Wary Is Her Love_An Urban Fantasy Action Adventure

by Judith Berens

  Izzie bent down and touched the trail again, closing her eyes. “Whoever this is, they came and they went, but they didn’t linger too long here. They aren’t in the school any longer.”

  “That’s what I was feeling; like it was a short visit, for whatever reason.”

  “Yes, but I can’t tell who exactly the intruder was.”

  “That’s way more difficult to do, and takes a lot of practice.”

  Eleanor marveled to herself at Izzie’s abilities and her conclusions that the intruder had come and gone. Eleanor could tell, but for someone of Izzie’s age with minimal experience doing magic, the fact that she could see it at all and read it so accurately was shocking. She hadn’t met a magical being like that since she had met Mara’s granddaughter Leira when she came to speak at the school. Her powers had gradually come into play, then bam—they had erupted quickly after that. It seemed to be happening to Izzie, too.

  “Why don’t we follow this trail?”

  “All right.” Izzie nodded.

  Eleanor and Izzie walked through the school, slowly following the dark magic trail, Mara watching them walk away. The trail went down the hall, circled through the cafeteria, and went up the steps and through the dorms. It looped around several times, but never stopped in one place for too long. Eleanor knew they had been there and where they had gone, but had absolutely no idea why they had come. When they got back to the classroom, the other students were still trying the spell, too excited about the new ability to notice anything else.

  Alison, however, had noticed and overheard them. When they had walked off to follow the trail she stood in the hall, pulled her magic up, and attempted to see the soul and energy of whoever had left the trail. Most dark magical beings cleaned up their tracks, but this person hadn’t, which meant that either they wanted the trail to be seen, or they didn’t know how to cover it. It could also be the case that they had no idea they were dark and had left the trail without knowing. Since they weren’t still there, the last one was a bit of a stretch. It took a long time and a lot of change to move the dark energy out of you, and you really had to want to be light, something that obviously didn’t happen very often.

  Alison tried to see the figure, but couldn’t. She could only see the souls that were still present, and whoever this person was, they were long gone. Izzie came back and stood next to Alison, her arms crossed in front of her.

  “I tried to see their soul,” Alison whispered. “But I can only see people who are still here. It’s obvious that this person is not.”

  “Yeah, I could see their trail, but it ends,” Izzie replied. “I don’t feel the dark magic in here either. They would have to have a lot of it in them to leave a trail that distinct and have it last like that.”

  “Whoever it was, they were looking for something,” Alison said with a sigh.

  “Or someone.” Izzie shivered just thinking about it. “You know what?”

  “What?” Alison asked.

  “With your ability to see souls and energy and my ability to track dark magic, we make one hell of a strong team.”

  “I know, right? We could become detectives and be partners. We could solve crimes faster than anyone else.”

  “We would be the new Leira Berens.” Izzie giggled.

  They stood there for a couple more minutes before Izzie put her arm through Alison’s and squeezed her hand. “We should get back inside before someone notices us hanging out in the hall. I’m sure that if I can see the dark trail, someone else can too.”

  “Don’t underestimate yourself. There are not a lot of strong and talented people like you. You have something they don’t.”

  “Yeah,” Izzie replied walking into the classroom. “It just would be nice to know what it is.”

  16

  Finding the gumption to keep up their spirits with Emma still in the hospital was starting to be a challenge for the group. They hadn’t realized how much it would affect them when one of their teammates went down, and Izzie had already visited several times and covered her corner in the sick bay with all kinds of magical flowers. Emma told her to stop worrying so much, that she would have done the same for her, but Izzie still felt bad when she was laid up with a broken arm and concussion while Izzie was going to class.

  “Hey, it’s like a vacation,” Emma told her. “They even let me watch television, like the old-school human game shows. They are hilarious. Did you know people used to dress up in wacky costumes and try to get things from their bags so that the host would pick them to play a game where most of the time they lost anyway?”

  “Sounds weird.” Izzie giggled, rolling her eyes as the bell rang after lunch.

  “Go to class. I can’t believe you missed lunch just for me.”

  Izzie winked. “I won’t starve. Get out of jail soon. We miss you.”

  “I miss you guys, too.”

  Izzie made her way out of the sick bay and down the hallway toward her class. Luke came out of the cafeteria and tossed Izzie a baggie with a half a sandwich and a cut up apple in it. She smiled and waited for him to catch up.

  “How did you manage that?”

  “I explained it to my plate. Yes, I just said I talked to my plate. Hey, it worked.”

  “Mmm, egg salad, my favorite.”

  “The mighty plate knows all.”

  Izzie giggled as they made their way to their next class. They walked inside and took the last empty seats, one in front of the other. Elias Hodges, looking as suave as ever, stood at the front of the class and smiled.

  “I know, I know, Transfiguration Class is everyone’s favorite,” he joked.

  A few people laughed, and one let out a loud whoop. Elias pointed at the kid in the back with a smile, and the girls giggled. Alison wondered just how handsome this guy actually was. His soul was definitely shrouded with suavity, but so was Max Regency’s—and he was not bringing in the girls.

  “All right, so to me transfiguration is a complete change of form or appearance into a more beautiful or spiritual state,” Elias explained. “Like shifters.”

  Several people in the class snickered and scoffed. Elias stood up straight, putting his hands in his pockets, and frowned. He hated how much shifters were disliked. It wasn’t because of what they did, but because of the stigma that continued to be passed from generation to generation. If parents stopped hating, he would eventually have a class that understood what he was trying to tell them. He was tired of watching the shifters in his class hang their heads in shame.

  Elias scanned the room, flashing yellow through his eyes that quieted everyone on the spot. They might snicker and scoff, but some were terrified of the wolves. Izzie seemed curious to Elias, but then again, she could always be found at Luke’s side. Elias’s eyes shifted to Luke, who looked down at his lap and twiddled his thumbs. Elias took a deep breath and sat on the edge of his desk.

  “There is a beauty to the shape and form of a wolf as it transforms from an everyday state to an animal that is sleek and strong and has eyes sharper than any other creature and hearing that could track a footstep a hundred miles away if it wanted to. Trolls are the same way, for that matter. They start out as these little furry things with sharp teeth and can grow taller or shorter, morph into the shape of a dog or cat or even a very large toucan. While the shifter changes completely, no matter what the troll turns into, he keeps the same fur and teeth. I think of the troll as the Cheshire cat of Oriceran; always watching and quiet, but incredibly intelligent and sneaky.”

  “And a pain in the ass,” one of the guys yelled.

  “Yes.” Elias chuckled, happy to be off the subject of shifters. “If you do anything to save a troll from harm, they bond with you for life. The magic bond even goes so far that if the master dies, the troll dies too. They can feed off their person’s emotions, sometimes uncontrollably, but they are faithful, funny, smart, and very, very wise. In the wild, a troll can live close to a thousand years if they aren’t eaten by a larger predator.”

&n
bsp; “If they can shift into anything, how does any creature best them?”

  “Everyone has weaknesses and vulnerabilities. Take the wolves. Even without the use of everyday magic like a wizard or elf; they can beat you in a battle because they have the numbers and the strength. However, if it is one on one or a shifter is caught right as it changes, it can't react faster than magic. Similarly, most magical beings—except perhaps a Kilomea—cannot react with enough strength once a wolf pounces on them.”

  “But they attack for no reason.”

  “That’s the rumor, but have you ever actually read a story where one attacked for no reason? Have you seen it?”

  Izzie put up her hand. “I had a shifter in wolf form walk right in front of me, and it let me run my hand through its fur.”

  Ethan yelled, “I hear Leira Berens has a whistle, and if she uses it the shifters come to the rescue immediately.”

  “They are mangy mutts,” one of the assholes blurted. “And an accident on Oriceran.”

  Everyone looked at the kid and Izzie was tempted pull some power, but when she looked at Elias, he shook his head.

  “Well, in this class you are going to learn all about shifters and other creatures that transfigure, and hopefully, we can change your mind by the end.”

  “Yeah, right.” Luke scoffed under his breath. “We’ll live and die as outcasts.”

  That broke Izzie’s heart.

  The library was packed full of sophomores spending their free period in study hall. They weren’t even sure why it was called a free period since they were required to be in study hall and were given detention if found anywhere else. It was the day before the start of their fall break, and though they were expected to be quiet and reading, none of them could focus well enough. They all wanted to talk about what they planned to do during their vacations. Even Alison was excited to go home this time.

  “Izzie, what are you going to do? You should come home with me. Brownstone and Shay wouldn’t mind.” Alison sighed.

  “No, no, I have plenty to do. I think I might go and investigate the kemana more. It’s not like the last time I was there we really got to see a lot.”

  “True. We were kind of...invisible.” Alison giggled.

  “Yeah, but we saved an unappreciative little punk from getting eaten by a Kilomea, or whatever they do to their victims.”

  “I don’t think they eat them. That would be slightly cannibalistic, but I’m sure that the person probably wishes they were getting eaten by the end of it.”

  “I still can’t believe he was so ungrateful.”

  “I know, right?” Izzie laughed. “I felt like throwing him back down the staircase to fend for himself.”

  Emma looked up and smiled, leaning forward on her books. “Alison, what are you and your wards going to do?”

  Alison smiled proudly, actually having something to tell people for once. “Well, my dad and my Aunt Shay...”

  “Wait, wait, wait.” Aya stopped her. “Your dad?”

  “Yeah.” Alison giggled. “I might have forgotten to mention it, but over summer break Brownstone adopted me.”

  Aya covered her mouth to stifle a squeal. “That is so amazing.”

  “Sorry I didn’t mention it. There was so much going on when we got back. Yeah, so anyway, my DAD and Aunt Shay are taking me to this resort kemana for the whole time. I hear it’s like one of the best times you can have beneath the Earth.”

  “I’ve heard about that place,” Kathleen whispered. “They supposedly enchant the ceiling of the caves to look like the blue sky of the tropics during the day and the Oriceran sky at night.”

  The librarian walked over and swatted the desk with a rolled-up piece of paper, he and his flower making shushing faces. The girls grimaced and went back to pretending to study. Alison sighed and clutched her backpack. She was nervous and scared to bring it into the open and talk about it. What if they scoffed at her or made fun of her? She had a hard time imagining that from her friends, but she had lived through much crazier things that she hadn’t seen coming.

  She looked at the souls of her friends, knowing she had to tell them before she left for break. They were at a secluded table in the front section where no one else would overhear, and they were all together. There wouldn’t be a better time than right then to get it done. She took a deep breath and leaned forward, shaking her hands to get their attention. She could see streams of curiosity flow through each soul as the group stared at her, letting her know she had the room, or at least the table.

  She swallowed hard and shook her head, speaking in a hushed tone. “Guys, there is something that I want to talk to you about. I’ve wanted to tell you all semester, but I guess I’ve just been kind of scared about it. I didn’t know how you would react.”

  “You can tell us anything.” Emma smiled.

  “Yeah, A, spill it. We’re all ears,” Ethan replied in a kind tone.

  “Well, you all know by now that I am a Drow.”

  They all muttered yes, waiting for her to go on.

  “That gives me a special sight that really comes in handy. One other fun fact…” She wrung her hands nervously. “Here goes. I’m blind. I can see energy, souls, and magic, but that’s it.”

  Everyone looked at each other sheepishly, not saying a word. She sat there trying to figure out what their reactions were, but couldn’t hear anything or see anything in their souls. She was starting to get really nervous.

  “Guys, don’t just sit there. She told you she can’t see you. Say something.” Izzie glared at them, tilting her head.

  “What is it?” Alison asked nervously. “Just say it. Whatever you want to say, I can take it.”

  Kathleen sighed. “Aya already blabbed.”

  Aya turned bright red and reached out taking Alison’s hand. “I’m so sorry. I just thought it would be easier if everyone knew. That way if you needed any help with anything, they would know. And with all the fights and dark magic, having a blind partner is kind of important to understand. They were completely blown away, though, when I told them.”

  Alison started, then broke out into laughter, covering her mouth so she wouldn’t be too loud.

  Ethan reached out and squeezed Alison’s hand. “We wanted to give you a chance tell us when you were ready.”

  “You guys are great.” Alison chuckled. “You are like my second family.”

  Kathleen raised an eyebrow. “Like?”

  Izzie pouted. “Second?”

  Alison giggled and put her arms around Izzie and squeezed, whispering into her ear. “You are my sister through and through; don’t ever think anything different.” Then, “You are my family. All of you are.”

  She let go of Izzie and put her hand out, the rest of them squeezing it. “Thank you, guys. You are the best.”

  17

  The group met in the lobby, everyone with bags packed and ready to leave for their fall break. Everyone but Izzie, but she was going to accompany them to the train station to see them off. She and Mara would be staying behind at the school, since the headmistress had business to attend to. Izzie would be left to her own devices, and planned to check in on Marigold and help Horace around the grounds. Though she didn’t mind, she was going to miss her friends, but at least the school now felt like home to her.

  When Peter finally made it down, having packed more than he probably needed, the group went out to the front gate and caught the jitney to Charlottesville. On the bus ride over Izzie listened to Kathleen complain because she had to go back to her actual house—more like a mansion—instead of going on an extravagant trip. Emma was just happy to be seeing her parents for a few days, Aya was the same, and Ethan was headed to Peter’s house. Izzie wondered if the two of them were going to drive Peter’s family mad or literally blow them right off the foundation.

  “We are working on a project for the club,” Peter explained. “It has the possibility of helping so many people if we can get it right.”

  “Not to mention, it
would make us enough money that we wouldn’t ever have to work again.”

  “And what would you do with your time?” Kathleen asked. “Video games?”

  “I would be one of those adventure seekers, skydiving, jumping off buildings, or whatever I could find.”

  “I dunno, doesn’t seem too adventurous with your wand in your hand for safety.” Emma giggled.

  “I’ll leave my wand at home.”

  “You are part elf,” Kathleen scoffed. “You can’t leave that at home.”

  The bus pulled up in Charlottesville and let the students off at the Starbucks. They passed a normal couple, who shook their heads and stared at the gaggle of people inside the Starbucks.

  “I swear, no matter where we go the Starbucks are constantly packed, and half the people I see don’t have drinks. I don’t get it. Is it like the cool place to hang out?”

  Ethan smirked as they walked by, holding the door for the others. Izzie followed them down to the platform and saw each person off, since all of them were headed in different directions. Alison stood in front of her, watching the thin blue streaks swirl through her soul.

  “You sure you don’t want to come with me? It will be fun. You can learn martial arts from Brownstone.”

  She smiled. “I’ll be fine. I’m really looking forward to exploring the grounds and spending some time with the horses.”

  “Okay,” Alison replied, leaning in and kissing her cheek. “Don’t get in any trouble while I’m gone.”

  Izzie laughed. “I’ll try not to.”

  She waved, her hair blowing wildly as Alison’s train whooshed down the tracks into the darkness. She sighed and patted her hands on her legs, turned around, and climbed the stairs back to the top. She grabbed a coffee from the Starbucks and decided to go over to the mall and mill about, despite Mara’s directive not to do things alone in town because it wasn’t safe. It was just the mall, which was full of people so Izzie couldn’t see what the harm could be.