by Riley Storm
“Now, you two wait here. I have to get a few things,” the old man said.
Before either of them could protest, he slashed open another rip in the air and stepped through. It closed with a pop she could feel in her ears.
“Great.”
She looked uneasily at Kasperi. What the hell did they do now?
6
“Kasperi.”
She looked at him, then slowly blinked. “Yes, I’m aware.”
He stuck out his hand. “Nice to meet you.”
The woman looked at it, then smiled. Not a pleasant smile, but a sarcastic one, easily visible in her eyes now they’d returned to their normal muted green.
“Oh, now you want to know my name? Do you realize it took you hours to get around to that? Of course, you never gave me your name, I had to rely on hearing it from your Queen—weird setup you all have here, by the way—or else I’d still be in the dark about what the fuck is going on here!”
Kasperi stepped back, putting a bit more space between them. “Sorry. I’ll, uh, I’ll stay over here.”
He wasn’t truly scared of her, but the vehemence in her voice was off-putting. Truthfully, he’d expected more appreciation and thankfulness for saving her life. Going up against Kvoss wasn’t something he’d wanted to do, and it had set much of his House at odds with him, something Kasperi desperately did not want to happen. There had been enough infighting.
“Giving up just like that?” she said hotly.
Kasperi rolled his eyes. “I was a little bit busy. In case you missed it, things have been hectic. What with continually having to save your life and such.”
She snorted audibly at his words. “Right. It was so kind of you to step in front of all your murderous friends and stop them from beheading me.”
His lips pulled back in a snarl. “The Asps are not my friends.”
“Right.” Amber looked away. “Well, thanks for saving my life,” she bit out, the words dripping sarcasm.
“Not a problem,” he fired back with as much happy cheerfulness as he could manage. It was surprisingly more than he expected, given the vehemence being directed his way. Did she not understand what he had done for her? Why the hostility? Of all the people in Ursidae Manor just then, Kasperi was probably the only one she could trust completely.
“You don’t do sarcasm very well, do you?” she asked, getting up and pacing around the circular room.
Kasperi considered his reply carefully, following her around. The room was basically empty, minus a column in the center that was adorned with magical artifacts. Everything else, walls, floors, ceiling, were covered with soft absorbent padding.
“I heard it. I ignored it. Just like you seem to ignoring how I’ve been putting my own life on the line for you.”
The woman stopped, looking around the column at him as she rolled her eyes skyward. “And how the hell am I supposed to know this isn’t just an act? Hmm? Seriously, are you so oblivious to how this looks to me? You find me in a field, bring me to your castle, and toss me into a collar. Why should I believe a damn thing you say? I’m being treated like a prisoner, with other people deciding my fate, not asking for my opinion, or believing me. This is just a load of bullshit, and you know it!”
Kasperi crossed his arms, ignoring her tone of voice and listening to the emotions behind it. She was scared. Terrified, really, he realized, watching her eyes, trying not to get lost in their beautiful color. All the bark, but no bite.
It’s a defensive mechanism.
The instant he realized that, he saw her in an entirely different light, as someone lashing out because they felt helpless and stuck in a world they didn’t understand—a world where everyone was more powerful than her, and had more knowledge.
“Okay,” he said calmly, noting her surprise at his acknowledgment. “What do you know about all this?”
She didn’t immediately lash out at him. Kasperi took this as indicating that she was considering whether he was serious.
“Not much,” she admitted, walking closer, completing her circuit around the room. “There’s something wrong with me. It’s deep down. I—I’m not safe to be around. You, the old guy, anyone. I need to go before I lash out again.” She paused, then tapped the collar. “Though this seems to help. What’s it made out of? I thought I’d tried everything.”
“It’s made from steel. Nothing special, except the spells carved into it,” he said with a shrug. “The sooner you accept that things such as mages exist in the world, the easier it will be to understand everything else you’re about to be exposed to.”
“Not giving me a choice, are you?”
“We can’t,” he said heavily. “Not yet.”
The woman contemplated him. Kasperi wished she would just tell him her name already. It was driving him crazy. He needed to associate something with her face, and those eyes that beckoned him in, forcing him to constantly rip his gaze away lest he stared.
“What else am I going to be exposed to?” she asked quietly.
Kasperi hesitated before replying. Just how much should he tell her? What was he allowed to tell her? What was she ready to be told? That was the real question in everything; how would she respond mentally to learning that her world wasn’t at all what she thought it was?
“I guess the biggest thing,” he said, deciding to test the early boundaries, see how mentally flexible she was, “is that myself and the others are shi—”
A rent appeared in between them and the Magi stepped through, closing it with a wave of his hand. The pop burst uncomfortably in Kasperi’s ear, and he glared at the other man. “Korred.”
“Right. Magic training. Ready to get under way?” the Magi of House Ursa said, turning to face the both of them.
Both Kasperi and the woman spoke at the same time.
“I don’t have magic.”
“Magic doesn’t exist.”
The Magi shook his head in clear frustration. “Don’t give me that horseshit.”
“You’re all insane,” the woman said. “No. I’m insane. That makes more sense. If everyone around me seems insane, then I must be the crazy one. But doesn’t that mean I’m not crazy, if I can think about it that way? Crazy people don’t really know they’re crazy, do they? That’s what makes them so crazy.”
“You aren’t crazy,” Kasperi said. “This is Korred. He is the Magi of High House Ursa.”
She looked at him blankly.
Kasperi worked his jaw, then rephrased it. “He does magic stuff for us.”
“Okay. Magic. Right.”
“Can I please have your name now?” Kasperi said. “It’s getting really irritating to think of you as ‘the woman’ in my head.”
“Fine. It’s Amber. Now, will you stop with this magic horseshit?”
The Magi snarled and whipped out his wooden rod, whirled it around and blasted Amber in the chest with physical energy. She stumbled backward, then lost her balance and went down. The Magi whipped his magic rod down, then up, and she was swept back to her feet.
Then he turned, gestured with the length of oak and one of the artifacts lurched from the wall and flew at Kasperi.
Kasperi snatched it up, then drew an X in the air in front of him, focusing the power of the artifact just in time to block the gush of red fire that came at him. He whipped the mace around and slammed it into the ground. Red energy rushed through the floor and flung the Magi to the side, but he was ready, and a soft bed of green caught him and set him on his feet.
“Do you see that?” the Magi said, walking toward Amber. “With your eyes, did you witness what just happened?”
“Yes,” she said, “but—”
“I have ripped open reality and walked through it several times. I’ve brought you with me once. How much more must be done before you stop being in denial and accept there are things in this world that you never knew about? Just because nobody told you, doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist, or that it’s not true. You are not omniscient, woman.”
&n
bsp; Kasperi watched Amber take it all in, think about it and then respond, her eyes darting back and forth between the two of them.
“Honestly, it’s probably going to take some time. Like a few hours, at least. Maybe a few days. Could take me a fucking week to adjust my entire bloody worldview, you arrogant shithead.”
He snickered, appreciative of her sense of reality and sarcasm. It wasn’t fair to ask her to just abruptly accept how much had changed, without really giving her time to let it sink in. She needed time to realize that the world was bigger than she knew, than most people knew.
“What are you laughing at?” she snapped, pointing at him angrily.
“You aren’t the first person to call him an arrogant shithead,” he chuckled, ignoring the twist of Korred’s head under his hood. “But he does know about magic, and on top of that, he stuck his neck out to save your life by volunteering to train you. So show him a little bit of kindness, okay?”
“Maybe I would,” she countered, “if someone would tell me why everyone wants to kill me. Or where I am? Or who the hell all of you are? You want me to trust you? Try extending some of that trust. You’d be surprised how well that works.”
She had a point. A rather good one. All of this had to be more than a little overwhelming to someone whose biggest fears a few hours ago were rude, impolite and gropey bikers that had had too much to drink. This was an entirely different level of fear.
“Kasperi.”
He glanced at the Magi, who was clearly tired of all the bickering. “Yes?”
“Educate her.”
There was a slash of a hand, and then the Magi was gone through a rent again, disappearing to somewhere else in the House.
He shrugged as the pressure in the room popped again.
“Right.” He nodded slowly. “Here’s what’s going to happen. You’re going to drop the attitude. I’m going to explain what I can to answer your questions. And we’re going to do it all over food.”
Amber shrugged. “As long as someone explains to me what all the mystical hoopla and crap is about, and why everyone hates me when I’ve never met any of you before, fine. And food works for me.”
He nodded, and showed her to the door.
She paused on the way out, pointing a finger at him. “But it was your idea, so you’re paying.”
7
“What is this place?” she asked as they wandered the halls.
“It’s called Ursidae Manor,” he replied, gesturing for her to turn right at the upcoming intersection.
“Interesting name. The other guy, you called him the Magicky of High Ursa?”
Kasperi chuckled softly next to her. “I am definitely referring to him as the Magicky from now on. His technical title is the Magi of High House Ursa.”
“Right. That sounds better,” she agreed, somewhat embarrassed at her mis-remembering.
“Don’t worry about it. You’ve been under a lot of stress.”
“Understatement. “Okay. So, Ursidae. Ursa. I was a girl scout. That’s related to bears. The constellation, right?”
“Close enough, yes.” He reached out and pulled open a door, forcing Amber to stop and turn.
They entered a restaurant, slash kitchen, slash…whatever it was. It was huge, and there were people working, long lines of self-serve take-out food available, but also what appeared to be a seated area.
“You guys have a restaurant.”
“It’s just known as the kitchen. You can get stuff to go, make your own, place orders. Come on, let’s show you the menu.”
Amber’s mouth was already watering as they passed by a row of pre-made sandwiches. There was a mini salad bar, very small, and all sorts of other stuff. She snagged a handful of what looked like trail mix as they went by, then followed Kasperi to a counter.
“How long has it been since you last ate?” he asked, watching her devour the mixed nuts and dried fruit.
“A real meal? A long time,” she admitted, not wanting to share just how hard up she’d been lately.
“Right. Well take it slow. There’s plenty of food here.”
She perused the menu, ordered a burger and fries, and then with a water in hand, followed Kasperi to a table. Minutes later, their food arrived, cooked to perfection and mouthwateringly delicious.
“How is it?” he asked.
“To me, right now? Ten out of ten because I’m starving. Overall? It’s a six, probably.”
Kasperi frowned. “That’s rather…judgmental of you.”
She shrugged. “I used to work at a higher-end restaurant. It was one of those Michelin-starred ones.”
The huge man stared at her, uncomprehending.
“You know. Internationally acclaimed. Celebrity chef, super expensive, tiny portions, go to be seen, not to eat. That sort of thing?”
Kasperi shrugged. “Weird.”
“How the hell can you not at least have heard of that?” she muttered around another bite, savoring it. “Okay, maybe a seven, this is nice and juicy. Way better than what I’ve had lately.”
“What have you been eating lately?”
She eyed Kasperi over the lip of the burger, then shook her head. Not yet. Getting to the point of being comfortable talking about all that had happened in the past year or so was going to take some getting used to. Plus, she wanted answers of her own first.
It was clear Kasperi was considering pushing, trying to force her to answer. But to her surprise, he just shrugged and let it go, despite the burning curiosity in his eyes.
Interesting, his self-control must be impeccable to so easily let something slide.
“Well, I’m supposed to educate you,” he said, snapping up half his burger in two bites. “What’s the most pressing question you have?”
“Tell me about magic,” she said instantly, watching his powerful jaw annihilate the burger. It was impressive. Watching someone eat wasn’t exactly something she’d ever expected to find interesting, but the way Kasperi just…shoveled it into his face…was impressive, there was no other word for it. How did he stay so fit if he ate like that?
The man must work out like a fiend.
“Magic,” he said, chewing slowly on a fry, biting off half an inch at a time. “It exists. And it’s existed for a long time. Since the biblical times. Probably much longer, but I don’t have that answer. Things get really murky around then in history. It’s real though. We’re not just talking about illusions and sleight of hand. Think spells more powerful than you can imagine. The strongest mages, the ones that existed in the past, they could alter the very shape of the earth.”
Amber wasn’t sure just how much she believed of that. It sounded like something ripped from a B-level movie or someone’s imagination. Yet she’d seen it happen. In front of her, so casually, as if it was nothing. The mage disappeared into thin air. She’d been right next to him. Then there were all the other spells he’d cast. Never before had she heard of someone able to do such things.
Could it really be real?
“My turn,” Kasperi continued after a moment. “I want to know how is it that you got to the age you are now with the power you possess, and not knowing anything about it? It’s genetic, you know. Passed down from your parents, whichever one had the power.”
Amber focused on her food. “Well they didn’t tell me, okay?”
Kasperi sat back, waiting, then he nodded. “Okay. Well I’m sorry that you had to learn it this way, in this fashion. That’s not ideal. However, you’re going to need to learn to accept that it’s real, and accept it soon, or else things are going to go nowhere, fast.”
“I’m working on it,” she admitted, meeting his gaze again, trying not to feel too entangled by his olive-green eyes. It was almost like looking at a reflection of herself when she stared at him, and it bothered her, in a way she couldn’t quite identify. “Do you mind answering another question?”
He spread his hands wide. “That’s what we’re here for right now, Amber. Question and answer session. Ask me
.”
She bit her lip, chewing it quickly, trying to overcome the nervousness of hearing the response. “Why does everyone want me dead?” she asked plaintively. “I’ve never felt so hated in my entire life.”
Sighing, Kasperi leaned forward over the table, resting his weight on his elbows. The sturdy table didn’t even creak. “That’s…a bit more complicated,” he admitted after a moment’s hesitation. “You need to know that there’s a Mage Council. It governs the magic users of the human population.”
Amber blinked at the way he said human population, as if there were others, but she was loath to interrupt. Whether magic was real or not, was still up for debate. The hatred and death sentence that everyone in the castle-like building had pronounced toward her, however, was very real. She wanted to know about that.
“People go there for training. They hold meetings, etc.” Kasperi looked away for a second. “There are also very strict rules that mages must follow. Laws laid down by shifters, and mages, over a century ago. Anyone who goes against that, who practices magic in violation of those rules, is considered a rogue.”
“But I didn’t know about these rules,” she protested, setting her water glass down a bit more harshly than intended.
“It doesn’t matter,” Kasperi said. “Cases like yours are so few and far between, it’s nearly unheard of. I’ve never heard of one, but I’m not an expert on it. Which is why everyone believes you’re lying. It’s somewhat of a habit of rogue mages. They’re typically evil and inflict a lot of harm, or violence, on the human population before they’re hunted down and killed.”
“So why can’t I go to this Council, and get trained by them? Learn how to do it properly?”
“They wouldn’t take you, for the same reason everyone here is afraid of you. They’ll think you’re lying, and they want to save their own asses first and foremost.”
Amber sat back, taking it all in, trying not to panic. “Why did you protect me?”
“Because you didn’t know you broke the rules. It felt wrong to condemn you to death for an innocent mistake.”
“One sane voice amongst hundreds of others. I’m doomed,” she muttered. Then another thought struck her. Something he’d said, as if a pronouncement, a guarantee. “Kasperi.”
