“And who would that be?” The other woman asked.
The teen girl pursed her lips for a moment in concentration.
“Nobody you would know.” She flatly deflected.
“But nobody here—right?” Charlie pressed.
Tillie glanced over at him. “Unless someone here has a death wish—? Then no.”
“Someone topside then? A former friend? An ex-boyfriend of yours? Classroom bully?”
Tillie laughed. “Dude…? Seriously. My circle of friends still remains as it is. And nobody at the Academy would dare bully a magical familiar.”
Charlie gave her a lopsided grin. “So…ex-boyfriend then?”
Tillie groaned.
“Charlie…I swear. You’re three seconds from getting your ass kicked again by me.”
“So it’s not a boyfriend then?”
“No!” she bit out in cold embarrassment. “I’ve…never had one.”
Charlie peered down at her for a second. “Not a one? Not even one?”
Tillie sighed.
“There was this one boy I liked when I was younger. A guy named Trevor. But he and I—we never got together-together. It was just a passing thing for me. A phase. Gods…now I really am embarrassed by this line of questioning. Thanks a lot man.”
“Just asking.” Charlie finished up. “Because I always thought you would be hitched with someone by now.”
“Yeah, well. When I tell you who I’m going to tie my wagon on—towards—I’ll let you know.” She said, still trying to figure out how he would fit into all this. But it was just too much to dwell on for the moment, so she let things slide for the time being.
“On that note,” Teena broke in on a timely manner, “we should really think about heading back to the women’s mission. I’m sure your mother is worried about you by now. Not too mention her friend.”
Tillie glanced over at Charlie for a second—thoughts racing through her head.
“Actually…I was thinking of going with him for a spell.”
“It is my day off—technically. And I’ve already met with Roz over missing our meeting yesterday.”
“Who’s Roz?” Tillie queried openly.
“Just someone I know. Don’t worry. She’s perfectly harmless. Until she gets drunk. Then that’s a whole other story entirely.” He said with some personal embarrassment of his own.
Now the girl was curious. Not mad in any given way. Or fashion. But curious.
“I have to meet her.” She decided right then and there.
“I don’t now if she’s up for visitors at her place. And she may think we’re just intruding upon her personal space to boot. Roz is a bit on the reserved side when it comes to making friends and hanging out.”
“But she’s fine with you—right?” Tillie argued lightly.
Charlie scratched his head for a second. “Well, yeah. But we’ve known each other since we were very little. But she doesn’t know about you yet. Past the particulars of your arrival however.”
Tillie didn’t seem to find that to be a serious problem with her personally.
“So? Introduce me to her. We may have something in common—as girls go anyways.”
“I think you would find her abrasive attitude to be a bit harsh. She’s not known to be gentle with anyone—unless you count her love affair with kittens and cats. Then that’s different.”
Tillie grinned. “Cats—eh?” she said, stepping back for a moment and whipping up a different incantation in a few seconds flat. A puma of sorts appeared before the three of them and roared majestically in the space between them before bounding off into the dry grass beyond and then disappearing in a magical whiff.
Teena was impressed by what she witnessed.
“That’s a cool trick,” Charlie praised openly. “What else can you do?”
“Lotsa stuff, big guy.” Tillie teased then. “But Teena’s right. I should get back before mom sends out the hounds on my trail.”
Her friend nodded. “Fair enough. But I’m coming along with you. I still haven’t made good on my promise to show you around town on Level One. As you can see, there’s not much here on Level Two.” He indicated with a bit of sadness in his voice.
“I already saw,” the other girl said, reaching out for his arm. “But don’t worry: I’m sure I’ll have enough to keep me busy from here on out—until we return to the surface that is.”
“Why?”
“So we can get a few things from our apartment—especially my medication. I’ll need that if I want to keep partaking in some of that cheesy goodness at the pizza parlor.”
“So you’re lactose intolerant?” Charlie chuckled out loud.
Tillie’s eyes screwed shut for an instant.
“In a sense…? Yes. But I also have certain food allergies too—and eating those olives off the pizza was pushing every conceivable button within me while I did it.”
“Olive allergies?” Charlie guessed correctly.
The other girl nodded. “Yes.” she said. “I break out into the worst hives ever. Not the thing you want to be seen being with a guy your age or older.”
Charlie crossed his chest solemnly. “I promise you I won’t say a word if that were to happen. I’m not that cruel. Unlike some friends I know.”
Tillie blushed a bit at his endearing words. “Thanks,” she said. “But I really have to go now.”
Charlie didn’t have a problem with that. He fell in place besides her as they headed back the way they came—with Teena bringing up the rear.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
The Direct Approach
The next morning brought about stormy weather—which Kara Plummer didn’t mind one bit; as she sat there in her chair (cup in hand) and facing the kitchen window—while having a good view of this side of the inlet from here.
She could have stayed in bed like a good girl, but she wore her boyfriend out pretty good last night to point that she remained locked with him in coitus for a couple of hours while the pair fell asleep.
The woman only awoke a couple of hours later to the overpowering need to get something to drink in the parched atmosphere and to pee as well. So it didn’t take much to peel herself away from Jake at the last possible moment—cover his naked and shivering body with the business end of the quilt and prop his beautiful head with a pillow or two.
Of course, the time was closely approaching noon and he still hadn’t gotten out of bed yet. Or down the stairs for that matter for his usual cup of hot lemon tea with ginger.
So Kara had a few moments alone to herself. Or most of the morning since waking up about three hours ago.
Today was going to be an interesting regardless—even with the stormy weather in play.
She took another grateful sip from her own cup of lemon-ginger and sighed—feeling more relaxed and content than she had in weeks.
Then her pocket sized audio link went off right as she set her cup down for a moment to continue to take in the view from inside.
“Kara Plummer speaking.”
“This is an automated message from the Regency Council. In two days time, you are ordered to implement the next phase of the Gosling Doctrine. As of 0800 hours this morning, all residents of Old New York are to be terminated with extreme prejudice.
Project Star Dagger is now authorized. At the end of this message, state your name, rank, serial number, and authorization code for confirmation of orders.”
The woman nodded automatically—waiting for the message to end; followed by a beep.
Kara recited all pertinent information and the autonomous concierge confirmed her identity—before going silent.
She pocketed the thing in her terry cloth robe and her face hardened in that moment. Gone was loving and caring woman that she was. Now her military training and discipline took over and she started to formulate a plan of action for the next phase of the Regency Council’s plans.
The end result was going to be a bloodless mess, but at least there would be no bodies and no
witnesses left behind to tell the story of the ensuing carnage.
By the day’s end, Old New York would be the first city to be purged—leaving behind a plastic and concrete jungle as old as time itself.
Then the rest of the country would follow. Humanity would reclaim what had been taken from them through force, attrition, war, and strife.
The days of the magical kinsfolk and magical familiars were numbered.
***
Tillie met up with her mother and Sarah Winters at the head manager’s office with Charlie and Teena Clarkson in tow.
“Sit down,” Gertrude Harrison offered with a smile. “And we can get down to business.”
The office space was more than adequate for everyone to take a seat at the conference table that had been squeezed in front of a desk that had its own phone system and computer terminal.
But by the looks of things, neither appeared functional. But at least the cat calendar was more up to date—with names and dates penciled in over the course of a month.
“As you probably guessed, your unexpected arrival had put things into motion which were previously unforeseen and not put into as a contingency. So we’re going to have to move on all fronts while we still can,” Gertrude informed the trio before she opened up a stationary manila folder which contained a lot of graphs, tables, and charts.
“We don’t have much time left unfortunately.”
Alicia was surprised by the news.
“What do you mean?”
“Felix got word through the Resistance that the Regency Council has upped its timetable for Phase II of its Gosling Directive. We have less than 48 hours to get as many people to Level One as quickly as possible—and then move them to other quads within the Underground itself.”
Alicia’s expression was one of hardened anger. “Those…animals! Why would they even consider such a move? This city has coexisted with us for generations—even before the Great War! Why purge the city of all magical kinsfolk and any leftover magical familiars like us?”
Gertrude shrugged helplessly. “I wish I knew. I have called this city my home for the past fifty years before joining the Resistance. I thought we had finally turned the page on all the ugliness leftover from the Great War—but I was naïve. Humanity is hell bent on reclaiming everything they believe was stolen from them over time.”
“But—” Tillie spoke up in blind hope and confusion. “What about all the progress we made into integrating into human society?”
“That’s the problem most people believed started the Great War. And the animosity after millions of humans died. It was the integration. The assimilation into human culture that sowed the seeds for that conflict.
“And those that followed…?” The woman shuddered briefly. “I am so sorry that you three had to be on the business end of it.”
“It’s not your fault!” The teen defended abruptly—rising from her seat a little. “It’s not!”
Her mother had to lay a calming hand on her daughter’s arm to still the anger and rage that now resided within her.
Tillie looked at her mother, then Sarah. Then sighed and sat back down.
A period of calm resonated throughout the office after that.
Gertrude nodded with heartfelt appreciation of the girl‘s sentiment and genuine sympathy on top of that.
“It’s nice of you to say so, dear, but I’m not the one who is facing systematic genocide here,” she said. “But most of us whom started the Resistance, the Underground realized then that the war would never end. Oh, there was peace—but at a cost.”
“I remember the stories that surrounded the fallout,” Alicia was saying from the comfort of her chair. “There was a period of civil unrest and racial animus on both sides of the aisle. People then thought that things would once again boil over until the old federal government passed the Jonson Act of 2161—ten years after the conclusion of the Great War. Supporters of the act thought that would pacify things—and it did—but only for a short time.”
“—which just made things worse in the long run.” Teena was saying from across the table. “It inadvertently sowed the seeds of malcontents and discord amongst the population of survivors at large. It was truly a messy and chaotic time. But we all thought we had hit an impasse about 10-15 years ago and things were beginning to take shape for a brighter and more unified future for everyone involved—human, magical kinsfolk, magical familiars alike…?”
Sarah snorted softly in response. “That’s not what my parents were telling me as a teenager ready to strike out on her own for the first time in her life.”
Tillie cast a sideways glance in her direction. “It was that bad?”
Sarah glanced at her friend for a moment. Then nodded silently.
The girl stared at her mom in strong disbelief.
“Why didn’t you tell me this? Why did you try to hide the truth from me all this time, mom?”
“You were young. And naïve. You wanted to be friends with the whole world.” Her mother explained patiently. “It would have worked if you hadn’t awoken as a witch—but that wasn’t meant to be. I played on the assumption that you were still a half-ling for the time being to keep you safe, protected and hidden—in case my suspicions later proved correct. And they were.”
“So you lied.” Tillie confirmed. “To keep me from making too many mistakes?”
“I only did what was necessary sweetie. I couldn’t risk you like some others did and paid for that folly dearly.”
“Who?”
“Long story. For another time. Right now, we have to figure out a plan of attack.”
Tillie scoffed. “Against the armies of the Third Watch? The Seventh Arm? I’m surprised the Regency Council hadn’t called in the fabled Storm Shadow Regiment.”
“That’s more myth and legend than anything else. Nobody has even seen that supposedly secret branch of the Supreme Chancellor’s personal guard.” Gertrude dismissed easily enough.
“But the Seventh Arm is trouble enough. More so than the Third Watch. We’re going to have to come up with some contingency plans in that regard.”
“I can help,” Sarah volunteered along with Teena Clarkson. “I have had some field experience in dealing with the Seventh Arm.”
“That’s right. The Battle of Orange Hill.” Alicia offered with a nod.
Sarah nodded.
“To a set degree. I wasn’t directly involved in the fighting. I played scout and messenger during the entire episode. Nobody from the Resistance wanted a newly empowered witch tangling with units of the Seventh Arm. Not with their Berserker troops in mind.”
“Weren’t you a High Witch then?” Tillie queried in all curiosity.
“No. Not for another decade at least—which is why I am a junior in the High Witch circle to your mother. I had to spend a lot of time in the field to properly hone my skills and abilities as well as master my own set of glyphs.” She said with a small smile of her own.
“Much like Tillamook here has done. Though I must say, I am supremely jealous that you were able to master four glyph incantations to my two.”
“I had help,” the girl said with a bit of personal pride on that front.
“Four?” Gertrude said with a bit of unrestrained awe in her voice. “The last group of magical familiars to come through here only had one a piece.”
“Oh that must have been before the discovery of the Raes’li Ama tomes.” Alicia said.
“It helped unlock some latent abilities through current and past generations of magical familiars. But that group you spoke of must have been one of the few that hadn’t gotten the specialized education or training at the Academy thirty years ago. The tomes were discovered only in the last twenty-five. Back then, most witches and some sorcerers were limited to one glyph incantation or spell familiar which became their signature attack.”
“So what does your daughter do if I may ask? What are here incantations?”
Tillie called up a magical incantation of her listed gl
yphs and incantations and showed them to the table at large.
Gertrude was amazed by what she was seeing. Even Teena Clarkson was beside herself with awe.
“That’s way more than what an average witch or magical familiar should have by my understanding,” the woman pointed out succinctly.
“My daughter is a special case.” Alicia defended lightly. “She’s a close acolyte to the late Greta Freeman.”
“That…witch?” Teena seethed in anger. “You mean to tell me that Tillie here is on the same level as her?”
Alicia nodded. “Just about.”
“How?”
“It’s a long story. But saved for another time, I’m afraid.”
Tillie nodded mostly to herself—knowing the truth behind her recent rise to power. But she felt it wouldn’t do anyone any good by revealing that bit of sordid and painful history to the table at large.
Especially the way Charlie was now looking at her. And she didn’t particularly like that look he was giving her for all the ruby beans in the world.
But he respectfully kept his silence—as he had throughout most of the ongoing discussion and just listened to what was being said.
The girl turned away from him and extinguished her incantation and glyphs and sighed.
It wasn’t going to be easy explaining this to anyone—let alone him. She quietly analyzed while Gertrude and her mom were going over some other aspect of a newly proposed plan.
Tillie focused on that at least and listened in on what was being said. But the more that she absorbed, the less convinced she was that this wasn’t going to work either. Not without incurring a lot of mass casualties.
She even said as much—interrupting both her mother and the head manager at large.
“How would you know?” Alicia fired off in sudden annoyance. “You’re not even old enough to make your own decisions yet.”
“There are seventeen million magical kinsfolk living or residing here in Old New York. I doubt the Resistance has enough manpower or volunteers on hand to mount even a rescue of a large majority of them—to say nothing of the reverse; especially if the Resistance and the Underground is so spread out across the country as I‘ve been told.”
Generation Witch Year One Page 17
