by L Cross
Well wasn’t that a smooth segue. But I wasn’t going to give up that easily. "Okay. I’d like to talk about how I encountered a big scary thing that nearly killed me last night at laser tag."
We had a staring contest. This was not the line of questioning that she wanted to have, but it was the one that I wanted to talk about.
She blinked first. "Fine. What do you want to know?"
I swallowed down the thrill of victory with a quick sip of my coffee. “What was that thing, really, because we both know it wasn’t really a demon, right? Why do you suspect black magic when it’s not really a demon, and what made you check for wands?”
“We don’t know what it is since the evidence was destroyed. Black magic leaves a marker like a residue that depletes life rather than creating life. And, we checked all the wands because they are an easy instrument to focus magic and spells. ” She answered in such a clipped manner that I had to remember the questions I’d asked, and in what order I’d asked them.
“Oh. Well, that would make sense.” My forehead creased. I had the feeling that she was answering truthfully, but not revealing any information. I wondered if that was a trick taught to all mages that I’d be able to pick up over time.
“What do you mean depletes life? Surely, conjuring a demon isn’t black magic? We do so many times during training, or at least we’re told we would.”
“It’s not just that. It is intent to kill and take.”
“So intention is important,” I asked.
“Very.”
“But, how in the world would Hanami’s wand be tainted? She had it on her the whole time, and it’s not like another person could have taken it and used it?”
“That is why we had no choice but to suspend Ms. Saito, and why I’m working to exonerate her,” the Merlin said matter-of-factly. “To be honest, we’re just as surprised as you at the turn of events. The threat that this could be one of the Morrigan’s tricks is very, very real. I would rather not panic a population of young magic wielders with conjectures and half truths if it can be helped.”
Heat rushed into my cheeks at the censure. “I just wanted to know that something was being done. It doesn’t seem fair.”
The Merlin leaned back against her chair, which made her look like a queen atop a throne. “Can we talk about you and your curriculum now, Ms. Drake.”
“Sure.” There was nothing else I could do except put my faith in the Merlin. Trust her to do the right thing, even though it was hard not to keep pushing.
“Good. I see that you are going to be part of the Knight Program, which is great. You’re already in the top ranks, so you should be a shoo-in. Tell me, what part of being a knight appealed to you the most.”
Unbidden came Lance and Wyn’s faces. And to my horrible dismay, Morgan’s. I really didn’t mean to think about the guys. Really.
“Honestly, I like the idea that my father was a knight, and I want to know more about who I am, where I came from, and why I was able to pull that sword from the stone.”
I didn’t know what the Merlin expected me to say, but she seemed satisfied enough. “Good, that’s good. You’re gonna need to remember your why, because even though it all seems exciting now, especially when the academic calendar starts and the ranks become more competitive, there’s a lot of work ahead, and more often than not, we get burn outs.”
“What happens when people burn out of the academy,” I asked her.
“They go back to their normal lives,” she answered.
“After knowing what they know? How—” then I saw her face. “Oh. They’re made to forget.”
“Yes. It’s a bit tricky, because even though they might have forgotten there is still the chance that their Sight comes back, or they draw the attention of other monsters. We keep an eye on those folks. For the most part though, there’s no problem.”
If you say so, I said to myself.
“We require all of our knights to be proficient in all forms of offensive training, including magic and combat. For your first year here, you will learn and train. You might not have the same foundational magic training as the rest of your year, but in many ways you’re already advanced, you just need some direction.”
She opened a manila folder that hadn’t been on her desk a minute ago. “To that end, I am assigning you a mentor to make sure that you have what you need.”
As if on cue, there was a slight knock on the door. “Ah, here he is now.” The Merlin stood up to greet whoever was coming, and I mimicked her action.
Dread gathered in the pit of my stomach to think about the possibility of who it would be.
Please not Morgan, please not Morgan...
The door opened, and Morgan swept into her office, closing the door behind him.
The dread in my stomach soured into something closer to nausea. Gee, thanks Universe.
Morgan wore a severe black suit that matched his personality and accentuated his long, willowy frame. Damn, he looked like he had been called in from a photoshoot from a fashionable designer. He had that cold fae look down, all alien and serious. His eyes were luminous as he swept his gaze around the room, regarding me with the same neutrality as he did the furniture.
He wore his platinum hair down today, softening his appearance just enough to make him slightly approachable. I didn’t know if he was working up a kind of glamour or if he just knew how to play up his looks to his advantage. He would never pass as soft or weak.
Of course, he would be predatory enough to allow his prey to get close to him, lulling them to lower their defenses before he would pounce and rip them apart. Yeah, his beauty was a weapon all its own, deadly and cutting.
“You asked to see me, Merlin?” he said, his voice cool and even.
"Yes, Mr. Rience. I have a new assignment for you. I hope you're up for a challenge."
"I am always willing and able to serve wherever the Lady of the Lake chooses to send me," he said in the perfect tone, damn him.
"That's good to hear, Mr. Rience. I asked you here because among your peers you have a higher clear rate, and your case load seems manageable at the moment. Would I be correct?"
"You would be, Merlin."
I could almost see his chest puff up with a little more pride. Considering he was already full of himself, I found this feat astounding.
"Tell me, what was the latest case you were assigned?" she asked.
"It was with Professor Drummond as the lead in the field. We apprehended a group of warriors that were aligned with an ancient demon clan. They were trading humans for personal gain. The usual power, wealth, and other such things."
I couldn’t restrain the snort that sounded from me. “You say that like none of those things matter at all."
Morgan turned his frigid gaze on me, something like surprise coloring his face. He was probably shocked that I had the power of speech the way he looked down on me. "Those things,” he sneered, stretching out the word into multiple syllables, “don't matter at all.”
"You mean they shouldn't matter,” I corrected him, “and I agree with you. But for others, they do matter and it's strong motivation for them to do things that they're not supposed to do."
The vein above his temple throbbed, and a faint pink flushed his cheeks.
I swallowed hard, forcing myself to ignore his chilling gaze and the fact that he looked even more attractive when he was angry.
What the hell was wrong with me?
Instead of answering me, he turned his attention back toward the Merlin. "Forgive the interruption, Merlin. What was the purpose of this meeting again?"
He dared to excuse me as if I was the interruption. I took one step toward him.
The Merlin spoke deliberately. “The purpose of this meeting was to let you know that I thought about your request, and I will grant it to you. You will investigate what happened at the laser tag facility last night. As the lead investigator."
A corner of Morgan's lip curled up. That was the closest that I'd ever se
en him smile. "I am grateful, Merlin."
"Good. Because you will also do so with Ms. Drake as your partner on this case."
I had the distinct pleasure of watching an entire spectrum of emotion ripple over Morgan's face.
The Merlin turned toward me. "Would that be amenable to you, Ms. Drake?"
"Yes, Merlin," I said. I felt like my voice was from a far ways off.
"Excuse me. With all due respect, Merlin, Ms. Drake is nowhere near capable of being out in the field. She was recruited nary a month ago, has not had formal training, and the academic calendar starts on Monday."
"And yet, she fought off a minotaur, a troll, and pulled the sword of power from its stone prison all without formal training.” She said without an inflection. "And, is the top-ranked cadet."
"She will be a liability to the investigation," Morgan insisted.
"And I'm counting on you to make sure that whatever perceived liability will be turned into an asset."
There was another moment when they just locked stares, but in the end, Morgan dipped his head into a resigned bow. "As you wish, Merlin."
"I will be laying out the expectations and deliver the case to you once I have it complete. Ms. Drake, you will be cc'd on that case. I expect you to defer to Mr. Rience’s judgment. Would you be able to do that, Ms. Drake?"
I couldn't help but see the smirk creeping over his face. If I said that I had a problem with it, I might lose my chance of this experience of working in the field and of this opportunity to help Hanami and find out what happened at the laser tag place.
And, okay, maybe I still felt the need to prove to myself that I earned that rank. With me on the case, I probably would be even better help to Hanami and getting her back where she belonged: In her fast track to Merlin-hood.
"Yes, Merlin."
"Then you accept this assignment as a junior partner to Mr. Rience?"
I spared him a glance. He almost dared me not to take it.
"I do, Merlin."
Somehow, just saying those words made it feel as if I sealed my own fate. More like hogtied myself to be at Morgan's mercy.
"Perfect. I'll have your case files ferried over to you all by the end of the day. Dismissed."
Morgan didn't linger. He turned on his heel, and barely opened the door before disappearing.
Reminder: I needed to ask Hanami how to do that teleportation thing.
I paused at the door, reminded of something. I turned back toward the Merlin who had gone behind her desk.
"Yes, Ms. Drake?" she asked.
"Just wanted to verify something. I was told that nothing could teleport into the dorms, correct?"
"That is correct."
"Like, how much of that is a hard impossibility? Like is it extremely unlikely or downright impossible?"
“If you put it that way, I suppose it would be possible after a full scale assault on the wards. But something tells me that you're asking if there were a quiet and stealthy way to teleport or otherwise appear in the Academy's warded spaces, and in that respect, teleportation or magical portals would be impossible."
I nodded feeling a little better, but not truly. After all, if teleportation from the outside were impossible, then that would mean I was either hallucinating last night when I saw that demon thing in my suite, or I was missing something potentially vital.
"Okay, thanks." When I placed my hand on the doorknob, I paused again. "Teleportation or portals from the outside would be impossible. But the residents would be free to do so, correct?"
The Merlin stood there, holding a piece of paper in her hand. "I suppose so. They'd have to be adept or upperclassmen, but if they wanted to they'd be able to teleport. Why? You don't seem the type to avoid elevators or stairs?"
"Just curious, that's all."
I left before the Merlin was able to get more with that gaze of hers.
Text Messages
Unknown Number: Library. Archives. 2PM.
* * *
Artura: Who is this?
* * *
Unknown Number: Morgan.
* * *
Artura: How did you get my number?
* * *
Morgan: Magic.
11
X Gonna Give It To Ya
"Girl, are you even trying?" Hanami asked me.
I wanted to stare her down, but that would have required lifting my head up and otherwise using more than one muscle group at a time.
Not. Cool.
"Dude, come a little closer to me so I can kick you." I heard her sighed, and I could just imagine her rolling her eyes. "Are you rolling your eyes at me? You promised not to roll your eyes at me."
"You also promised to try harder,” she insisted.
"Dude, I've never done this before, so can you please just take it down a million notches and pretend you're teaching like a really beginner-beginner?"
"I thought I was?"
"If you were, I wouldn't be wiped out on the floor. Again."
"I thought you were just weak.” This time, she couldn’t hold the laughter from her voice.
"That's it." I flung the nearest projectile at her and heard it connect. She squeaked, and that made it all the more satisfying.
For the past several hours after my meeting with the Merlin, Hanami was trying to show me how to teleport. So far all I've managed to do was grow dizzy and faint multiple times.
And most of those times, I missed the designated fluffy mat and blacked out directly onto the hard floor.
"Maybe if we can just go through the steps again, I can get it."
"Okay," she said skeptically. "All right. On your feet." She hauled me up. I swayed once, but I rested my hands on my knees so I could catch my breath. When the dizzy spell passed, I straightened, ready for more.
"Now, visualize where you want to go."
She had placed a big X on a mat about twenty feet away. Not that far away, but you'd think I was going to China or something with the amount of energy I was expending doing this.
Smooth and precise, like everything else she did, Hanami went through the steps that teleported her from where she stood to the giant X on the mat.
I tried one more time, and managed to cramp my leg and pitch forward. It was only by Hanami's quick reflexes that I didn't completely face plant.
Sprawled on the floor, I admitted defeat. "All right. I'll stop for now."
"Practice makes perfect. We'll just practice again tomorrow, okay?"
I nodded. "Okay. Now I'd appreciate it if you let me die in peace. I think literally every muscle in my body is sore."
She laughed. "Well don't take too long trying to get yourself together. You have that first meeting with Morgan."
That damned text message from him really threw me off. I should have known it was him in the first place. His disdain was obvious even through the phone.
"Ugh, why did you have to remind me," I whined.
"Because if you miss it and are late, you would whine and complain. And I know that you want to make a good impression with the Merlin, and will secretly not-so-secretly want to show up Morgan."
I never got around to telling her what the assignment was, and she never asked. And if she did, I didn't know exactly what to tell her, but I figured I'd cross that bridge when I got there. So instead, I wheeled myself into a sitting position. "There ain't no secret about it. I definitely want to show him up."
With that I went to get ready. After all, Morgan always looked impeccable, and I wasn't about to give him easy insults.
12
Work It
"Once you're done sorting through the boxes here, there are more here." Morgan showed the mountain of files and boxes. They were layered in dust and some had to have been coated in unidentified mold.
"And how exactly is this helping the case?"
"Being able to access the history of the Academy will help the case."
"Isn't that why there's an Archive in the Academy libraries? To help access information like t
hat?"
"Yes." Morgan didn't elaborate as he moved away from me.
Was I being dismissed?
"Hey! The Merlin said that we were supposed to be working on this case together?"
He turned around and froze me in place with those ice chips for eyes of his. "Yes, and I am the lead and you are the junior partner. And as the lead, I want you to sort through these files and organize them."
The lethal menace in his tone made my insides quake, but I wasn't about to let him intimidate me. I brought him to his knees once, I could do it again.
The way his eyes twitched made me wonder if he was thinking of that time, too.
I wanted to fight him. My hands clenched into fists. The shifting of magic was a sluggish coil beneath my feet, but I felt it there, ready and willing to be used. The pen in my pocket vibrated with a bloodthirstiness that shocked me enough to cool my anger.
It would have been fun to indulge my anger, but this was not the best way to prove to the Merlin that I belonged here. And like it or not, Morgan was my appointed mentor for the time being, and he would have a say in whether or not I should stay.
I would not give him the satisfaction of sending me away.
“And what about the file that she said she would send?"
When he merely cocked his head to the side and didn't respond, I said, "The file that she said I would get a copy of?"
"Well, if you want that file, then I suggest you do less talking and more organizing."
I didn't have a response for that, and stared slack-jawed at the maze of files and boxes. If he had just thrown the folder in there, it literally could be anywhere. After I got over my shock and turned, he was gone.
I wasn't sure whether he just left while I was dumbfounded or if he teleported out. The idea of him being able to teleport on top of all that was told me grated me even more.
