by Logan Byrne
“After my case with the casino, I’m not sure I want that much responsibility. It was horrible, how long it took. Might be better to be a beat cop and just roll through my service,” I said.
“You? No way. You could make a real difference, just look at tonight. You’re destined for much more,” he said as we walked into the alleyway.
“I feel like I hear a lot of that,” I said. I pointed up. “Up here.”
“Maybe you hear it a lot because it’s true. Ever think about that?” he asked.
“I’m glad I’m not a pilt, and that I have powers and am a good witch, but I’m not sure about the whole saving the world mentality that people seem to have for me. It’s kind of a lot to swallow,” I said.
“You aren’t alone in it, though. You have Faus, Britta, Charlie, and well, me by your side to help you through it. So this is it, huh?” he asked as we reached the roof.
“This is it,” I said, walking over to the brick doorway and hopping up. I unwrapped my sausage from the foil and took a bite, my feet dangling and kicking around as Blake hopped up and sat next to me. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”
“Yeah,” he said, looking over at me. “It is.”
“You can’t share this place with anybody. I don’t want it getting crowded or something,” I said.
“You have nothing to worry about,” he said, laughing. “I won’t tell.”
“Good, because I might have to beat you up or something if you did,” I said, nudging him softly.
“Thank you for showing up at the camp that day. It feels like it was so long ago, as if I’ve known you forever,” he said.
“I was talking to Mirian about that. I’m glad I decided to come, and to stay,” I said.
“What do you think you’d be doing right now if you hadn’t come, or if he hadn’t found you?” he asked.
“Probably either staying in some bad motel room right now, or maybe out swiping something, or at a pub. I really kind of just drifted through life, not doing all that much. I think I was rotting away,” I said.
“Was it hard? Being alone, that is,” he asked.
“I think it was, but I didn’t really admit it much. I think I felt like I deserved to be alone, to not have friends or family, and to just wander around by myself. It was almost like some kind of penance I was paying,” I said.
“Nobody ever deserves to be alone, except maybe Kiren or Lyon or somebody,” he said, laughing.
“I wonder what he’s up to, Lyon. Mirian said new recruits are coming in soon, I wonder if he’s one of them,” I said.
“If he does come, we need to keep an eye on him. I still don’t trust him, not one bit,” Blake said.
“Trust me, neither do I. I know he’s working with the duskhowlers, I just have to try to get more evidence that I’m right,” I said.
“That shouldn’t be too hard for a girl like you. If anybody can do it, you can,” he said.
“I might need some help along the way,” I said, looking at him.
“Then you’ve got it,” he replied, looking me in the eyes.
If there ever was a perfect moment to kiss somebody, it was now. I wanted to kiss Blake. This night had shown me that we were compatible in more ways than one. He’d always been there for me, and he even risked his life to save mine out at that track the other night. He’d been so patient, too, never pressuring me and just biding his time, probably waiting for this moment.
He leaned in, slowly, as if he were gauging the situation and wondering if I’d pull away. I didn’t. I bit my lower lip gently as his eyes began to close, his lips coming closer with each second. I’d never been kissed before, never really kissed, something I wasn’t proud to admit at twenty years old. Maybe it was time.
I slowly closed my eyes, meeting him, my lips pressing into his. There was a spark of something in my stomach. It lasted for a few seconds, those few seconds feeling like a lifetime, before he pulled away, the skin on his lips sticking to mine, and I opened my eyes and saw him smiling back at me.
22
The skies were cloudy and gray as I arrived at the funeral service the next day with my friends. Wind barreled through the cemetery, whistling around the headstones and thrashing my hair all over. There were hundreds of cops here, as many as M.A.G.I.C. could muster while still keeping the streets safe, and I was happy they were here to put my friend to rest.
We’d lost four officers the night of the raid. Those who committed the unspeakable acts had been caught and charged and were rotting away in our cells just like they deserved. There was no need for senseless violence. A lot of them, like the old woman who killed Asher, would probably have been let go if they played their cards right and acted like innocent patrons who were just caught up in the mayhem. They chose a different path, though, and now I was happy they’d never see the light of day again.
White chairs were laid out in perfect succession with a stage up front where there were more chairs and a podium. There was a gentle humming of voices, white noise, as officers and families talked amongst themselves while we waited for the service to begin. “We should find some seats,” Charlie said.
“Lexa, how close do you want to sit?” Britta asked.
“Not too close, maybe in the middle,” I said. There was a speech before the burial. Every M.A.G.I.C. officer was buried in a cemetery not far outside the city, and Asher was no exception. I was afraid to see his body, or his casket, out of fear of what it would do to me. I feared I’d see myself lying there, lifeless, pale, even though I was alive and breathing just fine. It should’ve been me.
Commissioner Miln and other top-ranking officers walked onto the stage, taking their seats as he walked up to the podium. There was some applause for him before he raised his hand, asking for silence.
“Good morning, my fellow officers. The other night, at approximately 20:17, four officers in our precinct paid the ultimate price to uphold the law that they swore to protect. During a raid on an underground casino and rare creature trafficking operation, the four officers, as well as eighteen others, carried out a mission to take in and arrest those who had been partaking in these heinous illegal activities. A fight ensued. While I was not there to witness it, my intelligence officers tell me of a violent, horrific battle between us and them, spells flying through the air, shifters attempting to rip out the throats of our officers, and even a crazed vampire who had nothing to lose. Death spells were cast, a werelion shifter got the better of a seasoned veteran, and a knife stabbed through the back of another. Today we honor those fallen heroes, the officers who paid the ultimate price, sacrificing their lives to try to make our realm a better place to live,” Commissioner Miln said.
I tried to fight back tears. Most people’s heads were tilted down in respect. The grotesque memories of that night perverted my memory and what should’ve been a day to honor Asher and the other three fallen officers. Blake grabbed my hand, holding it, looking at me like he was telling me it was okay to feel sad, okay to cry. I usually wasn’t big on that stuff, but today, I was only human.
“There is somebody special who heard the news and reached out, wanting to be here today to show support and solidarity with us. If you would, please help me welcome our leader, President Nightstorm,” Commissioner Miln said to slight applause from the crowd.
I was frozen. Absolutely frozen. I watched him walk onto the stage, raising his hand and waving like he was some sort of folk hero, shaking the commissioner’s hand and grasping the sides of the podium, looking out over the crowd. How could he even show his face here? He was the reason this happened, I knew he was, and yet he was up here acting like he was sorry for it. It was all for show.
I looked around the crowd, trying to see if I could spot any of his supporters, wanting nothing more than to take my wand and strike them down. They were the reason my friend was dead, the reason the other officers would never again go home to their children and wives. They and they alone deserved the same fate as the honorable officers who sacrificed e
verything.
“Recruits, officers, auditors, and staff, I first want to give my condolences to you all during this very hard and trying time. I know it’s difficult to see the faces of your fallen brothers in arms, to know that they are no longer with us, and I’m sure some of you have even wondered, ‘What if it were me? Could I be the next one in a casket?’ The answer to that, my friends, is no. The people who orchestrated this illegal act, who orchestrated the killing and suffering, will pay the price for their actions, and we will all say no more to the crime that plagues our streets and corrupts our youth! I, as your President, working with Commissioner Miln, will make sure that those of you at M.A.G.I.C. will be equipped with the best training, technology, and tools to better yourselves and make sure that nothing like this, which is no less than slaughter, ever happens again!” Kiren roared as the crowd erupted into applause.
I was emotionless, gripping Blake’s hand. A million thoughts ran through my head and none of them were good. This was my first time ever seeing him, and I couldn’t forget his face now no matter how hard I tried. His hair was black, parted, his skin slightly tanned, and his teeth as white as snow. I tried to figure out what was so special about him, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. There was nothing good about a man like him. He was so cruel, so devoid of any true human compassion or morals. I knew that he owned and operated that casino and employed those murderers inside. I was going to take him down if it was the last thing I ever did. No matter if I ended up like Asher, I swore I would take him down.
“I thank you for your service to our realm and to the safety of all our citizens, and I promise you, the officers of M.A.G.I.C., that I have a plan for all of you that will bring you into greatness,” he said, smiling with a snake-like expression. He waved, shaking the commissioner’s hand, and walked off stage.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Britta asked an hour later as the rain started to pick up pace.
“I need to say goodbye,” I said. Asher’s casket wasn’t far away. Most of the officers had already paid their respects to the four fallen officers waiting for burial.
“We’ll be here,” Charlie said.
I walked over, a black umbrella in my hand. Droplets of water rolled down the glossy black top of Asher’s casket. “Hey, Asher, how are you?” I asked before cringing a little and shaking my head. “I guess that was a stupid question to ask.”
I bit the inside of my cheek, a nervous habit I had as a kid whenever I felt out of place. I wasn’t sure what to say to him, what I could even say, or what would make things better.
“I’m sorry, for not taking you up on your offer. I guess I was confused, unsure of what I wanted and what was best for me. You were so patient and nice, and looking back, you just wanted a good friend if nothing else. I know I failed you there. I don’t think I realized how great of a person was in front of me until he was taken away and that chance to get to know him was gone. I hope you know I didn’t do it out of malice, or to try to put you down or hurt you. It’s just that Blake, well, he and I are a little complicated, I guess, and I thought with all the things happening at the precinct, it was just too much. God, I don’t even know why I’m telling you all this, it doesn’t even matter anymore,” I said, starting to get a little choked up.
I cleared my throat, the clattering sound of the rain against my umbrella clearing my thoughts. I knew I needed to try again. “I just hope, if you’re somehow out there looking down on me, that firstly, you don’t think I’m a loser for talking to a casket, but more importantly, that you forgive me. I’m going to do right by you, Asher, I’m going to bring those responsible to justice, no matter what it takes. I promise you that. I don’t know why you saved me, or if you even knew what that spell was, but thank you, thank you for what you did.”
A few people started to lower caskets at the back, so I knew my time was running out. There was only one thing left to say, one thing he needed to hear.
“I’ll never forget you,” I whispered, my heart feeling empty. I turned around and walked back towards my friends.
Without saying a word, they put their arms around me, around each other, and hugged me, helping to heal the tear that death presented.
I promise I won’t forget you.
If there was a moment I needed to motivate me to take down Kiren Nightstorm and his cronies, it was burying my friend. It wasn’t going to be easy. Not even Mirian knew the breadth of his powers, but I promised myself, promised him, and promised the universe that I was going to bury him under so much rubble that he would never get out.
1
The air felt as thick as it was humid as I trudged through a sea of shifting hot sand. I gulped, trying to muster up any saliva I could to coat the inside of my mouth and throat, but it was to no avail. A white scarf Mirian gave me for this journey was wrapped around my head and face, only my squinted eyes peeking out.
Charlie and I were in Morocco, the eastern part of the country to be exact, trying to track down leads on a naga shifter who was selling rare venom on the black market, and not for research purposes. The only problem was finding somebody like him in the desert.
“We might be getting close,” Charlie said, his voice faint, just as we summited the top of a large dune.
There it was, close, but still so far that it felt out of reach. A magical outpost, a single sandstone building alone in the desert bombarded and abused by waves of blowing sand over the centuries. Only magical beings could see it; mortals would just walk past it should they ever find themselves out in these parts, though for their sakes I hoped they wouldn’t.
“We better keep moving,” I said, my thighs and calves starting to burn from fatigue. I closed my eyes as a gust of wind whipped against us. Charlie put his head down and pushed through. He wasn’t allowed to shift here, not in plain sight where mortals could see, even though we hadn’t run into a single soul the entire ten days we’d been on this trip. The outpost was only reachable by foot, no teleportation allowed, and we only had rough maps and calculations of its location anyway.
As we reached the building, a very rusted metal sign swung back and forth, its squeaking the only sound for miles aside from the howling wind. “How do we get in?” Charlie asked. There was no door handle in sight.
“Like this,” I said, taking out my wand and touching the tip to the wooden door. Sand flew out from the seals of the doorway before it split in half, each side opening. “Candelae,” I said, since the room inside was dimly lit.
After we walked inside the door shut behind us. The air was musty but better than the punishment we’d faced outside. “I think that’s it,” he said, pointing to a portal in the back.
“Ready?” I asked.
“Ready,” he replied. We walked through and were instantly warped back outside, but this time we weren’t anywhere near the building. We were in an oasis, surrounded by tall palm trees, the sound of water rushing nearby as magical creatures roamed around us. It was like a tiny town, a shimmering beacon of life hidden in the bleak desert landscape.
“We need to find that water,” I said, so we left and looked for the source of the noise. A quickly running stream circled the perimeter of the town, flowing constantly, pushed along by magic. I knelt, dipping my hands in, before scooping up cups of water and sipping it. I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath after feeling the first taste of cold water running down my throat, extinguishing the burning feeling I’d grown accustomed to over the past week.
Charlie got so excited he shifted before jumping in and rolling around in the cold water. “We need to send communications back,” I said, my gut filled heavily with sloshing liquid.
Charlie shifted back and we walked over to an empty corner of an alley where we were sure we wouldn’t be heard. Our type weren’t always welcome in places like this. We were the police, and there were many bar and hotel owners who turned a blind eye to trafficking and crime as long as money kept coming in. I couldn’t say that I blamed them—they surely had to look after t
hemselves and their businesses—but we still had a job to do.
“Have you made it all right?” Mirian asked through the phone he’d given us.
“Yes, we just made it to the oasis. It’s amazing,” I said.
“Good, I was worried about you both. I know it’s not the easiest trek to handle, especially for new auditors like you,” he said.
“I’m fine with fieldwork, Mirian, but never send me to the desert again,” Charlie chimed in.
“I’ll keep that in mind. Maybe the jungle with some trees next. Back to the point at hand—have you seen anything yet?” he asked.
“No, we haven’t, but we haven’t talked to anybody, either,” I said.
“Don’t forget that those there at the oasis aren’t exactly friendly with M.A.G.I.C. They will talk, some of them, for a price,” he said.
“Are we allowed to bribe them? I thought that was against policy,” I said.
“What people don’t know won’t hurt them. Don’t do anything rash, and don’t tick the wrong people off,” he said. “Contact me again when you have something more.”
Mirian hung up and I stashed the phone deep in my pocket before leaning against a brick wall. “Want to get something to eat?” I asked. Charlie’s eyes got big as he nodded.
We walked into the first pub we could find, loud laughs and raucous behavior inside, though nobody gave us a second glance after we walked in. We sat at a corner table, making sure to have a good view, before a small portly man hobbled up to us. “New around here, huh?” he asked, leaning on the table.
“Just passing through,” I said.
“I’m the owner here, in case you were wondering. Feeling hungry? Thirsty as well, I take it?” he asked.
“What do you have?” I asked.
“For the jag, I have some good rare meat, and for you, a seared chicken breast with mash,” he said.
