by Lane Mason
Kat took off the ring.
Daemon fired more magical balls at her. Kat activated her wards again. To her relief, they worked without having her ring on. She didn’t know what it would feel like to be hit by Daemon’s magic, and she really didn’t want to find out.
Daemon nodded in satisfaction after seeing her cast without the ring. “Do you have any offensive spells that you use?”
Kat hesitated. “Sort of.”
“Show me.”
“I’ve never tried it without the ring before.”
Daemon smiled. “We’re safe here, and I have adequate wards.”
Sensing she couldn’t get out of showing him her magic, Kat focused. She took a deep breath and flickered her arm like she was throwing a frisbee. The magic released from her hand and flew towards Daemon. But instead of the thin little lines of magic that had reminded her of spider webs, the magical lines were thicker and appeared more like a web of ice crystals. The web hit Daemon and covered him from his chest to feet. It was like she’d tied him up in a white crystal rope.
Daemon examined the webbing. He tried to move, but his feet were webbed to the floor. He then ignited a ball of purple flame that melted the webbing away from his body. “What a fascinating bit of magic that is. I’ve seen something similar, but not like that before.”
“It usually isn’t like that. Normally it was more like a spider’s webbing, and I could only do it during battle. When I tried to practice it, I couldn’t replicate it.”
“That is not surprising. That obviously isn’t a spell that you’ve learned, but a natural ability. The ring was a hindrance. It was stopping you from performing a magic that it didn’t understand. Part of the safety features.”
“Oh,” Kat said, suddenly feeling foolish. “Then my problem was that I didn’t take the ring off?”
“Actually, it was probably a good idea for you to wear the ring. You’ve become very comfortable doing wards in a short time. Using the ring certainly helped develop that skill. But now it’s time to take the training wheels off and see what you can really do.”
Kat smiled. Asking Daemon to help with her magic was proving to be a good decision. Her magic teaching tablet was cool, but it was nice to have a real person explaining things.
“Let’s try something different. Do you have any martial arts weapon training?”
“I’ve studied martial arts, but mostly hand-to-hand combat skills. I’m adequate with a sword or a spear, but that’s about it.”
“OK, you know what a chain whip is?”
Kat nodded.
“Perfect. I want you to use that same magic again. But this time I want you to imagine that you’re holding a chain whip. Picture the whip in your mind before you try to activate the magic.”
Kat tried to picture a traditional chain whip and then she opened her palm to let the magic flow from her. Slowly a whip started to drop out of her hand, but it wasn’t at all what she’d pictured in her head. It was way more badass. The end of the whip was three claws, and then the chain section was more like linked figure eights than normal chain links. The whole thing was the same white magic that she’d just fired at him, and it still looked somewhat like snowflakes, but far sturdier.
Once there were about five feet of the magical chain whip, Daemon spoke. “Now I want you to use it like a whip.”
Kat tried to spin the whip like she would a normal chain, but the second she did, the whole thing flew from her hand and hit the ceiling, exploding into a flash of bright light. Kat’s brow furrowed as she looked at her hand. She hadn’t meant to let go.
“That’s fine. It was an experiment. This time, I want you to think about a throwing star.”
Kat followed his instructions, and this time it worked. A magical star flew at him and smashed into his ward.
“Interesting. You have a very unique magic, or rather magics.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means you were using two different types of magic. The webbing is a natural ability that is unique to you. The energy spells were just you harnessing magic and shaping it with your mind. I’m assuming you learned to throw magical energy from your lessons.”
“Yes, but never as a throwing star.”
“That is just a minor adjustment. Using your imagination to control the size and shape of the magic will allow you more control over the magic. Think of smaller things like throwing stars when you are looking for precision, and think of throwing a bowling ball when you want to throw something more powerful.”
That made sense to Kat. “And what about my spider spunk? Err, my webbing... How is this useful?”
Daemon laughed. “Your webbing can be incredibly useful, it just has limitations. As you saw, I was able to remove it by using fire magic, but that was because I could get my hands free to cast. If you’d gotten my hands tied in your webbing, I’d probably still be stuck. Against humans and paranormals that don’t cast magic, your webbing is great for restraining them. With casters, you will want to be more careful and make sure their hands are tied, or use a restraining spell.”
“Huh,” Kat said. “Maybe my magic isn’t as bad as I thought.”
“Far from it. It took me years to master wards like you do. Granted, I didn’t have a ‘magical puberty,’ as you called it. My magical powers were always there, just weak, and grew with age and practice. Let’s take a look at the computer and see what it has to say.”
They headed into the small lab and Daemon sat down at the desk. “The cool thing about this program is it records all the action, so if we’d been truly sparring, we could see the magical output of each move, and stop the action to show where you made mistakes.”
On the screen was a video recording of the room. “That’s cool. Video replay for magic lessons.”
“Exactly,” Daemon said. “Now, I don’t understand the science behind the measuring of magical powers. Judah tried to explain it to me, but it almost made my head explode. Basically, every time we use magic, you’ll see a glow around the user. The glow will intensify and change color with the amount of output. There is your first ward with your training ring.”
It felt weird watching herself being shot at with a gun. But seeing her magic from this perspective was pretty cool. There was a soft white glow around her body. Then when Daemon switched to firing magic at her, his hand started to glow a light pale purple. When he threw the second round of his magic, the glow around his hand grew in size and the color changed slightly.
“You can see that I was putting more energy into those attacks.”
Kat nodded. “The glow was bigger and the color more intense.”
“Exactly. And now this is your ward without the ring.”
This time, instead of a pale white, the color around her was a pale blue and the glow was far brighter.
“Much stronger without the ring,” Daemon said. “That is good. But it will tax your magical stores faster. You may want to consider wearing the ring if you’re doing a lot of ward spells and taking it off when you need more power, or if you intend on using your webbing magic.”
When the video got to Kat casting her webbing, the light blue went darker but the glow reduced. She frowned. “What does that mean? And do I always make that face when casting?”
Daemon laughed. “There’s nothing wrong with your face, you look intense... and the darker color means it is a more powerful magic. The reduced glow means it also isn’t causing you much energy to use it. I think your magic has a lot of potential that you’ll need to figure out how to use. You might need a focal.”
“A focal?” Kat asked.
“A focal is simple, something that focuses your magic. A magical wand, or a staff. Sometimes a weapon like a dagger or a sword. Because your webbing is something unique to you, or to your kind, I don’t know if it needs a focal or not. Obviously, you don’t need one to cast it as webbing, but to transform it to something else may require a focal. You can either do a lot of testing, or speak to someone more experie
nced in draia magic.”
Kat sighed. “I may have to do the guess-and-test method. Finding someone who knows draia magic seems far harder.”
“Perhaps, but when we’re in Vegas, there will be representatives from Unreha, so perhaps there might be someone with more knowledge.”
“I guess. I won’t hold my breath.”
“Well, either way, keep practicing without your ring. It will make a big difference.”
“Thanks, Daemon. Want to head back to the mansion?”
“In a bit. Why don’t we do a little more training, see if we can’t get your magical attacks a little more focused.”
Kat grinned. “Sounds good to me.”
11
Vesper
“You been with the MBI long?” Erica asked.
Vesper thought about it as they went back to the mansion. After leaving the playroom, they’d gone on a longer walk around the property. It was gorgeous, and she was grateful to stretch her legs. She hadn’t been getting enough exercise lately.
“Actually, I’m not technically with the MBI. I’m more of a freelancer. I was kicked out of the MBI academy.”
Erica glanced over at Vesper, giving her an appraising look. “Do you mind me asking what you did?”
Vesper smiled. “Not at all. I didn’t do anything other than have a brother on the wrong side of the law. The Blood Runners gang recruited him, and the MBI bigwigs nixed me being an agent.”
“Sorry to hear that. Family can be complicated.”
“Yes, it can. But I came out of it pretty well. Dexter has been great to me. Helped me start up my own apothecary, set me up with clients, and even found a house for me to live in.”
Erica chuckled. “Relocating paranormals is Dexter’s specialty.”
“Shifting Humanity. It is pretty cool that you guys do that. Must be a rewarding job.”
“It can be. Some of our people have been with us for years now and are like family. Others we only see for a few days, but knowing that we can help improve the quality of their lives is a good feeling. It can also be dangerous at times. Many shifters get involved in gangs these days, as you well know, and when they want a fresh start, the gangs come looking for them. Dante and I often have to reeducate the gangs.”
Vesper laughed. “That’s a fancy way of saying you kick their asses.”
Erica grinned. “Sometimes we kick asses, sometimes fear works well. A vampire with resting bitch face and her gargoyle husband can be intimidating at times.”
“I’ll bet.”
Erica opened the door to the mansion and loud voices arguing greeted them. “Ah. I see Chuck is awake.”
Vesper followed Erica inside and into a large library. Inside the library, Dante was speaking with a tall, skinny man with short, spikey hair, large ears and nose, and a pronounced Adam’s apple. He instantly reminded her of the Disney cartoon version of Ichabod Crane.
“I don’t care what the MBI says. I’m not staying here another day.”
“That is fine,” Dante said. “I’ll call the Council of Unreha and let them know that you’ve decided against testifying. They’ll take you to Unreha and you’ll be their problem.”
Chuck blanched. “I didn’t say that. I said I don’t want to be here. This place can’t be safe. Everyone knows about it.”
“And everyone knows that attacking this place is foolish. That is why you’re here,” Erica said as she joined her husband, giving him a kiss on the cheek. “Dante, Chuck, this is Vesper. She’ll be part of the team escorting you to the trial.”
Chuck turned and looked at Vesper. She could feel his eyes going up and down her body.
“This is how you intend getting me to Vegas safely? What is she going to do, distract them with her looks? I need big, ugly men with bigger guns protecting me.”
Vesper batted her eyes at Chuck. “You think I’m pretty?”
Chuck scowled. “This can’t be happening.”
Erica looked amused. “Wait till you see her roommate. She’s just as attractive.”
Chuck groaned. “Another woman. That’s just great. Why don’t you just hand me over to the gangs now? I’m a dead man walking.”
Erica’s look of amusement left her face. She pushed Chuck backwards and he fell back on one of the couches. “Perhaps next time you should’ve thought of that before you helped traffic innocent people and shifters into slavery. Now you can either stop whining like a little bitch or I’ll hand your security over to Terra.”
“The werewolf? You wouldn’t. She hates me. She tried to rip my head off.”
“Are you going to behave?” Erica asked.
“Do I have a choice? I try to leave, you give me over to the Council and I spend the rest of my life in a prison in Unreha being tortured. And if I escape, I get tracked down by Karsova and his gangs and spend the rest of my life being tortured.”
“Exactly. We’re the only protection you have. So instead of being a lecherous, chauvinistic pig, why don’t you pretend to have some intelligence and not piss off the people trying to save your pathetic ass?”
Chuck glared at Erica, but when she returned his glare, he quickly averted her eyes. “Fine.”
“Where are the rest of our guests?” Dante asked.
“In the playroom,” Erica said.
“Ah, fun.”
“Playing, unbelievable,” Chuck muttered under his breath.
“What was that?” Erica asked.
Chuck leaned back in the couch and rubbed his temples. “Nothing.”
“Are you sure?” Erica asked.
“Yes,” Chuck said before turning to Vesper. “Are your friends at least supernatural? I can tell you’re a mixed-blood witch. But they won’t tell me anything about the rest of this team.”
Vesper looked over at Erica, who nodded. “Sure, Chucky. Daemon is a mixed-blood mage, and Kat is a draia.”
“Great. Throw a vampire, a gargoyle, and a few werewolves into the mix and you have the United Freaking Nations of paranormals.”
Vesper looked over at Dante and Erica. “United Freaking Nations... that’s not half bad.”
“It should be ‘freak,’ not freaking,” Erica said.
“I don’t know,” Dante said. “‘Freaking’ is kind of catchy.”
“What is catchy?” Kat asked as she and Daemon entered the room.
“Chucky here wanted to know what kind of beings would be protecting him. I told him, and now he thinks we should be called the United Freaking Nations of paranormals. Erica thinks United Freak Nations sounds better.”
“Hmm, they both have potential. We should have a flag. Maybe combine a United Nations flag with a rainbow flag?” Erica said.
“Have you seen the United Nations flag? No, we’d need something different, something fresh,” Vesper said.
Chuck shook his head. “You’re all crazy.”
“Look, Chucky baby. In case you haven’t noticed, you have a team of certifiable badasses looking after you. You should embrace the crazy,” Vesper said.
“I think I’ll go back to my room. You’re hurting my brain,” Chuck said before getting up and leaving the room.
“The Chuckster is a bit of a Debby downer,” Vesper said after he was gone.
“He’s having a hard time adapting to his new reality. He thought he had the world by its tail. He helped Karsova by creating doorways between Unreha and Earth. He got rich while turning a blind eye to how those doorways were being used. Now he’s lost all his money, and the best-case scenario is he lives the rest of his life in witness protection. And the worst-case involves a lot of torture and death,” Dante said.
“He’s an asshat,” Erica said. “But his testimony is vital to bringing down the gangs.”
“Speaking of which, Dexter called. The trial is progressing ahead of schedule. We’ll be leaving tonight. I suggest everyone try to get some sleep.”
12
Kat
“Ready?” Daemon asked. Kat looked at her shotgun, checked her handgun, and
then nodded.
“Vesper? You ready?” Daemon asked.
“You bet your sweet booty I am,” Vesper said.
Kat smiled. She could tell that Vesper was more nervous than she was letting on. Vesper might’ve taken the training at Quantico, but she’d never been on a mission before. “You have your spells ready?”
Vesper pulled up her sleeve to show a series of magical tattoos. “Potions ready, runes on. I’m good to go.”
“Good. Kat, you’ll drive the first SUV. Vesper, you’re with Kat. I’ve got the second one, and Jeffery and Terra are in the third one. Erica is with me, and Dante will be our air support.”
Kat nodded. They’d already been over the plan. It was a good one as far as she could see. They’d drive in a convoy, with Daemon and Erica having Chuck with them. Kat and Vesper were the lead vehicle. They could have taken more people with them—Terra’s wolf pack was more than ready to go—but as tough as Terra’s wolf pack was, the decision to go with less people had been made to use them as decoys.
To throw off anyone watching the roads, the werewolves were driving three more SUVs ahead of them, taking the most logical route, while the other convoy would take a slightly longer route. If people were looking for a vehicle transporting a witness, an SUV full of shifters would attract attention, while two and three people per vehicle would be far less conspicuous.
The werewolves had left an hour earlier, and Dante was currently flying over them, watching for any traps.
“OK, Kat, take it nice and easy. I’ve heard you’re a bit of a speed demon, but we don’t want to attract attention, so go over the speed limit but not enough that you’re passing everyone,” Daemon said.
“Got it,” Kat said, biting back the desire to make a quip about the SUV not exactly being a speed demon. This was serious business, and besides, it was true. She did have a lead foot sometimes. She’d put cruise control on for this trip, just to make sure she didn’t get carried away.
Everyone looked at each other and nodded. They were ready. Kat and Vesper jumped into their SUV and started off.
