In the blink of an eye, I was transported to a stone circle in the herbology classroom. On the floor in front of me rested the book of djinn magic from Robin. Another circle was adjacent to me and I recognized the gleaming black opal in its center.
“Gus,” I called in a panic. “Don’t come out. Don’t leave the circle!”
The stone was unmoving and silent. My pulse quickened. I had to prevent Gus from leaving the stone and the circle. I had to keep him safe.
I hurried to retrieve the stone, to save Gus. The moment I left my protective circle, I felt a sharp pain in my lungs. I gasped for breath and clawed at my neck as I choked. I dropped to my knees and coughed up the same thick black substance that had infected the djinni. I crawled back into the safety of my circle but it was too late. Pain spread from my lungs to other organs and extremities. The veins in my arms turned black.
Haggis, help me! It was then that I spotted my familiar in a heap across the room. Her light-colored body had already turned black. No!
My nails scraped the floor in my effort to get to her, but it was fruitless. I couldn’t move. My body felt heavy, as though it had been pumped full of lead. I did the only thing left to do.
I cried.
I cried for my brother. I cried for Haggis. I cried for the young men killed by the Hunter. I cried for the djinni whose name I didn’t know. I cried for my parents and my younger sisters. I cried for my friends who ended up tangled in this mess with me.
“Cerys,” a voice whispered. “Cerys, wake up.”
My eyes fluttered open and tears leaked out of them. Mia’s face hovered over mine. “I’m alive.” I sat up, as though I needed to prove it to myself.
“Yes, but you’ve been very upset,” Mia said. “I assume it was another nightmare.”
I nodded. It was then that I noticed Dani and Bryn’s concerned expressions in the background.
“I’m fine, everyone,” I assured them. “I’m sorry I woke you.”
“Don’t be sorry,” Mia said. “We’re here to support you. That’s what friends do.”
I stroked Haggis nestled beside me. “It was a tough night. My subconscious is going bonkers.”
“No surprise there,” Dani said. “I had a dream that I was roasted on a funeral pyre that I’d created.”
“Cool,” Bryn said.
Dani shot her an aggrieved look. “No, Bryn. Definitely not cool.”
Bryn pinched her arm. “You’re right here and very much alive, so it’s cool.” She shifted her attention to me. “Who’s Folant? I’ve heard that name before. At your birthday party.”
“He was my brother,” I said. “He died.”
“Oh, wow,” Bryn breathed. “I had no idea.”
“None of us did,” Dani said, her gaze pinned on me.
That was all I could bring myself to tell them, especially after last night. I knew Alana would claim I’d missed the ideal moment, but I didn’t care. Let her chastise me later. Right now all I wanted to do was sleep and prepare for my fate tomorrow.
“We’re sorry,” Mia said. “We didn’t know.”
“It’s not something I like to talk about,” I said truthfully. I wiped the stray tears from my cheeks and settled back into bed. “Tomorrow is going to be a different kind of nightmare. We need more sleep.”
Mia smoothed back my blond hair. “Everything will be okay, Cerys.”
I managed a small smile. “Mothering is my job.”
“Not right now,” she said in a soothing tone. “Right now it’s our job to take care of you.”
I closed my eyes and succumbed to the feeling of being safe and secure. Of being loved. My breathing finally slowed and I drifted back to sleep.
The next day I made it through breakfast and my first two classes without breaking down. Bryn convinced the rest of us to take a snack over to Mercer Lake before our next session. She loved being as close to the water as possible and I suspected she felt in need of a pick-me-up after last night. I was operating on autopilot today, unable to do more than the bare minimum. If my professors noticed, they didn’t mention it. My spirits lifted when I spotted Callan’s long strides headed toward us.
“Hey, lemon drop,” he said. He wrapped his arms around me and kissed my lips before I could respond. I melted against his firm chest, grateful for his presence. Right now, I didn’t care even if our relationship was the result of the blood bond. He was here when I needed him and that was what mattered.
“You heard about Gus, didn’t you?” I asked. My cheek remained pressed against him. I didn’t want to move.
“Sure did. Partly why I’m here.”
I looked up at him. “For the League?”
“Yes,” he said, and kissed the tip of my nose. “But mostly for you. Must’ve been quite a shock.”
“It was terrible,” I said.
“I have news that might help a little,” he said. “Your djinni’s been identified.”
I pulled back. “What? How?”
“The chancellor sent out the remains last night for evaluation,” Callan said. “Apparently, neither the League nor the AMF could identify him, so the AMF sent a sample to the Shaitan king in the djinn realm since that was the likely caste.”
Tears wet my lashes. “Robin was right?”
“Seems so,” Callan said. “Gus was a Shaitan by the name of Lumin Nasaaf.”
My brow wrinkled. “So not from the Second War? How did he get to Terrene? How did he get attached to the opal?”
“Slow down, lemon drop,” Callan said. “We don’t have all the answers yet. Just a name and an origin.”
“How do you know all this?” I asked. “I thought the AMF and the League were too territorial to share information?”
“We usually are,” he replied. “But, you see, we have a common interest this time. You. Gray was kind enough to pass along any updates.”
“Is Gray here?” Bryn asked.
“He’s in with the chancellor,” Callan said.
“Am I in trouble?” I asked.
Callan cupped my cheeks in his hands. “Not on my watch.”
“You can’t just ignore the fact that I killed someone because I’m your girlfriend,” I said. “The law doesn’t work that way.”
“We don’t know for sure what happened yet,” Callan said. “Don’t go playing judge, jury, and executioner on yourself. It’ll never have a happy ending.” His hands slipped away as he glanced above my head. “Is that Hazel in the window? Looks like she’s trying to signal us.”
I followed his gaze to the academy building in the background. Sure enough, Hazel’s distant figure seemed to be motioning for me to come to the chancellor’s office.
“This can’t be good,” I murmured.
Callan slipped an arm around my waist and squeezed. “Try not to worry. It’s going to be fine.”
“Will you wait for me?” I said. “I don’t want you to leave yet.”
“Wait for you?” he echoed. “Hell, I’m coming in with you.”
“We all will,” Mia said.
Hazel’s eyes popped when the five of us arrived at the chancellor’s office. “Goodness gracious. I need more snacks. Be back in a jiffy.” She bustled down the corridor.
“Come in,” the chancellor said. “I was not expecting an entourage.”
We entered the office and Bryn went to stand beside Gray. There was another man in the office I didn’t recognize. He wore a strange emerald green uniform and black boots. His dark curly hair was cut short and his nose was long and straight. He held a golden staff in his hand shaped like a serpent. A crimson gemstone peeked out from its open mouth.
“This gentleman’s name is Zane Amon,” the chancellor said. “He is the legate of the Shaitan colony.”
“I am here on behalf of King G’lur,” Zane said. “The deceased is a member of our caste, Lumin Nasaaf. I have come to collect the remains as well as the opal.”
I opened my mouth and quickly closed it again. As much as I wanted to object, I knew
it was pointless. I couldn’t possibly ask to keep the opal. I’d likely only been drawn to it because Lumin had resided inside.
“We have no objection to your request,” Callan said.
“I should hope not,” Zane said. “King G’lur has also instructed me to take the responsible witch into our custody.”
Several voices pierced the air with the same word—“What?”
Chancellor Tilkin leveled a gaze at Zane Amon. “This was not part of our earlier discussion, Mr. Amon.”
“I had not yet gotten to that part of the demands,” Zane replied without apology. “According to your version of events, one of these witches is responsible for the death of a member of our caste. It is a violation of our law and there must be consequences. I cannot simply leave her here.”
“You can and you will,” the chancellor said sharply. “I explained in great detail what happened and made it quite clear to you that Mr. Nasaaf’s unfortunate death was not the result of one witch.”
Callan stepped forward. “The opal was found in Terrene. If anyone should have possession of the opal or the witch, it’s the League of Local Paranormals.”
“We do not recognize your authority,” Zane snapped.
“Then you can recognize ours,” Gray said. “The incident occurred in this realm. That means the Agency of Magical Forces is in charge of this investigation. We won’t release so much as an eyelash to the Shaitan king, so feel free to return to your realm and pass that information along.”
Zane’s expression hardened. He clearly wasn’t expecting resistance. “This is most disturbing, Chancellor Tilkin. The death of one of our own occurred here last night at the hands of one of your pupils, and yet you sit here and allow the obstruction of justice.”
The chancellor slammed her hand on the desk. “I do no such thing and I will kindly remind you, Mr. Amon, to tread carefully. That you are not in your colony. Not even in your own realm.”
“I am well aware of that fact,” Zane said, his dark eyes glinting. “Had I been in my own realm, the witch would have been executed by now.”
I strangled a cry and Callan reached for my hand to reassure me.
“We will share the results of our investigation,” Gray said, “but we will not be bullied by you. The witch and the evidence stay here.”
Zane’s olive skin paled. His fingers squeezed the tip of his staff to the point where I thought the serpent’s head might pop off. “Very well then. I will report this outcome to my king. He will be most displeased.”
“Then he can feel free to come and speak to me about it,” Chancellor Tilkin said. “I do not have control over the AMF, however. If they demand jurisdiction, my hands are tied.”
Zane bowed stiffly and marched out of the office, his nostrils flaring. He almost knocked down Hazel on his way out. She returned with a tray overflowing with drinks and snacks. She set the tray on a sideboard and began to distribute the contents. Silently, she handed me a lemon fizz, knowing it was a favorite.
“He’ll come back,” Callan said. “This won’t be the end of it.”
“No, I imagine not,” the chancellor said. “But we won’t give them Cerys. Their rules and laws are different from ours. Their investigation will not be as thorough. As he said, they would choose to execute her rather than try to uncover what truly happened.”
My palms began to sweat. “What will happen to me?”
Callan’s jaw set. “Nothing will happen to you. If that djinni takes one step back on this property, I’ll see to him myself.”
“Callan, you can’t,” I said heatedly. “I can’t risk anyone else getting in trouble because of a choice I made. What if I did make a mistake with the spell? Even if it was an accident, it was still my fault that he died.”
“Then Mr. Amon will need to take all of us into custody,” Dani said. “We all helped you.”
“It is highly unusual that breaking a spell of that nature would result in death,” Chancellor Tilkin said. “I was more concerned with the nature of the djinni bound to the opal.”
“I’ll let headquarters know what’s going on,” Gray said. “They’ll probably send someone to meet with the king. They won’t want a diplomatic crisis to arise.”
Great. Now I would be responsible for an argument between realms. I took a sip of my lemon fizz and tried to calm my nerves.
“Witches, I’d like you to resume your regular schedule,” the chancellor said.
I gaped at her. How could she expect me to learn anything right now?
Bryn gave voice to my thoughts. “How can you expect us to learn about the Paranormal Code of Justice during a time like this?”
The chancellor peered at us. “A time like this is exactly the reason you should become familiar with the Code. The laws that govern us are critical in handling inter-realm incidents like this one. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Chancellor Tilkin,” I said.
“Good.” She leaned back in her chair. “Now go and understand the Paranormal Code of Justice. Never forget that knowledge is often as powerful as magic.”
And if I’d mastered both, maybe Lumin would still be alive. I put on the positive mask I was so adept at wearing and followed my roommates out the door.
Chapter Seven
Dinner was a noisy affair with everyone at the cafeteria table joking and talking loudly. I knew the act was for my benefit. No one wanted me to dwell on Lumin and the visit from Zane Amon. I appreciated their efforts, but I couldn’t bring myself to join in the forced merriment. I wished Callan could be here, but Mona had called him back to work before dinner.
“Excuse me,” I said, rising. “I need the restroom.”
“Wait until after dessert,” Bryn said. “We’ll go with you.”
“We’re not a herd,” I replied. ”I’m capable of using the restroom alone.”
“She is kind of the restroom expert,” Dani said. “It’s the mom gene.”
“I’m the bathroom expert,” Bryn countered. “It’s the tiny bladder gene.”
Silently, I left the bench and headed to the restroom all the way at the end of the corridor. There was no one else in the restroom and I was tempted to hide in a stall and cry. I resisted the urge, though. If I intended to be an Enforcer of the East, I had to take my emotions out of the equation.
I washed my hands at the sink and checked my reflection in the mirror. My eyes were red-rimmed from too much crying. I pulled out my wand and did a quick spell and glamoured them to look normal. I even chose to leave them their natural brown color instead of spelling them blue. Everyone wanted me to be okay, so I was determined to appear okay.
Something brushed against my ankle. I glanced down to see bluish black smoke swirl around my legs. “Stars and stones,” I said. More smoke drifted in through the gap under the door until the pressure became too much. The door opened and odorless smoke poured into the restroom, heading straight for me. Whatever this was, I was clearly its target. I aimed my wand and performed an illumination spell, hoping to glimpse the bluish smoke’s true form. Nothing happened.
The smoke began to swirl around my whole body. It was the same way Mia used her air magic to create a funnel of wind. The smoke monster held me firmly in place, my arms pinned to my sides. My feet rose off the floor and I squirmed to be released.
“Let me go,” I insisted.
The smoke monster ignored me. I floated toward the open door and I began to panic as I realized its intentions. I’d been taken against my will once and I swore it would never happen to me again.
I called to my magic, but there was nothing I could latch onto. No trees or land or plants. I needed my wand or the rune rocks in my pocket. With my arms pinned to my sides, however, I couldn’t reach either of them.
I drifted into the corridor, suspended in midair. Up ahead, I felt a surge of relief when I spotted Lucy by one of the doors. She wasn’t one of my favorite paranormals, but she would help me in a crisis. I knew she would.
“Lucy!” I yelled. She
didn’t even glance up. She was looking at the paper in her hand, completely engrossed. As I drew closer, I called her name again. Nothing.
She could neither see me nor hear me. This was not a positive development.
The smoke monster carried me all the way down the corridor and straight out the door into the evening air. The moon was a shining silver disc in the sky.
“Help me!” I screamed, but no one answered. Although I was now outside, I felt too powerless to use my magic. Images flashed in my mind. Abraxas—his demonic face inches from mine. Beth’s tearful face. The underworld hellhounds. My brother’s monstrous face loomed in front of me. My father’s sword protruded from his chest. Grief and trauma filled me until I thought I would burst. The only way to keep myself from a complete mental collapse was to turn off my brain. I called to what little magical reserves I had and a large golden apple landed squarely on my head, knocking me unconscious.
When I awoke, I was on the floor of an unfamiliar room made of stone. There were no windows and no furnishings. It took me a moment to register the door because it blended in with the rest of the wall.
“Hello?” I called. “Can anyone hear me?”
I heard movement outside the door and it clicked open. A tan face squinted at me from the gap. “The king and queen will see you now.”
“The who and what?” I jumped to my feet. “Where am I?”
The guard stepped into the room and I reached for my wand. “Do not bother, witch,” she said. “Your wand has been confiscated.” She was only slightly taller than me, wearing a green ankle-length tunic with gold braiding. Like Lumin’s and Zane Amon’s, her gold shoes were curled at the toes.
“Where am I?”
“You are in the Shaitan colony, and you are about to meet King G’lur and Queen Enova. I hope you will remember your manners.”
“My manners?” I sputtered. “I think we passed manners back in the academy bathroom. You kidnapped me from my realm and brought me here against the express orders of Chancellor Tilkin, the Agency of Magical Forces, and the League.”
The guard cast an unconcerned glance over her shoulder. “I think you will find that I did none of those things. Two of the king’s trusted aides were sent to retrieve you.”
Outlaw: Spellslingers Academy of Magic (Enforcer of the East Book 2) Page 7
