time, which makes them simple by necessity.¡±

    I frowned.

    ¡°That said,¡± he went on, ¡°with the knowledge I now have of your ability, I can encourage the tests to better match your actual limits.¡±

    ¡°What difference would that actually make?¡± I asked. ¡°What you need to know is the potential of magic itself, within the context of the Germans. What do my limits matter?¡±

    ¡°You, personally, are the only resource available to America that has any ability to counter, directly or indirectly, the prospect of magic-wielding Nazi forces,¡± he said.

    ¡°Not as a weapon,¡± I said.

    ¡°That has been made clear,¡± he said wryly. ¡°Regardless, knowing your limits are critical for the purpose of ensuring your talents are both used to their fullest extent, while also not risking you in any way.¡±

    ¡°One would think,¡± I said dryly, ¡°That if he were going to design tests for me, that he¡¯d make the tests more explicitly impossible, considering that he¡¯s labeled me ¡®the Impossible.¡¯¡±

    He went still, all except for his eyes, as my brain caught up with my mouth.

    The one thing I wasn¡¯t supposed to say.

    I went bright red, and as he recovered from his surprise, he chuckled again.

    ¡°Okay, fine, so I¡¯d make a terrible spy,¡± I muttered.

    ¡°The worst spy to ever live,¡± he said, amusement still thick in his voice.

    ¡°Maybe not the worst spy,¡± I said, scowling.

    He raised an eyebrow and was clearly trying not to openly snicker at me.

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget, I can cheat,¡± I said. ¡°I could be a perfectly good spy, as long as talking wasn¡¯t involved.¡±

    ¡°I struggle to think of how that could be managed,¡± he said.

    ¡°I could just go over to Berlin and walk wherever I pleased,¡± I said. ¡°Who could stop me?¡±

    ¡°You look Jewish,¡± he said wryly. ¡°I¡¯m quite certain that they¡¯d stop you. And if you resisted, they¡¯d use guns - which, I believe, would be effective in sufficient quantities.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have to look like this,¡± I said, giving him a pointed look. ¡°You already know that.¡±

    ¡°Regardless of your appearance, Ms. Koryn, I don¡¯t believe you could act like you belong convincingly enough to fool anyone,¡± he said, still smiling.

    ¡°I could always shift into a dog,¡± I said. ¡°No one suspects dogs of anything. And even if they figured it out, I can still use magic like that, so I could still protect myself.¡±

    ¡°In which case, they¡¯d know they¡¯re facing a dog,¡± he said, looking terribly amused.

    ¡°But what kind?¡± I asked. ¡°Changing fur details is trivial.¡±

    ¡°In which case, they might try to kill all the dogs in all of Germany,¡± he said, leaning on his arm in a relaxed posture. ¡°Would you truly wish to be the cause of a canine genocide?¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at that, a sound which prompted him to join me. We laughed like old friends for a long moment, and I found myself wishing it were real.

    ¡°In all seriousness, though, I am concerned about Rhine,¡± I said. ¡°It is deeply unsettling to me that someone so blatantly idiotic has any measure of authority over me, in any respect that anyone believes legitimate. I mean, he gave me blanket permission to do anything I wished to with his mind, last we spoke.¡±

    ¡°He is merely a stepping stone,¡± Pash said, still smiling from our moment of shared laughter. ¡°There are brilliant minds here in America, and I suspect you will be working with them directly in the relatively near future.¡±

    ¡°But are they in charge, though?¡± I asked.

    He flinched in an entirely believable way.

    ¡°Dealing with politicians is a reality that most everyone must endure, at some point,¡± he said. ¡°But you will be serving the interests of America, which means you can be certain that, whatever the means, it is to a good end.¡±

    ¡°I will not be serving the interests of America,¡± I said. ¡°I will be serving the interests of humanity, and as long as America cooperates with that, it will have my aid, but not for an instant longer.¡±

    ¡°Humanity, according to your perceptions of what it requires,¡± he said, his expression wry. ¡°Many would find that concerning.¡±

    ¡°Many would also find it concerning for someone with the power to change the entire existance of the world as you know it to simply do as she is told, with no consideration for the consequences,¡± I said.

    ¡°A fair point,¡± he said. ¡°Regardless, there are times when it is wise to confer with others.¡±

    ¡°Which is the main reason I¡¯ve allowed myself to be leashed to the will of my friends for these years,¡± I said. ¡°There is no force more dangerous than a spellcaster who believes he needs no perspective other than his own.¡±

    ¡°An exceptionally reassuring thing for you to say, Ms. Koryn,¡± he said. ¡°¡®Leashing¡¯ yourself, as you say, to America would be the safest course for this world¡¯s future. This is the land of the free, and it is more dedicated to that ideal than any other nation.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps, when I meet these brilliant minds you mentioned, I might be persuaded,¡± I said.

    His smile brightened.

    ¡°Tell me, Ms. Koryn,¡± he said. ¡°Have you ever heard of Einstein?¡±

 Ch. 31 - Military

    The conversation with Pash about America¡¯s great minds was fun. I got the impression that the only reason I¡¯d not heard of Albert Einstein was because I¡¯d not gone through the public school system - he was practically legendary, according to Pash, and currently a professor at an institute a few hours away.

    He mentioned several notable figures of the modern day, but Einstein in particular seemed most fascinating. Pash told me that he was working on a ¡°grand unification theory,¡± in attempt to find a way to bring all the forces of nature into one theory. It sounded as though it might be related to the foundations of magic that I¡¯d been taught, though Pash couldn¡¯t confirm it, not knowing any details himself.

    He did mention the possibility of working with various scientists in my time with the military. I got the impression that the word ¡°scientist¡± was a better match for my conception of a scholar, and found myself looking forward to that collaboration.

    Our conversation ended on that note, and Pash took me back home. I called Lou to tell her about it, and she was wary of Pash¡¯s motives, which was expected. She was familiar with Einstein, and apparently found it ridiculous that I¡¯d not heard of him, even though I¡¯d not gone to their schools.

    The next day, Pash called and let me know that arrangements were being made for a round of testing and demonstration on a military base, instead of simply continuing with Professor Rhine. I wholeheartedly approved of this change, and gladly agreed to be picked up first thing Tuesday morning.

    Saturday turned into a little wartime get together with Lou and Slick. We felt we needed to discuss the war¡¯s events and my potential participation, since I was now scheduled to meet with the military in a more official capacity.

    As Lou had feared, the war wasn¡¯t going well. Britain was one of the few places in Europe that Germany hadn¡¯t already conquered. Pretty much the only things keeping Britain going were its legendary navy, and surprisingly enough, its air force.

    The navy, supported by a smattering of other countries, including Canada, were trying to control and protect shipping routes, which were critical for Britain¡¯s survival. Germany, however, had forced France into surrender, and then into service, which gave them easy access to the ocean. German U-boats were wreaking havoc on Allied forces and merchant ships. Britain had to abandon the Channel Islands, which Germany was now occupying. I could only hope that the tens of thousands of civilians who hadn¡¯t evacuated would be fine.

    The air force had the staggering job of holding back the German aerial wing, called the Luftwaffe, from their bombing raids. Which wasn¡¯t new, really. The Luftwaffe had been bombing Britain since late May. Recently, it had been Wales, Scotland, and Ireland under fire. The Luftwaffe kept changing their targets - always industrial or military, but the uncertainty of who would be hit next kept the Allied civilians in a state of unending fear. They weren¡¯t buckling under the pressure, which said quite a bit about the hearts of their people.

    Still, with the attacks on the shipping routes in the British channels as of the 10th, things had escalated from occasional swats at British industry into full fledged aerial warfare. It was being called ¡°the battle of Britain,¡± based on a comment that Churchill had made in his last major speech.

    In many ways, it seemed as though the fate of the world hung on this protracted battle. If Germany took over Europe, even America¡¯s excessive military might would be meaningless.

    America was getting more involved, for what it was worth. President Roosevelt had pushed for massive increases in military spending, to further the aid they were supplying to the Allied forces in Britain.

    All this discussion reminded me of why I was avoiding listening to the radio. The sinking sense of imminent doom that seemed to accompany every tidbit of news was not helping me any.

    We tried to figure out if there were any signs of magic in the war. The big picture made it look like something was up - the overwhelmingly successful German offensive was terrifying. But on any individual level, it looked like merely mundane means. Were they holding back? Or were they using magic for something that didn¡¯t reach the news?

    Hours of speculation passed with no real conclusions. We just didn¡¯t have enough information. Cautious cooperation was still the only avenue that seemed reasonable, for the time being.

    That disappointing conversation was followed by a few more days of disappointing attempts at ¡°research.¡± I mostly concluded two things - tracking down magic was entirely possible, and I was never going to figure it out on my own.

    Even so, I was in reasonably bright spirits on the morning of July 23rd, when Pash came by to pick me up. We were heading to Fort Devens, which was an hour or so outside of Boston.

    During the drive, Pash was entirely as charming as I¡¯d grown to expect from him. He¡¯d apparently decided to brush up on his understanding of atomic theory, after our conversation on Thursday, so that he could teach and discuss the subject with me, which I found bizarrely flattering. It was a ridiculous way to get into my good graces, and even though on some level I couldn¡¯t believe it was working, it was nonetheless proving effective.

    The truth was, he¡¯d put in solid, real effort into doing something to impress me, based on what he¡¯d learned of my interests. And, the avenue he¡¯d chosen had the clearly established outcome of making me more powerful, in application.

    He was making it ridiculously hard to revile him.

    There was no way I¡¯d be able to admit any of this to Lou, Slick, or Liam. They¡¯d just give me that look, like I was being childish or naive. I¡¯d just have to keep my growing appreciation for the fox secret.

    I looked around at the base as we drove in. They were starting some massive construction of some kind. It gave me a feeling of foreboding, to see a military installation being quickly advanced. We drove past some security, who were obviously expecting us, before parking near a nondescript building.

    I quietly followed Pash inside, past some more soldiers, before being led to an office. A man sat at the desk inside, silver hair making an increasing presence on his scalp, giving me a sharp, appraising look. There was a strip of cloth on each of his shoulders, which both showed a single star. None of the other soldiers had any markings with stars, so I imagined it was related to his rank.

    ¡°Greetings, General Richardson,¡± Pash said with a respectful tilt of his head.

    ¡°Lieutenant Pash,¡± the general replied curtly.

    His eyes barely flickered towards Pash before returning their scrutiny to me.

    ¡°Miss Aera Koryn,¡± he said, in a way that made me want to sit down and meekly do as I was told. ¡°Do you understand why you are here?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± I said. ¡°I am to demonstrate my skill in a controlled environment, according to your directives.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± he said. ¡°The nature of these demonstrations will vary, according to your successes, as they come. Pash tells me that you have the ability to stop bullets. Is this correct?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± I said.

    His eyebrow twitched skeptically, as though he wasn¡¯t expecting me to actually confirm that claim.

    ¡°Very well,¡± he said. ¡°Our first stop will be the firing range. You are not to put yourself in harm¡¯s way. There will also be no tampering with equipment. Is that understood?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± I said.

    I had the impression I was going to be saying those two words a great deal.

    He stood up with an unnaturally rigid posture, much like the rest of the soldiers I¡¯d glimpsed around the base. I was realizing that the oddly rigid and formal approach that Pash had demonstrated when we¡¯d first met was due to the military, rather than a personal preference. It was a bit unnerving.

    Pash and I followed Richardson outside and down a little dirt walkway until we reached a cleared field next to a little building. On the near side, there were little barricades, with a young soldier standing next to them. Like his general, he stood stiffly, and he was holding a gun.

    It wasn¡¯t pointing at me, and rather, was held across his chest in a formal sort of way. The soldier also didn¡¯t give any sign of noticing me - his eyes were for the general only.

    Was everything in the military this bizarrely rigid?

    ¡°Private Marshall will be providing assistance,¡± Richardson said. ¡°Miss Koryn, you are to remain here, next to me, and not touch or interact with Private Marshall in any way. From here, you are to block the bullets from hitting the targets.¡±

    He quickly gestured at some figures in the distance - wooden targets, probably. The closest ones couldn¡¯t have been closer than dozens of feet, at least.

    ¡°I¡¯m to block the bullets, at range?¡± I asked, surprised.

    ¡°Are you capable of that?¡± Richardson asked.

    ¡°Um¡­ vaguely,¡± I said. ¡°The nearest ones¡­ probably. It¡¯ll be tiring, though.¡±

    ¡°Noted,¡± he said, then turned to face the soldier. ¡°Private, take aim at the target at ten meters. Fire on my command.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± the soldier said, and promptly turned to aim at the closest target.

    ¡°Miss Koryn, are you ready?¡± Richardson asked.

    ¡°Er, not quite yet,¡± I said. ¡°Give me a moment.¡±

    He nodded and I turned my attention to the target. I¡¯d not made barriers further away than ten, maybe twenty feet at most, in my life.

    Reaching the target with my magesense was easy, but when I shifted my focus to Flamus, I started to feel unbalanced. Pushing my magic into the solid manifestation of a barrier gave me such bad vertigo that I started to fall over.

    ¡°Are you alright, Ms. Koryn?¡± Pash asked, his hands steadying my shoulders.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I said. ¡°Are we sure I can¡¯t just go out onto the range and let the soldier shoot me directly, instead?¡±

    ¡°Under the circumstances, I cannot permit that,¡± Richardson said. ¡°How close do you need to be?¡±

    ¡°Let me try again from here,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll sit on the ground.¡±

    Pash had a fleeting look of surprise, but extended a hand to help me lower myself to the dirt. I took a breath and focused again. This time, I didn¡¯t need to pay attention to my own physical existence as much, freeing up some mental resources.

    ¡°I¡¯ve created an absorption barrier,¡± I said after a moment, my voice a little shaky. ¡°It won¡¯t reflect the bullet, even if it¡¯s overwhelmed, so there¡¯s no danger.¡±

    ¡°Understood,¡± Richardson said. ¡°Private Marshall, fire.¡±

    The sound of the contained explosion made me flinch, but the impact was only slightly stronger than I¡¯d expected. The surge of magic in the connection made me briefly dizzy again, but I held it together.

    ¡°Interesting,¡± Richardson said, his voice showing sign of intrigue. ¡°Can your barrier withstand more shots?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± I said. ¡°Feel free to shoot until it breaks - no matter what you do, it won¡¯t harm me in the least.¡±

    ¡°Very well. Private Marshall, fire at will,¡± he said.

    Again and again, that earsplitting sound of gunfire echoed across the field. After the twelfth shot, which took a minute or so, I raised my hand to get the General¡¯s attention.

    ¡°I need a moment,¡± I said, my voice shaking so badly I would have been shocked if he made out all the words.

    ¡°The bullets overwhelmed the barrier?¡± Richardson asked, after telling the soldier to stop shooting.

    ¡°No,¡± I said, taking slow, deep breaths between sentences. ¡°They were well within my strength. I just am not practiced at holding barriers at that range. I couldn¡¯t keep it up any longer.¡±

    ¡°How close would you need to be to demonstrate your full defensive ability?¡± he asked.

    ¡°The closer I am, the better,¡± I said. ¡°Within three to five feet would be best, but I¡¯d put up a good defense at ten feet, I think.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± he said, musing. ¡°Would you expect to be in any danger, if you were hit by a stray bullet?¡±

    ¡°None,¡± I said. ¡°I have created an enchantment which should withstand at least half a dozen shots of that strength before it needs to be recharged.¡±

    He didn¡¯t seemed phased by the word, which suggested that Pash had told him about enchantments. He nodded slowly, thinking, and then turned his gaze on me again.

    ¡°I will not put you out in line of fire unless there is reason to be absolutely certain of your safety,¡± he said. ¡°You will stand ten feet off to the side of the target, and will not move without my leave. Private Marshall will not miss by that margin, not at close range. You will call out to fire with each shot, and will not call out unless you are certain your barrier can take the hit. Understood?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± I said, smiling wryly.

    It amused me that even with seeing my barrier in action, he was so obviously concerned about me getting shot. It was also weird that he expressed his concern in absolute authoritarian tones, but I was getting the impression that I¡¯d have to get used to that.

    As soon as I shook off the dizzy spell from my overextended range, I stood and stepped out onto the firing range. I went off to the side from the still undamaged target and fiddled around with the barrier until I felt like I was able to hold it comfortably.

    ¡°I¡¯m ready,¡± I said, with a smile and a wave.

    ¡°Fire,¡± Richardson said, and the bullet came whizzing through the air.

    The barrier was fully restored within a half second. This test had nothing on five tommy guns.

    ¡°That was easy,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure you can run through all the ammo you brought without making me even try.¡±

    ¡°Miss Koryn, you are to call out when you are ready for another shot,¡± Richardson said with a stern expression.

    I rolled my eyes. I wasn¡¯t sure if he¡¯d see it from thirty feet away, but he probably picked up on my insolence regardless.

    ¡°Go ahead and fire,¡± I said, a small laugh in my voice.

    The boom of gunfire hadn¡¯t faded from the air when I called out to fire again. As soon as Marshall reloaded, he shot off another bullet. It quickly became obvious to Pash and Richardson that my defenses were vastly superior to the offensive ability of a single rifle.

    As for me, I had magic to spare. I used it to add a dampening effect to the air, reducing the sound of gunfire. I didn¡¯t want a headache.

    Even so, they maintained the test for about ten minutes. I started to get fatigued, but it took enough time between shots that I was even able to drop the barrier, rest briefly, and put it back up again before the next shot.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

    ¡°Enough,¡± Richardson said, eventually. ¡°Miss Koryn, I would like to test a variety of weapons against this barrier of yours.¡±

    ¡°Certainly,¡± I said, smiling brightly at him.

    Something about his rigid demeanor made me want to defy him with excessive cheerfulness.

    It did prove a bit challenging to maintain that cheerfulness over the course of the next hour. Apparently, that rifle was nowhere near the most powerful gun at the base.

    The machine guns he tried were easy enough to handle. They had enough impact that I couldn¡¯t keep my barrier up for more than a minute or so at a time, but I was able to block all the shorts.

    The sniper rifle caught me by surprise. The first few shots went clean through my barrier as if it weren¡¯t there - they were simply too fast for my barrier to ¡°catch.¡± I had to adjust it to be more aggressive in its redirection of kinetic energy, so as to complete the process before the bullet finished passing through.

    It worked, but I couldn¡¯t hold the barrier up for long. A paltry five or ten seconds, it was pathetic. After a few attempts, I called out for a five minute break and came up with a new plan. The fact that the bullets could get through my barrier was deeply unsettling, and I wasn¡¯t going to let that go.

    I was delighted to find that having a double barrier - one to slow down the bullet, and the second to stop it - was both effective and sustainable. My effective immortality restored, I happily went back to taking the variety of shots.

    General Richardson was surprised to discover that smaller caliber guns had an easier time penetrating my barrier than large ones. The fact was, though, that the bigger bullets had enough energy to be easy to ¡°see,¡± and were slow enough to give my magic time to ¡°catch¡± them.

    Time between shots, speed of the bullet, and distance between myself and my barrier were the biggest factors. He couldn¡¯t send anything at me that was too powerful for me to take, but when he and Pash joined Marshall to fire a handful of machine guns at the target, they tore my barrier to shreds in seconds. Despite my best efforts, the target did end up getting pretty frayed.

    After the gun demonstration, Richardson had the soldier take me down to the mess hall to get me some coffee and whatever tidbits I might want to eat, while he and Pash chatted for a while.

    Private Marshall was either not allowed to be friendly, or was feeling intimidated. I also couldn¡¯t tell if he was supposed to protect me, or protect the military from me. Both options seemed silly, all things considered. One way or another, by this point, it was obvious that no one was allowed to go anywhere near me, without the general¡¯s say. Anywhere we went was almost entirely evacuated prior to our arrival.

    After about fifteen minutes, Richardson and Pash came back. Pash was walking behind the general, so I was the only one who saw the subtly smug look on his face.

    With that, we started the next round of tests.

    One test that the general wanted was so ludicrous it made me outright giggle. He wanted to see if there was anything that could be done against me in hand to hand combat. He actually put me and Private Marshall together, where Marshall was supposed to be trying to hit me, throw me, and whatever else they figured was worth trying.

    It was the only sort of combat, in a traditional sense, that I was capable of. I was taught how to kill quickly and efficiently, and I was taught how to defend myself against monsters. A human trying to trip me with a wooden stick, or slice at me with a dull knife, was far easier than a giant, magically enhanced wolf trying to rip out my throat.

    General Richardson concluded that I was ¡°invincible¡± in melee combat after a mere ten minutes. I was disappointed that he didn¡¯t try bringing in more soldiers - I was passingly curious how many it would take before it started requiring actual effort.

    Next up was dealing with explosives. Some spellcasters might have had some trouble, but not one who¡¯d lived near my mother. Fully containing explosions took some degree of effort, but if I were permitted to safely redirect the forces as I pleased, he again found himself with nothing that phased me in the least. In fact, explosions were so easy, I was delighted to discover that I could even handle them reasonably well at range. I could protect a target from a grenade at fifty feet!

    At no point did he ever feel comfortable ordering a conventionally lethal attack on me directly, though, no matter how thorough my defenses were. He seemed content to take my word for it that my defenses were stronger the closer they were to me.

    The demonstrations were spread out, varied, and low stress enough that I was no more than pleasantly fatigued at any point as the day went on, after that first bout of overdoing my range.

    By early afternoon, Richardson seemed satisfied with this round of tests, and asked to speak to me privately in his office.

    ¡°Have a seat, Miss Koryn,¡± he said as he sat behind the desk.

    He gave me a long, speculative look as I sat down in front of him. Unlike the tedious tests that Rhine had fashioned, these tests were both fun and impressive, leaving me feeling smug.

    ¡°There are a few issues that need to be addressed,¡± he said, his words slow and careful. I nodded. ¡°How loyal are you to the United States of America?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± I said, and his face tightened marginally. ¡°I am grateful to America in small measure for the hospitality I have received, I am opposed to the actions of the Nazis, and I support the wellbeing of humanity. To that extent, and no further, might I be considered loyal.¡±

    ¡°That is a problem,¡± he said, his voice low.

    I suppressed the urge to shrug. It seemed a trifle too disrespectful, under the circumstances. I simply waited for his next question.

    He considered me for a moment, and then said, ¡°How likely is it, in your opinion, that Germany has multiple spellcasters?¡±

    ¡°Pash has more knowledge of that than I do,¡± I said.

    His expression was dubious. I wasn¡¯t sure why. Sure, I could recognize magic better than anyone, but it wasn¡¯t like I had any first hand information from the war.

    ¡°Where do you actually come from?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Um¡­¡± I hesitated. ¡°Even with what you¡¯ve seen, I imagine it would be hard to believe. If you want, I will answer, but¡­¡±

    ¡°I asked the question,¡± he said, his tone unforgiving.

    ¡°Er, of course,¡± I said, flushing a little. ¡°Sorry. Um, you see, my parents¡­¡±

    I told him briefly about my parents¡¯ work and the accident that sent me to his world. He didn¡¯t seem as disbelieving as I¡¯d expected. Maybe it was because of the effectiveness of the demonstrations.

    ¡°Considering the lack of evidence for such power in the history of this world,¡± I said, ¡°I cannot help but think that the teleportation incident must surely relate, in some way, to my arrival here.¡±

    ¡°Professor Rhine¡¯s research suggests that there is a history of such things here,¡± he said.

    ¡°I saw inside his mind,¡± I said. ¡°He is obsessed with his vision, and though he may be intelligent in some ways, his obsession has consumed him to the point where rationality has forsaken him. He claims there is evidence of such things because he wishes it were so, but he doesn¡¯t actually understand what the world would look like if he were right. I do know what it looks like, and I can say with some certainty that there have been no figures of magic of my parents¡¯ caliber in the recorded history of your world.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± he said, looking speculative. ¡°If the Germans have access to magic, as you suspect, what sort of weapons might they create?¡±

    I paused for a moment.

    ¡°If they bring forth weapons with a small measure of magic, it wouldn¡¯t be too noticeable,¡± I said. ¡°They¡¯d be able to penetrate any defenses, or have perfect accuracy, or other such little things.¡±

    ¡°And if they have a large measure of magic?¡± he asked.

    I shrugged and looked down.

    ¡°Then the war is over,¡± I said. ¡°You lose.¡±

    ¡°You obviously underestimate human ingenuity,¡± he said.

    I wasn¡¯t sure what to say to that. He shifted in his chair.

    ¡°Lieutenant Pash tells me that you are a pacifist,¡± he said. ¡°That you would refuse to make any sort of weaponry for the Allied forces, or fight for America. Is this correct?¡±

    ¡°Not exactly,¡± I said. ¡°I do favor peace to war, and life to death, but I recognize the necessity of violence, when life and peace demand it. The issue¡­¡±

    I hesitated, thinking. He let me take my time.

    ¡°On a personal level,¡± I said, ¡°I have a few concerns. One, having the will to kill is a larger barrier for magic use than by most means. Further, I do not ever wish to look back and realize that I, through error or ignorance, committed war crimes, such as enabling genocide.¡±

    He nodded slowly.

    ¡°A second issue is setting precedent,¡± I said. ¡°If I am easily convinced to provide the means by which to slaughter others, then it will become expected of me. I will become nothing but an instrument of death, in the eyes of others, and will have increasing difficulty resisting that use.¡±

    He nodded again.

    ¡°On a broader level, I am concerned, in essence, with accidentally destroying the world as you know it,¡± I said.

    His eyebrow twitched at that.

    ¡°How, exactly, might you do that?¡± he asked.

    ¡°My world is very different from yours,¡± I said quietly. ¡°Magic is a boon to those who have it, but outside that¡­ the world is unkind in ways that your world has never known. The various consequences of magic are natural and obvious, at least in hindsight. My concern is that I might accidentally set things in motion to send your world down a similar path as mine.¡±

    ¡°What are these consequences?¡± he asked. ¡°I need details.¡±

    I took a slow breath.

    ¡°There are so many¡­¡± I said, shaking my head. ¡°Countless horrors. Let me tell you of one avenue, that is within my own capability.¡±

    I lifted my right hand and changed it to be like that of a dragon¡¯s - scaled, red, large, and ending in ferocious claws. He looked intrigued.

    ¡°Alteration of biology is my strength,¡± I said. ¡°Creating new creatures is common enough, and the most skilled life casters can even make their creations breed true.¡±

    ¡°Breed true?¡± he asked.

    ¡°To have offspring that share their characteristics,¡± I said. ¡°Unlike my change just now, which is superficial.¡±

    He nodded.

    ¡°The creatures of your world are varied, but constrained by normal biological limitations,¡± I said. ¡°Beasts formed in this way are not limited by such things. They can even, if created for it, use magic themselves. Some are intelligent. Some have skin, thick with both flesh and magic, that could withstand any of the attacks demonstrated today. Some are wondrous, incredible creatures - gifts to the world to be cherished, but many are monsters of the sort hinted at only in the darkest legends your people have ever told.¡±

    His face expression grew more uneasy as I spoke.

    ¡°It needn¡¯t even be intentional,¡± I said, my voice quiet. ¡°When I was five years old, my parents had to respond to a crisis. Some life caster wanted to create a gift to the world. He made songbirds, who were designed to only feed on dead things, like fallen tree branches, who made hauntingly beautiful music for humans, and were magically enhanced so as to be more durable. The idea was for them to make the world more beautiful, by cleaning up messes and making music in its place.¡±

    He looked slightly confused.

    ¡°Unfortunately,¡± I said, ¡°these birds were intelligent enough to figure out that they could kill things to get food, and yet not intelligent enough to realize this was a bad thing. Their breeding rate was dictated by the amount of food near them, so when they wiped out a human village, they¡¯d produce thousands of eggs, before flying off in search of more food.¡±

    His face tightened at that.

    ¡°They fed on practically everything,¡± I said. ¡°Forests were ripped from the ground. Villages were turned to dust, with no sign they¡¯d ever been there, save for bits of metal and other inedibles. They left nothing but dirt in their wake, and since their digestion was magically aided, they needed no time to process their food, nor did they need sleep. In under a week, an area the size of Massachusetts was utterly barren.¡±

    ¡°But weren¡¯t there other magically enhanced creatures?¡± he asked. ¡°Couldn¡¯t some things survive this attack?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± I said. ¡°But what will stay around where there¡¯s no food? Even powerful creatures wouldn¡¯t want to defend increasingly worthless territory against a plague of annoyances, when they can just leave. Human spellcasters also evacuated, bringing as many as they could personally protect, as fast as they could flee.¡±

    ¡°And your parents handled this crisis?¡± he asked.

    ¡°They, and a number of other powerful spellcasters,¡± I said. ¡°My father loaned out several enchantments to lesser spellcasters, and was part of the team focused on containing the spread. My mother is extremely good at magical offense, and was part of the team focused on extermination. Their combined efforts still took weeks, because by then, there were millions of the birds. And even afterwards, the disaster wasn¡¯t over - the most powerful magical creatures had simply left, and were causing major territorial disputes in the surrounding regions, resulting in more destruction.¡±

    He frowned at that.

    ¡°The death toll would have been enormous, had the human population ever had a chance to actually get large,¡± I said wryly. ¡°But the sad fact is, this sort of thing is common. Most of my world is uninhabited, despite humans breeding as quickly as is sustainable. And that¡¯s the scale of disaster caused by a well intentioned accident.¡±

    My smile turned sad.

    ¡°Magic can do a great deal of good,¡± I said softly. ¡°After that disaster, life casters restored the plains and forests, and since it was all intentionally made, it was made to human perfection. Food and resources aplenty, stocked with creatures friendly to human life. Some humans from locations that were getting crowded were invited to colonize the area. After all, we have to keep humanity spread out, so that no matter what area is reduced to ash, the species will survive.¡±

    He nodded slowly.

    ¡°One, of so many disasters, within the mere decade of memory I have in that place,¡± I said. ¡°Let alone legends of major disasters. Imagine, if that songbird plague was common enough to not bother telling the story, how bad must things get for the legend to inspire fear in our people? I don¡¯t even want to tell those stories - I¡¯d prefer for the knowledge of what powerful spellcasters can do when their intentions are not so benevolent to die with me.¡±

    His expression was still.

    ¡°A common plight is more natural in origin,¡± I said. ¡°When a large number of things able to manipulate magic are in the same area - whether human, magical beasts, plants, enchantments, and so forth - it destabilizes reality itself in the region. Normal, natural disasters can become enhanced. Hurricanes, for instances, can have uncontrolled fire magic, causing everything touched by its rain to burst into unquenchable flames.¡±

    I chuckled dryly, and the general looked at me with a deeply unsettled expression. I couldn¡¯t help but think to myself that he wasn¡¯t even remotely ready to hear about the gods, or the horrors that resulted when gods went to war with each other.

    ¡°Now tell me, General Richardson,¡± I said. ¡°How would your ¡®human ingenuity¡¯ handle that?¡±

    He was silent for a long moment.

    ¡°Given the severity of problems that spellcasters cause in your world,¡± he said slowly, ¡°would you use your abilities offensively to directly combat other spellcasters, or assist us in creating weaponry to combat them? Are you comfortable with that?¡±

    ¡°To use myself directly; yes, absolutely,¡± I said. ¡°But¡­ to provide weaponry is, in itself, providing an avenue by which magic can proliferate. That is a concern.¡±

    ¡°Non magical weaponry,¡± he said.

    ¡°Ah,¡± I said. ¡°That would be completely fine.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re clever,¡± he said cautiously, ¡°so obviously you understand that that was part of the nature of today¡¯s tests.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± I said, sighing. ¡°You must destroy those who are like me. I understand that. But this is more important than my life.¡±

    ¡°From the information you gave me, it sounds like this is a threat to the entire world,¡± he said.

    There¡¯s a reason I fell on my backside in a state of absolute panic when I realized they have power, without the knowledge to mitigate consequences, I thought to myself.

    ¡°Which is why I stepped forward,¡± I said softly. ¡°Despite knowing the risks of interacting with you. And being told I would be likely to be betrayed by you.¡±

    ¡°While there are certain people within the military that would most definitely try to take advantage of the talents you have put forth on the display,¡± he said, ¡°I can assure you that the military as a whole would not.¡±

    ¡°You mean in the sense of trying to make me make other spellcasters?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Is that a possibility?¡± he asked.

    I hadn¡¯t wanted to tell them, but¡­ they had to know that the Germans might have that capability.

    ¡°I¡­¡± I hesitated. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to go after those I¡¯ve already taught. I want it to be just me.¡±

    ¡°I find it interesting that you so heavily caution against spellcasters in the world, the great evils they can do, and yet, here you are, having created others,¡± he said. ¡°For what purpose?¡±

    ¡°To help,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t think it is a bad thing for your world to have magic, to have spellcasters. It must simply be done carefully. The problems can be avoided if there is caution used in its release. Those I have taught are not ambitious, and they don¡¯t know enough to train others. But they can use what they know to help others. There are many evils in your world that don¡¯t exist in mine, that magic can help.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s keep this on point with the Germans,¡± he said. ¡°I take it those you¡¯ve trained are US citizens?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± I said.

    ¡°There is talk about a draft in the near future,¡± he said. ¡°Are you familiar with the concept?¡±

    ¡°I am,¡± I said.

    ¡°Then you understand these students of yours might be brought into the military,¡± he said.

    I nodded and said, ¡°I must simply insist that their abilities not be used recklessly.¡±

    ¡°I can assure you that the military will not use your students recklessly,¡± he said.

    ¡°Acceptable,¡± I said. ¡°I have taught two others, and their ability with magic is currently slight in both cases. Sufficient to prove they have it, but neither have either offensive or defensive capabilities at present.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for that information,¡± he said, and I nodded in acknowledgement.

    He gave me another speculative look.

    ¡°You¡¯ve give me a great deal to consider, Miss Koryn,¡± he said slowly. ¡°If you are willing, I would like tomorrow to have a variety of offensive demonstrations, to see what we might have to face.¡±

    ¡°Gladly,¡± I said.

    ¡°A room will be prepared for you immediately, so that you don¡¯t have to waste time traveling back and forth to the base,¡± he said. ¡°Expect to spend almost the entirety of the near future here, working with us on preparations for the German threat.¡±

    ¡°I am glad you are taking this seriously,¡± I said.

    His lip twitched faintly, as though my comment made him passingly want to smile.

    ¡°While you are here,¡± he continued, ¡°you are to remain with guard at all times. Currently, that is Private Marshall, and you will not interact with any other soldiers without my express leave.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± I asked.

    ¡°We don¡¯t want word of your abilities and involvement to spread,¡± he said.

    ¡°That makes sense,¡± I said. ¡°But why do I need a guard?¡±

    ¡°He is to keep an eye on you, guide you where you need to go, and ensure you don¡¯t go anywhere restricted,¡± he said.

    ¡°Understood,¡± I said. More of a guide than a guard, then.

    ¡°You will be referred to as a visiting dignitary for the time being,¡± he said. ¡°When you¡¯re ready, Private Marshall will drive back to Boston with you and help you pack whatever items you need for your stay here. Do you have any concerns before you leave?¡±

    ¡°No, sir,¡± I said.

    ¡°Good,¡± he said. ¡°You are dismissed.¡±

    -----

    Brigadier General Richardson watched the door close behind a little girl who could turn into a dragon and rip his throat out. A dainty woman who¡¯d need a tank in order to be stopped.

    And worse, he¡¯d previously thought the only thing to fear was Germany taking over the world.

    ¡°God damn, I¡¯m getting too old for this,¡± he muttered under his breath.

    After a long minute, he pulled himself to his feet. Mikhail Pash was an old friend of his, and while he was glad this hadn¡¯t turned out to be an embarrassing failure for the investigator, the added complexities weren¡¯t exactly welcome.

    This ¡®spellcaster¡¯ was a problem. He needed to talk to Mikhail about how to acquire this girl¡¯s loyalty, immediately.

    This was truly the second world war, and the fate of the world was at stake.

 Ch. 32 - Loyalty

    ¡°I have already anticipated that problem,¡± Pash said with an amused smile.

    ¡°Of course you did,¡± Richardson said.

    ¡°Naturally,¡± Pash said. ¡°She distrusts information from me, but I have been making progress in that regard. As far as her loyalty goes, she appears quite loyal to those she calls friend.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re talking about getting them on our side,¡± Richardson said.

    ¡°They¡¯re a paranoid lot,¡± Pash said, to which Richardson smirked. ¡°I doubt we¡¯d have much luck with them.¡±

    Richardson said, ¡°Get to the point, then.¡±

    ¡°There are a few avenues I would suggest pursuing,¡± Pash said. ¡°The simplest would be to foster an attachment between her and a soldier. However, that would likely prove difficult, as she has grown to deeply distrust the military as a whole.¡±

    Richardson nodded.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say she has some sort of sight, lets her judge people?¡± Richardson said.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Pash said cautiously. ¡°Is there someone you have in mind?¡±

    ¡°I picked Private Marshall because he¡¯s a solid young man,¡± Richardson said. ¡°Not important enough to get in the way, but as reliable as they come. She might judge him well.¡±

    ¡°From what I¡¯ve seen, she will likely only trust someone in the military if she¡¯s permitted to judge their souls,¡± Pash said, distaste clear in his voice.

    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Marshall,¡± Richardson said. ¡°What was your plan?¡±

    ¡°The plan of highest degree of success, by my measure, would be to pair her with Albert Einstein,¡± Pash said, making Richardson¡¯s eyebrow raise in surprise.

    ¡°He¡¯s a pacifist,¡± Richardson said.

    ¡°The primary problem with the idea, yes,¡± Pash said. ¡°However, as he did sign off on a letter urging research into nuclear weaponry, he may agree with offensive use of her ability to forestall the Germans doing the same.¡±

    Richardson nodded slowly.

    ¡°And his pacifism may not be so bad, come to think of it,¡± Richardson said. ¡°Considering what she told me, I don¡¯t think she can be too cautious.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps,¡± Pash said. ¡°Further, he is a humanitarian, which I suspect would appeal to her sensibilities, and believes that America is the finest country for someone with those values.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Richardson said. ¡°You believe he¡¯d be amenable to this use?¡±

    ¡°Not if he knew it were intentional,¡± Pash said. ¡°I do have a plan for a way to bring them together, as though it were Ms. Koryn¡¯s idea. I have already planted the seeds, and she would eagerly cooperate. Mr. Einstein would unquestionably be interested in her power, but in an academic way, which she would not protest.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not especially familiar with Einstein¡¯s opinions,¡± Richardson said. ¡°I take it you¡¯ve done some reading.¡±

    ¡°Naturally,¡± Pash said.

    ¡°Worst case scenario?¡± Richardson asked.

    ¡°If either realizes the arrangement was purposeful, I doubt it would disrupt whatever friendship they form. Mr. Einstein would still wish to influence Ms. Koryn, and she would simply blame me,¡± Pash said.

    ¡°That would be fine with you?¡± Richardson asked.

    ¡°She does not seem vengeful,¡± Pash said. ¡°I doubt it would matter, especially in comparison with what she believes me guilty of already.¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± Richardson mused. ¡°We¡¯ll try multiple angles. Go ahead and try the Einstein approach. I¡¯ll see if I can get Private Marshall to befriend her, and if that doesn¡¯t work, I¡¯ll find some other trustworthy men to give it a try. In the meantime, I will try to get her to accept proper authority. I also want whatever information you can give me on her companions.¡±

    ¡°I have a great deal,¡± Pash said. ¡°Is there anything in particular you want to know immediately?¡±

    ¡°She indicated that she¡¯s trained two of them in magic,¡± Richardson said. ¡°You know who they are?¡±

    ¡°Two?¡± Pash said, and frowned. ¡°The likely candidates would be the police officer, Liam O¡¯Brien, and the siblings Slick and Louise Williams.¡±

    He considered. The witch had implied that O¡¯Brien had magic at their dinner. Ms. Williams had claimed her bullet deflection was due to an enchantment, which apparently they all wore. The Cocoanut Grove fire had reports of Mr. Williams levitating people out of the building.

    ¡°I suspect it is the officer and the brother,¡± Pash said.

    ¡°Get me what you can on those two, then,¡± Richardson said. ¡°There¡¯s one last issue to discuss, and I¡¯ll need you to be discreet on this.¡±

    ¡°Beyond my usual degree of discretion?¡± Pash asked, raising an eyebrow.

    ¡°Beyond the USA itself,¡± Richardson said.

    ¡°I¡¯m listening,¡± Pash said.

    General Richardson leaned forward and his expression was as cold as Pash had ever seen it.

    ¡°What she talked about, with what magic would do to the world,¡± Richardson said. ¡°It must not happen. Ever. All of the magic in the world has to be eliminated.¡±

    Pash nodded, looking speculative.

    ¡°After dealing with the German threat, do you have a plan for... local containment?¡± Pash asked.

    Richardson¡¯s demeanor relaxed minutely.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re on board,¡± Richardson said. ¡°We need to keep knowledge of this as limited as we can. She cannot be permitted to reveal herself to the public. No one can know about this.¡±

    ¡°And Albert Einstein?¡± Pash asked. ¡°And her students?¡±

    ¡°Einstein won¡¯t have anything but words,¡± Richardson said. ¡°Without evidence, he¡¯d look senile. As for her students¡­ let¡¯s see if they can be drafted, which makes things easier.¡±

    Pash nodded, his chest tightening in sympathy for the pain on his friend¡¯s face, however well hidden it was.

    ¡°What of the rest of the military¡¯s involvement?¡± Pash asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be very careful about who I go to, and how,¡± Richardson said. ¡°This must not get to the president.¡±

    ¡°Speaking of the president, there is a detail you may not be aware of,¡± Pash said. ¡°His health is poor, and Aera has demonstrated remarkable skill at healing.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly the sort of thinking we have to avoid,¡± Richardson said. ¡°Everyone and his brother¡¯s going to want to have magic for themselves, and that¡¯s exactly what¡¯ll set the world toward its end. It doesn¡¯t matter who needs her help - she must remain secret until the German spellcasters are dead, and then she and her students must join them.¡±

    A memory pushed at him - his daughter¡¯s limp hand in his, as he helped her to walk despite her disfigured legs to her mother¡¯s grave. It was too late for his beloved, but¡­

    ¡°Certainly,¡± Pash said, without hesitation, with no sign of the memory that had flashed through his mind and heart. ¡°You can rely on me, old friend.¡±

    ----------------

    Private Marshall must have gotten over his shock, because after my talk with the general, followed by a little time in the room they¡¯d set aside for me, he was friendlier. He said he¡¯d spoken to the general and would be taking me back to Boston as soon as I was ready.

    Since there wasn¡¯t anything for me at the base, I went ahead and took the ride back.

    We chatted on the way, and I couldn¡¯t help but kind of feel bad for him. He was so obviously nervous. I found out that his name was Nicholas, and that he¡¯d gotten into the military as a sure-fire way of supporting his new wife. They had a baby girl, and he confessed that he was extra happy about that, since it meant he probably wouldn¡¯t be deployed overseas when the time came. His wife lived on the base, taking care of their daughter.

    I impulsively asked about possibly meeting them, and he spluttered an apology, before I realized the obvious, and apologized myself. Of course I couldn¡¯t see them, if I was a national secret. He was relieved at my understanding.

    I tried to get him to get more comfortable with me, and even resorted to doing silly magic tricks. By the time we got to Boston, I had him honestly smiling and laughing.

    Once at the house, I called Lou at work. She told me to wait at the house and she¡¯d meet me there. She wanted to grill me properly on how the day¡¯s events had gone.

    An eyeroll and an explanation later, Nicholas and I sat and chatted until Lou managed to swing by. She didn¡¯t want to talk around Nicholas, which I thought was odd, but he was entirely understanding. He had no problem going for a little walk outside while we discussed.

    Lou had me recount every single detail about Pash and the General I could. When I told her that I¡¯d mentioned that I¡¯d trained some people, she looked like she wanted to strangle me. She did understand the reasoning - that the military had to be advised of the possibility of magic use spreading - but she seemed certain that it was dangerous to Slick and Liam for the military to even know about it.

    I reassured her that I¡¯d gotten the General to agree not to be reckless with their lives, and she begrudgingly went along with that. She was very nervous, but in the end, didn¡¯t caution me against any particular course. She wished me luck, muttered to herself about wishing me luck with observation in particular, and let me on my way.

    Nicholas and I didn¡¯t have to pack much for purely living purposes, but I thought it¡¯d be best to bring most of my lab equipment. He was nervous, but excited about stepping into my lab, and then, strangely, disappointed.

    Apparently, he¡¯d had a different image in mind for a spellcaster¡¯s lab.

    The only parts that weren¡¯t able to be moved were the protections on the walls and such, in case of explosions, but I figured I could set up a new lab at the base. We left the unstable, experimental pieces behind, but brought everything that I thought could possibly be useful along with.

    We finished packing in scarcely fifteen minutes, and were back in the truck. Nicholas was timid, at first, about his curiosity about the lab, but when I proved happy to share, he engaged his curiosity in full.

    I prattled on, content as could be, for the entire drive. It was nice to have company who was interested in magic, not intimidating, and who actually had time to talk.

    When we returned to the base, the general seemed pleased - maybe even relieved - at Nicholas and I chatting like friends. I suppressed a giggle - what had he expected? Me to turn into a monster and eat him, or something?

    The general had chosen a roster of soldiers who would rotate for guard duty for me, so it was time for Nicholas to take a break. I wished him well and greeted the next soldier. The pair took me back to my room and helped me put all the enchantments in place. Once they left - with the new guard posted outside my door - I decided to take a well deserved, luxurious shower, enjoying the time to myself to think.

    A problem occurred to me, under the steamy waterfall. On one level, I¡¯d accepted the danger to myself, after the fear that my companions had shared. But I also had no interest in dying before I was well and properly old - at least two hundred years.

    The day¡¯s tests had revealed two flaws. The higher speed rifles went right through my standard defenses, and just a few machine guns broke my barrier in seconds.

    I¡¯d made the standard mistake of revealing my actual limits, in my eagerness to prove myself. So it seemed the correct course of action was to improve my limits, and keep the improvement secret. The reveal of limits was two way, after all - the general learned my weaknesses, but so did I.

    The more critical of the weaknesses was the rifle, since it could strike me at range, whereas the machine guns would have to be wielded by people, giving me a chance to recognize the threat before it hit me.

    Which¡­ would require me to pay attention to that. I frowned. My parents had mastered the art of keeping their magesenses open without accidentally examining the souls of others. I¡¯d need to learn that skill, and quickly.

    So, two things, then. One, I¡¯d start keeping my senses open, at all times, as gently as I could, so my awareness would do no more than brush against human souls, giving me a minimum of information.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    And I¡¯d need to work on a secondary, supplemental barrier enchantment. I¡¯d have it manifest within the bone of my skull, so that the bone itself would help slow down any bullets before it hit. Between that and my normal enchantment trying to stop bullets from the moment they got to my hair, I should have no trouble stopping any bullet before it did brain damage.

    It¡¯d have the side effect of making a huge mess of blood and bone¡­ but maybe that was actually a bonus. Whoever shot me might think I¡¯d died.

    I nodded grimly. I hoped the barrier would never have to manifest, but it definitely seemed like a good idea to have it, just in case.

    And it inspired another idea in its wake. If it did happen, I could potentially lose consciousness very quickly from blood loss, with that major of an injury so close to my brain. Creating an enchantment designed to keep my brain healthy, sustained, and fully conscious in the event of injury would also be a good idea. It¡¯s all I needed, after all - so long as my magic remained, no other part of my flesh mattered.

    They were frightening enchantments to work on, but both used magics I¡¯d already mastered. In fact, the brain sustaining effect could be done simply by activating the first part of the enchantment I used to shapeshift into Comet, which would be useful to remember if something happened.

    I got the framework for the new enchantment complete, and then yawned. I hadn¡¯t realized how much time had passed. I stuck the little diamond sliver that held the framework up against my spine, behind my heart, where the shapeshifting enchantment stayed.

    Another yawn took me before I quickly settled off to sleep.

    The morning arrived before I was done sleeping. The guard woke me up bright and early, and I declined breakfast. My sleepy self was led down to a warehouse. Pash wasn¡¯t present, but I gave a hazy wave to the general. The six soldiers that were my guard roster were also present, and I also waved at Nicholas. His hand twitched a little, like he wanted to wave back, but had to stay stupidly rigid, according to military rules.

    ¡°G¡¯morning,¡± I said, stifling another yawn.

    ¡°Good morning, Miss Koryn,¡± Richardson said. ¡°Are you prepared for more demonstrations?¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes,¡± I said, rubbing at my eyes. ¡°What would you like me to destroy, and do you have any preferences on how?¡±

    ¡°For now, I¡¯d prefer you to use the most effective techniques you know of,¡± he said. ¡°We¡¯ll start with seeing how well you can destroy various materials.¡±

    ¡°Let me save you some time,¡± I said. ¡°The material type doesn¡¯t matter.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t?¡± he asked, surprised.

    ¡°I guess, a little,¡± I amended. ¡°The¡­ what¡¯s the word¡­ um, the weight it has, only, it¡¯s more than that. Sort of the weight, the density¡­¡±

    ¡°The mass?¡± he said.

    I shrugged.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know the word,¡± I said. ¡°But, probably? Anyway. If it has ¡®mass,¡¯ it bends to my will. The more it has, the more it resists, but control and speed matter more. And range, of course. If I can rip things apart as haphazardly as I please, a wall of solid diamond would scarcely slow me down.¡±

    ¡°Are there any risks to you tearing things apart haphazardly?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yep,¡± I said. ¡°Some materials don¡¯t like that. I don¡¯t really know why, or how to predict it. But if I¡¯m not careful, there can be all sorts of strange consequences to tearing apart materials. Explosions, light, fire, heat, cold, electricity - all sorts of things.¡±

    ¡°Which isn¡¯t a concern, if used offensively,¡± he said.

    ¡°Right,¡± I said. ¡°Hence why the material type doesn¡¯t matter for such a test, other than possibly making a mess I¡¯ll need to clean up.¡±

    A faint smirk tugged at his lips, but quickly went away.

    ¡°Let¡¯s take a different angle,¡± he said. ¡°What would your assessment of your own offensive capabilities be; alone, as well as contrasted against what you expect of the Germans?¡±

    ¡°My strength is the reordering of matter,¡± I said. ¡°Skill is what permits it to be beneficial, such as in healing. The primary limit is range, and the amount of exertion per second. Within those constraints, neither materials nor life will stop me.¡±

    The general did not look entirely happy about this.

    ¡°As far as the Germans,¡± I went on, ¡°from what little I¡¯ve seen, they have Aeros magic. Aeros isn¡¯t great against physical objects much at all, but unlike my specialty - Aquas - it has access to the mind. Both of our types of magic can be resisted by any form of life. The more intelligent the life, the more capable it is of resistance. And humans can be trained to resist it.¡±

    ¡°That is very useful information,¡± he said. ¡°In the meantime, I would like to see for myself how quickly you can get through the various obstacles I¡¯ve set up.¡±

    I nodded. A speed test - it¡¯d been years since I¡¯d done one of those. I used a spot of magic to accelerate my heart rate and drop a bit of adrenaline into my system. I shook myself a little, to get my blood everywhere it was supposed to be.

    ¡°With everything I¡¯ve got,¡± I said, grinning a little. ¡°Everyone needs to stand back. Way back.¡±

    This was going to be fun.

    The general ordered everyone to fall back immediately, and I turned my attention to my objective.

    There was what amounted to an obstacle course in front of me, in the form of a series of walls. Nothing fancy in the least, and they looked cobbled together from the construction material that the base was supposed to be using elsewhere.

    I took a breath and charged.

    The wooden wall fell as distorted, bubbling goo before I got to it. A quick breath at the surge of power, and I launched at the next. The brick wall resisted me enough that my run brought me to it before it dissolved. A tiny barrier around me to protect me from whatever weird things the goo might be doing was all I needed to get through the flimsy remainder. I broke through without slowing down.

    The concrete wall did make me stop, unfortunately. But only for a moment. I bore down on my magic and pushed with enough force to make me dizzy, and the concrete exploded into disparate bits. They glowed as though burning and bounced off my personal barrier as I charged through the hole.

    The slab of six inch thick metal broke the trend of increasing difficulty. I didn¡¯t even bother breaking the ¡°atomic bonds¡± that Pash had described, aside from a slice down the middle. The rest of it, I was able to easily bend back, and like the brick barrier, was able to get through without slowing down.

    As soon as I did, I collapsed, panting and laughing between breaths.

    ¡°That was fun,¡± I said, rolling over to my back and grinning at the soldiers. ¡°What was that - five seconds?¡±

    They were looking at me like I was a monster.

    ¡°Oh, come now,¡± I said. ¡°I did nothing you didn¡¯t already know I could do!¡±

    ¡°Seeing is believing,¡± General Richardson said, his tone heavy. ¡°Will you need long to recover?¡±

    ¡°Not really,¡± I said, sitting up and shaking off the dizziness. ¡°I didn¡¯t push myself hard enough to damage myself. I¡¯ll be good to go in a minute.¡±

    ¡°Do you think the Germans might be able to pull that off?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Depends,¡± I said. ¡°You want to mess up material like I did, you need Aquas. No other element could bore a path quite like that.¡±

    ¡°What about the one you know they have - Aeros?¡± he asked.

    ¡°We¡¯ve already seen they can teleport,¡± I said, shrugging. ¡°That¡¯s Aeros¡¯ best way through something like that, but I don¡¯t know if they¡¯ve strength enough to keep it up.¡±

    ¡°And if they don¡¯t teleport?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Aeros is wretched at getting through solid material,¡± I said. ¡°Best they could do is try to make it explode, a little bit at a time, like drilling through it with tiny explosives. Not very effective. If they have literally any other element - wait... except An Lum, that is - then they¡¯d be better off switching.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± he said.

    I stood up and brushed off my dress.

    ¡°I had fun,¡± I said with another grin. ¡°What are we doing next?¡±

    General Richardson looked at the walls with vaguely Aera-shaped holes in them for a moment, then turned his attention back to me.

    ¡°Can you repair them?¡± he asked.

    I tried to keep a disappointed look off my face.

    ¡°Yes,¡± I said. ¡°Though that will require vastly more effort than destroying them.¡±

    His lip twitched in amusement.

    ¡°What we¡¯ll do next is the same exercise,¡± he said, ¡°except that you will be behind the soldiers and opening the way for them all to go through first, without harming them. We¡¯ll see how fast you can manage that.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but think it was a bit unfair to add that many constraints all at once.

    But then, I had complained profusely about the tests being boring, when it was with Rhine. I supposed this was better. My parents would be proud.

    The day¡¯s tests went as expected. As I expected, at least.

    Range once again proved to be the largest limiting factor. When the general realized that I could use magesense to ¡°see¡± through objects, that ability was quickly added to his account of my offensive and defensive ability.

    Magesense, I could reliably get information about anything from material, construction details, amount and type of life, their innards, and so forth, within about twenty feet. Up to about fifty feet, I could judge approximate density of objects, track life, and get a general idea of the health of my target. The soldiers were creeped out by that exercise, which was such a powerfully projected feeling that I couldn¡¯t help but notice it.

    The furthest I could push my magesense to any degree of usefulness was about two hundred feet. Best I could do was get a sense of numbers of people, the direction they were in, and whether there was any collective intention. For instance, if they were all afraid of being attacked, or psyched for battle, or creeped out.

    The general was pleased to discover that he could order his troops to think certain types of thoughts, to try to feel a certain way, and it would fool my magesense. It took the soldiers only about a minute of practice to learn how to project certain feelings.

    I privately estimated that I could double all those numbers, in the right frame of mind, but I didn¡¯t tell the general about the significance of emotion on magic. The best reason was because I wanted to keep my true limits a secret, but the most honest reason for my choice was that I didn¡¯t want the general to emotionally badger me into revealing those limits.

    I did, however, confess to the general how pathetic those numbers were. I told him that, while I didn¡¯t have a good measure of my parents¡¯ defensive ability, since they mostly seemed unquestionably immortal, I had seen their offensive and other skills in action. I thought it would be a useful second point of information, since we didn¡¯t know where the Germans fell in terms of skill or strength.

    For magesense, I knew my parents could extend their range for miles - maybe even a hundred miles or so. For offensive strikes, I could only effectively cause destruction up to about forty feet, whereas my mother could fashion attacks that didn¡¯t deteriorate, meaning she could effectively strike as far as she could see, and she could fly up past the atmosphere of the planet, which gave her extraordinary range. Though, naturally, the accuracy was wretched.

    One offensive idea that the general had made me decidedly uncomfortable. He suggested the idea of making ¡°super soldiers.¡± This was well within my skill set, and as long as the skull was large enough, I could change them into anything. If I were provided with certain animals to use as a framework, such as an eagle for vision, the potential stretched towards the infinite.

    I was easily able to get him to back down to simply enhancing the human body, rather than creating monstrosities. A major part of that was the fact that it was very time consuming to design such an entity, and would likely be plagued with the trials of ¡°trial and error.¡±

    When he realized the extent to which I could enhance the human body, he was curious why I didn¡¯t always have such enhancements. I explained how gauche it was to do so, among spellcasters. One, it felt disingenuous, in that by seeming other than you truly were, physically, it made it harder to judge you as a prospective breeding partner.

    Two, it was a very, very slippery slope, down which a great number of spellcasters had gone. On Earth, they considered people to be different human races based on such trivialities as skin color. In my world, they considered people to be different human races based on things like the presence of fur, or wings, or what-have-you.

    Many spellcasters made their enhancements able to breed true, in which case they were considered a different race. It was considered a grave sin to make small enhancements breed true, because you would be altering the entire human bloodline, without it being able to be distinguished. While no bloodlines had confessed to doing so, some alterations were more obvious in hindsight. Especially after coming to Earth and seeing how similar the races were here - I was now of the opinion my father¡¯s bloodline had been altered for its porcelain white complexion, and my mother¡¯s for their unusually brilliant red hair.

    If the enchantments did not breed true, though, they were simply considered ¡°fallen humans,¡± who effectively did not have a race at all. They were considered subhuman, and socially isolated, but they¡¯d formed their own nation. It was a land of monsters, with no two residents alike, and was even more hostile to humans than humans were to them.

    We considered the races to be ¡°true human,¡± and ¡°variant humans.¡± While all fully intelligent life was considered more or less equal, there were decidedly¡­ awkward¡­ interactions between races, from time to time. It made me a little sad to think that my world probably didn¡¯t actually have true humans after all, since true humans were supposed to be the unifying factor for the entire world - the common blood of all races.

    He found that tidbit to be absolutely fascinating, and honestly seemed a little loathe to bring the topic back on point.

    Regardless of social conventions of my world, he thoroughly approved of the idea of making super soldiers. He agreed with my suggestion to hold off on doing so just yet, though - I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if his quick agreement meant he had other reasons than mine.

    The day was exhausting in a way that the defensive testing hadn¡¯t even gotten close to. The power required for defenses was an arbitrary line - you needed enough to stop the offense, and no more. Offense, however, had no such limit. You could always destroy things faster, more thoroughly, more at once, and so forth.

    I was always inclined to do my best, and as such, I found myself pushing too hard. The general called the tests done before I did, since I was pale and wavering on my feet. A side effect of using too much magic was a sort of numbness and tunnel vision - I hadn¡¯t realized how bad the overexertion was.

    The general was fascinated to discover that magical overexertion was lethal, if it went too far, though most spellcasters didn¡¯t have the emotional fortitude to push it that hard.

    I was only exhausted, and hadn¡¯t ¡°burned¡± myself like I had at the butcher shop. It was like the difference between walking to the point of collapse versus tearing a muscle - both would stop you, but one would put you out of commission for days, whereas the other just needed a bit of rest. ¡°Burning¡± yourself with magic overuse was excruciating, and I certainly wasn¡¯t going to do that by accident.

    That afternoon, I passed out in bed without even bothering to get changed. The growling of my stomach woke me later that evening, and as I sat up, I noticed something on the end table beside my bed.

    It was a note from Pash.

    Good day, Miss Koryn,

    Once you feel refreshed, I have a pleasant matter to discuss with you. I have managed to acquire an opportunity for you that I believe you will find most appealing.

    The guard posted at your door will know where to find me.

    I look forward to our discussion.

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Lt. Mikhail Pash</li>

    </ul>

    That seemed intriguing. I assumed it was another avenue by which he intended to acquire my goodwill, and I briefly collapsed in bed with a sigh as a result.

    I felt like I had overwhelmingly serious problems to sort out.

    The Germans had spellcasters, and I was the only one who knew how to deal with that fact. Odds were quite good that the German spellcasters either wanted to kill or capture me. Probably capture; nothing is more valuable to a spellcaster than knowledge. But even so, I couldn¡¯t be sure.

    The military required my help, I required theirs, and so we had to work together - except I¡¯d been thoroughly warned that I might be betrayed, mostly due to my being a foreigner.

    Both of those problems required me to be very paranoid about my own survival.

    Pash was probably not particularly motivated by morality. Whether or not he was as evil as Lou believed him to be, or as simply untrustworthy as Liam believed him to be, was uncertain. What was fairly certain was his attempt to manipulate me into goodwill.

    My parents had told me about that sort of thing, and their recommended approach was straightforward. If you found out what it was they wanted, what reason they had to curry your favor, then you simply leveraged that desire to your ends.

    If it was an ongoing desire, such as for ready access to power in case of things going wrong, then they made for excellent servants. If you fulfilled their needs, they were happy to serve you.

    If it was a one time benefit, such as acquiring some specific item, then you weighed the loss of that asset against the potential for their use. If you decided to use them, either trade it for some service outright, or give them the object of their desire, and see if their gratitude made them servile.

    It sounded fantastic in theory. Yet, the application felt daunting. Here I was, in exactly the situation they were talking about. And the idea of asking Pash exactly why he was trying to curry my favor¡­

    How was I to understand his response? Would he give me truth? That seemed doubtful.

    I sighed. There was nothing to it but to try, I supposed.

    I got up, cleaned myself off, and with the guard leading the way, headed off to find Pash.

 Bonus - OBriens Perspective

    <h1>Chapter 1 - Cocoanut Grove</h1>

    August 28th, 1939

    ¡°Lieutenant O¡¯Brien?¡±

    Liam looked up from the reports he was reading to see Officer Grant, who ran messages around the department, looking at him from the door to his office.

    ¡°What?¡± Liam asked.

    ¡°Dispatch radioed us about a development,¡± he said, and Liam nodded. ¡°There¡¯s a big fire, down at the Cocoanut Grove. Reports are saying that there¡¯s hundreds of people trapped inside, and it¡¯s not looking good.¡±

    That many people trapped inside a building was going to have deaths, as a near certainty. And, more importantly for his department, it might be arson. Liam glanced at his watch. It was just after nine at night.

    ¡°It should take Field Services a while to get it under control,¡± he said, looking down at his desk to try to remember where he was last reading. ¡°Get Walsh on it, as soon as Field Services gives the all clear. Keep me up to date.¡±

    ¡°Yes sir,¡± Grant said, and disappeared from the door.

    Ten minutes later, he was back.

    ¡°O¡¯Brien, sir?¡± he said.

    ¡°What?¡± Liam asked.

    ¡°The Cocoanut Grove is under control,¡± he said.

    ¡°That fast?¡± Liam asked, surprised.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Grant said. ¡°The first responders radioed back that there¡¯s some weird stuff going on at the scene.¡±

    ¡°Any dead?¡± Liam asked.

    ¡°At least one,¡± Grant said. ¡°They didn¡¯t give a count, but there¡¯s lots of injured, too.¡±

    Liam nodded.

    ¡°Is Walsh back yet?¡± he asked.

    Grant peeked his head around the door.

    ¡°Yes sir,¡± Grant said.

    ¡°Tell him to do a standard arson check, and get more details on whatever ¡®weird stuff¡¯ they were on about,¡± Liam said.

    ¡°Yes sir,¡± Grant said, and darted away again.

    Liam sighed and rubbed at his forehead. It was getting late and he needed to get to sleep soon. But he¡¯d just finish up going over this last problem¡­

    ¡°Lieutenant, sir?¡± Grant said, twenty minutes later.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Liam asked.

    ¡°Sergeant Walsh says you should come down and look at the Cocoanut Grove yourself,¡± Grant said, with an apologetic expression.

    ¡°What¡¯d he find?¡± Liam asked, downing the last of his cold coffee and getting to his feet.

    ¡°He didn¡¯t tell the radio,¡± Grant said. ¡°He¡¯s just insisting that you come look at it.¡±

    Liam frowned. ¡°The radio¡± was whoever was taking messages on the new radio equipment at any given time, and so Grant had nothing to do with the message he¡¯d gotten.

    ¡°Sergeant Morris is in charge while I¡¯m out,¡± Liam said as he strapped on his belt.

    ¡°Yes sir,¡± Grant said, and darted off again.

    Liam dragged his tired self down to the Grove. He¡¯d seen it enough times to remember where it was, even though he¡¯d never actually been inside it before.

    When he arrived, the scene was both under control and a complete mess. Water was everywhere, and it wasn¡¯t coming from the hydrants. In fact, as far as Liam could tell, the fire department hadn¡¯t actually done anything, other than lend manpower. Before he even parked, he realized that the massive amount of water was actually coming from inside the building.

    He could recognize Walsh¡¯s mustache from ten blocks away, and immediately headed over to greet him.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Liam asked, as soon as he was close.

    He tended to skip formalities as the night progressed.

    ¡°Weird shit,¡± Walsh said, and turned around without another word.

    Liam followed him into the alley behind the building.

    ¡°Look,¡± he said simply.

    Liam¡¯s eyes widened in shock as he stepped close and took a look at the ¡°hole¡± in the wall, and what appeared to be a slab of concrete on the ground right in front of it. He carefully traced his finger along the bizarrely smooth, almost perfectly straight line just below the height of his head.

    ¡°What could have done this?¡± Liam muttered out loud.

    ¡°Hell if I know,¡± Walsh said.

    ¡°Did you talk to the owner?¡± Liam asked.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Walsh said. ¡°Old guy named Mr. Bianchi. Cooperative, though he couldn¡¯t give me much, since he was dazed. Said it was a ¡®secret door¡¯ rigged with an explosive.¡±

    Liam gave Walsh an incredulous look.

    ¡°Explosive,¡± he repeated.

    ¡°Yep,¡± Walsh said. ¡°That¡¯s what he told me.¡±

    ¡°This,¡± Liam said, gesturing at the smooth, intact, one foot thick concrete wall that was now laying on the alley floor.

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Walsh said.

    ¡°What the hell kind of explosive could do this?¡± Liam asked, as he knelt to look at the slab.

    Far as he could tell, it looked like a section of the concrete wall was somehow separated from the rest of the wall, and then pushed outside, to the ground. He tried to shove it. It wouldn¡¯t budge.

    ¡°How much would this slab of concrete weigh?¡± Liam asked.

    ¡°I measured it, sir,¡± Walsh said. ¡°It¡¯s about five feet tall, six feet wide, and a foot thick. The sides aren¡¯t perfectly even, so it varies by a few inches. We figure it¡¯s a few thousand pounds, but we don¡¯t got no experts on concrete here. I can tell you that we tried to get the firefighters to move it, see if anything was underneath, but they couldn¡¯t budge it, either.¡±

    ¡°I take it that it¡¯s the same size as the hole in the wall,¡± Liam muttered.

    ¡°Actually, no, sir,¡± Walsh said, earning him a funny look from his superior. ¡°It¡¯s a full inch shorter vertically than it ought to be, and two to three inches shorter horizontally than it ought to be.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re telling me that this slab does not fit the hole it came from,¡± Liam said.

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Walsh said. ¡°This ain¡¯t even the weirdest part.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not moving on, yet,¡± Liam said. ¡°Where is the extra material?¡±

    ¡°Best guess, it¡¯s that weird smooth stuff,¡± Walsh said, pointing his flashlight.

    Liam bent down and picked up the little rock. It was as smooth as a river stone, the color of concrete, looked like slime, and was rock hard.

    ¡°What is this?¡± Liam asked.

    ¡°Hell if I know,¡± Walsh said. ¡°Want to see inside?¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± Liam said with a sigh.

    Walsh brought him inside. The smell of smoke was still thick in the air, but nothing looked dangerous. The building was fairly intact, all things considered.

    ¡°They turned off the water finally,¡± Walsh said, sounding relieved. ¡°It was shooting up from a hole behind the bar.¡±

    ¡°Another unusual hole?¡± Liam asked.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Walsh said, sounding a little excited. ¡°Let¡¯s go take a look. I have to see what¡¯s inside.¡±

    Liam uneasily followed the younger Sergeant over to the bar. Surrounding it was a startling amount of dirt and rock, mixed in with more of those strange, smooth stones. These stones were a different color, and were softer than the ones by the outer wall, like they were made of a different material.

    Confused cursing made its way to Liam¡¯s ears as he puzzled over the stones.

    ¡°What¡¯d you find?¡± Liam called down to Walsh.

    ¡°It¡¯s a hole, sir!¡± he said.

    Liam rolled his eyes.

    ¡°I mean, inside the hole,¡± he clarified.

    ¡°Another hole,¡± Walsh said. ¡°In the water main.¡±

    ¡°A break?¡± Liam asked, walking over to where his Sergeant was laying on his belly, sticking his head inside the erratic shaped opening with his flashlight.

    ¡°It¡¯s smooth, like the concrete hole,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s like it was just stretched open. It¡¯s¡­ weirdly kind of pretty.¡±

    ¡°Pretty?¡± Liam repeated, blinking at the strange descriptor.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Walsh said. ¡°It¡¯s almost a perfect circle, and it kind of looks like it was pulled open. The break pattern¡¯s not as smooth, though. It reminds me of a rose, weirdly enough.¡±

    ¡°A rose,¡± Liam repeated. ¡°Okay, fine. I wasn¡¯t going to stick my head in there, but this I have to see.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Walsh said, getting up and trying to brush off the muddy debris from his uniform.

    Liam temporarily reconsidered, not wanting to get filthy, but curiosity compelled him. He bent down carefully and stuck his head and arm inside the awkwardly shaped hole.

    ¡°By all that is holy,¡± Liam muttered as he looked at the twisted metal of the water main.

    It did look kind of like a rose. Vaguely. The curve of the metal looked gentle and soft, as though it had moved by the caress of an angel. Everything around the main was that strangely smooth stone material, and looked like concrete again. He carefully touched the edge of the metal, and it wasn¡¯t sharp, like he¡¯d expected from a tear. It was exactly as smooth as the strange stones.

    ¡°You were right, Walsh,¡± Liam said as he stood back up.

    He knocked the grime off his uniform as his Sergeant smiled at the comment.

    ¡°You hadn¡¯t seen this before,¡± Liam said. ¡°So what¡¯s the other weird part you wanted to show me?¡±

    ¡°Look at the pattern of the fire,¡± Walsh said, bringing Liam over to the stage. ¡°It started here - between the burn marks and the witnesses, that¡¯s clear as day. But look at this.¡±

    Walsh held up a half burned cushion.

    ¡°This was on fire,¡± he said. ¡°And then it wasn¡¯t. These things burn fast, and they burn hot.¡±

    ¡°It went out before the fire department got here?¡± Liam asked quietly.

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Walsh said. ¡°They report that the fire was completely out before they arrived. The whole building was evacuated, front and back, and water was pouring out the front door.¡±

    ¡°Could the spray from the water main have put out the fire?¡± Liam asked.

    ¡°Not a chance,¡± Walsh said. ¡°People say that the water was going everywhere, but even I saw the water still going. It was spraying out in just one direction, pointing towards the front door. None of this area should even be wet.¡±

    Liam frowned at the soaking wet seats, cushions, curtains, decorations, and roof. He glanced back at the water main hole, which was absolutely not pointing in this direction.

    ¡°Any signs of arson?¡± Liam asked.

    ¡°The fire came from some device used during the Boston Band¡¯s performance,¡± Walsh said. ¡°If it was on purpose, it was them. I¡¯ll talk to them tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Actually, Walsh, I think I¡¯d like to handle that,¡± Liam said.

    ¡°Sure thing, boss,¡± Walsh said with a laugh. ¡°Got you curious, don¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Immensely so,¡± Liam said, and then sighed. ¡°But we can¡¯t waste resources on this. If it¡¯s not homicide, it¡¯s not our problem.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± Walsh said. ¡°One last thing. C¡¯mon.¡±

    Liam smiled as he followed the Sergeant over to the front door.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t notice it, till I saw the back wall,¡± Walsh said. ¡°But check out the ¡®melt¡¯ pattern on the hinges.¡±

    Liam knelt and examined the destroyed door.

    ¡°Exactly the same,¡± he muttered as he touched the twisted hinges. ¡°What is this stuff?¡±

    ¡°It looks like it¡¯s metal,¡± Walsh said. ¡°This time, anyway. Feels exactly the same as the metal hinges of the door, ¡®cept it¡¯s like it melted and then turned to metal silk.¡±

    ¡°I wish we could spare the resources to figure this out,¡± Liam said with a wistful sigh.

    ¡°Someone will,¡± Walsh said. ¡°I¡¯ll be reading the papers on this, for sure.¡±

    ¡°Same,¡± Liam said. ¡°And don¡¯t worry, Walsh, I¡¯ll tell you what I get from the band tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, boss,¡± Walsh said. ¡°Want us to do anything else here?¡±

    ¡°Cause of the fire¡¯s clear,¡± Liam said with a shrug. ¡°I think we can go home.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Walsh said. ¡°Looking forward to our chat tomorrow.¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

    Liam smiled and wished him well before heading back to the station.

    The next morning found him checking up on the Cocoanut Grove case, and he was glad to see that Walsh had gotten some addresses from the club owner. Liam jotted down the one for ¡°Oscar ¡®Slick¡¯ Williams,¡± the lead singer of the band that had been performing. Liam knew the band - that Swing Boogie song from a few years prior had been very catchy.

    Before he left, he read all the witness statements that Walsh had gathered. His Sergeant had done a good job - he¡¯d also gotten the statements that Field Services had collected, making for a nice file for Liam to look over.

    After reading the insane sounding accounts, which almost made sense with the context of the bizarre details of the scene itself, Liam finished off his cup of coffee and headed out.

    He found himself in a beautiful neighborhood full of rich residents. The Boston Band must have done quite well for itself for the lead singer to end up here. Liam pulled up to one of the nicest and best maintained houses he¡¯d ever laid eyes on and put his car in park. He wondered how much they had to pay for gardeners to keep their lawn like that.

    Wealth was one of the mysteries he never cared much about, though.

    He went up to the house and knocked on the ornate wooden door. A moment later, it opened and what he saw took his breath away.

    She was beautiful. Her eyes were the only part of her face that could truly be called human. Only children had skin so smooth and hair so fine as hers, and his sharp eyes immediately noticed that she didn¡¯t have on an ounce of makeup. Her hair was long, loose, and unruly, but it cascaded down her slender neck in delicate waves of ebony.

    Though, for some reason, both her skin and hair looked like they were stained with dirt. It gave an impression of being almost normal, but it was as though she were using grime as a form of makeup, to make herself look human.

    Her hand, too, marked her as strangely angelic, as it rested against the doorframe. Every adult hand he¡¯d ever seen in his life had some markings, some lines of age. Hers had to be the hand of a young child, with its unblemished skin and perfectly smooth nails - though both bore the stains of grime. Yet, her figure was very much that of a mouthwateringly healthy adult woman. She only wore a night dress, and his peripheral vision suggested her legs would be worth a look, too, but he naturally couldn¡¯t spare a glance without being rude.

    It was to the credit of his time on the force that his expression didn¡¯t so much as twitch. He¡¯d read in the statements that Slick was frequently seen at the club with a ¡°remarkably beautiful woman,¡± but the degree of understatement was unexpected.

    It was also unexpected that Slick apparently lived with this woman. Didn¡¯t one of the statements say he was dating a waitress named Alice?

    She looked up at his face with a sleepy expression and said, ¡°Greetings, sir. How may I help you?¡±

    He half expected her voice to sound like the singing of angels, but it was entirely ordinary for a young woman. At least, in tone. Her accent was unusual, though - he¡¯d spoken to probably thousands of people in his career, and he¡¯d never heard one quite like it.

    Fascinating.

    ¡°Good morning, miss,¡± he said, staying focused. ¡°I am Lieutenant Detective O¡¯Brien, and I¡¯m here to ask some questions about what happened at the club last night. May I come in?¡±

    She looked pleased at his statement, which was a good sign.

    ¡°Of course,¡± she said, as she stepped back from the door with an inviting gesture. ¡°Would you like some coffee?¡±

    He could never say no to coffee.

    ¡°Yes, miss, if you would,¡± he said. ¡°That sounds lovely.¡±

    He took off his hat as he came in and looked at the people gathered there.

    The first person to catch his attention had to be Slick Williams. He looked the right age, and he had a haggard look on his face like he hadn¡¯t slept well. He also looked nervous, which was not a good sign.

    The second person to catch his attention was a woman who looked a great deal like Slick - his sister, possibly. Her sharp eyes immediately put him on edge. She was watching him as intently as he was watching her.

    Another woman was there, who was clearly not related to anyone else he¡¯d seen in the house. She looked uncomfortable to the point of being ill, and did not like the fact that Liam was there. It wasn¡¯t clear why, though, so it wasn¡¯t necessarily a bad sign.

    ¡°Lou, Slick, Alice, this is Lieutenant Detective O¡¯Brien,¡± said the angel woman. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back with some coffee. Detective? How do you take yours?¡±

    ¡°Sugar, please,¡± he said, inclining his head politely. ¡°And thank you.¡±

    She smiled at him, showing teeth that were unnaturally white - again with the childlike perfection - and darted off to another room, presumably the kitchen.

    ¡°So you¡¯ve got questions,¡± the sharp eyed woman said.

    ¡°That I do,¡± he said. ¡°Should we start with you?¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± she said.

    ¡°Could I get your full name?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Louise Williams,¡± she said without hesitation.

    That¡¯d make the other woman Alice.

    ¡°Any relation to Oscar Williams?¡± he asked, suppressing a smirk. Obvious or not, best to confirm.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m his sister,¡± she said, throwing Slick an amused look.

    ¡°According to the statements we have, you were on the stage for the performance, is that correct?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± she said.

    ¡°And you left prior to police gathering statements?¡± he said.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t realize we were supposed to stick around,¡± she said.

    He caught a little tightness in her tone. He got the impression that it was more true that she wanted to leave as soon as possible. Which would be reasonable.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± he said. ¡°After all, I¡¯m here now. So, moving on - can you tell me what happened once the fire started?¡±

    ¡°I saw lots of things, and scarcely remember any of it,¡± she said.

    The haunted look on her face told him it was a lie. She saw things that she wanted to forget. His own heart twinged in sympathy.

    ¡°It was hell,¡± she went on. ¡°People screaming, running¡­ it was nuts.¡±

    That part was definitely the truth. He glanced up to see the angel woman bringing coffee. He suppressed a smile at the thought that perfect angels should always have coffee.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you run?¡± he asked Lou.

    Before Lou answered, the angel woman handed him his cup, and he thanked her. He took a sip. It was a surprisingly excellent cup of joe.

    ¡°Alice was there, and she got trampled,¡± Lou said.

    Liam¡¯s eyes flicked over to Alice. Strange. She didn¡¯t have any bruising, and she hadn¡¯t moved like she was injured.

    ¡°I had to help her,¡± Lou went on. ¡°That¡¯s all that mattered to me right then.¡±

    Her eyes were on fire with intensity. His heart twinged again. Every inch of Lou¡¯s body was screaming that she spoke something that wasn¡¯t just truth, but was critical to her. Lou cared.

    Liam was immediately convinced that Lou did not try to burn the building down on purpose. This girl had the heart of a lion.

    ¡°I can understand that,¡± he said, a weight of meaning in his voice. Any officer in the force would understand that. ¡°What about the start of the fire? Do you know what happened?¡±

    Pain hit Lou¡¯s face and she looked away with a sigh.

    ¡°Fact is, sir, it was my fault,¡± she said.

    ¡°We talked about this, sis!¡± Slick protested before Liam could digest her expression. ¡°I told you to make the damned thing in the first place! It¡¯s my fault!¡±

    Usually guilty criminals didn¡¯t argue with each other in front of officers about claiming guilt as their own.

    ¡°Hold on,¡± Liam said. One thing at a time. ¡°Let¡¯s just hear what Ms. Williams has to say, first.¡±

    Lou looked ill as she answered.

    ¡°I made a box to make a spark of electricity. I tested it a hundred times in the garage. It worked without a hitch,¡± she said with an empty tone.

    An accident.

    ¡°But not at the club?¡± Liam asked, for confirmation.

    ¡°It worked,¡± she said, with a tone of glum resentment. ¡°And as far as we can tell, it caught the dust on fire. That exploded.¡±

    That sounded reasonable.

    ¡°People report two explosions - that would be the first, then,¡± Liam said.

    ¡°The second one was the air conditioner, when the flames reached it,¡± she said, and then looked distant. ¡°It happened so fast.¡±

    ¡°Fire does that,¡± Liam said. That look of guilt on her face, combined with his impression of her as the protecting sort, tugged at him. ¡°This sounds to me like a terrible accident. You didn¡¯t mean any harm. Don¡¯t blame yourself too much. This is the sort of thing that¡¯ll weigh on you forever, if you let it.¡±

    ¡°And it should,¡± Lou said glumly.

    Liam suppressed a sigh. He saw this sort of reaction in younger officers too often.

    ¡°Lou, it¡¯s on me,¡± Slick said again, guilty heat in his eyes. ¡°You didn¡¯t even want to build it in the first place.¡±

    ¡°Oscar Williams, correct?¡± Liam asked, again asking the obvious for sake of certainty.

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Slick said.

    ¡°I believe I got everything I need from your sister. Might I ask you a few questions, as well?¡± Liam asked.

    ¡°Of course, sir,¡± Slick said.

    ¡°During the fire, we have reports that you were getting people out the front door. Is that correct?¡± Liam asked.

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Slick said.

    Liam¡¯s curiosity had his hopes up.

    ¡°How were you able to get the door open?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t, sir. The door fell apart right next to me, and then I did everything I could to get the people out,¡± he said.

    Damn.

    That was disappointing. Liam had a feeling that there was more to it than that, based on Slick¡¯s uneasiness. A number of the statements made bizarre claims, and it seemed likely that Slick didn¡¯t want to admit to seeing something that could mark him as insane. Walsh had noted that such seemed to be the case with a number of other reluctant witnesses.

    Might as well address the concern about Slick bodily throwing people - it¡¯d be useful for the regular report, in any case. This was clearly not for homicide.

    ¡°How were you getting them out?¡± Liam asked.

    Slick shrugged as he said, ¡°With everything I could do. I couldn¡¯t even think. Just had to get them out as fast as I could, you know?¡±

    Liam nodded.

    ¡°You and your sister seem to have a drive to help people,¡± he observed.

    They both reacted positively to this statement. Liam was glad to note that it seemed to relieve some of Lou¡¯s stress.

    ¡°That¡¯s a good thing,¡± he went on. ¡°Though I feel it¡¯s my duty to let you know how dangerous that decision was. You should let trained professionals take care of emergencies.¡±

    ¡°I understand, sir,¡± Slick said.

    He looked slightly cooperative, but didn¡¯t really agree. Lou¡¯s reaction was more pointed, though she tried to hide it. She had absolutely no intention of going along with what Liam had said, and he half got the impression that she¡¯d dare him, or anyone, to do anything about it.

    She had moxy, that one. He couldn¡¯t help but smirk.

    ¡°Well, then, would there be anything else that you noticed from the fire last night?¡± Liam asked.

    ¡°What Lou said,¡± Slick answered, looking down at his feet. ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t really want to remember it.¡±

    His expression was pained.

    ¡°Traumatic experiences can do that,¡± Liam said.

    Nothing else to get here. He looked at Alice and the angel woman.

    ¡°Were you ladies also at the fire?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± the angel said promptly, and Alice nodded, uneasily.

    ¡°May I have your names and your statements?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Alice Reed,¡± Alice said, while the angel girl hesitated at his question. ¡°And I don¡¯t remember anything after the fire started. Slick tells me that he found me bruised up and out cold.¡±

    What bruises¡­? Where could bruises possibly be on her, that she¡¯d have absolutely no sign of any physical strain?

    ¡°You might want to get checked out at the hospital, then, miss,¡± Liam said, as a way of drawing out the moment, buying him more time to chew on this. ¡°If it¡¯s bad enough to knock you out, it could be serious.¡±

    ¡°Hopefully not. But thank you for the advice,¡± she said.

    She had absolutely no interest in following this advice.

    Liam nodded. This was strange, but¡­ it didn¡¯t relate to anything he actually had to investigate. If there was no crime, then it wasn¡¯t his duty to find out about it, and bothering citizens over pure curiosity was an abuse of power.

    Tempting as it was.

    Liam looked over at the angel woman.

    ¡°Aera Koryn,¡± she said with an intense expression. ¡°I have nothing to share beyond what the others have said.¡±

    Partially true¡­ she wanted to tell him something, but had chosen not to, perhaps.

    ¡°However,¡± she went on, ¡°There is something I must ask.¡±

    ¡°What might that be?¡± Liam asked.

    ¡°Please, sir, I have to know,¡± she said, leaning in closer with a pleading expression. ¡°How many people died in the fire?¡±

    Desperation? Interesting.

    ¡°That¡¯s not really something I can share, as of yet,¡± Liam said cautiously.

    ¡°It was our fault, though,¡± she said.

    She said ¡°our,¡± but meant ¡°my.¡± She blamed herself, and needed relief. Was everyone in this household committed to doing good? It was a refreshing thing to see.

    ¡°Please,¡± she continued. ¡°I have to know how many lives are on our hands.¡±

    ¡°You had something to do with the spark box, as well?¡± Liam asked.

    ¡°Not a damned thing,¡± Lou interjected, with an intensely protective body language.

    She was protecting Aera from something?

    ¡°She¡¯s quick to blame herself when there¡¯s absolutely no reason at all to do so,¡± Lou said pointedly, glaring at Aera.

    She was reminding Aera of something? To not blame herself? And she was¡­ what, angry at Aera for not cooperating with Lou¡¯s protectiveness?

    This wasn¡¯t adding up.

    Liam looked over at Aera, hoping she¡¯d clarify this.

    Unease. Tension. Frustration. He couldn¡¯t seem to get more than that.

    ¡°Why do you blame yourself?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Because I couldn¡¯t save them all,¡± she said, looking down at her feet with a forlorn expression.

    Ahhh. A self sacrificing sort, maybe. If she was prone to hurting herself to save others, and blaming herself for surviving when others didn¡¯t, then Lou¡¯s protective frustration made sense.

    ¡°I think Ms. Williams may have a point,¡± Liam said, hoping she could hear the truth in his words. ¡°Ms. Koryn. You shouldn¡¯t blame yourself for that. No one could have saved everyone in that fire.¡±

    A shame. She didn¡¯t believe him. At least he tried.

    He frowned as he realized she was definitely taking her defiance too far. She looked increasingly like he¡¯d punched her in the stomach.

    ¡°Everything¡¯s all right, now,¡± he said, trying to use a commanding tone to put her at ease.

    ¡°It isn¡¯t,¡± she said, and her eyes were brimming with tears. ¡°Please. I saw five black bags there. Please, sir. I have to know¡­¡±

    Between her tears, her begging, and her obvious ache to do the right thing, he found himself twinging again.

    ¡°One of the reasons I can¡¯t tell you is that we don¡¯t know yet,¡± he said, giving in. ¡°There were five dead at the scene, as you saw. There¡¯s also a lot of people injured, some critically, at the hospital.¡±

    Strange reaction - she didn¡¯t like hospitals, he guessed. Maybe someone she¡¯d loved had died there. It¡¯d be a possible reason why someone as beautiful as she was didn¡¯t have a ring on her finger.

    ¡°The doctors are skilled folk, miss. They¡¯re taking good care of them, I promise you,¡± he said.

    Again, she didn¡¯t believe him. She definitely had an issue with hospitals.

    ¡°Which hospital?¡± she asked.

    Odd question. There weren¡¯t many to choose from.

    ¡°Mass Main, of course,¡± he said. ¡°Biggest one in the city. It¡¯s the only one that could handle that many people.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, sir,¡± she said, looking like she¡¯d reached some resolution. ¡°I can only hope they¡¯ll be okay.¡±

    ¡°Regardless of the outcome, there¡¯s no need to blame yourself,¡± he said.

    By this point, it was expected that she wouldn¡¯t believe him, but at least he¡¯d tried. He glanced around at everyone else. They seemed more relaxed, like the conversation had been a relief. Probably it was that they¡¯d needed to get the details off their chests.

    ¡°Well, I think I¡¯ve gotten all I need to, here,¡± he said. ¡°I want to thank you for your time.¡±

    They all responded at once, with varying levels of enthusiasm. Aera escorted him to the door, and he smiled at her with a tip of his hat, taking the opportunity to marvel at the strangeness of her skin one last time.

    Sergeant Walsh was disappointed that Liam hadn¡¯t found out the cause of the weirdness of the Grove. Liam shared the sentiment. They were further disappointed that the news didn¡¯t seem to figure it out, either. Some papers of less repute gave more accurate details on the unusual features of the scene and reports, but no one had any explanations that seemed remotely viable.

    His hopes were raised again when he saw the news report on ¡°The Impossible in Boston¡± just over a month later. It seemed like strange things were going on. From the description of the ring in the paper, and the commentary by the professor, it definitely seemed beyond what Liam¡¯s unit could investigate.

    He passingly wondered if Slick was ¡°the impossible¡± - the professor said he¡¯d determined that they were looking for a male under the age of about forty five. It didn¡¯t quite seem to jibe with his own take. That angel girl, Aera, seemed more likely, but Liam didn¡¯t know what information the professor had that he didn¡¯t.

    Curiosity about a possible avenue to pursue plagued him until he finally caved and called Professor Rhine.

    ¡°Hello, this is Professor Joseph Rhine,¡± the voice answered.

    ¡°Good afternoon, Professor,¡± Liam said, keeping his tone crisp and formal. ¡°This is Lieutenant Detective O¡¯Brien with the Boston Police Department. Are you available to speak for a moment?¡±

    ¡°Of course, of course,¡± the professor said, sounding excited. ¡°Do you have a suspect?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s something else I¡¯d like to discuss first,¡± Liam said. ¡°This ¡®impossible person¡¯ you made reference to: in your professional opinion, is this person a threat to the people of this city?¡±

    ¡°Yes and no,¡± the professor said, sounding a little haughty, ¡°Based on the events of the fire at the Cocoanut Grove, it would appear his intentions are benevolent. And further, these people have been a part of humanity for thousands of years. However, he did threaten me harm if I pursued the matter.¡±

    ¡°Most people get snappy when backed in a corner,¡± Liam said.

    ¡°I suppose,¡± he said. ¡°But he has no need to be aggressive, as powerful as he is. I do believe that Boston - and all of America - would be far safer if he could be apprehended.¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± Liam said, frowning. That wasn¡¯t especially convincing. ¡°A second question is on your profiling, from the article. How certain are you that the target is a white male under the age of forty five?¡±

    ¡°The age may be incorrect,¡± Professor Rhine said. ¡°All I know is that I got the impression of youth from his voice in my mind - I would estimate an age of twenty, to be honest, but I thought the age of forty five would be a reasonable upper limit. As far as being white and male - that much is absolutely for certain.¡±

    ¡°Occasionally, profiling can be incorrect,¡± Liam said. ¡°For the sake of clarity, if I were to find a lead that pointed me at a woman, for instance -¡±

    The professor cut him off.

    ¡°It would be a waste of resources to pursue such a lead,¡± the professor said. ¡°No matter how compelling - at most, it would be an attempt by ¡®the impossible¡¯ to divert attention from his true trail. It¡¯s scientifically impossible for him to be a woman.¡±

    ¡°Very well,¡± Liam said, disappointed.

    He wasn¡¯t convinced that the professor had to be correct, but it was undeniable that Rhine was more knowledgeable on the subject than Liam was.

    Liam continued, ¡°I don¡¯t believe we can dedicate resources to pursuit of someone who has not appeared to have committed a crime, and does not appear to be a threat to the city. However, if the situation changes, I¡¯m sure we will speak again.¡±

    The professor sighed in a disappointed way.

    ¡°You know what¡¯s best for the police,¡± he said. ¡°Will that be all, Detective?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Liam said. ¡°Good day, Professor.¡±

 Ch. 33 - Friend

    <h1></h1>

    Pash was sipping at a cup of tea when I stepped into the little office.

    ¡°Good evening, Ms. Koryn,¡± he said. ¡°I hope you rested well.¡±

    ¡°I did, thank you,¡± I said. ¡°What is it you wished to discuss with me?¡±

    ¡°During our dinner last week, I noticed you seemed rather interested in Professor Einstein,¡± he said. ¡°It had occurred to me that I can pull some strings and arrange for you to meet, if it is of interest.¡±

    ¡°Einstein?¡± I asked. ¡°Why would he want to meet me? I mean, if my power is secret.¡±

    ¡°That is a concern,¡± Pash said. ¡°Between my connections and your influence, I believe I will be able to gain the authorization to discuss your abilities, which he would find interesting.¡±

    ¡°Gain the authorization?¡± I asked. ¡°Secret though it may be, it is my secret, not the military¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°Your power is now a matter of national security,¡± Pash said. ¡°Revealing either yourself or the fact of German spellcasting could have global repercussions. It is imperative that you avoid taking any risks of that sort.¡±

    I frowned.

    ¡°I dislike chains,¡± I said.

    ¡°Naturally,¡± Pash said. ¡°But I will be happy to lend you assistance in whatever ways I can. You are wise enough not to disregard such an obvious measure of caution, but I can ensure that this caution does not stop you from meeting the good professor.¡±

    ¡°Why are you helping me?¡± I asked abruptly.

    ¡°Why do you ask, when you will not trust any answer that I give?¡± he asked, and his eyes sparkled with amusement.

    I scowled at him.

    He chuckled in his rumbling way and I sighed.

    ¡°Could you give me an answer anyway?¡± I said. ¡°A truthful one, ideally?¡±

    ¡°I do not see why it is even a question,¡± Pash said. ¡°The truth is, Ms. Koryn, there are endless reasons to gain your favor, and none to gain your ill will.¡±

    ¡°I am aware,¡± I said. ¡°But what is your reason?¡±

    ¡°Numerous,¡± he said. ¡°Not the least of which is my job.¡±

    ¡°But your job doesn¡¯t make you set up a meeting between me and an illustrious professor,¡± I said, crossing my arms and giving him a look.

    ¡°That, no, is not my job,¡± he said, still looking amused. ¡°I am aware that friendship is likely to never form between us, between our professional relationship and prior suspicions. Nonetheless, I would prefer for you to regard our relationship positively.¡±

    ¡°You have simply repeated what we both know - that you are currying favor with me,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m trying to know your personal reason.¡±

    ¡°Considering the suspicion and negativity in which our professional relationship began, it will take work to even bring us to a neutral front,¡± he said. ¡°I am not one to make enemies, Ms. Koryn, least of all with someone of the power and influence that you have and are continuing to build.¡±

    I frowned. Not wanting powerful people as an enemy was valid. But¡­ was there more?

    I rubbed at my face and sighed. Even if there was, I probably wasn¡¯t going to find out about it yet. Best to play along for now, it seemed.

    ¡°Fine,¡± I said. ¡°So, Einstein. What¡¯s your plan?¡±

    ¡°I have already confirmed that he is willing to work on a secret government project, and, accordingly, to be sworn to secrecy,¡± he said. ¡°I wasn¡¯t able to tell him much, of course, but he is intrigued at the possibility of an entirely new avenue of physics research.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but smile at that. It seemed like¡­ like cheating, somehow.

    ¡°If you are interested in meeting the professor, I will speak to General Richardson about granting the authorization for this meeting,¡± he said.

    ¡°Let me guess,¡± I said. ¡°You have considered the general¡¯s interests, and know just how to present it, in order to get him to agree.¡±

    ¡°I fear I am getting a bit predictable,¡± Pash said, his eyes glinting again.

    I felt the impulse to stick my tongue out at him, but I refrained.

    ¡°As long as you don¡¯t think it¡¯ll cause any trouble¡­ I must admit, I would love to meet him,¡± I said.

    Pash¡¯s smile broadened to the point where it almost looked like a normal smile.

    ¡°I am glad to be of service to you, Ms. Koryn,¡± he said.

    I sighed and walked out the door without another word. This thing with Pash felt tangled. His help was nice, his support was appreciated, but I knew I couldn¡¯t trust him.

    Probably.

    It was never this complicated in my parents¡¯ lessons.

    But then, I did leave when I was seventeen. Who knows if they¡¯d have covered this sort of intricacy, eventually?

    Probably.

    ¡°Ugh,¡± I grumbled to myself as I stalked back to my room, shadowed by my guard.

    The following days were nearly as exhausting as that day had been. General Richardson had me go over the nature of magical exhaustion, the types of fatigue, and the details on the recovery process. He was particularly intrigued by ¡°burning out,¡± due to how debilitating it was.

    He also had me going over the means by which spellcasters were defeated. I told him, the best route was to take them by surprise. If surprise fails, to try to magically overwhelm them - resulting in either crushing them outright, or inspiring magical burnout. If overwhelming offense fails, then to try to draw them into overexerting themselves into exhaustion, ideally with trickery and misdirection, so you aren¡¯t also exhausted.

    And, of course, if that fails, then revisit the ¡°surprise¡± approach.

    It felt like an interrogation - days of answering questions and making demonstrations. When my performance started flagging, I had to confess about the significance of emotional state on magic. I was trying just as hard, in my mind, but if my heart wasn¡¯t in it, then my magic wasn¡¯t either. For small effects, this didn¡¯t matter, but in pushing my limits, it was excruciatingly obvious.

    The general was delighted to discover that demoralizing a spellcaster had an immediate, dramatic impact on their capabilities. I did note that this was not true for enchantments, for what it was worth.

    As expected, the general wanted to test the differences. Fortunately for me, he wasn¡¯t inclined to actually make me hateful or angry. He simply wanted to know what emotions matched up with what skills, and conversely, what emotions hindered what skills.

    It wasn¡¯t really that simple, since emotions could be twisted to different purposes, but I was able to give him a brief overview. Afterwards, he simply wanted a report on my emotional state prior to each demonstration, rather than trying to directly influence my emotions.

    Keeping my magesense open was a different sort of challenge. I kept finding myself distracted by things, like a squirrel who was caught by a hawk. The surge of fear and pain was enough to disrupt the magic I was maintaining, resulting in a tiny, miniscule explosion that only took me a few minutes to clean up.

    I also kept slipping up, and getting tidbits of information about the others that I didn¡¯t feel that I had the right to know. The general, for instance, regarded me as extremely dangerous, with such a thick intention of nearly hostile caution that I¡¯d have actually needed to put in some effort to push through to see his fundamental nature.

    Pash had a remarkably rigid, calm exterior. I couldn¡¯t tell if it was thorough enough to qualify as a rudimentary barrier without trying to poke at it, but it certainly had the potential. Virtually nothing slipped through, except for occasional bits of annoyance or amusement.

    Nicholas was sweet. Not the finest man in the world, but he had a good heart and was loyal. I apologized to him when I accidentally got a glimpse of his soul, and instead of being annoyed, he was intrigued. He felt guilty about his curiosity, and I guessed that the general wanted to know everything he found out. To that, he actually blushed with embarrassment, but I didn¡¯t mind. I understood the nature of his job and where his loyalties lay - there was no reason to hide it.

    I even got him to admit that the general wanted him to befriend me, and I couldn¡¯t help but laugh. He was so relieved that it didn¡¯t bother me. If anything, I felt a little embarrassed at not thinking of that in the first place. As overwhelmingly cautious as the general felt towards me, it made sense for him to try to take every conceivable angle to make me safer for him. Having me care about someone that he could rely on was a sensible approach.

    The first day of this work, Pash was gone, and then that afternoon, he let me know that he¡¯d arranged the meeting between myself and Einstein for Saturday.

    By Saturday, I was starting to feel a deep fatigue that I¡¯d not experienced in years. Pushing my magic so hard, every day, was wearing me out. I couldn¡¯t honestly complain, though, since that was one of the best ways to get stronger.

    The best way was emotional trauma mixed with intense resolution and drive. Unlike my parents, I had no intention of putting myself through that. So, really, this was fine.

    Pash and I left first thing in the morning, since Princeton, where Professor Einstein worked, was about a four hour drive away. I tried to talk with Pash, but I wasn¡¯t quite up to it, and ended up falling asleep just minutes into the drive.

    The smell of coffee pulled me from a dream of going sailing with my family, whose faces I could never quite make out. I startled awake and blinked at Pash, who was holding a cup and standing beside my open door.

    ¡°We¡¯re here?¡± I asked stupidly, rubbing at my eyes.

    ¡°We are,¡± he said. ¡°Did you rest well?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sorry,¡± I said. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to leave you without company.¡±

    ¡°It is quite alright. Though I confess, it¡¯s been some time since I listened to a woman¡¯s snoring,¡± he said.

    ¡°I do not snore!¡± I protested, my cheeks flushing.

    ¡°True,¡± he said, his eyes glinting with mirth. ¡°Though I was correct that the accusation would get your skin to have some color in it.¡±

    ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re teasing me!¡± I said, gaping at him.

    His smile looked warm.

    ¡°Does it bother you, Ms. Koryn?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Well¡­ no,¡± I said, scrunching my nose at him.

    ¡°I thought not,¡± he said with a chuckle. ¡°Shall we head in?¡±

    I continued to gape at him for another few seconds before I managed to close my mouth, shake my head at him, and quietly followed after him.

    He was treating me like a friend and I just had no idea how to handle that.

    I also didn¡¯t know how to handle the fact that he¡¯d accurately predicted I wouldn¡¯t be offended by it. I almost wanted to try to make myself feel offended just to spite him, but I¡­ well, I just couldn¡¯t do that. It seemed wrong to punish him for an accurate appraisal of my feelings.

    I didn¡¯t have time to think about it, either.

    The Institute for Advanced Study was beautiful. The buildings were reasonably new, maybe ten years old, and were surrounded by well maintained greenery. Pash led me along a path between some bushes to the main building.

    Inside, a number of men moved around. Now sensitive to the issue, I couldn¡¯t help but notice how few women there were. At least there were a few.

    ¡°Is this a university?¡± I asked Pash as we walked.

    ¡°Not precisely,¡± he said. ¡°It is a highly unusual place of study. It was designed for people to come and study or research whatever they wish, within the institute¡¯s areas of focus, without formal, rigid structures or curriculums, as universities usually have. It has lured some of the greatest minds in the world since its founding.¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± I said. ¡°It is the place where scholars go to research, when they have completed training, then.¡±

    Pash smirked.

    ¡°Research is usually more rigidly constrained,¡± he said.

    I raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°But you can¡¯t tell someone what to research,¡± I said. ¡°I mean, not for development of new knowledge, anyway.¡±

    He chuckled at that.

    ¡°That is precisely how research is usually done,¡± he said. ¡°This place is one of few exceptions.¡±

    ¡°Strange,¡± I said.

    ¡°Perhaps,¡± he said. ¡°In any case, Ms. Koryn, we have arrived.¡±

    We stood in front of an office door, nearly identical to dozens of others. He knocked at the door, and a beat later, a voice said, ¡°Come in.¡±

    The door opened and inside was an image that surprised me.

    I had expected to see someone like Rhine - dignified, polished appearance, immaculately groomed. Einstein was the opposite. His white hair was uncombed, his clothing was clean but wrinkled, much like his skin, and inexplicably, he wasn¡¯t wearing socks.

    His eyes were intensely sharp as they met my gaze, and I almost staggered from my magesense. His curiosity about me was almost tangible, and despite its intensity, was nonetheless relaxed, as though he wasn¡¯t really expecting much.

    If this was what an idle curiosity felt like, I half wondered if he could bludgeon someone to death with a focused version.

    ¡°Hello again, Mr. Pash, and Ms. Koryn, it is good to meet you,¡± he said, with a german accent that didn¡¯t detract from his smile in the least, despite the harshness of the sounds.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    ¡°And you,¡± I said, as he invited us in.

    ¡°I was told you would be interesting,¡± he said, as I took a seat on a comfortable chair, ¡°but I had not imagined you - or anyone - to be quite so beautiful.¡±

    ¡°It is simply a consequence of my skills,¡± I said, smiling at the compliment. ¡°Has Pash told you about me? I forgot to ask.¡±

    Pash said, ¡°I thought it would be best to discuss the nature of the matter carefully, with all parties present.¡±

    ¡°Yes, apparently it is extremely confidential,¡± Einstein said, with a vaguely displeased look at Pash, like he objected to Pash¡¯s very existence. ¡°We are now all here. So, do tell me what this is all about.¡±

    ¡°Not yet,¡± Pash said. ¡°We need to establish the terms of this arrangement.¡±

    ¡°Arrangement?¡± I asked. ¡°You gained authorization to reveal my secret, and now I¡¯ve met him. What is there beyond that?¡±

    Einstein listened with interest.

    ¡°Due to the gravity of the matter, the military insists on having all discussions between you to be observed,¡± Pash said. ¡°For simplicity, I will fulfill that role.¡±

    ¡°And you mention that now?¡± I asked, scowling at him.

    ¡°For the sake of haste, I thought it best to discuss the matter with both of you,¡± Pash said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t even need to agree to that,¡± I said. ¡°I could send you away, and neither you, nor the military, could do anything about that.¡±

    ¡°True,¡± Pash said, to which Einstein looked even more fascinated, ¡°but do recall, Ms. Koryn, there is a need for you to demonstrate your willingness to cooperate, if you do not want to be hated and feared more than you already are.¡±

    That stung.

    ¡°Mr. Pash, that is despicable,¡± Einstein said, his eyes heating. ¡°Coercing someone into cooperation in such a way?¡±

    ¡°It is not coercion, Professor, but merely a reminder,¡± Pash said, entirely unaffected by Einstein¡¯s ire. ¡°Feel free to ask her if she feels my assessment is incorrect.¡±

    ¡°Life has many truths which pull one in different directions,¡± Einstein said. ¡°Whether or not it is true does not change that it is brazen manipulation.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps,¡± Pash said. ¡°Nonetheless, her priorities are her own, and not yours, Professor. At present, she is best advised towards caution, no matter your views.¡±

    ¡°If I may,¡± I said, and both of them looked at me. ¡°Professor Einstein, I have no intention of letting myself become the pet of any military. At present, though, Lieutenant Pash does have a point - I should be cautious. If temporarily letting the military listen in on my conversations will help the poor things sleep at night, I see no harm in it.¡±

    ¡°Ha!¡± Einstein said, with a disarmingly wide grin. ¡°I cannot disparage a kind gesture, though it does make me even more curious what this secret could possibly be.¡±

    ¡°We are nearly at that point,¡± Pash said. ¡°I have attained Professor Einstein¡¯s agreement of silence -¡±

    ¡°Only because my lack of knowledge would likewise result in my silence,¡± Einstein said, with a miffed expression.

    I covered a smile.

    ¡°And with Ms. Koryn¡¯s agreement to permit these conversations to be supervised, that leaves only one matter left to be addressed,¡± Pash said. ¡°I simply would have us all, in this shared company, agree to more than simple silence. I would have all parties agree to show caution and care, in every possible respect, to keep this matter as safe as possible.¡±

    ¡°I am not good at that,¡± I said. ¡°But I¡¯ll try.¡±

    ¡°If by safety, you mean the safety of my fellow man, then I will agree,¡± Einstein said. ¡°But knowledge is a thing meant to be shared, not hoarded.¡±

    ¡°That is sufficient,¡± Pash said. ¡°I merely wish to maintain an understanding of caution. Ms. Koryn, feel free to reveal yourself.¡±

    Einstein turned his curious gaze on me, as I scowled at Pash¡¯s wording. I sighed and turned my attention back to the professor.

    ¡°I have the impression that you know enough to know that this is not a joke, or something to be readily dismissed,¡± I said.

    Einstein¡¯s head tilted slightly.

    ¡°That would be correct,¡± he said.

    ¡°Then I may as well get straight to the point,¡± I said. ¡°I am from another world, and I have a skill which I have chosen to translate as ¡®magic.¡¯¡±

    With that, I lifted my hand, and made a spot above it glow a brilliant, pure white.

    ¡°Another world?¡± Einstein said, as he leaned closer to look at the light.

    ¡°It is called Camelot,¡± I said, as I hovered it over towards him.

    Both men seemed to react in surprise at the name, as though it meant something to them. Einstein¡¯s attention was immediately drawn back to the light hovering in front of his face. He reached his hand over the focal point, and his eyes lit up like a child¡¯s with inexpressible glee as the light emerged from within his flesh.

    ¡°I have so many questions,¡± Einstein said, with a strange hint of pain in his voice. ¡°Which to ask first? Ahh¡­¡±

    He hesitated, and my smile broadened. His unrestrained enthusiasm was honestly adorable.

    ¡°Where does the energy come from?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Somehow, I suspect the standard answer of ¡®drawing it forth from my soul¡¯ is not what you¡¯re looking for,¡± I said wryly.

    ¡°No,¡± he said. ¡°What is the true source?¡±

    ¡°The process is simple enough to use, but complex to describe - especially in this language. Even if your language had words enough for the task, I fear I¡¯ve not learned them,¡± I said. ¡°Answering this question in the way you desire would be a daunting and likely very lengthy task.¡±

    ¡°I might have language enough for the task,¡± Einstein said. ¡°I can try to help you find the words. Perhaps a brief overview for now, if possible?¡±

    I pursed my lips.

    ¡°May I simply acquire your language?¡± I asked. ¡°In my home, it¡¯s considered acceptable to borrow language from anyone without asking, but here, it seems better to ask.¡±

    ¡°Borrow my language?¡± he said. ¡°What does that entail?¡±

    ¡°Simply going into your mind and making a copy of your knowledge of language,¡± I said. ¡°It has absolutely no effect on you, and is quick.¡±

    ¡°Very well,¡± he said, eyes alight with curiosity.

    It¡¯d been some time since I¡¯d actually used that spell, but it still only took about ten seconds or so.

    ¡°O-oh!¡± I said, shocked, immediately after.

    ¡°Did something go wrong?¡± Pash asked, just as Einstein said, ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°No, it worked perfectly,¡± I said, still feeling stunned. ¡°I just¡­ there¡¯s meanings here I didn¡¯t expect. Different languages and¡­ wow. Um, you have a very different conception of science than I do.¡±

    ¡°How do you mean?¡± Einstein asked.

    ¡°Er¡­ like mathematics,¡± I said. ¡°I know some mathematics, too. I learned addition and subtraction, and since coming here, I learned a bit about multiplication and division from a friend who was going through school. But¡­ I don¡¯t understand, you have such an intense attachment of power to the word mathematics.¡±

    ¡°You mean to say that you know no more of mathematics than multiplication and division?¡± Einstein said, looking as shocked as I felt. ¡°Not even algebra?¡±

    ¡°I sort of know the meaning of algebra,¡± I said. ¡°But again, the meaning in your mind is so much more than the meaning of the word I¡¯d previously acquired. Why? Why do these mathematics words feel so powerful to you?¡±

    ¡°Mathematics is the language of reality itself,¡± he said. ¡°It is the clearest means with which to describe the universe.¡±

    ¡°Mathematics¡­ to describe things?¡± I said, giving him a blank look. ¡°How¡­ how does one describe something with numbers?¡±

    I was sure he meant more than something like dress sizes or the year of a car¡¯s production.

    ¡°I fear that would be a rather lengthy answer,¡± Einstein said, looking a bit sad. Then he turned an inquisitive and accusing look at Pash. ¡°Also, I feel it worth noting that I was advised that you had scholarly leanings.¡±

    ¡°I do!¡± I said. ¡°My parents are two of the finest researchers in what you¡¯d call ¡®physics¡¯ in all the world!¡±

    ¡°And yet they didn¡¯t express to you an understanding of mathematics?¡± Einstein said skeptically.

    ¡°Why would they?¡± I demanded. ¡°Since when is math used in physics research?¡±

    ¡°I confess that I do not immediately see how physics research can be done without it,¡± he said.

    ¡°And I do not see what use math would have in such research,¡± I said. ¡°What numbers would even be involved?¡±

    ¡°Measurements, primarily,¡± Einstein said.

    ¡°Measurements?¡± I asked, confused. ¡°What kind of measurements?¡±

    ¡°Such as the amount of energy involved in something,¡± he said. ¡°For instance, how much energy is required to lift precisely one kilogram of weight.¡±

    ¡°That seems so¡­ so exacting,¡± I said. ¡°Why on Earth would someone want to know that?¡±

    He sighed.

    ¡°So that, for instance, one could know precisely how much energy is required to lift a few thousand kilograms of matter, using gasoline-powered hydraulic machinery,¡± he said, looking disappointed.

    I blinked again. And again.

    ¡°Wait a second,¡± I said, my eyes going wide. ¡°I think¡­ I think I understand!¡±

    I grinned at them both, while they both gave me vaguely disappointed looks.

    ¡°I¡¯m not talking about that exact conversion, because I don¡¯t understand that, but I also don¡¯t care,¡± I said. ¡°I meant your society - I think I understand how all this technology happens. You get precise measurements for things, figure out how they relate to each other, and then use that¡­ somehow¡­ to mass produce things. That¡¯s how people are able to build things they don¡¯t personally understand. Am I correct?¡±

    Both men looked intrigued by this.

    ¡°Your people never had an industrial revolution?¡± Einstein asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what that is,¡± I said. ¡°But if you mean technology things, that¡¯s correct. We have no cars, no trains, no metallurgy, no engineering, no factories, no aeroplanes, no radios, no televisions. To the measure of your people, we have nothing more advanced than carpentry and very simple metal working. Individuals wielding magic mark the entirety of value in my world.¡±

    Einstein nodded, looking speculative.

    ¡°Without much collaboration¡­ I suppose a common system of measurements wasn¡¯t deemed important,¡± he mused.

    ¡°Correct,¡± I said. ¡°Such as the amount of energy to do whatever task. If I were to create an enchantment designed to stop bullets, I would experiment with a prototype until I felt it was optimal. I would then make a ¡®template¡¯ enchantment, so that I simply had to mimic the feel of the energy within it to make new ones. That template would be my new yardstick, as it were.¡±

    ¡°Interesting,¡± Einstein said. ¡°And do your people have any ability to measure this energy directly?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I said. ¡°I do recall hearing about some researchers in the city of Metronome¡­ er, the largest city in the world, who were trying to find a way to measure the energy of magic. It was just another in a long list of random researchers trying to take a different approach to understanding magic. That wasn¡¯t the approach my family favored.¡±

    ¡°What was your family¡¯s favored approach?¡± Einstein asked.

    As I thought about how to answer, words popped into my mind and I got excited.

    ¡°Oooh!¡± I said, grinning. ¡°You have words for this! That¡¯s fantastic! Sorry, um, their favored approach was to selectively rend spacetime and attempt to stabilize the resulting distortions, in order to figure out how to master the creation and use of interdimensional rifts.¡±

    Pash leaned forward with such naked interest that I had to have a doubletake, to make sure I wasn¡¯t seeing things. Einstein, on the other hand, actually looked like he had a hard time remaining seated.

    ¡°Is that how you came here?¡± Einstein asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± I said. ¡°My parents - well, my father specifically - figured out that if spacetime were sufficiently and correctly torn apart, that there was something on the other side. Attempts to create a passageway to a stable place on the other side resulted in the accident that sent me here. They were also able to confirm that the source of magic is¡­ I don¡¯t know how to describe it¡­ kind of the raw material from which the threads that form the fabric of spacetime is woven.¡±

    ¡°The fundamental material of the universe?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± I said. ¡°I think, anyway. It wasn¡¯t really their area of focus - it was more of an incidental discovery that they left for others to sort through the ramifications of.¡±

    ¡°Quite a discovery,¡± Einstein said, looking envious.

    ¡°Very much so,¡± I said. ¡°But not an easy one to investigate. My parents had extraordinarily well designed protective measures against accidental destruction. Even then¡­ it didn¡¯t go well. They had to rebuild absolutely everything, and it took some time to repair the damage to the surrounding area. They never tried again to access that part of reality. Besides, they had their own question to answer.¡±

    Einstein nodded.

    ¡°I must confess, I do understand what it¡¯s like to be driven by one particular question,¡± he said with another smile.

    ¡°Which reminds me,¡± I said. ¡°Pash tells me that you¡¯re working on creating a ¡®unified field theory.¡¯ I feel, with your knowledge of language, I¡¯ll better understand what that means. Is it related to mathematics, too?¡±

    He laughed wholeheartedly.

    ¡°Indeed it is,¡± he said, after a moment. ¡°I am attempting to find a single equation that describes all of the forces of the universe as directly related to each other. Connecting electromagnetism to gravity is being a bit sticky.¡±

    I nodded.

    ¡°I can only imagine,¡± I said. ¡°Just one combination at a time?¡±

    ¡°I have already connected the ideas of movement, space, time, light, and gravity,¡± he said.

    ¡°Oh,¡± I said. ¡°But isn¡¯t light electromagnetism?¡±

    He laughed.

    ¡°I more mean in regards to its speed,¡± he said. ¡°But you are correct, and that is part of why I am certain that such a connection must exist.¡±

    ¡°Light has speed?¡± I asked, surprised.

    ¡°Nearly three hundred million meters per second,¡± he answered. ¡°Two hundred ninety nine million, seven hundred ninety two thousand, four hundred and fifty eight meters per second, to be precise.¡±

    ¡°That is incredible¡­¡± I said, gaping at him. ¡°But¡­ well, what I meant was, light doesn¡¯t travel.¡±

    ¡°You believe it instantaneously appears at its destination?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Sort of,¡± I said. ¡°I vaguely remember this part of my parents lessons on what you¡¯d call physics, but I was told that space and time are the two types of change that naturally exist in the universe, and the universe can only be changed at a certain¡­ um, rate, sort of. Whatever ¡®leftover¡¯ room for change from space is experienced as time. Light, and all raw or direct forms of energy, only experience the change of space, not time. So what you measured wasn¡¯t the ¡®speed of light,¡¯ because that isn¡¯t a thing. You measured the ¡®rate,¡¯ for lack of the better word, at which the universe is capable of change. And that is incredible.¡±

    ¡°I did not personally measure the speed of light,¡± he said, a gleam in his eye. ¡°It was a process of increasing refinement, started by Olaus Roemer, hundreds of years ago. But that aside, what you¡¯ve said - what you are describing is relativity. Your people have discovered those principles?¡±

    ¡°That word is absolutely laden with meaning,¡± I said. ¡°Forgive me for not parsing it quickly enough - perhaps you could rephrase?¡±

    ¡°Relativity¡­¡± he looked contemplative. ¡°From what you¡¯ve said, I suspect you might understand when I say that I am the one who proposed that spacetime was flexible.¡±

    I blinked at him.

    ¡°How on Earth did you figure that out without being able to bend it yourself?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Simply by thinking about the matter sufficiently,¡± he said, his eyes dancing with amusement. ¡°That, and a good amount of mathematics.¡±

    ¡°You are truly as brilliant as they claim,¡± I said.

    ¡°Not at all,¡± he said. ¡°I am simply passionately curious.¡±

    I raised a skeptical eyebrow.

    ¡°Curiosity drives many to their graves, and many others to pursuits that end in failure,¡± I said. ¡°It is hardly sufficient.¡±

    ¡°I have also been fortunate in some ways,¡± he said. ¡°I cannot deny, for example, my fortune in having brilliant minds in humanity¡¯s history, with vast amounts of knowledge for me to draw on.¡±

    I nodded.

    ¡°Like the speed of light,¡± I said.

    ¡°As one of many examples,¡± he said. ¡°And, I must ask, did you say that you can personally bend spacetime?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ sort of all magic is,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ um¡­ in application, it¡¯s more involved than that. But essentially, it¡¯s the distortion of spacetime, according to¡­ uh¡­¡±

    Words were failing me miserably.

    ¡°We have words for these things,¡± I muttered, and Einstein laughed.

    ¡°You can bend light, then?¡± he asked eagerly.

    ¡°S-sort of?¡± I asked. ¡°It feels like the wrong question. I can bend the path, so that what light will think is ¡®straight¡¯ looks curved to us. I¡¯m certainly not fast enough to try to intercept it as it¡¯s moving.¡±

    ¡°Excellent, excellent,¡± Einstein said, and then looked at Pash. ¡°You were correct, sir, in thinking that I would find this matter interesting.¡±

    Pash nodded with a faintly pleased expression, as Einstein turned his attention back to me.

    ¡°Now, my dear, I want to make no offense with this statement,¡± he said, piquing my interest. ¡°The simple truth is, from what you have said, your people lack any sense of precision with their studies.¡±

    ¡°That is fair,¡± I said, curious why that would be offensive.

    ¡°As a result, their conclusions about what you call magic may be incorrect in any of a number of ways,¡± he said. ¡°Regardless of the underlying mechanisms, you clearly have a truly unique ability, that has resulted in finding some truths about the universe that our people find more challenging to discover. Combining our methods may have truly extraordinary results.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t find that offensive in the least, sir,¡± I said.

    ¡°No, no, please, my dear, call me Albert,¡± he said, waving his hand as though brushing away an unpleasantry.

    I laughed, pleased at this detail.

    ¡°And feel free to call me Aera,¡± I said. ¡°I think that I may have been just as amazed at what your people have achieved, as your people would be at my world¡¯s abilities. Cooperation seems only natural to achieve greatness.¡±

    ¡°Aera,¡± he said, eyes lighting up again. ¡°What an excellent name, for someone who will be ushering in a new era for mankind.¡±

    I flushed a little, but scarcely had a moment to smile before his curiosity pushed at me again. I almost felt bad for Pash, as he struggled to keep up with the conversation.

    Albert¡¯s curiosity proved insatiable, and I found it irresistible. He wanted to know everything that I was capable of. We found ourselves having a delightfully intense conversation on the philosophy of magic. We discussed the elements that I¡¯d taught Liam about, and tried to sort through what was magic¡¯s true nature.

    He was quite convinced that the elements were fundamentally incorrect, and most likely just a psychological means by which to help control magic. He was trying to understand what magic was, without the human mind involved. Since all magic that I knew of had either been shaped by humans, or shaped by creatures that humans had created, I hadn¡¯t the foggiest how to begin approaching the topic.

    He wasn¡¯t even faintly perturbed by the lack. If anything, he seemed all the more energetic for the mystery.

    We chatted away, at a bewildering rate, for hours. Finally, it was time to go. Albert looked so disappointed, that I impulsively decided to make him an enchantment before leaving. It was a simple circle of stone, pulled from the earth, that made light glow in the center when held. It was nothing but a magical toy, really, but Albert was delighted nonetheless.

    We agreed on a future time to meet, and said our farewells. I was still fatigued from my work on the base, so between that and the high intensity of our conversation, I ended up falling asleep again not long into the drive.

 Ch 34 - Burning

    Albert proved to be a breath of fresh air. His curiosity was infectious, and we spoke frequently over the phone, when General Richardson let me escape his attention. It was nice to speak with someone who was actually interested in magic, for what seemed like honest reasons. While I didn¡¯t have time to visit, I did occasionally make small tokens to send to him in the mail.

    By ¡°mail,¡± of course, in this case, was under military escort.

    It took about two weeks for General Richardson to be satisfied with testing my personal limits. To my surprise, he wasn¡¯t interested in training his soldiers in magic. He said he wanted to understand what Germany actually had before taking such a drastic move. Instead, he wanted me to teach him concepts of magic, particularly weaknesses and vulnerabilities, as well as crafting enchantments for them to use. While I wouldn¡¯t make weapons, I was happy to make defensive and healing devices.

    Things settled to a more sedate pace. Richardson wanted me to hone the long range viewing magic, and together we realized that Einstein might be able to help me with it. If nothing else, he was a sounding board - and an excellent one, at that.

    For nearly a month, we enjoyed the pleasure of each other¡¯s company, while his endless curiosity and ideas spurred me to greater heights of magic. He was especially interested in seeing if he could get me to perceive reality at the quantum level, as he had a few hypotheses he hadn¡¯t been able to test before. I happily allowed myself to get sidetracked from Richardson¡¯s desires, though Pash kept me more-or-less on track.

    On August 26th, 1940, as I held a simple diamond, trying to suppress the electromagnetic field within it, Pash came in. His face was stone cold, and even Albert flinched at his expression. Pash was holding a piece of paper and I had a sinking feeling in my chest.

    The war had continued on in terrible fashion, as had become the new normal. Two days prior, we¡¯d heard that one of Germany¡¯s bombs had dropped on a church in Cripplegate, which Churchill had decried as going too far. Yesterday, he¡¯d retaliated by bombing Berlin.

    Today¡­

    ¡°What happened?¡± I asked.

    He didn¡¯t make a sound. He just walked over to Albert¡¯s radio, turned it on, and tuned it to the right station.

    ¡°-ees are gathered in Cardiff,¡± the anchor¡¯s voice was saying. ¡°The full extent of the damage is not yet known, but the reports from the refugees are that literally everything within a mile of the city center has been burned to the ground.¡±

    ¡°London was destroyed?¡± Albert asked in shock.

    ¡°London?¡± I repeated, as Pash began to nod. ¡°That¡¯s where Churchill is, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°We have reason to believe that almost every Allied leader was in London at the time,¡± Pash said grimly.

    ¡°We lost the war?¡± I asked uneasily, and glanced back at the radio. The anchorman was still talking about the nature of the damage. ¡°Was this one of those bombing runs I¡¯d heard about?¡±

    Pash gave me a strange look, while Albert took my hand sympathetically.

    ¡°We did not lose the war, Ms. Koryn, because we have not yet acted,¡± Pash said. ¡°That is likely to change as of today.¡±

    ¡°Aera,¡± Albert said, his tone both kind and sad, ¡°Don¡¯t let them push you too far.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked, confused.

    ¡°Mr. Einstein has grasped the situation,¡± Pash said. ¡°From our reports, this could not have been done by mortal means. The time for waiting and learning has passed. General Richardson requires your presence at the base, to begin preparing countermeasures immediately.¡±

    ¡°Aera,¡± Albert said, his expression deeply uneasy. ¡°I am concerned about the sort of pressure they may try to place on you.¡±

    ¡°Now is not the time,¡± Pash said. ¡°Ms. Koryn, we need to return to base immediately.¡±

    ¡°I will come with you,¡± Albert said, and I smiled.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that you are not authorized,¡± Pash said, smiling apologetically. ¡°We can discuss such an action at another time.¡±

    ¡°I could insist on it¡­¡± I began.

    Pash shook his head.

    ¡°Professor Einstein, Ms. Koryn, I am afraid that now is simply not the time,¡± Pash said. ¡°This sort of approach would have been sensible to discuss in advance. Ms. Koryn, you and I can discuss it on our way back, for the future. We will not be driving. A plane is awaiting us.¡±

    Albert sighed and looked at me. ¡°Go, Aera. We will discuss this later, and I will make preparations to leave without causing disruptions. Be careful.¡±

    ¡°I will,¡± I promised, giving him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. ¡°I will see you soon.¡±

    ¡°Farewell, professor,¡± Pash said with a nod, and then quickly guided me out of the room.

    ¡°What do you expect to happen?¡± I asked Pash, as we quickly got into the jeep.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I must admit that I don¡¯t know,¡± he said with a sigh. ¡°But I can tell you my guess, if you like.¡±

    ¡°Yes, please,¡± I said.

    ¡°London¡¯s destruction will end the Allied forces, unless another powerful nation steps up, due to the loss of leadership,¡± Pash said. ¡°Germany has effectively won Europe, between its unofficial alliance of sorts with Russia, and the blow against Allied unity. I expect that the United States will express outrage at Germany for going too far, and will put forth an incredible offensive as soon as it is ready.¡±

    ¡°An offensive¡­¡± I repeated, frowning. ¡°Repaying wholesale destruction with more wholesale destruction?¡±

    ¡°Just so,¡± Pash said. ¡°But Germany must be stopped. What other means does the United States have available?¡±

    It was asked as though it were an honestly rhetorical question, but a shiver ran down my back. We were both silent for a long few minutes.

    When we arrived at the small airport, Pash quickly guided us through. Security was obviously expecting us. Within just ten minutes, we found ourselves boarding a plane called a ¡°Bobcat.¡±

    It was my first time on an airplane. The engines were loud as it roared into life, spinning the propellers so fast that they blurred, and then proceeded to go even faster. It was awe inspiring to witness the process myself. It was a little humbling, too, that no one from my world would have any idea how to create something like this.

    I watched in wonder for the entire flight. After only an hour or so, we landed at the Fort Devens air strip. Apparently the plane wasn¡¯t military, as it took off again immediately.

    Pash and I were escorted directly to General Richardson.

    ¡°Lieutenant, Ms. Koryn,¡± Richardson said quickly in greeting, then immediately continued. ¡°We¡¯ve gotten more information. We¡¯ve put together a sketch of the event. Take a look. Does it look like magic?¡±

    He pushed a map of the London area to me. It took me a second to understand the markings, but when I did, I had a sinking sensation in my chest.

    It was an almost circular area, centering on downtown London, with about a mile¡¯s radius. Had it been circular, then Earth technology, with their bombs, would have made the most sense.

    But it wasn¡¯t. The edges were clean lines, forming an imperfect ten sided shape. Decagon was the word that came to mind. According to the notes on the map, the edges of this shape were perfectly straight lines.

    ¡°It¡¯s a common approach to mass destruction,¡± I said, my voice low. ¡°The larger the area, the more focal points are needed. There are ten here.¡±

    I pointed at each of the corners of the shape. The reason for the imperfect decagon became clear - each of the focal points was in an easy-to-access location, such as an alley, but not the middle of a street.

    ¡°The focal points connect by straight lines, and work together to destroy everything inside the area,¡± I said. ¡°This is exactly the pattern I¡¯d expect if this were done by a team of middling to weak spellcasters.¡±

    ¡°Not strong ones?¡± Richardson asked.

    ¡°I guess they could be,¡± I admitted. ¡°But a really strong one could have taken out an area this size with a single, large blast. It would resemble your bombs.¡±

    ¡°So they have at least ten spellcasters,¡± Richardson said, his voice thick with distaste.

    ¡°Oh, no, not at all,¡± I said hastily. ¡°This was done with ten enchantments. It could have been the work of a single spellcaster.¡±

    ¡°Could you do something like this?¡± he asked.

    I nodded.

    ¡°It¡¯d take some time and work,¡± I said. ¡°For an area that large, I¡¯d need perhaps a month¡¯s storage of power. Also, I don¡¯t know how to make that enchantment yet, but the principle is simple enough - I¡¯d be surprised if it took more than a week.¡±

    ¡°This is definitely magic, then,¡± Richardson said, his voice tight as he stared at the map. ¡°No other possible interpretations. No rogue agents. Hitler unquestionably has access to magic.¡±

    His voice was strange, as he spoke. It was as though he was forcing himself to accept it as a conclusion, and like he was wanting Pash or I to correct him.

    We were silent for a long moment.

    ¡°The enchantments you¡¯ve been building,¡± Richardson said, his voice still tight. ¡°They¡¯re to protect us from regular sorts of attacks. Can you build protections against magic?¡±

    ¡°To a very, very limited degree,¡± I said. ¡°Static defenses always lose against spellcasters¡­ at most, they¡¯d buy time. And I¡¯m nowhere near skilled enough at combat enchantments to make dynamic ones.¡±

    ¡°Explain.¡±

    ¡°Static defenses don¡¯t change,¡± I said. ¡°They just do the same thing always. If an enemy spellcaster is present, all he has to do is change his method of attack. Layers of static defenses can be effective, but that takes enormous preparation. Dynamic defenses are pseudo-intelligent enchantments - they are able to adjust their type of defense according to the nature of the attack.¡±

    ¡°What would be needed to defend against spellcasters?¡± he asked.

    I hesitated for a second.

    ¡°I can¡¯t answer that,¡± I said after a moment, and sighed. ¡°It¡¯s too¡­ it¡¯s too complicated. There¡¯s too many unknowns. How many spellcasters do they have? How many enchanters? How skilled are the spellcasters and enchanters? What elements do they use, with what level of skill, and what amount of raw power? How experienced are they with combat magic - which requires fast, precise reaction times - compared to general magic, which can be applied over extended periods of time?¡±

    ¡°Any more progress with the long range magic tracking since the last report?¡± Richardson asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± I said. ¡°Einstein was enormously helpful - I¡¯m now able to track magic in bursts of up to twenty miles, as well as create enchantments to passively track magic use.¡±Stolen novel; please report.

    ¡°Twenty miles,¡± he repeated. ¡°It was ten miles last week - do you think another week would double your range again?¡±

    ¡°I really can¡¯t predict that,¡± I said.

    He sighed.

    ¡°In any case, we don¡¯t have time,¡± he said, rubbing at the bridge of his nose. ¡°Let me get directly to the point - with your knowledge and experience, what would you believe is the best preparation we can make in this situation?¡±

    ¡°How much time do we have to work with?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Very little,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯d prefer to make a move before Germany decides to cross the Atlantic.¡±

    ¡°Then, I¡¯d think that training a number of soldiers in how to resist magic - especially mind magic - would be the best thing,¡± I said. ¡°They could carry the magic detecting enchantments I¡¯ve made, and be deployed to hunt down spellcasters, without worry about Aeros users taking over their minds.¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t that training also give them magic?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Not directly,¡± I said. ¡°But it¡¯s a similar process - anyone we train to specifically resist magic could possibly awaken.¡±

    ¡°If they don¡¯t awaken by the end of the training, is it possible for them to awaken afterwards?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know enough about that,¡± I said. ¡°In my world - absolutely, they would. Here, though? I don¡¯t know if they can awaken without an active connection to my magic.¡±

    ¡°Which means, since we don¡¯t know for sure, we have to be careful in who we select,¡± he said.

    ¡°Very much so,¡± I agreed.

    He looked a little ill as he stared at the London map. I wasn¡¯t sure if it was just his face, or the tiny bit of information I was getting off my magesense. I was getting much better at keeping it open and under control. There was a sense of dread, regret, and guilt at his surface.

    ¡°I¡¯ll select a number of men for training,¡± he said, his voice the same as always, despite the pain in his heart. ¡°They¡¯ll be briefed and ready for training within the hour.¡±

    He glanced at the clock on the wall.

    ¡°You¡¯ll have missed lunch - go, eat, and get ready. You¡¯re dismissed,¡± he said.

    We stepped outside, joined by the usual guards, on our way to the mess hall.

    ¡°He¡¯s really uncomfortable with training soldiers in magic,¡± I said, frowning.

    Pash gave me a curious look.

    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t he be?¡± he asked. ¡°You made it quite clear how devastating a single, out of control spellcaster can be. You also made it clear how impossible it can be to control spellcasters. You yourself are gentle, and yet, problematic to control. He¡¯s taking an enormous risk.¡±

    ¡°If he¡¯d started this training a month ago¡­¡± I sighed. ¡°We¡¯d be so much further along. How much will the delay cost us?¡±

    ¡°He took a gamble,¡± Pash said, shrugging. ¡°He balanced the danger of adding more potentially uncontrollable sources of world-wide destruction against the possibility of being able to deal with Germany with only what you can provide, in both knowledge and power.¡±

    ¡°When you put it that way, I guess it does make sense to take your time, and get more information first,¡± I said.

    ¡°It does,¡± he agreed.

    We got lunch and remained quiet throughout the meal. Pash seemed contemplative.

    Nicholas came by after half an hour and told us that the trainees were ready for me. He didn¡¯t invite Pash, so I went alone.

    He brought me to a large room, with about thirty soldiers in it. General Richardson stood off to the side.

    ¡°These are the soldiers I¡¯ve selected for you,¡± he said. ¡°You may begin when ready.¡±

    I blinked at him in surprise. Surely he didn¡¯t expect me to train thirty at once, did he? Or¡­ no, this was a group for me to select from. That made sense.

    Since the situation was dire, and the training would require me to have access to their souls anyway, I pushed my magesense to the limit. Some souls showed a measure of talent in magic. Some souls showed a strong heart that would resist corruption. There wasn¡¯t much overlap.

    ¡°You, you, and you,¡± I said, pointing at the three candidates. ¡°You will be my students.¡±

    General Richardson raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°You misunderstand, Ms. Koryn,¡± he said firmly. ¡°You are to train all of them.¡±

    ¡°That won¡¯t do, General,¡± I said. ¡°At most, I can be persuaded to train seven.¡±

    I pointed out four others. One of them was Nicholas.

    ¡°They are less talented in magic, but are trustworthy. I will train no others,¡± I said.

    ¡°Seven soldiers is not enough,¡± Richardson said. ¡°With the size of the threat we are facing¡­¡±

    ¡°I will not risk awakening soldiers I cannot trust,¡± I said.

    ¡°Each and every one of these men has an excellent record, and is loyal-¡± Richardson said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± I said, cutting him off. His eyes glinted dangerously. ¡°I will not train them.¡±

    ¡°You are merely training them to resist magic,¡± he said. ¡°You informed me that they are very unlikely to awaken from this. Even if some do, surely you can deal with a newly awakened spellcaster, if he turned traitor.¡±

    ¡°Well, yes-¡± I began.

    ¡°Then the risk is acceptable,¡± he said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to bind their magic,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯d have to kill them!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re unwilling to kill an ¡®untrustworthy¡¯ soldier who¡¯s threatening the entire world?¡± he asked coldly.

    I flinched.

    ¡°You can¡¯t just talk about killing them,¡± I spluttered. ¡°They¡¯re right here!¡±

    ¡°Each and every one of these men is willing to lay down his life in service to our country,¡± he said. ¡°Each one also knows that we¡¯d kill them if they turned traitor, if we had to. It¡¯s hardly a secret.¡±

    ¡°But magic users cannot be contained,¡± I said. ¡°If they went rogue, at any time in their lives, I would have to¡­ have to¡­¡±

    Now that the image of hunting them down had come to mind, saying it again was painful.

    ¡°And the military would help with that, if it came to it,¡± he said. ¡°As of now, a magic-empowered Germany is a larger threat than forty three soldiers who probably won¡¯t awaken, and only if they do, who might go rogue at some point in their lives. Especially considering that Germany has probably not been so cautious as you would prefer.¡±

    There were things I didn¡¯t want to say. Things I didn¡¯t want to think about. A world unshielded from magic¡­ I closed my eyes and shuddered. If they were careful, I wouldn¡¯t learn about it in time. I might not be able to stop them. The only way to be sure was to kill them before they turned evil. I wasn¡¯t willing to even think about doing something like that, and half hated myself for the fact it popped into my head in the first place.

    ¡°There are lines I won¡¯t cross, no matter what you say,¡± I said. ¡°Unless and until we have evidence that Germany is actually training soldiers in magic use, rather than simply using enchantments to good effect, I will not train anyone that gives me reason for unease.¡±

    ¡°Your ¡®unease¡¯ may cost us the world,¡± he said. ¡°Are you really arrogant enough to think you¡¯re ready to make that kind of decision?¡±

    ¡°Are you so arrogant as to believe mere words and history of good behaviour is evidence that a person can withstand the corrupting influence of reality-bending power?¡± I asked. ¡°When your own people quote the line that ¡®power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely?¡¯¡±

    ¡°I am willing to handle the consequences,¡± he said, his voice ice cold. ¡°I am willing to do whatever it takes to keep Hitler from ruling the world. You are so afraid of a few unlikely events that you hesitate to do what¡¯s necessary against a very real threat.¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± I said. ¡°Label me a coward who won¡¯t take risks when facing the prospect of Hitler ruling the world, if it makes you happy. I still won¡¯t do it.¡±

    We stared at each other for a long moment. His gaze was calculating.

    ¡°Train the seven you selected, for now,¡± he said. ¡°We will discuss the addition of the others to your class privately. The rest of you are dismissed.¡±

    The forty three soldiers I¡¯d indirectly called out as ¡°liable to be corrupted by power¡± filed out of the room. Some were angry, or annoyed. Some were abashed. Some were ashamed. Some were afraid.

    The seven that remained were uneasy, but attentive.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re expecting,¡± I told them, ¡°But whatever it is, it¡¯s almost certainly wrong. This is not a foreign force, an alien thing, that you can just cast off. This is the very spirit of mankind - the will to remake the world in our image. It will not be your bodies and minds under assault, even with mind magic. It will be your hearts, your souls, the very foundations of yourselves. And in this training¡­ I will be attacking it. Is this something you are willing to accept?¡±

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± they all said in unison, and I flinched at the creepiness of it.

    ¡°No, no,¡± I said. ¡°I am Aera¡­ please, call me that. The military formality does not suit myself, or magic, at all. Answer my question, not according to training, but in accordance with who you truly are. Let us begin with you.¡±

    I gestured at Nicholas. He looked a little uneasy being put on the spot.

    ¡°Well, like the General said, ma¡¯am¡­ I mean, Aera... we¡¯re willing to die, if that¡¯s what it takes,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯d rather be attacked by you in training, than Nazis for real.¡±

    The others nodded along with that. I still required each of them to give me his answer, and watched his soul as he spoke.

    General Richardson watched this process with a stone-faced expression.

    I was nervous, but content enough with their answers. We spoke for a little while - they told me their names, and a little about themselves. I needed to have an understanding of who they were, to match against my image of their soul. It would help for this training.

    Next, I described to them the nature of the elements. I briefly addressed most of them, but for Aeros, I went into greater detail.

    ¡°The biggest threat from Aeros that we must consider is its ability to influence minds,¡± I said, in closing. ¡°I would like to demonstrate that now. May I have a volunteer for who will go first?¡±

    All of them raised their hands immediately, as though they felt it was expected of them. I couldn¡¯t help but notice that every one of them focused on the General for a second as they did so. I tried to ignore it, and selected the one who was most honest in his curiosity.

    ¡°Tommy,¡± I said, smiling at him. ¡°Let¡¯s go with you. Would you step up front?¡±

    He nodded and eagerly went to the front.

    ¡°Brace yourself, and try to resist as best as you can,¡± I told him. ¡°I will be making you sing a song.¡±

    He laughed briefly, and then focused.

    I touched his arm to strengthen the connection and reached into his mind. Exactly as I expected, he wasn¡¯t braced against magic at all. He was ready to resist an alien force, an external pressure of some kind.

    Magic gently tickled at him, entirely bypassing his defenses, as he found himself simply wanting to sing ¡°Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star¡± for his fellows.

    It wasn¡¯t until I stopped putting pressure on his mind that he realized that something was going wrong.

    ¡°How I wonder what¡­ what¡­¡± he paused, his eyes going wide. ¡°I¡­ wow. I didn¡¯t even feel that.¡±

    ¡°You were braced against me doing something,¡± I told him, and the rest of the class. ¡°That won¡¯t work. You have to be braced against yourself doing something. The defense must be within your heart, not around it. Next, let¡¯s get Chester to try.¡±

    We went through the group. None of them managed to even make the process difficult for me. Mind, I was touching them, and none of them were emotional, but still. It wasn¡¯t an encouraging start.

    After the third round, Nicholas spoke up.

    ¡°I don¡¯t really get what it is we¡¯re even trying to resist,¡± he said. ¡°In the moment, it doesn¡¯t feel like anything¡¯s happening, not until after it¡¯s over. Then it¡¯s obvious in the memory, but¡­¡±

    I frowned.

    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± I said. ¡°Um. I¡¯ve never tried to train anyone in this. Let me try something else? At least, with this, I can get all of you at once. I¡¯m going to look deeply at your souls. Try to focus on your desire for privacy - try to want it to be impossible to see who you really are.¡±

    Soul magic was easier to resist than mind magic, after all. I pushed my awareness into them aggressively, without any trace of subtlety.

    ¡°Ahh!¡± one screamed, as another one writhed.

    ¡°Fucking shit, that¡¯s creepy,¡± Tommy said, then flushed. ¡°Er, sorry, for the language, ma¡¯am. Er, Aera, um...¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± I said, laughing as I fondly thought of Lou. ¡°I don¡¯t mind profanity.¡±

    ¡°That was the freakiest fucking thing I¡¯ve ever felt in my goddamned life,¡± said the oldest of the soldiers.

    ¡°It actually feels nice, when it¡¯s gentle and expected,¡± I said. ¡°I tried to make it as forceful as possible this time.¡±

    ¡°It felt like you shoved your hand up my ass and grabbed my heart,¡± Nicholas said, shuddering. ¡°Only, it was like it was from every direction at once.¡±

    ¡°So you don¡¯t want me to do that again?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No,¡± Nicholas said. ¡°But if you have to-¡±

    I cut him off with a gesture.

    ¡°¡®No¡¯ is perfect,¡± I told them. ¡°You can leave if you want. If you stay, that counts as consent for this training. Keep the answer ¡®no.¡¯ You do not want me to do that again. You never want to feel that again. Yes?¡±

    They nodded uneasily.

    ¡°Good,¡± I said. ¡°Hold onto that feeling of not wanting it to happen.¡±

    Their souls tightened up into defensive barriers almost on par with Pash¡¯s. Theirs were ¡°stronger,¡± in the sense of being powered by conscious choice, but their desire for privacy wasn¡¯t as deeply ingrained as Pash¡¯s.

    I shoved into their souls again. This time, there was a measure of resistance. All of them resisted, to various degrees. None were hard to bypass.

    ¡°Tommy - you were too curious about the sensation, keeping you from resisting too much,¡± I said. ¡°Nicholas - you trusted me too much, you felt too safe, so your resistance was weak. Chester - you¡­¡±

    I continued giving individual feedback on how to improve before trying again. We kept it up for under an hour before they became fatigued. They¡¯d never improved their spiritual endurance, after all, so I called for a break.

    After the last one left, Richardson turned to me.

    ¡°We need to talk about the level of threat you pose the world, Ms. Koryn,¡± he said.

 Ch. 35 - Threat

    The room felt huge and empty, with all the soldiers gone. There was something uneasy about being in this large, military focused training area with only a single man giving me that look. His eyes were calculating, serious, and somehow threatening. I suppressed a shudder, and tried to pretend I was unaffected by his presence.

    ¡°The level of threat that I pose the world?¡± I repeated, surprised at his question. ¡°Obviously, I could destroy your world if I wanted to, but the fact that I¡¯ve been here for years and haven¡¯t must surely count for something.¡±

    His eye twitched.

    ¡°I am not presently referring to your destructive abilities,¡± he said. ¡°The issue at hand is your apparent belief that the decisions of a young woman have greater military weight than the expertise of those who have trained in military matters.¡±

    ¡°This is about not training the other soldiers?¡± I asked, feeling abruptly weary.

    ¡°Yes, and more,¡± he said. ¡°Ms. Koryn, while you have cooperated in all the ways that you clearly deem harmless, you have failed to put even an ounce of actual trust into the decision making abilities of myself or Lieutenant Pash. You question every motive, and seem to be on the verge of taking your own path at any moment.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ that¡¯s true,¡± I said. ¡°At the first severe sign of untrustworthiness, I do intend to leave and try to deal with the issue of Nazi Germany on my own.¡±

    ¡°From what you¡¯ve told me, if they do have spellcasters, and you do attempt to deal with them on your own, you will almost certainly be handing over our world to Hitler,¡± he said coldly.

    I flinched.

    ¡°Your reaction tells me you already knew that,¡± he said. ¡°Do you understand the problem now, Ms. Koryn? You already know that such a course has a high chance of failure, with extreme consequences. And yet, even knowing that, you calmly speak of taking that course.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡± I said, my voice barely above a whisper, unable to meet his eyes, ¡°but the consequences of things going wrong here¡­ it¡¯d be my fault¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the benefit of having someone in authority over you,¡± he said, his voice a trace more gentle. ¡°If you put your trust in me, and my decision is wrong, then the consequences are my fault, not yours. I assure you, Ms. Koryn, I am taking this matter extremely seriously. I have no intention of allowing the soldiers you train to threaten the world. You cannot let the fear of guilt put the world at risk.¡±

    I flinched again. My cowardice, he meant. My fear put the world at risk.

    But, there was one issue with what he was saying.

    ¡°How do I know I can trust you with that kind of decision?¡± I asked.

    ¡°How could humanity know we can trust you with that kind of decision?¡± he said.

    I looked away.

    ¡°Have I given you any reason to believe that I¡¯m anything other than dedicated to the future of this country, and this world?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Well¡­ no,¡± I muttered. ¡°Though I haven¡¯t really looked at your soul¡­¡±

    ¡°With respect, Ms. Koryn, none of us have looked at yours,¡± he said, a hint of dry humor entering his voice. ¡°Does that mean we shouldn¡¯t trust you with the fate of the world?¡±

    The pressure of the accusation in his gaze was too much to take. I sank down to the floor and hugged my knees to my chest. He crouched, to stay near, but still looming.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to make a mistake¡­ I don¡¯t want to ruin anything,¡± I whispered.

    ¡°No one does,¡± he said. ¡°But keep in mind that inaction can be just as terrible as a poor action.¡±

    ¡°I know that,¡± I said with a weary sigh, thinking back to the story I told Liam.

    A town free of magic that grew to rely on me¡­ just me¡­ to solve all of their problems. I hadn¡¯t noticed the parallel as pointedly before. I remembered the accusation against my father. My face ached briefly in memory of the twisted pain from crying so much.

    I missed him. My father, my mother, my brothers¡­

    My eyes watered as I looked at the man in front of me.

    I was so tired of being the one who always cried. I sighed as I put my face in between my knees.

    The most we can give is our all, my father¡¯s voice said to me, through the haze of memory.

    But what if our all isn¡¯t good enough? What if a bad outcome isn¡¯t ameliorated by good intentions?

    After all, wasn¡¯t the very existence of magic my parents¡¯ fault?

    A sinking feeling filled my heart at that thought.

    There was no other explanation for their magic, that I knew of. The timing was too suspicious otherwise. It had to relate to the accident that brought me here.

    If it weren¡¯t for my parents, London wouldn¡¯t have fallen.

    If it weren¡¯t for our mistakes, Churchill would still be alive. The allied forces may just well have won, one day. Lots of countries, like the USA, weren¡¯t involved in this war, but also didn¡¯t want to be taken over - if Germany pushed too hard, they could be overwhelmed. Now, though, there was no chance of that.

    Which meant¡­

    If Hitler won, it was our fault. My fault. I was the only thing standing between humanity¡¯s future and its destruction due to the mistakes of my family.

    I forced myself to look at the general, to meet his eyes and think about this being his responsibility instead of mine. The coward in me liked the idea, but it felt wrong. He didn¡¯t understand the situation in the same way I did. It made more sense for him to be my advisor, than the other way around. He believed that a single nation ruling the world was a bigger threat than training soldiers in magic, which told me everything I needed to know about how well he grasped the threats at stake.

    Which meant it was on me. That it must be on me, since no one else even could grasp what the incautious release of magic would actually mean.

    I didn¡¯t want this. I looked away, afraid¡­ but I didn¡¯t want to fail again.

    Then don¡¯t, Liam¡¯s voice echoed through memory. I didn¡¯t recall the exact words, but... Don¡¯t stand by and do nothing next time. You don¡¯t want to be a coward anymore, so use this to practice.

    I took a deep breath and stood up. He stood with me, moving faster so as to always be over me.

    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± I said, my voice shaking. I met his eyes. ¡°Bring Albert Einstein here. He is willing, and was of great help in working to improve my detection abilities. Fetch Nicholas for me, or whomever, to drive. I will temporarily be returning to Boston. I¡­ I need to see the others.¡±

    ¡°What are your intentions?¡± he asked warily.

    ¡°All of this,¡± I said, gesturing at the training room, ¡°is pointless if we don¡¯t know what we are facing. I know that you have no reason to place faith in me. But I¡­ I understand what it is to have power. I cannot simply hand responsibility over to another. It is not our way. I will gain perspective, and then will return here. I assure you I will not be gone long.¡±

    ¡°Ms. Koryn, we do not have time for you to just go and ¡®get some perspective,¡¯¡± he said. ¡°We need to prepare.¡±

    ¡°I am aware of what we need,¡± I said, my voice sounding calm, despite the numbness in my face. ¡°It is up to you whether or not you will cooperate with me, General.¡±

    ¡°Ms. Koryn -¡± he began, and I cut him off with a gesture.

    A flicker of fear erupted in his soul, though his face betrayed no hint of it whatsoever.

    ¡°Do not mistake my disagreement as a refusal to do what must be done,¡± I said, my voice still quiet, but with steel in it that surprised me. ¡°Cooperate or don¡¯t. I leave in fifteen minutes. If a soldier is not ready with a vehicle, I will go on my own.¡±

    I didn¡¯t give him a chance to respond. I left and went to my room.

    That evening, I sat at the dinner table in our house. Slick was there, and Alice. They held hands at every opportunity. I couldn¡¯t miss the fear on either of their faces. I had called Liam at work, and both he and Lou managed to get there at a reasonable time to join us. Nicholas was at the table, too, and had completely recovered from his training, glad to talk with my friends.

    They were engaged in discussion, but it felt so¡­ trivial. There was a heaviness in the air that I did not like. My friends¡­

    I closed my eyes. I couldn¡¯t join in this frivolousness. General Richardson¡¯s words weighed too heavily on me.

    I didn¡¯t even manage to say ¡°excuse me¡± when I got up and left. This wasn¡¯t what I needed.

    Grass had grown over the yard, and no hint remained of the beauty that was once here. Still, I knew, deep in my heart, the spot. Roses of ice and fire filled my mind as I knelt again in the ruins of what had once been my garden.

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    Lou was sitting next to me, and had been for a while.

    ¡°The new guy, Nick? He¡¯s nice,¡± Lou said. ¡°I think, anyway. He wouldn¡¯t tell us some stuff, but I got the gist of it.¡±

    Silence reigned for a time, and there was something painful about how Lou looked in the moonlight. I couldn¡¯t help but see her pale skin as deathly white, bleached from the loss of blood, rather than the mere shadows of night. What would I do if she died? Would that be what it took, for me to act? But¡­ if I was to act now, what was I supposed to do?

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I told her softly. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do.¡±

    ¡°Me neither,¡± Lou said, and laughed in a way that sounded like pain. ¡°London¡­ and I¡¯m going to guess you¡¯re blaming yourself again.¡±

    ¡°Obviously,¡± I said, with a dry laugh. ¡°Though not in the way you think.¡±

    ¡°I actually don¡¯t have a ¡®way¡¯ in mind,¡± Lou said wryly. ¡°I don¡¯t even know how you¡¯d blame yourself. I just know you¡¯d find a way.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not about London,¡± I said. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t care about that.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t care?¡± Lou repeated, surprised and a little offended. ¡°How do you not care?¡±

    ¡°People die all of the time,¡± I said. ¡°I didn¡¯t cause this, but I could have prevented it. Probably. Along with many other ills that plague your people. I don¡¯t blame myself for it any more than Hitler¡¯s other atrocities, but¡­ it brings perspective.¡±

    ¡°For crying out¡­ you¡¯re seriously blaming yourself for Hitler?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Not exactly,¡± I said, huffing in annoyance. ¡°It¡¯s not about that. It¡¯s¡­¡±

    She waited while I struggled for words.

    ¡°Pash told me that with Churchill and the leaders of various governments-in-exile now dead, that Germany was free to make other moves,¡± I said. ¡°Paraphrasing, of course. And¡­ I don¡¯t know, it hit me a little, then. Germany isn¡¯t a person. Hitler isn¡¯t¡­ he¡¯s¡­ he¡¯s just a leader. By the will of one man, a million wills are cast aside. This isn¡¯t a world of however many billions of people, all of whom have equal sway. It¡¯s a world of very few people of true power, people who make decisions for the whole world. As it was in my world, but I couldn¡¯t join the world stage there. Here, I could. If I do not join their ranks, then they decide the fate of the world without me. If I do, though?¡±Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

    She was silent again for a long moment, and then sighed.

    ¡°Given a choice between you and Hitler ruling the world, I¡¯d pick you,¡± she said, sounding glum. ¡°But it shouldn¡¯t be that way, either. Is that what you¡¯re thinking of doing?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I said, sighing again. ¡°I don¡¯t even know if I could.¡±

    ¡°Well, don¡¯t,¡± she said dryly. ¡°Pick something else.¡±

    ¡°What, though?¡± I asked. ¡°I¡¯ve done so little. I¡¯ve been nothing but a failure¡­¡±

    Then don¡¯t, Liam¡¯s voice echoed in my mind, and my jaw clenched.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have to stay that way,¡± I said, steel entering my voice again, making Lou look at me in surprise. ¡°It¡¯s far too late to start¡­ but I can¡¯t change the past. So it has to be now.¡±

    ¡°Scares the fuck out of me when you talk like that,¡± Lou said, shuddering.

    ¡°It should,¡± I said, anger heating my voice as I glared at her. ¡°Lou, I have power. That¡¯s what it means. You should fear me. You should also temper that fear with wisdom, by understanding who I actually am. Look at me, Lou, and tell me if who I am is someone that ought to be feared.¡±

    Her face tightened.

    ¡°You¡¯re too powerful by half,¡± she said bluntly. ¡°You could kill us all, and I don¡¯t want anyone to do what you can do. So what that you¡¯re nice? Power like this shouldn¡¯t fucking exist.¡±

    ¡°Oh, and you¡¯d feel completely comfortable around President Roosevelt?¡± I asked scathingly. ¡°He¡¯s nice, yes, and you have faith that he wouldn¡¯t use his political power against you¡­ but it doesn¡¯t change the fact that he could. The difference, Lou, is that you have no faith in me.¡±

    ¡°No, Aera, it¡¯s that you¡¯re a hell of a lot harder to stop,¡± she said, glaring back at me.

    ¡°Oh, really?¡± I asked. ¡°Hitler won a democratic vote - he deserves the power as much as Roosevelt. He¡¯s easy to stop, is he? You, alone, could do so?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s different,¡± she said, still glaring. ¡°You know that full well.¡±

    ¡°The difference, Lou, is simply that I have a different type of power,¡± I said. ¡°That, and I¡¯m also the single most powerful person on this planet, by a certain measure. The fact is that anyone with truly great power, whether wealth, political, or magical, is dangerous and hard to stop.¡±

    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be that way,¡± she said, looking away, her voice tight. ¡°The whole point of this country is to keep things from being that way.¡±

    ¡°Being in denial of reality isn¡¯t admirable,¡± I said. ¡°This is the way that it is. Whether or not you like it does not matter. In my world, ignoring reality gets you killed. Here, it means nothing. If you want to actually matter in the world, you must face the truth of it.¡±

    ¡°So when it comes time, are you going to allow magic users, including yourself, to become bound?¡± she asked, giving me a dark look.

    I flinched. Liam must have been talking to her about that issue.

    ¡°I¡¯ve accepted that it¡¯s the right thing to do,¡± I said, my voice tight. ¡°My heart¡­ does not accept it, so it still strains me, weakens me. The only thing that keeps my magic at sufficient strength is convincing myself that I will never let myself become bound. If that means never breaking the rules, when they¡¯re made, then so be it.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯ll let yourself be ruled by others?¡± she asked, raising an eyebrow. ¡°Even though you¡¯ve never given any indication of being willing to do that?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how magic will intersect with nations,¡± I said, shrugging. ¡°Now? No, I won¡¯t let myself be ruled by others. When the situation emerges that there is a government structure over magic that I accept is reasonably protected from corruption, I will attempt to learn to do so.¡±

    ¡°So let me get this straight,¡± Lou said. ¡°I have to accept that your magic exists and will keep existing, and that the world will always be subject to powerful people, where everyone else has to just deal with it. I have to accept the idea of one person, who isn¡¯t even from Earth, having a serious say in the world¡¯s future, no matter what anyone else wants. I also have to accept that this person believes herself above any laws, international or otherwise, and will only start trying to learn how to accept the power of others once there¡¯s a government she, personally, approves of. Am I on the right track?¡±

    I frowned.

    ¡°But that¡¯s not all,¡± she said, crossing her arms. ¡°This person isn¡¯t happy with just being the most powerful person on the planet. No, she also wants people to put their faith in her, to be given social support on top of everything else, and refuses to make any concessions. Do you realize how fucking ridiculous that is?¡±

    ¡°You constantly see the problems in things,¡± I said, shaking my head. ¡°Yes, actually, I do know that I¡¯m asking a lot. But, I¡¯m trying to save your entire world. As it happens, no, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s ridiculous to ask a lot when trying to save the world. Do you want me to give up trying, and let Hitler win?¡±

    She glared at the grass instead of me.

    ¡°No, obviously,¡± she said, sounding sullen.

    ¡°Any alternative suggestions?¡± I asked. ¡°Not just criticising my ideas, but maybe coming up with one?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve just mentioned big picture stuff,¡± she said. ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t have an actual idea.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not the point,¡± I said. ¡°The point is, you keep trying to stop me from coming up with ideas, because you despise the reality which makes those ideas relevant.¡±

    ¡°Not true,¡± she said. ¡°What I don¡¯t like is your sense of entitlement around the issues, like your ideas and your values are more important than anyone else¡¯s, just because you have magic.¡±

    ¡°I want to save the world,¡± I said, groaning. ¡°I want to save it from Hitler, from plagues, from famine. All I¡¯m asking you¡­ all I¡¯ve ever asked you¡­ is to support me in that! To come up with ways to help, to use me to make the world better! You¡¯re brilliant, Lou - can¡¯t you use it to lift me up, for once, instead of cutting me down?¡±

    She pursed her lips and looked at the stars.

    ¡°I hadn¡¯t thought about it like that,¡± she said. ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t want to be used.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not the problem,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t mind being used. I just want to be used fairly, openly, and for good reasons.¡±

    There was another long moment of silence.

    ¡°Okay,¡± she said. ¡°Let¡¯s make a deal. I¡¯ll use you. I¡¯ll come up with ways to use you to fix things. But you have to have faith in me, too. You have to trust me. You have to obey me, even if you disagree, sometimes, to balance out the fact that I can¡¯t stop you, when I disagree with you.¡±

    Her words felt like cold hands around my throat. But she was right¡­ the reason I didn¡¯t like it was because I wanted my beliefs, values, and ideas to matter more than anyone else¡¯s.

    Unlike General Richardson or Pash, I did trust Lou. I trusted her intentions. She had a heart of gold and a brilliant mind. If I refused¡­ then didn¡¯t that mean she was right to not trust me? On a gut level, I believed I was right about everything, and always would. That my intentions would always be perfect. Yet, I knew it wasn¡¯t actually true.

    I exhaled slowly.

    ¡°You are dear to me,¡± I said, swallowing. ¡°You are brilliant, kind, and good. I will put my faith in you, in exchange for your faith in me. I accept.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not easy for either of us,¡± she said, looking away. ¡°I¡¯d like to make sure we¡¯re clear that I do not like this at all. But¡­ it¡¯s the best we¡¯ve got, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    I snorted lightly and smiled at her.

    ¡°We can¡¯t even know that much, honestly,¡± I said, and she chuckled back. ¡°We¡¯re surrounded by the untrustable, with power that no one person ought to wield, but must be wielded anyway, and have no one with real experience in using it to call on.¡±

    ¡°Thanks for that,¡± Lou said dryly. ¡°I¡¯d almost let myself start thinking we weren¡¯t fucked.¡±

    The next morning, the radios were already announcing the draft was in effect. They¡¯d said it was a certainty within hours of the London Disaster first being reported, but it still caught me by surprise that it only took a single day to implement it.

    Alice and Slick were practically hanging on to each other. The draft obviously was disturbing them. Alice¡¯s eyes were full of fear, which she did a wretched job of trying to hide.

    Lou and I had spent the evening discussing plans. It wasn¡¯t as productive as I¡¯d hoped for, but better than nothing. Together, we came up with the idea of having me visit Germany in secret, and using mind magic on local animals to have them scout for magic on my behalf, using my enchantments. It would enable me to built a small, defended ¡°fortress,¡± borrowing from my predictions of my father, in a completely deserted section of the Germany wilderness.

    I was also pleased that Lou agreed with me, that training potentially untrustworthy soldiers in magic was a bad idea. She decided that Richardson was too confident in his ability to control them, and her guess was that it was because he was so accustomed to being able to control people.

    After a round of farewells, I rode back to the base with Nicholas. We discussed the plan, too. He was more confident than we were in Richardson¡¯s ability to control the soldiers, but he understood why we were worried. He didn¡¯t like our plan that much, since it was a single point of failure. If I were captured, then we - and, by extension, the whole world - lost.

    Still, he understood the reasoning. During the drive, I gave him more resistance training, since there was no harm in it. By the time we got back to base, he could maintain a half decent barrier against magesense.

    General Richardson was furious with me still, though he kept it hidden. Even so, I could see it clearly just at the surface of his spirit - he¡¯d have killed me, given half an excuse. He really did seem to believe that my ¡°idiocy¡± was going to cost humanity.

    He also did not like the plan at all. He said things like what Nicholas had said, and a few other points besides, but in watching his spirit, I was pretty sure his real issue was that he had absolutely no way to control the outcome.

    I didn¡¯t tell him about my deal with Lou, since I was certain he¡¯d try to rope her into this. At least it wouldn¡¯t be easy for him, when the time came - Lou said that police officers were exempt from the first few stages of wartime drafts, since they are necessary for the functioning of society.

    Our new plan settled into place, despite his objections. I would continue to train the selected seven to the best of my ability. Einstein would come and help work on the tracking enchantments. I would begin constructing more of those enchantments with all the spare power I could muster.

    By the next day, Einstein had made his abrupt farewells from the institute, and was on the base. He encouraged caution, and freely admitted that his mind was a poor match for the requirements of war. He encouraged me to avoid going forth with my plan until we had established thorough means of escape. While he was astounded at my ability to shapeshift into a dog, he wasn¡¯t confident it¡¯d be good enough, even with my other defenses added on.

    The third day brought an aura of anxiety and fear among the higher ups at the base. I grew an increased appreciation for magesense - I¡¯d have had no idea without it. Richardson had established himself as being obsessed with control, distrusting to downright hostile to magic, and rare to experience fear. Now, though his demeanor hadn¡¯t changed, his spirit was constantly twitching in a battle between fear and intense focus.

    By afternoon, I was tired of waiting for him to tell me. I asked him to speak in private, and he brought me to his office.

    ¡°Yes, Ms. Koryn?¡± he asked, as he sat down.

    ¡°Something¡¯s happened,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t know what, but the fact you haven¡¯t told me concerns me.¡±

    ¡°You haven¡¯t proven yourself trustworthy enough to share classified information with,¡± he said. ¡°I expect you to begin demonstrating some of that trustworthiness by telling me what you know, how you know it, and by giving your word to say nothing of it to anyone else.¡±

    I groaned.

    ¡°I give my word that I¡¯ll say nothing unless I deem it absolutely necessary for some reason,¡± I said. ¡°I won¡¯t be frivolous about it.¡±

    He sighed, closing his eyes as though seeking patience.

    ¡°And the rest?¡± he said, sounding annoyed.

    ¡°You almost never feel fear,¡± I said, shrugging. ¡°I noticed it, in you and in two others, including Pash. Fear, anxiety, uncertainty¡­ something must be going on.¡±

    His mouth tightened to a fine line, and he looked like he¡¯d probably strike me dead if he could wield magic.

    ¡°Have you mentioned this to anyone?¡± he asked.

    ¡°No,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you to formally tell me, and was just losing patience, that¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°There is a situation that¡¯s developing, and people are informed on a need to know basis,¡± he said. ¡°You don¡¯t need to know. Nor do any of your associates. Is that clear?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± I said. ¡°When do you think you¡¯ll tell me?¡±

    ¡°When you need to know,¡± he said.

    I glared at him. My glare had nothing on his. Finally, I looked away, grumbling.

    ¡°Fine,¡± I said. ¡°Any suggestions for what I ought to do in the meantime?¡±

    ¡°Train the soldiers, and hold nothing back,¡± he said coldly.

    I had learned a rude gesture from Lou, and for the first time, I felt very tempted to use it. I refrained, and instead just stomped my way out of his office.

    Against Richardson¡¯s protests, Albert joined the magic resistance class. I¡¯d told him that he was either joining the class, or I was taking time from something else to teach him privately. He had a knack for it. Recognizing abnormal thought processes, and controlling your thoughts, were key to effective magic resistance. That, and intense emotion. Albert had excellent control of his thoughts, and managed to wield his very curiosity as ¡°fuel¡± for his resistance.

    Apparently, my level of ¡°need to know¡± was as a civilian, because I once again learned about a change by way of the radio. Albert and I were listening to it in the background while he helped me refine the tracking enchantment.

    ¡°Word just came in from Canada,¡± the reporter said. ¡°Ships, assumed to be German or Russian, are on their way to Nova Scotia. They¡¯re at most a day out. Word is, Canada¡¯s navy attempted to hold off the ships and were completely wiped out. Not much information is available, as the Canadian military isn¡¯t sharing details with the press, and the civilians don¡¯t know much. We do know that the coastal cities being evacuated to the city of Halifax, where the Canadian army is getting ready to protect their people. Keep in mind folks that Halifax is only a few hundred miles from American shores.¡±

    Albert stared at the radio, then looked at me. The worry on his face distracted me from the reporter.

    ¡°What?¡± I asked, uneasy. ¡°What does it mean?¡±

    ¡°Boston is the northernmost port city on the eastern seaboard,¡± he said, as he walked over and took my hand. ¡°Aera, if I remember my geography correctly, then I fear the Germans are coming here.¡±

    He squeezed my hand tightly.

    ¡°We can only assume, my dear, that they come for you,¡± he said. ¡°It seems we are out of time.¡±

 Ch. 36 - Invasion

    Time.

    So much of it had been wasted. Years and years of waiting, of wondering, of tormenting myself into inaction.

    America was in an uproar. The newspapers made a big deal about how America was going to defend their poor, frozen neighbors to the north. Every ounce of excitement from the common folk made those of us in the know more anxious. The world expected an American victory, as prone to overreaction as the US was.

    There were no survivors.

    Both the Canadian and American fleets were simply destroyed. Regular airplanes could get close enough to spot the German ships, and saw that there were only three of them.

    Halifax surrendered quickly, and two of the fleet remained to keep it under German control. A single ship, the smallest one, broke off from the fleet and approached the eastern seaboard.

    America released a truly staggering amount of military might onto the ship. Bombs dropped, submarines launched torpedos, and more ships sank.

    Terror replaced the hope in American hearts, and the nation was in a panic.

    I explained to General Richardson that I expected one of two things, based on what we saw. If the ship was manned by extremely powerful spellcasters, then we were doomed. However, I thought it more likely that they simply had a large reserve of stored enchantments, and the American offensive would make them run out.

    The issue was, Richardson hadn¡¯t shared my ability with the American leaders. As such, he wasn¡¯t in a position to notify them that a steady bombardment would wipe out any spellcaster - not even my parents could maintain active defenses of that caliber for hours at a time. They¡¯d flee. The fact that the Germans were using a boat suggested that they didn¡¯t have easy access to long-range magical transportation.

    As a result, rather than continuing to bombard the Germans, America kept changing its attacks, trying to find out what would work. This meant that there were gaps between attacks - long gaps, too - allowing them to rest (if it was from spellcasters), or swap out and repair enchantments.

    The army began to gather, and the draft went into immediate, full force. The German ship began to approach.

    On the bright side, Alice and Slick were now engaged. After all, being married kept people from the first stage of the draft. Alice had me create a quick enchantment that would make her look pregnant for a few months, then ¡°seem¡± to miscarry. She didn¡¯t want kids, yet, but that was more insurance against the draft.

    America as a whole didn¡¯t know what the Germans were targeting. The fact that they were using a single ship threw the world into wild speculation. Most people guessed that they were going to strike New York, and make their way to Washington, DC afterwards.

    Each hour that passed was a strange sort of torture and I felt dazed. Things happened so fast, and yet, it was like nothing was happening at all. I continued to be useless, doing nothing.

    A number of wealthy people just up and went on ¡°vacations¡± elsewhere, from practically the entire eastern seaboard. Small towns were given sanctuary in the larger cities, with the promise that the military would protect the cities. Most people couldn¡¯t afford to evacuate, and simply were in panic.

    The Germans turned west too soon to be headed for New York. Speculation now had Boston as the target, though the Germans were aimed a little bit north.

    Another part of the US Navy sank to the depths of the ocean, joined by several brave pilots in experimental fighter planes.

    Riots broke out in the streets. The police department was practically dismantled, as they needed every available officer from any department to help keep things under control. Lou and Liam paired up, trying to keep the civilians from overrunning the airport. Only the wealthy were able to escape the city.

    The gathering armed forces were shunted in droves to Boston. A temporary base was erected just north of the city limits, and I was sent there. Albert, Pash, and Richardson were with us, along with the trainees.

    It only took a single day from the time that Halifax was taken till the Germans landed in the port town of Portsmouth, just an hour north of Boston.

    I felt slightly reassured, though no one else was. It was more evidence in favor of enchantments instead of strong spellcasters - were this driven by individually powerful spellcasters, they could have just come straight to me. Taking their time suggested that time benefited them.

    The world waited with bated breath to see what they would do.

    ¡°So what now?¡± I asked, hours later. I tried to suppress a yawn.

    ¡°Patience, Ms. Koryn,¡± Pash said.

    ¡°I¡¯m tired of waiting,¡± I said. ¡°Other than training the soldiers, I haven¡¯t been doing anything. There¡¯s a plan, isn¡¯t there?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but you must understand¡­¡± he began.

    I cut him off with a gesture.

    ¡°It¡¯s ¡®need to know,¡¯ and I don¡¯t need to know,¡± I said, grumbling.

    ¡°Then why do you ask?¡± he said, smirking at me.

    ¡°Because I don¡¯t understand this,¡± I said. ¡°The military as a whole is acting like the people in charge don¡¯t know what they¡¯re dealing with. The president doesn¡¯t act like he knows what we¡¯re dealing with. I¡¯m sitting here uselessly. What is Richardson thinking?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s keeping the information contained,¡± Pash said. ¡°He is working diligently, I assure you.¡±

    ¡°That made sense a month ago,¡± I said. ¡°But now, things are desperate! I should be used for something. The military shouldn¡¯t throw away its soldiers in suicide missions by keeping information from them! This is madness.¡±

    ¡°He has his reasons, Ms. Koryn,¡± Pash said.

    ¡°Do you agree with those reasons?¡± I asked.

    He hesitated, and I caught a glimpse of his soul briefly. A hint of guilt made the barrier twist, and I saw uncertainty blended with desire beneath that guilt. His stoic defenses returned instantly, leaving me with nothing but a flash.

    ¡°He is a friend of mine, and I trust him,¡± Pash said simply. ¡°I can assure you that he puts the welfare of America, and humanity¡¯s future, above all else.¡±

    So you disagree with him, but aren¡¯t willing to fight over it? I thought.

    Albert chimed in, ¡°I don¡¯t know what reason he has to keep the president ill informed, or to let the soldiers lose their lives so freely. I do, however, rather suspect that revealing you publicly would cause even more of an uproar than we currently face.¡±

    My hand clenched.

    ¡°Maybe I should just march down to DC myself,¡± I said. ¡°Tell Roosevelt that my services are available, and...¡±

    Pash gave me a disappointed look, and Albert shook his head.

    ¡°I fear that would do no good at this juncture,¡± Albert said, taking my hand in his. ¡°Time is needed for such persuasions, and time is something we do not have. Until we know what the Germans intend to do, you must remain to counter them.¡±

    I smiled and felt an impulse to hug him. He wasn¡¯t trying to just protect me senselessly, like everyone else. He saw that I cared, and respected that. I wasn¡¯t just some frail little girl that needed protecting - he actually accepted my preference to be the one who does the protecting.

    A second later, it occurred to me that I had no reason to resist the impulse. I threw my arms around him and squeezed, pulling a laugh out of him in the process.

    ¡°I appreciate your support,¡± I said to him, and he grinned at me. I turned to Pash. ¡°How about the German base they¡¯re putting up? I could go scout it.¡±

    ¡°And if things go wrong, we lose the one and only chance of resisting their advance,¡± Pash said.

    ¡°I imagine you¡¯re already gathering information,¡± Albert said, giving Pash a curious look.

    ¡°As I said, all current military operations -¡±

    ¡°Are need to know,¡± I finished, and sighed. Pash looked amused. ¡°But I¡¯m the only one who could understand half the things they might find.¡±

    ¡°If it is determined that your aid is required, it will be called on,¡± Pash said.

    ¡°So you¡¯re continuing to insist that I sit here and do nothing,¡± I said, glaring at him.

    ¡°Not at all,¡± Pash replied. ¡°I would recommend you do whatever you need to maintain in peak condition, because I expect you will be called upon soon.¡±

    I made an inarticulate noise of frustration at him, and Albert laughed.

    ¡°If you really require something to do,¡± Pash said, ¡°perhaps making more of those bullet protection enchantments would be a good use of your time.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t make quality ones under the time pressure,¡± I said. ¡°Especially not if we want me to stay in prime shape.¡±

    Pash gave me a curious look.

    ¡°The ones you gave General Richardson...¡± he began.

    ¡°Inferior,¡± I said. ¡°They¡¯ll help, but the ones I made my friends took a full week¡¯s effort each. The military ones can take a few bullets before breaking. The ones I¡¯ve made for my friends, I¡¯ve been tweaking and improving over time - they give comprehensive defenses against a number of threats, from bullets, to knives, and poison gas.¡±

    ¡°Can they protect against magic?¡± he asked.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    ¡°I¡¯ve told you the problems with that before,¡± I said. ¡°That said, they will provide a little help that way. Mostly, it tries to make them harder to see with magic senses.¡±

    ¡°This would have been good to know before,¡± he said, frowning.

    I shrugged.

    ¡°We weren¡¯t expecting to need a small number of highly powerful defensive enchantments,¡± I said. ¡°Richardson specifically asked for me to equip an army. That means quantity.¡±

    Pash sighed.

    ¡°Thank you for the information,¡± he said dryly. ¡°Under the circumstances, I believe these enchantments will be extremely useful. We will be acquiring them. Who has them?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re giving them back, after,¡± I said.

    ¡°Naturally,¡± he agreed.

    ¡°Liam, Lou, Slick, Alice, and Albert,¡± I said.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have one?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I do,¡± I said. ¡°Mine¡¯s a little different, though, and requires an aquas spellcaster to use properly.¡±

    ¡°Understood,¡± he said, and turned to Albert, reaching out his hand. ¡°If I may?¡±

    Albert looked at me and said, ¡°Aera, if they decide to keep these, would you be able to find them?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely,¡± I said. ¡°They also have a tracking enchantment built in, so I could find them in case of emergencies.¡±

    ¡°In that case,¡± he said, and took off the necklace, handing it to Pash.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Pash said. ¡°I will be off.¡±

    ---------

    The airport was a mess. Liam and Lou had been working hard trying to keep the rioting under control. When they¡¯d discovered that the planes were leaving Boston less than completely full, only carrying those who could buy their way, it had resulted in an argument. Lou wanted to ¡°accidentally¡± open a way for the masses to board the planes, but Liam was concerned about the ways that could go badly.

    They compromised by simply informing the reporters of the situation.

    A few hours later, and the airport had been strong armed into accepting passengers who couldn¡¯t immediately pay for tickets. Public relations could be a powerful force for good.

    It was getting towards the end of a very long day when a familiar presence popped up on Liam¡¯s magesense. He frowned as he looked over. What was Pash doing here?

    He nudged Lou to get her to look.

    Pash was walking towards them, followed by a few soldiers and a sullen looking Slick. Lou tensed up. Lou and Liam had been pretty isolated, so no one was close enough to eavesdrop.

    ¡°Greetings, Lieutenant O¡¯Brien, Ms. Williams,¡± Pash said. ¡°I heard about your exploits on the way here. Commendable.¡±

    ¡°Cut the crap,¡± Lou said. ¡°You¡¯re here for a reason. What do you want?¡±

    Pash smiled amicably, as though entirely unbothered by Lou¡¯s rudeness.

    ¡°With the Germans so close, the military has need of better close range defenses,¡± Pash said. ¡°Ms. Koryn has informed me that the amulets you wear are the highest quality she can produce. As such, we require them temporarily.¡±

    Liam sighed and started taking off his necklace. Or ¡°amulet,¡± as Pash called it. It did sound more manly that way.

    Lou, though, got a fierce grin on her face and started laughing.

    ¡°Is that so?¡± she asked, her voice thick with anticipation. ¡°So let me get this straight - you need something from me.¡±

    Slick went from looking frustrated to perking up. His spirit was easy to read, and Liam suppressed a chuckle. Slick had seen Lou like this before. Pash, on the other hand, was a bit taken aback.

    ¡°Yes, though keep in mind that it¡¯s for the benefit of America,¡± Pash said.

    ¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± Lou said dismissively. ¡°The important thing here is, you¡¯ll be in deep shit if you don¡¯t get this from me. So I have something you need.¡±

    Pash frowned.

    ¡°And what is it you need from me?¡± Pash said.

    ¡°I have everything I need,¡± Lou said brightly.

    ¡°So what will it require to get the amulet?¡± Pash said, annoyance thick in his voice.

    ¡°Hmm, let¡¯s see,¡± Lou said, putting her hands behind her back and walking closer to Pash. ¡°Just about anything I want, that you have access to. What could I possibly use this position over you to get? Getting nervous, Pash?¡±

    Pash frowned.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have time for games,¡± he said.

    ¡°We have a little time,¡± she said. ¡°I know. I¡¯ll let you have it for free¡­ as long as you say ¡®pretty please.¡¯¡±

    Pash blinked and then sighed.

    ¡°Ms. Williams, this is ridiculous,¡± he said. ¡°Please just hand over the amulet.¡±

    ¡°That didn¡¯t sound very sincere,¡± she said, an exaggerated pout on her face. ¡°It doesn¡¯t sound like I have something you really want and can¡¯t get any other way.¡±

    Pash stared at her. Slick was suppressing the urge to giggle, and Liam completely failed at keeping a straight face.

    After a long moment, Pash spoke again.

    ¡°Please give me the amulet, Ms. Williams,¡± he said, his tone more subdued.

    ¡°That¡¯s more like it,¡± Lou said, reaching up for the golden chain.

    ¡°Now, wait a minute,¡± Liam said. ¡°I didn¡¯t hear a ¡®pretty.¡¯¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Lou said with a laugh. ¡°It¡¯s supposed to be ¡®pretty please.¡¯¡±

    Pash grit his teeth.

    ¡°Pretty please,¡± Pash said, sounding disgusted.

    ¡°Almost there,¡± Lou said. ¡°Make it a sentence. Beg me properly.¡±

    Pash glared at her, but she didn¡¯t so much as flinch.

    ¡°Pretty please give me the amulet,¡± he said at last, almost sounding like he was about to choke.

    Slick was staring in gleeful astonishment as Lou took off the necklace and handed over with a smug look on her face. Pash took it and then looked at Liam.

    ¡°And yours?¡± he asked.

    Liam held it out and said, ¡°What? No ¡®pretty please¡¯ for me?¡±

    Pash simply took the necklace and turned around to leave.

    ¡°That was wicked, Lou,¡± Slick said, grinning.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± she said. ¡°Why are you with him, anyway?¡±

    ¡°He wants both me and O¡¯Brien at the base,¡± Slick said. ¡°I think you pissed him off something fierce, because he forgot to ask.¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t have mattered anyway,¡± Liam said. ¡°I have my duty here, and I¡¯m not letting them push me around.¡±

    ¡°Why does he want you anyway?¡± Lou asked. ¡°You¡¯re useless in a fight.¡±

    ¡°You think he cares?¡± Slick asked, and sighed. ¡°I told him he could get Alice¡¯s necklace over my dead body, and he got pushy. I¡­.¡±

    He hesitated, and Liam gave him a curious look. His spirit looked a little torn up.

    ¡°What¡¯d you see?¡± Liam asked.

    Slick looked surprised, and then flustered.

    ¡°Look, he was sort of threatening Alice,¡± he said. ¡°Not directly, just saying that the military could cause us some trouble, like with the draft or whatever, and if we want peace and quiet, we oughtta listen. So I got mad and I saw past his weird numbness.¡±

    ¡°Weird numbness?¡± Lou asked.

    ¡°Pash¡¯s sort of barrier on his soul, against magesense,¡± Liam explained. ¡°It ¡®looks¡¯ like scar tissue, and ¡®sounds¡¯ like the creaking of a haunted house, and feels like that feeling when you get novocaine at the dentist.¡±

    ¡°Creepy,¡± Lou said.

    Liam nodded and said, ¡°Aera thinks it¡¯s childhood trauma combined with an intense desire for no one to see who he really is inside. Anyway, Slick, what did you see?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m no good at figuring out what this stuff means,¡± Slick said with a shrug. ¡°He was pissed when he felt me get through, looked like he wanted to kill me. It just looked like a bunch of craziness, you know? All souls look crazy complicated. His, though, was slippery, and hungry. And dark.¡±

    ¡°None of those things is necessarily bad,¡± Liam said with a frown. ¡°Everything you perceive with magesense is interpreted through your own biases and feelings. But the hunger - that¡¯s curious. Can you describe it?¡±

    ¡°I dunno how to describe this shit,¡± Slick said, looking in the direction of Pash. The lieutenant appeared annoyed and looking like he was considering coming back for him. ¡°But I guess, it¡¯s like when you¡¯ve gone without food for ages, and you¡¯re feeling so tired and weak. And then you get a taste, and it all comes back, and it hurts, your stomach is all ripped up, and it¡¯s all ¡®need.¡¯ And¡­ and fear, too, that he wouldn¡¯t get what he¡¯s hungry for.¡±

    Pash was starting to walk back towards them, looking irritated.

    ¡°Maybe it would be worth forcing my way in, to get a better look,¡± Liam mused aloud.

    ¡°And it¡¯s shit like that which proves my point about magic,¡± Lou snapped at him. ¡°Random people is bad enough, but to force your way into someone¡¯s soul, when they know about it and want you to stop?¡±

    He raised his hands.

    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± he said. ¡°I won¡¯t. But it¡¯s¡­ it¡¯d be nice to know, that¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll grant that,¡± Lou said. ¡°Anyway, Slick, quick question before Pash gets here - did you give him the necklaces?¡±

    ¡°Mine, yeah, but not hers,¡± Slick said. ¡°I told her to wear it in her sleep and shower, and never take it off until this all gets sorted. I did give him the lighter, though.¡±

    Ah, yes, the communication enchantments Aera had made for them.

    ¡°Fair enough,¡± Lou said. ¡°Now get out of here before I have to smell his bullshit again.¡±

    Slick laughed, and playfully saluted her as he turned to rejoin the slippery, hungering darkness.

    ---------

    Pash returned late in the evening with Slick and all but one of the necklaces. When I asked, Slick answered instead, advising me that it was Alice¡¯s, and that¡¯s all there was to it.

    I went to bed as usual that night, and was awoken at about two in the morning.

    ¡°Whaaaa?¡± I asked vaguely, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes.

    ¡°Ms. Koryn, you are urgently needed,¡± Pash¡¯s voice said from the shadow by my bed.

    I was too sleepy for this. I vaguely squeezed at my magic, forcing adrenaline into my veins. The drowsiness faded almost instantly, and I shook off the last vestiges of sleep.

    ¡°What is it?¡± I asked, as I hastily threw on clothes before he could even leave.

    ¡°The Germans are constructing something in their base, and we have no idea what it is,¡± he said. ¡°We¡¯ll bring you to the closest vantage point we can. I know where it is, so I¡¯ll drive you.¡±

    ¡°Makes sense,¡± I said as I followed after him.

    I was finally useful! This was exciting.

    Scarcely minutes passed before we loaded into a jeep, which had bottles of water and rations. Pash quickly sped away to the north. The temporary base was already fifteen minutes or so north of Boston, and we arrived at the ¡°vantage point¡± after a mere twenty minutes of driving. Pash encouraged me to eat and drink on the drive, since he wanted me at my best, just in case anything went wrong.

    The ¡°vantage point¡± was a hastily constructed tower, attached to a tall tree. We climbed to the top and had a good view for miles. I saw the German base easily - they¡¯d put up some hastily made walls, and the area was well lit. Whatever they were doing, they were very active. Pash handed me a pair of binoculars.

    It took me a minute to adjust to the strange sight from the binoculars, but when I finally locked my gaze on the camp, I gasped in recognition.

    The shape was blurry, distant, and poorly lit. But it was clear enough to see, and my memories filled in the details. It was a beautiful, circular ring of stone, with glowing sigils along the sides, mostly of Lum and Aeros, most likely. The platform at its base was too low for me to see, but I was sure it would be there, with a series of steps leading up to a place in the middle to stand at or place goods.

    ¡°You know what it is?¡± Pash pressed.

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ a portal,¡± I said. ¡°Most of them were made for traveling between distant cities, for trade and such, though this looks a lot like the one my parents made.¡±

    ¡°The one that brought you here?¡± he asked.

    I nodded.

    ¡°I can¡¯t be sure if it¡¯s like my parents¡¯, not from here,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s definitely a portal, though.¡±

    ¡°And, to clarify, what is a portal?¡±

    ¡°Er, like teleportation,¡± I said. ¡°Everything standing on the central platform gets instantly teleported to a matching gate somewhere else. As far as we know, there¡¯s no distance limit, if the portals are made correctly. And well made ones can make a continuous connection, so it¡¯s like a doorway.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re saying they can step through that and get to Germany and back?¡± Pash said, his voice tight.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t look fully complete, yet. But when it¡¯s done? Maybe,¡± I said. ¡°But for all I know, they can get to Camelot.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that what your parents were aiming for?¡± Pash asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± I said. ¡°Thing is, they¡¯re nice. Were it opened randomly? This world would soon be run by spellcasters.¡±

    He frowned.

    ¡°This portal, then, connects to either Germany or your home world, most likely,¡± he said. ¡°Either way¡­¡±

    I nodded.

    ¡°If we don¡¯t stop them, this is the end of the world as we know it,¡± I said.

 Ch. 37 - Approach

    After we quickly returned to the temporary base, I was shunted to my room and left in the dark. I fiddled nervously for a minute, and decided I might as well finish getting my sleep.

    Nicholas woke me up not long later. It couldn¡¯t have been more than an hour or two at most, as the sun was still far from rising. He apologized for waking me, which was really quite sweet of him. I really did like all of the trainees. It was a shame that they had to behave in such anti-human ways while in the military.

    After nicely dragging me to General Richardson¡¯s office again, he left to stand outside the door.

    ¡°We¡¯re preparing a mission to investigate the German base more closely,¡± Richardson said, getting straight to the point. ¡°We need you to examine the portal and look for any other magic things you can find while you¡¯re there. Due to his familiarity, Lieutenant Pash will be in charge of the mission.¡±

    ¡°Pash?¡± I said, surprised. ¡°In charge? But¡­ can you really be sure he can be trusted?¡±

    He¡¯d been nice lately, sure, but this was a lot of trust to put in the man. Letting him drive me someplace and letting him be in charge of an important mission were two very different things. Lou¡¯s and Liam¡¯s constant admonitions to not trust him were echoing in my mind.

    ¡°I know him,¡± Richardson said. ¡°He mentioned you¡¯d likely feel this way, but he has proven himself trustworthy. I need to know that you¡¯ll obey any of his orders in the field.¡±

    I flinched.

    ¡°Miss Koryn, this is extremely important,¡± Richardson said. ¡°This mission is liable to fail if you cannot be trusted. You are the most valuable element of gaining knowledge that we have - we cannot afford to either not use you, or to have you as a rogue element.¡±

    ¡°I... ¡° I began, and hesitated again. ¡°I can¡¯t promise to obey him. I take my promises extremely seriously, but I just don¡¯t trust him enough.¡±

    Richardson sighed heavily.

    ¡°What can be done to gain your cooperation for this mission?¡± he asked. ¡°Keep in mind that time is of the essence.¡±

    I swallowed uneasily.

    ¡°If you gain Lou¡¯s cooperation, you¡¯ll have mine,¡± I said. ¡°I even¡­ I made her a promise. If it comes to it, I¡¯ll even outright obey her.¡±

    ¡°Lou Williams?¡± he asked, mildly surprised. He considered briefly. ¡°I¡¯m sure she can be acquired, and as a police officer, she¡¯ll do, I suppose. Do I have your word that if she gives her cooperation, you will cooperate to the best of your ability, even if you personally disagree with the choices made?¡±

    ¡°I swear upon my magic,¡± I told him solemnly.

    ¡°Dismissed,¡± he said, getting up instantly.

    I darted out of the room. He left, too, immediately heading off somewhere else.

    The military could really move fast when it wanted. It was just past dawn when Lou came over, followed by Richardson and Pash both, and gave me a hug. Nicholas gave her a friendly smile. We all stepped into Richardson¡¯s office.

    ¡°Good on you for not trusting that snake,¡± Lou said, entirely unconcerned with the fact that both of the men could hear her.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said. ¡°I was afraid you¡¯d be mad I was dragging you into this.¡±

    ¡°Not at all,¡± she said. ¡°As much as I want fuck all to do with the military, if you need help, I¡¯m there. Besides, any opportunity to see Pash put in his place is a treat I can¡¯t turn down.¡±

    ¡°I appreciate it,¡± I said, smiling at her warmly. I then turned my attention to the vaguely annoyed looking men. ¡°So what¡¯s the plan, now?¡±

    ¡°As we no longer have the cover of night, your team will go in this evening,¡± Richardson said. ¡°Today, we will test the defenses of the Germans with a few different strikes. Knowing what we do, we¡¯ll mostly focus on trying to gather information about exactly how they repel the attacks, so that you can be put to use in detailing what it means.¡±

    ¡°Sensible,¡± I said.

    His lip twitched, as though suppressing a frown.

    ¡°The team will consist of you two, Lieutenant Pash, and Private Marshall,¡± he said. Nicholas was coming? ¡°You will be equipped with the defensive amulets, a jeep, and weaponry, as well as various surveillance and communication technology.¡±

    ¡°Binoculars and a radio, you mean,¡± Lou said, looking amused.

    Richardson gave her a look, but otherwise ignored her.

    ¡°Your purpose is to get as close as you can. Miss Koryn, I understand you¡¯ve extended your useful range of magesense to about a mile?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± I said, privately still pleased that I¡¯d nearly quintupled my abilities, between the military training and Albert¡¯s help.

    ¡°Then the purpose is only to get you close enough to cover the entire base with your magesense, and to write down everything magic or otherwise interesting that you find,¡± he said. ¡°If you can¡¯t get close enough safely, then you are to try to come at it from another angle. If that doesn¡¯t work, it¡¯s better to abandon the mission half complete than to risk capture. It is important that you understand: under no circumstances, miss Koryn, can you allow yourself to be captured.¡±

    I scuffed my foot on the floor.

    ¡°We don¡¯t want anyone captured, though,¡± I said quietly.

    ¡°Obviously,¡± Richardson said. ¡°But if anyone else is taken, we¡¯re dealing with standard prisoner of war issues. Being on American soil, they¡¯re liable to be treated decently well - I doubt that they¡¯d prefer America to be angry instead of scared. If you¡¯re taken, we¡¯re in dire straits. Do you understand?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± I said, my voice barely audible.

    ¡°Lieutenant Pash is in charge,¡± he said. ¡°He has experience in subterfuge and stealth missions. You have all agreed to obey his orders -¡±

    ¡°Conditionally,¡± Lou interjected. Richardson continued as though she hadn¡¯t spoken.

    ¡°- for the duration of this mission. In the meantime, Miss Koryn, I¡¯d like you to use the long range magic detection periodically, and let me know if there are any significant changes to the amount or placements of magic. Also, let me know immediately if there¡¯s any magic outside of their base.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± I said.

    ¡°I believe that addresses the major points,¡± Richardson said. ¡°Any questions?¡±

    No one asked anything, so we were dismissed.

    ¡°So what conditions did you insist on?¡± I asked Lou, as we walked to my room.

    ¡°A bunch,¡± she said. ¡°He looked ready to rip out my throat by the time we finished. It mostly boiled down to, I¡¯m ¡®allowed¡¯ to disobey if we¡¯re double-crossed by anyone - Pash, Richardson, Nicholas, anyone else. And, you¡¯re not directly required to obey Pash - I¡¯m the intermediary. I¡¯m getting paid for it, too.¡±

    ¡°Paid?¡± I asked. ¡°It never occurred to me to ask for money.¡±

    ¡°Of course not,¡± Lou said dryly. ¡°Anyway, we hashed out an agreement of sorts. He wasn¡¯t happy, but we¡¯re good.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what I¡¯d do without you,¡± I said with a sigh.

    Lou frowned at that.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have to rely on me,¡± she said. ¡°But it¡¯s better than the alternative. You¡¯ve got to grow a spine, Aera.¡±

    I flinched.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been trying,¡± I said glumly. ¡°And I¡¯m brave in some ways¡­¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± she said, patting me on the shoulder. ¡°Like this mission - as long as someone can make sure no serious decisions fall on your lap, you¡¯ll ace it, I bet.¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said, chuckling a little. ¡°I guess it¡¯s time to start doing the long distance scouting.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± she said, sitting down on my bed. ¡°What¡¯d you get from it last time?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, last time?¡± I asked.

    ¡°When the Germans first arrived,¡± she said. ¡°You did the magic scouting thing then, right?¡±

    ¡°It didn¡¯t occur to me,¡± I admitted.

    ¡°You were just waiting for orders?¡± she asked. ¡°Seriously?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ yes?¡±

    She sighed.

    ¡°Aera, right after you grow that spine, you need to learn to take initiative,¡± she said. ¡°You don¡¯t need to ask permission for things like that.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± I said. ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s see what I find.¡±

    There was a decent amount of magic in the German base. My spell wasn¡¯t refined enough to give much in the way of details, but by comparing my results to a map and a compass, I was able to glean a few things. There was absolutely no magic outside of their base, other than their boat. There were hazy patterns of distribution - my best guess was that the walls, portal, and two large tents had the most magic. The boat seemed to have much less. Richardson was very pleased, and intended to make the boat a primary target in his daytime raids.

    Hours passed, and Lou kept me company. We took a nap in the afternoon, to be as awake as possible for the mission.

    When I woke up, Nicholas was just outside my room. He told me about how the strikes had gone. A sustained attack on the boat had proven entirely successful - it would never be seaworthy again. The rest of the German base was better protected, though, and while they managed to get a few soldiers, they mostly didn¡¯t accomplish much other than annoyance. Mostly, that was because the local US military wasn¡¯t set up for the kind of offence necessary.

    Nicholas was clearly nervous, but in generally good spirits. He led me to the others. Albert was there to see us off, and had been talking with Lou. They were having a philosophical discussion on the morality of magic¡¯s existence. While I was tempted to see if they could prolong their discussion, so I could listen in, they took my presence as a sign that it was time to get going.

    As sunset was only just a little ways behind us, they hadn¡¯t been waiting long. Pash rejoined us, and had a tolerant look on his face. The necklaces were distributed and I explained their functions and limitations, just in case. We then loaded up into a jeep, which was packed with various weapons and things, and were on our way.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    ¡°This is exciting,¡± I said to Lou, who was sitting next to me in the back. ¡°I wonder what we¡¯ll find.¡±

    ¡°Nothing good, I¡¯m sure,¡± she said dryly, looking out the window at the starlit forests. ¡°Can you sense anything yet?¡±

    I closed my eyes and focused.

    ¡°Not yet,¡± I said.

    ¡°Try again in about two minutes,¡± Nicholas said. ¡°We¡¯re getting close.¡±

    ¡°Should we get off the road, then?¡± Lou asked, clearly uneasy.

    ¡°Soon,¡± Pash said.

    A short while later, Pash directed Nicholas to pull over into a little clearing. We left the jeep behind, but took a number of weapons with us. I didn¡¯t bother, of course.

    We walked carefully through the woods. Everyone had flashlights, but we weren¡¯t using them, since we didn¡¯t want to be observed. Instead, I created tiny glowing lights designed to look like a small swarm of fireflies. I¡¯d observed the creatures plenty of times, so I thought I was doing a great job of it. While generally not great for illumination, having a few right next to the ground, right in front of my companions, was sufficient. For myself, magesense did the job best, since virtually all of the obstacles were alive. I did stumble on a few rocks that way, but it worked out well enough.

    It wasn¡¯t long before my probes started to return results. With all the forestry in the way, we were closer than I¡¯d have preferred to be. Still, it was good to confirm a few things. The first thing I noticed was that the defensive wall was handled by a very strange sort of enchantment. At first glance, it looked startlingly crude - the layers were formed roughly, without any of the precision that generally accompanied enchantment work. And yet, despite the roughness, it still worked remarkably well - further, it was a multifaceted enchantment, with tiered instruction protocols within it, and connected to a remote energy source. This would enable the defenses to share the workload, as it were, so that repeated attacks on one area wouldn¡¯t create weak spots.

    In other words, the enchantment showed signs of both remarkable skill and utter ineptitude. I couldn¡¯t fathom how such a thing could be made.

    Even more astounding, the enchantment didn¡¯t have a single security precaution against other spellcasters. They knew they were coming for me... so why did they leave such an incredible weakness? If I got close enough, I could simply take over the enchantment myself.

    I was starting to explain my findings when we ran out of time. A gentle touch of a spirit caressed over me, and an alarm went off in the base.

    ¡°Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit,¡± Lou muttered, clenching her pistol tightly in her hands.

    ¡°This is salvagable,¡± Pash said. ¡°Private Marshall, give me your amulet for a moment.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s soldiers coming!¡± I squeaked, observing their movements with magesense, as Nicholas handed the necklace over.

    ¡°Let¡¯s bail,¡± Lou said. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°One moment,¡± Pash said, sounding weirdly calm to me. Maybe it was my nerves. ¡°Are they defended with magic? And how many of them are there?¡±

    ¡°Um,¡± I said, as Lou made an exasperated noise. ¡°There¡¯s¡­ six, I think? And only one of them has enchantments. But there¡¯s a bunch of them, it¡¯s too murky to make out details.¡±

    ¡°Is he a spellcaster?¡± Pash asked.

    ¡°They¡¯re getting closer,¡± Lou said, almost dancing in spot from unease. ¡°Let¡¯s leave now, and play twenty questions with Aera later.¡±

    Nicholas was getting increasingly uncomfortable.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± I said. ¡°Again, all the enchantments makes him murky.¡±

    ¡°Do you believe you could handle him yourself?¡± Pash said.

    ¡°What the hell?¡± Lou said. ¡°You¡¯re saying we fight? This is a fucking stealth mission!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s an information gathering mission,¡± Pash said smoothly. ¡°With the ability to see them coming at range, there is no reason to abandon the mission.¡±

    ¡°The fuck there isn¡¯t,¡± Lou said darkly. ¡°They¡¯re obviously here for Aera, and she¡¯s right here. Remember the whole, ¡®don¡¯t let Aera get captured¡¯ conversation? We¡¯re bailing, now.¡±

    ¡°We will not be leaving yet, Ms. Williams,¡± Pash said.

    Conviction took over Nicholas¡¯s spirit as he turned and pointed his gun at Pash, who raised his own gun as though on instinct.

    ¡°He¡¯s turned on us,¡± he said tersely. ¡°He¡¯s delaying. Both of you, run.¡±

    Pash sighed, and I froze. Lou¡¯s gun was pointed at Pash, but she also hesitated.

    ¡°A shame you¡¯re making things difficult,¡± Pash said, seemingly entirely unconcerned. ¡°There is no need for violence. Ms. Koryn needs merely to discuss a matter with the Germans.¡±

    ¡°You fucking snake,¡± Lou spat.

    ¡°There¡¯s no time,¡± Nicholas said. ¡°Go!¡±

    Lou turned to take my hand, starting to pull me away.

    A gunshot rang through the air, followed by another. A choked sound escaped my throat as a blossom of red emerged from Nicholas¡¯s chest, and a splatter of grey metallic sludge appeared next to Pash.

    I shrieked and fell to Nicholas¡¯s side, years of training guiding me almost mechanically. He mostly lacked a heart. The blood loss was the biggest problem, and I began to-

    ¡°No one needs to be harmed,¡± Pash said. ¡°Heal him - the Germans will not interfere. But I must insist that you wait.¡±

    ¡°Aera,¡± Lou hissed. ¡°It¡¯s another delaying tactic. You can¡¯t heal him before they get here. Let¡¯s go!¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s my friend,¡± I said numbly.

    All the blood vessels in the area had been sealed off. I wrenched out the bullet, which was embedded in the back of his chest cavity, in one of the ribs.

    ¡°And Pash murdered him,¡± Lou said. ¡°We don¡¯t have time¡­ Aera!¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s not dead!¡± I yelled, then choked on a sob.

    I began to regrow his heart, the missing bits modelled after my own. The brain could only live like this for minutes! So little time¡­

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t need to die,¡± Pash said. ¡°Aera - I know that I have not earned your trust enough to ask this of you, hence my forcing your hand. But I swear to you that this is the best course.¡±

    I startled at his words. It was the first time he¡¯d ever called me by name.

    ¡°Fuck that shit, and shut your fucking mouth,¡± Lou said. ¡°Aera, I¡¯m calling it in. You need to obey - get up and run!¡±

    She reached for my shoulder, roughly pulling me to my feet. Nicholas¡¯s heart wasn¡¯t functioning yet. He¡­ he¡­

    But I¡¯d given my word. I didn¡¯t have to decide, so it wasn¡¯t my fault... right?

    Strange. My hands were numb. And my face. My legs moved as I followed Lou at a run.

    The thudding of my heartbeat in my ears reminded me that Nicholas¡¯s heart wouldn¡¯t.

    Lou kept having to yell at me to keep running. Soon we found ourselves at the jeep. The keys were in the ignition, so we simply had to climb in. Lou started driving before I¡¯d managed to sit down.

    She cursed a few times about one German vehicle pursuing us. It didn¡¯t take long before it broke off pursuit, and Lou said it turned around.

    I¡¯d never even glanced in its direction.

    My hands were red.

    He¡¯s dead by now. Actually dead.

    I couldn¡¯t seem to find the willpower to look anywhere else. Lou occasionally made noises, like she was trying to talk to me, but it was gibberish.

    If it were up to me¡­ I¡¯d have stayed, kidnapped Pash to acquire information from, and had Lou run without me. Maybe I¡¯d have been caught. Was that risk really worth Nicholas¡¯s life?

    But she didn¡¯t think of an alternative, the thought whispered in my mind. She said Pash murdered him, not injured. Had something else been shot instead - like his knee - would she still have abandoned him to die?

    I remembered Kito¡¯s face in the hospital. Nausea turned my stomach. Any injury whatsoever that caused enough blood loss was lethal. When she shot Kito¡¯s knee¡­ had she realized that could have been fatal? She turned and left him in the middle of the night - could she really have known for sure that he¡¯d be rescued in time?

    She couldn¡¯t have known. Kito¡¯s life meant less than the secret. Nicholas¡¯s life meant less than an ambiguous risk of my theoretical capture.

    I swallowed past a lump in my throat as another realization dawned.

    I knew she had a distaste for magic, but¡­ that strong? She fears magic more than she values life?

    ¡°Would you learn to use magic, to save Slick¡¯s life?¡± I asked suddenly, my voice hoarse.

    ¡°You¡¯re finally talking properly, good,¡± Lou said, sounding relieved. ¡°Still nonsense, but at least it¡¯s a sentence this time. Keep on breathing, Aera. It¡¯s okay.¡±

    ¡°I need to know,¡± I said. ¡°Would you? Would you learn magic to save Slick¡¯s life?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯d never come to that,¡± she said, her eyes on the road.

    ¡°It easily could,¡± I said. ¡°Healing, protection, so many things. Tell me, Lou. Would you?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not natural,¡± she said, shaking her head. ¡°I¡¯ll handle things the proper way.¡±

    ¡°So you wouldn¡¯t?¡± I pressed.

    ¡°No, not ever,¡± she said.

    I choked as I leaned my head back on the headrest.

    Nicholas was dead because of me.

    Was no one trustworthy in this world? In any world?

    They¡¯d convinced me that my parents¡¯ beliefs weren¡¯t perfect. My brothers were young, and I hadn¡¯t had any real friends. Slick and Alice didn¡¯t want to face serious issues, and made flawed decisions accordingly. Liam was a good man, but broken. And he couldn¡¯t be with me on the world stage. It didn¡¯t suit him, and he was focused on Boston and his life here. He hated trying to find hard answers about big things - he hurt too much to try.

    Pash had a laundry list of reasons to distrust him. Richardson had held hostility in his heart towards me since the first day, and had allowed the US to lose hundreds of soldiers instead of sharing my abilities with the higher ups.

    Albert¡­ actually, I couldn¡¯t think of anything wrong with him, his morals, his motivations, or perspectives. But then, I hadn¡¯t seen him under intense pressure.

    Lou¡­

    I exhaled slowly.

    Lou wanted so badly for magic to not exist that she let people die or risk death, again and again, needlessly. Even though it had saved her life multiple times, between the fire at the Cocoanut Grove, and the bullet-stopping enchantment.

    Her motives were good, like mine. And in both cases, that wasn¡¯t good enough.

    Blood covered hands clenched into fists.

    ¡°You okay, Aera?¡± Lou asked.

    ¡°He¡¯s dead because of me,¡± I said numbly.

    ¡°No, he¡¯s dead because Pash fucking shot him in the chest,¡± Lou said. ¡°You have got to stop blaming yourself for things that aren¡¯t on you.¡±

    And yet, you dealt Kito a lethal blow. He only lived because of the paramedics, which you did nothing to summon. By that logic, doesn¡¯t that mean that you are at fault for his would-be death, and he only escaped it by luck?

    I held my tongue and stared blindly at the road. She wouldn¡¯t, couldn¡¯t, accept that if the paramedics decided to abandon Kito to his death, then both Lou and the paramedics would be at fault. Pash meant no more harm to Nicholas than Lou meant Kito - less, even. Pash was less at fault than Lou. He just wanted to delay me, and had chosen a brilliant way to do it. She wanted to deal a severe wound to someone who threatened something she cared about.

    And¡­ my magic threatened her worldview.

    I curled up and rested my face on my knees. My crucial, critical flaw? I was a coward. And for my cowardice, Nicholas was dead.

    ¡°Aera¡¯s fine, she¡¯s just in shock,¡± Lou was saying to Richardson, who¡¯d personally come out to the jeep to see what was going on. Lou¡¯d been going as fast as the thing could go the entire way.

    Lou quickly told him what had happened. Richardson¡¯s lips pressed into a thin line. He didn¡¯t look like he entirely believed her, but he turned his attention to me.

    ¡°Did you get any information on their defenses?¡± he asked.

    I stared at him silently.

    ¡°Er...¡± Lou said. ¡°She told us some stuff about it, that I can tell you.¡±

    He sighed and said, ¡°Go ahead.¡±

    She relayed the information I¡¯d gleaned. He nodded thoughtfully.

    ¡°Miss Koryn, we don¡¯t know how much time we can spare,¡± he said. ¡°Try to recover quickly. Miss Williams, you can handle her needs. Any basics you require will be provided on request.¡±

    With that, he turned to go. Lou started to drive the jeep to a more reasonable parking spot. When we arrived, she turned to look at me.

    ¡°Aera, you okay?¡±

    I put my face on my knees again. She groaned.

    ¡°Is there anything I can do to help with this?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Einstein,¡± I said. ¡°Albert. Let me talk to him.¡±

    I needed to apply pressure to him. I needed to know if there was anyone¡­ anyone¡­ that I could fully trust. The idea of being the sole wielder of my power terrified me beyond comprehension. It wasn¡¯t pure cowardice, either - even my parents had strongly emphasized the need for consultation on difficult matters.

    It occurred to me, as Lou led me to a soldier to ask directions, and then down walkways, that Liam and Albert were the least random people I¡¯d met. Slick had been a dockworker with musical aspirations; Lou, a brilliant tomboy with a protective instinct; Alice, a waitress who simply wanted a normal life. Liam was the head of a police department, and I¡¯d only suggested talking to him because I¡¯d seen a remarkably warm soul. Albert was world-famous for his brilliance and sense of social justice.

    Maybe¡­ maybe it wasn¡¯t as hopeless as I¡¯d feared.

    As soon as Albert saw my face, he rushed over and put a hand on my shoulder.

    ¡°Aera!¡± he said. ¡°What happened?¡±

    Lou hesitated, looking at me.

    ¡°Lou, leave us, please,¡± I said. ¡°I want to talk to him alone.¡±

 Ch. 38 - Snap

    ¡°I need to know something,¡± I said, leaning closer to Albert, as soon as Lou stepped out of the room. ¡°A friend is wounded, it will be fatal if untreated, but you have what you need to take care of it. If you choose to do so, you may be captured, and there may be significant consequences if you are. What would you do?¡±

    Albert didn¡¯t even seem to entertain the notion that this was hypothetical. His eyes looked terribly sad as he took my hand in his, blood covered and all, squeezing it tightly.

    ¡°Aera,¡± he said softly, ¡°I know you enough to know that you acted in the way you believed was right. You mustn¡¯t berate yourself. If you disagree with the choice now, then you are better informed for the future.¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t about me right now,¡± I said, clenching my jaw in hopes of keeping from tearing up.

    I may want to simply destroy my tear ducts. I cry too easily.

    ¡°This is about you,¡± I said. ¡°Right now. I want to know. What would you do?¡±

    ¡°I? I have never been one to turn away from those who needed me, but I have also never been in that situation,¡± he said.

    ¡°You¡¯d have saved him, then,¡± I said, sitting down.

    ¡°Perhaps,¡± he said. ¡°It depends on a great many factors. Tell me what happened.¡±

    I looked at him in silence for a long moment.

    ¡°Lou hates magic,¡± I said. ¡°Fears it, maybe. I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve trusted her, but¡­¡±

    I swallowed.

    ¡°You question her counsel,¡± he supplied carefully. ¡°You wonder how she can advise you if she objects to the very power that you require advice for.¡±

    ¡°Yes, exactly, yes,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t know if she¡¯d have made me abandon him had she learned what I¡¯m able to do, had she trusted my abilities. She¡¯s never even been curious about it.¡±

    ¡°A shame,¡± he said, with a gentle smile. ¡°Your ability is a curious thing.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do,¡± I said, curling in a ball.

    ¡°No one can truly answer that for you,¡± he said, his voice kind. ¡°People can give advice, others can give orders¡­ but for the question, what is the right thing to do? No one can know. We can but try.¡±

    ¡°Then how do I avoid doing the wrong thing?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Even inaction can be the wrong thing, at times,¡± he said. ¡°You can never be certain to avoid it. I have often wondered at things I have done, or not done. Hindsight may share insight, but the future is shrouded in mystery. What can be done, then? My answer is but one of many, and it is this: to educate oneself; to pursue a brighter future for all; to care for all mankind; to be ever vigilant and ever hopeful.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a lovely thing to say, but it still doesn¡¯t make it simple,¡± I grumbled.

    A serious expression crossed his face.

    ¡°It is tempting, and easy, to look for simple answers to these sorts of questions,¡± he said. ¡°Answers that you can apply without thinking about the situation, without straining your imagination to the end results. Blind obedience to faith, or dogma, or nations, leads to terrible outcomes.¡±

    He sighed, and looked at the wall for a moment, his eyes distant, before returning his attention to me.

    ¡°In Germany, today, my own country of origin,¡± he said, his voice saddened. ¡°They seek a simple answer, and they find it in exterminating others in blind adherence to a new dogma. I wonder how many Nazis would seek to kill Jews such as myself, were they to truly think on the matter, and come to carefully considered conclusions themselves.¡±

    We were silent for a moment while I tried to make myself think. My hands were still soaked in his blood, in the blood of my friend, and I¡­

    ¡°So your answer¡­ is that there can never be ¡®an answer,¡¯¡± I said softly.

    ¡°Save for thinking, learning, growing, and trying,¡± he said wryly.

    I groaned.

    ¡°So what am I to do, then?¡± I asked, staring at my hands.

    ¡°I have no simple answer for you,¡± he said. ¡°I can only entreat you to learn, to grow, and to never give up.¡±

    I moved to sit next to him and leaned my head on his shoulder. Several minutes passed in quiet company.

    The door burst open, with a sound that was painfully loud compared to the silence I¡¯d been enjoying.

    ¡°Mr. Einstein, Ms. Koryn,¡± the soldier said, looking like he¡¯d just sprinted here. ¡°The Germans are making a move. Looks like they¡¯re coming here. You need to leave the base immediately.¡±

    Albert did not stand immediately, but looked to me, his expression concerned.

    ¡°I¡¯m not leaving,¡± I said quietly.

    ¡°This is non negotiable,¡± the soldier said. ¡°Please follow me.¡±

    ¡°Go,¡± I said to Albert, getting to my feet.

    He stood as well, and tried to brush the drying blood off his hands as he did so. I quickly removed the blood from him, yet I still couldn¡¯t bring myself to remove it from myself.

    ¡°I need you to be safe,¡± I told him. ¡°I proved today I can¡¯t guarantee your safety. I¡¯ll take care of myself.¡±

    ¡°Very well,¡± he said. ¡°Please do not be incautious with your own life, Aera. I would be saddened to lose your company.¡±

    He smiled at me, but his face was tight with worry.

    ¡°Ms. Koryn,¡± the soldier began.

    ¡°As you said, it is non negotiable,¡± I told him crisply. ¡°Inform the General that I will no longer pretend to follow his orders.¡±

    The soldier blanched a little, but nodded, and escorted Albert away.

    I walked after them, heading to the vehicles, since I imagined there was a good chance I would see the General overseeing the process.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    The soldier brought Albert to him and they exchanged words briefly. The general looked annoyed, and glared in my direction. I didn¡¯t feel¡­ whole enough to react.

    My heart continued to pump blood in my veins, while Nicholas¡¯s blood continued to dry on my hands. Unimportant things like people moving and yelling happened around me for some unknown amount of time.

    A trusted person (was she?) grabbed me by the shoulders and hauled me into a jeep. I didn¡¯t resist as much as I could have. Magic requires emotional investment; commitment. I couldn¡¯t commit to resisting her, and thus my body was moved.

    The jeep began to move.

    Even inaction can be the wrong thing, at times, a memory whispered in my mind.

    I was doing nothing. That was why the blood was on my hands.

    ¡°Where are we going?¡± I asked, scarcely aware of my words.

    ¡°Into the forest,¡± she said. ¡°We have a radio. My job is to get you safe, get you able to get information, and transmit that information as needed. It¡¯s just us since we figure you¡¯d get all difficult if soldiers were with us.¡±

    Getting information was an action. A good action, I thought. This was okay.

    Lou took care of both driving and the radio. That seemed not okay. After a few instructions, I was able to manage the controls of the radio. Lou did the talking, though. That was okay.

    The base was quickly overtaken by the Germans. Based on the radio comments, it sounded like they used short range teleportation to bypass the majority of the soldiers, and used simple waves of force to knock the remaining ones to the ground. They quickly captured the General. They never even tried using guns against the soldiers. Pash must have informed them about the mass-produced protections I¡¯d made, as their offensive was perfectly designed to never even trigger those defenses.

    ¡°Aera,¡± she said, sounding like she¡¯d been trying to get my attention for a little while. ¡°Come on, Aera¡­¡±

    ¡°Sorry,¡± I said.

    ¡°They want you,¡± she said. ¡°They tried to negotiate for your surrender over the radio, and I politely told them to go fuck themselves.¡±

    ¡°Why do they want me?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Why does that matter?¡± she retorted. ¡°They can¡¯t have you. Obviously. Gathering info for the base is a bust, we¡¯ve got to get the hell out of dodge.¡±

    But it does matter, I thought. Pretty much anything they could want, other than killing or enslaving me, is probably worth negotiating over.

    A strange feeling came over me for a fraction of a second, and I blinked.

    ¡°Magesense,¡± I said.

    ¡°What?¡± Lou asked.

    ¡°I think we¡¯ve just been spotted by something like my long range magic tracking,¡± I said.

    A long string of expletives left Lou¡¯s mouth, but she couldn¡¯t go any faster. We were driving through the woods, with the aim of avoiding being followed conventionally, but it drastically limited our speed. Lou glanced at the area map and compass, presumably looking for roads.

    With magic, I could keep up with cars on a road. Compared to this speed¡­ but I couldn¡¯t flee with Lou. I should have learned how to move quickly with someone else. That was so obvious.

    Gods, I was an idiot.

    But then, even if I could take Lou and run¡­ would that be the right thing to do?

    The blood on my hands burned.

    Running with Lou wasn¡¯t an option. I had to think. What were my options? And of those, which was the right thing to do?

    I didn¡¯t know enough about the situation I was in. That made it easy. Getting information was the right thing to do.

    The boundaries of my soul - or rather, my spirit, to use the distinctions I¡¯d made for Liam - flew from me to encompass the forest. My magesense slipped through everything that was dead, and crashed over everything that lived.

    Strange. My range was further than it had ever been. But then¡­ I needed to be correct, this time. I needed the information, from the very depths of my soul.

    Four locations tangled with my extended spirit, lighting up like fires in the night. Three were somewhat dim - easily identified as mundanes equipped with a handful of enchantments. The fourth was startlingly blurry, but not bright. I couldn¡¯t tell if he was a spellcaster or not, but I could clearly see that he was almost as thickly covered with enchantments as my father tended to be. Except, the large number of enchantments was, with no exceptions, weak.

    Like the walls of their encampment.

    ¡°They¡¯re catching up,¡± I said in a monotone.

    Lou grabbed her gun. I twitched. A bullet was why Nicholas¡¯s blood was on my hands.

    No. I am why Nicholas¡¯s blood is on my hands.

    I stayed silent.

    ¡°Halt!¡± came a voice through the forest, thickly accented.

    ¡°Fuck off!¡± Lou yelled back as she gunned it and ran over a small sapling. The jeep trucked on with no issues.

    A sphere of fire flew through the air, oddly beautiful in its bright contrast with the darkness of the forest. It splattered against a tree a few yards ahead of us, blossoming into a rather sedate explosion. It couldn¡¯t have done more than superficial harm - even the squirrels would have suffered nothing but disorientation and burnt fur.

    What was that attack? A warning?

    ¡°Aera! Can you get them?¡± Lou shouted, as the man¡¯s voice yelled out again for us to stop.

    An invitation, maybe? He wasn¡¯t being threatening to me, after all.

    ¡°Aera, now is not the time to zone out,¡± Lou growled at me.

    She was right. It wasn¡¯t the time for inaction.

    But what was the right thing to do?

    Fear bubbled up in my chest, paralyzing my mind and magic again. I didn¡¯t want to decide. I didn¡¯t want the consequences of that decision to belong to me.

    It hurt. The fear tore at my heart and my eyes watered again, the accursed things. I swallowed past the lump in my throat and stared at my hands.

    They burned, and it was worse than the fear. If I did nothing, Lou¡¯s blood might mix with Nicholas¡¯s.

    ¡°Cowardice,¡± I whispered, staring at my hands in horror.

    That was the flavor of the blood on my hands. That was the true origin of all the blood on my hands. I¡¯d known, but it had never burned so fiercely. Nothing had been stronger than the fear.

    I clawed at my chest, bent double and shaking, writhing beneath the burning agony of guilt.

    I was a coward. I didn¡¯t want to be.

    Then don¡¯t, Liam¡¯s strong voice echoed from memory.

    The pain was stronger than the fear, but it was more than that. It was better than the fear. I embraced the burning agony as my attention shifted.

    Hate grew in my heart, hate of this blemish that had stolen so much from me. It was clear, now, as the brightness of the burning contrasted against the darkness of the fear.

    Another gentle explosion emerged, a wave of heat passing over the car.

    ¡°Aera!¡± Lou screamed, fear in her voice.

    I unraveled, and gazed at my hands again, with my own blood mixing in from the fevered scratching at my heart.

    A kind, if greedy, friend lost his leg. A man who loved me suffered an unnecessarily painful goodbye. Six body bags lay outside a building. Several men hunted me, to no consequence. I, too, suffered these last years, trapped in a prison of my own making.

    I knew what the alternative looked like. What it felt like. I¡¯d known it the first night I¡¯d made love to Liam, when lust had overwhelmed my fear. That was me, too. Just a better version of me. I remembered how much I loved the feeling, how much I revered the memories, despite how distant they felt now.

    I did not want this cowardice, and so I rebelled against it. The fear was not me. It was my enemy. It burned as I condemned it.

    As it burned, it seemed to change, tearing out a chunk of my heart with it. Pain, instead of compulsion.

    Pain I could bear. I deserved it.

    My face raised to the sky and I screamed.

    ¡°Enough!¡±

 Ch. 39 - Koryn

    ¡°Lou, stop the car,¡± I said, my voice beautifully strong.

    ¡°What?¡± she asked, giving me an incredulous look. ¡°We have to¡­¡±

    ¡°We are stopping,¡± I said. ¡°Stop the car, or I will, and it might not start again.¡±

    Lou looked frightened. Of me. But the fear-pain just grew stronger, and I could handle pain.

    The jeep crunched to a halt, and I heard the sound of heavy breathing.

    He came into view a few seconds later. He was German, wearing the brown standard of Nazis, and had dark hair with a thick mustache. He was middle aged, possibly leaning on the side of old. His face was a little red with exertion.

    From this range, I could clearly see that he was not a spellcaster. The enchantments were, like the walls had been, a strange blend of crude ingenuity, but not especially powerful.

    The three others appeared around the jeep, leveling guns at us.

    ¡°Step out of the vehicle, and come with us,¡± the first man, the thoroughly enchanted one, said.

    ¡°Do not insult me with any pretense of your power over me,¡± I said to him, ignoring the others. ¡°Send your lessers away. You will join us in this vehicle, and we will discuss the situation.¡±

    ¡°And you,¡± I said, pointing at Lou. ¡°Put your gun away.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡± she spluttered, and I glared at her. ¡°Aera, this is¡­¡±

    ¡°I forgot to mention,¡± I said, as an aside. ¡°Our deal from before? It¡¯s off. We¡¯re doing things my way.¡±

    Her face went blank. A poker face. Her eyes were as cold as mine as she scrutinized me. I ignored her and looked back over at the man.

    ¡°I believe you misunderstand the situation, Aera,¡± the man said, sounding authoritative. ¡°You have been captured, and will be coming with us.¡±

    I reached out a hand, and poured magic into the air. It was wild, barely controlled, a maelstrom of pain-fear infused hatred and rage, and it almost danced with glee as I set it to a task of destruction.

    Globs of distorted metal fell from empty hands.

    ¡°This is your only warning,¡± I said. ¡°Send them away, come here, and sit down.¡±

    This icy, cold confidence felt so good. The burning was there, screaming in a distant corner of my mind, but it didn¡¯t matter. Despite the ringing haze, everything was clear. Beautifully, coldly, crystal clear.

    He looked uncertain and glanced at the others.

    ¡°My instructions¡­¡± he began.

    I raised a hand.

    ¡°This hand is covered in the blood of my friend,¡± I said. ¡°Shall it mix with the blood of my enemy?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re bluffing,¡± he said. ¡°We have watched you. You are a pacifist. But we intend you no harm. We merely need to discuss a matter with you.¡±

    ¡°In said history, my hands were not covered in the blood of a friend,¡± I said coldly. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t trust it to apply. I do agree to discuss with you, but it shall be on my terms or not at all.¡±

    We met each other¡¯s gaze for a long moment and then he nodded curtly. He said something in German, which my translation spell recognized as an order to meet him back at the base. I was surprised to comprehend it, but then I remembered that Albert spoke German. A flush of gratitude for his counsel ran through me, and seemed to smooth over some of the wild haziness of my ragged soul.

    After they left, the man came over to the car uneasily, opened the door, and got into the back. Lou seemed to be withholding some twitching, especially in her gun hand. It was dark in the car, so I briefly infused the nearest object - which happened to be a gun, naturally - with Lum, causing it to give off some light. It wouldn¡¯t last more than a few minutes, but that was fine.

    ¡°Now, let¡¯s do this properly, shall we?¡± I said, giving him a smile that felt unnatural. ¡°I am Aera Koryn, spellcaster of Aquas. This is Lou Williams, police officer. And you are?¡±

    ¡°I am Hans Schwarz, Major,¡± he said, still uneasy.

    ¡°My first question is simple: why do you need to speak to me?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Our instructions were clear,¡± he said, after a brief hesitation. ¡°We are to bring you to the ¡®Koryn.¡¯ You are not to be harmed during this process, on pain of death. The Koryn has been negotiated with on this point, but our time is running out. We must bring you immediately.¡±

    The Koryn? I thought to myself. My last name? What was that all about? Was this my family, somehow?

    ¡°Who is ¡®the Koryn?¡¯¡± I asked.

    ¡°We know nothing about her,¡± he answered.

    Her. My mother, maybe? How did that make any sense? If my mother were here, she¡¯d have found me. I blinked in confusion, then decided to just go back to asking about the situation.

    ¡°Or else, what happens?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Negotiations simply will not progress, until you speak with the Koryn,¡± he said. ¡°I know you are uncomfortable with the situation, but again, you merely need to come to the base. No one will harm you.¡±

    I decided to abandon my standards, briefly, and push past the defenses around his soul. I just wanted to get a sense of his surface intentions. He was feeling cagey, and very clearly holding things back, but there wasn¡¯t any outright hostility. I got the impression that he wanted to convince me to join up with him, in fact, which was probably the least-hostile intention that I¡¯d have found believable.

    ¡°Lou, how¡¯s our gas?¡± I asked.

    ¡°A little over half a tank,¡± she said tightly.

    ¡°Here¡¯s my proposal,¡± I said. ¡°Release the American base. We¡¯ll return Lou there, and I¡¯ll go with you to yours. Deal?¡±

    ¡°Here is my counter proposal,¡± he said. ¡°You come with me, now, to our base, with your friend. We agree to leave the Americans we hold prisoner in good health, up until the negotiations with the Koryn are resolved, at which point we will release them and return to Germany, after taking a vessel.¡±

    A flicker of anger filled me.

    ¡°Here¡¯s my ¡®counter proposal,¡¯¡± I said coldly. ¡°I kill you now, leave Lou with the jeep to go wherever the hell she wants, and run to your base alone. I break past the flimsy protections on the wall, get to the portal, and figure things out on my own.¡±Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    ¡°If I am killed, the American prisoners will die,¡± he said. ¡°My proposal is the only one in which no one else dies.¡±

    ¡°My initial proposal has that property, as well,¡± I noted. ¡°Let¡¯s not tempt me to kill you, shall we?¡±

    ¡°You are demonstrably less dangerous when near a person to protect,¡± he said. ¡°Letting you come alone would be an unacceptable risk to my men. Releasing the base now also holds an unacceptable risk of a counter attack while we need to focus on negotiations.¡±

    ¡°You want Lou to come with me to serve as a¡­ a¡­ hostage, of sorts, to my cooperation?¡± I demanded, spluttering.

    ¡°We will do her no harm, so long as you do not betray our agreement,¡± he said. ¡°She would simply be incentive for you to refrain from doing so.¡±

    ¡°And what¡¯s your incentive not to turn on us?¡± I asked.

    ¡°We have no incentive to turn on you,¡± he said. ¡°Our greatest success has the full cooperation of yourself, and the Koryn. We cannot achieve that through betrayal.¡±

    I¡¯d have been more convinced if he wasn¡¯t still feeling like he was holding things tight to his chest. He could have been outright lying, and I wouldn¡¯t have been able to tell, not without pushing even further into his mind or soul. Still¡­ if ¡®the Koryn¡¯ was the source of their magic, then I couldn¡¯t really see how betrayal would work out for them. Even if things broke off on that end, I would have invaluable knowledge and experience. Killing me just didn¡¯t make sense. And, as long as I was alive, I would have magic and, therefore, options.

    ¡°Lou?¡± I asked. ¡°What do you think?¡±

    She scowled at me, and glared at Hans.

    ¡°What happens if we refuse to play ball, and just leave?¡± she asked him.

    ¡°Then we do what is required to bring Aera to the Koryn,¡± he said.

    ¡°Which involves what, exactly?¡± she pressed.

    ¡°We need not discuss such unpleasantries,¡± he said.

    ¡°Yeah, actually, we do,¡± she said. ¡°Answer the question.¡±

    ¡°We strongly prefer an amiable solution,¡± he said. ¡°The use of force or coercion is expected to be effective; however, it would make future discussions with Aera more problematic.¡±

    He wasn¡¯t wrong about that. Of course, making me bring Lou was a type of coercion. He was right that I was weaker with her - it was much harder to protect two people than one.

    As far as coercion? If they knew who any of my friends were, they could easily take them hostage directly. It¡¯d be pitifully easy to coerce me into coming to talk. Hell, it¡¯d be effective, even with just the American base.

    ¡°I can guess how he could force my hand,¡± I said, shaking my head. ¡°It¡¯d be easy. I¡¯m coming, now, obviously. The question is, how?¡±

    Lou glared at me again.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to go with them, Aera,¡± she said.

    ¡°I want answers, and they have them,¡± I said. ¡°He¡¯s right that there¡¯s no sense in betraying me.¡±

    ¡°For fuck¡¯s sake, Aera,¡± she hissed. ¡°You don¡¯t know nearly enough about the situation to know that!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a magic user, with a great deal of knowledge, with a history of being passive and easily manipulated,¡± I said, my own tone cold. ¡°Don¡¯t I look just absolutely charming to collect?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s way, way more risk here than just you dying or whatever,¡± she said. ¡°Sure, they probably don¡¯t want to kill you. Sure, they want to use you. But that does not mean that betrayal¡¯s off the table. You can be tricked. Other people can be hurt. This isn¡¯t a fucking game, Aera, the stakes are real.¡±

    ¡°Of course they¡¯re real,¡± I said. ¡°They¡¯re equally as real here as they are in the hospitals, where people die daily of diseases I can easily cure. Unless those lives are less important, for some reason I missed?¡±

    ¡°You have no fucking sense of scale,¡± she said, glaring at me, and then at Hans, as though angry at him for hearing this conversation. ¡°More people have died in this war so far than the total number of people you could possibly have healed these last few years. A single attack on a single city, a tiny course change in the war, is the sort of change you can make, and outweighs your healing power by orders of magnitude.¡±

    ¡°London might not have fallen, had I acted by my will,¡± I said. ¡°Inaction has consequences, too.¡±

    ¡°We didn¡¯t have all the info,¡± she started to say.

    ¡°We have access to information now,¡± I said, cutting her off. ¡°Information that I want, so that I can finally begin making correct choices.¡±

    ¡°Access to information that puts you in a real dangerous situation,¡± she said. ¡°I know you, and I¡¯m pretty willing to bet that even as pissed as you are right now, if you had a choice between stopping Hitler and saving my life, you¡¯d save me.¡±

    ¡°You say that like it¡¯s a bad thing!¡± I yelled in frustration.

    ¡°It is!¡± she yelled back. ¡°You¡¯re so fucking short sighted - you see the people in front of you, around you, and you just do not get how big the world is! How many people there are! You grew up expecting to be a bit player, and deep down, you still think you are one! You still think the person dying in front of you is the most important thing in the fucking world!¡±

    I clenched my fist and felt a bizarre impulse to punch her in the face. Hans coughed, distracting me.

    ¡°Ladies,¡± he said cautiously. ¡°I know you have reason to be cautious. So, too, do me and my men. Let us simply approach the matter cautiously. No momentous decisions must be made. Simply come, discuss, and leave at your will.¡±

    ¡°Like we should fucking believe you¡¯ll let us leave whenever we want,¡± Lou spat at him.

    ¡°We have hope of working with Aera in the future,¡± he said. ¡°If we let her leave peacefully, she is likely to come back. If we try to hold her, we are liable to die - especially here, on foreign soil.¡±

    I gave Lou an expectant look.

    ¡°What¡¯s that look for?¡± she demanded. ¡°It¡¯s not like I have a say here.¡±

    ¡°Of course you do,¡± I said. ¡°If you choose not to come, then you won¡¯t. I¡¯m sure Hans will prefer to work with that truth rather than risk dying simply to try to coerce me into coercing my friend.¡±

    Hans¡¯ lip twitched in an unhappy way, but he didn¡¯t protest. Lou relaxed marginally.

    ¡°You said our deal was off,¡± Lou said unhappily. ¡°But, if I come with, and I protest something, would you still take it seriously?¡±

    I nodded, unable to find words to capture how I felt about her advice at the moment. No matter the fundamental issues, I did trust her heart and the sharpness of her mind.

    ¡°One last point,¡± she said, frowning. ¡°If I tell you to abandon me, you have to, immediately, no questions asked. Got it?¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡± I began to protest.

    ¡°No buts,¡± Lou interrupted. ¡°I¡¯m not going to ask you to abandon me because I¡¯m randomly feeling noble or some shit. I¡¯d only say it if it was fucking serious, and if that comes up, I probably won¡¯t have the chance to explain the situation. You either agree, or I¡¯m not going.¡±

    Tears welled as I looked at her serious expression for a long few seconds, and then I found my arms going around her, embracing her in a tight hug.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to die,¡± I whispered.

    ¡°I¡¯m not too keen on the idea myself,¡± she said, a little of her usual humor back in her voice. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be going at all if I thought it was likely.¡±

    As I let go, I saw a smile on her face again.

    ¡°If they do kill you, I swear sevenfold revenge on all who harmed you,¡± I said solemnly.

    She laughed and said, ¡°Do me one better. Take care of Slick and Alice.¡±

    ¡°I would anyway,¡± I said, smiling a little myself. ¡°Very well, Lou. I accept your terms.¡±

    ¡°Oh, one last thing,¡± she said. ¡°If I tell you to kill someone, will you?¡±

    ¡°One of the Germans?¡± I asked, clarifying. She rolled her eyes and confirmed. ¡°Then, yes. But please do not ask unless you are sure. I do not wish to kill.¡±

    ¡°Trust me, I know that much about you,¡± she said wryly and turned to Hans.

    He looked very keenly interested in our conversation.

    ¡°Fuck with us and I willset her on you like a fucking dog,¡± she said.

    ¡°Understood,¡± he said solemnly, despite the touch of amusement in his spirit. ¡°You agree to the terms?¡±

    ¡°Me and Aera go with you to your base, you swear to not lay a finger on anyone at our base - you or any of yours - more than absolutely necessary, we talk, we go free as soon as we say we¡¯re leaving,¡± she said. ¡°On threat of encouraging Aera to cut loose in grotesque and graphic ways.¡±

    I flinched a little at that.

    ¡°See?¡± Lou said. ¡°She flinches at that, and she talks about fucked up shit like it¡¯s normal. Do not fucking betray us.¡±

    ¡°I understand the situation,¡± he said.

    I frowned at the fact he still felt cagey to me.

 Ch. 40 - Portal

    The noise of the engine felt deafening against the awkward silence. Lou was practically twitching with anxiety, and Hans apparently didn¡¯t feel much better.

    Me, though? I felt powerful. It was intoxicating. Both of these strong willed people in the car with me were obeying me. They were the ones following along in the wake of someone else, for once.

    Emotions shifted, seethed, and settled by the time the wooden walls of the German base appeared in the headlights of the jeep. Lou¡¯s spirit spiked with fear before she suppressed it, and she never gave a single outward sign.

    ¡°Out of curiosity,¡± I said, trying to sound casual as I got out of the jeep, ¡°who did your enchanting work on the walls?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll see,¡± he said, annoyingly.

    Hmph.

    ¡°Will I meet them?¡± I asked.

    He chuckled lightly, and it struck me as condescending. I bristled at the sound.

    ¡°Be patient, Aera,¡± he said. ¡°We are here, and everything will be revealed shortly.¡±

    That was not nearly as reassuring as it could have been.

    With great hesitation, Lou turned off the ignition of the jeep and stepped out into the night.

    Hans led us to the front entrance, which was guarded by six men, all of whom bore enchantments of drastically inferior quality to his. They struck me as being mass produced by the same bizarre enchanter that had done the walls. It annoyed me to realize there was a bullet detection aspect to the protective enchantments that was superior to my own.

    I suppressed the urge to sulk as I walked next to Lou into the base.

    Everyone was on edge. Soldiers eyed us nervously as Hans led us towards the portal in the center. I could feel it easily, at this range. Even inactive, it hummed with power, and I got the impression of incredible depth to that power.

    In the center of the rough camp was a great ring of stone and metal, set up on a simple pedestal of wood. It was perhaps eight feet tall, with the opening about six feet in diameter. Now closer, I was startled to realize that the portal was modular, of all things. It had clearly been designed one piece at a time, and those pieces could clearly be taken apart and put back together again. The pedestal, too, was a remarkable bit of work, designed to actually construct the portal, as long as the pieces were nearby. The portal¡¯s connection was ongoing - even when ¡°off,¡± it was drawing power from wherever it drew from, recharging for when it was activated fully.

    What was even more interesting was that it was clearly incomplete. Some of the ¡°modules¡± of the portal were newer and more powerful. It looked like it was designed to be an ongoing work in progress, continually upgrading without ever losing its functionality. Further, it had a remarkable amount of redundancy built in. Any of the modules could break, and the rest of them would temporarily take over the functions of that module, presumably long enough to repair the broken one.

    A sharp pain in my side brought my attention back to reality. Lou was looking annoyed, and had just elbowed me.

    ¡°Cut it with the zoning out crap,¡± she hissed at me as I looked at her.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said, shaking my head. ¡°It is¡­ it is an incredible piece of enchanting work. And it¡¯s also the strangest thing I¡¯ve ever looked at.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll agree with you on that part,¡± Lou said, frowning as she looked it over. Nothing was glowing, but I supposed just knowing it was an intensely magical device was enough for her to disparage it.

    Hans turned to me and said, ¡°Please be silent for a moment as I make contact.¡±

    I nodded, curious, as he reached a tendril of his spirit towards the portal, to activate it. Strange. He clearly had enough exposure to magic to awaken him, as his spirit was even thicker with power than Lou¡¯s. I wondered why he hadn¡¯t.

    I didn¡¯t have time to speculate as the portal hummed to life and captured the entirety of my attention.

    To my eyes, there was nothing but a glow in the rim, a strange humming that resonated through the air and my body, and a twisted distortion in the air, as though water of the most perfect purity rippled across the boundary. A faint pulse of wind stirred the grass in seemingly random directions.

    To my mage sense, the world was torn in two.

    I staggered at the sensation and saw black at the edges of my vision as I nearly passed out from the waves of chaotic backlash. The void between worlds was as immense as it was nonexistent, forming the boundary of the world as it clawed out every scrap it could reach. It sucked, hungering and screaming, at the energies of the border. The portal was straining beneath the assault, barely able to sustain the miniscule connection that it created. Yet, sustain it it did.

    While the formation of the connection was an ugly thing, hideously inefficient, the connection stabilized into something much more reasonable. My vision cleared as the mind-breaking distortions stopped assaulting my spirit.

    The slip of a glimpse into the other world was bizarrely tiny, considering the large construct that supported it. It was too small for even a single hair to slide through. My magesense could probably get through¡­ but frankly, I was too terrified of the monstrous portal to dare.

    Hans picked up a radio handset from a table near the portal.

    ¡°Koryn,¡± he said into it. ¡°We have brought Aera here.¡±

    ¡°Finally,¡± came a voice through the radio, and my world distorted again.

    Mother?!

    ¡°I will speak to her now,¡± my mother said.

    I blinked in confusion. I had so many questions. For some reason, my first question was wondering why she was speaking English with a German accent.

    Hearing her voice had sent me reeling. The connection was full of static and strange distortions, but I could still make it out well enough to know that it was exactly as I remembered.

    ¡°Before that,¡± Hans said, making me twitch in anxiety. Denying my mother like that was unwise. ¡°As you had cut off communications after your most recent demand, we will require some degree of confirmation that you will uphold your end of the bargain before we permit her to speak.¡±

    I swore I could feel a wash of anger-tinged spirit flow through the portal, however faintly, and twitched again. Hans had no idea who he was talking to.

    ¡°You have delayed enough,¡± my mother said. ¡°You have given me reason to doubt your own honor, and I will have proof of Aera¡¯s wellbeing prior to any such concessions.¡±

    He frowned at the radio.It was easy to tell when my mother was done speaking, with all the static. I supposed it was true in both directions, which is why they didn¡¯t use conventional radio terminology, like ¡°over.¡±

    ¡°You must be reasonable, Koryn,¡± he said. ¡°Since our last conversation, we have entered into hostile territory and suffered numerous assaults. At the very least, you should compensate us by repairing the damages suffered by the enchantments.¡±

    ¡°Damage?¡± my mother scoffed. ¡°They¡¯re self repairing - they simply need to be recharged.¡±

    ¡°A few components have been entirely destroyed,¡± he said.

    ¡°Then I believe the word you¡¯re looking for is ¡®replaced,¡¯¡± my mother said dryly. ¡°I will agree to such after Aera¡¯s welfare is confirmed to my satisfaction. I will speak with her immediately.¡±You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    ¡°Very well,¡± Hans said and handed me the radio. ¡°Are you familiar with its operation?¡±

    ¡°Um, yes,¡± I said, and then pressed the button. ¡°Mother?¡±

    Hans¡¯ eyes gleamed as I said the word. I supposed my mother had kept our relationship secret.

    ¡°Aera,¡± she breathed, sounding incredibly relieved, utterly unlike her crisp, annoyed tone she¡¯d used with Hans. ¡°You¡¯re well?¡±

    ¡°Er,¡± I said.

    Was I well? I was physically well, of course, but frankly, in every other sense of the word...

    ¡°My magic works normally in this place,¡± I said after a second. ¡°But, it¡¯s been¡­ stressful.¡±

    ¡°Have Hans and his men treated you appropriately?¡± she demanded.

    ¡°Mild emotional coercion,¡± I said. ¡°Nothing much, and otherwise as well as could be expected.¡±

    Lou gave me a look that was a strange combination of flustered and bewildered.

    ¡°That sounds similar to his relations with me,¡± my mother said with a sigh.

    ¡°Mother, I don¡¯t understand,¡± I said. ¡°What happened? How¡­ how is this possible?¡±

    ¡°We have so much catching up to do,¡± she said, and I could hear the gentle, loving smile in her voice. ¡°In brief, though, it took us about a month to rebuild the portal. We studied the explosion as best we could, and determined that all of your enchantments were used as a¡­ sort of lubricant, if you will, shielding you as you slid into the other world.¡±

    That made sense. I¡¯d had literally nothing on my person that wasn¡¯t enchanted at least a little. She continued.

    ¡°Fragments of their energies remained, which we were able to trace to that world. That process took nearly a year. The damage to the boundary between worlds from your passage enabled us to forge an incredibly minute passageway. It only permitted energies to pass, too limited for matter to get through. We could also only sustain it briefly, about two seconds, though we improved that over the years. We hoped we might be lucky and find you, but we knew the odds were poor. We were simply trying to find a magic user to stabilize the other end.¡±

    I laughed, but she couldn¡¯t hear me, as she was continuing to transmit over the radio.

    ¡°After a while, we decided to build ten more portals. Five of them would find a place and simply broadcast as loudly as they could, with every type of energy we¡¯re familiar with, in hopes of getting someone¡¯s attention. They were set to reopen in the same spot every hour, in hopes of drawing attention. Every month, we changed their positions. The others were continuing the search pattern.¡±

    ¡°And one of those was found,¡± I said, but again, it couldn¡¯t transmit over her.

    ¡°Eventually, nearly two years ago, one was found,¡± she said, sounding exasperated. ¡°We got the strangest signals through it, and it took nearly a month to establish communication. By then, we¡¯d abandoned the other portals. Our communication was astoundingly difficult - no language, only pulses of energy, and a simplistic code, but we managed to progress. Once they put a sufficiently enchantment-compatible material near the opening and left it there, Jax was able to manage a stabilizing enchantment.¡±

    I whistled at the feat.

    ¡°From there, we were able to transmit simple illusions, including sound, as well as scry the immediate area. A laboratory had been built around the portal opening, with Hans as the lead scientist. Language acquisition magic was beyond the strength afforded by the portal, and so we were taught English, despite the fact that this was not the favored language of the scientists.¡±

    She sounded decidedly annoyed at that.

    ¡°Once communication was more thoroughly established, we were able to begin the process of trading enchantments for the search for you, as well as improving the portal to facilitate that process. It has been¡­ frustratingly slow. But, at long last, you¡¯ve been found. I cannot wait until we begin to work together to finish the portal properly and bring you home,¡± she finished warmly, closing the connection such that I could speak.

    Except I couldn¡¯t. A lump had formed in my throat as I¡¯d heard her enthusiastically prattle on about the staggeringly difficult process of finding me.

    A process that they had persevered at for four years, despite me being such a failure to them.

    A process that involved them trading dangerous - for Earth, anyway - enchantments that permitted Germany to burn London to the ground.

    A process that culminated in some sort of deal with Germany.

    ¡°The deal you spoke of, with Hans,¡± I said, trying not to choke on the lump in my throat. ¡°What was it?¡±

    ¡°Apparently the leader of their country wants to win some war,¡± my mother said dismissively. ¡°What with the world being entirely devoid of magic, this seems pathetically easy to arrange. They¡¯ve promised to treat you like royalty, providing to any of your needs, as long as we win their war and help them sustain the position gained by their victory.¡±

    ¡°Fuck,¡± Lou said, and for once, I echoed her.

    ¡°Mother,¡± I said, my voice straining, desperate. ¡°You mustn¡¯t! They can¡¯t be allowed to-¡±

    Hans took the radio from me, and I was still reeling too much to resist.

    ¡°Aera has been subject to the propaganda of another country for some years now,¡± Hans said smoothly.

    ¡°You fucking asshole,¡± Lou snarled and stepped towards him as though wanting to strike.

    She stepped back again as weapons were leveled at her from all around us. Her face was still twisted.

    ¡°Aera,¡± my mother said. ¡°We abide by our arrangements - you know that.¡±

    I remembered my lessons about ¡°arrangements.¡± How critical it was to never betray one, no matter the situation. That this sort of honor between powers was the only way in which the world could function, and thus, breaking a deal was equivalent to a threat on the world. The extent to which one was held to an arrangement was proportional to their power - no one was going to execute a simple blacksmith for failing to show up to a meeting on time, of course. Or, lesser spellcasters could break small deals, with limited reprisals. But powerful mages, as well as any force that was willing to deal with powerful mages, were held to extreme standards. This was to both reduce the theoretical threat to the world, and also to set a precedent that allowed people to be reasonably comfortable talking to others who had access to things like mind magic.

    While I was pretty sure my parents would be fine, on a personal level, reneging on certain kinds of deals - such as this one, since it sounded like Germany had annoyed them thoroughly - if it were ever found out that they¡¯d broken a deal, they¡¯d be condemned as oathbreakers, which was the best translation of the term. As a result, they¡¯d have the most powerful forces in Camelot intending to wipe them out.

    ¡°I understand that you¡¯ve developed some fondness for whatever country you¡¯re in,¡± she continued, ¡°but really, you needn¡¯t bother yourself with another world¡¯s politics. If you want that country to remain safe, you could simply convince them to surrender.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡± I whispered, and couldn¡¯t make more words appear.

    ¡°Give us a moment,¡± Hans said over the radio, then turned his attention to me.

    ¡°Lieutenant Pash has informed us of the treatment you have received at the hands of America. You have been suppressed, coerced into hiding, taken advantage of by those you call friend, given none of the respect that is your due, hunted by the government, and made to live in fear. Setting aside the things you have been told - merely told, with no evidence - can you truly believe this country has earned your loyalty?¡±

    I hesitated, and Lou shot me a fearful look. The weapons were still pointed at her, though the soldiers weren¡¯t on the edge of firing. It was still enough to keep her silent.

    ¡°Germany respects power,¡± he said persuasively. ¡°You would be treated with the respect you deserve. You would be not just permitted, but encouraged to use your strengths, and not merely at the direction of others. From what we have learned, you are truly a good person, and can be trusted to use your best judgement to bring forth a better world. Despite all that you have heard, that is the objective of the Fuhrer.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡± I said, stumbling on my words. ¡°All the deaths¡­¡±

    He shook his head.

    ¡°The world is mad,¡± he said. ¡°These other countries, they do not take care of their own. They do not care for the greater good. They let their own people starve, suffer, and die. This world needs a strong leader that will stand for the people. Hitler is striving for that vision, and the only ones that die are those that oppose the new order, or who do not fit in it.¡±

    I hesitated again.

    ¡°Aera, don¡¯t buy his bullshit,¡± Lou hissed, and the soldiers tightened their grips. She was white as a ghost and her spirit was thick with terror, but she spoke again anyway. ¡°He¡¯s trying to take over the fucking world.¡±

    ¡°But if you¡¯re just taking care of your own, why the attacks on other places?¡± I asked Hans, raising a hand to silence Lou. There was no need for her to take risks, at the moment.

    ¡°Germany has been held down by the United Nations,¡± he said. ¡°Beyond that, it is not merely Germans that the Third Reich favors. There are many racially excellent members of other countries, that can serve as a foundation for the new world. Hitler aims to give them better lives, as well. Others protest, but consider that we have the hearts and minds of our people behind us. We are not monsters, Aera. We simply wish to bring order and wellbeing to the world. For humanity¡¯s future; could there be a goal more noble than that?¡±

    It was a beautiful idea, in many ways. Gloriously noble, grand, and straightforward.

    But of course, the most beautiful thing about the idea was its simplicity. It would be simple, easy, and, in some ways, painless to go along with it. I could sit in my tower - or wherever I ended up - ignoring the plights of those who had no relevance to my plans. Ignoring the unpleasant politics. I could heal the people I could see right in front of me, in the way I¡¯d wanted to do ever since I¡¯d arrived here. I could do good and wonderful things, within my reach, and never step outside my own comfortable little bubble. I¡¯d never have to kill, or even wound anyone. I was sure, with so compelling an idea, that I could easily find and make German friends, and many of them would be noble, too.

    I could go along with my family, and be returned to them, without ever having to make a difficult and painful decision ever again.

    But, alas, I¡¯d learned this lesson already, and the stain of it would never leave my hands.

    There are no simple answers.

 Ch. 41 - Broken

    I didn¡¯t speak as I raised my eyes to meet Hans¡¯. To my core, now, I understood that I was surrounded by my enemies. I didn¡¯t want to oppose them before; not really. I wanted a simple answer where everyone would be happy together, or if unpleasantries happened, they¡¯d happen out of my sight.

    But that was the coward¡¯s way.

    If these men died, it would be because of my choice. Action or inaction, their lives, their futures, were on my shoulders. And they were my enemies. Though part of me screamed, I accepted the idea that I may kill them all in the next moments.

    I reached out and took Lou¡¯s hand, squeezing it reassuringly. She relaxed slightly, but her hand was still trembling..

    ¡°I need to understand the situation I¡¯m in a little better,¡± I said, trying to keep my voice level as I held my other hand out to Hans. ¡°I need to speak to my mother, please.¡±

    Hans was suspicious, though he didn¡¯t show it visually. He handed over the radio microphone with a smile.

    ¡°Mother, are you still there?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Of course, Aera,¡± she said.

    ¡°I need to know exactly what your deal was with Germany,¡± I said.

    My mother wasn¡¯t fooled for an instant.

    ¡°Aera, it is beyond foolish to oppose us,¡± she said. ¡°If the portal stands open, you have no chance. If you destroy the portal, it would be years of work lost, and we may never find each other again. Don¡¯t throw away your life for foolishness. Just come home.¡±

    Throw away my life? Like Nicholas had done?

    ¡°If I understand from what you¡¯d said earlier, if Germany ceases to exist as a country, or it surrenders, you will no longer be bound?¡± I asked, swallowing.

    ¡°Yes, but Aera, please,¡± my mother said. ¡°Don¡¯t put us in this situation. We¡¯ve spent years trying to bring you home. We miss you. Your brothers want to tell you all about their wild adventures, and want to hear all about yours. You can¡¯t just throw away your family, not after all we¡¯ve gone through. Please, just come home.¡±

    ¡°I have more than one home, now,¡± I said. ¡°I cannot, will not, abandon Earth.¡±

    ¡°You know our mission,¡± my mother said, with a hopeful sound. ¡°Perhaps Earth is suitable? We¡¯ll finish up this situation with Germany, and spend however long we need to on getting the portal ready. Then, we can move there. There¡¯s no reason you have to abandon it.¡±

    Tears started gathering in my eyes again, and I took a breath. My mother sounded so earnest. She wanted me home. Despite all the issues, all my failures, she loved me and was willing to relocate to an alien world if that¡¯s what it took to bring our family together.

    Hans was frowning by this point, and put his hand out to me.

    ¡°The radio, please,¡± he said.

    I considered briefly and then ignored him. I needed a moment where nothing was happening to think, and I wouldn¡¯t be able to do that if I were paying attention to Hans and my mother talking.

    I closed my eyes.

    What do I want to happen here? I asked myself, frowning.

    No easy answers came to mind, but I¡¯d expected that. Talking my mother into reneging on a deal, which would put our entire family at serious risk, was out of the question. Joining Germany, likewise. I was pretty sure it¡¯d be impossible to persuade Hans and the other Germans here of the error of their ways.

    What I wanted, outcome wise, was simple enough. I wanted my mother¡¯s deal annulled; this contingent of soldiers captured, ideally, or killed; and finally, Lou¡¯s and my safety.

    Having the portal intact would be nice, but honestly, it didn¡¯t matter much. Now that I knew how they¡¯d be looking for me, I¡¯d be able to find them. It might involve seeding the entire damned planet with detection enchantments, but I¡¯d have no issues doing that, time consuming though it may be.

    Attacking, though, would be betraying the spirit of my arrangement with Hans. At the very least, I should warn him that our truce was over before attacking.

    I swallowed. Was that what I was going to do? Declare my intentions, assault the portal to destroy its magic, and then force the German base into surrender? A chill ran down my spine, stabbing my heart with a flicker of terror as it went, my mind going to the warm feeling of Lou¡¯s hand in mine. Lou was here as a preventative measure to keep me from attacking. As gentle as I preferred to be, neither of us thought it¡¯d actually come to that, else she¡¯d have never come along.

    And I couldn¡¯t ask her. Well¡­ technically I could, but I¡¯d never gotten good at telepathic communication.

    Swallowing again, I realized I didn¡¯t need to. I remembered her yelling at me scarcely minutes ago that choosing to save her over stopping Hitler was the wrong choice.

    Tears began to well in my eyes, and I destroyed my tear ducts.

    ¡°Mother,¡± I said slowly, taking a deep breath. ¡°I love you all, I love you so much, and I¡¯ve missed you. I will see you again. I¡¯ll look, once it¡¯s time, now that I know what to look for. Just know that I¡¯m doing what I believe is right.¡±

    I turned to face Hans, keeping the connection open so my mother could hear.

    ¡°Hans. You promised safe passage to my friend, Lou, and I, in exchange for my aid in fulfilling your part of the deal with my family,¡± I said. ¡°That includes protection from any attacks via the portal. We officially have a truce, until I declare otherwise.¡±

    Hans¡¯ eyes narrowed, but he nodded slowly. I let go of the button, in case my mother wanted to respond. Now that she had the message, I began drawing forth my power as intensely as possible.

    ¡°Ah, my daughter,¡± she said, and I was startled to realize she sounded proud. ¡°I suppose I was foolish to imagine you as still only seventeen years old. Do as your heart demands, my darling. While I, and I alone, will oppose you once your truce ends, all of our hearts are with you. Let them burn at your will.¡±

    Hans blanched and I spoke again.

    ¡°Of course, you¡¯ll only know the truce is broken if Hans tells you,¡± I said, and swallowed. ¡°I love you, and goodbye for now.¡±

    ¡°Goodbye for now, my darling,¡± my mother said, a smile thick in her voice.

    I turned to Hans. Part of me was desperately looking for some solution that didn¡¯t involve killing them all. It occurred to me that I could just¡­

    ¡°Hans, I¡¯m trying to find a solution to my current predicament that doesn¡¯t involve killing you all,¡± I told him, and Lou half laughed, half snorted in disbelief. ¡°In case you decide to break the truce immediately, keep in mind that you¡¯re in range, and you¡¯re the obvious first target. I¡¯d prefer your surrender, and if that¡¯s not an option, I¡¯d like to hear alternatives.¡±

    I¡¯d lied to Hans, sort of. He was the obvious first target, sure, but the portal was my actual first target.

    As I spoke, I soaked magic into the ground around the portal. It was like I was starting to create a highly unstable enchantment. The portal would resist random explosions and idle tinkering, but it wasn¡¯t exactly robust. Still, it was the sort of thing I¡¯d need to succeed at on my first try, else things would go very poorly for me.

    ¡°Aera,¡± he said, his voice cold and unyielding. ¡°Do keep in mind that Lou is in range, and is the obvious first target. My men are under orders to shoot her, aiming to inflict the maximum amount of pain, if hostilities emerge, with the aim that her screaming would distract you.¡±

    I flinched, but Lou said, ¡°One; fuck you. Two; it won¡¯t stop her. Three; I¡¯d even end up surviving, so that¡¯s fine by me.¡±

    I smiled. Now that my preparation work was complete for the portal, I turned my attention to Lou. She still had her enchantment to protect her from bullets - bullets, fire, and almost nothing else. Now that I knew that all of the magical abilities of the Germans were clever, but weak enchantments, I knew how to defend against them. Some hair was drawn in from my head and slowly fashioned into a ring of diamond around Lou¡¯s finger. Her hand clenched in surprise, but since I was holding that hand, it looked like she was seeking or giving comfort.

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t likely survive if you were shot in the stomach, and Aera couldn¡¯t immediately heal you,¡± Hans said, his voice still ice cold. ¡°She can¡¯t heal brain damage, and if your blood is badly poisoned by the filth in your intestines, she won¡¯t save you in time.¡±

    ¡°Oh, well,¡± Lou said, her voice oddly cheerful. She sounded¡­ honestly, almost delighted.

    I wondered if she¡¯d gone into shock.

    ¡°Secondly,¡± Hans continued, ignoring her and returning his attention to me, ¡°If your mother fights you, then you lose everything. If you delay your attack on us long enough to damage the portal, then we will defeat you. We know that your defenses cannot hold up against a sustained assault. Even then, we can repair the portal afterwards. You cannot win like this, Aera.¡±

    I nodded in understanding, though not agreement. I¡¯d already noticed that it was modular, which meant it would be trivial to repair, as long as they had the other parts. Based on the design of this portal, they could probably build at least one more, since I doubted any of these was one of the original modules.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

    ¡°Maybe you¡¯re right,¡± I said, shrugging. ¡°Even if you are, if I give it a try, you will not survive.¡±

    The diamond ring was complete. I began pouring magic into it. Once activated, it would briefly provide resistance to all forms of magic. It wouldn¡¯t hold up against anything remotely powerful, or anything designed to overcome magical resistance, but I¡¯d already noticed that flaw. My family hadn¡¯t given them enchantments that could threaten magic users. Besides, Lou - and, unfortunately, Hans - had been exposed to enough magic to develop a minor amount of innate magical resistance. All my ring had to do was boost it.

    ¡°You think me a coward?¡± he asked, looking honestly offended, though magesense revealed that he was fighting his own fear. ¡°What I stand for is worth dying for. And my death would gain you nothing, save the deaths of your friend and your compatriots at the American base.¡±

    ¡°So, we both think that we are assured of victory, trying to talk the other into surrender, because that victory would be costly,¡± I said with a sigh.

    ¡°It seems we are a bit of an impasse, then,¡± Hans said calmly. ¡°I still have hope for a peaceful resolution, Aera. You and your friend need not die this day. You can return to your family.¡±

    ¡°What you mean is, you¡¯re not as sure of your victory as you pretend,¡± I said, smiling a little.

    Did he not realize that I was stalling for time? The ring was charged to the point that I was fatigued. Unwise, perhaps, since I probably needed all the strength I could manage for what came next. Still, I¡­ I had to. It was Lou. I couldn¡¯t completely abandon her. The ring was an abominable piece of work that would only provide mediocre resistance for perhaps a scarce minute, but that should be enough.

    ¡°You insult me,¡± he said haughtily, and I saw he meant it. ¡°You are surrounded. We have the advantage in numbers, in total magic, and in weaponry, without even considering the advantage of the portal. You are not a soldier, so perhaps you don¡¯t understand the position you¡¯re in. It would be vastly more advantageous for both of us if you would understand this simple fact. To kill you is to lose an irreplaceable opportunity, else you would already be dead.¡±

    The ring was done enough, I supposed. I squeezed Lou¡¯s hand reassuringly. It was slick with sweat.

    ¡°I apologize for any misunderstanding,¡± I said coolly. ¡°You underestimate me, and you underestimate my family. I have been passive because I trusted in the wisdom of others, and because I prefer it, not because I lack knowledge of how to fight. And as for that magic you wield?¡±

    I laughed, getting ready to release the buildup around the portal.

    ¡°Did it not occur to you that my parents would put weaknesses into those enchantments that I might exploit, in case of your betrayal?¡± I asked. ¡°It is time, Hans. Decide. Surrender or die.¡±

    ¡°Fire,¡± he barked in German, just as he activated a defensive enchantment and jumped back.

    Gunshots began to fill the air as I activated Lou¡¯s enchantment. She began to glow with a blue light, evidence of my inefficiency of magic. It was beautiful, though. She looked like some sort of gun-wielding angel, the bullets tearing trails through the pulsing blue aura.

    An explosion of force, mud, and wind slammed into me from the portal, as my gathered energies discharged. The self-assembling base was utterly destroyed, and the modules were flung in all directions.

    Annoyingly, both Hans and Lou weathered the explosion better than I did. I found myself face down in the dirt, covered in minor scratches, but otherwise fine, while they were still on their feet. I supposed Han¡¯s defensive enchantment covered explosions, and Lou¡¯s enhanced resistance to magic handled the wave of force. They¡¯d both tried to go for cover, though only Hans succeeded. We were surrounded, after all, so Lou could do nothing but crouch, trying to make herself a smaller target.

    Lou¡¯s blue aura was already fading under the assault of Hans¡¯ spells hitting her. Weak they may have been, but they were numerous. Neither of our bullet enchantments would hold out long, either, at this rate. I wasn¡¯t under as much fire as Lou - it seemed Hans had been telling the truth about that - but I was still taking enough that I felt the enchantment straining.

    I didn¡¯t have time. I thought about building a wall of dirt to protect us, but that¡¯d take too long, and too much of my remaining strength.

    Of my enemies, only Hans had developed any degree of natural magic resistance, so I ignored him for the moment.

    The soldiers had anti-bullet enchantments, so only a shot that originated within the barrier had a chance to work. Aeros flowed from me into the minds of the soldiers around me. Lou started making pained sounds, the blue aura almost entirely fading as the magic resistance began to wear off, but it still protected her enough that the damage was superficial.

    The mind magic was ready, but I hesitated with the command, despite knowing what I had to do. Killing someone like this¡­ using mind magic to force them to kill themselves¡­ my heart screamed in protest, and magic cannot act without commitment. Seconds passed as I strained to force my will to align with what I knew must be done.

    Then Lou started screaming. I glanced over and saw wounds tearing open in her flesh from the gunshots, her body falling to the ground.

    My heart tore out of my chest at the sight, and its protestations halted. My will steeled and death entered the minds of the soldiers. One at a time, as I focused on each in turn, they turned their guns around, put the barrels in their mouths, and fired. For every second that passed, another soldier fell. But there were so many...

    Hans ordered the men to attack me as soon as he realized what I was doing. Bullets slammed into my barrier, but despite the discomfort, I was relieved. Lou wasn¡¯t being fired at any longer.

    I pushed myself up, still focusing on killing the soldiers as best as I could, and flopped onto Lou¡¯s prone body, ensuring I blocked any shots from reaching her head or heart. She was gasping in shallow, agonized breaths, bleeding out from over a dozen shots.

    I ignored the soldiers just long enough to cut off blood flow in Lou from everything that wasn¡¯t absolutely critical for short term survival, and patched up the bleeding from areas that were. I twisted her nerves such that they couldn¡¯t feel any pain, anywhere. Her breathing slowed to a restful rate, and I could tell she was on the brink of passing out. If left alone, she¡¯d lose both arms, both legs, and everything below her diaphragm, but she should survive the next few minutes.

    By the time another five soldiers died of forced suicide, my own anti bullet enchantment started to buckle. I preemptively cut off my blood flow from my own extremities, silenced all my nerves from pain, and redirected the anti bullet enchantment to only protect my vitals. My legs and arms were pulped in scarcely a second, but my heartbeat remained steady.

    I¡¯d not even gotten a fifth of the soldiers, and I was already in desperate straits - crippled and under intense assault, on top of a nearly unconscious, defenseless and helpless Lou. My method was pretty fast - it¡¯d been perhaps a single minute since the portal¡¯s explosion - but it wasn¡¯t fast enough. I wasn¡¯t skilled enough with mind magic to speed up. What could I do?

    A sick feeling overcame me as I realized there was precisely one type of magic with which I was fast and skilled enough to affect groups with any degree of significant effect or precision. Biological alteration magic. Normally used for healing or flower sculpting, but¡­

    Bile rose in my throat as I unleashed the command, a simple inversion of a magic I¡¯d just done. If it weren¡¯t for Lou¡¯s weak gasping beneath me, I never could have found the will. A small change was easier than a large one. To destroy, to dissolve, took more strength than a slight twist of function.

    The soldiers began to scream as all of the nerves in their bodies suddenly twisted such that they only spoke of pain. Every type of pain imaginable, in every part of the body that could feel pain, at maximum intensity, all at once. Torture, more complete and intense than any that could be conceived by mortal means. I watched as bodies contorted and fell, flailing and seizing, as they desperately tried to escape. Their voices rose to an inhuman pitch, occasionally broken off by one soldier or another, as they retched and soiled themselves.

    Dorothy had told me of the Christian hell, of the tortured souls in the lakes of fire. The story became more real to me in that moment, as a sound that felt as though it could only have come from such a cursed place filled the air from their throats. My soul twisted in pain from merely hearing it, and that was with my mind desperately trying to go blank and pretend that it didn¡¯t exist.

    A few managed to find the presence of mind to desperately grab their guns and end their own suffering.

    ¡°What¡­?¡± Lou gasped, her eyes regaining some degree of life. ¡°What¡¯s happ...ening¡­?¡±

    ¡°What have you done?!¡± Hans shrieked, looking half mad from the inhuman screeching.

    He ran up to me, shoving his gun into my face.

    My spirit was in tatters. The sounds filling my ears and the feel of their spirits would haunt me for the rest of my life. All I could make myself desire was for the sounds to stop, for their pain to end, and I just couldn¡¯t make myself focus on Hans. I should stop him, too. I had to, he was still a threat, but¡­

    My own muscles were seizing up, my mind both screaming and blank, refusing to understand and unable to not understand the horror of what I had just done. The sounds the soldiers made were not sounds that a human mind could bear. At the deepest level, at the most primal of instincts, my mind rebelled against any reality that could create such horror.

    ¡°Undo it!¡± Hans screamed at me, his eyes wild, kneeling and shoving his gun into my mouth. ¡°I will kill you, I will torture everyone you have ever cared for, vile witch!¡±

    An absolutely idiotic part of me wanted to die, to escape from the sound, to escape from the knowledge, from the horror. The voice of the coward. My jaw clenched, which only served to make me bite his gun.

    ¡°Make¡­ it stop¡­¡± Lou hissed, her face contorted into a grimace.

    I tried to focus. I had to stop Hans, and then I could free the soldiers from their suffering. I reached my spirit towards Hans¡­

    But I didn¡¯t have time.

    Bullets ripped holes in my mouth, deflected by my barrier before they reached my brain, but still filling my mouth with blood. I jerked at the sensation.

    ¡°NO!¡± Lou screamed, with far more force than her battered body ought to have managed. ¡°You CANNOT fucking KILL her, you FUCKING LUNATIC!¡±

    My need for air compelled my attention, and I opened a hole above my collarbone to breathe out of in the meantime.

    A part of me cursed myself that I could focus enough to fulfill my own, selfish need to breathe, but not focus enough to push past Hans¡¯ slight magic resistance.

    Lou¡¯s spirit blazed beneath me, filled with a desperate will to move. She didn¡¯t care that her nerves had been cut off, that her muscles were frayed and useless. She needed to move¡­

    And so she did.

    Flamus filled her broken flesh, pouring out in uncontrolled wisps of unearthly light, as she burned her spirit in single minded determination.

    She twisted, throwing my near-corpse to the ground beside her, and her hand grasped Hans¡¯ throat with inhuman speed. He tried to fight her off, but her fingers dug into and through his skin as she squeezed, crushing his trachea into lumpy pulp. Her eyes widened and she jerked back in shock, staring in horror at the bloody mess in her hand, as Hans gurgled wetly, falling to the ground.

    With her determined rush thwarted by surprise, her scant hint of magic fled her shattered body, leaving her to collapse again. She made a deeply annoyed sound.

    Without Hans demanding my attention, I was free to focus on the soldiers. The primal shrieking was distracting to a maddening degree, and I strained to get my exhausted, shaken, battered spirit to align with my intention.

    ¡°Be alive, Aera,¡± she hissed from the ground at me. ¡°Be alive, and make it stop!¡±

    Her body was twitching unnaturally, as her chaotic control over her newly awakened magic kept almost being focused enough to force proper movement. After hitting me with awkwardly limp, blood soaked limbs a few times, I realized she was desperately trying to shake me awake.

    As beset by guilt as I was, I couldn¡¯t possibly force an intention of killing the soldiers. I wanted them to know peace, and so they did. Their nerves were twisted back to their natural states, and a strange silence filled the chill night air. Raspy, shaky breaths could be heard, with occasional hints of whimpering. I forced myself to look at what I had wrought, and saw perhaps a hundred men collapsed in puddles of blood, urine, feces, and vomit, helplessly shaking in shock.

    ¡°So you are alive,¡± Lou said, and her Flamus-assisted movements ceased. ¡°Good. That means I can fucking kill you myself. What the fuck did you do to them?¡±

    I still couldn¡¯t speak, as my mouth was still in shreds from Hans¡¯ point blank bullets.

    Just two more bits of magic, and I was done. I just had to heal Lou and myself.

    My vision was growing black around the edges from exhaustion. Did I even have strength enough to heal us both?

 Ch. 42 - Allegiance

    I took as deep a breath as I could, which felt quite odd in the absence of an abdomen. Neither Lou nor I had anything resembling functional body parts outside of our brains, hearts, and lungs.

    And I unquestionably did not have enough strength to put us both back together. Honestly, I wasn¡¯t entirely sure I had strength to even put one of us back together.

    Making things even better, I wasn¡¯t sure how long we had until the soldiers recovered from shock. They almost certainly wanted to kill me - as payback, if nothing else.

    I had to survive. Lou had to survive. Either the soldiers had to be killed, or we had to escape. I strongly preferred escape, though I supposed it brought up the question of where we were escaping to. The base was still taken over.

    Lou had stopped questioning me - probably realizing I was in no condition to answer - and just settled into her contorted pile of flesh with a thoroughly unhappy sigh.

    How was I getting out of this mess?

    Moments passed as I tried to think of ways to heal myself or Lou. As damaged as I was, it¡¯d probably be easier to shapeshift into Comet than try to heal myself, but that¡¯d still strain me to the limit, leaving nothing left for saving Lou.

    Another idea occurred to me and I groaned. It¡¯d work, but¡­ Lou was going to kill me.

    Hans¡¯ corpse was right next to us both. Aside from the issue of him being dead, and his throat having been removed, he was in perfect health.

    I reached out with my magic and repaired his throat, then restarted his heart and ordered the muscles of his chest to rise. Oxygenated blood began to flow. I realized belatedly that he hadn¡¯t finished dying - it hadn¡¯t been long enough for brain death.

    It felt like murder, cutting off the blood flow to the brain. A small burst of Flamus dropped my near-corpse onto his chest. I suppressed his immune system, and then connected his carotid artery to mine, and then our jugular veins. With blood flow established, it was then safe to finish the swap. Within two minutes, my head and neck were on top of his shoulders, and his head was on the ground next to my cooling corpse. My myriad enchantments were moved from behind my heart to the matching area behind his. I repaired my mouth as the finishing touch.

    I took a deep breath, and the relief was intense. The ¡°sensation¡± of nothingness, from destroyed nerves, was deeply unsettling. And even a few minutes without things like a liver, kidneys, etc, did bad things for blood quality. Without the discomfort holding me back, my head swam, as though trying to fall asleep against my will. I pushed against it, calling on fear - fear that Lou would die - to keep me awake.

    Lou had been making deeply unsettled noises, involving an impressive amount of cursing, even for her, during this process.

    ¡°Okay,¡± I said, testing out my voice. It felt more or less normal.

    I turned my head towards Lou, not bothering to try to sit up.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Lou, for¡­ everything, really. I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m not stronger. Not strong enough to have done better. But I can¡¯t heal you, or me. I¡¯m too exhausted.¡±

    ¡°So you took over a corpse,¡± she said flatly. ¡°That¡¯s your fucking solution.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± I said. ¡°He was barely dead - it took almost no magic to get his body going. I can attach you, too.¡±

    ¡°What,¡± she said, so flatly it didn¡¯t remotely sound like a question.

    ¡°It¡¯d be cramped, but I can add your neck to his shoulders,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯d keep us alive long enough to recover and more or less rebuild our bodies from scratch.¡±

    She closed her eyes. While she didn¡¯t speak, I saw her lips move in familiar patterns. I was pretty sure she was cursing me soundly.

    ¡°I¡¯m guessing, it¡¯s that or death,¡± she said after a minute.

    ¡°Yes, and we might still die, even with it,¡± I admitted. ¡°We¡¯d have to find the strength to get a vehicle and drive away. And then¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°How long can we live as a freaky corpse monster?¡± she asked. ¡°Forever, if needed?¡±

    ¡°Er¡­ no,¡± I said.

    The immune system would destroy our brains if I didn¡¯t stop it; and if I did stop it, which I had to, disease was going to be a severe threat. I remembered the strange fact that disease was everywhere, and we were always hours from death, if ever our bodies completely surrendered their fight. Blending bodies together had, in fact, been my training on that body system. I¡¯d forgotten the more complex options - how to allow the body to fight disease, without fighting the foreign flesh I¡¯d fused - but at least I remembered how to turn off the system entirely.

    ¡°It¡¯s complicated,¡± I said, deciding to sidestep explaining all of that. ¡°But I¡¯d need to make an enchantment to stabilize it, and even then, it¡¯d be difficult and risky. As long as I¡¯m awake, I can handle the problems, but sleeping¡­ well, problems could sneak up on us.¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯ve got to sleep before you can make the enchantment,¡± she said.

    ¡°Right,¡± I said.

    ¡°Tell me straight,¡± she said. ¡°What are our chances of surviving, if we do this?¡±

    ¡°It depends,¡± I said. ¡°It depends on so many things. For instance, how soon I can rest. If things go well, then survival is almost certain.¡±

    She sighed and closed her eyes.

    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t want to die,¡± she admitted quietly, like she was confessing a great and terrible sin.

    ¡°Then I won¡¯t let you,¡± I said and sat up, moving next to her.

    My body felt strange, obviously, but I ignored the oddities as I grabbed Lou¡¯s light torso. I held her back to my chest and within five minutes, she and I were awkwardly side by side on the top, each head pointing out at an uncomfortable angle. Lou¡¯s mouth moved, as though she were trying to speak, which reminded me that I hadn¡¯t given her access to any body functions.

    ¡°I have an idea,¡± I said, and she scowled. ¡°How about I give you control over the body? I can make speech happen either way.¡±

    She had control over her neck, so bobbed her head in a vague approximation of a nod. I redirected some nerves and found myself in the startlingly uncomfortable position of being able to feel a body that I had no control over.

    By then, a few of the soldiers seemed to be starting to recover enough to start moving in ways that suggested purposefulness and consciousness.

    Lou stretched out her arms and legs, feeling herself all over, getting a sense of the body. ¡°This is fucking weird,¡± she muttered. ¡°Okay, so the plan is to grab the jeep and get back to the base?¡±

    I opened a hole in the bottom of my neck and used Aeros to flow air into it, to let my vocal cords work.

    ¡°Maybe?¡± I said, my voice sounding breathy. I toned down the airflow. ¡°Maybe telling them what happened over the radio¡¯s a better start. They might surrender, if they know the base is down and we¡¯re coming back.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± she said, sounding annoyed. ¡°Right, them, damn it, I¡¯m still not thinking straight.¡±

    She took another deep breath, collected the jeep¡¯s keys from her corpse, and then started jogging to the jeep. Our necks were not designed to sustain our heads at this angle, and I debated whether or not it was worth using some of my last scraps of magic for what amounted to improved comfort.

    By the time I almost gave in to the temptation, we¡¯d arrived at the jeep. Once we got going, I wasn¡¯t afraid for Lou¡¯s life anymore, which left me struggling against passing out.

    ¡°Lou¡­¡± I said, exhaustion obvious in my voice.

    ¡°Yeah, you sleep, but first,¡± she said, and scowled. ¡°What problems should I keep an eye out for, to wake you up over?¡±

    ¡°Anything remotely feeling like disease,¡± I said. ¡°Body aches, unusual fatigue, a rash, a headache, anything. The sooner I know, the better - it could become lethal surprisingly fast.¡±

    ¡°Got it,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ll slap the shit out of you if I have to. Sleep as best as you¡­¡±

    I didn¡¯t even hear the rest of her sentence. As soon as I stopped fighting it, exhaustion claimed me.

    I¡¯d only just closed my eyes, but Lou was shaking my face aggressively. Why was she so cruel¡­?

    An infection had taken hold, and we had a rash. It took a bit of violence on Lou¡¯s part to force my brain into being awake enough to do something about it, but we got through it. And we got through the one after that.

    I wasn¡¯t conscious for any of the negotiations. Lou let me know how things went, in the brief moments I resisted the lure of rest to keep us alive. The Germans surrendered, once they had a chance to confirm that the base was overtaken. The American base took them prisoner, and they were treated fairly.

    We made it to the base shortly before dawn. We were given a sterile room to rest in, observed by army doctors, and I finished the preparations by wiping out all the viruses and bacteria my spells could find. We slept, and finally were able to get enough rest.

    I got my own body back the next day. Since I had a detailed ¡°copy¡± stored in my shapeshifting enchantment, I was able to build it perfectly out of some food that the army provided. After making sure the heart and organs were all working correctly, I moved my head onto the body, and was fine.

    For Lou, though, it wasn¡¯t so easy. I didn¡¯t have a copy of her body to use, after all. Her corpse was scavenged from the German base, giving me a solid start, but it was in bad shape to begin with, and had no limbs at all. She stayed in Hans¡¯ body only for the first day, as the haphazard reconstruction of her body wasn¡¯t any worse than Hans¡¯.

    I had to use my own body as the baseline for building the missing parts. It was incredibly difficult. If I made it too much like me, then it would set her immune system off. I had to make her cells be ¡°hers,¡± based on the innards of her head, and yet, use it to build legs and such. I used doctors that the army provided, using their insights, observations, and suggestions to help make sure I didn¡¯t screw anything up.

    She was still in fragile health, with a monitoring enchantment to keep her safe, when we went to Nicholas¡¯s funeral. I got to see his little girl. I wasn¡¯t allowed to speak to her, or his wife, because of security reasons, but I wouldn¡¯t have been able to say anything anyway.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    It turns out that being able to cry is necessary, at times.

    It was a hard week. Despite technically succeeding, no one was happy. Well, aside from the masses - America as a whole was pleased with defeating the incursion, since they didn¡¯t know the details.

    Lou stopped talking to me, and could barely meet my eyes.

    Slick was glad that Lou was alive, but he¡¯d seen our monstrous, two headed form. Even after her body was fixed, he had a hard time looking at her. They agreed to never tell Alice what it had taken to save her, since Alice wouldn¡¯t be able to handle it.

    Liam was wonderful, as usual. He¡¯d turned pale at seeing our multi-body form, but when Lou had explained the necessity of it, he¡¯d taken it in stride. People die all the time, he¡¯d said, and there had been plenty of times that he¡¯d wished for something, anything, no matter how monstrous, to keep people alive. He was glad I¡¯d had that option, and said he¡¯d have done the same.

    Lou stopped talking to him for a bit, too, after that.

    Albert was glad we were alive, glad we¡¯d succeeded, though he was nervous about what came next.

    General Richardson was¡­ pleased, I guess, at the win. But the hostility he felt towards me had increased enormously. Lieutenant Pash was in custody, and Richardson said I wasn¡¯t allowed to see him. I wasn¡¯t sure how long I¡¯d tolerate that, but I was too busy with fixing Lou¡¯s body to pay it much attention.

    I knew, even in the midst of it, that I was letting myself be distracted. Still, keeping Lou alive was important, and I already knew what was next. My parents would technically cooperate with Germany, but they¡¯d drag their feet about it, and so I could afford a bit of delay.

    There were just a few things I had to do first.

    ¡°Lieutenant Mikhail Pash,¡± I said formally, as I sat in the chair across from him.

    He looked resigned. Richardson hadn¡¯t taken my pressure about seeing Pash well, but he¡¯d caved eventually. Mostly because I told him that he¡¯d either cooperate, or clean up the mess when I got there by force.

    ¡°Miss Aera Koryn,¡± Pash replied, sounding equally formal.

    ¡°Tell me what your plan was,¡± I said.

    ¡°Please forgive my concern, Ms. Koryn, but I am wary of saying anything in this room, as it is being recorded,¡± he said cautiously.

    ¡°Because you want to give a different story to me than the one you give to America,¡± I said coldly.

    He sighed.

    ¡°This is a good country,¡± he said, his voice low. ¡°But nothing is perfect. I have been better positioned than you to see the imperfections.¡±

    ¡°If you imagine that I¡¯ve emerged from this with a belief that America can do no wrong, then you¡¯re even more insane than I thought,¡± I retorted.

    His lip twitched in a faint smile.

    ¡°Not at all,¡± he said. ¡°Rather, I merely say that I am familiar with imperfections that you have not had the chance to observe.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fair, I guess,¡± I said. ¡°But what does that have to do with this?¡±

    He had a pained look pass over his features, then said, ¡°What America strives for, and what individuals with power in the country occasionally decide to do, do not necessarily overlap. Tell me, Ms. Koryn - if I serve the true interests of the country, by means of defying those who have power over me, am I guilty of treason?¡±

    I frowned, but thought it over briefly.

    ¡°No,¡± I decided.

    ¡°Those who have said power would disagree,¡± he said. ¡°Not that I have done any such thing, of course.¡±

    I stifled a chuckle. He was very clearly lying, with that last bit. Opaque though he usually was, he wanted me to see that it was a lie, and so I saw the intention.

    ¡°Fine,¡± I said, and surrounded us with a bubble of distortion. ¡°No one can see or hear us clearly, now.¡±

    ¡°They will attempt to come inside,¡± he pointed out.

    I chuckled and merged the metal of the door, so that it couldn¡¯t open.

    ¡°I¡¯d be impressed if they got through now,¡± I said.

    He leaned forward, an intent look on his face. ¡°Do you recall the letter I sent you after you had the restraining order placed on me?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± I said, frowning again. He¡¯d invited me to work with him to make the world a better place, saying my natural place was in charge of others.

    ¡°General Richardson has a plan in place to kill you, Mr. Williams, and Lieutenant O¡¯Brien,¡± he said, and I reeled back in shock. ¡°With knowledge of a possible backup portal in Germany, he can¡¯t afford to kill you or them yet. As soon as he gets word of your final success, he will action that plan.¡±

    I swallowed. Part of me wanted it to be false, but with what I¡¯d seen in Richardson¡¯s spirit¡­ no. It was the truth.

    ¡°He wants to wipe out magic,¡± I said.

    ¡°You understand why, I¡¯m sure,¡± he said, and I sighed, nodding. ¡°I still believe what I told you then, Aera. Not everyone agrees. But there are many types of evil in the world, and some of them can only be fixed by your power.¡±

    There was a glimmer of something from his spirit, that caught my attention.

    ¡°That¡¯s the key to you, isn¡¯t it?¡± I asked softly. ¡°The thing that¡¯s driving you, that¡¯s driven you from the start. What ¡®evil¡¯ have you been wanting me to fix?¡±

    His face was cold and he closed his eyes.

    ¡°In every government, there are people like Richardson who mean well and make terrible choices. I have been trying to change the world balance, in what ways I can, to prevent those spots of idiocy from harming the future.¡±

    ¡°And that¡¯s why you killed Nicholas,¡± I said, my own voice cold.

    He frowned, looking mildly angry.

    ¡°I misjudged you,¡± he said. ¡°I did not wish for him to die. From what we¡¯ve discussed, I was absolutely certain that you would not leave a friend behind to his death, and absolutely certain that it would not be beyond your ability to heal.¡±

    ¡°Same as you were certain the Irish Mob¡¯s attack on my house would leave no one permanently harmed,¡± I said coolly.

    He let out a slow breath and then nodded.

    ¡°And the butcher shop?¡± I asked.

    ¡°An unforeseen disaster,¡± he said. ¡°You had demonstrated a refusal to escalate or to initiate conflict. To reveal yourself. I had no way to guess that you would take such a direct action.¡±

    I rubbed at my eyes.

    ¡°Let me guess,¡± I said, my voice scarcely audible. ¡°Every misjudgement was because you didn¡¯t understand the balance between my choices, and the choices of those I let control me.¡±

    He nodded again.

    ¡°I admit to my own bias,¡± he said. ¡°I initially believed that, with your power, you would refuse to be controlled. I believed your actions were because of your preferences, not theirs. Later, I misjudged, because I believed your moral values would be stronger than Lou¡¯s recommendation.¡±

    ¡°You were right,¡± I said, leaning back. ¡°It was only because Lou got me to give my oath, to obey her, if it came down to it.¡±

    ¡°I confess I do not understand why you gave that oath,¡± he said cautiously.

    ¡°Because I¡¯m twenty two years old,¡± I said, leaning my head back, too. ¡°I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m doing. I¡¯m scared I¡¯ll make things worse. I don¡¯t know who to trust, and it was the condition given of one of the only people I know who seems trustworthy, and who was willing to support me.¡±

    He was silent for a long moment, looking at me appraisingly.

    ¡°I misjudged, Aera, and for it, my life is over,¡± he said quietly. ¡°For treason, they may execute me, or they may imprison me for the remainder. My wife is dead, my daughter was crippled from polio, and as it stands, there is no hope for her.¡±

    I sat upright again and gave him a curious look. For the first time in my adult life, I was in a situation that actually was like the ones my parents had trained me for. Pash was offering me his service, possibly for life. He¡¯d told me what he wanted, and what a person wants is what controls them.

    ¡°Why did you work with the Germans?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Working with merely one person or organization has its limits,¡± he said dryly. ¡°Being a double or triple agent is risky, but allows for the broadest possible perspective, the greatest likelihood of both perceiving the truth of a situation, as well as influencing it. I worked with the Germans originally as part of those standard efforts, and they believed me because I have a history with them.¡±

    ¡°Spying on the United States for them,¡± I said, to clarify.

    ¡°Yes,¡± he said. ¡°Ultimately information of little worth, but enough to earn their trust. When I realized what they were working on, I knew you had to speak with them - ordinary opposition would not end well, in the long run, for any party. However, I also knew that General Richardson would have never permitted any chance of your cooperation with them.¡±

    ¡°Because he doesn¡¯t want magic in the world,¡± I said.

    ¡°That, yes, but also because he sees you as a monster,¡± he said. ¡°An unpredictable monster may choose to join with Hitler in taking over the world. He can not see past his own biases and fears.¡±

    ¡°So you conspired to create a way for that conversation to happen outside of Richardson¡¯s view, in a way that would ideally have zero casualties,¡± I said, contemplative.

    He nodded and said, ¡°Yet, I misjudged, and for it, many people died.¡±

    ¡°What did you expect the result of the encounter with my mother to be?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know it was your mother, though I had suspicions in that general direction,¡± he said. ¡°I expected you to convince her to betray the Germans. I expected you, with their help, to be able to immediately disable the German base. If you had gone along with my request to speak with them, I would have been involved in the discussion, able to influence it, and had other plans on how to handle contingencies. Unfortunately, since I misjudged and failed to bring you in, the Germans deemed me not useful enough to have present.¡±

    He¡¯d judged everything correctly¡­ except he didn¡¯t realize the social power of oaths, in my world, that such a thing would be expected to be greater than the bonds of family.

    I heard the question in his voice, even if he didn¡¯t quite ask.

    ¡°There was something you didn¡¯t know,¡± I said by way of answer. ¡°You judged correctly, otherwise.¡±

    His curiosity wasn¡¯t quite sated, obviously, but his posture relaxed marginally.

    ¡°You¡¯ve manipulated me aggressively from the start, with lies, death, and even treason,¡± I said harshly.

    ¡°I used the power I had available to the best of my ability,¡± he said, completely unashamed.

    ¡°Don¡¯t the means themselves matter?¡± I asked. ¡°If you use evil, doesn¡¯t that mean something?¡±

    ¡°Had I followed the law, I would not have been permitted to tell you Richardson¡¯s plans to kill you and yours,¡± he said calmly. ¡°Would you have preferred that?¡±

    I scowled at him.

    ¡°Those who follow the law are subject to those who don¡¯t,¡± he continued. ¡°If being a good man means standing aside while people like Richardson allow their fears to destroy something so incredible, then I won¡¯t be a good man.¡±

    ¡°You can be good without obeying laws,¡± I said.

    ¡°Not everyone would agree with that,¡± he said. ¡°Their view of morality differs from yours, and from mine. I do what I feel is necessary, and no more. Some may call me evil for it, and that is their right to believe.¡±

    I huffed and looked away for a moment.

    ¡°How could anyone trust you, with morals that flexible?¡± I asked. ¡°That¡¯s why my people take oaths so seriously - there must be a line that cannot be crossed, else there can be no trust.¡±

    He seemed to immediately understand what I was really asking.

    ¡°I am a simple man, in the end,¡± he said calmly. ¡°I seek to make the world better, according to how I see it. I am biased, and heavily so - I favor my daughter¡¯s future over the lives of a million strangers, and make no apology for that. I favor my own life over that of ten thousand strangers. Whoever holds a key to my life and my daughter¡¯s future holds me entirely.¡±

    I nodded slowly and considered. He let me take my time. After a few minutes, I reached out to him with my magic, with a trick my father had shown me once.

    ¡°I have given you brain cancer,¡± I told him. ¡°You will show symptoms in approximately a week, and it will kill you in a month or two. I will repair it every few days, as long as you remain loyal. I will feel no guilt if you fail me and die, as your murders have already bought your life, so don¡¯t bother trying that angle.¡±

    ¡°Not enough,¡± he said, and I saw a tight smile appear for a scarce moment. ¡°You will also heal my daughter entirely, and take us both out of the country. You will provide, directly or indirectly, a safe home for her. I have many locations scouted out, and several plans for you to consider, all of which you readily have the means to fulfil. If I die, without betraying you, you will see to her care until she is an adult and able to care for herself.¡±

    I laughed at that, warm and genuine.

    ¡°You¡¯ve thought this through, haven¡¯t you?¡± I asked wryly.

    ¡°This was not the plan,¡± he said dryly. ¡°Nor would I give it so grand a title as a ¡®backup plan,¡¯ and only grudgingly ¡®a plan of last resort.¡¯ But you will find that I am one who makes preparations and am willing to adapt.¡±

    ¡°Since this is my first time doing something like this, I want to make sure I¡¯m not screwing up,¡± I said, smiling sheepishly, ¡°Just to confirm, you were offering to serve me, right? I didn¡¯t just give you brain cancer from a misjudgement?¡±

    He chuckled at that, a genuine smile on his face. ¡°Yes, Aera, you judged correctly, and the fact that did not take the time to remove the brain cancer tells me you have accepted my requirements. Further, as far as I can see, you haven¡¯t missed any important details that will cause this to end disastrously.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve got a bad track record with those,¡± I pointed out, and he chuckled again.

    ¡°Only with you,¡± he said, torn between looking amused and mildly irritated. ¡°Now, then, we haven¡¯t much time. Mr. Einstein was provided to you to serve as a potential hostage against your defection. We will need to move quickly, in order to keep him safe.¡±

    ¡°What should we do?¡± I asked uneasily.

    ¡°The first order of business is always the same,¡± he said. ¡°We must make a plan.¡±

 Ch. 43 - The End of the Beginning

    ¡°... and on top of all that, now you¡¯re working with him?¡± Lou asked incredulously, pointing at Pash, who¡¯d practically become my shadow.

    ¡°It seems like the most correct thing to do,¡± I said uneasily.

    ¡°You always find ways to justify the most ridiculous things,¡± Lou said and made a growling noise as she pulled at her hair. ¡°Like always, I can¡¯t even point at any one thing and clearly say why it¡¯s wrong. But looking back? You leave destruction, death, and¡­ and¡­ freaky solutions to your problems. That isn¡¯t normal, Aera.¡±

    ¡°Those ¡®freaky solutions¡¯ are alternatives to death,¡± I reminded her. ¡°Would you have preferred for us to die? For Pash to be executed for treason? For Richardson to either succeed, or be assassinated to stop him?¡±

    She looked like she wanted to scream.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want any part of this crap,¡± she said. ¡°Ages ago, Liam told me something you¡¯d said - something about the ability to bind magic?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± I began, and flinched as I realized what she meant. ¡°You want me to stop you from using it? But, Lou¡­¡±

    ¡°What, it¡¯s ¡®useful?¡¯¡± she asked scathingly. ¡°I don¡¯t want this, and apparently, just hanging out with you for years was all it took to force it on me. I accidentally boiled over my coffee yesterday - am I going to boil off someone¡¯s face if they threaten me?¡±

    I flinched. She wasn¡¯t wrong. Newly awakened casters were often known to be deadly, without someone to guide them, to teach them. Slick and Liam both had elements and temperaments that made them less dangerous, fortunately.

    ¡°I can bind you,¡± I said. ¡°But it¡¯d be better to teach you. I can¡¯t make a lifelong binding - strong emotions can break bindings like that, and so I¡¯d have to check periodically.¡±

    ¡°Great,¡± she said. ¡°Just great. So now I¡¯m saddled with a curse that might randomly blow out of me whenever I get pissed enough, all because I hung out with you too much.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a curse,¡± I said, but there wasn¡¯t force in my words.

    She covered her face with her hands. It didn¡¯t look like she was crying - rather, I got the impression that she was forcing herself to be unable to look at me for a second. Several long moments passed while she breathed unusually regularly.

    ¡°What do I need to know in order to make absolutely sure I never use it on accident?¡± she asked, her voice unusually level.

    ¡°The best way is to use it on purpose, so you know what it feels like,¡± I said uneasily. ¡°Because, in a sense, you can¡¯t use it accidentally. Magic always does exactly what you want it to. Just, sometimes, what you believe you want and what you actually want don¡¯t always line up. Also, sometimes you want something to happen, but don¡¯t want the consequences.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want my coffee to boil over,¡± Lou said, glaring at me.

    ¡°No, but I¡¯d guess you wanted to pour your anger into what you were glaring at, which happened to be coffee,¡± I said. ¡°Pouring emotion into something - especially anger - without any additional instructions just adds energy. Energy in its most natural form is heat. So¡­¡±

    ¡°So, if I¡¯m dealing with another corrupt bastard at work, or nasty criminal of some kind, and deep down, I want to rip their faces off, their faces might randomly fly off, is what you¡¯re telling me?¡± she asked scathingly.

    I winced.

    ¡°Not exactly¡­?¡± I hedged. ¡°Again, if you get some practice in using magic on purpose, then you¡¯ll recognize the feeling that goes with actually setting it off. Then it won¡¯t happen by accident.¡±

    ¡°In other words, I have no choice but to train with you,¡± she said, crossing her arms and glaring at me.

    ¡°Um¡­ no,¡± I said. ¡°I mean, that¡¯d be best, sure, but between your element, your personality, and your natural talent, you can easily practice on your own. Maybe get some candles and practice igniting them? That should be easy, and there¡¯s no reason you can¡¯t do it on your own.¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯re sure I won¡¯t blow up someone¡¯s face?¡± she demanded.

    I hesitated.

    ¡°If you get the hang of what it takes to make it manifest, and if you don¡¯t decide in the moment that you really do, actually want to attack, then I¡¯m absolutely certain that it won¡¯t happen by accident,¡± I said.

    She rubbed at her face again.

    ¡°I guess that¡¯s the best we can do, then,¡± she said glumly. ¡°So, what¡¯s next? You were telling me what¡¯s happened in the last few days, but I get the impression that this is leading up to a goodbye.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said, dipping my head sheepishly. ¡°I don¡¯t want to say goodbye, but there¡¯s a number of issues with staying here.¡±

    ¡°Like your association with someone who¡¯s guilty of treason,¡± she said pointedly.

    ¡°Like that, yes,¡± I agreed. I could almost feel Pash smirk behind me. ¡°Pash thinks - and I think he¡¯s probably right - that being around large population centers is more likely to get governments uncomfortable with me. We¡¯re planning on establishing our own, little base of operations on an unused island where we¡¯ll live with his daughter, for now.¡±

    ¡°As far as I know, there aren¡¯t any unclaimed, livable islands in the entire world,¡± Lou said, raising an eyebrow suspiciously.

    ¡°Pash found something that¡¯s close enough,¡± I said.

    ¡°Close enough,¡± Lou repeated dryly. ¡°So you¡¯re stealing an island.¡±

    ¡°Kind of?¡± I said, a sheepish grin on my face again. ¡°It¡¯s really close to here! It¡¯s a tiny little place called Sable Island. It technically belongs to Canada, but it¡¯s really quite perfect for our purposes. No one lives on it, and Canada just uses it for weather reporting. It¡¯s not suitable for people - it¡¯s been called Shipwreck Island, because the waters around it are shark infested, with terrible rock formations that lead to shipwrecks. There¡¯s a small ecosystem on the island, too. It¡¯s hard living, but there¡¯s some horses, birds, and grasses. That¡¯s enough for me to work with, and turn it into something luxurious.¡±

    ¡°Does Canada have a problem with this?¡± Lou asked, sounding like she already knew the answer.

    ¡°We haven¡¯t discussed it with them, yet,¡± I said, to which Lou responded by rubbing her eyes with a clear ¡°That¡¯s what I thought¡± expression. ¡°Pash thinks the best plan is to secretly go onto the island, establish ourselves, and then approach the Canadian government. It¡¯ll be easier to negotiate our use of the island if we¡¯re already there, apparently. I intend to ¡®trade¡¯ healing, knowledge of magic - cautiously, of course, starting with academics, rather than training - and, naturally, the single handed destruction of Nazi Germany.¡±

    ¡°Why are you ¡®trading¡¯ that instead of just doing it?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Pash and I discussed how it would look from outside,¡± I explained. ¡°He says that if I do it first, and then take credit, a lot of people will be questioning if I¡¯m a fraud who¡¯s just taking advantage of the work of some other, secret organisation. If I declare my intentions first, I will not only be taken more seriously, but it¡¯ll give me an advantage in negotiations from then on out.¡±

    ¡°I thought you were on a tight time limit,¡± she said. ¡°Aren¡¯t your parents going to move against you?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but honestly, Hitler is not the biggest threat here,¡± I said. ¡°Taking out his regime is just the first big step of the rest of my life. Today, in a real sense, marks the end of the life I¡¯ve known - the life of the little, unknown sorcerer, finding her feet in Boston. Tomorrow marks the first day of Aera, sorcerer of Earth.¡±

    ¡°Tomorrow?¡± Lou repeated, startled.

    ¡°You were right - we do have to move fast,¡± I said. ¡°Pash was able to arrange an ¡®unofficial¡¯ meeting with the Prime Minister of Canada. Tonight, we¡¯re going to the island, and tomorrow, to the capital, Ottawa. I¡¯ve just finished a shapeshifting enchantment for Pash, so he can keep up with me.¡±

    ¡°So, this is it, then,¡± Lou said, sounding defeated. ¡°You¡¯re going to head off on your own, with Lieutenant Pash as your advisor -¡±

    ¡°More like ¡®servant,¡¯ really,¡± I interjected.

    She continued as if I hadn¡¯t spoken.

    ¡°- to basically take over the world, starting with Hitler and Canada, destroying one and shaping the other, to suit your preferences,¡± she said.

    I scratched at my neck awkwardly.

    ¡°I know it looks that way,¡± I began.

    ¡°Enlighten me as to how it isn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t like magic, and I don¡¯t like guns,¡± I said. ¡°But both are part of the world.¡±

    ¡°Magic doesn¡¯t have to be,¡± she said, glaring at me. ¡°I can learn to hide it, Slick and O¡¯Brien aren¡¯t going to spread it, either. You can just get rid of your parent¡¯s influence in Germany, then work on the portal and go back to where you belong.¡±

    The heat in her voice made me flinch.

    ¡°... you want me to leave?¡± I asked.

    She looked away for a moment, then met my eyes again.

    ¡°I care about you, Aera,¡± she said. ¡°We all do. But I also care about my world, and the fact of the matter is, I¡¯m not exactly seeing a happy ending if you go off and start making everything like your world.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t, though,¡± I protested. ¡°There¡¯s a lot - a huge amount - that my world has wrong. Between my background, and getting communication through the portal, I will have all the wisdom of my world, combined with the wisdom of yours. We can do amazing things here.¡±

    She shook her head.

    ¡°Sure, there¡¯s some shit about your world that you¡¯d avoid,¡± she said darkly. ¡°But I hardly think you¡¯ve really gained any of the wisdom of this world. You still refuse to call your parents monsters, for example.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have to call them monsters to believe that they¡¯re wrong,¡± I said. ¡°And I do believe they are wrong, about many things. That¡¯s the problem with you, Lou. You¡¯re so afraid of the worst, that if people don¡¯t completely agree with you, then you automatically believe that they believe the worst things. Look back, and tell me truly - between all the people I¡¯ve known, and the things I¡¯ve done, can you really say I¡¯ve learned nothing of this world¡¯s wisdom?¡±If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

    She sighed, and went to go sit down on the living room chair, running her hands through her hair in frustration. I sat beside her. Pash continued to stand off to the side, the absolute picture of perfect, subservient compliance. Of course, I knew that it was just another role he was playing, and his mind was happily planning, as well as listening.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she said quietly. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s really going on in your head.¡±

    ¡°Well, you¡¯re a smart woman,¡± I said wryly. ¡°You know that I can be pushed to a certain degree, but when I fully believe something, I¡¯m not held back. My word is my bond, even over the life of a friend.¡±

    I winced a little at that, but continued.

    ¡°Look at my choices, and tell me - do you really fear that I will actually go through with plans incautiously, without advisors that I consider trustworthy, without a plan in motion?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re going through with this plan, aren¡¯t you?¡± Lou asked.

    I sighed and rubbed at my face in the same way she did. The corner of her mouth twitched into a faint smile. We sat that way for another long moment. I looked out the window.

    ¡°Lou¡­¡± I began, and swallowed. ¡°There are so many terrible things that you take for granted, as though they are inevitable. Famine. Disease. Unwanted children. Death of old age - from things like failing hearts or livers, or what have you. I cannot personally cure everyone on Earth, of course - but I offer a chance to open up an entirely new way of life, without those things. Isn¡¯t that a vision of humanity that¡¯s worth fighting for? At least worth the effort to try?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s also science,¡± Lou said. ¡°Medicine¡¯s getting better every year. We don¡¯t need magic.¡±

    ¡°Medicine won¡¯t get there in time to save Pash¡¯s daughter,¡± I said, which made Lou turn and look at Pash in surprise. He had a vaguely annoyed look on his face. ¡°It won¡¯t get there in time to save so, so many daughters, and sons, and mothers, and fathers, and friends. If Slick became terminally ill, would it really be good enough to believe that one day, long after his body has turned to dust, your scientists will cure that disease?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± she admitted with a sigh. ¡°But¡­ damn it, Aera, I¡¯ve seen what you can do. I¡¯ve heard your stories about how bad things can be. The chance of saving Slick, against the chance of Earth dealing with that¡­?¡±

    ¡°If it makes you feel better, Pash is wholeheartedly against that range of outcomes, too,¡± I said wryly.

    ¡°So?¡± Lou demanded. ¡°You think anyone wants that? All it takes is for someone to be short sighted, Aera. Or to make a bad guess as to how something could turn out. Or to be desperate. Your stupid plague of songbirds story is a great example of that. One wrong move could destroy my entire world. That, Aera, that is the gamble you¡¯re talking about here.¡±

    We were silent, and I took a deep breath.

    ¡°Sorry, Pash,¡± I said. ¡°I have to say this bit privately.¡±

    He nodded as I put up a sound blocking barrier around us.

    ¡°There¡¯s a way to be sure, but it¡¯s¡­ kind of terrifying,¡± I said.

    ¡°Oh, that doesn¡¯t sound ominous at all,¡± she said darkly.

    ¡°You remember what I told you about the gods of my world?¡± I asked.

    Her eyes narrowed, and she hesitated for just a second.

    ¡°You¡¯re talking about you becoming the god of magic of Earth, which guarantees you have the power to handle any fuck ups,¡± she said.

    ¡°It was supposed to be my mother taking that role, in the original plan,¡± I said.

    ¡°Oh, great, that¡¯s even better,¡± she said, looking annoyed. ¡°I guess, gambling on your good intentions is better than gambling on you never, ever making a short sighted mistake. But wouldn¡¯t that take a while?¡±

    ¡°Decades, at least,¡± I said, sighing. ¡°Maybe even a century or so.¡±

    ¡°So, let¡¯s see if I¡¯ve got this straight,¡± she said. ¡°One way or another, you¡¯ve got to deal with Hitler and his crap, because your parents got involved. That¡¯s non negotiable, else they take over the world.¡±

    I nodded.

    ¡°After that¡¯s taken care of, there¡¯s four options,¡± she continued. ¡°One, you stay here and try to bring in magic nice and slow, hoping you never make the sort of mistake that starts Armageddon. Two, you stay, and work on becoming a god of magic here, while helping as much as you can in the meantime. Three, you leave, gain enough power at home to do the god thing, and then come back. Four, you leave and never come back, except maybe for dinner or whatever.¡±

    ¡°That sounds right,¡± I agreed.

    ¡°One is probably doomed to fail,¡± she said, still looking speculative. ¡°Two¡¯s a smooth gamble - as long as you intend not to share magic pretty much at all until you¡¯re in a position to handle things going wrong. Three and four look the same, within a normal person¡¯s lifetime. Only difference is whether you¡¯re coming back as a god thing. So, I guess, that leaves us with two questions. Do you go for the god thing, and are you leaving after fucking Hitler up?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about the ascension, first,¡± I said, sighing. ¡°If I honestly try my best, I would eventually succeed, since there¡¯s no competition over here. That means the question is - is that the best thing?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve said that magic people live a few hundred years,¡± Lou said, to which I nodded. ¡°But as a god thing, do they live forever?¡±

    ¡°Yes, unless they¡¯re killed by someone,¡± I said.

    ¡°Right,¡± she said. ¡°So, here¡¯s the next question. If you become a god thing, how sure can we be that you won¡¯t, one day, go stupid crazy?¡±

    ¡°One of the weird things about the process of ascension is it locks the mind of the person ascending,¡± I said. ¡°They¡¯re less able to change than humans. Popular theory is that it¡¯s because gods have perfect memories, and perfect self awareness. Who I am, immediately after ascending, is almost certainly who I would be for millenia, at the very least.¡±

    ¡°After ascending?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Perfect self awareness, as I said,¡± I said with a small smile. ¡°That tends to change a person. It¡¯s said that the process of ascending makes a person become the truest manifestation of themselves, and also binds their souls to whatever domain of existence they will rule over, as gods. I don¡¯t remember all of the teachings on the subject - it has been a while - but I remember the gist of it, because my mother was going to become the god of magic in whatever new world my parents found, and I wanted to know the details.¡±

    ¡°What would it mean for your soul to bind to magic itself?¡± she asked.

    ¡°That I would always care, deeply and absolutely, about every domain of magic, every element, every possible usage. I wouldn¡¯t automatically approve of it all, of course, so I¡¯d still hate the idea of using mind magic to make slaves, for example.¡±

    She looked contemplative.

    ¡°So, if you were trained in how to be a good person over the next however many years, taught all the lessons we can possibly teach, then you¡¯d be stuck as a good person who understands all that stuff, forever,¡± she mused.

    ¡°That¡¯s correct,¡± I said.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t they do that in your world?¡± she asked.

    ¡°They do,¡± I said, laughing. ¡°It¡¯s a well known fact that if a high priest of a god becomes someone that the god thinks is better for the role than themselves, they¡¯ll often hand over the position. But it¡¯s also possible for someone who¡¯s power hungry and greedy to become powerful enough to slay a god and take the position by force. Evil gods, too, don¡¯t exactly look for good people to become replacements. The pantheon is, essentially, eternally at war.¡±

    ¡°So, wait, someone could still wreck you by force, then?¡± she asked.

    I laughed.

    ¡°Remember, that¡¯s why I would become the god of magic,¡± I emphasised. ¡°The point is that I would be able to forcibly prevent people from achieving enough power to contest me. Another god could protect their followers from my influence, but there won¡¯t be one.¡±

    ¡°Could you still heal people and stuff?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Not really,¡± I said, shaking my head. ¡°My ability to interact with the world would mostly be limited to affecting the ability of people to use magic. But I could, for example, ¡®bless¡¯ people with knowledge of how to heal, which would be far better for the job, anyway.¡±

    She nodded, still looking speculative. I waited. Pash looked intensely curious as to what we were talking about, but continued to passively wait.

    ¡°It kills me to think about it,¡± Lou admitted after a long few minutes. ¡°I don¡¯t like the idea of magic. I don¡¯t want it. But¡­¡±

    She rubbed at her face too roughly, almost as though she wanted to scrub off something disgusting.

    ¡°...I wouldn¡¯t want Slick to die of something if someone could fix it,¡± she continued, her voice hollow. ¡°The idea of you becoming a god is terrifying. But¡­ it¡¯s better than you not being a god, if magic¡¯s going to be around. Which is a big ¡®if.¡¯¡±

    She closed her eyes.

    ¡°Famine, disease, unwanted children,¡± Lou repeated softly. ¡°Those are the ones you mentioned. But over the years¡­ you¡¯d talked about dealing with natural disasters, and healing injuries...¡±

    She still seemed strained.

    ¡°And stopping wars,¡± I added, amused. ¡°And dealing with old age. And housecleaning, too, let¡¯s not forget that.¡±

    She laughed, her voice tight.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like gambling with the fate of the world,¡± she said, her eyes still closed.

    ¡°It¡¯s a gamble either way, isn¡¯t it?¡± I asked. ¡°I mean, Hitler might have won, even without my parents¡¯ influence. There may be another threat like that, one day.¡±

    A groan filled the air as Lou flopped back onto the couch.

    ¡°There¡¯s time to figure that crap out,¡± she said, and I stifled a chuckle. ¡°What about you staying on Earth versus going home?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to leave,¡± I said. ¡°Here, I¡¯m useful. I feel I¡¯d go half mad back on Camelot, knowing there¡¯s all these people I could be helping, and doing nothing. There, I¡¯m just another spellcaster. I don¡¯t have a future there, not one where I actually matter.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re pretty set on option two, then, I take it?¡± she asked.

    I nodded slowly.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ daunted by the prospect of trying to become a god of magic,¡± I said. ¡°Personally, option one is more appealing, but I guess you¡¯re right, the odds are too much in favor of things eventually going horribly wrong.¡±

    She grumbled something too quiet for me to hear.

    ¡°I¡¯m still kind of in favor of option four, where you leave and take all the magic with you,¡± she said, sighing. ¡°I don¡¯t like the idea of Slick getting hurt, but damn it, I don¡¯t like magic. But¡­ I don¡¯t know what¡¯s best.¡±

    ¡°So, maybe here¡¯s a compromise,¡± I said, thinking of something that made me smile. ¡°I¡¯m no expert philosopher, and neither are you. I will go take down Hitler, and work with Pash to have a safe base in Canada. Then, I will stay for a season, and study the lessons of your people, sharing my skill, but not spreading magic itself, to decide what ought to be done.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Lou said, sounding relieved. ¡°Yeah, that sounds good. But you¡¯ll have to be careful, Aera. No accidentally awakening people to magic, like me. No impulsively doing crap without thinking about the consequences. No getting all your advice from Pash.¡±

    ¡°Understood,¡± I said with a laugh. ¡°And I¡¯ll come back often to visit!¡±

    ¡°Not too often,¡± Lou said sourly. ¡°To be frank, Aera, I was thinking about cutting things off with you completely. This shit is too much for me. I don¡¯t want anything to do with it.¡±

    I nodded, wincing a little.

    ¡°But,¡± she continued, ¡°I can handle you coming back to visit on occasion -¡±

    She cut off abruptly, and then glared at me, adding, ¡°- as long as you don¡¯t bring insanity and chaos into my life any more than you already have.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but giggle.

    ¡°I can¡¯t promise that,¡± I said, to which she grumbled at me again, ¡°but I can promise to try! I know it¡¯s been hard, but¡­ well, I will miss you, Lou. You, and Liam, and everyone.¡±

    She rolled her eyes.

    ¡°Yeah, I know why you¡¯ll miss O¡¯Brien,¡± she said wryly.

    ¡°Do you know?¡± I asked mischievously, waggling my eyebrows at her.

    She punched me.

    ¡°I get the impression you¡¯d like to know,¡± I added with a giggle.

    She punched me harder.

    ¡°Ow,¡± I said, rubbing at my shoulder, then giggled some more. She smiled warmly at me.

    ¡°Let¡¯s have a goodbye party tonight,¡± I said impulsively. ¡°There¡¯s not a lot of time, but -¡±

    ¡°A party,¡± Lou asked wryly. ¡°Seriously?¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay,¡± I said. ¡°I just want to say goodbye, that¡¯s all. Properly.¡±

    ¡°We can do that,¡± she said, a hollow look appearing in her eyes again. ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s just¡­ put all this behind us, like you said, properly.¡±

    There wasn¡¯t much time, of course. The looming spectre of a magically empowered Germany targeting me made for a rather rushed feeling. Still, I managed to find almost everyone. Liam, Slick, Alice, and Dorothy all got hugs. Alice was begrudging in her hug, and Lou¡­ I was sad to realize that Lou wasn¡¯t able to bring herself to hug me at all. Albert had already been taken back to Princeton, where he would be safe. I was able to write a little letter of goodbye, which my friends promised they¡¯d make sure got to him.

    Our final get together was over too soon. Everyone was still stressed from the recent craziness, and we needed more time to recover than the paltry few hours we could spare. Still, I was able to say goodbye. That mattered a great deal.

    Afterwards, Pash and I got ready to go. His daughter would remain here, in safe keeping, until Sable Island was ready for us to move there more permanently. She was fully healed already, of course. I¡¯d felt the change in Pash after I¡¯d cured her. He was ever so much more calm, now. Perhaps ¡°content¡± was a more correct word. There was a gentleness in his focus that had never been present before.

    As we shifted into identical dogs (other than the fur - mine was pretty, and his was a sleek, dull black), I turned back to look at Boston¡¯s skyline one last time.

    It was time to step away from the life I had known. It was time for me to stand upon the world stage.

 End of Book 1 - Authors Note

    Thank you for reading ¡°Sorcery in Boston.¡± It has been a fascinating journey for me, full of fun, frustration, research, growth, and perspective.

    Ultimately, I¡¯m sad to say that I¡¯m really not happy with it, in the end. I feel like I have, and further developed, a great amount of skill at the technical aspects of writing - spelling, grammar, and so on, as well as when and how rules can be broken for effect. However, I feel this story has really showcased some significant weaknesses in storytelling skill. Pacing and character development, in particular, seem quite problematic.

    I had always intended to end this book at this point. Book 1 was supposed to be about how little Aera Koryn breaks away from her uncertainties and frailties. Aera, who starts as a rather pathetic, if well intentioned, little flower who would never amount to anything in life. She grows, painfully and resisting every step, into gaining insights into depths of personality, of morality, of consequences, of the nature of what it means to make a choice. While she started with an understanding of consequences to some extent, she feared that knowledge so thoroughly that she was effectively paralyzed from making any decisions of her own.

    In other words, it could be said that Book 1 was a coming-of-age story, about destroying the rather hopeless child artist, and forcing her to stand up as someone that could be respected, admired, and even loved. It¡¯s about accepting that if you have power that others lack - even if you never asked for it, didn¡¯t want it, and want nothing more than to just go back to safety - that your choices can and will affect the world around you. That, hard as it is, as unnatural as it can feel, it is good and right to step up and try to wield that power in a way that makes the world better.

    Thus, Book 1 ends as soon as her childhood (in personality, if not age) ends, as soon as she is ready to stand.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    It was also not supposed to be nearly this long. I¡¯ve been struggling with pacing since the very start. It¡¯s almost a thousand pages! It was supposed to be a few hundred, at most! Character development feels desperately slow because it is desperately slow. I¡¯ve also failed to showcase aspects of her personality - that diamond does exist deep in her soul, obscured by a layer of cowardice and a sense of inadequacy. I wanted it to be clear that if she could overcome her fears, and her beliefs in her inadequacy born of being in the shadow of her parents, that everyone could see that she could be amazing and strong, given time and tempering. The criticisms I¡¯ve gotten have been wonderful for my own development as an author, to help me see the weaknesses of expression.

    Book 2¡¯s plan is about how she claims the world stage, how she changes the world as a whole. It¡¯s a little of a tickle for me, because it¡¯s standard in stories that Hitler isn¡¯t supposed to ever be killed, WW2 is supposed to never be stopped early, because of the massive changes that would cause in the world. My intention was to tackle that challenge.

    Now, though, I don¡¯t feel like I can - not yet, anyway. I feel like Book 1 needs to be fixed, first, which is a daunting task on its own. Before I do any of it, I want to step away and write other things for a time. My other story on here, ¡°Of Gods and Dungeons,¡± is a nice, playful little romp, not something I take too seriously. I haven¡¯t written it recently, because I¡¯ve been feeling rather inadequate myself, over my frustrations with ¡°Sorcery in Boston.¡± Now that this is done, though, I think I¡¯ll continue that one and try to go back to enjoying writing again. It¡¯s what my poor soul needs :P

    Thank you all again for your support, kindness, and for sharing in the journey. I¡¯m sorry that I wasn¡¯t a better author for you, but I promise to continue to grow.

    Thank you again, and farewell.