Magic Lies

by C C Sommerly

  Miles looked past me, and his smile slipped. I turned to see who diverted his attention. Elon stood there watching the enforcer intently. Neither said a word, but the tension hung heavy in the air.

  “And as charming as this welcome party has been, I’d like to find somewhere else for our training,” said Miles.

  “Where do I have to go?” I asked.

  “The Enforcers Training Academy,” said Miles.

  “Why would I willingly go there?”

  “Because you have no choice. I don’t owe you an explanation, but, I’ll indulge you this time. They have a training area that is heavily warded, one that even your magic shouldn’t be able to get through. It’s the safest place for me to train you.”

  “Did you find my magic?” Jennica asked.

  She wore yesterday’s dress and her shining blonde hair hung in lank tangles around her shoulder. If I could see her feet they would probably be shoeless and dirty. Jennica’s sparkle was gone, and she’d stopped caring. I wasn’t a good friend to think so harshly of her. She was coping as she best could, and it had only been a matter of days since she’d been rescued from the kidnappers.

  Miles’ face went blank in that way law enforcement officers do before giving someone bad news. It’s like they were fortifying themselves to be the bearer of bad news and to witness a bad reaction to the news.

  “No, we’ve been looking and it’s still an active case,” he said.

  “But it’s been several days. When you visited me at the Richardsons’ residence, you said it wouldn’t take long. Why is it taking so long?” she asked.

  “I can’t give you too many details because as I said, this is an active investigation. We are trying to track down the people behind the men that took you. The men we took out were only a small part of a larger criminal group.”

  “So you can’t do anything for me?”

  “I’m sorry —”

  “No don’t even say you’re sorry. To you this is a job. But it’s my life, my everything,” she said before darting off.

  “That went well. We need to be off,” said Miles. “No need in wasting the day when you could be training.”

  I left the house with Miles and Muffin trailing behind us.

  Miles suddenly stopped. “Just a minute,” he said. He grabbed my arm and threw down a charm.

  We transported to a large stone courtyard ringed by ancient-looking stone buildings. Towering walls and guard towers surrounded the entire academy.

  Muffin didn’t make the transport, which was probably a calculated move on Miles’ part. Not that I blamed him. I wouldn’t want a devil dog brought along either. A small part of me felt weird leaving Muffin behind. I hope he’d behave, so Lochlan wouldn’t get rid of him.

  “Nice warning.”

  “You don’t have to like things. I don’t particularly care to spend more time with you then I have to, but here we both are. Behave and we can get this over sooner than later,” he said.

  What a jerk. Although, he was right, I needed control over my magic. The sooner training wrapped up, the sooner I’d be able to visit Emma Lynn’s last known whereabouts. The case still left me feeling uncertain. It was the first time, I’d debated over whether keeping the case and not turning it over to the enforcers was the right decision.

  There were only a few people in the courtyard, but they mostly ignored us. From the courtyard, we went into a large open area. I felt the tingling of the wards as we entered it. I paid careful attention to how we got here, so I could make it out if I needed to.

  “Are we battling gladiators? This place sure gives off the whole ‘fight to the death’ vibe.”

  And, the thought excited me. It had been a long time since I’d fought worthy opponents and not needed to temper my attacks.

  “How have you survived this long with your mouth?” he asked.

  “Most find it charming. Does that mean no gladiators?”

  “Charming is never a word I’d associate with you. Enough with the gladiators. Although, you certainly are a blood-thirsty thing.”

  “Are you done? No, don’t bother answering. How much training do you have?”

  I needed to choose my words carefully because I couldn’t give him any indication of my true lineage. If he knew who my father was, he would kill me on the spot despite the Guild Master’s directive.

  “I was trained for the majority of my childhood.”

  “But, not after you came of age?”

  I think he muttered “Why me?” under his breath.

  “We both know the training before you come of age is typically only foundational training,” he added.

  Normally, he would be correct. The timeframe for a mage’s “coming of age” varied, but it typically occurred at the end of puberty. What he didn’t know and something I never planned to tell him was how thorough my father’s training methods were.

  Dear Daddy pushed things beyond what any mage would ethically do to train a child. He forced my coming of age prematurely through black magic. Because of that and his brutal training methods, I doubt any child grew up learning magic the way I did.

  “If you haven’t been training and practicing your magic, then we need to start at the basics. You’ll be trained like any basic enforcer recruit.”

  “I’m not one of your recruits.”

  “You’re right. You’re nowhere near their level and skill. Quite frankly, a recruit’s skill level is probably more advanced that what you should start at.”

  “Jerk.”

  “There’s no way we can get you trained without taking years. It’s an impossible task.”

  “Sounds like you aren’t a good enough trainer to me.”

  “Think what you like, but I was chosen for a reason.”

  “Which is?”

  “I don’t answer to you. Follow my direction, train hard and learn quickly.”

  “I don’t need you to baby me.”

  “We’ll try it your way. Let’s see what you can do.”

  “You can’t handle it.”

  “There hasn’t been magic that this place couldn’t contain.”

  “If you’re sure?”

  He really didn’t know what he was asking for. I’d enjoy seeing his smug grin disappear.

  “Just do it already. I don’t have all day.”

  I’m going to enjoy knocking him down a peg or two. I fought off the urge to do a happy dance since I’d already agitated him enough.

  I walked to the middle of the area, kicking up the powdery dirt in my wake. I concentrated on only pulling out a little of my magic, but it poured out of me instead. It was hungry and I struggled to force it to come out in a trickle.

  Sweat beaded up on my forehead. As my magic hit the ground, it blackened every part it made contact with. More magic oozed out of me into a pool of destruction. Even holding back the magic, it was still leaking and wouldn’t stop.

  Miles’ mouth fell open. This is satisfying. He truly didn’t know what I was capable of. That would teach him to underestimated me.

  The ground shook and groaned under me and the darkness kept spreading. Cracks were now gouged into the earth and spreading out in a destructive web.

  My body shook from the force of my magic rushing through me.

  “That’s enough for now,” said Miles.

  Some part of me reveled in the feel of my magic. Just a little more. He may be my trainer, but that was all he was to me. He wasn’t my boss or master.

  “Marty, turn it off,” said Miles with a gruffness to his voice and he started stepping back.

  What is wrong with me? Since when did I feel the need to crush someone to teach them a lesson. My magic was having more of an impact on me than I thought and it terrified me. Is that what happened with my father? Did he slowly fall under the control and intoxicating feel of his magic? Showing that I was tough and shouldn’t be underestimated was one thing, but this glut of power was over-the-top.

  My hands shook from the magic running through th
em. I concentrated, blocking out Miles’ screaming and reached within me to cut off the flow of magic. Nothing happened. Oh crap. This was bad. I tried again and again, but there was no stopping it.

  “Please, don’t let me hurt anyone,” I silently prayed.

  I couldn’t make out what Miles was yelling over the quaking earth.

  Several mages approached the perimeter of the training area. I felt their magic surge. They better be putting up a shield. My magic was reaching the outer edges of the training area.

  The strain made my arms shake, but no matter how hard I tried to stop my magic, it wouldn’t.

  I saw the bluish tint of the shield as it flickered over me. Through the shield, I saw the anxious and panicked faces staring at me. They looked at me like I was a monster. Maybe I was a monster.

  Miles yelled at someone and a male mage stepped through the shield.

  “I’m sorry,” he said

  “What —” I asked.

  His magic hit me. It stabbed into me and shot electricity throughout my body. My teeth rattled and my eyes rolled back into my head as I toppled into unconsciousness.

  11

  I woke up to blinding light flooding in from the windows. I squinted in the searing light. I felt like I’d been on a bender and drank my way through the majority of the Mid Line bars. My head pounded in synch with my galloping heart. My tongue felt thick and too big for my mouth.

  Based on how much light was coming in, I was out for hours. Would the others worry when I didn’t come back after training? Somehow, I doubted Miles told them I was detained.

  I forced myself to concentrate through the pain and discomfort. I was I laying on a bed, but I couldn’t move my arms or legs. When Miles had the mage knock me out, they obviously wanted the assurance that I wouldn’t go using my magic again – hence the drastic approach to incapacitate me. I didn’t I blame him, it was a wise decision and I’d have done the same to an out-of-control mage.

  People needed protection from me. I’d shown my true self and it was ugly and warped, but a part of me ached to use my magic again. To feel that flood of power again and the incredible sensation that came with. Using my magic made me feel alive in a way that nothing else could. It was as if someone flipped a switch and I saw every little thing that had been muffled and hidden. It was intoxicating sensation and I wanted that fix again.

  It was only sheer luck that there was another magic user here today that was strong enough to subdue me. Who knew how bad things would have gotten if he wasn’t there? How many people would have been hurt or killed just because I wanted to show off and prove I was a bad ass?

  “You deserve to be thrown into the deepest, darkest pit in the Mage Guild Headquarters. You’re a menace,” said Miles from the door.

  He wasn’t wrong. Death was too much of a mercy for me.

  “So, throw me in it,” I said, coughing to clear the heavy gravel sound from my throat. I forced out the words through the pain in my throat. “What are you waiting for?”

  “The Guild Master gave you leniency this time and this time only. Although, it was stupid of them to leave you on your own in the first place. You’re a loose cannon and a risk to everyone around you. No one should have the power you do.”

  “Well, get over it. I have no control over the magic I was born with. Either train me or don’t.”

  “You said it there, ‘control’. Either you learn it or you don’t. If you fail, I don’t have to put up with you. And, you’re one less problem for the Guild.”

  “Bite me.”

  He hissed in a breath and left the way he came.

  A healer came in soon after Miles left. She was young and couldn’t be much older than me. If she has a position with the enforcers, then she was very skilled. That reassured and concerned me. It meant I was in that bad of shape.

  “What’s the damage?” I asked.

  The healer ignored me and started waving her hands above me, assessing my condition. She looked at me. After several awkward minutes, the healer broke the silence.

  “You’re lucky.”

  “Of course. And, I remind myself of that every day,” I said and winked.

  She squinted at me and frowned, her faced lined with disapproval, her back rigid.

  “You don’t remember how you got here, do you?”

  “I was attacked by a mage to stop my magic,” I said.

  “We had to kill you.”

  “Excuse me?” I asked.

  “You heard me. The mage subdued you and even unconscious, your magic wouldn’t shut off. It took stopping your heart to get the magic to stop attacking everyone and everything.”

  She was lying. Once you were out cold, then your magic was supposed to stop. It required a person to control and funnel it through their body. Why had mine not stopped?

  “You are stable enough. I’ll be telling Mr. Miles that he can get you home,” she said and left my room.

  I want Muffin. I felt so helpless. It’s been years since I was so lost and unsure of myself. I also didn’t trust Miles. He wasn’t my friend or ally. And, I genuinely believed he wanted me to fail.

  A short time later, Miles came back in.

  “Get up. Zora says you are fit to leave. I suggest you think on this experience and figure out what you want. You are either an enemy of the Mage Guild or you can be a powerful tool for them.”

  “I’m no one’s tool.”

  “So you say. But, you are a mage and all mages fall under the jurisdiction of the Mage Guild. Either you are useful or not. I already explained what happens if you prove to be useless or a threat.”

  “I get it.”

  “See that you do.”

  As we walked into the main building, the enforcers that saw us either looked scared or guarded. There wasn’t a friendly face among them. One startled female mage saw me and shrieked before scuttling away like a scared mouse confronted by a hungry snake that was poised to strike.

  Miles shoved me towards the portal.

  “Every day, same time. I expect you here.”

  He threw a necklace at me. It was a flat, circular piece of glass tied to a leather cord – a standard transport charm for portals.

  “Your key to the portal,” was the last thing I heard as the portal sucked me in and spit me into the Fae Realm. Muffin jumped on me, knocking me down and giving me a saliva bath. Disgusting animal.

  I remember very little of the trip back to Lochlan’s house. Despite being pissed at myself, Miles, and the situation, I was grateful for Muffin. I’m not sure how I’d have gotten back on my own.

  I walked into the house to find Callie and Jennica waiting on the couch. Callie looked at me and flinched, “We were so worried about you. You were gone longer than we expected. And you look horrible,” she said.

  “I’ve felt better. Where are Sterling and Lochlan?” I asked.

  “Lochlan went to King Kazar to get access to the Djinn’s Domain. Sterling is earth-side working on one of his cases or maybe it was to feel out Reginald about rebuilding the Agency,” said Callie.

  Jennica remained silent and sullen on the couch next to Callie. I’d think she hadn’t seen me, if her eyes weren’t slanting my way every so often since I’d arrived.

  “Hey Jennica.”

  “How’s the training? It’s probably better than what we’re dealing with,” Jennica said and looked away.

  I blinked, surprised at the venom in her voice. She truly blamed me for her magic and I was partly at fault.

  “I’m not like anyone else and I’d gladly give it up if I could,” I said.

  “Then get it blocked.”

  “Seriously? Are you going to want anyone that has magic to get theirs blocked just so you can feel better?” I asked.

  I went into the kitchen and pulled out the fixings for a sandwich. My stomach was trying to eat itself after expending so much energy on using magic and then healing.

  With a mouth full of sandwich, the door crashed open and Lochlan and Sterling walked
through. Both saw me and rushed over.

  Lochlan reached out as if to touch me but stopped just short of touching me. Why was he acting so weird?

  “You’re finally back,” said Sterling. “Lochlan was convinced that the Guild Master had changed his mind and imprisoned you.”

  “Nope, they didn’t want to keep me. Lucky for you all.”

  “If you weren’t imprisoned, then where have you been? You were gone for over a day,” said Lochlan quietly.

  “What? That can’t be.”

  “Well, it is. You were gone long enough that Lochlan went to the Mage Guild Headquarters to ask for you,” said Sterling.

  “Let her eat first,” said Callie.

  “You did what?” I asked. “I thought you went to the Djinn’s Domain. Callie said that you did.”

  I almost dreaded hearing what I missed. Based on their expressions, the news wasn’t good.

  “Marty, what happened to you?” asked Sterling.

  I swallowed the last of my sandwich. I didn’t want to tell them that about losing control. I stared down at my hands and relayed what happened. When I finished, no one said a word.

  I looked at Sterling first. He looked upset and disappointed. Lochlan just looked concerned. I couldn’t tell what Elon thought.

  His face was blank, revealing no emotions. He could be planning a massacre or reviewing his training routine. Bet he’d be a pro poker player, note to self: don’t play card games with him. The fae may as well be a statue for how little he moved. I was tempted to poke him just to get a reaction out of him.

  Callie just sat there looking scared. Her reaction hurt the most. I wouldn’t harm any of them. But you can’t be sure of that, can you? said a small voice in my head.

  Muffin’s head rested on my leg and his tail thumped happily. I scratched his ears and his tail’s tempo increased. It matched pace with my heart. Would they throw me out? Did they hate me?

  Sterling sighed. “Marty, you need this training more than we thought. You shouldn’t resist the help Miles is giving you,” he said.