by Logan Byrne
I kept walking past the store and down the street, easing in and out of the crowds of people, trying to keep a fairly low profile. I knew nobody would recognize me since none of my old associates frequented this part of town, but there was still something melancholic and slightly calming about being invisible on the street.
I turned down an alleyway, a black cat running out from behind some fallen trashcans in front of me, before grabbing onto the sides of an old ladder fastened to the building. I climbed up, wiping the moisture off my hands at the top, before sitting on the brick entryway into the building. I kicked my feet, my palms flush against the ledge, as I looked out over the city—the city I was now sworn to protect, and calmed my mind before the storm to come.
I know you were with me for only a short time in the grand scheme of my life so far, but thank you, Mom and Dad, for raising a girl, a woman, who is strong enough to realize her own potential. I hope I make you both proud tomorrow night.
20
We stood at the cusp of success the next night as twenty-two of us started to get ready and gear ourselves up for the raid. Another person had been recruited at the last minute. There was a vibrant sense of camaraderie in the air, like nothing I’d ever experienced before, and it was addicting. We talked one another up, some putting on light body armor, shifters shifting and practicing their moves slowly on one another, and mages making sure their wands were in peak form.
Xelia and Mirian stood at the front of the room, talking to one another. As the clock ticked away my nerves started to set in. I knew I could do this, we could do this, but there was still an overwhelming feeling of “what if” that made my stomach do flips. This was an all-or-nothing raid, our one shot, and we couldn’t afford to let anybody slip through the cracks inside that casino.
“Us standing together, gearing ourselves up, preparing for combat, shows the strength of our morals and our dedication to the ideals of this police force and what it should stand for. While some of our brothers and sisters have decided against the way of M.A.G.I.C., we stand committed. The oath we swore is more than just mere words. We swore to uphold the law, to punish those who aim to pervert it, and that’s what we will do tonight. I’m not saying this will be easy, because it won’t be. We don’t know what we’re going into, what the people in there will do, and if they’ll fight back, but we all have to be ready and rush in there as if they will. Work together, as a team, a unit, and make sure to watch the backs of your brothers and sisters in arms. Don’t let anybody leave, and be sure to watch the portals, because those will be their only exits. Once this is over, I promise greatness to you all. We will take back our precinct from the evil that seeks to corrupt it,” Mirian said inspiringly as he motivated us.
I hoped to be half the mage he was one day. To be able to have such confidence in myself and know that my ideas were enough to change the world around me. He risked his life every single day by working with the resistance while still working here, taking in criminals, and being the voice for a massive group of people who were being trampled over. I was so proud to call him my mentor.
“As Mirian so eloquently said, keep your wits about you, and treat every prisoner as if they are armed and dangerous. We must make sure that all of us come out of this unscathed, and the only way we do that is together. Once we reach the antiques shop, Mirian will enter first, subduing the owner so that we may break through unnoticed. He will give the signal once it’s safe,” Xelia said.
“Is everybody clear on the plan?” Mirian asked, looking over us.
We all nodded, verbally agreeing. Mirian looked pleased and a little relieved. “Let’s move out. Remember, stick with one another,” he said.
We waited as people passed by across the street, stopping, likely wondering what all these people were doing and why we were huddled together. Mirian walked in and thirty seconds later came back out, calling for us. We huddled inside, locking the door behind us and seeing the man sleeping behind the counter. Mirian had put a powerful sleep charm on him that would wear off in a few hours. Brilliant.
Mirian waved his wand on the door, the lock melting off, before he pulled it open. We were in the clear. We walked down the narrow hallway, one by one, heading to the portal. The swirling vortex of energy was the only thing separating us from glory.
“Ready yourselves,” Mirian said as I stood behind Xelia, who stood behind him. I had my wand out, ready to strike, and we all started to run through. Panic erupted amongst the guests as we all burst through the portal. We yelled that we were the police and for everybody to stay where they were, but they didn’t listen. It didn’t matter if they were street urchin or high class, nobody ever listened when you told them to.
The man at the front, the same host who’d given us chips, shifted, his blue eyes glowing as he turned into a werewolf. Blake pinned him down, roaring, easily the stronger of the two. It was hard to push by the screaming people as we tried to secure the secondary portal.
I saw a flash of energy pierce through, hitting one of our guys, and he fell to the ground. “Mages!” I yelled, drawing their attention. I deflected their blows, Britta coming to my aid. Sparks of magic hit the ceiling and walls, breaking off chunks of plaster.
“Arma Maximus!” Britta yelled, a shield forming in front of us. They were strong and their wands had veins of gold in them, which I’d learned was typical of duskhowlers. As their magic started to crack Britta’s shield, I saw a tank of liquid near them.
“Rigor Viberum!” one yelled, and a bolt of black hit our shield, shattering it. The spell of death. It was outlawed, banned for centuries. Rigor Viberum was the lowest of the low in terms of an attack. There was no turning back from it, no way to deflect it, and if that shield hadn’t been there we would’ve been toast.
“Eruptico!” I yelled, pointing at the tank. It exploded, throwing the men back into the wall and knocking them out cold. “We have to subdue them,” I said.
“I’ve got them, you go help the others,” Britta said, running over to the unconscious men with a shifter.
I looked around, panicked, as spells flew through the air from each side. Shifters were engulfed in battle and some confused patrons lay on the floor, their hands on their heads, not wanting any trouble or to be hurt. No matter how hard I looked, though, I didn’t see the man I was searching for. He wasn’t here.
“Lexa, with me,” Mirian said, and we ran into the back where the kitchen was.
“Stop!” I yelled at a waiter who ran past. When he turned around, his eyes were garnet red and his fangs were out. Of course we’d be faced with a vampire.
“I’ll die before I come with you,” he hissed.
“That can be arranged,” Mirian said, and the man leapt towards us. Mirian raised his wand and the man hit a barrier, knocking himself back. He was quick, I’d give him that, but two mages were always better than one, and Mirian was the best there was.
An ogre slammed into the wall behind the vampire, groaning, before charging the two of us. “Lexa, now’s the time to help,” Mirian said.
“Candelae Multum!” I yelled, the tip of my wand turning as bright as the sun. The vampire hissed and covered himself as his skin started to bubble.
The ogre stumbled around, trying to block out the light, and he became disoriented and tripped, falling onto the vampire. The ogre groaned again and a bit of gas escaped him. “I’ll arrest them, you go help the others,” Mirian said.
I ran back into the mayhem before being thrust against the wall by the old woman I’d met my first night here. “Stupid girl, I knew you were trouble the moment I met you. Now, you’ll lose your life,” she said, firing at me.
My back literally against the wall, I deflected what I could. Some shots hit my stomach, the body armor beginning to crack under the onslaught of her spells. “Arma Maximus,” I said, but my temporarily weakened state didn’t produce much of a shield.
“I always love when the new recruits, the fresh meat, come and try to act like heroes. It makes old ti
mers like me have a bit more fun,” she cackled before cracking my shield. “Rigor Viberum,” she incanted. My shield was no match for her dark magic as it shattered under the power of her spell.
On one knee, I looked up at her, the face of death hovering over me like a waiting vulture. “Say hello to death for me, will you? He’s an old friend,” she said, her yellowed teeth flashing a cruel smile. “Rigor Viberum!” she yelled, the black bolt leaving her wand.
Time moved in slow motion as I watched the spell leave the tip of her wand. A million thoughts rushed through my head—my parents holding me, arriving at the orphanage for the first time, and even that night under the stars when I kissed Blake. As the spell flew through the air, a body intercepted it, his wand against his chest, as if he were attempting to deflect it. A flash of dark light hit him and I blinked, my mouth open, as Asher fell to the ground in front of me.
I looked at him. His eyes were open, looking at me. He gave a small smile and exhaled, and the light left his eyes. Charlie tackled the woman, biting her neck and killing her instantly as I sat there on my knees, the ringing in my ears deafening everything around me. I should’ve been dead, I should be the one lying lifeless, but it wasn’t me, it was Asher.
I shed a single tear, running down my cheek, before I looked over and saw him. The man with the soul patch who started this. He was the reason Asher was dead. I wanted to kill him, to watch the light leave his eyes like it left Asher’s. I was going to kill him, and nothing was going to stop me.
He shot down two guards at the portal to the track and ran through. I got up, wiping my eye, and ran towards it. “Lexa! No!” I heard Blake yell.
I didn’t care. Nothing mattered and nobody could stop me. This man was mine. I ran through the portal, the chill of the forest air hitting me instantly. I could see my breath in front of me. I felt a chill, though I didn’t know if it was from the weather or the anticipation for what was coming next. I didn’t see him anywhere. The floodlights on the track were still on, but nobody was in sight. This place was a ghost town, and it was unsettling.
“Where are you, coward!” I yelled, looking around. Did he teleport out? I didn’t know what his powers were, but I swore I saw a part of a shifter seconds ago when he took out the guards, not a mage. He couldn’t have left.
There was a rustle in the trees nearby. I raised my wand and adjusted my grip. My palms were sweaty, my nerves getting to me, as I waited for any sign of this man. A figure emerged, jumping out, but it wasn’t him. It was a deer, running away. My grip relaxed.
“Over here,” I heard from behind me. I turned and the man hit me, knocking me back ten feet. I skidded across the ground and groaned. The punch hurt more than I was expecting.
“You’re under arrest,” I said, my head still spinning from the hit.
“Stupid girl, I have no intentions of going with you. I’m more power than you can handle,” he said, laughing.
“I can handle whatever kind of magic you throw at me,” I said, standing up and gripping my wand firmly.
“Oh, but the only magic in me is outside of me. This isn’t my true form. My master only gave me it so I wouldn’t be seen,” he said, a devilish smile on his face.
“Then reveal yourself. I’ll take in and lock away whatever version of yourself you want to give me,” I said, wiping the snot away from my nose. I quickly realized I shouldn’t have said that.
“Very well,” he said, tensing up. The man around him started to melt and stretch. Like something straight out of a nightmare, his body started to disintegrate as something far more dangerous emerged like a phoenix from the flames. He was a Minotaur. I didn’t know what kind of magic was placed on him, some dark magic forged in pure power, but he started to grow, the envelope of that magic holding him in. The force of his punch just became a lot more plausible.
“Lexa!” I heard from the portal as Blake ran through. He saw the Minotaur and did a double-take. The creature was much bigger than even Faus when he was at his angriest.
“My master will be very pleased if I kill you both,” he said, laughing, before charging towards me.
“Arma Maximus!” I yelled with all my might. A shield quickly enveloped me but the Minotaur smashed into it, shattering it and throwing me back again. I tumbled through the air, rolling on the ground and grabbing my side as I coughed and tried to get back up.
“No!” Blake yelled. He shifted, his eyes yellow, but his body turned into something I hadn’t seen before. My vision was a little blurry and my breathing shallow, but I knew I saw Blake’s limbs become longer, his body covered in more fur, his hands growing longer and thicker. I’d never seen a werewolf shift into a form like this.
Blake charged the Minotaur, slashing at him, causing him to stumble backwards and lose his footing. Letting out a cough, I grabbed my wand and got onto my hands and knees before lifting myself up to my feet. I rubbed my eyes, unable to believe them, as Blake, or at least what I thought was Blake, and the man were locked in complete combat.
Blake clamped his jaw down on him, causing the beast to roar out in pain, but he punched Blake in the side and knocked him off. Snarling, Blake was on his knees, his left hand propping himself up as he held his side.
“It’s such a shame your powers are being used the wrong way, boy. You could get so far in our organization,” the man said, his arm bleeding from Blake’s bite.
“Hey, you big cow,” I said, raising my wand. He looked at me, snarling, and I let him know what I thought about his organization. “Eruptico,” I said, and a concussive blast threw him backwards thirty feet. He slammed into a tree, cracking it in half.
“Lexa, you’re okay,” Blake said, and he jolted his head back, his form shifting back into his normal werewolf shape, not whatever it was that I’d just seen.
“Are your ribs okay?” I asked.
“It doesn’t matter, we’re finishing this. Together,” he said.
“I will tell stories about our battle one day, young ones. Our great master will be thrilled that I defeated such formidable and powerful foes, especially with how young you both are. Your talents are so wasted with M.A.G.I.C.,” the Minotaur said as he stalked towards us.
The blast did nothing but buy us time, and I didn’t know what else to do. I didn’t know how to defeat a Minotaur, and obviously I didn’t even know how to damage one. He seemed damn near invincible, and all I could do was slow him down.
“I’ll never let you kill us,” Blake said, standing up. He clutched his side.
“Is that so?” the Minotaur asked, laughing.
“As long as I’m still standing, you have a reason to be afraid,” Blake said defiantly.
“Then I suppose we should stop you from standing then, shouldn’t we?” the Minotaur asked.
He started to charge us, slowly at first, then picking up speed. I clutched Blake’s arm, fearing the worst. I had no spells that could take him down, and no matter how badly I wanted to avenge Asher and the other cops in there, I was helpless. It was over.
Just as I’d given up hope, a figure appeared through the portal, robes flapping, and I saw a wand aim at the charging Minotaur. A bolt flew out, hitting him, and he roared, falling to the ground, sliding eight feet before stopping right in front of us. Just like that, he’d been taken down, and as the shadowy figure came near, I couldn’t help but smile.
“Looked like you both needed some help,” Mirian said, his wand still aimed at the Minotaur.
“He’ll hear about this,” the Minotaur growled.
“From solitary? I don’t think so,” Mirian said, and two other cops ran through the portal towards us. “He should be locked up for a while. Take him into custody right away.”
“Yes, sir,” the cops said, grabbing the Minotaur and teleporting out of the forest.
“Are you okay?” Mirian asked, looking us over.
“I’ll heal, it’s fine,” Blake said, groaning and holding his ribs.
“Lexa?” Mirian asked.
“She g
ot hit pretty hard twice,” Blake said.
“I’m fine,” I said.
“Still, I want you checked out by medical once we get back,” Mirian said.
“And Blake doesn’t have to?” I asked.
“Werewolves heal, mages don’t. What were you thinking challenging him?” Mirian asked.
“He wasn’t like that before, he was the soul patch guy I’d been telling you about. He changed, his body, his skin, melted off him like something out of the darkest depths of a nightmare. He said his master gave him the magic for it. He kept talking about how great his master was and how sorry we’d be,” I said.
“Likely Kiren Nightstorm, if anything. At least one of his top minions is off the streets and in custody where he belongs,” Mirian said.
“What’s stopping him from bailing the guy out?” Blake asked.
“After what this creature did, it’s not going to be possible. Kiren knows this, or will know this, and he won’t risk political problems over somebody he can just replace,” Mirian said.
“Seems like we’re dealing with a hydra. One guy gets taken down, and two more pop up in his place,” I said.
“It’s never-ending,” Mirian said.
“We still have the creatures to rescue,” I said, pointing towards the track.
“They’ll be taken care of, I promise. I want you both to get out of here, though, and get yourselves checked out. That’s an order,” Mirian said.
I looked back at the track. The eerie quiet of the forest didn’t give any signs of life. The racing and the betting were over, and the creatures were going to be able to leave, be rehabilitated, and live out their lives. That was easily the best part for me.
I held onto Blake as we walked back through the portal, the fighting over. Dozens of people were tied up and waiting for transport to the precinct. Slot machines were broken, glass shattered all over the floor. There were bodies on the floor too, some ours, most theirs. It all seemed so senseless. It wasn’t supposed to happen this way. This was meant to be a raid, to seize the criminals and save those in trouble, but it turned into something much bigger.
