by T J Kelly
Sometimes the greater good meant I would have to tap into my darkness, too. Which was fine. That was why it was there.
"And it remains a secret."
"Yeah, top secret. Our business would be worthless overnight. And the vacuum left by the absence of Rector power would be catastrophic. That's why only Rectors know it."
"And me."
"Yes. And you."
Peter rolled me onto my back, hovering over me on his elbows so he could look me in the eye. "I will never tell. You know your secret - all your secrets - are safe with me. Always."
"Always," I replied. I wanted to say more, tell him more about how I felt, but the words caught in my throat.
Then the moment was gone and Peter sat up, taking me with him. I stretched out my legs, crossing them as I leaned back against him. I loved how safe I felt when he was around.
"All right. That's settled. But what I want to know is did you get a feel for what was in them?" he asked. And it made sense. I would have been curious, too.
I laughed. "Yeah, a little. Now that I think back, I sensed their aura. There are so many memories it's hard to grasp. But there is a lot about patterns and time and then normal stuff like important, pivotal moments in his clan's history. And spells. He's worked out a ton of spells. I hope I get the chance to work with him. Maybe learn some of them, if he's willing."
"Time," Peter muttered under his breath. Then, a little louder, "I want to know more about what happened with Joseph. Whenever I wanted to ask before, the prohibition spell kicked in."
"Yeah, but the interesting thing is, I didn't feel that at all around those crystals. I'd never break his trust, but if I wanted to know, I'd totally take a look at those first."
Peter laughed, then gave me a squeeze. "I think it may be important. To us. Or to you."
Tiny bumps rose all over my skin as the back of my scalp prickled. Peter was telling the truth, a deeper truth than he realized. "Hm, maybe. I guess I'll have to shelve that thought for later. Maybe talk to Joseph about it sometime. See what I can see." I pressed my back into Peter's chest, soaking in more of his Light everywhere our bodies touched. "Do you have some kind of seer magic in your bloodline? You were right but how did you know to say that?"
"No, but this has to do with you. Sometimes I feel like I'm tapping into something bigger than the two of us. A field that surrounds us, belongs to us."
"I feel that way, too," I said, shyness tightening my voice. "Like when we're together, we are more than the sum of our parts."
"Yeah. Like that," he replied.
I pulled away. He let me go, but I could sense his reluctance. I didn't blame him. Everywhere we touched felt right, as if we were made for each other. The power that flowed between us became more than the magic we used to create it. The two of us together, creating more Light in the world.
Who would want to let go of something like that?
But our separation was only for a second. I rose to my knees, and Peter did the same. I slid my arms around his neck, an invitation for him to slide his around my waist. To move closer. Which he did.
"Peter?" I started, wanting to tell him how he made me feel. But then I hesitated. Again. Ah, well. Pushing it aside for later, I leaned forward for a kiss. "I'm glad you're my partner. And my boyfriend. I can't imagine my life without you in it." Our lips met.
Yes. For now, those words were close enough.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Hunting Traces
The next few days passed in a blur. It was so surreal to see my cousins slip back into their normal lives, yet everything was so different for me. The new family I had created for myself had just expanded to include two strangers.
But it was good. I knew it was. But I still felt off. This would take some getting used to.
"Come in," my uncle called from his study, replying to my knock.
I slipped into the room, closing the door behind me. Mort was sitting near Armageddon's desk, but stood politely until I reached the chair and sat next to him.
"Meg told me that you wanted to see me," I said. The maid had come to my room while I was studying old textbooks on patterns and Dark and time.
"I received a packet from Chas," Mort said. A small stack of manila folders sat on the corner of my uncle's desk nearest to me. "He's found some paperwork similar to the files in the mayor's office."
Peter and I had gone on a short mission with Seth and Harris to see why the mayor had been acting so suspicious. Our analysts broke through the encryption spells on the documents we discovered in his office, learning there had been communication between Vir Fortis and the Taine clan in the months leading up to and on the day my parents died. Then a sharp drop in messages after that. Still not enough to charge the mayor with anything, so Armageddon asked Oberon's youngest son, and my ex-boyfriend, to see what he could find. Dangerous work, but Chas was willing to do what he could to earn his way back into my uncle's good graces.
I picked up the top folder and then thumbed through a few of the pages. A spell caused the writing to waver before my eyes, before solidifying into a report written in Chas's handwriting.
"Looks like more of the same," I said. "Except Oberon has a list of favors he's been asking. I guess Vir Fortis will be in Oberon's debt forever."
"That seems to be the case." My uncle frowned as he picked up another folder from the stack. "There isn't anything in the files Chas could access that ties the mayor directly to the car wreck, but it's only a matter of time. He'll look again when his father is away."
It really was dangerous to spy on Oberon. Even if Chas was his son. There was no love lost between the two of them and the only reason Chas was even in his household was to save me. It used to irritate me how needless that gesture was - I was never going to lose the trials and he should have known that. But there was more to it than I allowed myself to see at the time, and it was all water under the bridge.
Chas had suffered for his mistakes. He found a way to work around the blood oath his father forced him to take, to become an asset for the Irregulars. That was more than enough to make up for any pain he had caused. And to be fair - it was about more than that. Chas was on the side of light and wanted to do what was right. I had nothing but respect for that and it helped me put aside the old feelings of resentment I felt for him.
Another short knock, and then Peter joined us. My breath hitched in my lungs. Despite the sadness I felt when thinking about my parents, there was always joy in his presence.
He dragged over one of the chairs lining the walls to sit beside me. "Anything new?" he asked.
"Not enough. Not yet," Armageddon responded. "But we'll get there. In the meantime, what do you think about going on a few missions with my niece?"
"Awesome." Peter sat close enough that his knee touched mine, his Light helping to chase away the rest of my roller coaster emotions.
"We want you two to work together as much as possible this summer. The better you know each other's magic, the safer you'll be when the time comes."
Neither of us asked when that time would be. Nobody had pinpointed a timeframe for the coming darkness, and there had been no visions. But we all knew it was on the way and wanted to be prepared. It was important - vital even - to be at our best, yet I was also glad it meant I would spend more time with Peter. I loved that part. Even better, so did he.
"We've heard some chatter," my uncle said, referring to the rumblings and tidbits of information our agents and assets were collecting. Until we could discern a cohesive pattern, it was just chatter. Noise. "For now, all I can tell is that Lia is a focal point in some of their plans."
"Again?" I tried not to whine, but really? There were other people on the planet. Why didn't they go bother some of them for a change?
Shame filled me as I remembered the mission where Peony was on the other side of the world, locating missing children. Better for me to take the focus than small children being used to distract us from the impending revolution.
Mort sn
orted. I gave him the side-eye, but he deflected it with a grin. "Tough luck, kiddo. But we've got your back on this. We'll amp up the combat training. Now that the other agents will be around, you'll get the chance to learn more techniques."
That did make me feel better. I must finally be as crazy as Mort. "Thanks."
Peter didn't look like he felt better, though. He mostly looked angry at the news that I was once again in the center of something dangerous. Not too different from the look on his face when he had leaped through the fire to face my enemies. It wasn't fair, but I was used to it. And my parents had prepared me. Even without magic, I had been a threat. Sometimes I moved to a different school because of that and not because they couldn't help me reach my magic.
He understood, though. Peter was a Makenna. His clan had a long history of dark magicians. After his parents were killed, some of his distant relatives and allies banded together to take him from my uncle. To make sure he grew up to be another dark magician. But through my aunt and uncle's efforts, he ascended into the light. He didn't even bring the Fire element with him, and that was the most powerful affinity in his bloodline. He had conquered so many things at a young age.
But this was about me, and anything affecting me made it harder on him. I was annoyed and angry that I was a target, but it would have been so much worse for me if they were targeting him. It was easier to deal when the only person in danger was myself.
Although I felt guilty that associating with me threatened him, too. But I knew Peter well enough to know it wouldn't matter what I did. He would always protect me. So we may as well learn how to do that to the best of our ability. It was the only chance we had at survival.
"One of the junior agents missed their check in time," Mort said. "It happens, but this is the second miss. We need to ensure this is normal business. Clypeus is assigned to the east coast to keep watch over some prominent mundanes."
Agents didn't always check in when they were supposed to. Sometimes it wasn't possible without damaging the mission. But twice in a row was an issue now that we were on high alert. Once we would have waited, especially during long missions that required lengthy absences. We no longer could hold off or ignore any disappearances - that's what made it a perfect distraction. Yet the danger level meant it wasn't just a distraction. It was a real threat.
Something else Mort said caught my attention. We stayed out of mundane affairs as much as possible, but there were still some targeted by magicians. Like the people in charge of places that effected our access to the magic upwellings all over the globe. We helped create monuments and national parks to protect the vital areas. But we still had to struggle against normal things like greed. Theirs, and ours. Magicians were human, too.
The Council, my uncle, and certain other people in magical society helped identify those who needed protection. It was hard for a mundane when they couldn't do anything to shield themselves against even the simplest, weakest spells. Sometimes we assigned a Reeve, a member of the magician police force, or a junior agent of the Irregulars. But the person who disappeared was the agent, not the mundane.
"He was last seen at one of the clubs frequented by the elite such as yourselves," Armageddon said with some irony as he handed us the dossier. Neither Peter nor I spent any time clubbing. "We already have the Andersson brothers working that angle. What we need from the two of you is to check the field office. Look for traces, see who has been hanging around. Try to find what doesn't belong."
Clypeus, or Shield, was a new agent, but still had enough training and magic that he shouldn't have been caught off guard. An investigative assignment would allow me and Peter to explore our strengths or weaknesses without putting us in a direct line of fire. We hoped. Not that I wasn't up for a battle. But if I was a target again, then it would be best if we tried to keep out of the spotlight.
"When do you want us to head out?" Peter asked. He reached for one of the folders and opened it, looking it over. Except it didn't tell him anything about our upcoming mission. I could see that much from where I sat. It was another handwritten report from Chas. He scowled.
"This afternoon will be fine," my uncle replied. "I'll have Harris check in with you before you head out. He's here restocking his and Seth's supplies. He can update you on their status."
"Sounds good," I said. Peter set down the folder and nodded his agreement. His face was blank, but something simmered right below the surface. I may have forgiven Chas for his betrayal, but Peter hadn't. They had been as close as brothers before Chas turned his back on us. They still hadn't had the chance to talk it over. And Peter was the one who helped me through my heartbreak. He knew what it had done to me.
What a mess.
"Report back by evening," Armageddon directed. He didn't look any different from usual, but I could tell he was worried. It hadn't been easy for him to let up enough to allow me off castle grounds, and there I was putting myself into potential danger again.
"Aye, aye Captain," I quipped with a sassy salute. He rewarded my effort with a huff and a half-smile. Good enough. I tugged on Peter's hand. "Come on, let's catch Harris."
◆◆◆
"You see anyone?" I murmured. My hand was gripping the back of Peter's uniform vest, the only outward sign of my nerves. We were in the nation's capitol. The depth of history and magic combined into an aura that always uplifted me. But to go on a mission, easy or not, right in the middle of all that made me feel small.
"All clear." Peter stepped forward out of my grasp and onto the sidewalk. He strolled past a handful of buildings with dark windows, closed for the night, and then stopped to buy a newspaper from a dispenser. I had forgotten we had coins as well as paper money in the pouches hanging from our belts.
I slipped out of the alley we had transported to, leaving behind the lingering scent of shortbread from my shield against the effects of the transfer. "Hey," I called.
Peter looked up and waved, as if he had been waiting for me. Just in case anyone passing by saw us. Or if there was somebody watching in one of those dark windows.
He leaned over and gave me a kiss, sliding his arm around my shoulders after folding the newspaper in half and tucking it under his other arm. The paper crinkled. I reached out with my senses - sure enough, there was a trace. Harris had told us they saw a dark magician use the newspaper dispenser as a drop to exchange information. Nothing was left but the trace, but we could learn something from that, anyway. And it was our mission to suss out any traces and report back. Harris and Seth would be the ones to piece the information together to see if it would help them on their mission to find the missing agent. If he was missing and not wrapped up in an activity causing him to fail to meet his check-in time.
"You feel it?" Peter asked. We crossed the street, heading towards a busier section of the city where there were restaurants and coffee shops and places to blend into our surroundings.
"Yeah. Unguis and Perdo," I replied, naming the clans I sensed in the trace. Those two families worked together all the time, so it wasn't a surprise. "There's something more, older. Give me a second and I'll figure it out."
"You focus on that. I'll keep an eye out for traffic." Peter was referring to the occasional car, but he also meant that he would watch out for any random enemies along the street so I could work on my task. He amped up the amount of Light he was transferring to me, giving me an extra boost. Light always made things clearer when I was searching for something hidden.
I leaned into the magic, Peter's Light blending with my own, his trace dissolving into mine until I could no longer tell the source. With a push into the faint aura on the newspaper, I slipped through and found the buried trace.
"Viclean," I said. Good thing the Rectors regularly did business with them or else I would have had to push my sense of the trace into a memory crystal and then pass it around until an analyst recognized it. "We better warn them they're being followed."
"Ged will handle that when we get back. Can you tell anything else?" Peter
steered me to a hole-in-the-wall shop. We were blanketed with the smell of coffee and chocolate. In a mood to be contrary, I ordered a tea and lemon bar. The sign declared they made them with fresh squeezed juice and I loved a tart bite of citrus.
"Not really. It's almost completely gone. But the traces intersect so they are related. The Vicleans need to watch their backs." I slipped into a chair in the corner, Peter taking the more exposed position with his back to the room. "I can't feel anything of the Irregulars in there."
Agents had a nearly indiscernible trace we left wherever we went. It was a tightly guarded secret but made it easier for us to send help when needed. While deep undercover, none of us used it, but an agent on guard duty wouldn't have reason to hide it. And if he suspected there was danger, he would have reported that first. Chances were, the agent we were looking for had nothing to do with the traces the Andersson brothers had been picking up in the area.
"We have a couple more places to hit. How's your lemon bar?" Peter folded the newspaper into quarters and then slipped it into his pouch.
"So good." I broke it in half and placed one piece onto Peter's plate. "You should have some."
"Thanks." He offered me the other half of his brownie, but I declined. We sat there for a few more minutes, enjoying our snack, acting like a normal dating couple. Which we were.
When we finished, we dropped our dishes off with the staff and headed back out into the evening. It was too bad the timing wasn't right to attend the cherry blossom festival while in Washington. They were so gorgeous.
Peter slipped his hand in mine as we crossed another street. We both kept an eye out for a tail or suspicious activity. There was no telling who might show up, either. Oberon had a habit of knowing where I was. We hadn't yet figured out his source. He probably left people skulking around in hiding right outside my uncle's borders. But our new method of transferring through safe houses before arriving at our destination seemed to throw him off. I hadn't been followed in a while.
