No Magic, No Problem

by Blair Daniels

  The shouts died to murmurs.

  "The, uh, incidents that occurred last night are all over the Internet," he said, resuming his pacing. "This video has five-hundred thousand views on YouTube."

  He opened his laptop and pressed play. A pixelated image projected onto the screen. The view of an apartment came into view, dimly illuminated by small wicker lamp.

  "You hear that?" a man's voice said through the speakers, breathy and panicked. "I think somethin's at the window."

  The window grew closer, and the entire image shook. The tapping sound grew louder. He gripped the curtains—and yanked them back.

  No less than three undead were pressed against the window.

  Their faces were blurry and dark, pixelated by the low quality camera. Yet, still: they were obviously quite decayed.

  "Any suggestions how to explain this to the public?" Thomas asked. "PR team? Where's my PR team?"

  A few people raised their hands to my left.

  "Any ideas?"

  "Flash mob!" one of them called out.

  "Performance art thesis!"

  "Window cleaners!"

  "Window cleaners wearing Halloween costumes—"

  The voices fell silent as Sandra entered. She raced down the aisle, past me, and to the front of the room. "Thomas," she snarled.

  He looked at her, both terrified and confused.

  "We have eight hours until sundown. This is not how we should be using our time."

  "But the video—"

  "So the public knows there are zombies! They'll all be dead tomorrow, if we're not prepared."

  Fear pounded through me at her words, combined with despair. Dead because of me. I shot a look at Jim. It was hard to see his expression from this angle; the top of my head barely came up to his shoulder, and all I really saw was his chin.

  I turned to Abby. Her ever-present smile was gone, and her dark curls were a tangled mess. She squeezed my hand so tight it hurt.

  "Where is Kira Steele?"

  I jumped at my name. Every head turned towards me, examining me. Slowly, I tugged my hand away from Abby and lifted it. "Here."

  "You see the Gravedigger, despite his invisibility spell, correct?"

  "Yeah."

  "Are you willing to be our lookout? I know you handed in your resignation recently, but you'd be incredibly helpful."

  Piercing silence fell over the room.

  Kind of ironic. The only reason I'm useful is because he's targeting me. Because I'm a Steele.

  Not because I’m actually useful.

  But if it meant saving Gavin, saving civilians, stopping Ryan... then it was worth it.

  "I'll do it."

  "Great," she said, giving me a small smile. "Our goal is to find him—with Kira's help—and then kill him. If we do, everything he necromanced dies, and we win. Frankly, we don't have a shot at destroying the army."

  "How do we kill him?" someone shouted from behind me. I turned to see the Gecko-woman I'd seen at the metro stop. Now, when she wasn't climbing walls, she looked like a perfectly-normal woman.

  "Shot to the center of the head. Just like the zombies. So Kira finds him, we shoot him, and it's all over."

  "Where do I start?" I asked, softly. "He could be anywhere in the city."

  "Our tech team will be sweeping the city for sources of dark magic, come nightfall. He's too smart to necromance anything during the day, when they're weakened."

  Sandra glanced at the clock behind her. "Seven-and-a-half hours until sundown, now. Use your time wisely. Meet in the laundromat at six-fifteen."

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  "So Gavin's one of them."

  We were in Jim's office. Like Abby's, it was on the ugly 7th floor. Unlike Abby, his decor was tasteful. Paintings of wolves, owls, and the wilderness adorned the walls. A bookshelf against the wall held everything from books, to small vials of potions, to beautiful stone carvings of animals.

  He pulled out several of the potions and tucked them into a large black bag. Then he walked over to the large cabinet at the far wall and tugged it open. Inside, a variety of weapons hung, including several spears.

  "Yeah. He’s one of them."

  "I should have figured it out," Jim said, reaching a tattooed arm to grab a spare spear. "Vampires have been necromanced in the past. I just never... put the pieces together."

  "Me neither."

  "I'm sorry." He walked over to me, and gently set a new scimitar in my lap. "It must be especially hard for you. I got the sense you two were..." He made a strange gesticulation with his hands, rolling them across each other. I broke into a small smile.

  "We were, sort of. But I guess that was all just Ryan, acting through him."

  I didn't quite understand how necromancy worked. Whether Ryan felt everything that Gavin did, or if he just controlled Gavin's actions. Either way... the idea that Ryan experienced that kiss in any way made me sick.

  Thomas stepped into the office, his chocolate complexion ashen and pale. "Kira, I have a few more questions—"

  "She told you everything already, Thomas," Jim said, glancing over at me. "Let her be."

  "It's just a few—"

  "No, Thomas! Leave her alone!"

  Reluctantly, Thomas disappeared down the hallway.

  "Thanks, Jim."

  He smiled back at me. "We've got about five hours until sundown. Do you need to rest? The medical ward has some extra beds. I'll make sure you have all the weapons and potions you need."

  "Oh, no, I'm okay."

  "What about food, or water? I can get you something from the—"

  "Jim. Stop."

  He looked at me, curiously. "Stop... what?"

  "Stop being nice to me."

  "Why?"

  "I don't deserve it." I stood up, emotion suddenly pulsing through my body.

  "I am just—"

  "No. Jim. You don't understand. This—all of it—is my fault."

  "What? Because you let the Gravedigger out?" He took a step towards me, and lay a massive hand on my shoulder. "That's not your fault. An evil man manipulated you. You were just doing your job."

  "That's exactly it," I said. "This was never meant to be my job. I don't belong here."

  "Kira—"

  "You said it yourself!" I shouted, suddenly, tears burning my eyes. "I'm a lousy fighter. I suck at combat. When I told you that a few days ago, over the phone, you agreed."

  "I know. You're bad at it now, because you haven't practiced. You will improve."

  "No. You don't get it, okay?" My voice finally faltered, and I stood up. "I'm not meant to be here. I wasn't meant to take this job—but I forced my way in, anyway. Then I let the necromancer out, and Gavin got possessed, and now there's an undead army ready to storm the city at sundown and—"

  "Kira, easy. Breathe."

  "Oh, easy for you to say! There's so much that you don't know. If you knew everything—"

  "I do know."

  "...What?"

  "You don't have an ounce of magic in you, do you?"

  I stopped in my tracks. Turned around. He smiled slyly at me, dark eyes meeting mine. "What? You know?"

  "Yes, I know. It's obvious, especially when Gavin—or, I suppose, Ryan—tried so hard to persuade us otherwise. Besides, I’ve never seen the crescent-shaped Steele birthmark on you. Isn’t that supposed to be linked to the power?”

  “Yeah. Listen, Jim—have you told anyone?"

  He shook his head. "As I said before, magical abilities, or lack thereof, are personal. Not something to put on display for everyone to judge you by. I didn't even want to tell you that I knew, but... if you're going to be wallowing in misery here, blaming yourself for everything..." He sighed. "I want you to know that I think you belong here. Even if you don't have any powers."

  I couldn't help it.

  I ran at him and gave him a hug. For a second, he was stunned. Then he wrapped his huge arms around me, burying my face in his chest.

  "Thank you," I said, my voice muf
fled against his shirt. "But even if I do belong here—all of this is my fault, and—"

  "You keep using that word. Fault. I do not think it means what you think it means."

  "Are you really quoting The Princess Bride?"

  "Yes."

  "Okay. You have my attention."

  His deep voice vibrated through his chest, against my cheek. "Technically, you are correct. This particular sequence of events wouldn't have happened if you never joined NIMP. But are you morally culpable? Did you intend for this to happen? Would you have let the Gravedigger out, if you knew what he was?"

  "No." I burrowed my face deeper into his chest.

  "Then, it is not your fault." His arms squeezed me tight. "We all make unwise decisions. We are culpable for those decisions, and possibly negative consequences we foresaw at that time. But for something unforeseeable, like this? No."

  "Do you really believe that?"

  "Yes."

  Footsteps approached, and we disengaged. Abby poked her head in, curly hair wild. "Kira! You up for some coding? We could really use your help with shields. Unless you don't want to—I know you don't technically work here, anymore—"

  I stood up. "No," I said, shooting a glance back at Jim. He smiled at me. "I'm here to stay, Abby."

  ***

  We took the elevator down to floor 5, and I finally got to see the computer lab.

  It was glorious.

  Rows of sleek, white desks filled the room. Perched on each one were several 30-inch monitors in bright colors. The air was filled with clicking sounds and the light tapping of fingers against keys.

  I felt at home.

  A short man ran up to us, with tan skin and black hair. "I'm Rick," he said, waving a hand. "It's so, so nice to finally meet you, Kira."

  "Oh, uh, thank you."

  "Do you want anything to drink? Or eat? Or—"

  "We don't need anything," Abby said, cutting him off. "But Kira wants to help you with the shield."

  "Oh! Of course!" He led me over to one of the large computers. "This is the folder we've got all our code in, and Serpentine's over here..."

  I was no longer looking at the screen. Instead, I was staring at the wall, where a giant image was projected. From the crisscrossing lines and dark, rectangular blocks, it appeared to be a map of the city.

  "That's the dark magic detector program," he said. "You don't see anything there now, because he hasn't activated anyone in his army. But as soon as night falls, it'll light up like a Christmas tree."

  "I don't understand," I said. "It'll show us where Ryan is?"

  "Sort of. Necromancing uses an immense amount of dark magic. Find the source, find the necromancer. It's like following power draws on an electrical grid. It's not as precise as we'd like it to be—margin is about 500 feet—but it's better than shooting in the dark."

  "Sounds good." I stared up at the map, glancing from building to building. I wonder where he is. And Gavin... No. Focus. "What shields do you need?"

  "We've already finished the shield around NIMP. Just a simple magic deflector around the whole building. Right now, we're sending mages out with the code, so they can erect the same shield around civilian buildings. With the curfew in effect, that should keep everyone—or at least the vast majority—safe."

  He paused. I stared at him, he stared back. "So what can I help with?" I finally said.

  "Oh! Right. We're working on coding up protection shields for each of the Hunters. You access their height and weight through the Database, apply a mesh, and then code in the specs of the shield. They'll be different for each Hunter. For example, you wouldn't want Abby's shield to block fire, because she needs to be able to shoot fire.”

  I nodded.

  “If you could cover Team Indigo, that would be immensely helpful.”

  "Got it."

  He patted the back of my chair.

  Then he was gone, and my fingers were flying across the keyboard. The hours whipped by as I coded up a fire-permeable shield for Abby (and tested it), an immense one for Jim, and a standard one for myself.

  Shields were like armor. They wouldn't make us impervious to injury; they would just help to lessen the blow. I'd coded a few up in college, but once I started working for Spells for Any Occasion, my work was mainly glitter and fireworks.

  Ping! I glanced down at the bottom of my screen. A notification read: Program 382 is running. "That's not mine," I muttered. Out of curiosity, I clicked on it.

  PASSWORD:

  Password protected. Okay, whatever. I clicked the x and brought my screen back up. "Hey, Rick, I'm ready to compile!" I called. "Is there a mage around?"

  "Yeah! Larry, you here?"

  A nerdy, freckled guy—who looked like he'd never had a beer in his life—walked out with an opalescent compiler. "Yes, Rick," he nearly whispered.

  After he compiled it, I tested the code. Again and again, just to check. When I was finished, the sun was already sinking below the skyscrapers. The sky turned from orange, to pink, to purple.

  Ding, ding, ding.

  I looked up.

  Purple dots exploded all over the map. But as I watched them bloom against the black screen, there was one place that lit up far more than the others.

  "That's the abandoned mall on Delaware Ave.," Rick said. "Cara—radio that in to Sandra and Thomas."

  I stood up, my heart leaping into my throat. "The purple's engulfing the entire mall. He could be anywhere inside it."

  "Right. That's where you come in. You'll be able to see him, and tell us exactly where he is." Rick placed a thin metal device in my hands. "This is a portable detector. It's not any more accurate than the big one, but if he leaves the mall, you'll know."

  I nodded.

  "All right, then. Let's go to the mall."

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  The mall rose up in the darkness like some great, sleeping beast.

  It had been abandoned for more than a decade. Now, the brick was stained and crumbling. Darkness lay beyond the foggy glass doors, and foliage crawled across the parking lot.

  We leapt out of the truck. My new scimitar was strapped to my back, weighing at my shoulders. Sparks leapt from Abby's hand, and Jim strode quickly across the parking lot, gripping his spear.

  Another NIMP truck pulled into the lot, and I recognized the people that came out: Eric, the water elemental, Apu, the elf, and the man with the Gandalf staff. Team Chartreuse.

  "Why do we have to be the spotters, again?" Eric moaned, as a ball of water rippled in his palm.

  "We're not just spotting," Jim said, as they approached. "It's likely that the Gravedigger will have protection in the form of monsters, or the undead—"

  "Or undead monsters," I interjected.

  "Yes, exactly. We're the first line of defense. So get your weapons ready."

  Jim raised his spear. Apu gracefully pulled an arrow from her quiver. Eric's water sphere grew larger, and the staff pulsed with a bright, blue light.

  I clumsily pulled out my scimitar—and nearly took out a toe as it swung to the ground.

  "Be careful with that," Eric muttered.

  "Shut up," Apu shot back. "Salazar, you got your radio ready?"

  "Yeah," he said. He was a tall, spindly man, with a light brown beard and wavy hair that fell over his ears. As he walked, his staff started glowing a brilliant blue. "As soon as we find him, I'll radio it in."

  The six of us started inside. But as the others charged forward, Jim pulled me back. "Remember. If we find the Gravedigger... we save Gavin."

  Gavin. The name cut through me, fresh and raw.

  "You can do this, Kira," Jim said. "I believe in you."

  I nodded. He pushed the door open.

  Creeeeeaaaak.

  As we entered, we plunged into shadow. The fountains stood still and silent, their water collecting in murky pools. Steel grates were pulled down over the entrances to the empty stores. Thick vines climbed the supporting columns, resembling snakes in the darkness.
<
br />   Snap. Sparks flew from Abby's palm. They ignited in a small fireball, casting dancing shadows across the store facades. "That's better."

  We walked down the main aisle of the mall. The twin lights—Abby's orange fireball, Salazar's blue staff—cast eerie light across the scene, eroding the shadows.

  "You lead the way," Jim whispered, nudging me forward.

  "What? Jim, I can't—"

  "You can. We're right behind you," he said.

  I forced my feet forward. Then I was standing at the front of the team, walking into the darkness.

  We walked past Macy's. White, faceless mannequins stared out at us from a dark display. Just hollow shells of plastic, I thought. I wonder if the necromancer can reanimate them, too...

  I shuddered at the thought.

  "Do you see anything, Kira?" a voice asked behind me. Either Eric's or Salazar's, but since it was without snark, I guessed Salazar's.

  "No," I replied.

  I didn't hear anything, either. Silence blanketed the mall. Only the crackling of Abby's fire, and our footsteps against the linoleum.

  Then a strange buzzing sound came from my pocket.

  I pulled out the dark magic detector. On the screen, it showed a blinking, purple circle—that filled the entire building, and even extended into the parking lot. "According to the dark magic detector, we're in range," I said.

  "You don't see anything, though, yet?" Abby asked.

  "No."

  I suddenly felt useless. Well—even more useless than usual.

  "Let's just keep going, then," Salazar said. "Abby, the shields are up, right? Those should protect us somewhat from any magical ambushes—"

  Thump.

  "What was that?" I whispered, jumping nearly a foot into the air.

  "I don't know," Jim said, raising his spear.

  Thump. Thump.

  A large, black shadow descended the escalator. Crack, crack—the metal creaked and groaned under the creature's weight. Tap-tap-tap—the click of nails sounded across the hard floor, as another shadow materialized before us.