‘No, no, no, stop, don’t do this,’ he protested as she quickly dropped and stabbed him in the chest. The huge knife went in easily as he screamed.
‘See,’ she said. ‘Fun!’ She pulled out the knife and stabbed him again, and again, and again while her magic held him down, helpless while she continued to put holes in him, spraying blood up the wall next to her.
Angel stood in front of the bathroom mirror and half smiled at herself. She felt great, the release of really letting go like that had cleared out any pent up stresses from recent weeks like nothing else could. Xanders body, or, what was left of it, lay in a jumble in the bath next to her, body parts sticking out of the tub at strange angles white ribbons of stringy viscera hung over the edges. Blood was everywhere and she had been covered in the stuff. It always amazed her just how much blood there could be in the human body. A little Magic would clear up the mess, there wouldn’t be a trace of blood left anywhere once she left here.
She turned on the shower and waited for it to warm up before stepping under its cleansing flow and letting it wash the blood from her body.
She needed to make some enquiries, find out what local shops and establishments there were that someone with a Magical Artefact might visit if they wanted more information. She had her people following Vito, but she needed to get ahead of the game and find that Artefact before Vito and the Inquisition did.
Grand Inquisitor Damask,
You will be glad to hear I found the Hotel of the family who bought the Artefact. They are the Lockwood’s and they live in London. I’m tying up a few loose ends here and then I will be moving my investigation to England.
I will provide more details soon.
May God be with you.
Knight Inquisitor de Luca
An old friend
Donegal, Ireland
6th July
The building looked smaller than she had remembered it, not quite so imposing or prison like as it had once been to her, but then, her life had changed so much since she was last here.
Amanda had walked up the long drive and was now stood out front of the large and stately looking building that served as the main entrance to the school and looked at it with different eyes than the ones she had last seen it with. When she had left the orphanage at the tender age of fifteen, it had seemed very much like a prison to her, somewhere she had desperately wanted to escape from into a better life.
She could never have guessed where four years would have brought her to in such a short space of time, and on the day she had run away, few could have told her she would be back here now.
The Convent, the School and the Orphanage were located in a cluster of old and new buildings and their rather extensive grounds were divided up between the three parts of the estate. Deeper into the complex, on the back of the buildings that were in front of Amanda sat the Convent and the Nunnery, which remained strictly out of bounds to just about everyone, not that that had stopped Amanda back in her day. The Convents grounds were modest and well kept, totally walled in and separate from the rest of the estate.
The School took up the lion’s share of the land, with a mix of large modern and old buildings that housed the classrooms, dorm rooms and teachers offices. Arrayed about the building were the school’s sports and playing fields, and Amanda could hear the sounds of hockey or something going on off on a distant pitch.
Off to her right though was the building that she had called home for the first fifteen years of her life, the Orphanage, and it looked very much as she had remembered it from back when she were here.
She stood there for a while, just looking at that building, and thinking just how much different it now felt to her, now her view of the world had changed so very much.
It was her birthday today, and it seemed like a fitting time to return and see if anyone she remembered was still here. She hoped that Emmanuel, the Mother Superior that had looked after her so well, might still be here, she desperately wanted to apologise to her for running away and causing what must have been a lot of trouble for them.
She also wondered about Alicia, her old friend that she had once been so very close too. She wondered if she might still be here as she had always said she had wanted to be a Nun.
Tearing her eyes away from the Orphanage she walked into the front entrance of the school building and into the large lobby area filled soft looking sofa’s on the lovely plush carpeted floor. Behind a sizable desk sat a bookish middle aged woman who battled with a computer keyboard. Amanda walked up to the desk and waited a couple of seconds before the woman gave up on whatever she’d been doing and looked up.
It was a nice pleasant day today and Amanda had come out in a pair of faded light blue jeans that had a number of rips and holes in them that revealed thigh and leg beneath, she also had on a white sleeveless top that had a cartoon pumpkin face print on it with a loose denim jacket over the top and a pair of white trainers on her feet. Her hair was loose and cascaded in crimson streams down her back and shoulders.
As the woman slowly looked up, a disapproving expression crossed her face as her gaze passed the ripped jeans and the top Amanda wore, she probably thought it looked a little too tight and the Jeans too revealing, but Amanda smiled on at the woman until her gaze met Amanda’s. There was a slight sneer on the woman’s lips
‘Yes dear, can I help you? Are you late for class?’ Surprisingly her accent sounded English, and she had something of a plummy tone to her.
Amanda flashed her teeth in a grin before replying. ‘I’m sorry, no, I’m not a student here.’
‘Oh, then what can I do for you young lady?’ she seemed slightly more amiable suddenly.
‘Well, I used to be a student here, an Orphan in fact, and it’s been a few years since I left, but I was in the area and thought I would come back and pay it a visit, see what the craic is and re-live some memories so to speak.’
‘Oh, well how nice for you my dear. I hope you found a lovely family to live with.’
‘Something like that yes.’
The woman nodded and smiled up at Amanda. ‘It’s always good to hear of the successes.’
Amanda smiled.
‘I suppose you will be wanting to have look around then?’ The woman asked. ‘I’ll see if I can find a teacher on a free period for you.’
‘Oh, it’s no bother, really, I know my way about I think, I’m sure I’ll remember it once I get going.’
‘Oh, I’m sorry dear but you can’t just go wandering off around a school on your own. It’s regulation you know, I need to get someone to go with you. Whats your name?’
‘Oh, I see, of course. I’m being an ejit, I’ll just wait over here then, and my names Amanda, Amanda- Jane Page, I left here a couple of years ago.’
‘Very good, I’ll be with you in a moment.’
As she walked away she could feel the receptionists glare on her back, she clearly didn’t like Amanda’s dress sense.
Amanda wandered over to a wall filled with photos in both black and white, and colour as the receptionist made a call. She found there was a photo for each year’s full set of students, and quickly back tracked to when she had been a student here and studied the photos looking for her face.
She quickly found it and smiled at the young fresh faced girl that beamed back at her, her red hair making her stand out even then. She found Alicia too, her long black hair falling in curtains on either side of her face. The photos were fascinating, a window back in time to a life that seemed very alien to her now.
A few minutes passed and a young man walked into the lobby wearing dull green trousers that didn’t quite reach his ankles and a sleeveless jumper over a white shirt. He wore glasses and his hair was combed neatly and held in place with a little too much hair gel. He can’t have been much older than Amanda was, and he came into the lobby in a bit of a fluster, a half finished cup of coffee in one hand. He walked in not seeing Amanda off to his left, and looked at the woman behind the desk. When she looked up
he made a slight gesture that said “where is she”, in just a shrug and sweep of his free hand.
The woman flicked her finger in Amanda’s direction and went back to her work while the teacher turned on the spot and nearly fell over the arm of the chair he knocked into as he did so.
‘Slick,’ she said to herself, irony in her tone.
The man - although from the look of him, Amanda couldn’t help but think of him as a boy rather than a man – flushed at his clumsiness and gingerly stepped round the chair.
‘Hi, I’m William, nice to meet you.’
Amanda stepped forward and took Williams hand and shook it gently, ‘Amanda, nice to meet you too. Are you a Teacher here?’
‘Oh, not really no, not yet, I’m training, this is a placement for me. I’m only here for a few weeks.’ She noted how his gaze kept dropping to her chest, she didn’t mind, let him look she thought.
‘Oh, okay, so you get handed the jobs no one wants to do like showing round an ex-student.’
William laughed self-consciously, not sure if he should do or not.
‘Well Will, shall we get under way?’
‘Yes, yes lets.’
He led her out of the lobby, holding the door for her, and into the corridor beyond which led into the school proper.
‘So, you used to be a student here?’ He asked her.
‘A few years ago, I was an Orphan and lived next door.’
‘Oh, I see, the Deputy Head didn’t tell me much about you when she told me to come down here. So how come you came back?’
‘Well, you know, I was in the area and thought it would be nice to come and have a look around, bring back a few memories don’t you know?’
‘Oh I understand. So, you live locally then?’
‘In a village on the other side of the Blue Stack Mountains.’
‘That’s a bit of a trek for you isn’t it, having to go all the way round the mountains?’
‘Oh, not really, it wasn’t too bad.’
‘So when did you leave us?’
‘I was fifteen when I left.’
‘It’s always nice when one of the Orphans gets adopted.’
Amanda smiled, not wanting to correct him.
‘Well,’ he said, ‘you should recognise most of the Teachers I would have thought. I can’t see many of them leaving in the few years you’ve been gone.’
‘I’m recognising a lot already.’
He nodded and led Amanda through the corridors, letting Amanda dictate the route for the most part, happy to let her take the lead and remember her way around. As she wandered the corridors she was filled with the memories of her time here, seeing places she hung out and being in awe of it all. She looked in on some of the old classrooms she had been taught in, which were now filled with the faces of strangers. As she walked the hallways, she passed a few Nuns, Students and Teachers going about their business, some of whom ignored them, other said hi as she passed.
In a number of classrooms she saw her old teachers taking classes and each time a new flood of memories washed over her as she remembered her time here, walking these corridors and sitting in these rooms.
‘So, do you live with your family now then?’ William asked.
‘Well actually I moved out fairly quickly, got my own place.’
‘Really? You must be doing okay then?’
‘I’m doing alright to be sure.’
‘Do you get out much? Go into town at all?’
Amanda sensed he was leading somewhere with this, she had continued to catch him with his eyes on her chest or bum, but she had no desire to be asked out by him, so she thought a carefully dropped in lie at this point would head him off at the pass and save him some embarrassment later.
‘Only with my boyfriend, we just head to the local occasionally.’
‘Oh, that sounds nice.’
She could sense the disappointment in his voice without having to read his mind, but he would be better off not getting involved with a Magus, whether he knew it or not.
Eventually William took her to the Staff Room to get a coffee and while he busied himself at the machine she stood nearby feeling a little out of place in what had always been a teacher only environment when she had been a student here.
Morning break had just started and the teachers where filing in, most just ignored her and went about their business and continued their conversations, but a few looked at her oddly in half recognition. It was Mr Croft who actually recognised her and came over to say hello. He had been her Geography teacher and she had constantly quizzed him on New York in the months before she left, clearly she had made an impression and he walked over, a growing smile of recognition on his face.
‘Amanda, I thought it was you. My word, how are you? How have you been? It’s been how long?’
‘Four Years,’ Amanda smiled.
‘Why yes, and look at you, you’re a young woman now, you look great. How have you been keeping?’
Amanda smiled warmly at him. ‘I’m very well Mr Croft.’
‘Call me Seb please.’
‘Oh, okay Seb,’ it felt odd calling a former teacher by his first name.
‘So what are you doing now? Do you have a job?’
‘I’m kind of between things at the moment, but I’m keeping very well and I’m happy,’ she smiled.
‘Well that’s the main thing. But what brings you here?’
‘I was in the area and really wanted to come back and see the place again. See if it was how I remembered it.’
‘And is it?’
‘It still looks the same, although it feels different, but that’s probably because I’m not a student here anymore.’
‘Well it’s really good to see you again Amanda. Oh, did you ever get to New York?’
She smiled. ‘I did. It was amazing, stunning. It’s an incredible city and I would love to go back some time soon. I’d love to live there actually.’
‘Really? You don’t see yourself staying in Ireland?’
‘For the short term, yes, my roots are here so I’ll always come back, and I do love this place, but New York is so vibrant and alive, so I’ll move over there at some point I think.’
‘Well, you do what’s right for you. Look, it’s been great to see you but I have to get on and be ready for my next class. Come back again sometime won’t you.’
‘To be sure! See ya.’
With that, he was off and consumed in his work once more. Amanda turned round to see Will, stood there with a coffee waiting for her, she went over and took it from him. It was barely warm, but it felt good to have a drink.
‘Do you see anyone else you recognise?’ Will asked.
‘There’s a few people, a few old Teachers of mine. No one I’d really say hi too though.’
As Amanda scanned the room her eyes landed on a Nun to one side of the room, she was all in grey and wore the coif on her head, the veil hanging down the back of her neck, with a white blouse under a grey cardigan, a grey knee length skirt with grey tights and very sensible shoes. But as she looked there was something very familiar about her and the way she moved, and as she turned more towards Amanda’s direction she suddenly realised it was Alicia, her friend from school.
She couldn’t believe she was here, and by the looks of things she was on her way to becoming a Nun.
She set her coffee down on the side, excused herself from William and walked over to Alicia where she was sorting out some papers on a desk.
‘Alicia?’ Amanda said.
She looked up at Amanda for a moment with a look of confusion, not seeming to recognise her, until it suddenly hit her and her expression turned to shock and she raised her hand to her mouth.
‘Amanda? Oh my! Is it you?’
‘It’s me,’ she said, her grin growing.
‘I thought you’d gone for good.’
‘Not quite. So, whats the craic?’
‘Oh shut up.’ Alicia said and wrapped her arms round Amanda in a tight embrace.
‘Just shut up, it’s been too long. I’ve been worried sick about you, I thought you might have been killed or something.’
Amanda hugged her friend back and felt immediately better.
‘I’m so sorry for running out on you Alicia, it wasn’t an easy choice, but I couldn’t let you in on it, you would only have stopped me and told the Nun’s.’
Alicia seemed about to say something but stopped short.
‘It’s okay, it’s just your nature,’ said Amanda.
‘I forgive you Mandy, you had to do what you had to do. God has a plan for all of us. You had to find your path as much as I had to find mine.’
Alicia pulled away from Amanda and wiped her eyes to clear them of the tears that were there. Amanda did the same.
Alicia looked up suddenly.
‘Wait here,’ she said and dashed off to chat with a few people. Within moments she had returned and gathered up her things.
‘I’ve just got some cover for my next few periods, so we have a little while to chat, come on, let’s go for a walk.’
They headed outside and into the grounds of the estate, keeping away from the school areas and the students that would be there and ambled through the trees and grass. Alicia threaded her arm through Amanda’s and it seemed like she didn’t want to let go.
‘So where did you run away too in the end? Was it New York?’
‘Yeah, I ended up in New York. Manhattan. My dream city. It was a bit of a crazy ride over in the ship, but it was worth it, Manhattan is fantastic.’
‘Really?’
‘Oh yeah, it’s such a vibrant and exciting place to live. There’s never a dull moment and it’s a real melting pot of cultures and races, lots of Irish people there too.
Alicia went on to ask many questions about Amanda’s life up to now, but Amanda didn’t tell her everything, she left out the prostitution and the Magic and created a sanitised version that seemed a little more rosy then the reality, with just a few changes here and there.
‘But what about you Ali, I know you said you liked the idea of being a Nun, but I never thought you’d actually do it.’
Magi Saga 1: Epic Calling Page 28
