“Between the fire sorcerer, and allying with the local pack and the most powerful sole witch practitioner they’ve ever met, everyone thinks you’re growing too powerful to be tolerated and used as a tool.”
“And you came to warn me?” my smile was a bit more genuine. I was a little shocked at the risk she was taking on my behalf.
She nodded, “You should be wary, or leave the city altogether. I shouldn’t stay, if anyone finds out I talked to you…”
“I’ve been aware, they’ve been wary of me for a while now and your probably right. Your welcome here by the way, but if you have to go I understand. I do appreciate you giving me a heads up.”
She stood, “Be careful,” and her voice actually sounded concerned.
I watched as she left in a hurry, putting her sunglasses on as she turned to go down the hall to the outside door. I wasn’t sure what to do about it, I was aware they’d betray me at some point, with about as much guilt as stepping on a roach. My triple shield, fire surrounded by two shields of air wrapped around the contours of my body, was second nature to me now and was always active, and should protect me.
Even during a shower, or at home in Sierra’s and my room, I had a shield up. Granted, in those cases the shield wasn’t directly around my body, it was around the entire room. Otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to touch or be touched by anyone, which was no way to live. The council moved to fast for me to perceive unless I was speeding up my body and perceptions with air magic, which was exhausting and impractical to keep up for long. So really, it was the only way to protect myself.
One day they would attack, but I would wait until they did. If I killed them simply because I thought they were a threat, well I’d be exactly like them. Of course, self-defense was another story, when they attacked me I would have no compunctions about ending them. I took another sip of my coffee and sighed, I wanted to take a nap but I still felt like there was more left to do in the office today.
I smiled as Aiya walked in. She had on a gray cotton skirt, white blouse, and a blazer that almost hid her gun, but not quite. She also had her badge clipped to her skirt. She looked good, and as I realized the reason she was here, I shivered. I was mostly over this morning’s vision, but the echo of the intense feelings of helpless rage and shame lingered. It was muted of course, because the vision changed, but I still remembered it.
I did my best to maintain a smile, “Hey, grab a coffee, have a seat.”
Aiya tilted her head, “Are you okay? Things went well, we got those two idiots locked up.”
I nodded, “Good. So what can I do for the jewel of Chicago’s missing person’s department.”
She snorted, and went over to pour a cup of coffee, “Now I know something is wrong.”
I shook my head, “Just the vision, nothing anyone can do, I’ll get passed it. Besides, can’t I compliment the prettiest cop in the city?”
She sat across from me, her eyes wise beyond her years from all the crap she’s seen in her job.
“I don’t actually need anything, just swung by to say hi, and thanks for the tip. The girl was knocked out in the back of the van, but is recovering just fine at the local hospital. This was kind of new you know, usually we save them after they’ve been kidnapped, not forewarned and saving them during the kidnapping. Are you sure everything is okay?”
I sighed, “It will be, seriously. Just my… ability to see visions, just got upgraded. Visions two point oh. It was rather disturbing and took a lot out of me. Mostly I’m just tired. And it was a very good thing we saved her at the beginning, you’ll understand when you go through their place. So, how are things going with Todd?”
She gave me a pointed look for my sad attempt to manipulate a change of subject, but then allowed it anyway.
“Wonderful actually. We’re going out on another date tonight. No, I still don’t know what he is, but I don’t care either, he’s a good man. Plus… kind of hot.”
I nodded, “He is, a good man I mean, I’ll let you be the judge for the hot part.”
Her eyes were laughing at me, “Glad I have your approval,” she said sarcastically, but at the same time I could tell she actually did mean it.
I could see the thread of fire magic that connected us, a representation of our friendship. A magical connection only a fire sorcerer could read, generated just because of our emotional connection to each other. It was so obvious that I wondered how I ever missed seeing it before, or that I’d had to struggle to find it just four days ago.
I sipped my coffee, “He’s a lucky man.”
She replied, “Thanks, and I wanted to mention you might have the press come by again. Some of the officers Mike and I brought along couldn’t shut up about how we got a tip for something as random as exactly where the white van would pick up the girl. You know how it is, they’re in awe of you, except when they’re giving me crap for associating with a psychic.”
“Wait, you have a date tonight? I was hoping you’d be my backup at Mike’s.”
She shook her head, “Coward. You know I’m only five foot two, and very small. I’m staying out of it after you threw me under the bus last week. I’ll come to the next one, and maybe bring Todd with me.”
I sighed, “What does your size have to do with it?”
She laughed, “I thought it would shame you, trying to hide behind little old me.”
Damn. That was tough love.
“Fine, I’ll pull on my big boy pants. That, or I’ll hide behind Sierra.”
I figured if I couldn’t beat her, I’d join her and take shots at myself.
She took pity on me, “I think it will be fine. I do see him every day you know; you could have just asked me. He’s still a little freaked out, but you know how Jenna can be, and she’s been bullying him about it.”
“Thanks. That’s good to know. So… awkward, changing friendship, but not ending. I think I can handle that.”
We talked a bit longer, and then she left to go do cop things. My power told me no one else was coming today, so I gathered the power of air around me, and went back to the house. I really did need a nap, I still felt drained, so I passed out on the bed.
Chapter 4
Wednesday, June 8th, 2016, 5:36 PM
“Wake up lazy,” I half heard, but it was Sierra’s soft lips on my neck, and her hands on my body that woke me up.
I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her down to claimed a kiss.
She pushed against my chest with a teasing laugh, “Later, right now you need to take a shower so we can get over to Mike’s.”
I felt a bit better, I wondered if the new type of visions, and having more power was having some kind of effect on my physical body that would account for the drained and worn out feeling. This had never happened before when I’d gained power and I wondered why it was an issue this time. I felt like I should already know, and was struck with guilt as I remembered just how I gained more power in fire. Not that Jaben hadn’t deserved it, but maybe I hadn’t been ready?
Perhaps there was a physical component involved. All it took for more power was understanding, but that understanding should come with time and experience, which I bypassed for the first time. The only other possible option that occurred to me was the human body wasn’t meant to house two elemental powers, and I was only fine until I started increasing my power of elemental fire.
I really hoped that wasn’t it, because the first could be dealt with by time and practice, the latter theory meant… I was screwed.
I asked innocently, “So we need to take a shower?”
She laughed and gave me a soft kiss that was entirely too short.
“Not we, you need to take a shower. We can’t be late, and we will be if I join you…”
She jumped up and walked toward our door, and turned her head back to look at me.
“And you’re going to explain to me what’s going on with you,” she said firmly, and I could see the wolf in her eyes. She wasn’t mad at me exactly, I coul
d feel that she was just worried, and feeling extremely protective. I felt a surge of love, lust, and affection, she was an absolutely stunning and powerful woman. She was also mine, which made me a very lucky man.
I nodded calmly, “I’d planned to, it only happened a few hours ago.”
When she left I blew out a breath and rolled out of bed, and then took that shower…
Sierra was silent as we walked towards Mike’s house holding hands. She hadn’t spoken since I’d gotten done telling her what happened, and I also told her my theories. I squeezed her hand lightly.
She shook her head, “I have a third theory, or at least, an expansion to the first.”
“You do?” I asked with surprise.
She gave me a look, “What, can’t I have ideas?”
Being a master of information and emotions, I immediately caught the warning signs.
“Of course you can, I just… didn’t expect it. What do you think?” I asked, truly curious.
She sighed, “I think you let your guilt guide your thoughts, what happens when you speed up your body for an extended period of time?”
I frowned, “I feel exhausted and pass out…” my words cut off as the obvious hit me in the face.
Well, now I felt like an idiot.
She said, “Exactly, your visions involve pouring pictures directly into your mind, which is still a part of your body. I’d say these new intense ones, with a lot more data if you will, that seem longer as well, at least subjectively, is the cause.”
I frowned, “But what can I do about it then, I can control when I enhance my body, but not when I have visions. And why does reaching for information not have the same effect?”
She shrugged, “You already told me earlier, you need to learn enough control to keep the fire magic out of it when you have a vision. Either that, or learn to like naps. I’d guess plain information takes a lot less magic to pass to your mind.”
I snorted a laugh, “Like naps huh? Alright, I concede the point. My feelings of guilt on what I did to Jaben were coloring my logic, and your theory fits the best. Or do I just want it to be true?”
She squeezed my hand, “Or, you’re just afraid it’s not true.”
When we were close to the door she added, “So tell me, do you understand women better now, or what?”
I shuddered, “I’ve been trying not to think about it, there are just some things that are meant to be mysteries in this universe.”
She smirked at me as she opened the door and we went in.
I took a deep breath through the nose, we were having pasta tonight, either baked ziti or some kind of lasagna. I bet Sierra knew for sure with the werewolf nose, but I’d find out soon. Mike was just across the room and had a sick smile on his face, like he was trying but ultimately failing to be cheery.
Sierra let go of my hand and headed for the kitchen. Coward.
Mike asked, “Beer?”
I nodded, and he tossed the one he had in his left hand over. I tapped the top a few times, then cracked it open.
“So, what’s new?” I asked inanely
I cringed internally. Mike and I hadn’t been this awkward since the first time we met and he thought I was a con artist working some hidden angle.
Mike took a long drink from his beer, so I followed his example.
“It’s not you, or what you are that I’m having trouble with,” Mike said.
I had the absurd thought he was breaking up with me, I was getting the it’s not you, it’s me speech.
Mike shook his head, apparently reading it in my eyes, “No, what I mean is it isn’t what you told me, or what I know. It’s what I don’t know.”
I took another sip, considering that, “I don’t know everything. Sure, I have a handle what’s around here, but I’m sure there’s more supernatural stuff out there that I don’t have a clue about. At least, not yet.”
He shrugged, “It’s complicated. Of course there’s stuff we won’t know about. But I know that there’s supernatural creatures out on the streets of Chicago, but I don’t know what they are. That makes it different, knowing what I don’t know. I do know there are creatures that can take my memories, you’ve told me that, so now I look back at all my unsolved cases and wonder what really happened. How many times have I run across the supernatural in my job and have been made to forget it?”
I sighed, “I get that, I can’t tell you though because I don’t know.”
I was starting to worry less about losing him as a friend, than the idea my friend might actually lose his sanity.
I turned my head at the blur out of the corner of my eye, and suddenly had my arms full of Jenna, who was hugging me tight and whispering thank you again and again. The difference in reactions in my best friends, my chosen second family, couldn’t have been farther apart. I saw Sierra standing by the kitchen door looking at me with amusement and a tender look.
I hugged Jenna tightly for a moment, “You’re welcome,” and released her.
Well, being thanked for healing her without permission was about the best result I could hope for.
Jenna glanced at her husband with a mixture of exasperation and worry on her face, and then looked back at me with confidence. I understood the message immediately. Fix it. But how could I? I could take his memories of course, but no one here really wanted that. Unless I broke all connections between us it would only be temporary only, until the next time he got suspicious.
“Dinner is almost ready, Lasagna and Texas toast.”
She was like a little whirlwind as she turned and headed back into the kitchen.
“So you really don’t mind I’m a sorcerer of the elemental of air? It’s all about what you don’t know?”
He nodded, “Exactly.”
A glimmer of an idea took hold, and after another quick sip I put down the beer and pulled out my phone. I frowned, I hadn’t heard from Diana since I’d cut the connection I’d forged between us. I wound up texting my idea directly to Ceara, might as well get the answer straight from the source. Diana wasn’t happy with me, and it might be best to let her work it out, and let her contact me first. Or, it was possible I was just a coward.
Mike asked, “What’s that about?”
“I’ll tell you later, when I know for sure.”
His eyes narrowed a little, but he let it pass. Jenna and Sierra came out of the kitchen, Sierra carrying a big lasagna pan that could probably feed twenty, and Jenna with a large bowl of tasty looking Texas toast.
Mike and I gravitated to the table like flies on honey, and took our seats. Jenna’s lasagna should be classified as a national treasure. My phone vibrated and I peeked at it under the table, drawing a frown from Jenna. Texting at dinner was rude as hell, but it might be important. It was Ceara, and she’d actually gone for my idea. Now all I had to do was sell it.
Something felt odd, and I realized it was because this was my first dinner with Mike and Jenna where no one was set up on a blind date in like a year. It was a bit quiet as we all filled our plates up and dug in.
“So, after talking with Mike I had an idea,” I threw out there, and took a bite of my lasagna.
Jenna asked, “What?”
“Well, I got permission to tell Mike everything I know, but there’s a catch.”
Mike asked suspiciously, “What catch?”
I looked right at him and laid it out, “I’ll tell you everything, but only if you agree to be mesmerized so you can’t talk about it to anyone else, ever. Unless they already know.”
Mike nodded, “So… how it is now, mind voodoo, or mind erasure?”
Jenna asked cheerily, “Can I take that deal, I’m curious.”
I shrugged, “I don’t see why not. It might even be better that way, since you’d be able to talk to each other about it.”
Sierra asked, “Was that Diana on the phone then?”
I shook my head, “Ceara. Apparently that’s a standard practice they just didn’t bother telling me about.”
Sierra looked annoyed at that, and to tell the truth I was right there with her. They’d warned me not to tell anyone, ever, and then I find out they bring humans in on the secret often enough to have a standard practice for it? Of course, they wanted me as ignorant as possible, a way to handle me and make use of me until I grew too dangerous. So I shouldn’t be all that surprised.
Mike said, “Let me think about it,” and started back in on his plate.
The rest of the meal was fairly quiet, and passed with a little small talk and a lot of eating. I was pretty stuffed by the time I’d cleared my second plateful.
Mike frowned, “What happens if you tell me and I…”
“Can’t handle it? I can take the new memories away, or all of them. But honestly, I think you’ll be fine. It’s not that horrific or anything.”
He grunted, and Jenna squirmed in her chair, it was obvious she wanted to know now. I think that’s what finally pushed Mike to go for it.
“Fine, tell me.”
I went through it all. Werewolves, other shifter species like werecats which I knew nothing about, vampires, what was myth and fact, although I didn’t know everything about them I shared all I knew. I actually knew more about werewolves than vampires, but I doubted I knew it all. Then I went over witches, dark and light, and covens. Lastly I covered elementals, but just revealed their existence and no other knowledge. Truth was, I didn’t know all that much more about them myself.
He seemed a bit shell shocked, “That it?”
I nodded, “That’s all I know. But like I said earlier, I’m sure I don’t know about every supernatural race. I’m pretty sure the fae don’t exist, no dragons either.”
He snorted, “How can you be sure?”
I shrugged, “I can’t find any knowledge of them, they could be there but too powerful for me to grasp the knowledge. I just don’t know. Truth is though, even if they do exist there aren’t any flying around the city. You’re likely to meet a werewolf, witch, or vampire in Chicago, but that’s about it.”
Sorcerer: Betrayal: Power of Air (Book 4) Page 2
