One of the poachers smirked at Raine. “Who the hell are you supposed to be? The Magical Scouts of America? You kids should be careful playing with those kinds of toys if you don’t want to end up hurt.”
“We’re the people who will stop you,” she responded sharply. “Surrender, and you won’t be hurt. We’ll restrain you and wait for the proper authorities to drag you off to jail so you can reflect on your crimes. Your little illusion trick was cute, but we saw right through it.”
The criminal’s face twitched. “Did you now?” He scoffed and glared at his companions. “I told you we shouldn’t have done it.”
“Now, about that surrender…” She shook her wand in her best attempt at menace.
He laughed and gestured toward her with his wand. “Get a hold of Sergeant Girl Scout here. Listen, girly, you and your little friends and your pet wolf there had better back off if you don’t want to get hurt. We don’t feel generous given that we spent a lot of time planning a pick-up only to find you and your parents sniffing around. You ruined what should have been a milk-run. That causes me a lot of stress, and when I am stressed out, somebody has to pay for it.”
Cameron’s lip curled around his long, low growl.
The poacher responded with a smirk.
Asher snorted. “They aren’t our parents. Those are our professors. We’re from the Orono Academy for Arcane Studies and the School of Necessary Magic, two of the best magic schools in this country. We represent the Magical Multitudes Project, and we’re here to protect the animals.”
“Have you ever killed anyone, elf boy? Huh?” Their adversary gave him a toothy grin. “I have, and I think the black-market value of those mirror cats alone is worth a few lives.”
The Wood Elf shook his head. “You don’t scare me.”
“Then you’re as stupid as you are young.”
Adrien stared coldly at the men. “Don’t be so certain about the battle experience of your enemies based on our age. You have no idea about the kind of foes we’ve faced in the past.”
Raine wrinkled her nose in disgust. “You’re a sociopath. Surrender already. I really don’t want to have to hurt you, but we won’t allow you to escape.”
“This ain’t school, kids. This is the real world.” He glared menacingly. “And in the real world, it’s all about taking what you want when you want. So, this is your last chance. I ain’t never killed a kid before, but there’s nothing to say I can’t start today.”
Asher laughed, which drew confused looks from both the other students and the criminals.
“What’s so funny, elf boy?” the man demanded. “I don’t think you realize the trouble you’re in.”
“No, you moron. You don’t realize the trouble you’re in.” Asher nodded at Raine. “She’s not only a witch in magic school. She’s training to be the first FBI witch. The guy with the fire hands will also join the FBI.” He gestured to Adrien. “He’s training to be a Guardian, and I’m partial to becoming a game warden now after seeing all this.” He inclined his head toward Philip. “That guy is obsessed with public service, and you’re ruining his summer.” With a last flick of his arm, he pointed at Evie. “And she’s already a better potions witch than half the country, even though she’s only a teen. You picked the wrong group to try to poach out from under. So, give up right now.”
Their opponent narrowed his eyes. His gaze shifted from one student to the other as he licked his lips and new tension lined his features. “FBI trainees? Guardians? Are you kidding me?” He uttered a string of profanities so complicated, it could have been an incantation. “Just our luck. But that don’t change anything.”
Raine squared her shoulders. “Yes, it does. It’s like my friend said. We’ve taken on many more impressive people than you. We fought the Witch Queen of Chaos.”
“I’ve had enough of this garbage. Don’t cry to me when you get hurt.” The poacher snapped his wand up and shouted an incantation. A fireball blasted from it toward her.
She dropped instantly, not sure how much her shield would protect her, and muttered a restraining spell as she landed. A rope appeared and spun toward the poacher.
He whipped his wand in a circle, a sneer on his face. The rope sliced in half and fell harmlessly.
The truth was that the team were at a disadvantage in that killing their opponents was less of an option, but even though her heart pounded, her stomach didn’t tighten with fear. They had the training, experience, and will to win, exactly like they had so many times before.
Adrien circled to the side of the criminals. He jogged casually as if they were merely out doing team conditioning, a tight smile on his face.
The other two men spaced themselves on either side of their leader and launched fireball attacks of their own. William thrust in front of Evie and hissed when his defenses absorbed one of the strikes.
Philip pointed his wand at the feet of one of the men. His digging spell shunted dirt and twigs into a cloud in front of the wizard and blinded him for a moment. The poacher ceased his attack.
Sara hurled one of her few acorns toward the boat and Evie lobbed a potion a moment later. The seeds found their target and erupted into a shower of wooden spikes to pierce the craft. A few seconds later, Evie’s potion struck the side and detonated, ripping a hole in the side.
“Woah.” Evie blinked. “I guess I used too much after all.”
“No!” screamed the first poacher. “I will kill you for that.”
Asher raised his arms toward an oak tree and whispered a spell. A branch dropped and smacked the wand out of one of the poacher’s hands before it wound around him. He shouted and struggled but was soon snuggly secured by the non-zombie tree.
Cameron rocketed forward with loud growls and snarls.
Raine rolled onto her knees and conjured an ice wall to absorb the constant fireball barrages.
William thrust his palm out and launched a white-hot flame bolt at the arm of the other active poacher. The man grunted and stumbled back. A faint shimmer indicated a shield, but his wince proved that it hadn’t saved him entirely.
Sara threw a seed and an acorn toward the enemy. Both men obliterated the incoming kitsune missiles with cones of flame.
“That’s not fair!” she shouted.
Philip raised a slab of dirt in time to protect her from twin fireballs.
She smiled at him. “Good timing.”
“I have my moments.” He winked.
Another branch lowered from the tree, but this time, the criminals were ready for it and sliced it away with a quick spell. The second man began quick-firing small fireballs toward the students like a machine gun, while his leader used a few seconds to chant a spell.
Raine couldn’t make it out from where she stood, but she didn’t have to wait long. A large translucent blade extended from his wand. With a yell, he spun and sliced through the trunk of the tree.
“Are you nuts?” Asher demanded.
The wizard grinned as the mighty oak toppled. It crashed over the stream with a thunderous rumble and the bulk of it splashed into the water with a violent eruption of water. The man rushed toward it and hopped on the end.
His partner, who had laid down cover fire, glanced at him with a frown. Cameron barreled into the distracted man and knocked him off his feet. His wand spun away from him.
Adrien closed on the disabled and trapped poachers, a faint look of disappointment now on his face. He shrugged and used a quick burst to hurtle toward their fleeing leader, his sword raised high.
“You will not escape,” the Light Elf shouted.
The poacher threw his arm up and launched a fireball at him.
The elf grunted in pain as he tumbled past the man and landed hard. His shield protected him from the worst of the attack, although his slightly charred shirt would serve as a reminder. He pushed to his feet, his sword still in hand, to face his adversary.
The poacher hesitated and looked around, uncertainty on his face. “This is ridiculous. You’re
only a group of kids.”
Raine and Philip advanced toward him, their wands pointed and ready. Sara clutched another couple of seeds and narrowed her eyes. Evie rubbed a golden potion in a glass vial between her fingers, anger on her face. William held fire in both hands as he advanced, his face a grim mask. Asher had positioned himself on their far flank. He held his hand out, a slight smirk on his face.
Cameron remained on top of the fallen poacher and continued to growl menacingly into his face.
“You’ve lost,” Raine said, her wand still pointed at their quarry. “And you’ve lost badly, despite the fact that we didn’t want to seriously hurt you. You tried to kill us and you failed, and you’ll answer for your crimes.”
Asher slammed his fist into palm. “To be honest, I do want to seriously hurt you, but I’d rather see you rot in jail.”
Adrien pointed his sword at the poacher. “You can continue to fight, of course. But now, you’re badly outnumbered whereas before, you were merely outnumbered. Do you really think you can win against eight highly trained students with battle experience?”
The poacher jerked his head as if in search of an escape and sweat dotted his brow. Finally, he dropped his wand, fell to his knees, and stuck his hands behind his head. “This is insane. I can’t believe we were beat by a bunch of kids.”
Raine shook her head and smiled. “It’s like my friend said. We’re not simply anyone, we’re students of two great magical schools, and we’ve had considerable practical field experience if you want to call it that.” She pointed her wand to the sky and with a quick incantation, launched a flare. “And if you think we’re scary, wait until you meet our professors.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
The small boat that carried the arrested poachers sailed away from the pier and Raine smiled with real satisfaction. Professor Hudson had actually managed to get the authorities there in hours. Apparently, they took poaching on a protected magical island much more seriously than anyone—even the four professors—anticipated. Technically, New Firefly Island was a restricted zone, so that might have fueled their resolve.
The exact reasons didn’t matter. The important thing was that the men would pay for their crimes. Before, they only had to worry about poaching and trespassing charges, but now, they also faced a variety of other charges, not the least of which was attempted murder.
She sighed quietly. Sometimes, she wondered if it was a bad thing to be so inured to the danger she and her friends had experienced, but she chose to view it as something that would be helpful in her FBI service. She had already seen darkness, chaos, and violence, and she understood how law enforcement could protect people who couldn’t otherwise protect themselves.
Professor Kaylis cleared his throat behind her.
Raine turned with a smile. Most of the students had gathered around the firepit. The setting sun left the sky a beautiful orange-red, but something about her FBI instincts had made her want to see the criminals off. It filled her with satisfaction, and she couldn’t wait to talk to Agent Connor about everything that had happened.
Professor Powell stepped onto the path leading from the camp to the pier, but he was still dozens of yards away.
“An excellent job, Raine,” Professor Kaylis said with a smile. “I’ve told the others, but I wanted to let you know they’ll do a better job of monitoring the island going forward. That much was made clear. They might not be able to use drones here, but they can use them around it. I think also…but perhaps I’m reading too much into it.”
“Reading too much into what?” she asked.
“I think the paradigm has shifted concerning New Firefly Island with the loss of the mirror cat mother.”
She frowned in confusion. “Paradigm? What do you mean?”
“You have to understand, Raine. Before, I’m fairly certain that the government was far more concerned about people getting hurt by the animals living on this island rather than the opposite. Indeed, one of the goals of the Magical Multitudes Project is to evaluate the potential impact of magical creatures on the environment and people around them, but it was all theoretical. This place…the biodiversity…” He smiled gently, a satisfied expression on his face. “Now that we’ve so clearly established that there are many rare species here, it’ll change many things. Even the magic complicates the situation. However, there are still several relevant laws protecting rare and endangered species, so I doubt they’ll have a problem with poachers again.”
She returned her gaze to the ocean and the receding boat. “That’s good to hear. I would hate to think students on a geology trip next year would have to face a group of poachers.”
Professor Kaylis chuckled. “Indeed. I can see how that would be a problem.” He waved a hand in an expansive gesture. “Anyway, I have personally thanked each student who was involved in stopping those men. I’m proud to have worked with you this summer, and I look forward to hearing more about your accomplishments in the future.” He offered her a final nod before he turned to leave.
Professor Powell passed the other man and stopped in front of her. “How do you feel? I could tell you were a little obsessed with stopping those men.”
“I feel much better and definitely satisfied. Very satisfied.” Raine shrugged and looked down. “Are you angry that we didn’t stay where you told us to? It’s mostly my fault that we left.”
“Funny. Asher claimed it was mostly his fault, and everyone else made it clear that it was their decision.” He chuckled. “As your instructor, I should say yes, of course I’m angry you disobeyed my order, but let’s be honest. The point of going to the School of Necessary Magic isn’t to learn to follow orders. It’s to bring out the best of your magical ability.” He placed a hand over his heart. “I let myself be fooled, and you all saw through that and stopped those men. The situation I thought was in play actually wasn’t. It would have been foolish to blindly follow my order after that. This incident merely reinforces our belief in you.”
“Your belief?”
“Yes. You only have a year left in our school, and I’m honestly not sure how much more we have to teach someone like you. While we can teach you new spells, new techniques, and new history, you already have the key part of what it means to be a good witch and you prove that constantly semester after semester.” He offered her a wry smile. “Now, you’ve even proved it in the summer.”
Raine shook her head. “I want to be clear that it wasn’t only me. It was all my friends, including Asher. I wouldn’t have been able to stop those men on my own. Everything I’ve accomplished here has only been because other people have helped me.”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing.”
“I only want to make sure everyone gets the credit they deserve.”
Professor Powell nodded. He glanced up as a pair of seagulls glided above them. “And I’m glad you’re doing that and appreciate how important your friends are, but you need to realize how special you are, even without friends.”
“I’m a normal witch. I’m not powerful or even the best at technique.”
“Power is one thing, but it’s only one aspect—and so is magic, for that matter. Leadership’s important, Raine. Very important, especially in a world as complicated as ours that will take the next few centuries to resolve all its issues.” He pointed at her. “Understanding how to rally a team is an important skill, one that can’t always be taught, even to smart people. Let’s be realistic. As an example, Evie is a naturally gifted potions witch, but do you see her as a leader?” He raised an eyebrow. “Be honest.”
She averted her gaze. “She doesn’t need to be a leader.”
“I’m not saying she does, and I’m not trying to insult her either. The world needs potions witches, just as it needs leaders. The truth I want you to see is that you’re a natural-born leader, Raine, with a fine moral sense that has been cultivated by your parents and your guardians.” Professor Powell gazed at the horizon, a pained look in his eyes. “The darkness is alway
s there, waiting, so it’s especially important that we have people on the side of light—people like you, Raine. The magical community couldn’t ask for a better first representative in the FBI. I’m proud to have done my small part in your magical education.”
Raine looked down as her face heated. She took a few deep breaths before responding. “T-Thank you, Professor Powell, but the only reason we’ve been able to do most of the things we’ve done is because of all the quality education we’ve received. The things you’ve taught us in your class alone have saved our lives. Professor Hudson’s classes have helped me understand my place in the world along with a lot of other magicals, which has helped me to not always make ignorant mistakes like I would have before coming to the School of Necessary Magic.”
His gloom vanished with a grin. He turned to look at the lightly churning ocean. “I’m glad to hear that, even if I do pride myself on providing a rather pragmatic and directly applicable magical education. I would hate to think I’ve taught nothing but useless spells.” He nodded toward the camp. “You should get back if only so Cameron will relax. I think he’s half-convinced you’ll swim to the mainland to look for more crimes to solve.”
“No, I think that scratched my itch for the summer.” She released a contented sigh. “Will we be able to stay on the island? We’re still supposed to have several weeks, and now that the poachers have been caught, we can explore that cavern. I’m not only obsessed with crime, you know. I want to learn.”
“That’s always a good thing, and one of the reasons Leo likes you so much.” The professor’s grin faded slowly. “But, well, I’ll be honest. We’re unsure whether we’ll be able to complete our stay here.”
“Why?” Raine shook her head. “We removed the main threat.”
“We removed a threat, yes, but not all threats.” He pointed to the mazeball court in the distance. “We might have to leave for the same reason that we don’t want you to play on that—those earthquakes. Once we learned there might be poachers here, it occurred to us that they might somehow be responsible, especially because of the magical pulses, but it’s very clear now that they weren’t. Something else is going on with this island, and if we can’t understand it, we might have to leave until somebody identifies the issue and stabilizes it. Right now, the tremors can be dealt with through the use of quick magic, but if they worsen even slightly, it could end up as a serious situation and with someone hurt.”
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