《INTERMENIDES》
INTERMENIDES XIV
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CHAPTER 1
Nadir walked. His footsteps fell quietly, the soles of his boots gentle on the soft cobbled roads. The thin layer of snow helped to quiet him, but he still didn¡¯t like that it left a visible trail along his walking path. It unnerved him; he constantly wanted to check over his shoulder, to jump away from every small alleyway he passed, to bolt back to the motel, but he managed to stop himself. Being paranoid would do him no good.
He could have called August, asked for a ride, could¡¯ve discussed the book out in the cold- but no. He wanted to walk. The crisp late Autumn air was doing wonders for his exhausted state, and letting the cold seep in ebbed away the exhaustion that had begun insidiously creeping in the moment all the disappointment of finding a useless, ink-stained book washed over him.
He let his thoughts fall away. He¡¯d learned recently that sometimes, the best thing to do was to not tire yourself. He scanned the buildings around him, instead, taking in every detail: one brick building had a vine climbing up its storefront. Another had a windchime, sounding noisily in the gentle wind. Some buildings had wooden shingles, with their paint chipped away, and gaps between the businesses led into the dark alleyways. The streetlights were out due to a power outage, but the moon was more than bright enough to make up for it on the main road. He looked up. There was nearly a full moon tonight, and Nadir decided it was a waning gibbous¡ªhe had moved to memorize the phases, for August¡¯s sake¡ªbefore he trailed his focus elsewhere. He picked out a few constellations, but Nadir knew he missed some, and the complete lack of clouds explained how bright it was.
He smiled. Lawry would probably be able to point every constellation in the sky without ever looking up.
He returned his focus to the ground. The link between him and August itched, desperate to reunite again. He couldn¡¯t be far, he knew that without looking, and he found himself walking a little slower. The silence was a comforting blanket for him; if they stayed, in a few hours, the birds would rise, chirping away. There¡¯d be the gentle hum of people going about their day. It was a far cry from the constant noise of Boston, where he and August had been only a little over twenty-seven hours ago. He wouldn¡¯t miss it.
"Take nothing for granted,¡± Nadir whispered. It was soft, and his words disappeared in the wind before they could travel. He looked at the ink-stained book still clutched in his hand: he couldn¡¯t feel his fingers anymore, but he didn¡¯t think it was a particularly worrisome issue. He brought the book up to his chest and started scanning through the pages, double-checking for anything he might have missed, but each page was stained worse than the first.
Even though nothing had miraculously changed with it, he was smiling. ¡°I should thank August when I get back,¡± he continued whispering to himself, ¡°She drove me down here without sleeping. I could never,¡± he laughed quietly, ¡°and Lawry, too. She never needed to help us in the first place- at least August and I knew each other before¡ all this.¡± He mumbled at the book, like by explaining this to it, the pages might magically be clean. Nothing changed. That didn¡¯t stop him.
¡°I know that she chose to, I mean. She wouldn¡¯t have helped me in the first place if she didn¡¯t want to, and- well, she believed me about everything too. And then¡¡± His gentle smile was quickly turned to a deep frown. It didn¡¯t look good on him: it disrupted his otherwise round, gentle features, marred his sepia skin, and was the antithesis to the excitable, bouncy black curls on his head¡ªstreaked with an unnatural ash grey. August used to tell him all that whenever he was sad; but lately, he thought, she hadn¡¯t been smiling much herself.
This line of thought was bad for him. He shook his head like the action itself might clear up his thoughts, before laughing at his idiotic behavior. Now was not the time to feel sorry for himself, and he knew it was just the exhaustion getting to him.
He felt better than when he¡¯d started the walk, but the exhaustion was still only growing. He¡¯d be able to sleep soon, as long as there weren¡¯t any major issues. He and August hadn¡¯t slept for real in a while, and they likely wouldn¡¯t still: Nadir had decided that the best plan of action was to get a move on. They had already stayed here for far too long.
He focused on walking, now. Let himself feel the thumping of his feet on the uneven road, and he stared at the bright, flickering motel lights a street ahead. The motel ran off its generator and had a self-sufficient grid. Nadir had no idea why that would be the case for a motel in a backwater town like this, but it certainly wasn¡¯t wrong, so he pushed the pointless question out of his mind.
He made his way up the street, letting the humming neon light wash over him, bathing his brown trenchcoat in a mix of blue and purple. The sign was large¡ªlikely too large to be safe, he thought¡ªand mounted near the top of the two-story motel. In bright blue letters, it read SUNSET MOTEL. Nadir didn¡¯t think it was very unique, especially not in comparison to the motels the three of them had bunkered in the last few days.
He moved through the large, empty parking lot. There were only two vehicles: a motorcycle, which was August¡¯s, and a pick-up truck, which belonged to Lawry. He knew August had named her bike¡ªit was her pride and joy¡ªbut he could never remember the name between August¡¯s rants about parts, the make, the model, and modifications. It was simply too much, especially for a field he knew nothing about.
He passed the motorcycle while heading to the rickety metal stairs leading to the second-story of rooms. He shifted the book into his left hand and ran his right alongside the motorcycle¡¯s chassis. August used to rant all the time about how she would never let it get scratched, but Nadir could see the markings littering its paint. There¡¯d been no chance to work on it recently.
Nadir forced the distractions away. He was just trying to delay the inevitable, to delay going up to the room and explaining that all this work was for nothing. He sighed, climbed the rickety steps up to their floor, and gently padded his way toward the door. The sooner he explained, the sooner he or August¡ªperhaps both of them¡ªwould be allowed sleep.
He raised his fist to the wooden door and recited Lawry¡¯s special code in his head. One tap. Then two. Then one. Then three. Each knock felt louder than the last and Nadir winced, not enjoying the lengthy procedure. He could feel August on the other side, and he knew that she could, too. There was no real point for this ritual, but the last time they skipped it, Lawry chewed them out for minutes.
The door swung open with a loud woosh. He felt his face blasted with the warm air, and he knew the woman in front of him¡ªAugust¡ªfelt the cold wind in return. Her ash-streaked blonde hair was stained with grease. She had a look of frustration on her face, but he could tell it wasn¡¯t directed at him; he just felt the exhaustion in their connection.
He looked at August. August looked at him.
¡°Come in,¡± she gave in first, growling. Nadir smiled at the familiar sight, prompting her to roll her eyes before stepping to the side, allowing him entrance.
Nadir closed the door as he stepped in.
August sat up. Lawry had told her to take a nap, but between the bed being far too plush for August¡¯s tastes, the buzzing of the bright yellow lights, the humming of Lawry sitting at the table, and the gentle twanging of her and Nadir¡¯s connection¡ªanxious to be reunited¡ªthat plan was never going to work. August knew that, but Lawry wouldn¡¯t have it until she at least tried to sleep.
Lawry glanced at her. August noticed she had changed at some point, donning blue jeans and a black long-sleeve shirt. It was by far the most casual August had seen her, and she was surprised to find herself thinking it looked good on Lawry. The loose shirt complimented her ponytail and the black contrasted her beige skin and brown hair; August was impressed. She usually considered Lawry far too stuck-up for anything resembling normal clothes.
¡°Are you just going to stare at me, August?¡± Lawry asked in that short, clipped tone she always had. It was so matter-of-fact, so superior. August despised it; she decided long ago that she hated know-it-alls.
¡°I couldn¡¯t sleep. I told you I wouldn¡¯t be able to.¡± August answered, shriveling her nose at the woman. Lawry only hummed in response, going back to the book she was reading, laid across the small table. It was covered in sheet of paper after sheet of paper. Some were from other books, so old the pages had fallen out long ago; some were torn out from notebooks, likely the product of Lawry¡¯s research; and some still were covered in drawings, symbols, artistic interpretations of creatures. August had begun to recognize some of them thanks to Lawry¡¯s help- even if August was loathe to admit it.
¡°Where the hells is he, Lawry?¡± August slipped off the bed and grabbed for her boots. One of them had gotten knocked under the bed at some point, so she had to kneel to fish it out from the dark confines. The boot came out littered with dust. Grumbling, August tried to fit it on, but she struggled to slip the cuffs of her cargo pants into the tall boots. By the time she was done tying them, her hands were covered in the dry mud that stained the otherwise black leather.
Lawry watched with mild amusement. ¡°August, again- truly, you have made me repeat this many a time now, he is presumably at the library, paging through a tome so incomprehensibly written I could not conceive his headache.¡± She paused, slowly closed her book, and began to gather up all the scattered papers. She didn¡¯t think the mess was very presentable. ¡°Or, well, perhaps Nadir is simply walking back with the script in hand. He is more likely to do that.¡± She concluded, nodding like she had just said the most sagely of wisdom.
¡°Yes, more likely to do that, my name¡¯s Lawry, I¡¯m so knowledgeable about people I barely know,¡± August grumbled in a childish tone, making for the bathroom. Whatever response she wanted, Lawry gave none, choosing instead to continue calmly organizing her stacks upon stacks of paper.
¡°You know we have computers?¡± August called from the bathroom. She got a hum of acknowledgment in response, and it became clear Lawry did not feel like discussing anything with August, so she chose to ignore Lawry in turn. She turned the sink on and splashed her face with the icy water, rubbing at her eyes until they felt relatively clean. She wiped her face down on her tank top and looked in the mirror to consider how she looked.
It wasn¡¯t a good sight. Her fair skin made the deep purple lines under her eyes extraordinarily visible, and August swore it made everything about her seem dimmer. Her hair was an utter disaster, too: she cut it not long after they went on the run, but it¡¯d need another trim sooner or later. Lawry said it was bad form to have long hair if you¡¯re engaging in fights. August¡¯s hair was streaked with a mixture of ash-grey, sweat, and grease. Grease. August swore, realizing she hadn¡¯t showered since they started running¡ªat least a month, since her last job.
No wonder Lawry seemed to dislike her. She looked disgusting. August decided that dwelling on it would do no good, and instead bent down to try and wash as much grime as possible from her hair with the sink water. It did little, and after a few minutes, August gave up.
She wished the motel had a private shower¡ªshe¡¯d take a cold one if she had to¡ªbut no, this place was not nearly nice enough for that treatment. She wandered back into the main room and moved toward the minifridge in the corner, hoping to eat, but was only met with a disappointing emptiness.
She clenched her jaw. August had forgotten they left all their food behind after having to flee again. She flinched at the memory; their last encounter with the mimic had gone horribly. Her connection with Nadir twanged at the memory like somebody pulled on a taught piece of string; she knew he couldn¡¯t be far, because it had grown stronger in just a few minutes. August looked to Lawry, who was orderly stuffing pages into her book bag.
¡°He really didn¡¯t text you?¡± August chose to break the silence, chewing at her scabbed lips in worry. She instinctively moved her hand to her necklace, thumbing at it repeatedly. August wasn¡¯t trying to fight¡ªdespite the frustration August felt¡ªso she tried to keep the annoyance out of her voice. She knew it wasn¡¯t Lawry¡¯s fault, but it was still difficult for her to manage sometimes.
¡°No, August, he did not text me. Which is why I had promptly concluded he was on his way here.¡± She answered the question in an instant, clearly expecting it. August resisted digging her nails into her hand, instead focusing on staying calm.
¡°I¡¯m just saying, Lawry, I have a right to be worried. We¡¯ve already been here too long!¡± August continued, and threw her arms up in frustration¡ªfreeing them from her necklace¡ªbefore continuing quickly, interrupting Lawry, ¡°If anybody has a right to be worried, it¡¯s me.¡± She knew that was harsh. And the death stare Lawry was giving August made it clear that she¡¯d hit a nerve.
¡°I am not saying you shouldn¡¯t be worried,¡± Lawry spat back, ¡°I am but simply implying that worrying will do nobody any good. I would allow myself to be worried if it were to do any good,¡± venom leaked through her tone despite how she was attempting to reel it in, ¡°but, I understand you cannot help but be worried thanks to your own mistakes.¡± Lawry hissed, a look of pure rage covering her face. Her nose was shriveled, her lip quivered, and she was even slightly red on the nose. August shut up.
Silence reigned, and its rule let the two calm down. Lawry looked a little guilty, which August had found supremely surprising, given she could seldom tell what Lawry was thinking. After a minute or two, August couldn¡¯t stand the awkward silence. ¡°You don¡¯t need to apologize, I know you didn¡¯t mean that,¡± Lawry gave August a weak smile in acknowledgment, before opening her mouth to speak and closing it again. Another minute passed in silence before Lawry finally decided what to say.
¡°We are both thoroughly exhausted, and fighting will do us no good. I am deeply sorry for my part in worsening our respective states.¡± Lawry apologized anyway, ignoring August¡¯s hand-waive. She moved to finish packing her bookbag, slipping the last few books into its confines. Nadir used to joke about it being bigger on the inside, but that only prompted Lawry to go on a rant about her organization system.
¡°And I¡¯m sorry, too,¡± August finally answered, her voice quiet and subdued. The exhaustion leaking out of her was evident. ¡°You think he¡¯s okay, though?¡± She asked, moving to the window near Lawry and pushing the curtain aside. Lawry hummed in thought.
¡°I do. In fact, I am sure of it,¡± Lawry answered happily, meeting August¡¯s surprised glance with a smile. August only looked away. She had issues dealing with Lawry; she was too good at flipping from emotion to emotion. August envied her, in a way; she could never have that level of control over her emotions.
¡°I just¡ I can¡¯t do this without him, Lawry. Yes, literally, but also¡¡± August bit her tongue, trying to think of how to continue, ¡°I did this for him, and I know that nothing¡¯s a given anymore, and I know that the only reason we made it this far is because of what I did to him, and,¡± She cut herself off again the moment she realized she was rambling. Lawry looked patient, and serene, simply waiting for her to continue. ¡°All I¡¯m trying to say is, I know that we fight, but thank you. I don¡¯t think we would have made it this far without you, and¡ Thank you, Lawry.¡± August concluded, swallowing the lump in her throat. She¡¯d rarely been vulnerable with the woman.
¡°You need not thank me,¡± Lawry answered gently as if August was a newborn child¡ªwhich, in some ways, was true¡ªbefore standing up to match August¡¯s stance at the window. Lawry was taller than her and Nadir, but extraordinarily thin. She¡¯d rarely eaten across the two weeks of travel. ¡°You are not being safe enough with,¡± Lawry continued, moving a hand up to August¡¯s wet hair and grabbing at the ashy grey locks. She had to choke bile. Touching them almost felt painful, ¡°The connection. Until you are a full-fledged witch, and Nadir can be your anchor, you will not need to thank me. Remember that, August.¡± She gently let go of August¡¯s hair and slid back into her metal folding chair; she felt sickly.
¡°I know, Lawry. I never wanted this, not for him.¡± August answered just as gently. Lawry half-heartedly hummed in response, trying to fight the nausea. Another few minutes passed like that, with August staring out the window and Lawry looking at nothing in particular.
After another minute or so, August sighed and sat down at the tiny table with Lawry. She leaned on her elbows. ¡°He¡¯ll be here soon. I can feel it growing stronger.¡± She informed Lawry, who once again only hummed. August watched the old, amber-colored lamps flicker, occasionally suffusing the room in a gentle blue darkness. The clock on the wall ticked away, ever a reminder of the time they were wasting. But, every second, August felt the tug grow stronger.
Whenever Nadir left, the flood of energy August felt came back stronger and stronger. It would shoot through her veins like morphine, spreading a cold, gentle buzz of energy from limb to limb.
August shivered in response. She was stifling her reaction, despite how amazing it felt. It was better than anything else she¡¯d tried; like a comfortable blanket wrapped around her shoulders, it filled her head with notions that she could do anything. It made her want to run, to dance, to leap from building to building. But she also knew that¡¯s what would get her killed.
It was one of the first things Lawry told her; it was like an addiction, the pact, and August was quickly forced to learn how to manage. It became easier when the reminder of what could happen sat before her, a stark reminder of what using that power would cost. Lawry, while she looked kept on the outside, hadn¡¯t had time to keep up with her routines; her brown hair dye was fading, and the tips started to reveal a pure grey, identical to Nadir and August¡¯s.
August didn¡¯t like the thought, even if it was a good reminder. She turned her focus away from the magic buzzing inside her and to Nadir. She could feel his heart, beating like a drum. She could picture him in her mind, slowly ascending to the second story of rooms.
She swore she felt it when he stood in front of the door and rapped his fist on the wood. Each knock hit her like a freight train, and August wanted to slam the door open and let him in. Lawry glanced at August, who was shaking with excitement, before slowly pulling a revolver from her waistband. August didn¡¯t notice.
Lawry watched the door. Listened to the knocks. She made sure they were right, before nodding and allowing August to slam the door open. She slipped the revolver away before either Nadir or August could notice its presence. It was no secret that she was careful, but people rarely liked having guns aimed their way.
Lawry observed them. August and Nadir simply looked at each other. Lawry assumed they were letting the energy regulate, and the reminder brought phantom pains. It was an itchy tug from somewhere around Lawry¡¯s lungs, forcing her to take deeper and deeper breaths in an attempt to scratch it. The exchange couldn¡¯t have lasted more than a moment, but it still made Lawry feel like an unwelcome observer; a voyeur spying on people she should never have known.
¡°Come in,¡± August growled, though Lawry could tell it was more out of concern than annoyance. Lawry knew what an annoyed August sounded like. When Nadir stepped inside, shutting the door gently, he had a warm smile on his face. It felt brighter than the lights and brought a small smile to Lawry¡¯s face. Her pains started fading. Nadir was a calming presence for both August and her.
Nadir looked about the same, Lawry considered. He still wore his clothes, and his grey trenchcoat looked unblemished. Lawry tried to let her nerves slide away. They were ever-present, even though he was not the mimic. She rolled her shoulders in an attempt to loosen them, and then she exhaled deeply, calming her nerves in a final effort, before putting back on the mask and looking up at the pair standing together.
¡°What have you two gotten yourselves into¡¡± She muttered, mostly to herself, before meeting Nadir¡¯s eye. She spoke first. ¡°Well, Nadir, you look positively glowing. I assume it was a success, then?¡± Lawry hummed, giving him a gentle, encouraging smile. She was ever the mother, but she also knew Nadir didn¡¯t need the treatment. He was the only thing truly stopping her and August from tearing into each other. But his smile dimmed, instead turning into a deep frown. He put the book on the small table, silently, his movements slow and careful, like it might explode if he were too rough.
¡°First off,¡± Nadir began calmly, ¡°you two were fighting again.¡± He looked between them. It wasn¡¯t a question, but a fact. He could always tell: August and Lawry both looked a little guilty. August had a look of slight shame, like she was a puppy being scolded, and Lawry only glanced away in admittance. Despite how obvious it was, they both went to deny it at the same time.
¡°We weren¡¯t fighting,¡± August answered with a whine, and Lawry in annoyance. Their heads snapped to each other in surprise, and they were only met with each other''s piercing stares. Nadir chuckled.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. ¡°And my point stands,¡± he put a finger up in front of August, a habit he had learned from Lawry, ¡°and no, August, it does not matter who started it first. Just stop doing it, you two. It helps none of us, and it helps me the least. You two don¡¯t know what it¡¯s like to be between your bickering.¡± He stated it firmly, enough to tell them that was the end of it. August and Lawry both nodded, too exhausted to argue more.
Nadir continued speaking. ¡°Onto more important matters, so we can get a move on,¡± Lawry quirked an eyebrow at the implication¡ªthey hadn¡¯t planned to move if the book told them how to kill the mimic. ¡°And get some sleep. The book. It¡¯s useless. Absolutely,¡± he had tapped on the book''s cover for emphasis, ¡°useless.¡± He had to spit the word out. It disgusted him. The word echoed in the small motel room, and both August and Lawry were utterly silent. The kind of silence that is deafening, so loud breaking it feels like a mistake. But it was the calm before the storm. The next instant, the room erupted in noise.
¡°What do you mean it¡¯s useless?¡± August was practically shouting, still riding the high of the magic, and she stumbled toward the wall. Nadir caught her, but only barely; his small frame made catching the woman difficult. She pulled herself away from his grip and chose to lean on the wall instead, breathing deeply. ¡°You¡¯re really fuckin¡¯ telling me that we came all the way out here, for a goddamned useless book?¡± She asked, jamming a finger in the direction of the book with so much force that Nadir thought it might promptly burst into flame. It¡¯d fit the look of utter rage marring August¡¯s face. Neither Lawry nor Nadir answered, not wanting to enrage her further, so they just stood there.
¡°I¡¯m going for a smoke,¡± August said, pushing past Nadir to the door she had just welcomed him through. Nadir nodded, though he was unsure if August saw it; he wasn¡¯t too concerned. She wouldn¡¯t go far, not so soon after reuniting. He knew she was frustrated with the situation, not anyone in the room.
Lawry watched the exchange, no hint of amusement or frustration on their face, and simply looked at the book. Then, she looked at Nadir. ¡°May I examine it?¡± she ran a hand over its amber-yellow cover. In the matching light, Nadir thought it glowed, but realized it was a trick of the light.
¡°Knock yourself out, Lawry. We need to head out soon, though.¡± He answered, moving to the bed and flopping dramatically into its plush comfort. He just wanted to sink in and drown in the sheets. To forget about everything. He wished they could save the discussion for the morning, but he knew they¡¯d need to get ready soon. Nadir pushed away the drowsiness once again ebbing in, choosing instead to sit up and lean on the headboard.
The minutes ticked by, and the sound of the clock was giving him a headache. There wasn¡¯t anything to distract himself with, either; he could hear a cough or two from August, who was outside. Nadir didn¡¯t particularly feel like checking on her, he hated the smell of cigarettes. Lawry said nothing, but Nadir watched it flip page after page, each one no better than the last. She turned each page in time with the clock ticks, and Nadir found it a little amusing. The minifridge made an odd clunking sound, and the overwhelming hum of electricity suffusing the building seemed to get worse. It mixed with all the noise into a great cacophony of buzzing. He groaned and threw an arm over his eyes in an attempt to block the flickering light.
¡°Yes, well, this is useless,¡± Lawry stated, having managed to flip through the entire book in record speed. She snapped the book shut with an odd finality, leaning back in the rickety folding chair she claimed. She removed her round glasses, wiping at her eyes¡ªNadir knew she was tired, too.
¡°I did warn you, Law¡¡± Nadir mumbled, only half awake. He shook the exhaustion away. ¡°Lawry. I did say so. Did you discover anything?¡± He asked, glancing at the odd book. He concluded the moment he looked at it that it wasn¡¯t a normal book. He didn¡¯t need magic to know that.
¡°Well, it¡¯s an enchantment, I suppose. Quite promptly, Nadir, because of these ink blotches,¡± she continued, and Nadir nodded. He had concluded that earlier. ¡°But with a copy of such ancient writing¡ Well, it could be a curse placed on the original manuscript, to forbid copies, which I consider the most likely.¡± She continued, raising a finger as she listed off the idea. That meant she had a few, and Nadir motioned for her to continue.
¡°It may be natural, and we are both wrong. I imagine you would not consider it normal, either. But, I consider this extraordinarily unlikely because, well, nobody has this much ink on hand. This could not be somebody accidentally spilling an inkwell.¡± Lawry continued, almost laughing at the thought. Nadir smiled in turn, happy to see that she seemed at least a little amused by the situation.
¡°The third and final option, which I consider to be somewhat viable, is that, well, a spellcaster of some manner or another,¡± Lawry looked to the door, where August stood outside. Lawry couldn¡¯t be sure, of course; August had stopped coughing a while ago, but Nadir could still feel the thread connecting them, freely spilling energy back and forth. ¡°Chose to delay us by casting upon the book a spell.¡± Lawry finished, putting down her hand dramatically. Nadir watched her for a second, considering what she said.
¡°Lawry, you don¡¯t mean to imply that you think August had a hand in this, do you? I would have been able to tell long before-¡± Nadir began explaining, but Lawry hushed him and waived one of her hands in a silencing motion. Nadir bit his tongue and waited for her explanation.
¡°No, Nadir, I do not think our amateur witch cast a curse upon this manuscript that is deeply important to both you and her. That would be foolish,¡± Lawry shook her head, ¡°and while she is certainly stupid, she is not foolish. I frankly don¡¯t think she would have the power to do this,¡± Lawry stated, opening the book again. ¡°Even with my knowledge of enchantments. Not yet. Now, I could either conduct a rite to tell what kind of magics were cast on this, or August could do it with a little instruction.¡± She gently closed the book just after opening it, like it might be dangerous.
Nadir looked at the woman. Without her glasses, she looked less imposing. She had wrinkles along her cheeks and heavy crow¡¯s feet. For being only a few years older than Nadir, she looked ancient. But there was no malice in her face, nor hatred or disgust, just an awful and ever-present exhaustion. Nadir sighed. He knew what she was asking, even if she didn¡¯t say it.
¡°I¡¯ll go fetch her. Help her calm down, or¡ whatever she needs.¡± Nadir agreed, and Lawry nodded. He hadn¡¯t taken off any layers, so he simply grabbed August¡¯s leather jacket and pulled his coat tighter before stepping back into the lightly snow-peppered cold. There was still the faint smell of cigarette smoke in the air, and Nadir shriveled his nose in turn at the reminder. She had dropped the habit a while back, but after everything kicked off it started up again.
August was leaning against the frosty metal railing. She swayed back and forth, clearly worried. The sun was just peeking over the buildings in the distance, despite how early it was. Nadir moved to lean with her, first holding out the brown leather jacket for her to take. August grunted before slipping it on, shivering at the touch of the warm leather. ¡°Can¡¯t have you getting sick, August. Not yet. Soon, you¡¯ll be able to get sick as often as you want, and I¡¯ll make you all the chicken soup you could want, okay?¡± Nadir asked unprompted, wrapping one arm around her shoulder and using the other to prop himself up on the railing.
August didn¡¯t answer, not immediately. She played with her necklace instead, staring at nothing. Nadir joined her in the looking, but he chose to be more productive than her empty stare. He kept an eye out for any vehicles they might recognize. There were none.
¡°What are we going to do, Nadir?¡± August finally spoke, her voice barely a whisper. She turned to look at him, her lip trembling. Nadir felt a pang in his heart at the sight: he thought she was just angry, but this was something far worse. He rarely saw her like this. ¡°I mean, without the book, how are we going to¡¡± She seemed to be struggling to talk, and her voice was quieter than the sound of her shuffling to face him. ¡°How are we going to get rid of it? We haven¡¯t had time to sleep, to research, we haven¡¯t even had time to eat. This book was our one shot at figuring things out. I mean, even Lawry has never dealt with one of these things.¡± She continued, looking at Nadir with her piercing green eyes.
It made him a little uncomfortable, and he was reminded of what Lawry had asked when they first met. He wiped away a bit of grime on August¡¯s face instead of responding. He didn¡¯t know what to say.
¡°Until we get rid of this, we¡¯re fucked.¡± August gently pulled his hand away. Nadir only nodded and contemplated what to do next. August became used to his silence long ago. He was always thinking. August wished she could do the same.
¡°I know, August. I know,¡± he answered after many long moments. She was chewing at her lips, which were already covered in scabs. The admittance, in turn, made his exhaustion worse. ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯re going to have any issues convincing Lawry to stick with us a little longer. I don¡¯t think she¡¯s even considered leaving, even though we¡¯ve already stolen her away for an extra week.¡± He answered calmly. While Lawry could be patronizing with her explanations, Nadir was anything but. He was gentle, composed, a comforting force to be leaned on.
¡°She said it¡¯s an enchantment. Either by another spellcaster or more likely, a curse caused by copying the original work. She¡¯d need you to help with figuring that out, though, and then circumventing it,¡± he explained, ¡°and I want to get us on the road. We¡¯ve already been here too long, and it¡¯s not like you can stay on your feet much longer anymore. Do you think you could..?¡± He ran a hand up and down her shoulder, covered by the leather jacket. It was as much a soothing gesture for her as it was for him.
August bit her lip. ¡°Nadir, I¡ Yeah. With her help, it should be doable, yeah. But to do this quick, I¡¯d need to¡¡± August trailed off, not daring to proffer the question. Her stomach twisted at the thought of leeching from him further¡ªtheir connection was already strained, and more stress might kill him. ¡°I¡¯d need some supplies. For the ritual, to circumvent it. I¡¯m not sure we could get the stuff here anyway, Lawry will know what we need. A larger city would probably have anything we need, but after Boston, I think we should stick to smaller towns.¡± Nadir nodded in agreement. He didn¡¯t feel like asking Lawry for a list. Not now. They could deal with it in the morning, or whenever they woke up.
¡°Should we head back inside? You¡¯re shivering.¡± Nadir asked, gently moving her hand from her necklace¡ªAugust hadn¡¯t noticed she was touching it. He posed it like a question, but August knew him well enough to understand it as a demand. She nodded, and he began turning away to go inside, but she wasn¡¯t ready.
She grabbed his arm and pulled him back, gently brushing a lock of curly grey hair from his face before pulling him in for a tight hug. He responded in kind, gently wrapping his arms around her waist and burying his head in her shoulder. He could feel the tickling of her wet hair on his nose, and August released some of the tension to match his gentleness.
They couldn¡¯t have stood there for more than a moment, but it felt like an eternity to them. It was safe and comfortable, and the most real thing they had felt in a week.
When August pulled away, her eyes were teary. ¡°Whatever happens, Nadir, just know that I don¡¯t regret any of this. I don¡¯t regret that you came to me for help, or that I gave it to you. Nothing, I regret nothing except the fact that you got mixed up in all of this in the first place. I mean,¡± she laughed solemnly, ¡°me, a witch? I would never have guessed. It feels right, though, and¡ I have you to thank for that. I¡¯m not going anywhere, okay?¡± She asked, and Nadir nodded. It wasn¡¯t good enough for her. ¡°Please just say that you hear me.¡± She begged, a slight whimper slipping into her voice.
¡°I hear you. I¡¯m not going anywhere, either. You¡¯re the best thing I could¡¯ve asked for during this shit.¡± His voice was sad, deeply laced with sorrow. Whether August regretted it or not, he wished he had never gone to her for help, never involved her. He gestured toward the room with his head.
¡°Yeah, yeah, inside. Where it¡¯s warm,¡± she shivered, ¡°I need to talk with Lawry anyway.¡± He hummed in response¡ªa habit he had begun doing occasionally, thanks to Lawry¡ªbefore opening the door and allowing them both to retreat into the warm motel room.
Lawry began the moment they entered, not bothering to look up from the amber journal she was examining again. ¡°August, sit down, let¡¯s go over this quickly so we can leave. I well, don¡¯t know what Nadir told you, so I might be repeating him,¡± she continued, nodding when August sat in the chair across from her. She was paying attention to this: August absorbed magical knowledge like a sponge. ¡°It is a spell, that is a surety. I examined it twice over, and I detected magical influence both times¡ªwhich also means it is a strong one since I haven¡¯t had ability regarding that field in years. It is much better suited to a witch, like you.¡±
August piped up at that. ¡°Lawry, you could have just asked. I can feel magic radiating off that thing like truck exhaust.¡± She grabbed for the book, but Lawry tutted and pulled it away from her, not done with her explanation. August glared at her, but Lawry only raised an eyebrow in reaction.
¡°I do not think it was a spellcaster who did this, either. It doesn¡¯t make logical sense. I am the only one who knows about you two. This means, well, it is a curse employed by the original manuscript to ward off mimicry. It is somewhat common with these older texts, thanks to superstition¡ªwhether it is valid or not, I cannot say. But, this means it could be worked around, despite how strong the curse appears to be. I doubt we could dispel it, but there are ways to manage it.¡± Lawry finished explaining, sliding the book toward August. Nadir watched with curiosity, despite his lack of magical ability. Understanding his ally''s strength was part of being a good teammate.
August glanced up at Nadir, almost asking for permission. The last time they dealt with a cursed object, its effects had simply passed through August¡¯s connection and into Nadir, leaving her unmarred but him retching on the floor. It was part of the deal, as her anchor. He nodded, and August feverishly grabbed at the book and began flipping through it.
¡°Which disciplines does the spell fall under?¡± August asked.
¡°You should tell me, first. If you miss anything¡ªor turn out wrong¡ªI will correct you,¡± Lawry answered, and August nodded, satisfied with the deal. She understood that she needed to practice, but a witch¡¯s way of examining magic was also far more thorough than the naked eye of the magically attuned. August doubted she¡¯d be wrong.
A gentle hum filled the room, and Nadir winced. It was different from the buzzing electricity. This felt more like a pull all around him. The connection between him and August grew taught, and her eyes began to glow a gentle green, forming rings upon rings of intersecting bands in her iris. It was easy to tell when a witch used magic; they weren¡¯t subtle.
Nadir had begun to recognize the shapes in August¡¯s eyes, and he recited what he knew from attempting to memorize it all: there are ten intersecting lines and loops, each representing a different discipline of magic, and a different ¡®elder.¡¯ They were called many things, he¡¯d learned, but that was the most common one in the modern age¡ªthey were forces so powerful they dictated the rules of magic.
August began to speak, her voice intermingled with Nadir¡¯s, even though he wasn¡¯t talking. It always creeped him out, having his identity subsumed like that whenever she began casting. ¡°Ninth. Fourth. Fifth. Eighth.¡± After a few more moments, the light began to fade, and she was seemingly content with her findings.
¡°In order of potency, August?¡± Lawry asked, and August confirmed. ¡°That means we are dealing with something quite unique. And it¡¯s not an illusion?¡± Lawry asked again, and again, August confirmed. ¡°Then we are dealing with something that was able to manifest the effect with no outside input. In a way, the curse itself could be considered a living, magical creature. Or virus. This means it can adapt, but it can also be killed. I am not sure yet how, although.¡± Lawry answered, picking up the book and stuffing it in her book bag, which still sat under the table.
¡°Are you two done, then?¡± Nadir asked, and they both confirmed. It surprised him at how quick it was, and for all the mystical bright lights, that took little to no energy from him. ¡°Okay. Then, August, I want you to go throw your bike into the bed of Lawry¡¯s truck. Take a bag or two with you,¡± he gestured at their backpacks, which sat near the foot of the bed, ¡°And then I want you to climb into the backseat and get some sleep.¡± He knew August was about to protest, and so he didn¡¯t pause, ¡°And I don¡¯t want to hear any complaints. You need to sleep more than any of us.¡± He grabbed his bag and held it out to her. She huffed in annoyance but did as asked after a second.
¡°And, Lawry,¡± he began, waiting for the woman to look at him, ¡°I assume since you haven¡¯t protested about that plan, you¡¯re joining us?¡± He asked. There was a long silence, and Lawry simply looked at him. He looked at her stormy eyes, flecked with gold. When he first asked her about the odd color, Lawry simply explained that all spellblades shared the same color, and he had taken it as a joke. He knew now that she was entirely serious.
¡°Of course. Why would I leave now?¡± She finally answered, breaking the quiet tension. ¡°I thought it clear that I¡¯m not simply leaving after we kill the mimic. I, frankly, have a vested interest in your well-being, and I am only going home if you two are joining me.¡± Her lips curved downward, despite the growing smile on Nadir¡¯s face. ¡°You will be sleeping. I will be driving. Bring out our bags; I will check us out, Nadir.¡± And now he was glowing in response. He thought about how wonderful sleeping would be.
¡°Okay, Lawry. Thank you,¡± he said, the words suffused with so much grace that Lawry looked a little shocked. The scowl finally disappeared, in place of her atypical grins. ¡°I¡¯ll get the rest of our bags. Oh, do you have the bookbag, though?¡± He asked, grabbing the two backpacks and the duffel of supplies, which was tucked away behind the bed.
¡°I will take the book bag,¡± She handed him her keys, and then more quietly, ¡°It has my wallet, anyway.¡± Nadir laughed quietly, awkwardly shuffling out the door with the bags. He moved toward the rickety stairs and slowly carried the bags down, careful not to collapse the rusty steps. He thought that¡¯d be just his luck.
August was waiting by the truck, half asleep standing. She¡¯d managed to get the bike into the bed, and laid sideways it wasn¡¯t nearly as wide as the bed was tall. Nadir heaved the duffel into the bed and closed the back, pulling the black tarp over the contents. August grunted in recognition, suddenly awake enough to realize he was there.
¡°Is Lawry checking us out, then?¡± She asked, motioning for him to unlock the truck. He clicked the button on Lawry¡¯s keys, and the vehicle made a loud beeping sound. August nodded in thanks and clambered into the passenger seat to begin moving the backpacks into the back seat, behind the driver¡¯s seat.
¡°Yeah, she is. You can get comfy, she shouldn¡¯t be too long. Even if she is, it¡¯ll just give time for the truck to heat up.¡± August nodded, and he handed the next backpack for her to fit in place, and then the next. After that, August climbed over the seats to lay in the backseat¡ªwhich was more of a bench¡ªand maybe get some rest. It had become the closest thing to a makeshift bed that they could make; the seat was littered with moth-bitten blankets, a relatively new sleeping bag, and it had a yellowed pillow on one end.
August pulled off her leather jacket and wrapped it around the passenger seat headrest. She then clambered into the sleeping bag and pulled one of the blankets over her, letting the rest cushion the bench seat. Nadir hummed, fumbling the keys into the ignition and getting the truck started.
He messed with the heating and vents, making sure they were blowing vaguely toward August¡¯s direction. He¡¯d turn the heating down once the truck warmed up, but it still needed to defrost first. He got comfy in the passenger seat, fished his phone out from his pocket, and hit the power button for the first time in a few days. He itched to check it, but it needed to charge first, so he plugged it in.
He hit the radio after that. He would love to listen to his music right now, but with nothing downloaded, he couldn¡¯t. His subscription ran out a week ago. His card was declined, which was expected. He had ditched it in a random trash can.
¡°You¡¯re listening to,¡± a record scratch sound effect played, ¡°96.5 blood radio!¡± The man on the radio rambled for a bit before something wholly generic began playing. Nadir hummed along with it, watching as Lawry gave him a small wave from the stairs and began heading toward the office they checked in at.
Nadir doubted the kid they checked in with was still there, but it shouldn¡¯t matter. Lawry just needed to make sure they hadn¡¯t left anything behind and return the keys. By the time he blinked, she was already making her way to the truck.
She moved to the driver¡¯s seat, gently opened it, and hoisted herself up into the seat. She was more familiar with the size than they were¡ªit was her truck¡ªso it took much less effort. She closed the door just as gently, glancing at the backseat, where August lay. She looked peaceful, bundled up in the warm sleeping bag. She left one arm out of the blankets, and Nadir knew she got too warm otherwise.
¡°Is she asleep?¡± Lawry whispered, and Nadir had to consider for a second. August rarely passed out that quickly, but she hadn¡¯t slept in over twenty-seven hours. She could be faking it, or simply trying to sleep, so Nadir shrugged.
¡°Yeah, I think so,¡± he whispered back, reclining his seat just enough to be comfortable, but not enough for it to disturb August. Lawry slid the book bag in near his feet before beginning to adjust her mirrors. She always fussed with them, and would often rant about road safety.
¡°What did you put on?¡± She asked in amusement, still whispering but with a small smile on her face. The radio DJ had begun talking again, ranting about country bumpkins and horses. It might have been the worst DJ Nadir had ever heard.
¡°Just some random FM station. I didn¡¯t want to sit in silence.¡± He shrugged, grabbing at his phone to check for any important notifications, but Lawry slapped it out of his hand. He grumbled in mild annoyance, but he also understood why. Lawry was always motherly about the screens. She didn¡¯t like tech.
¡°No screens for you, Nadir. The blue light is bad for you, especially because you need to sleep above all else. Join your friend, go to bed. I¡¯ll get us on the road,¡± she looked at him, suddenly realizing they had no real destination, ¡°West?¡± Lawry shrugged. Nadir agreed.
He let the sound of the truck¡¯s tires on the pavement soothe him, along with the awful music. He used to hate the feeling of cars, but now the ever-present sensation of moving was a comfort. He leaned back, closed his eyes, and pulled his trenchcoat tighter around him.
He was asleep by the time they were out of the parking lot.
Lawry felt happy, oddly. Things hadn¡¯t worked out with the book, yes, but at least they were still relatively safe. August and Nadir were getting some much-needed sleep, too. She turned the radio off after a bit¡ªshe never listened to it anyway¡ªand drove in silence. The sun continued to rise, and light filled the sky. She would drive until the next stop, refuel, and likely continue driving until she couldn¡¯t. Or perhaps until a roadside diner. The other two needed to eat.
Lawry glanced at them, and neither stirred. They continued sleeping calmly. Lawry thought about how similar they were to her, but they were also something new. A second chance for her, maybe. She tried not to think of it that way. Lawry knew it was bad to get your hopes up, but sometimes she couldn¡¯t help herself.
CHAPTER 2
Lawry watched the road. The sun was setting somewhere off to the south-west, and it was shining in her eyes. She flipped down her truck¡¯s sun shade and glanced at Nadir before deciding she was too tired to continue. ¡°Nadir, wake up,¡± Her voice was a croak, dry from not speaking, and she realized she hadn¡¯t had any water since she started driving. In her condition, it might be a car accident that killed them.
But Nadir wasn¡¯t stirring. He was usually a light sleeper, but both of them seemed exhausted, and August had barely moved during the drive. Lawry pulled to a stop at one point to check if she was breathing, which she only realized was silly afterward. Nadir would have woken up if August were in trouble. She sighed and began pulling to the side of the road, narrowly avoiding slipping down the small bank.
She let the engine stall and it rumbled quietly, reverberating throughout the car. Lawry flexed her fingers on the wheel, working out the cramping, and glanced at the cars driving past them. Then she looked between the two, examining their peaceful faces and suddenly wishing they could sleep longer. But the world wouldn¡¯t wait for them, it never did.
She unbuckled herself with a loud click and leaned closer to Nadir, gently gripping his shoulder. ¡°Nadir, wake up,¡± She repeated in a slightly hoarse whisper. She shook him and he muttered something in response, but it was too quiet for her to hear. She gave him another second to see if he¡¯d wake up before shaking him again, roughly this time. His eyes fluttered and he slowly came to terms with existing.
Nadir blinked awake, squinting at the maroon light shining in his face. Lawry was blocking some of it by leaning over him, but it still filtered through the front window and into his face. He wasn¡¯t being awoken in a panic so he assumed she was too tired to continue driving; she¡¯d pushed herself quite hard if the sun was setting again, so he wanted to give her plenty of time to rest, and he tried to hurry himself up. Lawry moved away so he could sit up, but a spike of pain through his head forced him back down.
The jolt forced a gasp from his lungs and he began heaving, even while laying down. Lawry was looking at him, clearly worried, so he gave her a weak smile, looking at the gold in her eyes. They sparkled in the sunlight, and when she realized he was staring she looked away shyly.
Nadir began sitting up again, slowly this time, and was relieved when the pain didn¡¯t return. He reached for the lever on his chair to bring the back forward so he could rest his head, and brought the seat itself forward so he wouldn¡¯t be behind her. It made talking easier. She was staring out her side window, not meeting his look, and he wasn¡¯t sure what that meant. ¡°Do you need me to swap out?¡± He tried to ask it softly, but his voice came out coarse and scratchy. He winced at the sound and went silent, rubbing at his eyes so he could see better. His head was aching again, and he started to reach over into the backseat to grab his water bottle, which made the pain worse.
The moment he looked at August the striking pain in his skull came back stronger, shooting down through his neck and settling in his lungs. He did his best to breathe, but the sudden dizzying pain nearly made him fall out of his seat. If it weren¡¯t for the seatbelt, he may have. Lawry was there in an instant, a hand on his back and another on his shoulder, helping to bring him up.
¡°I do,¡± Lawry answered, helping to right him. Nadir clenched his eyes shut, blocking out the light and focusing on breathing. Lawry¡¯s hand massaged his back, slowly moving in circles, which seemed to help. ¡°Are you alright? Can you describe the pain for me?¡± She muttered, trying not to be too loud. Her voice dripped with worry, and the picture-perfect visage of neutrality seemed to be gone. When he affirmed that he was okay, she let him be, and grabbed his water bottle for him.
¡°It¡¯s a, uh¡ Spiking pain in my head and chest,¡± He began, trying to pace himself, ¡°It kinda, settled? In my lungs. Like a tightness there, but also like a spike was driven through my skull. Does that make sense?¡± He asked, and she nodded, holding out the water bottle for him. ¡°It got worse when I looked at August. Is it something with the connection?¡± He took a swig from the bottle, greedily drinking most of it. Lawry licked her lips at the sight, overly thirsty herself.
He stopped and handed it to her, and without hesitation, she drank the rest. Her slight smile lit up his heart. ¡°It is, yes,¡± She wet her lips, ¡°It is not necessarily bad. It is because of the excess of energy filtering between you. Er, that is to say, you two both slept well, so you generated lots of¡ Mana, so your bodies are having a hard time dealing with the excess. You will feel it worse, since your body does not normally use mana. It is like a muscle.¡± He looked distraught, wondering if he¡¯d ever sleep well again or if this was the usual now. ¡°Over time, it will become easier.¡± She clarified, and he let the worry fall from his shoulders.
He nodded and leaned for his backpack again, avoiding looking at August. His stomach rumbled, and he was trying to check for snacks, but there was nothing. He didn¡¯t want to snoop through the others bags, so he let it be, and gave Lawry a weak smile. He wanted her to stop frowning at him like a worried mother.
¡°I need a few to fully wake up, okay?¡± He asked softly, ruffling her hair. She scowled at first, but eventually rolled her eyes and started smiling. ¡°I¡¯m going to get some fresh air first, let myself wake up a bit more. Will the pain go away soon?¡± He unbuckled his own seatbelt, letting his back stretch before flipping down the sun shade on his side.
¡°Yes, that is alright,¡± Lawry stifled the affection in her voice, trying to bring it back down to a cold neutrality, ¡°I will wake August. Your pain should dissipate in only a few minutes, but she can drive if you cannot. Additionally, it is time for her lesson, and if I am to rest, it will be better if you two are both awake.¡± She had begun to clip her words again, and Nadir felt a little saddened to hear her softness disappear. He shrugged and threw open the truck door, letting himself out and onto the wet grass.
It must have rained, he realized. The green-blue grass shimmered with light in a beautiful picture of orange-yellow; each blade of grass with dew helped the sun spread its light, and the yellow looked like a blanket of fire. His mouth hung agape, impressed at the sudden visual. For being parked off the side of a highway, it was amazing, and he thought of all the time they¡¯d spent running instead of just appreciating the world.
He turned back to the truck to comment on it to Lawry, but saw her leaned over the seats and attempting to bring August back to life. He grinned, knowing from experience just how difficult it was to wake the witch. Lawry would be there for a while, so he hopped up just to grab his phone before slipping back out and into the chill autumn air. There was a gentle wind, too, and he shivered when it slipped into his coat and up his shirt.
He unlocked his phone, glancing through the lists of notifications, bills and alerts. It was his entire life, spread out through a web of red notification symbols, and a life that was no longer his to live, sitting tantalizingly beyond reach. Nadir couldn¡¯t know what the mimic had said to his loved ones, so he had never ended up responding. Lawry did her part, she checked if anyone had reported him missing, but nobody had. Whatever the mimic had said, at least he hadn¡¯t seriously worried anyone.
He swiftly moved on in an attempt to distract himself, pulling up his maps app and glancing around the nearby locations. They¡¯d left the town in Arkansas, which he now saw was named Elkins before they headed northwest. August had navigated previously and he never thought to ask where they were going. Now they were on a road that was nearly a straight shot into Tulsa, though it did split off at a few points. He thought about how he and August chose to stick to small towns, but Tulsa was the most logical step westward, so he didn¡¯t feel too bad about diverting from that plan. He didn¡¯t know where their end goal was, anyway, so he couldn¡¯t plan out a different route.
Nadir shivered and decided he felt more than awake. The fresh air and cool autumn wind had done wonders for his state, and though he still felt gross¡ªhe desperately missed showering¡ªit was time to get going. He ran a hand through his messy curls in an attempt to detangle them, but it may have only made it worse.
He turned back to the truck and hoisted himself up, met with the sound of Lawry and August quietly fussing over something. He couldn¡¯t hear what, so he chose to just interrupt Lawry, who was still in the driver seat; though she was leaned so far into the backseat he thought she might fall. ¡°I can get us going,¡± He interrupted, and Lawry looked at him and gave him a nod, shuffling closer to him so she could sit in the passenger seat.
Nadir stepped down and closed the door, moving around the front toward the driver¡¯s seat. He caught a whiff of exhaust and choked on his own breath, nose wrinkled from the awful smell. August had told him before that she liked the smell, and he had no idea how she could even stand that awful scent. He coughed in an attempt to clear his lungs before opening the driver¡¯s seat door and climbing in.
He began the ritual of adjusting the seats and mirrors to better suit him instead of Lawry. Given her lanky build, the seat was always too far back for him to properly reach the pedals. This had become normal, though, given how often they all had to switch out. He glanced at the rearview mirror, trying to adjust it, but August¡¯s head was blocking his view anyway.
¡°What, so every division relies on the Ninth?¡± August questioned, staring at her hands. Nadir smiled, noticing how much better she looked after some sleep. Her eyes were brighter and looked more there, and the color of her skin seemed to be rejuvenated. August didn¡¯t feel much better, though. The buzz under her skin was extremely uncomfortable, like a nest of pins and needles across her body.
¡°Well, only on technicality,¡± Lawry explained, sliding the passenger seat as far back as possible so she and August could better discuss face-to-face. There was a heavy tome on Lawry¡¯s lap, and she flipped it open to show August a diagram. It vaguely resembled the chart of divisions, which Nadir recognized first from the magical pattern in August¡¯s eyes when she cast magic, but also from Lawry¡¯s early magic lessons. He paid attention to them just as much as August, even if he wasn¡¯t always present.
¡°What that means is, the Ninth Elder¡ªthe Nine of Clicks¡ªis a font, much like how Nadir is yours, though his role is much more complicated. The Ninth Elder essentially drip feeds energy into the world, which is what allows the usage of external manipulative magics. He feeds latent energy into the world, essentially.¡± Her rant was quickly going beyond anything Nadir had learned, and so he too was listening, but they couldn¡¯t afford to just sit there.
He interrupted. ¡°Hey, uh, really quick Lawry? Not to interrupt you,¡± Which he was, ¡°I¡¯m going to get us going, alright? Is the plan to just head to Tulsa?¡± He asked, making sure his mirrors were right again before pulling up the map on his phone. He needed it to navigate, and if they were heading to Tulsa, it¡¯d still be a few hours.
Lawry looked caught off guard, bringing her attention to him instead of her book. ¡°Oh, uh, no. We are heading to Chouteau, it is a bit closer,¡± She explained, ¡°I have passed through there a few times. It will be a good place to stop and get some food. There is a diner or two, and you both need to eat for the connection to continue growing well. It is necessary.¡± She leaned forward and typed the name into his phone, clicking the fastest route. Nadir shrugged and disabled the voice directions before pulling back onto the road.
Lawry waited a moment to see if he needed anything else before going back to her lesson. Nadir found it cute, that August and Lawry could be so frustrated with each other one day but nice and friendly the next. Maybe it wouldn¡¯t last, but maybe all they really needed was rest. ¡°Where was I?¡± She stated, and August chimed in with something about the divisions and magic. Lawry nodded in thanks. ¡°Yes, right. So, that allows external manipulation. This is what allows an unordained ritual to create its effect: you are telling the latent energy that fills the world what to do, and how specific that gets is dependent on your instructions. This is, on a technical level, different than living creatures, which create our own magic much like we do physical energy.¡± August nodded so that Lawry could tell she was following.
Lawry was running out of breath. She forgot to breathe when excited. ¡°Essentially, it makes very little practical difference to you, a spellcaster, who can manipulate both. You simply do whichever is easiest. But, those who do not have access to their own magic¡ªsuch as Nadir¡ªcould only ever use external magics.¡± She sucked in air, letting her breath regulate until it was calm again. Nadir found her excitement to teach August cute.
¡°Well¡ Wait, why do you not include yourself as being able to use internal magic? Aren¡¯t you also a spellcaster? A, uh, spellblade, right?¡± August asked, trying to remember what Lawry had said. She¡¯d only ever mentioned it rarely, but Lawry talked about using magic all the time, and her knowledge was evident.
¡°I didn¡¯t mean it that way,¡± Lawry snapped before going quiet for a while. She just looked at the book on her lap, not meeting August¡¯s eyes. She didn¡¯t want to explain this to them, not yet, so she chose to leave out some detail. ¡°To say I am a spellcaster would be¡ Accurate, yes, but quite a few years ago, I made a severe mistake and can no longer cast magic. It is a detriment to my well-being. Does that satisfy you?¡± She asked rhetorically, glancing at August and hoping that was clear. And it was, August and Nadir could tell she didn¡¯t want to explain more, but August chose to pry anyway.
¡°Not really? What happened? Did it have something to do with you being a spellblade? Er, or, we know you had a connection too, right? You have the same grey in your hair. Was it that?¡± August peppered her, then suddenly looked a little scared. ¡°Is that what happens when we use the connection improperly?¡±
The truck went silent. Lawry wasn¡¯t saying anything, and Nadir winced when August chose to open her mouth again. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to talk about it,¡± She started, and though Nadir was surprised she was being gentle, that didn¡¯t mean it was a good thing to say. He glanced at Lawry, who looked furious and was opening her mouth to speak, but when she met Nadir¡¯s look it softened. She took a second longer to compose herself.
¡°You are right, I do not want to talk about this.¡± She closed the heavy tome and dropped it into August¡¯s lap, who yelped in surprise, before Lawry brought the seat forward and began staring out the front window. Nadir felt a little lost and he wasn¡¯t sure how to help the situation. ¡°You may keep reading that, but I am not going to answer your questions. I must rest, too.¡± She turned to look at August, ¡°I am not mad at you,¡± Her voice turned softer when she looked at Nadir, ¡°Or you, Nadir. I know you¡¯re just as curious.¡±
She wasn¡¯t done. ¡°I know you two have placed immense trust in me, despite how secretive I have been about many things. I know that getting me to tell you more was like pulling nails,¡± Nadir snorted, thinking back on how they had to gang up on Lawry just for her to explain what a witch was, ¡°But I promise I will explain eventually. We need the mimic dead first, I want you two safe before anything else.¡±
¡°Okay, Lawry. If that¡¯s what you need, but you promise you¡¯ll answer someday?¡± Nadir chose to speak first, deciding he¡¯d handle it better than August. Lawry gave him an appreciate grin, and her eyes glistened with tears at how much he implicitly trusted her. The overwhelming urge to hug him went through her like a lightning bolt, but she couldn¡¯t afford the affection. She only nodded. He accepted that was that. ¡°Get some rest, please.¡±
She did as asked and leaned back in her seat, letting her head loll to the side so neither August nor Nadir could see her face.
August spoke after a few minutes. She¡¯d thumbed through the book for a bit, but the sudden end to the lesson before it began had hampered her want to learn. She¡¯d chose instead to search through her bag for something to eat, but when she found nothing, it prompted her to ask Nadir. ¡°Do we have any snacks? I¡¯m really hungry,¡± But when Nadir simply explained he had checked before she was up, she grumbled and watched the window.
The sun had nearly set. They had maybe a half hour of light remaining, so he knew the view would bore August soon. She¡¯d only be able to see out the front window, due to his headlights, but that wasn¡¯t a particularly entertaining view. ¡°Do you want me to put anything on for you?¡± He asked, glancing at her in the rearview mirror.
August shrugged. ¡°No, I¡¯m okay. I think I¡¯d like to just be alone for a bit. Er, as alone as I can get,¡± She mumbled, and Nadir was struggling to hear her over the sound of the truck on pavement. He shrugged in turn, understanding that if she didn¡¯t want to talk, she didn¡¯t want to talk. He focused on driving instead.
Lawry didn¡¯t sleep much. It was a short ride to Chouteau, and her mind was too busy thinking of a million different things. Some were happy memories, a good reminder of the reason she was doing all this. Others were worse, things she could never unsee even when her eyes closed. She tried to distract herself by planning their route, and she had settled on New Mexico.
She knew they were making good progress on stopping the mimic now that they had the book. A few solid hours with August and they should be able to tear the curse from its pages, but she also knew they couldn¡¯t last much longer on the road. Their exhaustion had begun to reach new levels, and no matter how fast they drive, the mimic would always find them. They would have to make a final stand at some point, likely soon. It was another good reason to head to New Mexico. Her mind was made up.
Lawry decided she¡¯d tell them their new location after they got some food, so she let herself keep pretending to sleep. Her nerves were too built up to get any, but she was glad to sit in silence. August hadn¡¯t spoke a word recently, and Nadir seemed content to keep driving. Giving him a singular, accomplishable goal always helped.
After another half hour, Nadir pulled off the highway and drove for a bit longer. The sun had set now, and Lawry found the darkness a welcome reprieve from the warm sun. It was like a blanket of silence over the world, and it always helped her feel more alive, despite the solemn quietude of everything else. The truck slowed down and eventually came to a stop with Nadir quieting the rumbling engine.
Lawry decided that was enough relaxation and began to sit up, unbuckling her seatbelt. She heard two more clicks from August and Nadir, and Nadir looked at Lawry to give his ever-present warm, comforting smile. She melted at the sight, and stored it away in her memory with all of August and Nadir¡¯s smiles. She was originally trying not to grow too attached to them, but despite the bickering, she couldn¡¯t help herself.
¡°Did you have a nice nap?¡± August asked, leaning forward. Nadir glanced at the two, waiting to see if it was going to be an issue, but when Lawry smiled at her voice, Nadir opened the door and slipped out. Their fights could get heated, but they never lasted.
¡°I did, August, thank you,¡± Lawry answered, helping August out from the back seat. She seemed anxious to get out, and Lawry didn¡¯t want to delay that need. She understood feeling cooped up and needing to get out, it was the only reason she still travelled by truck the majority of the time. She didn¡¯t want the world to pass her by, she needed to see it all and be there for it.
Lawry slipped out of the truck, looking around. They had arrived in Chouteau, and Lawry looked to the diner in front of them. It was painted red on the outside, with big windows near the front and bright lighting. She had passed through the town quite a few times, and during one trip she encountered a hunter harassing the owner, which she had cleared up. Because of that, she trusted the owner. They could likely eat here without any issues.
Nadir was leaning on the front of the truck while waiting for the other two, and Lawry decided to join him. She didn¡¯t want to head inside right away, she hadn¡¯t been out of the car in nearly nine hours. August bounced up in front of them and began stretching, trying to work the stiffness out of her body.
The diner glowed a bright yellow. ¡°You said you¡¯ve been here before?¡± Nadir asked, inspecting the diner. It wasn¡¯t large, maybe enough to seat twenty people maximum, but it looked spotless. Nadir thought the style a little cliche, it was the picture of the American diner, but if the food was good there wasn¡¯t anything to complain about.
¡°I have, yes. A few times. I do not live far away, so if I were heading south it was a logical stop for me and,¡± She caught herself, choking a little, ¡°And whoever I was travelling with at the time.¡± She tried to recall the name of the owner before they headed inside. ¡°Are you two alright to go on?¡± She asked, and when they returned nods, Nadir shrugged and pushed his way into the diner.
A girl behind the counter beamed at their entrance and suggested they seat themselves, though they waived Lawry over. The girl looked to be doing much better, though the last time Lawry had been here the hunter was attacking them simply because they were a faun, which would hamper anyone¡¯s mood. Lawry walked up the counter, shrugging at the other two and suggesting they find a place to sit.
She watched them discuss where to sit and they eventually decided on a table in the corner of the diner because it had a clear view of the front entrance and windows. They were learning, but she wasn¡¯t there to praise them now. She turned her attention to the bar owner. ¡°Natalia, it has been a bit. Has the diner been doing well?¡± She asked, leaning forward on the vinyl countertop to better match the faun¡¯s height. Lawry knew what she was¡ªa faun, or satyr¡ªbut there were no identifying features anymore. She assumed the bar owner had found an improved disguise.
¡°Oh, why yes, I¡¯ve been ever so successful! If it weren¡¯t for your help, I wouldn¡¯t have this place at all. Are you here to cash in that favor, Madeline?¡± The faun bounced up and down, swaying to the beat of the gentle pop reverberating throughout the diner. Lawry cursed herself, remembering she¡¯d given the faun a false name. That could be hard to explain if questioned, but she filed that way as a problem only if it happened. Instead, she considered what the faun might be able to do for her: they could sometimes remove decay from objects, but the book wasn¡¯t decaying, it was cursed. And her other cursed object was in perfect condition.
¡°No, I am only here with my associates to stave off our hunger. Could you,¡± She glanced at the pair, who were talking between themselves. They pretended not to pay attention, but they both caught Lawry¡¯s eye when she turned to look at them. ¡°Well, I suppose, could you get us one platter of pancakes and bacon, a chicken wrap and a basket of fries?¡± She put her order in, and Natalia got to work. Lawry asked if she could grab some coffee, and Natalia handed her a pot from the coffee machine.
Lawry grabbed a paper cup and poured herself the bitter, black coffee. She thought the smell was divine, but she still put a lid on it before walking over and sliding into the booth with August and Nadir. She caught a few words of their conversation, but didn¡¯t mind interrupting, looking first at August. ¡°I got you pancakes and bacon,¡± Lawry learned her tastes a while ago, and while she could never stand something so heavy, August needed the food. Then, she turned to Nadir, ¡°And I got you a chicken wrap. Basket of fries for the table, too.¡± She readjusted in her seat, messing with the revolver in her waistband until it was comfortable again.
¡°Thanks,¡± They both answered before going back to their discussion. August sounded exasperated, ¡°Honestly, Nadir, if you think Akugyo is the hardest Low Tier monster, then I don¡¯t even know what to say. It was so easy! You just use ice and it practically falls over,¡± She argued, and despite August¡¯s tongue, both she and Nadir were grinning.
¡°It is, though! It statistically is,¡± He retorted, rolling his eyes dramatically. ¡°Look, think about it this way, okay? For certain weapons, yes, ice damage is available really early. But the heavy ones, which like it or not, make up the majority of the weapons, cannot easily proc the status effect. Just because you¡¯re a twin-blade main,¡± He looked smug, ¡°Does not mean everyone else is.¡±
August stuck her tongue out. Lawry cocked an eyebrow in amusement, glancing between the two whenever they spoke. ¡°Nadir, just because you¡¯re a war horn main doesn¡¯t mean everyone else is. It¡¯s so your fault that you chose, like, the worst weapon in the game.¡± August retorted in turn, matching his smug tone. Nadir scoffed, shaking his head over-dramatically to convey his frustration, though it was clear he wasn¡¯t serious. The two started giggling and Lawry interjected, confused.
¡°What are you two discussing?¡± She brought the coffee to her lips. It was bitter, low quality and burnt, and everything Lawry wanted. Nadir and August looked at each other before answering, and their smiles turned to wolfish grins. Lawry filed those away, too, not aiming to ever forget them.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
¡°Beast Slayer,¡± They answered at the same time, though August was the one to continue, ¡°You¡¯ve never heard of Beast Slayer, Lawry? It¡¯s like, the current big hit. Beast Slayer Civilizations just released,¡± At this point, Lawry had heard enough, ¡°And you somehow haven¡¯t heard of it? Wooow. You¡¯re so old, Lawry,¡± She broke down into a furious set of laughs. Lawry watched her, and August shied away when the laughs only broke due to a hiccup.
¡°I have not heard of Beast Slayer,¡± Lawry began, though a smile begun creeping onto her face, ¡°And, additionally, I could not be more than a few years older than you. Simply because you are but whelps compared to me, does not mean I am ancient,¡± She argued back, trying to match their tone. It had been a long time since she¡¯d ever joked with people like this, and she struggled to make it clear she wasn¡¯t upset.
Nadir examined her for a moment. ¡°How old are you, then?¡± He had previously guessed she was a few years older, like she said, but they¡¯d never been able to get a proper answer from her. Lawry had a peculiar way of acting, too, which made it difficult for him to nail down her age bracket. It was a curiosity he¡¯d had before, and now was a perfect time to ask again.
Lawry bristled, fluffing up like a cat. She looked him in the eye before taking a sip of coffee. She made the motion exaggerated and long, trying to appeal to the mood at the table, before setting down the cup ever-so gently. She answered in a quiet, polite tone, ¡°I am thirty-three.¡± Nadir snorted, and August gawked. ¡°Not that it is either of your business.¡±
Nadir¡¯s smile faded, and Lawry felt a bit uncomfortable at his worried look. The mood at the table quickly shifted and August softly took Lawry¡¯s hand, examining the heavy weathering on it.
Lawry felt deeply disturbed. She didn¡¯t want them to start worrying over something nobody could fix, because it would only drain their energy and worsen their respective states. She snapped her hand away and opened her mouth to speak, silently wishing on the inside that the world would save her from this conversation.
And the world answered. The bar owner strided up to them and her shoes clicked noisily on the tile floor. ¡°Well huns, I hope this is enough food for the three of you,¡± She set down their plates on the table. There was no point passing them around to the intended recipients because the table was small enough for each person to easily reach over and grab them. Nadir took his chicken wrap and August her plate of pancakes, along with a handful of fries. ¡°If you need anything else, I¡¯ll just be behind the counter, though we do close in an hour.¡± She glanced at Lawry, giving her a wide smile, ¡°Though if you need to stay longer, that¡¯s okay, too.¡±
Lawry nodded in thanks, both for the gesture and saving her from her friends. The bar owner walked away, leaving them in privacy to instead clean up the cookstations. It seemed to be a quiet night, and it made sense a small-town diner would close earlier than the gas stations they had all become too used to. She grabbed a fry from the basket, but when Lawry went for a piece of bacon August¡¯s plate, the witch slapped her hand away.
¡°If you wanted bacon, you should have got bacon, Ms. Steal Your Food,¡± August hissed, shoving bite of pancake after bite of pancake into her mouth. She stuffed her mouth like a chipmunk, and though August assumed she didn¡¯t look the prettiest, it didn¡¯t matter. She was too hungry. Lawry, too, munched on her fry: it was hot and delicate, crispy on the outside but so tender it was almost cheesy in the center. Nadir cocked an eyebrow, glancing between the two.
¡°Do you want some of my wrap, Lawry? I¡¯m sure between the fries, it¡¯d be more than enough for the both of us,¡± He asked, looking around the small table for a knife to cut the wrap in two. There were only plastic utensils, and he would probably spend longer trying to saw through with a plastic knife than eating if she said yes.
¡°No, no, I am not hungry,¡± Lawry answered, though she quickly reached her hand toward the bacon and snatched one up before August could react. She mumbled in protest but decided to let the fight go, too absorbed in her meal to care all that much. Lawry broke the bacon in half with her thumbs and shoved the two smaller pieces into her mouth, eating them in one bite. She gave August a smug look, and she glared in return.
Nadir shrugged. He decided to save half anyway. ¡°Fine, but don¡¯t complain when there¡¯s none for you, food thief,¡± He rolled his eyes and dug into his wrap: the lettuce was crispy, and the chicken juicy and tender. The portions of sauce and cheese were just right, too¡ªand the home addition of fries inside made the entire experience excellent. He took a second to chew.
¡°Where are we going after this, by the way? You said you lived nearby, right? Are we going there?¡± He asked, taking another bite, but some chicken and cheese fell out of the tortilla onto his chin. He put the wrap down and pulled away in surprise, doing his best to clean off his face. Lawry stifled her own laugh.
¡°I chose Chouteau because it avoided Tulsa. Would you prefer I wait until you learn how to eat to continue?¡± Lawry asked, biting at another fry. He rolled his eyes, muttered no, and she continued. ¡°Then, we are going to New Mexico. I know the area, and there is something there that I believe can help us.¡± She explained, though it wasn¡¯t nearly detailed enough for the other two. Lawry glanced away and suddenly found herself staring at the diner window, though she couldn¡¯t seen anything.
¡°New Mexico?¡± August stammered, ¡°That¡¯s another eight-hour drive! You barely slept, Lawry. We haven¡¯t had real rest since before Boston. When does it end?¡± She wasn¡¯t angry, August hadn¡¯t become suddenly louder or snippy, she only sounded done with the situation. ¡°I mean, Lawry, we learn the supe- stuff is real,¡± She still wasn¡¯t done, ¡°I know that Nadir has handled it well. I¡¯m doing okay, but we also haven¡¯t had time to stop,¡± And now, quieter, ¡°When does it end? When do we just get to process? I don¡¯t want to get any more used to this than I already am.¡±
Lawry choked on a fry. What August just said was so similar to something she¡¯d herself asked when she first learned about the supernatural that it scared her. But Lawry did get more used to this than she ever wanted. She took a moment to compose herself, swallowing the fry, ¡°It ends when it ends. I cannot say when that will be, but we have the book, and that is a start. I am hoping we can make our final stand in New Mexico. I cannot, as of now, say specifically how to end this, but I am doing my best to find out.¡± She did her best to keep herself composed, to convey that she was trying her best to protect them. She wanted them to be okay, to understand it didn¡¯t last forever, but she couldn¡¯t promise that.
Nadir tried to mediate, always the caring one. ¡°I can drive while you two work on the book then,¡± He nodded, ¡°That way, we¡¯re making progress in two ways. Everything¡¯ll be okay.¡± The words were directed toward the other two, but he was also saying them for himself. He felt the most useless of anyone there, with no magic or way to help the group. And he was what caused it in the first place.
August winced when he spoke, an odd feeling in their connection pulling her toward him. She looked at his gentle, smiling face, and saw past the facade and to his own hurt. She wanted to move closer to him, and her connection only made it worse. ¡°Are you going to be okay to drive more, Nadir? I mean, I know it was only like¡ an hour here, but you¡¯re tired, too.¡± Her voice was laced with worry, and she began to slide toward him in the booth, but something stopped her.
Lawry had grabbed August¡¯s hand gently. Then she took Nadir¡¯s, bringing his attention to her, too, and each gave Lawry a confused look. She looked sad, and the expression accentuated the heavy wrinkles around her eyes along with the dead look behind them. But then they weren¡¯t looking at their friend anymore, not the friend they knew. The gold in her grey eyes began to shine like rays of sunlight between storm clouds, and the air began to hum with a suffocating buzz.
Then, Lawry spoke, and her voice wasn¡¯t the clipped sing-song tone she usually adopted. Her very voice was the wind, gentle like a loving mother¡¯s arm around their baby, but also strong enough to tear limbs from trees and destroy homes in tornadoes. ¡°You will be okay.¡± Her voice was ethereal, so raw and beautiful that Nadir felt a tear slide down his cheek. ¡°I will do anything within my power to allow you two a life. One you may choose.¡± She whispered, her hair whipping into a gentle wind. When she let go of them, the light in her eyes faded, and Lawry returned to normal.
She coughed, swallowing the metallic tasting blood that had pooled in her mouth. ¡°What¡ What was that?¡± Nadir muttered, staring at her. He couldn¡¯t help but have the sight engrained in his mind; she had been beautiful, and he suddenly understood what people meant when they said someone looked angelic. His hand felt hot where she had touched, and he pulled his gaze away to examine his hand. Inbetween his thumb and pointer finger, about the size of a quarter, was a tattoo.
August did the same, struggling to look away from the woman too. She wondered if that¡¯s what it felt like when she cast magic. The tattoo was on all three of their hands, a silver sword wrapped in rope and backed by a gold sun. Lawry looked between them, unsure how to explain. ¡°It was magic. A pact, or more accurately a promise, that I gave you two. If I am to break it, the rope will disappear, and you will be permitted to enact reckoning upon me in whatever way you see fit,¡± Lawry saw their looks of horror, ¡°I do not believe you will hurt me. Or that I will break that promise. It is symbolic, if anything.¡± She explained hurriedly.
¡°And you did that¡ In front of a normal person?¡± Nadir asked, glancing at the owner, who looked back at him with a cheery smile. ¡°What do we do about her?¡± He hissed. They hadn¡¯t ever dealt with something like this before, Lawry realized, and she found herself giggling. It didn¡¯t matter because Natalia wasn¡¯t human, which they had obviously never known. At this point, Lawry broke down laughing, but Nadir and August only looked horrified.
¡°Yes, well,¡± She tried to compose herself, but the giggling still crept through, ¡°That would be important if they were human. Which they are not.¡± Lawry responded simply, stifling the giggling by washing her mouth out with coffee. She didn¡¯t like the metallic taste of blood but the question had distracted her too much. August and Nadir baulked, looking between Lawry and the owner, who happily waived.
¡°What do you mean she¡¯s not human?¡± August asked incredulously, still feverishly glancing between Lawry and the owner. Nadir shrugged, mumbling something about how it was to be expected that not everyone they talked to was human, but August had more questions. ¡°What is she, then? Ma¡¯am, what are you?¡± She shouted across the diner, earning a loud laugh from the owner. Lawry broke into giggles again.
¡°That is an incredibly rude question in the supernatural world, by the way. It does not matter what she is, just like how it should not matter if you are a spellcaster or human. It does not make a difference right now, so to ask is supremely rude.¡± Lawry was trying to scold her, but between the giggles, she thought it wasn¡¯t very effective. August shrunk away despite that, suddenly reminded she herself wasn¡¯t human, and the embarrassment forced a deep pink blush to dress her cheeks.
¡°Well! I¡¯m full,¡± Nadir quickly changed the topic, not sure how to continue it in the first place. He still had half his wrap remaining, so he went up to the counter and asked for a box. August had cleaned her plate off, and although there were a few fries left, Lawry didn¡¯t feel like eating them. She decided instead to go up to the counter with Nadir, while August waited patiently.
Lawry rifled through her pockets for any loose cash. She found a twenty-dollar bill, crumpled and forgot in her back pocket. She passed it over to the bar owner, ¡°Here you are, Natalia. Is this enough for our food?¡± She asked, and Natalia didn¡¯t seem too concerned, just taking the bill with a shrug and explaining the meal was only eighteen dollars. ¡°Alright. Keep the change, then. I know it is not much, but we have been travelling for a while and I do not have much to spare.¡± The faun nodded in understanding.
¡°Natalia,¡± Nadir started after discovering her name, ¡°Do you mind if we stay until closing? My friends and I have need to talk about some¡ Supernatural stuff, and given you know, I figure it would be nice to take the chance to discuss it here instead of in a car. Is that alright?¡± He asked, looking to Lawry for permission too. She didn¡¯t have any reason to say no. They hadn¡¯t been here for long, she trusted Natalia, and he was right. It¡¯d be good for all of them to get out of the car for a bit longer.
Natalia giggled. ¡°The supernatural? How urban. Yes, of course you can stay! You should know, though, that must of us don¡¯t say the supernatural. We¡¯re just Housefolk.¡± She explained simply, handing him a box for his wrap. Lawry poured herself more coffee, shrugging when Nadir looked to her for explanation.
¡°The Housefolk?¡± Nadir was incredulous. Lawry had always called it the supernatural, and to learn there was a more proper term made him feel like she was dumbing it down. Lawry finally chose to say something, interjecting before Natalia herself could explain. ¡°It is complicated. There is a lot of history, from god knows how long ago, but it is this big myth that all supernatural creatures come from some great big house that the Elders live in.¡± She started her half-lie, twisting the words to make it seem as implausible as she could.
The less he knew of the supernatural world, the better he could go back to living a normal life, if he chose. ¡°Which is nonsense! If that were true, then I would remember this house, because I myself am a magical creature. But, it is a popular theory and a far more popular term. Saying supernatural,¡± She paused, thinking of how best to word this so it didn¡¯t sound rude, ¡°Could be considered¡ Insulting. Or mark you as, hmm, uneducated.¡±
Nadir sighed and took his box back to the table, ready to inform August of what he had just learned. It only took her a moment to join him in his exasperation, throwing her arms up and glaring at Lawry. ¡°You don¡¯t believe in the house, Madeline?¡± Natalia asked, looking at Lawry quizzically. Most magical creatures did, and it wasn¡¯t that Lawry didn¡¯t. She wanted less to know of it.
She bit her tongue, struggling to get the words out. She had no issues lying to Natalia, but it had felt wrong with Nadir nearby. ¡°No, I do not believe in the House. It is nonsense. Myth, like religious heaven and hell,¡± She answered, surprising her at how smoothly she told the lie. She¡¯d forgotten during her time with August and Nadir that lying was her forte. Natalia shrugged and said something about that being her choice before sending Lawry back to her booth.
After a small spat with August about Lawry being patronizing and not using real terms with them, and Lawry¡¯s sincere apology afterward, the mood quickly shifted back to being lighthearted. The trio talked about anything that came up, and the time passed quickly. A few cars had driven by in the thirty minutes they spent, and the streetlights flickered occasionally, but nothing notable happened.
Natalia hummed away behind the counter all the while. There hadn¡¯t been any other customers, so a certain peaceful calmness descended over the diner, like the entire place was inside a bubble, separate from the outside world. The trio thought it felt safe, as if a beacon in the darkness, and they felt truly relaxed. It was a rare blessing.
¡°What do you mean I can¡¯t re-up on the subscription? I still have my card, unlike you. I never ditched it!¡± August grumbled, even if she was beaming with energy. Food and relaxation had done wonders for them all. Lawry quirked an eyebrow in August¡¯s direction and looked back to Nadir, interested to hear how he¡¯d take that.
¡°You didn¡¯t ditch your card?¡± He practically jumped out of his heat, ¡°You haven¡¯t been using it, have you? That could be how the mimic is tracking us! We don¡¯t even know how they are! Why¡¯d you keep it? I told you to toss it out!¡± He was grabbing at August¡¯s jacket playfully, causing Lawry to giggle. August warmed at Lawry¡¯s laughs, beating away Nadir¡¯s hands no matter how hard he tried.
¡°I didn¡¯t use it, I¡¯m just saying that if it¡¯s a digital purchase, why can¡¯t I? I want to watch the new episodes! It¡¯s been three months, they¡¯ve aired twelve new episodes! It¡¯d give me something to do on the drive to New Mexico!¡± She complained, pushing him away even though she was falling over in the booth. August was smiling, really smiling, and it made Nadir so happy to see.
¡°That¡¯s not fair! You just can¡¯t, okay? I didn¡¯t get to keep mine!¡± He whined like a lonely dog, but gave up on trying to get her wallet. While on the outside he was acting annoyed, he was happy beyond anything to see August and Lawry smiling. It was the most normal any of this had felt in a while.
¡°To be fair,¡± Lawry started, earning a huff from Nadir, ¡°You were the one who threw it out. I did not even tell you to, you simply did so.¡± She tutted, thinking back on how he¡¯d rushed to dispose of it. Maybe he¡¯d learned it from TV, she thought. ¡°You were practically waiting to get rid of it. I did not bother convincing you not to, I do not have a card myself, either.¡± It was true. She was barely recognized as a person in the American government, even if she was much more in the supernatural world.
Nadir looked distraught, clearly about to say something, but he shut up. The diner door swung open and a stranger had walked in. He was wearing a big puffy jacket with the hood pulled up. Lawry looked at them suspiciously, but it was entirely likely they were a normal person, so she looked back at Nadir to continue their conversation.
Natalia spoke. ¡°Hi! Sorry, sir, but we¡¯re actually closing up in a sec¡¯ here. We open at seven though, so if you¡¯re still in town by then, feel free to come say hi!¡± Her voice was cheery, the picture perfect diner owner and faun, always easy-going. The man shrugged, rolled his shoulder, and responded. His voice was liquid calm and all too familiar.
¡°That¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll only be a few minutes,¡± He answered and pulled down his hood, looking toward the trio. He had deep brown eyes, curly black hair, and a gentleness to his posture. Lawry knew it was all fake, and she was out of her seat in an instant, along with the other two. She heard the coffee fall over, spilling onto the table, but she was too focused on the mimic. She drew her revolver, bringing both hands to the grip.
August nearly slipped getting out of the booth. Nadir tried not to stumble into Lawry. A bright green glow shone across the diner, and it distracted Lawry for only a moment before she realized it was August about to cast a spell. She smacked her lightly on the arm, and it broke August¡¯s focus enough to stop her. ¡°Nadir, August, go out the back.¡± She glanced at the diner owner, who already understood the situation and was heading into the back rooms, likely toward an exit.
Lawry didn¡¯t want Natalia to get hurt either. ¡°Get the truck started. If it comes for you, and I am not there, leave. Head,¡± Lawry started, suddenly realizing there was no point going to New Mexico without her. She didn¡¯t have a way to New Mexico, either, but she did have a way home. ¡°Head to Missouri. Willow Springs.¡± She whispered, her voice cracking. She wasn¡¯t ready to bring them home, not yet. She had wanted the mimic dead first.
The mimic watched them with a smile. Nadir¡¯s smile. It was plastered on his face as if it were his own, and with how accurate it was, it might just be. Lawry knew a few shapeshifters, she was even friends with this specific type; who she¡¯d tried to call for answers early on but even they didn¡¯t know how to kill their specie. She never told August and Nadir that, though; she didn¡¯t think they were ready.
August protested for only a moment before Nadir dragged her away, following after the bar owner. The mimic rolled their eyes and put on a fake pout, their eyes gleaming in the yellow light. ¡°Aww. But I was going to have so much fun with those two!¡± The pout quickly turned into a wolfish grin, ¡°He ruined my plans, you know that, spellblade? He and the bitch he turned to,¡± He continued, not stopping when Lawry slid her finger over the trigger. It wouldn¡¯t do anything. ¡°They ruined my fucking plans. It¡¯s unacceptable! Now I have to hunt her down!¡± He laughed, one full of exasperation and exhaustion.
¡°Her?¡± Lawry questioned, keeping her voice calm and measured. She knew how to handle bad situations, but with Nadir and August still here, he had a way to manipulate her. She could bolt, too, but getting them out was the priority. And she might be able to use him for information; he shouldn¡¯t have known she was a spellblade, she suddenly realized. The memory-altering spell should have stopped that, altered his memories to believe she was something else. She¡¯d cast it many years ago but it had never shown any sign of failing.
The mimic didn¡¯t answer. Lawry wondered why he¡¯d specified August, it didn¡¯t make sense. ¡°How did you know what I am?¡± She remained calm, despite the growing panic rising in her. The mimic wasn¡¯t attacking though, not yet. It was toying with her and enjoying this; Lawry knew she could use its joy to her advantage. She watched his smile grow wider.
¡°Oh, you don¡¯t know, do you? That is so cute. Why don¡¯t we find somewhere a little more private,¡± He gestured to the windows. Lawry could just barely see August and Nadir reach the truck, glancing inside. August climbed into the passenger seat, trying to get the car started, but Nadir wasn¡¯t joining her. He¡¯d gone around the truck and toward the back. ¡°I¡¯m sure I could teach you a lot, little leper. You haven¡¯t had a partner in so long.¡± His tone was awful, succulent and dripping with honey, far too sweet for Lawry. She suddenly realized he was flirting with her, and she shriveled her nose at the thought. The audacity, especially while looking like Nadir.
He took a step forward. ¡°Stay back,¡± She threatened, though it was empty. Her gun wouldn¡¯t do anything and the mimic knew that, and although using magic might kill her, it was also quickly becoming her best option. She needed to last a bit longer, just for August and Nadir to be on the move. She wished he¡¯d stop whatever he was doing and just leave.
¡°Or what, is the Bureau going to come after me? Is big scary July Lawson going to use all the punitive force in the world to strip me of my rights?¡± He stepped closer. Once. Twice. His boots thumped on the porcelain tile like a drumbeat echoing her death. Lawry choked back the nausea in her stomach; the mimic knew too much, far too much than he should.
¡°Stay back,¡± She repeated herself, but this time it sounded weak. She felt useless, only able to watch the mimic come closer and closer but unable to do anything. He wore the face of Nadir too well, and every familiar smile and twitch of the face made her heart ache. Other shapeshifters would consider this evil, heinous beyond anything else. To steal someone else¡¯s identity like this was a commonly accepted evil.
¡°You can¡¯t stop me, though I¡¯d love if you came over here and tried,¡± He said, his voice now low and gentle, ¡°Though you couldn¡¯t stop them, either. But that¡¯s alright. You couldn¡¯t save Nalini, either.¡± Lawry buckled at her name. Her lungs ached, and she could feel the invisible tug on something no longer there. She could feel her energy leaking through the metaphorical hole. ¡°You can put down the gun, Lawson. I¡¯m not here to hurt you. I¡¯d like you to join me.¡±
¡°Join you?¡± She choked, but her arm fell anyway. The gun was useless and her arms were growing tired. She wasn¡¯t sure what to do: bolting would only likely mean he¡¯d kill her, so maybe joining him as a ploy was the best option, but she also considered that he was likely lying. The mimic took her lowering the gun as acceptance, and stepped closer. It was a slow, considerate step, like a wolf stalking its prey. Lawry watched Nadir pull item after item from the duffel in the bed of the truck, confused what he was doing and supremely annoyed he hadn¡¯t left.
¡°Yes, join me. Join us. I¡¯m not alone, did you know that? Even if you stopped me somehow, it wouldn¡¯t end. But, that is fine. We are making the world better for you. Don¡¯t you want revenge? Revenge on all the people who hurt you?¡± He asked, his voice somehow softer than it was before. Some part of her wanted to say yes, to fall into his arms and give in. But he wasn¡¯t the real Nadir, and he and August needed her.
¡°I don¡¯t want revenge. I want peace.¡± Her voice was filled with so much venom it surprised her. She matched his gentle tone, lowering her voice down. It wasn¡¯t an attempt to reason with him, she knew that wouldn¡¯t work, but she wanted to say it anyway. ¡°The past is the past. I am different now. We are all different now.¡± She smiled weakly. She thought about how Nadir and August were unmarred by the past, simply friends, not human and spellcaster. It was a reality that was returning.
The mimic didn¡¯t agree. They belted out into a sick, suffocating laugh that itched in Lawry¡¯s ear. ¡°The past is the past?¡± It repeated, giggling harder. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem much like the past. Isn¡¯t that why you¡¯re doing this, anyway? Protecting them? Because they remind you so much of the past?¡± He retorted, but Lawry stopped listening. She was staring out the window, horrified at what Nadir had in his lands. She swallowed the lump in her throat.
Nadir couldn¡¯t find it. He was panicking, rifling through the duffel bag and screaming inside his head. It was in here, he knew that, but the duffel bag was so cluttered and full that it seemed impossible to find. He started tearing things out one by one, throwing them into the bed of the truck in desperation. It wouldn¡¯t matter if they lost random items, it was better than losing Lawry.
August yelled at him. ¡°Nadir! I think we should get going! The hells you doing back there?¡± Her voice was panicked, unsure what to do but to listen to Lawry¡¯s order. Nadir only yelled back that he¡¯d fix this, he¡¯d help. They¡¯d be fine. But he was starting to doubt himself, unable to find the one specific thing he needed.
Until he did. Its glossy leather sheath shone in the dim light of the diner, and he saw himself reflected in the silver pommel and arcing guard. The white wooden handle contrasted with the black leather, and though it didn¡¯t look fancy, it was clearly a nice sword, and he grabbed it by the sheath¡¯s belt strap and started sprinting toward the diner¡¯s back entrance.
He hoped his guess was right. The sword was definitely magical, August always complained about how much the air buzzed when the duffel was open, even if Nadir couldn¡¯t feel it. Lawry had never let them touch it, though, and always refused to explain anything about it no matter how much they asked. They gave up a while ago.
He barreled through the back door, out the backrooms and into the main area. Lawry was looking at him with an expression he had never seen before, maybe fear, but he couldn¡¯t know for sure. The mimic looked at him with shocked surprise, matching Nadir¡¯s own. It was like looking in a mirror. It only took a second for him to pull himself back, throwing the sword toward Lawry, who was only a few feet away.
Her expression suddenly turned to something far worse. ¡°No, don¡¯t-¡± She tried to stop him, her voice coming out before she had a second to think about the words. She tried to stop herself, too, to move out of the way and dodge it, but her feet felt like lead. She was rooted in place, and the sword was flailing through the air toward her. The glossy black leather reflected the mimic¡¯s face in flight, and she felt the revolver slip from her hands. She had caught the sword out of instinct.
The room went alight. The windows cracked open, slammed with the force of a tornado. The lights popped from the sudden pressure and Nadir was knocked into the wall, though the mimic barely held their position. Lawry could feel a burning heat spreading up her arms, and the energy coursed through her like lightning. It was far too much, and her body couldn¡¯t keep up. It leaked out the empty hole in her connection, and she was a conduit for the uncontrolled mana.
¡°What the hell is this?¡± The mimic roared, suddenly terrified at the extreme excess of power before him. Lawry was aglow, her eyes brighter than any star, completely subsumed by gold, and her hair was whipping around wildly in the strong wind. A barstool spilled out the side of the diner and Lawry¡¯s hands began to char black.
The mimic wasn¡¯t staying around for this. It didn¡¯t even know what this was, but it was definitely bad beyond belief. He had been told Lawson was weakened, without power, but he thought this must be what she used to be like. The big scary July Lawson that was supposed to be gone. He grabbed the necklace around his neck and spoke a few words to trigger its effect, instantly dissipating him into nothing. He had teleported.
Lawry couldn¡¯t stop it. She didn¡¯t want to, not anymore. The energy was coursing through her, and she suddenly felt like she did so long ago. But she would die if she kept this up. Nadir would, too, and she was still vaguely aware of him in the room. He was trying to stand.
¡°Lawry, stop! Stop this! Can you stop this?!¡± He yelled through the storm, trying his best to get closer to Lawry. He took it one step at a time, but Lawry didn¡¯t seem able to respond, forced to stand there like a lightning rod. He reached her, trying to free the sheath from her hands, but her fingers clutched on tight. They were black, though he wasn¡¯t sure why.
¡°Lawry, please.¡± He begged. His voice was desperate, and he finally saw a glint of something in her eye. He pulled her into a hug, desperately clutching at her so he wouldn¡¯t get blown away. Being near her was similar to being in the eye of the storm: the winds were gentler, less likely to tear him limb from limb.
The sword clattered to the ground. His touch had surprised her enough to distract her mind from the overwhelming energy, and she suddenly felt like sobbing. She tried to hug him back, to tell him it was going to be okay, even if she suddenly didn¡¯t believe it. But she felt her body crumple and hit the floor before she could.
Everything was going dark. Her body suddenly felt cold, she struggled to breathe and her vision flickered. Lawry thought with one last croak that she was finally going to sleep, or maybe she was dying. She didn¡¯t think so, she could still feel Nadir holding her, but even that was fading.
Her body went numb. Her mind blank. Sleep sounded nice.
CHAPTER 3
August¡¯s ears were ringing, akin to thousands of cicadas nesting upon oaken trees, and the thought suddenly brought her back home to woods she grew up in. Blood dripped from her nose and wettened her lips before falling from her chin and onto her hands, drop by drop. Her body went on autopilot and turned the truck off, some part of her still dimly aware beneath the overwhelming awe of power that suffused the diner. The intense, heavy heat bathed her in energy, and August was struggling to remain conscious in the afterglow of such a myriad of magic.
The diner was a tornado of colors, some August could easily recognize and explain, but others were entirely new, far more beautiful than anything she had ever seen. Her vision swam trying to make sense of the whirlwind and she wondered what others might be seeing, or if Nadir could see it, but a solemn thought in the back of her head reminded August that this was her fate. She was a witch, to see magic so clearly was both her gift and her curse. She was alone in this and nobody else could understand, even if she tried to explain.
An insidious panic began to build at that thought, a dull tightness somewhere in her stomach. She wanted to run away from everything, to hide where she never had to think about magic or monsters ever again, but Nadir was calling her name. She couldn¡¯t make sense of his words, not past the intense ringing, but the gentle twinge on their connection was enough of an alert, an ever-present reminder of why she was still here.
August decided that she couldn¡¯t sit there and do nothing, not when her friends needed her. She fumbled with her seatbelt, struggling to get her fingers to obey the orders, before it finally slipped off. She stumbled out of the truck and her legs gave out instantly, forcing her onto her elbows. She hadn¡¯t realized how numb her body felt before trying to move, and when attempting to right herself, she couldn¡¯t feel the effort in her legs.
She took a few hesitant steps toward the diner, allowing some modicum of feeling to return before approaching Nadir. He watched her, worry plain on his face, an expression that was becoming far too normal. His hands hung limply at his side before he wiped away the tears streaming down his face. Nadir saw August and decided he didn¡¯t just have Lawry to be worried about, but also August.
August¡¯s eyes were alight in an instant. The closer she got to Nadir, the brighter they glowed, despite August¡¯s attempts to snuff it out; she tried to stop the magic flowing freely through her, to contain and control it, but she couldn¡¯t. Maybe the intense amounts of power were overwhelming her, she thought, and since she didn¡¯t seem to be casting a spell, she decided to leave it be. Trying to stop it may only hurt her.
She wanted to speak first, to ask what happened, but upon opening her mouth she was met with the metallic taste of blood. Nadir took a step toward her, taking one of her hands in his before using the hem of his white button-up to wipe away the blood dripping from her nose. ¡°You¡¯ll stain it,¡± August warned, but Nadir shushed her before she could get too far into the sentence, bringing a melancholic grin to August¡¯s face. She let him clean her up a little, even though the blood was still running.
¡°What happened?¡± August managed, his voice slipping in behind hers. The hem of Nadir¡¯s shirt was stained red, just as she tried to say it would be, though he didn¡¯t seem to care. Nadir held her hand and stared at her eyes, watching the oscillating rings and colors. He had to think of how to explain, because he didn¡¯t know either.
¡°Lawry, she¡ I don¡¯t know. I tossed that sword at her and she just¡ I don¡¯t know if she¡¯s okay. I think we should go. To Willow Springs, I mean.¡± His voice was shaky and his hands began to tremble. August nodded, avoiding speaking with his own voice again. Even if they had to get used to it, that didn¡¯t mean she enjoyed it.
He pulled away from August¡¯s touch and the stifling coldness that replaced him made her heart ache. She didn¡¯t realize how present his touch was making her feel until it was gone, but she also understood that they had work to do. He slipped through the diner doors, blasted off their hinges, and stepped over the numerous kinds of debris littering the diner floor.
They reached Lawry. She was curled into a ball, directly in the center of all the debris, though none of it reached her. Beside her was the handgun and the sword, which Nadir moved a bit further away from Lawry¡¯s unconscious figure. August bent down to examine the woman, and outside of the burnt color running up her arms, she seemed fine.
¡°Grab her arms, by the shoulders? You¡¯re stronger than I am, so I can grab the legs,¡± Nadir offered, puzzling out how to get her to the truck for a second. They could make a stretcher, but they didn¡¯t need to go far, and they should both be strong enough to simply lift her. Lawry didn¡¯t weigh much, she was simply tall. August nodded, pulling Lawry out of the ball shape before slipping her arms under Lawry¡¯s back.
Nadir took her by the legs and lower waist, and together they gently lifted her off the ground and began to backtrack to the diner door. It was surprisingly easy, and August wondered if that was because of the numbness in her body, or if Lawry really did weigh that little. Upon reaching the truck, Nadir helped move Lawry to a better position so August could support her while Nadir helped lift Lawry into the truck.
After that, it was easy to get Lawry into the backseat. They slid the front seat back and slipped her onto the benchseat, deciding to let Lawry be. August and Nadir sat in the truck for a few minutes, enjoying the utter silence that had descended on the world. The light from August¡¯s eyes bathed the dashboard in a pale green, a stark difference from the yellow streetlights and pitchy darkness outside the truck.
Nadir broke the silence. He¡¯d spent the time debating what their plan of action should be, now that he wasn¡¯t in the midst of his emotions. ¡°We need to grab her weapons. The sword and revolver, I mean,¡± He paused to catch his breath, despite barely speaking, ¡°And I¡¯ll pack up the rest of the stuff.¡± Nadir glanced away from the console and to August, who had turned to look when he started speaking.
¡°Okay.¡± She mumbled, slipping out of the truck once again. She hadn¡¯t noticed before he mentioned it, but after the wind hit, all the gear he had pulled from the bag was flung around the parking lot. She began to pick it up, but when Nadir repeated himself, she went to go after Lawry¡¯s weapons instead, but not before glancing back and looking at Nadir.
She couldn¡¯t see the man she once knew. He was small, barely a flicker of flame in the pale darkness of the night. Instead of looking months older, he looked years older than when they¡¯d first left. His hair was streaked with grey, his brow always creased with worry, and there was a deep stubble growing on his face. She tried to picture the happy park ranger she knew, and instead, was only met with what he might become. She pushed the thought away before it consumed her.
August wanted to focus on anything else, but the thought of what he might see when looking at her sparked in the back of her mind. It¡¯d be a worry for later, she thought, before detaching herself from the line of thought and stepping back inside the diner, going for Lawry¡¯s weapons.
The revolver was lifeless on the ground, not having fired a shot. August picked it up gingerly, examining it for the first time. It seemed rather old due to the scratches covering its frame, marring the black finish, but it was also clearly modern. It was likely only a few years old, just used extraordinarily often. August carefully opened the cylinder and ejected the bullets, choosing to store them in her pocket.
Next was the sword, August thought, stuffing the revolver into her waistband. It wasn¡¯t comfortable, but she just needed to free her hands up momentarily. She wouldn¡¯t keep the gun on her anyway, since it wasn¡¯t hers in the first place. Though she¡¯d asked Lawry for one a while back, Lawry denied, stating she didn¡¯t have any others with her.
After that was the sword. It was nearby, but the closer August got, the stronger the earlier feeling of overwhelming power became. While it had mostly faded from the diner, with the only reminder beind silky strands of rainbow-colored magic falling from the air like spiderwebs, the sword was aglow with power.
August knelt down in front of it, a little hesitant to touch the thing. Nadir had said the sword caused the wind, or that¡¯s what she got from it, so she wondered if touching it would do the same thing. She chose to observe it for a moment, and to examine it more thoroughly now that it was clearly visible, since Lawry stopped them from looking at it anytime previously.
It was only then that August noticed the balls of light, bouncing and curving through the air, leaving small trails of beautiful flowing silk. She thought they looked like sparklers, perhaps fireflies, and a memory from the last summer solstice wedged its way inbetween her thoughts. Images of Nadir, and the melancholic feeling in her chest flooded her mind before the gate was snapped shut by the earlier, intense buzzing.
Now that she was more aware, she could also tell that said buzzing wasn¡¯t normal. It spread through her from head to foot, it numbed her muscles and made breathing difficult, like somebody had just given her a spinal tap. It wasn¡¯t painful, though; instead it almost felt good, being plunged into that metaphorical icy lake, where August could let herself drown.
August considered that these feelings couldn¡¯t be normal. Maybe the magic did something to her, too, because she was a spellcaster. She thought that she might be dying, or cursed, or any number of things she hadn¡¯t been told about. Surely this isn¡¯t how everyone felt simply being around magic, especially when she herself had never felt this way before¡ªmagic had always made her feel more alive, but this experience was also arguing otherwise.
Maybe it wasn¡¯t as big a deal as she was making it out to be, she thought. She could live like this, she could let this pervasive numbness subsume her, but she snuffed the cold fire burning away in her chest before it had a chance to grow. She would not want to live like this, no matter if it was easier or harder. She¡¯d have to mention this to Lawry, she realized. It could be serious.
August brought her attention back to the sword, still contained within its glossy black sheath. She wanted to look at its metal, or to examine the sheath thoroughly, but the swirling balls of light were growing in number, blocking her view of the weapon. She balanced on her heels, rocking ever so slightly back and forth, before turning her attention fully on the lights.
Something clicked. She wouldn¡¯t have been able to describe it to anyone else, no matter how hard she tried. It was a deep-seated truth slotting into an empty socket, it was the final connection in a web of wires, or the final stone of a castle. It was a grand truth, and with that truth, she felt power flare inside her. The numbness began to fade, giving way to the most intense warmth she had ever experienced.
It wasn¡¯t painful, though. It was a dull heat across her body, and she wondered if this is how everyone normally felt, and she¡¯d never known she was different. The balls of light began to transform, and disgust built in August with every passing second. Their shape changed from the ambiguous lights and instead to something far uglier.
They sprouted insectile wings and grew long, glossy carapaces. They floated along by the intense beating of their large wings, and despite the lack of eyes, they seemed to be able to tell where other lights were flying. One light opened its mouth, revealing a massive maw of razor teeth that seemed to extend throughout its entire body, before consuming a smaller light and suddenly multiplying by five.
It was thousands of curses, her mind told her. Thousands, upon thousands of curses, consuming each other and multiplying incestually. Her nose wrinkled in hatred, and August swallowed the bile that had pushed its way up her throat. That previously-missing connection flared again, and August could feel every inch of her body, every spark of power and shred of energy that she could had access to. She could feel the magic in the air and every life it had touched.
The curses were young, only children, but also quickly growing out of hand. They had been a hundred a minute ago, but were now an army of thousands. She assumed that whatever happened to Lawry had awoken them, perhaps, and now they would multiply until they were an unstoppable infestation. They wouldn¡¯t hesitate to consume every morsel of magic, and when that dried up, they¡¯d move on to dirt, rock, flesh and blood.
August was learning this by the second. They weren¡¯t words echoing through her mind, instead an unexplainable understanding innate to her very being. The hatred began to fade into a pure sense of duty, an understanding that this was her place in the world. Her whole reason for living was to stop the things growing before her.
August licked her lips, tasting the metallic dried blood on her lips. The wind had begun to blow again, slipping between the broken diner windows and caressing her lips with its cold touch. It was a welcome disparity to the heat under her skin, and before she had time to consider what to do, her tongue began to move.
She didn¡¯t realize it was her speaking at first. August¡¯s voice was there, and so was Nadir¡¯s, but they were so perfectly intertwined that they created something else. It was a voice far older than either of them, and she couldn¡¯t stop the words. August thought that she should likely be wary, she could feel magic clicking into place inside her, but she decided to let it happen.
¡°They call upon I, but say I am a mortal life. They say I will die at twenty, that I may drink myself to death and that nobody nor nothing will cry when they unearth my corpse from the dark. They do not know what they speak of.¡± The words sounded like church bells, resonating through the diner and crawling up August¡¯s spine.
The lights were screaming, though much quieter than her words. They stopped consuming, instead trying to escape, but none could go very far from the sword. Something was holding them there. August wondered if they had thoughts, or feeling, or could love, but the understanding inside her argued that they were only made to consume.
¡°They said that only they could be right. That I would be consumed by the Old, unable to adapt or belong in the New. They do not know Time like I do. I have died at twenty, and I have died at thirty, and I have died at a hundred and a million. And yet, they call upon I and mine, while saying that to be I is to be dead.¡± Each word felt truer than the last.
The thrum of power inside her was fading with every syllable, a familiar feeling of spending magic. The curses popped, one by one, and with each death their collective screams grew quieter. They could not run, and they could not resist the sheer power August was wielding. She realized that the intense magic from before must have fed her in some part, and that instinct took over, much like it did when she first casted a spell.
The heat beneath her skin was fading, too. She was beginning to feel more like herself, and nothing was attempting to replace the heat. No numb feeling, no unwelcome memories, just a serene peace. Every morsel of energy used, every curse expunged and every word spoke was returning her more to life.
¡°They have called I and mine many a name. None are inaccurate, though less than that are accurate. To know I is to not understand what we are, but to know that I am Two, and I am many, and that I decide who deserves everything wrought upon them.¡± The last worm popped with deafening silence. No squealing, or screaming, only a silent acceptance of its fate. The magic slid away, leaving just as fast as it had come.
August knelt there for what felt like an hour but was only a few seconds. She wasn¡¯t sure how much of that was real, or if it truly happened, or if there was something else deeply wrong inside her. Perhaps it was all real, too, and August considered that it was just another thing she didn¡¯t have an answer for. Maybe Lawry would, she thought, somewhat tired of having to rely on her.
But she also felt better. Her body was no longer abuzz with energy and she felt present for the first time since waking up. The strands of magic inside the diner had begun to fade, too, dispersing into a light fog that expanded for miles. August slipped a hand under the sword¡¯s sheath, bringing it up to her eye. She expected to see enchantment after enchantment emblazoned into the weapon, but there was nothing.
She stood, slowly at first, expecting the earlier numbness to crawl down her legs and pull her back down. The utter relief that she just felt normal nearly broke her, but she resisted crying, understanding that they still had things to do. She hurried out of the diner, eager to leave the scene behind in case they had to deal with people questioning what the hells had happened.
The power had felt good, she thought. It wasn¡¯t necessarily like a drug, or an addiction¡ªor she didn¡¯t think so¡ªit was just an energy, and when it flowed through her, she felt more true than ever before. But she also understood that something was holding her back, tightening on an invisible leash whenever she got close to fully understanding what the feeling was.
Nadir pulled her back to earth, waving her toward the truck. He looked to be doing better, too, or at least he was less worried. Maybe it was because the magical light had faded from August¡¯s eyes, or perhaps he could feel something through the connection. ¡°I packed the bag back up. The trunk is already closed off, so don¡¯t bother,¡± He shouted from the passenger door, which he had opened to speak with her.
¡°Just get in. You¡¯re driving, by the way.¡± He commented, rolling his shoulder once and closing the door. August smiled and bounded up to the truck with a light jog, pulling open the driver side door and tossing the sword in before pulling herself up. Nadir had already turned the keys by the time she reached the truck, so she opened the armrest and stored the revolver inside, placing the sword at her feet. She didn¡¯t feel comfortable putting it next to Lawry.
¡°Where are we going?¡± August asked, taking the time to buckle herself in and adjust her seat and mirrors. She was fully aware Nadir had already said, but she also just wanted to hear his voice more. It helped calm her down and was a welcome distraction from the magic and odd feelings she¡¯d just dealt with. August pulled out her phone, waiting for his answer.
¡°Willow Springs. That¡¯s where Lawry said to go if we left her behind, and¡ I mean, we didn¡¯t, but I still think we should go there.¡± He shrugged, taking August¡¯s phone and typing in the location. He clicked the route that avoided tolls, though it¡¯d take a little longer, before clipping the phone into the holder on the dashboard for August. She began to pull out, and once out of the lot, was already going faster than the speed limit.
August thought for a second. ¡°Should we maybe go to the hospital? She doesn¡¯t seem super hurt, but also we can¡¯t really know that. We can just give fake names, right? An emergency room or something?¡± She asked, but Nadir already had an answer prepared. August glanced away from the road for only a moment, and Nadir was giving her a smug smile.
¡°No, we should just go to Willow Springs. I think she¡¯ll be okay, so I think we should just get a move on and fiure it out from there. She¡¯ll probably wake up soon-ish and the mimic is gone, but I also don¡¯t think he¡¯s¡ Dead? I don¡¯t know, I didn¡¯t see.¡± He explained, and August winced. So that problem was still on the table.
She could feel their roughness through the connection; despite barely being awake for a few hours, they were both exhausted by the encounter. August would have happily fallen into bed at that moment if she could, but that wasn¡¯t a luxury they¡¯d had for a while. Nadir was smiling wearily, leaning his head against the headrest.
They¡¯d likely feel better after a few hours, and some distance from the diner, but they also hadn¡¯t felt good in a while. She shrugged in turn. ¡°Okay. Whatever you think is best, you¡¯re smarter than I am with this stuff. Willow Springs it is!¡± She chimed cheerily, before softening her tone. ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere. Neither is Lawry, she¡¯s still here, and if she isn¡¯t okay then we¡¯ll help her until she is. Things will be okay. Alright?¡±
Nadir felt his shoulders loosen. He hadn¡¯t realized how bad his worry was until August addressed it, and the complete understanding she had of him always managed to make him happier. He smiled, more truly this time, and nodded his head in understanding. Things would be okay, he decided.
It was a long, silent car ride. August had tried to play music, but they either got too much static or argued over what stations to play, choosing instead to talk about anything they could think of, but the exhaustion quickly turned that idea dull. Despite the silence, August could feel their connection growing less tense, emotions and energy flowing freely. Eventually, August decided to check on Lawry, and Nadir agreed to take over.
August moved into the backseat, pulling Lawry¡¯s face into her lap and making sure she seemed comfortable. She began to stroke Lawry¡¯s hair, brushing out knots and dirt from the tangled mess with her fingers. She looked peaceful, sleeping far deeper than August had ever seen her before, so she couldn¡¯t be in pain. Or likely wasn¡¯t.
August chose to inspect her arms more, to check if they looked seriously awful. The blackened skin was entirely smooth, almost perfectly so, unlike the earlier wrinkles and weathering that previously decorated Lawry¡¯s skin. The charred color had begun to fade around her fingertips, too, instead returning to Lawry¡¯s normal pale white color, instead of looking like a burnt corpse.
August told Nadir that the color seemed to be receding, and though he only mumbled in response¡ªsomething August couldn¡¯t actually hear¡ªhe seemed relieved, so August went back to comforting Lawry. She¡¯d be fine, August was sure of it now, but she still wanted to be there in case Lawry woke up. A lack of physical injury didn¡¯t mean she was fine mentally, and if she awoke in a panic, August wanted at least one of them able to calm Lawry down.
But Lawry didn¡¯t wake up. Not when they slowed the truck down and pulled into Willow Springs, forced to stop by a sudden lack of destination. Lawry had only told them to go to Willow Springs, but she¡¯d also said that she lived near Chouteau, and given Willow Springs was only two hours away, they assumed Lawry had a home here.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
They chose to dig around the car and in Lawry¡¯s bags, despite how gross it made them feel, trying to find any indicator of her address. They ended up finding an old receipt for a lumber company in the glovebox, telling them to bring the lumber to a residence just outside the town. Based on their maps app, it seemed to be a farm, but it was also the only lead they had.
August chose to drive the last few minutes, and they took some time to drive around the town proper and get a rough idea of where any shops were. After that, they arrived at the farm, though they didn¡¯t pass any farm land. Instead, they drove through a thick forest, so it was likely that the map was either wrong or hadn¡¯t been updated in a long time.
When they pulled out of the treeline, and the house proper became visible, August couldn¡¯t believe what she was seeing.
¡°It¡¯s what?¡± Nadir stammered. August stood in front of the massive three-story house, mouth agape at what she was seeing. The entire home, from foundation to weathervane, was aglow in a web of purple and green wards. They were shapes upon shapes, writing so illegible and overlapped that August couldn¡¯t begin to understand exactly what they were protecting from.
¡°It¡¯s¡ Covered in wards. Like, so many. I can¡¯t even begin to understand where they start and end,¡± August responded after a moment, her words coming out slow and unsure, ¡°I¡¯m not sure we can get inside, honestly. I¡¯m not, I mean, I don¡¯t know a ton about wards yet, but¡ I don¡¯t think we should touch that, basically.¡± Her hand was raised in the general direction of the house. The air didn¡¯t hum with energy like it did with raw magic, instead the spells were entirely and expertly contained.
¡°So what do we do?¡± Nadir asked, looking around the property. They didn¡¯t have anywhere else to go. There was a barn, with much fresher paint in comparison to the main house, connected by a small covered tunnel. Although it seemed to be a farm, the land around them lacked any fields and instead was mostly forest, though there was at least an acre of open plains directly around the home.
August did the same, examining it nearly as thoroughly. The driveway was about two miles, beyond long, and there didn¡¯t seem to be any other houses nearby. There weren¡¯t any signs telling people to stay off the property, no fences, just a sole house sitting in the middle of a large grove. It was certainly ominous, she thought.
¡°The barn.¡± August responded, glancing at the large building. It wasn¡¯t nearly as tall as the main house, but it was wider. ¡°It doesn¡¯t have any wards, not like the main building.¡± She continued, remembering he couldn¡¯t see that. August thought it¡¯d be good if they had a way to change that. Nadir shrugged, beginning to walk toward the large barn doors, but August stopped him.
¡°Are you feeling better?¡± She asked, looking him in his eye. They hadn¡¯t talked much on the way to Willow Springs, but his earlier silent despondency had already faded. He stiffened for a moment, chewing at the inside of his cheek, before he let the tense feeling in his shoulders slip away again. Everything felt lighter, even if it always returned.
¡°Yeah, I¡¯m okay. Better now. Just¡ Worried, y¡¯know?¡± He asked, and August smiled wearily. She did know, she was just as worried as him, but she was also concerned that this wasn¡¯t necessarily a safe place. Maybe there was a reason Lawry hadn¡¯t taken them here yet.
¡°Okay, okay. I think I should go first, though.¡± She stated it like fact, but she was questioning herself. Nadir had used guns before, but neither of them were comfortable using Lawry¡¯s revolver, and that was the only firearm they had access to. At least August had magic and might be able to use that to defend them, but it¡¯s not like she was very well acquainted with it, she thought.
¡°Yeah. Go on ahead, I¡¯ll follow you,¡± He answered, hopping back into the truck to kill its engine and check on Lawry again. She still wasn¡¯t responding to anything, so they decided to just leave her there. He rolled down a window first, though, just in case. The sun might not be up yet, but if something happened to them, he didn¡¯t want to bake the unconscious Lawry alive.
August was beaming, rocking back and forth on her heels. After that little display she was sure he was back to normal, or as normal as he¡¯d been recently. It was the small consideration, ones that surmounted to huge things, that made Nadir who he was. He left the keys in the ignition, she noticed, which made sense. It didn¡¯t seem like there was anyone around to steal the truck, and she assumed he¡¯d rather leave them for Lawry in case something happened to them.
¡°I¡¯m good,¡± He stepped down from the truck and joined August, who was smiling brightly despite the unfortunate circumstances. He felt jittery. ¡°You ready?¡± He asked, glancing between August and the large barn. She nodded, rolled her shoulders, and went through the things Lawry had actually taught her.
It wasn¡¯t much, though that was some mix of Lawry being secretive and some just because they hadn¡¯t had any time for it on the road. There were some basic fundamentals related to being a witch, like identifying the beginning and ending of wards, but the one on the house was far too complex for her limited experience. It likely wouldn¡¯t be a good idea to dismantle it, anyway; the whole process took extreme finesse, you had to identify the weakest point and pluck it from the ward¡¯s fabric. Do it enough times, and it could collapse the entire thing.
Theoretically, no matter how skilled the spellcaster, anyone could do it. Witches could simply do it infinitely easier, since one of their innate abilities is seeing magic visualized, and they had an uncanny ability to sense it in the air. August shook her head. None of that would help them now.
Lawry had only begun teaching her how to create basic wards, which wasn¡¯t helpful either. She knew some basic rituals, too, but given they needed ingredients for those, that couldn¡¯t help. By far the most useful thing she¡¯d learned so far, pertaining to this situation atleast, were some basic enchantments.
Lawry had taught her simple things, like the ability to apply an enchantment that could stop something from breaking as long as it still had magical energy funneled into it, or the ability to create an enchantment that could make something produce heat when fed with magical energy. Neither would be useful here, she thought, but there were some other enchantments Lawry had taught her that could.
Lawry had explained that there were roughly two ways to categorize enchantments, just like how you had external and internal magic. There were terminal and interminal enchantments, which she had explained as enchantments that would dissipate upon casting and ones that would only disappear if purposefully removed, respectively. Essentially, this was the difference between casting a spell that created fire from nothing and one that could make an object create fire whenever fed magical energy.
Lawry had explained that sometimes it was better to use one or the other, but August didn¡¯t have enough knowledge for it to matter yet. She rolled her wrists and prepared to cast one of the few terminal enchantments she knew, which used her hands as an instrument to channel raw magical energy into a wave of pressure. As a witch, this wasn¡¯t her forte, but it was also basic enough for most spellcasters to be able to use it.
Nadir watched the witch. Her eyes had gained the usual pattern that appeared when casting magic, but it lacked the green glow. Lawry explained that all spellcasters had some kind of sign in their eyes that could give them away, and that when channeling large amounts of magical power those giveaways would become more pronounced. He thought that must mean that August either wasn¡¯t channeling much magical power right now, or that she was constantly channeling a small amount.
The second guess was correct. It took immense focus from August, but she started and stopped the enchantment over and over again. It was a dull hum in her arms as she pulled and pushed the magical energy like waves crashing upon a beach; she was constantly in the process of beginning the enchantment and then breaking it by pulling the magical energy away.
She thought it likely that Nadir couldn¡¯t exactly tell that¡¯s what was happening, he couldn¡¯t see the webs of green light building between her fingers before falling away, and he couldn¡¯t feel the buzz that she could. They definitely needed to find a way for him to be able to observe magic; August thought that might be possible with the connection, but Lawry hadn¡¯t mentioned anything of the sort.
August was ready, or as ready as she could reasonably be. She breathed in deeply and began leading Nadir to the large barn doors. She glanced at her hands before spotting the still-fresh tattoo, and it reminded her of why she was doing this. For her friends, the same reason she believed Nadir in the first place. That hadn¡¯t changed.
They approached the massive barn doors, staying as quiet as they reasonably could, and August took a constrained stance in front of them. She was ready to complete the spell at any moment, and though she wanted to move, they needed to get the door open first. Nadir nodded to her, moving toward them and slowly pulling one of the large doors open. It was easy, they were made of wood and weren¡¯t thick.
Upon the door opening, it revealed a massive open interior. A little less than one half of the barn still had the natural flooring showing, though it had been stripped of grass, and there didn¡¯t seem to be any pebbles. There was a half-stripped car sitting on the dirt, but it definitely wasn¡¯t operational, and it took up less than a quarter of the available dirt flooring.
Leading off the dirt floor were some stairs, which joined at the top with a floor made from wooden planks. It seemed to be a workshop, with tons of tables covered in all manner of tools, some that August could easily recognize and others that must have been magical. They hung from stands, too, and there appeared to be a small room walled off near the back. It had a door and a window, but both were closed off by blinds.
Then, there was a much larger set of stairs that led upward and into a loft area. Next to the stairs was the tunnel leading into the main house, too, but August could see from here that the wards expanded to that door, so they couldn¡¯t enter from there.
All in all, the barn seemed surprisingly open, and the only places anything could be lurking were the decently sized loft floor and the walled-off room in the back. August let some of the tension in her body drain, choosing to take a less stressful examination of the room. They should clear the closed off room and the second floor, but aside from that, everything seemed fine.
¡°Let¡¯s check the room over there first,¡± Nadir said, clearly following the same train of thought. August acknowledged him before crossing through the barn. The tables and tools were messy, but none ever touched the floor or left their place on a stand or workbench. It was an orderly chaos, and it reminded her of her own workshop. August missed being able to blast music and fix up cars; her boss was lax, as long as she got her work done and made sure to have her radio on.
They moved toward the closed off room and August stood in front of the doorway, ready to cast her spell in case anything was inside. Nadir flattened himself against the wall beside the door, leaning over and preparing himself to throw the entrance open. He looked at August, who nodded, before opening the door in a quick and fluid motion. He was out of the way of harm instantly, just in case there was anything, but the room was empty.
Inside was a small office with two plush long chairs sitting in front of a desk and a rolling chair behind it. The air was with dust after months away, but the room was clearly used regularly. The desk spanned nearly the entire office, with only one walking path around the side, and there was an unpowered computer sitting on top. The desk was also covered in various papers, and an empty filing cabinet drawer was left open. There was a backdoor that they assumed lead outside, but it also had blinds drawn.
Nadir looked to August and she nodded. The room was definitely clear, and it seemed the entire barn might be. ¡°Let¡¯s head upstairs, then,¡± He stated quietly, already moving away. They didn¡¯t want to make it immediately clear where they were going, just in case there was something up there, but August had already begun feeling calmer. Nadir had, too, she could feel it in the connection.
Instead of the previous, constrained, almost tight feeling in the connection, this was loose. Energy was flowing entirely freely, and August felt like she could breathe properly for the first time in hours. She didn¡¯t realize she had felt that way until it changed, and she wondered what else she¡¯d simply grown used to.
They moved back through the workshop, passing the workbenches. August tried to pick out more identifying things from the workbenches, but they were all a mess. She did note some car parts, though, likely from the wreck sitting nearby. She wondered if it had been important to Lawry in some way, or if it was just scrap she acquired.
Nadir reached the stairs before her, beckoning her up with a slight nod of the head. August took a deep breath in and began the push and pull of mana again, feeling it course up and down her arms like tiny sparks of electricity. She took it one step at a time until they were in the loft, choking down the large amounts of dust.
The loft was empty, though August was surprised at what she saw. It looked like how she imagined every speakeasy from the 20¡¯s. All the furniture was made of dark oak, meticulously carved, and even the walls seemed to be nicer than the ones below. There were circular bar tables surrounded by chairs, a TV mounted on the wall, and a large bar at one end of the loft area.
Behind the bar was a small kitchen, too, and August shrugged at Nadir to indicate he can come up. They began exploring, and August decided to turn on some lights first. Previously, the first floor had been brightened by the natural light streaming in from the outside, since it was another bright night, but it couldn¡¯t easily reach up here. She thumbed around on the walls for a lightswitch before stumbling into the bar area and finding a few switches built into the other side of the bar.
August flipped them all up one by one, waiting to see if one would turn on some lights before flipping it back off. On the third one, it did, lighting up the room from above with warm light. It didn¡¯t seem to turn on any lights downstairs, though, so she assumed they had missed a lightswitch down there somewhere.
¡°This is¡ Really nice. I never really questioned it, but I suppose we don¡¯t know how rich Lawry actually is.¡± Nadir wondered aloud, wiping a thin layer of grey dust off a table. ¡°I suppose we could bring her up here. It¡¯s not super comfortable, though. We could just clear a small space for some of our blankets and the sleeping bag, though, put her on the floor?¡± He considered, glancing around the area.
It was decently sized. Far more space than the three of them needed, too; he thought it could seat twelve at the tables, and more if people mingled near the bar area. August shrugged at first, continuing to look around the bar area before stumbling into a small opening for storage directly below the countertop. There were some cleaning supplies, a fire extinguisher, the expected things for storage in a kitchen, but also a small foldable cot.
That¡¯s what she thought it was, at least. She pulled it out and walked out from behind the bar, to have enough space, before unfolding it. And she was right, it was one of those almost old-timey travel cots that she imagined would be setup in tents. August shrugged. ¡°This works, too. We can put her on this.¡± She walked up to the wall that overlooked the lower area. It was just below head-height, so she went on her tip-toes to look over.
¡°Though I think it¡¯d be best to do it up here. Getting her up the stairs could be an issue,¡± She bit her lip and thumbed at the necklace on her neck. She could definitely carry Lawry, despite her taller stature. She¡¯d just have to carry her like a sack of potatoes, and that was a little worrying if her condition was bad, despite August thinking it wasn¡¯t. ¡°But it¡¯s also a nicer area. I don¡¯t want her surrounded by tons of tools and easily spotted from outside, just in case. She could wake up in a panic, knock something over and hurt herself, y¡¯know?¡± She asked Nadir, glancing at him. He had started to move toward her, trying to take a peek over the wall himself, though he wasn¡¯t tall enough.
¡°Yeah, I get what you mean. How about this? We¡¯ll get her up here, get her nice and comfy in the¡ Bed? I guess it¡¯s a bed. Then we can bring in our supplies and stuff. Get your bike in here, too, so it¡¯s not sitting in the bed of the truck.¡± He started planning, like he always did. August appreciated it, he always managed to voice her thought process before she was ever done thinking it through.
¡°Good idea. We should head into town, too, grab some food and stuff. Maybe some more medical supplies? We have the basic first aid stuff, but if she gets a¡ Fever, or something, we don¡¯t have too much to treat that. Though who knows if she will, maybe she¡¯ll wake up and be fine?¡± August said the words hopefully, willing herself to believe them. Nadir agreed with that plan, and so they set to work.
August grabbed Lawry and moved her into the front seat, despite how difficult it was in the constrained environment and with Lawry entirely limp, far more difficult than getting her in the backseat had been. From there, August lifted Lawry up and August leaned her on the truck while she got out. Nadir helped wrap one of Lawry¡¯s arms around August and helped support her weight from behind while they moved into the barn and up the stairs.
August and Nadir were both fit, and quite strong, but the effort was still exhausting. Without a stretcher, and without any cooperation from Lawry, it was a struggle. But they managed, and Lawry seemed okay, so Nadir went and grabbed all the bedding they had put in the backseat of the truck and onto the cot.
August helped him lay her inside and then zipped up the sleeping bag. The barn didn¡¯t seem to have any heating, at least not that they could find, so it was quite cold. They didn¡¯t feel comfortable simply leaving the woman with a few blankets, but they also didn¡¯t have any other options aside from the sleeping bag.
After that, they set about to emptying the truck as best as they could. They didn¡¯t unpack the duffel, they weren¡¯t sure if they were staying, but it would likely serve as a decent stop until Lawry woke up. It was where she told them to go, after all. August decided to leave the sword nearby Lawry, though more than far enough so she couldn¡¯t accidentally grab it if she woke up.
After that, it was as easy as getting August¡¯s bike out of the bed of the truck and rolling it into the garage. After they accomplished that, though August did most of the work, she headed back outside and started the truck, driving it into the barn and doing an extensive three-point turn to make it face the outside.
Nadir watched in amusement. The entire process was taking minutes, and he had already mentioned to August that if she planned to do this, she should have just backed up into the barn. She had scowled and said something about how she didn¡¯t think about it, which only made the entire situation more amusing.
After a while, she managed to park the truck, shutting it off and stashing the keys in the glovebox. Nadir shut the large barn doors and found a small plank that seemed to be made to slide into a brace between the two barn doors, likely to stop them blowing open if there were strong winds.
August decided to make sure the backdoor in the office was locked, and upon discovering it was, they both silently rejoiced. They felt decently secure and safe inside the barn, and the only evidence they had come here were some tire tracks in the front yard area from the soft dirt, though the entire two mile driveway was gravel, so it wouldn¡¯t be noticeable from the main road.
They both headed up into the bright light of the loft area, happy to not have to sit in the darkness. ¡°You know, I¡¯m surprised there¡¯s a TV in here. And the computer downstairs! Honestly, I never expected to see Lawry willingly using a computer. If that¡¯s her¡ Office, I guess? I guess it¡¯s an office, yeah. Weird to put it in the barn, though.¡± Nadir wondered aloud, happy to fill the silence.
He and August both felt decently at peace, despite the earlier encounter and the worrying state of Lawry. August knew they¡¯d likely have to go on the move again, but right now, the sense of stability from just being in one place was nice. ¡°Well, the main house is super warded. Maybe it¡¯s so if she¡¯s having a meeting with someone, she doesn¡¯t have to let them into her wards. Or maybe she just doesn¡¯t like people in her house?¡± August answered in kind, shrugging. It was better to make conversation than do nothing.
Nadir nodded, digging around in his backpack for a phone charger. After they¡¯d examined the loft again, they noticed there were some outlets on the walls, just hidden with wooden covers. It was as easy as slipping the covers off to reveal the white plastic, so he plugged his phone in, and August asked him to do the same with hers.
¡°Yeah, that¡¯d make sense,¡± He took her phone and she handed him her charger after a second, first having to dig around in her backpack. August had decided to claim one of the tables as her own. ¡°Or, she has a lot of books and stuff. Some of which she doesn¡¯t want us looking through, so maybe it¡¯s to protect those. Or maybe she has the office because she¡¯s, like¡ A supernatural researcher?¡±
It seemed as likely as anything else. They didn¡¯t really have an answer on how she lived, what her income source was, or anything like that. Though they¡¯d never specifically asked for it, either, it was likely she would¡¯ve refused to discuss it, just like most of her past. August only shrugged non-commitally, because they could guess all day, but they also couldn¡¯t say anything concrete.
¡°So what¡¯s the plan?¡± August asked Nadir, stretching in the fine wooden chairs. They were surprisingly comfortable, though August was used to foldable metal chairs and car seats, so she thought it was likely an improvement from those options either way. They obviously needed food, supplies, things like that, though they hadn¡¯t checked the small fridge behind the bar yet. There was a sink, too, so they at least had running water.
¡°Did you check all the cabinets and stuff?¡± He asked her, glancing up once the battery icons turned green. August informed him she hadn¡¯t, so he went and crossed that off the checklist. He found some pans and pots in one of the cupboards, along with a small stock of instant meals like mac and cheese in one of the cabinets, so they at least had food for the morning. The fridge was empty aside from various mixers, and it was suddenly becoming apparent that Lawry might have a penchant for bartending.
¡°Yeah, there¡¯s some stuff, but we should still go out.¡± He answered August¡¯s question before she could ask. ¡°I can head out in the morning, or you can, or we both can. It doesn¡¯t matter too much, though I¡¯m not sure I love leaving Lawry alone?¡± He slipped into a seat opposite August, grabbing his backpack on the way.
¡°I feel that. Do you think she¡¯s okay? You¡¯re the one trained for that stuff,¡± She asked him. He had done plenty of rudimentary first-aid on hikers and idiots while working as a park ranger, though the serious stuff was always handled by professionals. His job was just to make sure they got to the hospital.
¡°I think so.¡± He started and turned to Lawry, though August could tell he had more to say and just needed to think it through. ¡°Normally, I¡¯d say we bring her to a hospital, but¡ I¡¯m not too sure she¡¯d appreciate that, as I said before,¡± He accentuated the words, making it clear he meant he was afraid she¡¯d wake up and make a big deal out of it.
¡°She¡¯s breathing fine, she doesn¡¯t seem to have a fever or anything, either. I¡¯m mostly just concerned that if she¡¯s in a¡ Coma or something, then we won¡¯t be able to really feed her. Then we¡¯d have to bring her to a hospital so they can give her fluids, y¡¯know?¡± He turned back to August and shrugged, making it clear that he supported simply waiting right now.
¡°I think I agree? She could also just wake up and be fine. It¡¯s only been a few hours, and she only had that nap, so maybe she¡¯s just in a really deep sleep of some kind.¡± August debated. It was certainly possible, but previously Lawry had always been a light sleeper. Even a gentle touch had woken her up, but this time they¡¯d been able to carry her without her stirring..
Nadir nodded. There wasn¡¯t much to say about it. They could hope all they wanted, or they could panic, but either way they simply didn¡¯t have enough info. And he was tired, which didn¡¯t help. ¡°Wanna watch something?¡± He asked, glancing between August and the TV. They could dig through the books Lawry had with her, but that felt wrong, like a betrayal of trust. He¡¯d rather just do something easy and keep their morale up.
¡°Can weee watch my show?¡± August asked excitedly, and when Nadir glared at her, she put on puppy-dog eyes. They didn¡¯t work very well on him. ¡°Twelve new episodes! C¡¯mooon. Please?¡± She begged, grabbing the TV remote from the bar. It was one of the few things she had noticed. Nadir gave in.
Lawry didn¡¯t seem very opposed to August purchasing a subscription earlier, so he figured it must be fine. He wanted to relax more than was allowed now, but with how cold the barn was, that wouldn¡¯t be an option. He couldn¡¯t remember the last time he¡¯d been able to exist for more than a few hours without his trenchcoat on, and despite how comfortable it was most of the time, even he liked pajamas.
¡°Yeah, yeah, go ahead.¡± He waved his hand and moved to a chair facing the TV, letting himself slide back in it until he was doing his best to lounge. August squeaked gleefully, grabbing her phone and setting up the arduous process of signing in on the TV. It was clearly a few years old, but it was still a nice flatscreen, and it had some kind of OS that allowed installing new apps. Plus, it was connected to WiFi, which meant Lawry didn¡¯t live in total anti-technological bliss.
August was excited. They used to spend every Saturday watching a new episode at her place. She¡¯d get snacks, Nadir would make pizza, and they¡¯d hang out late into the night, long after the latest episode was over. It was a routine she desperately missed, and though it wasn¡¯t nearly the same as it had been, sitting in the loft and ranting to him about their show was a nice break.
A few episodes in, August had fallen asleep. Nadir knew she had started growing tired because her ranting had slowed, and she became quieter and quieter as the episodes played, eventually falling asleep hunched over the table, using her arms as a headrest. The leather squeaked quietly when her cheek rubbed against it.
Nadir wasn¡¯t feeling much better. They hadn¡¯t been awake long, but the drive there had felt far longer than it was, and given his earlier despondency, it was entirely silent. It let their brains slow down despite the stress, and even his body was beginning to give in. He grabbed his backpack and decided to use it as a pillow, laying on the cold hardwood floor just nearby Lawry.
It didn¡¯t take him long to fall asleep, despite the environment. He hoped they wouldn¡¯t sleep in too long, he wanted to be awake in the morning¡ªor at the latest the early evening¡ªso they could head into town and grab supplies, get acquainted with the rough layout and maybe pick up an odd, one-time job. He thought they could likely find something small for some easy cash, yard cleanup perhaps, but he was knocked out before he could put more thought into it.
It was noon when August woke up. The sound of rustling had drawn her ire, despite the fact that she was usually a heavy sleeper. She was groggy and distant, but she soon realized who was saying her name and who was shaking her shoulder gently.
CHAPTER 4
Silas slipped between the closing elevator doors, brushing against them for only a moment. His hands fiddled with the collar of his white button-up shirt, messing with a tie and frustrated that he¡¯d have to pay more for dry-cleaning. While he always kept a spare change of clothes at work, he despised the large bloodstain that crept from the neck of his torso to the hem around his waist. He continued pulling at the tie, attempting to force it straight, but it seemed afixed at an angle.
¡°Mr. Everett. I¡¯m surprised to see you late,¡± Mr. Alden slipped a phone from his pants pocket and glanced at the time. Silas continued adjusting his clothes, smoothing out wrinkles throughout his outfit and buttoning his sleeves. He¡¯d rolled them up during the fight, though he never intended to be covered in blood; it was already turning from a deep crimson to a dark brown.
¡°Yes, well Sir, I was nearby Faneuil Hall. There was an issue, I was first response,¡± Silas began, still unsatisfied with his attire. He again brought his attention to the glossy black tie and continued attempting to straighten it, though to no avail. ¡°Did you not hear? Fourth floor, if you would.¡± He gestured to the large panel of buttons near Mr. Alden, eyeing the list. They were currently in B1.
Mr. Alden leaned toward the panel and hit the buttons for floor four and floor five. ¡°No, no, I didn¡¯t hear. Faneuil Hall? Anything serious?¡± He asked, returning to his usual straight-backed posture and glancing at the blood covering Silas, who attempted to stifle a yawn before matching Mr. Alden in posture. While Mr. Alden looked intimidating, Silas only ever looked exhausted.
He worked more than Mr. Alden, and Mr. Alden always stayed beyond dark. ¡°Yes Sir. A vampire cabaret,¡± Silas watched Mr. Alden, examining his boss¡¯ general posture and attitude. He didn¡¯t care for Mr. Alden despite working under him bordering eight years. The lurch of his stomach distracted him, and the elevator began to rise floor by floor. Silas caught a snippet of noise behind the door of the first floor¡ªinternal affairs¡ªthough not anything distinguishable.
¡°Though, it was only one vampire from the cabaret who went rogue. I dealt with the issue, and the others have agreed to come in for questioning. I don¡¯t believe they acted together, but we¡¯ll have to see how the interrogations reflect on the matter.¡± Silas¡¯ spoke directly, the gold standard for matter-of-fact professionals. He would never suggest the cabaret was innocent based off just surface level evidence and their word, especially not to Mr. Alden.
¡°Yes, I suppose we will. Was a report turned in?¡± Mr. Alden asked out of obligation rather than expectation. It was clear Silas was only now arriving, and out of any agent, Silas needed the least reminder. But Mr. Alden was proper, and if any agent had an encounter with the supernatural, a full and detailed report was required¡ªwhether by paper or vocal, though the latter required a transcription and video recording.
Silas hated being on video. ¡°No Sir, it¡¯s the first thing I¡¯m doing.¡± He answered, nodding curtly and in time with the elevator chiming to signify they¡¯d reached the fourth floor. Mr. Alden returned the gesture before allowing Silas to step out onto his floor, and Silas was hit with the acrid smell of far too many people for the space. It hadn¡¯t been this busy in years, he thought, and stepped up to the freshly polished plaque on the wall. It read Department of Deployment.
Silas sighed and glanced at his wrist, glancing between the watch hands. It was quarter-past-eight, almost three hours past when he would usually arrive, and while Ministry agents didn¡¯t adhere to a particular schedule, they were all encouraged to arrive on time. Silas grimaced, aware that his absence would have been noticed by other agents. He prepared himself for the hushed murmurs, or silence, or explosive questions that would follow upon his entrance; how the agents reacted seemed to change on the given day.
And their reactions would likely be worsened by the large bloodstain across his chest. He set his jaw straight and stepped through the hall, his boots somehow silent despite the tiling, and into the large precinct. Instinctively, he examined the room inch by inch, checking for anything abnormal or threatening. Desks lined the walls, many backed against each other, and they were all covered in computers, case files and other papers. Silas¡¯ own desk sat undisturbed in a far corner, one of the few to not be joined with another¡¯s.
Before he had stepped in, the room was abuzz with noise and conversation, a cacophony of light and sound blustered into a whirlwind. People scratched pens on paper, or typed loudly, or spoke with various civilians. There was the ever-present sound of chairs rolling on the tile floor upon agents getting up to do one task or another.
And for a moment, Silas thought nobody cared this time. Nobody had noticed his absence, despite the usually rabid nature of the other agent¡¯s perception, but he swiftly changed his mind. The room had gone silent, and even the civilians were boring into him. Nobody moved; Silas almost felt like it was a challenge, to see who would dare break the cocoon of silence, but he wasn¡¯t one to engage in pointless battles.
¡°Back to work!¡± Silas waved his hand in the air melodramatically, stepping through the clutter and toward his desk. The room quickly returned to its typical din, and though he caught a snippet or two of conversation about him, people generally seemed too busy to care. Not that it was atypical for an agent to arrive covered in blood¡ªor more accurately, it wasn¡¯t atypical for Silas. He¡¯d love coffee and a change of clothes, he thought, but he also didn¡¯t want to delay the report any further.
He found himself at home behind the pale yellow wood of his desk, despite the uncomfortable atmosphere. He learned long ago to tune out the background noise and Silas had found himself sleeping at the desk more than once. It wasn¡¯t too common for agents to be in the precinct in the first place, whether out on patrol, deployed elsewhere or working from home. Though it had become much busier recently, he noted.
He fumbled for the power button of his computer and waited for the ancient thing to whirr to life. He flipped through the stack of paper neatly set aside on his desk, checking first for anything drastically important before glancing at the case files. No new ones had been given to him, though he was also no closer to solving the pile of cases he already had. They¡¯d quickly gone cold, with no new evidence or witnesses.
That was a problem for later. Silas pulled up the form for reports and began filling out each section step by step, giving obscenely accurate and definite descriptions to anything he thought important. He prided himself in his accuracy, and both his bosses and peers regularly complimented him for his inane attention to detail, though it came naturally to Silas. The words flowed like white-water rapids, each scene and moment replayed inside his mind¡¯s eye.
The room was quickly growing in volume, each desk alight with conversation and the sound of progress. The department always moved fast, but with the rise of cases, it¡¯d become common for the precinct to be near its reasonable max population. Half the agents desks had civilians sitting beside them, a rare few had Housefolk talking with an agent, and other desks still were empty. The agents were likely responding to something else, either deployed to a different precinct or on patrol.
Some agents weren¡¯t even in the city. Supernatural cases had been on the rise across the country, and due to the Ministry¡¯s foothold in Boston, they had one of the largest centralized departments, so a few agents had been deployed to other departments to help out with cases in the area. The move was previously unprecedented, but with the small number of agents¡ªthere were only so many supernaturally aware people, and less still chose to become an agent¡ªit wasn¡¯t exactly a surprise. Silas had seen the redeployment coming from a mile away, though Mr. Alden asked him not to be vocal about it.
It was a problem that could be solved by being open about the supernatural world, and Silas had long debated with himself if the Ministry¡¯s pretense toward keeping things secret was a good idea in the long run. Most agents in the Ministry were there due to their parents being founders, though a handful of agents had encountered the supernatural and decided to join upon being offered the job. It was routine practice to ask witnesses whether they wanted to be aware of the supernatural and join the Ministry, or have your memory erased.
Silas considered the offer cruel, even if some people were delighted to be offered the latter option. He had been given the option himself many years ago, though he couldn¡¯t think of any worse fate than being robbed of your memories and experiences. He straightened his tie and connected to a printer, queuing his form before sliding out of his desk chair.
He had chosen the former option. Silas would much rather help than live in bliss working a minimum wage job, no matter if it was an easier life, he decided at the time¡ªthough that aspiration didn¡¯t quite turn out how his younger self thought it would. He pulled loose the tight bun in his hair, tucking away the hairtie in his pocket and running a spindly hand through his loose hair. He¡¯d tie it back up after changing, he decided.
Right now he was only delaying, he realized. The file room, where the printers sat, might have a line, and the earlier he arrived the better. He slipped between the mess of desks and people before reaching the small flight of stairs that elevated the rest of the floor from the agent¡¯s desk area. He realized long ago that the Ministry enjoyed using elevation to separate the department, and the only other thing on the same level as the agent¡¯s desk area were the kitchens.
It was a power thing, Silas assumed. He passed by Mr. Alden¡¯s office, though the blinds were pulled closed, before silently slipping into the web of sienna-colored halls. He passed by the large windows that decorated them, glancing at the Boston skyline he was so familiar with. He briefly wondered if he¡¯d be deployed elsewhere, due to his nature as one of their best agents¡ªthough Silas himself was disgusted by the moniker¡ªbefore continuing toward the file room.
He decided to knock in case the line extended near the door, though he was only met with the sound of one person yelping. The corner of Silas¡¯ mouth twitched and he stepped inside, quickly shutting the door behind him to snuff out the bright light. The file room was a public area for any agent, though it wasn¡¯t friendly; the room was barely lit and there were boxes upon boxes of case files stacked to the ceiling. It certainly wasn¡¯t safe, and in the midst sat Jackson, the most recently appointed agent.
¡°Good morning, Jackson. They have you appointed to reorganization?¡± Silas asked, smiling knowingly and slipping past the boxes, toward the printers. There was nobody in the room but them, and he took the moment to examine Jackson. Silas wasn¡¯t engaged much with the appointment of Jackson since he hadn¡¯t partook in any of his training, due to his otherwise indisposed nature, so there were no chances to get a proper gaige on him.
He had sandy yellow hair and a deep tan, resembling the picture-perfect image of a model. Silas assumed the tan was likely fake, though the looks were certainly abnormal; Silas thought that they drew the eye too much, too instinctually. Maybe he wasn¡¯t entirely human, Silas realized, glancing away and to the pile of paper at the printer. It seemed it¡¯d be a while before it got to his form.
¡°Yeah, they gave me a week or two,¡± Jackson stammered, trying to get a better view of Silas, ¡°Holy shit, man! What the hell happened to you?¡± He yelped, glancing between Silas¡¯ bloodstained clothes and loose hair. Silas realized he must look abnormally unkempt, especially to the inexperienced agent, though it wasn¡¯t atypical for Silas to arrive in bloody clothes. He was one of the few to deal with the violent supernaturals.
¡°Rogue vampire. Nothing the Ministry couldn¡¯t handle, though it wouldn¡¯t have been nearly as messy if I had my equipment. Supernaturals always underestimate what a human can do without a weapon.¡± His response was matter of fact, despite the great amusement he was feeling at the recruits reaction. Most agents were jaded and quiet, used to the horrific everyday life of an agent, but Jackson still retained his upbeat attitude. Silas thought it¡¯d be good for the department.
¡°You did that with your bare hands?¡± Jackson scoffed in disbelief, despite the affirming nod from Silas. He technically did it with a large piece of splintered wood the vampire had broke in its rampage, though Silas didn¡¯t care enough to argue the semantics. ¡°Shit man, I would not want to get into a fight with you.¡±
¡°Yes, well, it is my job.¡± Silas answered, patiently waiting for the printer to get to his form. The queue seemed quite long, so despite the printer spitting out page after page, it would likely be a while still. He didn¡¯t want to leave the young agent sitting in silence, especially when Internal Affairs recently told him to stop scaring new recruits¡ªthough it was never intentional¡ªso Silas considered how to continue the conversation.
¡°Did you know they make every new recruit organize the file room?¡± He offered the opening, waiting to see if Jackson wanted to engage. He didn¡¯t want to force the agent into conversing if he didn¡¯t want to, but Silas also wanted the option open. He turned to face Jackson, stepping away from the printer and into his view, allowing Jackson to glance from his piles of case reports and turn his attention to Silas instead.
¡°No, do they really? Every new recruit?¡± Jackson asked, glancing at the boxes of files around him. He wondered what the point of that was, especially since before he¡¯d begun reorganizing the room, the place was spotless and efficient. Jackson doubted he¡¯d be able to reorganize it in a better way; the room would likely end up just as it began.
¡°They do. It¡¯s discipline; it¡¯s sorting grains of sand by color, one by one,¡± Silas continuing, raising an eyebrow. The action added to the ever-present exhausting that painted Silas instead of making him appear amused. ¡°A pointless endeavor, one that could drive somebody insane. One gust of wind, and all progress is ruined,¡± His tone was firm, ¡°But that¡¯s the point. Our jobs can be monotonous, and feel pointless, so it¡¯s a task to see if you¡¯re up to it. This life.¡± Jackson had fallen silent, staring at his hands in contemplation.
¡°I suppose that makes sense, even if it¡¯s really philosophical of you,¡± Jackson responded after a minute, the silence only invaded by the whirring printer and muffled din of the main room. ¡°I mean, you gotta check if someone can handle the boring routine stuff, not just the supernaturals.¡± His tone was quiet, and he drummed his hands on his khaki shorts. Silas thought it was a good sign: Jackson seemed to be thinking the new information through instead of taking it at face value. With time, he could see Jackson becoming one of the more respected agents.
Though nobody was as respected as Silas. ¡°Precisely, you understand.¡± Silas watched his report get spit out by the printer and he grabbed at the warm paper, letting the heat bite his fingers. He thought he¡¯d spent too long here already, and should likely change before someone called Internal Affairs about him being a health hazard, though Jackson had another question.
¡°What happens if I don¡¯t finish on time?¡± His tone was worried, meek in the face of punishment. Silas smiled softly, looking down at the cross-legged agent¡ªwho resembled a marble sculpture. It wasn¡¯t a matter of finishing on time, just that you clearly put in the work, and Jackson was.
¡°That¡¯s not for you to know, now is it?¡± Silas proffered, though it wasn¡¯t his true response. He took a moment to think. ¡°In our line of work, you don¡¯t always succeed. Criminals get away. People die. You lose friends,¡± He continued, though it seemed to only make Jackson more worried, ¡°What matters is that you tried. That you did the best you could. Leave nobody doubting that, and you¡¯ll be fine.¡±
It wasn¡¯t a direct explanation, Silas wouldn¡¯t allow Jackson that, but it was also enough for the message to be clear. Jackson nodded once and Silas stepped toward the entrance, wrapping his hand around the bronze doorknob. He hoped Mr. Alden wasn¡¯t too delayed with whatever affair he had on the fourth floor so he could turn in the report, though Silas would take the time to grab coffee if he was.
¡°Oh, Silas?¡± Jackson bloomed, a sunflower amidst the dull white papers, ¡°Would you like to do anything after work? Get me used to the trade, y¡¯know? I¡¯m sure you have some good stories!¡± The cheery kid offered, briefly pitching his voice up in excitement. Silas stopped at the doorway, hand unmoving, and the smile fell from his face.
He answered without looking back. ¡°Mr. Everett, if you would. And no, Jackson. I don¡¯t have an after work. And there are certainly no good stories to tell.¡± He turned the doorknob, waiting for the quiet click of the door opening before exiting the room. Silas didn¡¯t wait to hear if Jackson responded, instead escaping into the bright halls. The sun had rose past the skyline now, shining obliquely into Silas¡¯ eyes.
He sighed. The young ones always learned that there were better agents to go to for after-work hangouts or discussion, though it did take some longer than others. Silas had a reputation within the department, and it was not one that made people go to him for fun, though he did offer a place of safety¡ªif he was in the office. It was impossible to get in contact with Silas if he was at home. Nobody knew where he lived, and he never answered his phone outside of work.
Nobody minded, though. It was rare for Silas to be anywhere but the office or on duty, and it had become a common joke to tell him that if he worked any more he¡¯d become his own department. Silas found it an amusing sentiment, even if untrue. He shifted back into motion, stepping past the windows and toward both Mr. Alden¡¯s office and the main area. While the door remained closed, the blinds were now open, so Silas glanced inside. Inside was Mr. Alden, with his usual cropped brown hair and firm posture, though a familiar red-haired woman sat opposite him. Rayne Harper.
Mr. Alden spotted Silas, too, glancing past the woman in front of him. He waved Silas inside with a snappy gesture, and Silas gently pulled the door open, slipped inside and then closed it behind him. Mr. Alden gestured to the blinds, so Silas closed them, submerging the room in relative darkness. The only light was from the window behind Mr. Alden, framing him like a god.
¡°Mr. Everett, come, sit down. And is that the report you have for me? Ever efficient, Mr. Everett, ever efficient,¡± Mr. Alden nodded repeatedly before turning on the overhead lights with the press of a remote. ¡°Awfully dark, my apologies.¡± The room was suddenly filled with white light, the fluorescent lamps adding a dull hum. Silas slipped into a second chair opposite Mr. Alden, glancing at Rayne and the mess of freckles dressing her cheeks.
He knew her very well, and would have offered a greeting if Mr. Alden didn¡¯t interrupt him. ¡°Here, let me take that report from you.¡± Silas nodded, wordlessly handing him the papers before leaning straight-backed in his chair. He let a hand drift away and toward Rayne¡¯s wrist, giving it a gentle assuring squeeze before removing it. She glanced at him inbetween chewing on her nails. Mr. Alden added the papers to a pile on his desk, likely to get to them by the end of the day. ¡°And change after this, would you? It¡¯s not professional to be out like that.¡±
Silas grit his teeth in frustration, but maintained his neutral expression. He had prioritized doing his job over his appearance, and Mr. Alden usually made no comments on any other agent¡¯s professionalism. Silas decided Mr. Alden must be in a bad mood, before suddenly finding himself worried it was because of the woman next to him. She had that effect on his bosses, though he usually tried to keep her separated from any Ministry contact. Something had happened.
Silas spoke first. ¡°Sir, what is it you need of me?¡± He slid further back into the seat, allowing himself to press against the headrest. He laid his hands in lap, gently placed over his knees. While Silas had his own issue with Mr. Alden, he was quite the capable boss; he wouldn¡¯t distract Silas from work with no reason. He could just be asking for Silas¡¯ report, or perhaps the scene had been observed by more civilians than Silas thought.
¡°Yes, right, well. I have an assignment for you.¡± Mr. Alden smiled widely at Silas, though it didn¡¯t reach his eyes, before looking at Rayne. ¡°...Unfortunately, both of you.¡± Mr. Alden grew quiet, staring at Rayne, who wilted under his gaze. Silas coughed. He wasn¡¯t an impatient man, but Silas had work to do, and he also knew how uncomfortable Rayne was under any attention from the Ministry.
¡°Right, my apologies,¡± Mr. Alden snapped his attention back to Silas, breaking eye contract with Rayne, though she¡¯d never met his eye. She shifted in her seat, still silent, hiding behind her messy red hair and choosing instead to look at her nails, nearly bit bloody. Her teeth were sharp, so she had to be careful. ¡°Well, that is¡ It¡¯s not exactly for you, Mr. Everett, but for your dog.¡± Silas bit his tongue.
¡°The job is for Ms. Harper,¡± The name was harsh on his tongue, ¡°As her¡ Natural abilities, we¡¯ll say, are required for a situation. There was an unnatural occurrence off in this backwater town near Tulsa, out in Oklahoma. The local department does not have any, specialized staff for the the situation, so we¡¯ve been asked to dispose of our resources in Boston.¡± Mr. Alden offered, though the picture was not nearly as clear as he seemed to have thought it was. Silas waited for Mr. Alden to say more, to give any more detail, but they only sat in silence. A minute passed.
¡°...And I¡¯m being called in as her handler. You¡¯re not asking for my permission, Sir,¡± Silas stated, and Mr. Alden shook his head in indication that he wasn¡¯t, ¡°So you want us both to go. To Oklahoma. Is that what you¡¯re saying, Sir?¡± Silas asked, cringing at how Mr. Alden spoke of Rayne. He thought it was rude to call on her for anything, since Rayne never wanted to be under the Ministry¡¯s thumb in the first place. But she was, subjected to their service for a crime that she¡ªbeyond all doubt¡ªhad no hand in.
¡°Yes, Mr. Everett. Rather astute definition. To be more direct,¡± Silas realized he was being tested, ¡°There was a large¡ Spike in magical energy in the town of Chouteau, and all agents with an aptitude for tracking magic are already indisposed. This is not something the Ministry enjoys doing,¡± Mr. Alden glared at Rayne, who whimpered quietly. ¡°We would never ordinarily send a werewolf on a mission with an agent, much less their own handler, but the magnitude of magic is something only suited to your clearance.¡±
Silas was fuming. He wondered who Mr. Alden thought he was, calling her a werewolf, implying that she was some rabid beast, before realizing that he was Mr. Alden. There was nothing Silas could to, so he maintained his neutral expression. His body didn¡¯t twitch in anger, and he retained his picture-perfect professionalism. It was something he¡¯d learned long ago. ¡°Yes Sir, I understand. That is to say, I and Ms. Harper are to go to the town of Chouteau and investigate the magical energy. If the cause is a person, are we to bring them in?¡± Silas asked, and Mr. Alden nodded. The room went silent again, and Silas was anxious to leave.
¡°Is that all?¡± He asked, glancing at Rayne, who had officially chewed her fingers raw. He thought he could see a few leaking blood, though he also knew they¡¯d heal by the time they were out the front door. He¡¯d hoped that Rayne might be treated better with time away from the Ministry, but it was swiftly becoming clear that some things never changed. Rayne was a rare case, and Silas initially felt bad for her. It was the reason he¡¯d offered to be her handler, even if it wasn¡¯t a job title he enjoyed.
¡°No, no. The higher-ups, my higher-ups, want a report in by tomorrow. Better if you can get the job done by then. Even better if you can keep your dog on a leash this time.¡± Alden answered before waiving them away, like he¡¯d never said anything wrong, and Rayne stood immediately. She was ready to leave, too, though Silas needed to stay for a moment longer. He did the mental calculation ins his head, trying to think if one day would be enough, before realizing they¡¯d have to drive. It wouldn¡¯t be enough time.
¡°Sir, respectfully, I must ask for more time. It would be, at minimum, a twenty hour drive there, and while I do not refuse driving for such a time, it need not be said that driving without sleep would endanger civilians. I politely ask for more time for myself, and Ms. Harper, to attain our various belongings and to get there within time.¡± Silas was firm, letting his frustration edge into his tone. For a moment, Silas may have appeared more like the boss than Mr. Alden.
Mr. Alden chewed his lip. ¡°Yes, alright, you may have a week. I thought that was an unreasonable ask anyway,¡± Silas felt his frustration rise, ¡°Though you must leave by the end of the day. The higher-ups wouldn¡¯t be happy if you didn¡¯t. I¡¯d start packing right away; I¡¯ve already given your cases to other agents, so no need to worry.¡± He waved them away again, and this time Silas listened. He stood, slowly, maintaining his professional stature, but Rayne pulled him out of the office by his arm before he could respond.
By the time Rayne pulled him into the hall, away from prying eyes, he¡¯d slipped from her grip. ¡°Silas-¡± She began, but he quickly interrupted her, glancing at both ends of the hall. He didn¡¯t want to be heard by other agents, and he didn¡¯t want any rumors to start. Rumors died slow in the Ministry. ¡°Mr. Everett,¡± He corrected cooly, though when Rayne flinched, he softened his tone. ¡°While here, it¡¯s Mr. Everett, Ms. Harper.¡± She nodded her head meekly.
¡°Mr. Everett,¡± She began again, and this time without interruption, ¡°Do I really have to do this? I mean, I have work tomorrow. I can¡¯t afford to lose this job.¡± She begged, and Silas bit the inside of his cheek. He couldn¡¯t tell her that she was free to go, he¡¯d been ordered to bring her along, even if he¡¯d prefer if she was allowed to stay. He could handle this job on his own, theoretically; he had done far more complex things than tracking down magic.
Silas was constantly advocating for Rayne to be uninvolved in any Ministry going-ons, even if the Ministry found it quite useful for a lycanthrope to be under their thumb. He had protected her quite a lot already, but directly disobeying orders would likely only make things worse. He sighed, frustrated by the position he was put in.
¡°Unfortunately, Ms. Harper,¡± She deflated in hopeless acceptance, ¡°I must say yes, you have to. Though I¡¯m sure I can get the Ministry to come up with a reason for your absence.¡± He continued, and that made Rayne light up. She tried to hug him, though Silas quickly stepped away, and she suddenly remembered where they were. Rayne pulled back and nodded in acceptance, and despite her calm demeanor, Silas could tell she¡¯d be wagging her tail¡ªif she had one.
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Rayne didn¡¯t say anything else, instead choosing to stand there, silently beaming with joy. The loud din of the precinct echoed through the hall, and Silas glanced between her and the hall. ¡°Now, come along, Ms. Harper. I need to change, and since we¡¯ve,¡± He spit the word out, making it clear he wasn¡¯t happy she was forced into this, ¡°Been assigned a mission, I¡¯ll need my equipment. And my jacket. Locker rooms,¡± He flicked his head toward the general direction of the precinct, and Rayne nodded.
They walked through the main area, and a few agents gave the duo an odd look. Silas considered that perhaps there was no way to entirely stop the rumors, though the looks were mostly directed at Rayne. It was better to ignore them, so the two slipped past the main area and into the connecting hall with the elevator. He pressed the button and waited patiently, though Rayne fidgeted anxiously beside him.
Eventually, the elevator arrived and they stepped inside the empty box, suffused by the light¡¯s amber glow. Silas leaned over and hit the button for B5. The first two basement levels were devoted to a small parking garage, but below that was the storage and training facilities. Silas took his badge from his shirt pocket and slipped the access card from a small container in the back, sliding it into the receptacle in the elevator panel. The elevator chimed before slowly moving downwards, giving Silas time to take the access card back and slip it into his badge.
¡°You¡¯ve never been to the sublevels, have you, Ms. Harper?¡± He asked, cocking an eyebrow and glancing at her. He¡¯d grown quite close to Rayne during his time as her handler, though nobody in the department needed to know that. It¡¯d be unprofessional, he thought, and though this mission was unexpected, it might be a good break for both Rayne and him. If it turned out to be simple, like he thought. It was also possible Mr. Alden hadn¡¯t told him everything.
¡°No, I haven¡¯t. Should I be worried?¡± Rayne asked, looking at him in turn. She caught the amber light reflecting off his blue eyes, and despite his otherwise cold stature, she could see the warmth in them. She didn¡¯t enjoy lurking in the Ministry longer than they had already, it was clear how much everyone hated her. People wouldn¡¯t even use the correct terminology, and she desperately wanted to ask Silas why he hadn¡¯t spoken up when Mr. Alden called her a werewolf. The term felt gross in her ears.
But she understood he couldn¡¯t. ¡°Not particularly. It¡¯s nothing unusual, B5 is a mixture of things. Locker rooms, gym, armory. A place for agents to store things they may want but don¡¯t want to keep at their desk. It¡¯s not exactly against rules to bring people there, it¡¯s just ill-advised, since both weaponry and personal belongings are kept on the floor.¡± He shrugged, though it did little to settle Rayne¡¯s nerves.
¡°You¡¯ll be fine. Nobody sane will question me.¡± He said confidently, which did help Rayne feel more relaxed. She could rely on Silas, he¡¯d made that evident time and time again, and his level of notoriety within the Ministry commanded a level of respect. ¡°I¡¯m just going to pack my gear, take a shower, grab my to-go bag. The necessities.¡± He assured, though his smile was grim. The armory didn¡¯t like their gear being taken out of state, though they¡¯d be forced to give him whatever he asked for.
He didn¡¯t want it to turn into a situation. He¡¯d use his personal equipment. ¡°Okay,¡± Rayne said simply, before suddenly realizing something and bursting alight in excitement. ¡°Actually, can I take a shower, too?¡± Silas was surprised at the question and took the moment to examine her, outside the purview of Mr. Alden. Admittedly, he thought, she did look rather ratty. Her red hair was messy and matted, and she¡¯d clearly been sweating, despite the cold season. Her skin looked dim, instead of it¡¯s usual warm color, and her freckles were faded.
He shrugged. There wasn¡¯t any reason she couldn¡¯t, though he didn¡¯t have a change of clothes for her. ¡°That should be fine. We¡¯ll stop by your apartment so you can grab clothes, accoutrement, whatever you may need.¡± He decided she could use his soap, if she was fine with that, so it didn¡¯t particularly matter to him. If anyone made it an issue, he¡¯d bring it to Internal Affairs. They gave him plenty of leeway.
¡°Aw, we¡¯re not going to yours? You have to show it to me sometime. Please?¡± Rayne begged, and Silas smiled softly. He shook his head no and repeated, for what must be the hundredth time, that she would never know where he lived. Nobody did, and he liked it that way. What he didn¡¯t say is that it stopped the Ministry from snooping around his personal life, which was a bad habit of theirs.
The elevator came to a sudden stop, sending a yelp reminiscent of a bark careening from Rayne¡¯s mouth. She shied away, embarrassed, and Silas avoided commenting. He didn¡¯t want to make her feel any worse than she already did, so he calmly stepped from the elevator and toward the nearby armory window. The gym and locker rooms were down the hall, but he decided to request his gear first; he felt unsafe without it available.
Rayne followed him, looking around the space wide-eyed, despite its sterile white nature. It looked like a hospital, with white linoleum floors and white-painted walls. Only the ceiling was a dull grey, and even the fluorescent lights were entirely white. She wondered if the Ministry made it feel impersonal on purpose, or if it was just a consequence of the building.
The armorer looked up from their computer. ¡°Mr. Everett. I didn¡¯t expect you so soon.¡± They said, though it was clearly a lie. Silas was always in sooner, and he knew it was likely a prodding question, a given due to his bloodstained attire. He didn¡¯t want to bother explaining, much less to the head armorer¡ªhe considered them a snake, always seeking out rumor and drama.
The reports were public anyway. Anyone within the Ministry could read them. ¡°I¡¯m here for my personal gear. Nothing company issue, I¡¯m being deployed out of state for a week.¡± He explained, and he could feel the hair on his neck rise. He hoped the armorer wouldn¡¯t pepper him with more questions; most agents only ever used company gear, though the Ministry allowed storing personal items in the armory if an agent chose. Few did.
¡°All of it?¡± The armor asked, pulling up Silas¡¯ profile, alongside his personal effects. It wasn¡¯t an exhaustive list, only the things Silas was already wearing or decided to store at work. He owned much more, though he kept the particularly powerful items hidden away. He decided to be more specific, for the sake of brevity.
¡°I¡¯d like my personal firearm, the AHX19S, four magazines stocked with silver-steel bullets,¡± He winced, suddenly remembering Rayne was standing nearby. She didn¡¯t look bothered, too busy staring at a large plaque denoting the rules for the gym. Silver was used on all manner of magical creatures, and Silas reprimanded himself for worrying. Just because Rayne was a lycanthrope didn¡¯t mean she thought it was for her.
And it wasn¡¯t. ¡°I¡¯d also like my silver-steel knife and sword, please.¡± The armorer jotted down his requests and hummed after each item, only stopping when he¡¯d finished. Silas would¡¯ve asked for more rounds since he could store them in the car, but he couldn¡¯t remember how many he¡¯d put into personal storage. He didn¡¯t want to bother asking.
¡°Sure, Mr. Everett. We¡¯ll have that out in a few.¡± The armorer paused for a moment. ¡°You¡¯re so traditional, Mr. Everett. One might think you¡¯re sixty if they looked at this list!¡± They guffawed, though Silas was unimpressed. He glanced away, toward Rayne, who had moved on to looking at a facility map. It was a mess of colored lines, and Silas never got used to the secret levels being omitted from it. ¡°I mean, a silver-steel sword? You¡¯re the only person here who¡¯d carry a sword. Especially with the magic.¡± The armorer said the word with fiery disgust.
Silas didn¡¯t feel any particular way about magic. If it helped get his work done more efficiently, then there was nothing to dislike. Silas had nothing else to say to the armor, so instead he nodded toward Rayne and indicated he was done. She hopped along after him, boots clomping loudly on the linoleum floor. His own footsteps made no noise.
They stepped into the locker room, the environment quickly changing from stark white to a gentle blue. Lockers lined the walls, and the middle of the room was filled with bench seats and tables, in case anyone needed them. It wasn¡¯t a large space, though this was only one locker room. There were more, this is just where Silas¡¯ locker was. He always kept a spare change of clothes at work, exactly for situations like today.
He opened his own personal storage and pulled out a few items, including soap. Everyone had their own locker, and the showers were completely private, separated by small airlocks so that people could shower and dress in private. The Ministry could afford the amenity. ¡°You can use my soap, if that¡¯s fine, Ms. Harper. I showered this morning, I just don¡¯t want vampire blood caked on my skin.¡± He explained, and Rayne suddenly looked more apprehensive.
She slipped onto a bench seat, pulling off her muddy boots and glancing up at the still-standing Silas. ¡°The soap is fine, but¡ That¡¯s vampire blood?¡± She asked curiously, a little surprised. Silas being covered in blood was normal, but the Ministry and Boston¡¯s cabaret¡¯s had been on good terms recently¡ªor as good as they could reasonably be. Rayne hadn¡¯t heard of any altercations, despite the rise of supernatural attacks.
¡°Mm.¡± He didn¡¯t elaborate, instead organizing his new outfit. It was nearly identical to what he currently wore: dark blue suit pants, a white collared shirt, a black tie and black boots, though the new outfit had black suit pants instead. He glanced around the locker room, letting himself analyze every shadow cast by the pale light. It seemed completely empty of anyone else, and there were no showers running. People must be busy, he thought.
Rayne grabbed a comb from the pile of belongings he¡¯d taken out and reached up to his head. She glanced at him first, and when he shrugged, she began running it through his medium-length hair. It wasn¡¯t knotted, but she rarely saw his hair down, so she wanted to examine it more. Silas almost always kept it in a bun, she¡¯d learned, and the glossy black hair looked good loose.
Silas grabbed at the last piece of his outfit. To anyone not in the know about the supernatural, it¡¯d look like a normal black windbreaker, decorated with the FBI logo. But to people who were supernaturally-aware, the Ministry logo and chevron pattern would be clearly visible. The logo was plastered across the back, with large loud lettering stating the Ministry¡¯s slogan: Entropy Edict. The badge had similar illusion magic.
Rayne shuddered, looking away from the windbreaker. The sight always brought back awful memories, even if it was Silas wearing it, so she brought her attention to his hair and finished combing it. Afterward, she stood, and Silas didn¡¯t wait for an explanation. He handed her the soap and she moved toward the shower, hesitating for only a moment before slipping inside and closing the door.
Silas did the same, heading to his own shower. He brought in the change of clothes and methodically undressed, piece by piece, storing the dirty outfit in a waterproof container in the airlock. He put the clean outfit in a separate one and examined his boots. They looked entirely ordinary, but he¡¯d originally ordered them from a spellcaster. They had enchantments imbedded into the sewing, muffling any sound made by them.
He stepped into the shower and let himself submerge under the warm water. He watched the water run down his body, stained red for only a moment before again running clean. He¡¯d take a proper shower later, he thought; this one was just about cleaning off any noticeable blood. It didn¡¯t take long, so he stepped out after only a few minutes and thoroughly dried himself with a towel.
Just as methodically as he¡¯d undressed, he put each piece of clothing on one by one. He ended up deciding to go without a tie, since a week of on-the-ground deployment was in his future. If they did end up fighting anything, it¡¯d only serve as another weakness, he thought. He shook more moisture from his hair, suddenly frustrated at how relaxed the warm shower made him. Next time he¡¯d take a cold one, he thought.
He was out before Rayne, so he took the time to adjust his clothes in the mirror. He¡¯d shaved that morning, but he knew by the end of the week he¡¯d likely have to deal with stubble. He didn¡¯t look forward to the experience. He opened the container where he¡¯d put his belongings, sliding the various small things like pens and notebooks into his pockets. He always kept his badge inside his shirt pocket, and he found the space uncomfortable without it there.
After that, he decided to simply sit down and check his phone. It¡¯d give his hair time to air dry, and he waited patiently for Rayne to finish. It only took a few more minutes for her to rejoin him, and she looked markedly better, though Silas assumed the lack of a bloodstain did lots for his own appearance. He slipped the dirtied clothes into his locker, deciding he¡¯d either dispose of or clean them later, before taking out his to-go bag. It was a brown suitcase, and he¡¯d packed it when the deployments began, though he didn¡¯t expect to end up needing it.
He looked at Rayne to speak, though found himself tongue-tied. She really did look better, he thought, her entire appearance rejuvenated. Maybe she needed that shower more than he¡¯d thought, and a worry that she wasn¡¯t taking care of herself clawed its way up his legs, pulling on his shoulders. He swallowed the lump in his throat and reminded himself to stay professional.
¡°We¡¯ll grab my gear and be on our way. We¡¯re taking my SUV, by the way,¡± Silas ordered, though Rayne wasn¡¯t going to argue in the first place. His car was cleaner, more spacious and generally nicer. Rayne¡¯s own own car was a beater and practically a warzone in comparison. She doubted it¡¯d last a long drive like that anyway, so she shrugged.
¡°Lead the way.¡± She gestured toward the entrance, and Silas hefted the brown suitcase up. They stepped back into the clinical white halls, and though Rayne was curious to know about the gym, she understood they had to get going. Silas handed the suitcase to Rayne before stepping up to the armory window, looking down at the shrivelled head armorer.
Rayne watched them bore into each other in a silent exchange; she couldn¡¯t begin to understand what it might mean. Eventually, the armorer heaved a sigh and began handing over item after item. She started by sliding a metal briefcase through the window, alongside a leather holster, before following it with a matching saber and dagger, unmoving in their wooden sheaths.
Silas nodded, taking the time to attach the holster to his belt. It was fairly large, retaining a spot for his handgun and three magqazines, one attached to the holster and two more behind it. Silas opened the metal briefcase, attaching the magazines and sliding one into the handgun. He tapped the magazine but didn¡¯t rack the gun, choosing instead to slide it into the holster. He did the same for the dagger, though chose to carry the sword for now. It¡¯d be too cumbersome to drive with.
The whole scene was done in less than a minute, showing off Silas¡¯ practiced efficiency. He thanked the armorer and led Rayne away, despite her desperately wanting to see more of the restricted floors. She wondered what it was to work at the Ministry without being a lycanthrope. She wanted to know just how different people treated each other compared to how they treated her, but they were back inside the elevator before she could mention it.
Rayne glanced at his holster, curious. She¡¯d never seen the handgun, but it also wasn¡¯t the one Ministry agents typically carried, so it was likely just Silas¡¯ personal preference. He leaned over and hit the button for B1, ready to get out of the Ministry building. Rayne seemed to have calmed down, which he considered surprising, but his own nerves had only grown. It was probably the longest he¡¯d been in the building with Rayne around.
¡°So, stop by my apartment, let me pack and then we¡¯re on our way?¡± Rayne asked, glancing at the sword in his hand. She shifted the suitcase to her other hand, despite its weight being nothing for her. She ran through a list of what she¡¯d need in her head, though she always struggled with packing. She hoped she wouldn¡¯t forget anything important.
¡°That¡¯s the idea. We can stop at a gas station for snacks, if you want, but I¡¯m also happy to get food on the road. We can figure out where to sleep while in the car. I just want to get on the road, honestly.¡± He answered neutrally, though his tone had a softness creeping in. Rayne knew he was one of the more professional hunters, at least compared to what she¡¯d seen from the Ministry, but she always forgot just how much gentler he was with her in relative solitude. She hated when he called her Harper.
Rayne held the question itching at her tongue. They stepped out into the parking garage and Rayne shivered, the cold air nipping at her wet hair. She shook like a dog before spotting Silas¡¯ SUV, parked near the entrance, and began moving toward it. She felt anxious, but she also knew it was a question she had to ask.
She slipped into the passenger seat and Silas slipped into the driver¡¯s seat. Rayne¡¯s throat felt tight, and Silas took a moment to take the suitcase from Rayne and put it in the back seat. She breached the question, letting the words tumble out. ¡°Uhm.¡± She wasn¡¯t sure how to ask. ¡°If I¡¯m helping with a case, thanks to me being a lycanthrope¡¡± Rayne hated using werewolf. Nobody called them that anymore, especially since it wasn¡¯t correct under modern classification.
That didn¡¯t matter to most of the Ministry, though. They were content to not care, even if Silas was one of the rare few who did. She¡¯d never asked if it was because he cared about being correct, or if he cared about her. ¡°Am I still supposed to take my suppressants?¡± Her voice was meek, and Rayne felt like she couldn¡¯t breathe. The air felt heavy.
Silas was stopped in his tracks. He grinded his teeth, suddenly frustrated he hadn¡¯t asked Mr. Alden that exact question. It was rather important, and if they wanted Rayne specifically to help with this job¡ªthanks to her being a lycanthrope¡ªthey should have been clear, he thought. He shifted the sword into his other hand before sliding the sheath down toward his feet, letting it sit between his legs.
He rubbed his eyes. He felt exhausted. ¡°Ms. Harper-¡± He began, but Rayne interrupted him. ¡°Rayne. Please?¡± Her voice was unsure, but he finally looked at her and smiled. ¡°Rayne¡¡± His voice was gentle. She waited for him to tell her off, to say that she was being ridiculous. He reached over and put a hand on the back of her head, gently running his hand down the back of her wet hair.
¡°...No, I¡¯m not going to make you take them. If you¡¯re going to help me, you¡¯re going to. If the Ministry didn¡¯t intend that, they should have informed me.¡± Rayne choked on her spit, letting our a torrent of coughs, accidentally detaching herself from his touch. He had not just said that, she decided, though the words echoed throughout her mind.
¡°You mean I can stop?¡± She muttered, shaking in disbelief. She hadn¡¯t thought she¡¯d ever be allowed to stop taking the magical suppressants, no matter how many times she¡¯d complained or how torturous they were. Silas had never given a definite answer, either, which she supposed he couldn¡¯t have. While he was important to the Ministry, he couldn¡¯t simply tell them to do whatever he wanted.
Silas put an arm on her shoulder, trying his best not to look worried. ¡°I¡¯ve heard you in the past, you know.¡± His tone was gentle, and Rayne¡¯s shaking slowed as she came to terms with the situation. ¡°I know they¡¯re not¡ Fun. I¡¯ve been trying to get them to stop with the,¡± He almost said treatment, and the thought nearly made him throw up. ¡°With the drugs. Though I can only begin to understand how awful they are.¡±
Rayne wanted to hug him. She would have, if the car seats weren¡¯t in the way. Instead, she muttered a thank you and leaned into Silas¡¯ touch, happy to have at least one person rooting for her, though Silas¡¯ wasn¡¯t always around. The reminder that Silas cared, even if he was usually indisposed by his job, was nice. Initially, she¡¯d struggled to trust who she saw as just another Ministry lapdog, but Silas¡¯ efforts to protect her made it clear he was genuine.
They sat there for a few minutes, not talking, and Silas didn¡¯t mind. Rayne, in turn, examined his vehicle. She desperately wanted to find a piece of trash inside one day, or for the black SUV¡¯s paint to be chipped somewhere, but she never could. The vehicle was a display of just how professional Silas was, and at some point, it¡¯d turned into a game for Rayne to attempt to find a flaw in his stature.
It was an amusing game for both of them. ¡°Ready to get going?¡± He asked, and when Rayne gave up their game and nodded, Silas smiled smugly. He slid his car keys into the ignition and let the vehicle start, pulling out of the parking garage with practiced ease. Rayne let her head fall against the headrest, though she needed to adjust it first. She wondered who he¡¯d had in his car for it to be different, and she briefly considered he¡¯d gone on a date before discounting the possibility. It was likely another agent.
They rode in silence, stopping frequently. Rayne was happy Silas always stopped slowly, without the lurching motion from slamming the break. She got motion sick easily, even if she enjoyed car rides. Rush hour was somehow still going on, and the streets were packed, though she considered that they were also in the center of the city. Rayne couldn¡¯t afford an apartment so centrally, so she knew it¡¯d be better once they got to the outskirts of the city.
She fidgeted in her seat, impatiently watching cars drive by while they sat at a stand-still. ¡°You want to play music, don¡¯t you?¡± Silas asked, breaking the silence and glancing away from the road for only a movement, not that they were moving. Rayne met him with a look utter guilt, and for a moment, Silas¡¯ neutral front broke. He rolled his eyes and opened the seat¡¯s armrest, pulling out a cord for her. He shook his head, smiling wide.
¡°Knew it. Got a USB-C cable just for you, actually. Just don¡¯t put anything too hyper on, okay?¡± He passed over the charger, taking the moment to rub the back of her head again. He knew it helped her feel at ease, and he also knew the visit to the department had stressed Rayne out. He¡¯d rather she be relaxed than stressed, so if letting her play music helped, she could play all the music she wanted to, he thought.
Rayne took a few minutes to scroll through her phone before finally playing something. Silas wasn¡¯t exactly a music person, but he didn¡¯t mind it if someone else wished to listen to music. Eventually, traffic began to clear and they were speeding along in a timely manner. Silas knew where Rayne lived, so he didn¡¯t need directions.
¡°Don¡¯t forget your old clothes, by the way,¡± Silas reminded her after a few minutes, mindlessly examining streetsigns, passerbys and other cars while driving. Rayne was confused; she didn¡¯t understand at first why she¡¯d need old clothes. She looked to him for an explanation, but he appeared to be waiting for her to understand. After a start, she suddenly realized.
¡°Oh my god. Because I¡¯ll have a tail,¡± The excitement in her voice was overwhelming. She looked down at her outfit, the most professional thing she owned¡ªit was almost identical to Silas¡¯ attire, she realized, before blushing¡ªand considered what that might feel like again. For her shapeshifting to be allowed again, for the magical energy to course through her.
¡°And a glamor. Don¡¯t forget that.¡± Silas assumed she owned a glamor. They were common enchantments, placed upon clothing or sometimes in perfumes, to alter the appearance of people or items. His jacket and badge were good examples, he thought, and it was common for Housefolk to own some.
¡°Yeah, all my old clothes are enchanted. It¡¯s the only reason I didn¡¯t get rid of them, really. I¡ Never thought I¡¯d be allowed off the suppressants.¡± She answered, the excitement fading. She wondered if she¡¯d have to start taking them after the week was over, or if the Ministry might allow her to stop.
¡°When does the medication wear off, by the way?¡± Silas glanced at Rayne¡¯s head, half expecting the animal ears to pop into existence. He was curious when she¡¯d sprout her animal features; lycanthropes, he¡¯d learned, usually let them out to varying degrees. Some favored a full transformation, allowing them to navigate the street as a coyote or wolfhound or other various breed, but others still preferred less. He knew Rayne kept to a minimum while still allowing her to shift a little.
¡°Well, I have to take them nightly, so¡ Tomorrow morning, at the earliest.¡± Rayne shrugged, though it was only an attempt to hide the fiery excitement burning her up. The magical suppressants were like an ice bath, ruining every one of Rayne¡¯s senses. Her vision was worse, she felt detached from her body, even her emotions felt numbed at times. Even worse, she¡¯d get phantom pains from the missing animal parts.
They weren¡¯t a minor inconvenience. Taking them made the very act of living difficult, and when she¡¯d originally agreed to them, she didn¡¯t know what it¡¯d be like. The first night she¡¯d taken them, she¡¯d had to call Silas, who she¡¯d only just met. The night was blurry, now, but she remembered that Silas had almost taken her to a psych ward out of worry.
Rayne was scared. The idea that the Ministry could make these effects permanent terrified her, and Silas had reassured her multiple times that he¡¯d do anything to make sure the Ministry didn¡¯t use something so drastic. She wondered what horrifying magic the medication was, if it was even magic, that it could sever someone¡¯s magical connection.
She shuddered, though Silas didn¡¯t seem to notice the worry suddenly coursing through Rayne. He drove in silence for a while, and Rayne let other thoughts fill her head and push out the depressing memories. Soon, they arrived at her apartment, and Rayne slipped out of the car. Silas decided to stay in the car, so he waited patiently for her to return.
It took Rayne half an hour to pack. She took the time to change out of her Silas-outfit and into something more natural for her, fumbling through her wardrobe and pulling out a pair of grey cargo pants, a green camo shirt and a grey beanie. She knew where her denim jacket was, so she started packing more clothes instead, making sure to take some older stuff.
After making sure she wasn¡¯t forgetting anything¡ªand luckily, she¡¯d remembered to grab everything she needed, even toiletries¡ªshe rejoined Silas, throwing her green suitcase into the trunk. He hadn¡¯t turned off her music, she noticed, and the image of hunter-by-trade Silas Everett sitting in his SUV listening to hyperpop was the picture of absurdism. She giggled, quickly stifling the laughter when Silas gave her an accusatory look, sharp enough to cut steel.
It softened upon seeing her outfit. ¡°You look good,¡± He complimented, and Rayne found herself swiftly shut up. He¡¯d never complimented her before, and she wondered why he¡¯d said it, or where it came from. Maybe he was just in a good mood, she considered, so she took the compliment with a simple nod. She felt oddly queasy.
¡°So we¡¯re going to¡ Chouteau?¡± Rayne asked, ready to move on. She pulled out her phone and prepared to type the town into her maps app, attempting to sound it out in her head. She struggled with the word, and Silas quickly noticed, spelling it out for her. She assumed it was likely French, and upon inputting the route, Rayne was surprised to find the drive was almost exactly twenty hours. Just like Silas had said to Mr. Alden.
¡°Have you been there before?¡± She asked, slipping her phone onto her lap. She left the audio directions on, since there was nowhere to put her phone where Silas could easily see the map. Silas didn¡¯t seem to mind, though; he knew Boston well, so he¡¯d have no issues getting them going in the general direction. He rolled his shoulder, and Rayne found herself briefly wondering if he was up to the drive before snuffing the worry out.
¡°No, never. I know the area a bit, though. There¡¯s a few Housefolk charted in the system near there, and we¡¯ve had to involve one of the spellcasters in the area a few times at this point. They have expertise we don¡¯t, after all, though don¡¯t let the Ministry know I said that.¡± He joked, and Rayne ws very happy to see his professional despondency fading. His biting neutrality made her feel small, and it was a far cry from the fuzzy feeling she felt when he spoke softly, his voice carrying warmth of a cup of cocoa.
¡°Silas,¡± She smiled, the name slipping off her tongue comfortably. Saying it felt easy, ¡°You don¡¯t think the spellcaster had anything to do with it, do you? I mean, massive flux of magic¡¡± She trailed off, but the implication was obvious. Silas didn¡¯t respond immediately, trying to reckon with the idea that the spellcaster was, in fact, involved, though he hoped they weren¡¯t.
The spellcaster had been a decent resource, and he himself had spoke with them about a case before, even if they generally preferred to stick to themself. They certainly weren¡¯t fond of the Ministry, he¡¯d concluded that after their meeting, but the offer of money seemed too good for the spellcaster to pass on. Silas admired their professionalism, too, recalling the neatly organized office space. The chairs were far plusher than the ones at the Ministry, and their massive workshop had fascinated Silas.
¡°Let¡¯s hope not.¡± He tried to think of the spellcaster¡¯s name, though for some reason it slipped his mind. ¡°They¡¯re a nice person. Well, nice enough. I¡¯d hate to see them wrapped up in something like this. Maybe,¡± He considered, ¡°It was just a rogue experiment gone wrong, and I can shift the blame elsewhere.¡± He¡¯d rather protect someone relatively innocent than put them under the ire of the Ministry.
Or have to kill them. Working for the Ministry was his whole reason for living, but he also understood it was deeply flawed. He doubted that if he was aware of their reputation upon being initially offered the job that he would have joined, but he¡¯d also stopped caring after his own personal reputation surpassed the organizations. Now most Housefolk knew his name.
¡°Yeah. Okay. I guess we¡¯ll have to see, right?¡± Rayne tried to sound cheerful, but it came out tired and weary. Silas nodded in agreement, bobbing his head in time with the music, and she took that as a good sign. She scratched her head, the lack of ears itchy, and leaned against the headrest again. She¡¯d been working too much, she decided. Her entire body was sore, and she always felt thirsty, though she also knew it was nothing in comparison to Silas.
¡°Get some rest, Rayne. We¡¯ll stop for food soon, I want coffee. And feel free to order as much as you like; I have the company card. I barely use it anyway, I doubt you¡¯ll hit my limit.¡± He suggested, and Rayne suddenly realized Silas was definitely attempting to be sweet, or as sweet as he could. Whenever they met for their mandated weekly appointments, Silas would offer her food, especially because he knew she wasn¡¯t the richest. Silas didn¡¯t enjoy being her handler, she knew that, but she was also grateful it was him. And really, she considered, it was just the situation Silas hated. Rayne hoped he considered her a friend.
Rayne acknowledged him before letting herself sink into the void of noise the music gave her. The sound helped stimulate her brain, and she eventually found herself falling asleep despite not thinking she would. Silas turned the music down a little, though he also understood it helped her rest, so he kept it on. By the time he shut it off, it was midday, and he¡¯d woken Rayne up for food.
They¡¯d stopped at a fast food place, and they both ordered before finding seats. Silas picked at his chicken nuggets, though fast food was generally too greasy for him, while Rayne tore into a burger and fries. Silas was grateful for the chance to stretch his legs, since they¡¯d grown stiffer than cedar oak.
He started up a conversation with Rayne about her job¡ªhe couldn¡¯t talk about his¡ªso she ranted to him about all the awful customers that had come in, or how much of a pain her boss was being, or whatever drama her coworkers had started. Silas listened along, though eventually Rayne turned the conversation onto him, forcing him to talk about the books he¡¯d read recently.
After they finished eating, Silas said he wanted to get a headstart on tomorrow, so they drove long after dark. Rayne agreed with the prospect, happy to be out during the night. She always felt more alive when the moon was out, like a puzzle piece clicked into its slot. Though it didn¡¯t last too long, since Silas explained he was feeling too exhausted to continue driving. They stopped at a hotel and got rooms.
One more day of driving until they arrived at Chouteau, and Silas explained they¡¯d likely meet with a few other local Ministry agents to assess the situation. One more day until they could begin to learn what caused it; one more day until they could learn who caused it.
CHAPTER 5
August yawned, her jaw popped, and she winced before rubbing the sore spot. She regretted falling asleep at the table. ¡°I mean, I¡¯m really happy you¡¯re okay, Lawry¡ But don¡¯t you think we should check to be sure, first?¡± She moved on to divulging herself of the crusty feeling in her eyes. The clouds overhead parted, allowing the shimmering sunlight to stream in through splits in the roof, a harsh gold burning its way through the space. It didn¡¯t match the otherwise grey sky, and August thought it was an evil trick to be bright so early.
¡°I am fine, August,¡± Lawry paused and bit her lip. She¡¯d need to get the roof redone. ¡°And Nadir. There are more important things to be discussing currently than my welfare,¡± She moved away from the table August and Nadir sat, choosing instead to slip behind the bar. Lawry had shook both of them awake, and she seemed more than a little panicked, even if she was saying otherwise.
Lawry poured herself a shot of whiskey before downing it in an instant. Nadir watched her glance from the shot glass, its walls stained with a few remaining drops of amber gold, before Lawry chose instead to drink from the bottle. She made no face of displeasure after downing a swig, though the sight made Nadir wince. He glanced at August, and she shared a similar look of worry; they were thinking the same thing, exemplified by their connection.
That Lawry was certainly not okay. She knocked the shot glass into the sink with the grace of a sloth, and when it instantly shattered¡ªthe glass a rainbow in the light¡ªshe winced, pursing her lips tightly. Lawry giggled manically before taking another swig from the bottle and looking toward the ceiling. August and Nadir watched, their worry growing, while Lawry slowly grounded herself. After a minute of her giggles, Nadir decided this was going too far, and broke the uncomfortable silence.
¡°Look, Lawry, we¡¯re just concerned. Can you at least explain what happened? With the whole¡ Diner, and your arms, and the mimic, and everything?¡± Nadir paused to glance at August before continuing. His voice billowed through the barn, caressing every surface with its gentle echo, a warm blanket of comfort and trust. ¡°We believe you if you say you¡¯re fine. But we still care, and we have a right to know.¡± The room was silent. August didn¡¯t dare break the comfortable stillness his words left behind, and Lawry seemed too bitter to answer.
But he was right. They did have a right to know, and Lawry chided herself for being scared. Because she knew that¡¯s what this was: fear. ¡°Yes, alright. I will go roughly chronologically.¡± She didn¡¯t want to lie but she didn¡¯t know how to put it to words yet. She¡¯d only been awake a few minutes herself. ¡°I used magic to fight the mimic. The mimic fled. The magic ailed me. Now we are here.¡± She knew it wasn¡¯t satisfactory. She wanted to pretend not to care, but it was obvious she did. She took another large gulp of the russet alcohol before corking the bottle.
¡°We all know that¡¯s not nearly good enough,¡± August was the first to respond, and she glared at Lawry, who looked pathetic. Her grey hair was ruffled beyond belief, a rat¡¯s nest streaming down to Lawry¡¯s back, and she was slouching over a bottle of alcohol. It was a sore sight, and for a second, August thought it might be better to shut up. But Lawry needed a reality check. ¡°Tell us what actually happened. Hells, tell us anything at this point!¡± She was yelling, and she was out of the chair in an instant. It rattled beneath her, falling somewhere on the ground.
Nadir wasn¡¯t moving to stop this, which for August, was more than enough to tell her to continue. She stomped toward Lawry, the fury of a thousand emanating from her, and grabbed the hem of Lawry¡¯s shirt. It didn¡¯t matter that August was shorter. ¡°You, just yesterday, made a goddamned pact with us. You¡¯re a woman. Grow the fuck up,¡± August grabbed the bottle off the countertop and raised it to Lawry¡¯s face before flinging it over the loft wall. It crashed, landing somewhere in the workshop. ¡°And act like it.¡±
Lawry met August¡¯s gaze, her eyes steely and unafraid. Lawry wondered for a moment if August would be scared if she knew the truth, if she¡¯d seen the years of war, of battles, of power so far beyond anything comprehensible, but it wasn¡¯t a question worth pondering. Lawry wasn¡¯t superior, or stronger, and she needed to stop pretending she was, ego be damned. She looked away from August first, glancing at the hand around her shirt, mumbling in response.
When she realized it didn¡¯t come out clearly, she cleared her throat and raised her head again. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Two words, but ones that rarely came easily. August looked furious for only a moment, clearly expecting something else, before the frustration faded away, a shadow cast away by the pure shock on her face. August let go of Lawry and stepped away, nodding gently. She rejoined Nadir.
¡°Okay?¡± Nadir repeated and glanced at August. Her blond hair caught the sunlight and sparkled violently; she looked like a firework, a million bright lights scattering through the sky and falling over the water. His stomach flipped violently and he tried to suppress the memory from summer, so that it might not get through their connection. He needed a distraction, and Lawry was the perfect one. It¡¯s what he should be focused on, he thought, and not how August looked.
August looked at him. He didn¡¯t recognize the expression. ¡°You have to give us more than that, Lawry. C¡¯mon,¡± He held up his left hand, flashing the tattoo in Lawry¡¯s direction. It hid his face from August. ¡°August is right. You didn¡¯t just make a promise, you made a pact. We¡¯re not going anywhere. Just tell us the truth? Please?¡± Lawry looked like she was on the verge of an indescribable horror. Perhaps crying.
She glanced at her hand for only a moment before nodding. She beat away the mounting anxiety parading through her chest, ¡°I know, I know. I need you two to make a decision, then.¡± She paused, her tongue twisted. She wasn¡¯t ready to ask this question, she didn¡¯t know how to convey its magnitude, ¡°If I am to tell you two¡ Everything, then there is no going back. Even now, there are still ways for you to return to normalcy.¡± She thought she might throw up.
The words were tumbling over each other. She couldn¡¯t hear anything but the blood rushing in her skull. ¡°If I tell you this, you will have to stay within this world forever. You won¡¯t ever be able to return to your previous lives, not exactly.¡± She¡¯d originally planned to give them to the Ministry after the mimic was dead, but she knew now that was never going to happen. ¡°The supernatural world, I mean. And¡ This will require some context, if you say yes.¡± Lawry dearly wished they made the right decision, that they would still want to turn the wheels of time away from this path. But that would never happen.
The clouds covered the sun. Lawry glanced up, and the golden light changed to a dull grey, a bad omen of what¡¯s to come. The duo spoke in the instant she looked away, and their answer was final, even simple. ¡°Yes.¡± August and Nadir looked between each other, neither surprised they¡¯d said the same thing. It was expected, with the connection, though Nadir clarified. ¡°Tell us. Please.¡±
¡°Right.¡± Lawry nodded and moved away from the bar, choosing to sit at the table with them. She glanced toward the sword, discarded in a corner near her makeshift bed. ¡°As you know, I had a connection, much like you two. Though, it is not technically called that,¡± She looked between August and Nadir. They nodded eagerly, and she decided to take that as a good sign, ¡°It is technically called Coriolis¡¯ Intermediary Link and Connection Between a Living Two,¡± Their expressions quickly changed to one of shock, ¡°And you now understand why I have simply called it the connection.¡±
Nadir felt horrified. He hoped it wasn¡¯t common for spells to have such long names, mostly for August¡¯s sake. Lawry continued, not pausing for a second, ¡°Though, the person I was¡ Linked to, passed away. She was my lover, or I her confidant, so to say.¡± The two tried to disguise their utter disbelief. The idea of the solitary Lawry having a lover was foreign to them, though Nadir worked through the event and quickly came to the conclusion that the death of her partner may have been what pushed her into a solitary lifestyle. He knew it was common.
¡°The sword,¡± She pointed at the sword, still on the ground, ¡°Was a channel. I would regularly input magic into it when casting enchantments and spells¡ªcommon among spellcasters, though exemplified for spellblades, as we work best with raw magic, and therefore struggle to refine it within our own bodies. Turning an object into a channel is a long practiced spell, and I was planning to teach you the spell soon, August.¡±
Not that she couldn¡¯t still teach her, she supposed, especially if August wasn¡¯t going anywhere. ¡°Which would ordinarily be no issue. However, the loss of your partner while linked can leave a hole within your magical reservoirs, so to say. Think of it as a tunnel between the two of you, and when the tunnel is broken, it leaves an open space.¡± She took the time to wet her lips. ¡°What happened when I touched the sword,¡± She looked to Nadir, and though her tone was neutral, he still felt guilty, ¡°Is that the enchantments tuned to me attempted to fill my reservoir, and so a torrent of raw magical energy spilled from the gap.¡±
Lawry never intended to be a teacher, and most aspects of magic simply made sense to her. The process of trying to explain it to the duo was difficult, so she could only hope it made sense. August and Nadir were nodding along, though, so she assumed it was a decent elaboration. Nadir interrupted her next sentence. ¡°Okay. So basically, like¡ Wild magic, or something. That makes sense,¡± He paused to look at his hands. Shame tied his words into knots, ¡°And, uh, I¡¯m sorry for doing that.¡± Lawry reached over to gently shake his shoulder and the frown, unnoticed by Nadir, slowly changed to a smile. He bat her hand away.
¡°So¡ Your arms, then? Was that connected to the gap, thing?¡± August asked, glancing at Lawry¡¯s arms while she shook Nadir. Lawry looked, too, before resting them on the table. She understood how impactful a height difference could feel, and manipulating it was something she¡¯d grown used to. She beat away every instinct telling her that she needed to look imposing and chose to lean forward instead, equalizing her height.
¡°In a sense. This is something you should know, either way, August. It is essentially a magical overload, or more officially, physiostigmatacism. It occurs in the extremities,¡± Lawry gestured with her hands, ¡°The back, chest, you understand. It¡¯s a temporary frying of your magical pathways, leading to an overwhelming appearance, even in minor cases. Thankfully, due to my lack of latent magical energy¡ªthe gap, again¡ªit healed rather quickly.¡± She paused, attempting to remember if there was anything else. ¡°For you, August, it would heal slower, since you have more latent magical energy.¡±
It was close enough to the scientific descriptions that she hoped August wouldn¡¯t be confused when they learned about it through official texts on the subject. Right now, she needed to be concise and clear. Nadir urged her to continue. ¡°When you handed over the sword,¡± Nadir thought it was a comical version of events, ¡°The mimic fled, likely because of the extreme magical force. Then, I passed out due to magical overload.¡± She ran her hands over each other repeatedly. They felt cold.
¡°I see,¡± Nadir started, playing the events through in his mind. So far it all made sense, but there was still one glaring issue. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just tell us that, then? I mean, none of that seems like a huge deal.¡± He cocked his head curiously, an ever-patient hound at Lawry¡¯s heels. August glanced at the tattoo they all shared, still unbroken, despite how clear it was that Lawry hadn¡¯t spoken the full truth. The pact was fallible, then.
Lawry knew this part was coming, even if she wished it wouldn¡¯t. Her worry and fear brewed inside her throat, a tea so devilish it could make an iron stomach convulse in disgust, but she deflected it this time. She swallowed the emotion and bile, ¡°Because the mimic said some things to me. Some¡ Awful things, though this requires a bit of a history lesson.¡± She paused, waiting for the acknowledgment she hoped wouldn¡¯t come, and when they urged her to continue she could only sigh. Her breath was a pained howl in the stillness of the barn.
¡°Well¡ First of all, the mimic said they are not alone. That they, quote, want me to join them¡ªand that they wanted you, August. Supposedly, replacing Nadir was a way to get into your good graces from the beginning. This means they were¡ Watching you,¡± Her throat burned. She didn¡¯t want to mention just how unsavory the mimic was, she thought, and she hoped Nadir wouldn¡¯t ask for a word-by-word recount. And though he looked rabid, a million unanswered questions barely contained, Lawry managed to avoid that horror.
August was another matter. She was steaming with anger and buzzing with energy; Lawry could tell August wasn¡¯t casting a spell of any kind, but it was clear her emotions were wild. She continued, despite that, ¡°That is, to join them in avenging a piece of the past within the supernatural world. Many years ago now, I worked for something called the Bureau of Magical Affairs.¡± The words were sandpaper, rubbing her mouth raw. Lawry expected to taste blood, the very recounting of the Bureau¡¯s name causing her pain, but nothing came.
She was fine, or that¡¯s what she told herself. ¡°They- we oversaw law within the supernatural world. If anything, or anyone, who is supernaturally-aware committed a crime, we would deal with them. The ones that could not be contained within a non-supernatural prison system, that is.¡± There was a lot to this, but Nadir already seemed overwhelmed, and he asked her to pause. August was enraptured, despite the boiling fury.
When Lawry abided, he fetched a notebook from his backpack and began writing everything down. The action made Lawry feel queasy; she could have told them everything much sooner. They were fully committed to this life, to her, and to learning. She wasn¡¯t sure why she¡¯d ever thought otherwise, but she knew why, in the back of her mind. Despite any front she put on, she was a deep well of murky fear, too still to be disturbed. Until August and Nadir started prodding.
¡°The Bureau was primarily headed by the Spellblades, both a group and a categorization. My sect of spellcaster, that is, just like a witch. This, you already know¡ªthough, as far as I am aware, I am the last spellblade within the United States. I do not know for elsewhere, however, as we are rare.¡± Nadir scratched away in his notebook, the sound alike a bear pawing at a tree in an attempt to get at a hive. August, in her ever-present insistence, had a question.
¡°So, wait. The Bureau of Magical Affairs only operated in the States, then?¡± It was an assumption, though Lawry nodded yes. Other places had their own systems, groups and history, though Lawry wasn¡¯t fully acquainted with much of it. August tapped her foot against the leg of the table, attempting to think it all through, before urging Lawry to continue. ¡°What happened, then?¡±
¡°What happened to the Bureau is our next matter. May I introduce,¡± She sweeped her arms wide, a grand display of false reverence. Her tone betrayed the distinct hatred she had, a cool venom slipping in between every word, ¡°The Ministry of Natural Law.¡± The words were envenomed with abhorrent heat, and the intense emotion made Nadir pause in surprise. ¡°They are the current lawful power presiding over the States, now. And from my understanding, much of the wider Americas, such as Canada and Mexico. Though their presence is not without gaps in power.¡±
She bit her tongue. Breathe, she reminded herself, breathe. ¡°To break it down simply, people did not always like the Spellblades, and therefore, the Bureau of Magical Affairs. Due to spellcasters being a minority across the wider board, some were unhappy that one group of spellcasters held much of the power.¡± August looked green, and Nadir knew to expect that explanation. It always came down to another group vying for power.
¡°The Ministry, though it was not yet called that, formed to disrupt the Bureau and their control. This began a larger event that modern magical historians label as,¡± She paused, glancing between Nadir and August. She wanted these words to come easier, she wished to be able to be as truthful as she wanted. But her fears held her back, as they always did. It was a stark reminder of her past mistakes, ones that she stopped concerning herself over years ago.
Lawry was realizing she may never have properly moved on. ¡°The War of the Lights, or the Fifth Worm War, or the Battles of the Worms, or the Second Reckoning. There is contention within the sphere as to its label, if you cannot tell. To summarize, it was a very tumultuous time within the magical world.¡± Tumultuous was a parody of the real events, she thought. It was the first time in recent history that powers outside the Americas came to the continent. They hadn¡¯t been left with a decision on the matter.
They all would¡¯ve died otherwise. She prepared herself for the inevitable questions, the words from Nadir that would slip between her armor and comfort her at the core, or for August¡¯s prodding accusations that managed to disrupt the perfect lake of fear inside her and bring her back to earth. Every slight movement from August and Nadir¡¯s mouths refracted in her eyes, a kaleidoscope of expectation and worry. The questions were coming, they always did.
Despite how awful she felt being forced to dredge up the past, it was necessary, and Lawry knew that. August spoke first. ¡°The War of the Lights?¡± Images of the curses and their infantile forms flooded August¡¯s mind. She could practically see them, waving through the air, a beautiful display from a disgusting creature. ¡°Why of the Lights?¡± She asked more specifically. August hadn¡¯t told Lawry, or Nadir, about what had happened in the diner; if this was in any capacity connected, she knew that she needed to. It wasn¡¯t that she wasn¡¯t going to, August thought, there just hadn¡¯t been time.
¡°Yes. The Lights,¡± Lawry was growing tired, and the overwhelming exhausting was slowly ebbing out the bitterness that stayed everpresent throughout the conversation. Lawry knew that neither feeling helped August and Nadir, so she was attempting to temper them. ¡°Though I prefer the moniker of Fifth Worm War. The war spurred on a divide between normal,¡± She laughed. To her, the magical world was the only normal one; Lawry had never known anything else. ¡°Supernaturally-aware people¡ªlike Nadir¡ªand spellcasters. This meant that, during the war between the Bureau and the Ministry, there was a large spike spike in how much magical energy was being used. On both sides.¡± She was skipping over much of the events. This was a general outline, or as best as Lawry could give one.
¡°This lured in many creatures that consume magic. The lights, as they are sometimes known¡ªor the worms¡ªare a form of curse that consume magical energy and spread. They are not physical, I could not reach out and touch them, so to say.¡± She avoided explaining exactly how they lived. That would require explaining the House, and they were not ready for that, she thought. ¡°Though they could touch me, a spellcaster. The Ministry encouraged their growth, as a convenient way to undermine their enemies.¡± The images of wormridden Spellblades flooded through Lawry¡¯s mind, horrific as the day she¡¯d first seen them. Hundreds of people, ravaged from head to toe by pinprick holes¡ªtheir very nerves opening up¡ªflooded her mind. Their screams echoed in her ears, a battering ram upon her sanity, and she remembered how it felt when just one worm wriggled under her skin.
Lawry didn¡¯t let it show. She didn¡¯t want to recount how her friend¡¯s skin had unpeeled layer by layer, their organs a bunch of persimmons nestled between the gleaming white of their ribs, or the horrifying glee the Ministry soldiers felt, watching a storm of spellblades fall to an invisible threat. Nadir goaded her to continue, and Lawry was suddenly very happy that she could still keep some things hidden.
¡°They consume magical energy to grow, but when they run out of that, they consume everything else. Matter, memory, time- everything. They are one of the oldest creatures we have documented within the magical world, though nobody knows exactly where they come from. Some historians theorize other worlds, or timelines, so to say. I cannot speak to the validity of these theories.¡± Lawry bat away the memories. The people were gone, and her feelings helped no one. There was no point letting them ravage her.
August couldn¡¯t remain quiet any longer. ¡°Uhm, Lawry,¡± Lawry was silently grateful for the distraction, ¡°I think I saw¡ These. After you passed out, I mean; I went to retrieve the sword, and there were tons of lights kinda¡ Hovering around it. Or I think they were the same thing- they also kinda looked like bug-worm things to me.¡± Her words were ice, and Lawry felt like she¡¯d just been thrown into a winter lake. She looked at the sword in horror.
She felt like throwing up. She wondered if she¡¯d slept near them, what she may already have forgotten, or what could have already changed if the worms appetite leaned toward time. Lawry was rising before she realized she¡¯d moved, and the chair made a skidding sound on the wooden floorboard. ¡°Are they still there?!¡± She screamed, uncontrolled, desperate. She couldn¡¯t stop herself.
Nadir yelped in turn. He hadn¡¯t expected Lawry to yell, and even August looked shocked, though it shouldn¡¯t have been a surprise. ¡°No! No, I mean- I don¡¯t think so! I can¡¯t see anything, and I¡¯m pretty sure I killed them?¡± August replied as fast as she could, tumbling over the words. She motioned to move, to hold Lawry in an attempt to soothe her, but Lawry stepped away from the touch. She began pacing, running her hand through her dull grey hair.
Each step echoed in her ear. Every harsh touch of wind on the barn walls, every note of drowned birdsong played under the gusts, even the light in her eye was fading. She couldn¡¯t breathe and the world was a snake, swallowing her whole, barely an appetizer on its conquest across the great plains of every inch she attempted to keep hidden. And then, her mind finally caught up to August¡¯s words. Something broke; not just inside her, but in the logic.
This had just become so much worse, she thought. ¡°You killed them?¡± Lawry choked, her voice pained, ¡°How the fuck did you kill them, exactly?¡± She couldn¡¯t stop it. The words were pouring out, a stony waterfall. It reverberated through the wooden furniture and dealt a frosty blow deep into Nadir¡¯s bone; the sound echoed through the barn, a chorus of thunderstorms. It faded the instant he felt it, and afterward, he couldn¡¯t tell if it had been real.
August stammered. ¡°I mean, I, uh-¡± It was impossible to get the words out. The feeling crept up her spine, playing the vertebrae like a xylophone, click-clacking along each inch until it spread through her neck and reached her tongue. Everything felt numb. ¡°I just, I did. I mean, after you passed out, I felt really weird- and I went it to grab the sword and I just started casting magic. I said some words, and¡ Stuff. I don¡¯t know!¡± She admitted, her voice slowly rising in frustration. It was a defense mechanism, and August hoped her own heat might win against the pervading cold, but her admittance only seemed to make it worse.
¡°What did you say? When you cast magic?¡± Lawry demanded, and August repeated the words as best she could remember. The icy numbness faded, and August thought Lawry was calming down. She realized she was mistaken when a new expression bloomed, one of horrifying shock. Lawry leaned against the counter and clutched her head in her hands. She rubbed at her temples, though it didn¡¯t help with the mounting migraine.
Lawry mumbled, though her words boomed, strong despite the tired softness. ¡°August. When the lights began to spread, or the worms, there were not enough people to stop them. Witches and the like, various spellcasters specialized in removing curses, you understand.¡± She ran through the events in her head, gathered by experience and various occult texts. She didn¡¯t want to think about this, but if August was telling the truth, this could only be one thing. ¡°It became an infestation. It enveloped the war and became the true focal point¡ªto this day, it is still what allowed the Ministry to gain its foothold uninterrupted. People were focused elsewhere.¡±
That was fine, Lawry chided. That was normal. But what happened next in the story wasn¡¯t, she thought, and August had just repeated it. ¡°It was only stopped when the Elder of Two itself appeared and vanquished the worms. They are ancient enemies.¡± She¡¯d only seen them once, at the Battle of Cisterna, and she still counted herself lucky that the Elder had adapted a vessel. Nobody had ever survived seeing an Elder¡¯s truest form.
¡°It was, to anyone persons understanding, the first time an Elder interacted directly with people for centuries. The Second Reckoning. Far kinder upon the earth than the first¡ªdo not ask now¡ªbut still magnitudes of importance beyond anything else.¡± Nadir¡¯s expression was indecipherable. He looked a little bug-eyed, and August was clearly deeply troubled; the only thing keeping Lawry together was the steady rhythm of her pacing. She understood how August felt.
¡°August. You did not simply cast magic, to my understanding.¡± Lawry put a hand out to motion Nadir to be quiet. He had opened his mouth, and her immediate silencing left him resembling a tongue-tied frog. ¡°The Elder partook in you as a vessel and eradicated the worms.¡± She paused, though August looked confused. ¡°Do you understand how serious this is?! This has not been since- since,¡± Right. The book and its namesake. ¡°The last Intermenides.¡±
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Nadir glanced at August and asked the obvious question. ¡°Like, the book?¡± Lawry laughed manically, the sound echoing through the great hall of her own design. She interrupted her pacing and walked toward the sword, its leather sheath dull and bidden by time. The enchantments were gone, she realized; the worms consumed the magic before being eradicated. She picked it up, and no rush of magic sparked inside her. Lawry wanted to be happy, but there was a deep craving inside her.
She wanted to be powerful again. And there was one thought, squelching and squirming its way through the confines of Lawry¡¯s mind. She wanted revenge. ¡°Yes. Like the book.¡± She didn¡¯t mean for it to come out so harshly, ¡°The book is named after something else. A¡ Magical disorder, I would say. An Intermenides is a person, most commonly a spellcaster but one example has been seen to be non-magical, with a direct tie to an Elder.¡± They couldn¡¯t understand the severity of this. Of course they couldn¡¯t.
They didn¡¯t even know about the house, Lawry thought. ¡°Each Elder was once human. Their identities have been, respectively, in flux for ages upon ages. No, we do not understand how they became what they are- and yes, they are far more than human. An Intermenides,¡± She pointed the handle of the sword in August¡¯s direction. She hadn¡¯t drawn the sword in years, and now wasn¡¯t the time. ¡°Is the reflection. Presumably, there is currently an Intermenides for each Elder, and they have simply not been found.¡±
She continued. She couldn¡¯t stop now, and neither August nor Nadir were about to shut her up. ¡°You, August, are a reflection of the Elder of Two. Their dichotomy, their shadow- what they left behind. You are not even yourself.¡± Lawry didn¡¯t want to know how August felt. Lawry thought that whatever emotions she was feeling would likely result in a fiery explosion, unkempt by August¡¯s temper.
But Lawry was wrong. A stillness pervaded the room, catching dust midflight and freezing it. Light stopped its annoying, iridescent sparkling; nothing could force August to move, and everything stilled in her presence. It was only an instant, an imperceivable fraction of time, but for her, it was a secret concave of snakes burned at the stake. The feeling ran unbidden through her¡ªAugust thought this might be what faith feels like¡ªbefore the world caught up with her.
This felt good. Too good, and August didn¡¯t care. ¡°You said that the mimic said, that they wanted me. And you,¡± Everything was clicking into place, a grand mural of life. August¡¯s mind felt oddly quiet, a disparate deference from the roaring volcano, ¡°But is there someway they could know about me?¡± It was the question everyone was asking. If whoever the mimic served was after August specifically, it was likely for this reason.
Lawry considered everything else. It could be that they¡¯re after the spellcasters with aptitudes toward dealing with curses, to prevent another infestation should they spark a war. It¡¯s possible they learned from history, Lawry thought, but it was also likely they learned she was an Intermenides in some way. Each option was bad; one was a practical declaration of war, and the other was a power-grab beyond modern record. This was too much.
¡°I do not know,¡± Lawry responded, ¡°And I am not sure we really can. I am aware you have questions, and I promise we will go over them soon,¡± This conversation had taken up much of their morning. The sky was only growing greyer. ¡°But I would like to get you two situated first. You chose to stay, but I cannot have you sleeping in the barn, even for a night.¡± She didn¡¯t say the part about how much of a void the empty rooms left behind.
¡°Let us summarize. The mimic seems to be part of a new faction with a disdain for both the Bureau and the Ministry, based on what I understand. And they seemed to want myself, but mostly August, to join them. Though they may want us dead now, I presume, since we have shown ourselves more than an aptitude as a threat, after my display.¡± There was also the remaining possibility that they were attempting to kill August, either for being a witch or for being the Elder of Two¡¯s Intermenides.
¡°Right.¡± Nadir¡¯s voice was blank, and he was more than overwhelmed. He suddenly remembered the notebook and he began scrambling to write down everything he¡¯d just learned, mostly so he didn¡¯t forget it at a later point. August kicked him from under the table, and he muffled a yelp before meeting her eye. August looked supremely worried, and Nadir took a second to recognize the flood of emotions in their connection. He¡¯d been ignoring it.
August gestured toward Lawry, who had distracted herself with the sword again. She was pretending not to notice the interaction. Nadir nodded in thanks to August before sliding out of his chair and stepping up to Lawry, ¡°We¡¯re here, you know? I mean, yeah, we have a lot to learn. But don¡¯t think either of us are going anywhere, okay?¡± His voice was gentle. It was always gentle, and despite how efficiently it tore through Lawry¡¯s defences, it also soothed the constant aching.
He hugged her, and she didn¡¯t stop him. She fell into his embrace and ran her hand through his messy hair, curly and dirty with grease. Now that they were more stable, Lawry realized, they could begin to take care of themselves again. But despite their otherwise road-trodden appearances, Lawry could still smell subtle hints of pine tar and hazelnut in Nadir¡¯s coat.
She pulled away, too soon for the both of them. Lawry flashed August a thankful smile, fully aware that she was the one to spur him on. Lawry knew from experience that she shared his emotions too, guaranteed by August and Nadir¡¯s link. She wiped away tears. ¡°I know, I am aware. There is still much to tell you both, and though I have not told you everything, I will. In time.¡± She glanced at the stairway leading to the ground floor.
¡°I think, for now, we should move onto other matters. We can worry aplenty later, but we are all tired of running, and frankly? I am happy to be home. I hope it will serve as both of yours for a time, too.¡± She paused. The mood was heavy, oppressive beyond even Atlas¡¯ strength, Lawry thought. ¡°Plus, I want a shower. Honestly.¡±
That forced a laugh from August. ¡°Yeah, I get what you mean.¡± Despite the exhaustion pervading the room, and despite the monstrously heavy topics¡ªor at least Lawry considered them heavy¡ªAugust and Nadir looked happy, or perhaps ready. And that¡¯s what mattered. Lawry let August and Nadir discuss between themselves for a bit before finally breaking it up. It was time to introduce them to their new home.
It took hours for them to gain entrance to the house. Most of it was spent by Lawry: she explained that the wards would not hurt them, but they also couldn¡¯t get through them, and they needed extensive testing. Each minor change to the wards was painstakingly tested, and August and Nadir spent the first few hours walking face first into an invisible wall. It was the primary issue Lawry attempted to remedy.
Lawry sat on her porch, on an old swinging bench, gently rocking back and forth while making the alterations. Eventually, she¡¯d call out to August or Nadir to test, and then she would go quiet again. Eventually, when the duo started complaining that they were supremely bored, Lawry stood and fetched two wooden swords from a box on the porch. Nadir found it funny that she owned wooden swords, even if it was expected, and Lawry told them not to hurt themselves.
She sat down again and went right back to testing, though she kept an eye on August and Nadir. Neither knew how to use a sword of all things, but August didn¡¯t want to lie and say she wasn¡¯t interested. The idea of using a sword as a channel, like Lawry, appealed to her¡ªand she also thought it was cool. She and Nadir clashed for about an hour, with no particular skills or rules, before Lawry told them that they were so bad it hurt to watch.
The testing continued, and the day grew darker and darker, despite it only being noon. The clouds were heavy and dark, and it was clear that it would rain soon. Eventually, the wards stopped being an invisible wall, and shifted into a strong compulsion to walk away. August tried to continue despite the compulsion, though she eventually ran away and threw up. Lawry explained she was fine-tuning the rules of the wards, especially since they had never been intended to let anyone else in.
Lawry felt more than a little silly. She¡¯d tried to cut herself off completely, from anyone, when Nalini died. After only a few more minutes¡ªthe hardest work was done¡ªAugust was able to freely step through the glowing wall of text, colors, symbols and ciphers. Nadir followed, the wall unseen to him, and they both stood on the porch. August trailed a hand over the porch railing, following the edge until she reached Lawry.
When August motioned to sit, Lawry shrugged, and so she joined in the gentle back-and-forth swinging. Lawry¡¯s nose was bleeding and August reached over to wipe it away on her shirt, uncaring about the stain. Lawry grinned softly, ¡°Well. We are done.¡± There was not much more to say, and so she looked past August and toward the plain of green grass. She looked toward the split in the trees where her driveway winded, a labyrinth of stones in a maze of fire. The wind blew loudly, and the fiery leaves shook, the tree branches washing away years upon years of ages from their shoulder. They would rest soon, like things do in winter, and they would not wake up as the same tree again when spring came.
Lawry blinked away the grey light and swath of color. It was a strangely liminal sight: there were no shadows cast by the intimidating house, despite its height, due to the high-noon soon. She shivered. ¡°Shall we go inside?¡± Lawry proffered, glancing to August and then Nadir, who sat on the stairs to the porch. The three of them stood silently, the closing note to the tune of the creaking weathervane¡ªhumming its storm-song¡ªbefore dusting themselves off.
¡°I just want to check,¡± Nadir asked, hovering near the tall oak entrance. The door had a beautiful stained glass mosaic of an eye, both a thousand shapes and a thousand colors, though there were blinds pulled shut behind the window. ¡°No more running? This is,¡± He glanced upward at the roof of the porch. There were more than a few spiderwebs. ¡°Our home now? Or as close to a home as we can get?¡± He wondered if they¡¯d be able to get their old things.
Lawry¡¯s lips felt tight. ¡°Only if you wish for it to be,¡± She wanted to say more, to tell them it¡¯d mean the world if they stayed. She wished to explain how empty the home felt with nobody else around, and that it was never a place intended to grow old alone. The Fairburn Estate was never Lawry¡¯s, not until every last Fairburn died; but she couldn¡¯t get the words out. Instead, the only noise she made was the clinking of her keyring. She slipped the key into the doorknob and turned.
It clicked once, then twice, and Lawry pulled the mosaic-dressed door open. The interior would have been a pitch black, darker than any cave, if not for the dull light streaming in from outside. It was a dark hall, dressed in reminders from an age long gone; August swallowed, hard. The place was intimidating, and every inch of the house felt subsumed by age. A lurking thought in the back of her mind, though she couldn¡¯t recognzie where it came from, told her that the house was older than the trees surrounding it.
Lawry hit a lightswitch, and the feeling faded. They were in a main hall with a large closet on their left and a respectable staircase on the right. It went up flight by flight and August assumed it went to the third floor.The hallway opened up at the end into a sitting room with a TV¡ªthough clearly a few years old¡ªalong with several plush chairs and couches. A dark oak coffee table spanned the entire room, and there was a gentle red rug under the seating.
It was surprisingly clean for a room that was undisturbed for months, though very dusty. Lawry took her home in, inch by inch. She¡¯d forgot what it looked like in the last few stressful months, and it was still exactly as she¡¯d left it. Lawry grimanced upon realizing her kitchen would be full of moldy fruits, vegetables and breads. She hadn¡¯t thrown them away before leaving because she never intended to be gone for so long.
¡°I suppose I should do some cleaning. You two are free to look around,¡± She paused, entirely ready to set rules, ¡°Though I have a few things to say. None of the floors are off limits, and you¡¯re free to take whatever rooms you want, but I urge you to stay out of my personal quarters, the laboratory and the attic. My room is private, and the other two have fragile equipment.¡± Her voice was gentle. They couldn¡¯t get into the laboratory anyway, and Lawry knew they would never intentionally break something.
She was already relaxing in the familiar environment. Her shoulders felt looser, and it allowed the stress to shine through in a pervading soreness. Nadir and August nodded after her explanation and they began to look around in silent awe. Lawry shut the door behind them, locked it, and then opened the closet. There was a large void for more coats and shoes, though Lawry instead put the keys on a small shelf inside the closet before again losing it.
¡°You two are free to go wherever you want in the house, on the property, and in town. I am not your mother, though I do think it is best to stay inside for a while, with what the mimic said. We can go out for supplies soon.¡± Despite the otherwise familiar home, Lawry still felt anxious. She wanted it to be a home for August and Nadir, too, and she didn¡¯t want to trap them on the property.
But the duo thought her plan made sense. It might not be safe, and when the conversation seemed at an end, Lawry left to begin cleaning up. She started with the kitchen, walking through the sitting room, and immediately scrunched her nose at the acrid smell of mold. Her assumption was correct, and August and Nadir chose to avoid the room until it was cleaner.
They ultimately decided that grabbing their bags was the best option. With how likely it seemed that it would rain, they didn¡¯t want their clothes getting soaked. They informed Lawry, actively intruding upon her ritual of lemony cleaning spray and aggressive attack upon the counters with her sponge¡ªAugust found the sight ridiculous¡ªand Lawry simply told them to go ahead. She followed them out with a large trash bag, walking far past the driveway and toward an outcropping in the woods. It was a compost pile.
¡°It¡¯s probably a good thing we found a more solid place to stay before winter.¡± Nadir commented, watching Lawry trampse across the perfectly circular plain. Nadir wasn¡¯t sure precisely how he knew it was a perfect circle, butt he thought still lurked. He slipped his hands into his coat pockets and shivered, the biting wind nipping at his neck. He and August were meandering toward the barn, choosing to spend a little time outside before it inevitably raised.
Plus, it would give Lawry time to clean up. She waved while traipsing by, heading back into the house. ¡°Yeah. Probably.¡± August¡¯s voice was silky, ¡°We could have continue somewhere off southwest, but eventually we¡¯d end up running in circles.¡± She didn¡¯t mind the conversation. The chill of certainty, of having a place to be, was beginning to seep through their bones. They were both beginning to reckon with the fact that there¡¯d be no more running, and she glanced over her shoulder toward the main house.
It was still a luminescent inferno: wiry inscriptions floated in a semi-sphere, colluding and dealing with every other stepping stone in the ward. She couldn¡¯t imagine not being able to see it, and especially not attempting to alter it without being able to see it. August hadn¡¯t told Lawry how impressive she¡¯d found that, and she suddenly desperately wanted to. The weathervane spun in circles, spurred to constant life by the harsh caresses of a loving wind.
¡°Do you think she¡¯s going to be okay?¡± August asked Nadir, though she still looked over her shoulder. Her foot met the tire tracks, embedded into the med, and Nadir caught her so she didn¡¯t trip. Her boot made a disquieting squelching sound, embedded into the half-frozen mud, before coming free. It wasn¡¯t nearly as bad as yesterday, August knew that¡ªbut it meant it was already growing much colder.
¡°Who? Lawry?¡± Nadir mumbled, and August hummed in affirmation. They reached the barn doors and Nadir pulled them open, letting his eyes scan the interior, unable to prevent the new habit, even if it wasn¡¯t necessarily a bad one. He considered the question for a moment before answering, ¡°Yeah. I mean, I think so. I think we should trust her if she says she¡¯s okay, and we¡¯re going to be here if she¡¯s not, anyway.¡±
¡°That¡¯s fair,¡± August stepped into the elevated workshop area and scraped the mud off her boot on a floorboard. ¡°At least we don¡¯t have to pay rent, right?¡± The joke fell flat. Neither of them felt like laughing; the feeling of steadiness was welcomed, but it also lended itself to a pervading melancholy. Every unspoken word and feeling crept into their ears and hummed like birdsong, and August was again reminded of summer.
She bit her tongue and focused on climbing the stairs toward the loft, her and Nadir¡¯s steps matching the wistful tune of the tree branches blowing in the wind. They creaked, step by step, until they were submerged in the gentle familiarity of the loft. They¡¯d only slept one night there, but after months on the run, one was more than enough to feel familiar.
They split up and began gathering their things, though Nadir started by dismantling the coat and folding the moth-bitten blankets. August gathered her and Nadir¡¯s things, picking away at the disparate mess, and after only a few minutes they were ready to leave. August hoisted Lawry¡¯s backpack onto her shoulder and picked up the other two, while Nadir took the bookbag and blankets. As they moved down, Nadir paused at the truck to store the blankets, and they swiftly moved on.
Nadir stopped in front of the main door, glancing between the stained glass eye and August. It made him uncomfortable, and the window emanated an age even older than the house. August tilted her head in confusion before the resounding sensation of worry spread through the connection, ¡°Oh, uh, it¡¯s not enchanted. If that¡¯s what you¡¯re wondering. Pretty sure it¡¯s just a normal door.¡± Her voice was gentle, though she wasn¡¯t entirely sure herself. August adjusted the bags, their weight growing monstrous, and Nadir shrugged. He opened the door and they slipped inside, meeting Lawry near the entrance. She was dusting.
¡°Apologies. For the mess, and everything.¡± Lawry didn¡¯t look to them when speaking. She was too busy leaning on her tiptoes, attempting to dust the top of picture frames. Nadir hadn¡¯t paid attention to them when they first entered, but along the stairs were plaques denoting different people, with various oil paintings and pictures highlighting each striking figure. The names all shared an identical last name, Fairburn, except for one plaque at the very bottom of the stairs. Its plaque read July Marie Lawson II.
Nadir wandered closer and scanned the disparate paintings before running his hand over a plaque, the only one at equal height to Lawry¡¯s, and glanced at the name. Nalini Costeau Fairburn, and taking in the painting. Gently, Lawry grabbed his wrist and met his eye. Nadir could see the tight-lipped hurt, even if the cold grey of her eyes failed to explain the emotion. He pulled his hand away from the plaque and August stepped up. She finished storing the backpacks in the closet.
¡°Nothing to worry about,¡± August answered, and Nadir had to figure out what she was replying to. That moment had felt much longer than it was, and Lawry¡¯s apology had already faded. August examined the painting with them, tracing woman¡¯s long white hair. It was stark, especially for her otherwise young appearance, and August assumed it must have been natural from birth.
The woman wore a flowing green coat, buttoned shut, and it helped frame her broad shoulders. Her face was like a marble sculpture, the serene stillness captured forever in the painting. Her eyes had heavy crow¡¯s feet, and her eyes were a stark blue. Nalini Costeau Fairbun, August read the name and examined its equality with Lawry¡¯s plaque. There was only one person this could be.
¡°This is her, isn¡¯t it?¡± August asked, gently rubbing Lawry¡¯s back. She wiped the tears from her eyes and nodded. Despite the sadness, aching and somehow fresh even years later, the sight always made Lawry happier. Despite the tumultuous times they had met, and her death, Lawry wasn¡¯t beginning to regret it.
¡°Yeah. Yes, it is,¡± She leaned into August¡¯s touch and sighed. She set the duster on a small table near the entrance, ¡°Should we begin the tour, then?¡± She preferred to introduce them personally, and despite Lawry telling them they could go wherever, she wanted to see their faces upon reaching the attic.
¡°Sure,¡± August responded, stepping away from Lawry and pecking annoyingly at Nadir¡¯s shoulder, a starling begging for its morning worm. Lawry laughed, and eventually Nadir gave up, already understanding what August wanted. He slipped the trenchcoat off¡ªimmediately the soreness made itself evident¡ªand she stored it in the closet, along with her own leather jacket.
August rolled her shoulders before gently looping her arms around Nadir, enveloping him in a hug from behind. She hung from his shoulders, a cape dragging him to earth, and she only pulled away when they began to topple over. Lawry rolled her eyes dramatically, though she wasn¡¯t moving to disguise the wide grin.
¡°Alright, so,¡± Lawry began to step up the stairs. They were all wearing shoes still, but she¡¯d be cleaning anyway, and Lawry thought she should mop anyway. ¡°The second floor is almost entirely bedrooms. I assumed we should start here so you two may each pick a room,¡± August and Nadir followed her, trailing their hands along the wooden railing, ¡°Though there are other rooms on the top floor, they¡¯ve been repurposed. We can move each of you into whichever room you like, but you need somewhere to sleep for the first few nights.¡±
Lawry¡¯s room was also on the second floor, and though they could eventually choose the spare room on the third floor or the attic, the only remaining furnished bedrooms were on the second floor. It also had the only non-master bedroom shower, and they all dearly missed that luxury. She led them through the second floor, which began with a hall and a door on the left¡ªthe master bedroom¡ªbut eventually opened up into a sitting space that connected three more rooms. Two were bedrooms and the third was a repurposed mixture of storage and sewing room.
¡°Would you like to see each room?¡± Lawry asked, and though August and Nadir grinned rabidly, hungry wolves after a final kill, she knew they were her friends. The first ones Lawry wanted to stick around in a long time. She opened the first room, a rather plain bedroom though clearly expensive. The furniture was made of a beautiful willow wood, and the bedroom would have been bright¡ªif the blinds weren¡¯t drawn. August particularly liked the bookshelves and reading nook, so she instantly claimed it.
Nadir didn¡¯t mind, and it wasn¡¯t up to August, so she moved onto the next bedroom. It was largely similar, though it came with a desk instead of a reading nook. Nadir claimed it. ¡°Y¡¯know, Lawry, are all the rooms updated with modern wiring and stuff?¡± Nadir asked. He¡¯d knelt down to peer under the desk and there was a modern outlet, along with every room having overhead lights.
Lawry nodded. ¡°Mhm. I have a decent income, and I refurbished the house quite a few years ago, when the barn was built. I needed a space to work, so I had it built, and the house was growing too antiquated from my wants.¡± Lawry considered how much to tell them of her work. It wasn¡¯t secretive, but it was complicated, and required more history on the magical world.
She primarily worked by commission to develop and research any part of magic or the magical world her clients wished. She¡¯d then be paid in Nacrine¡ªan iridescent, pearly coinage¡ªthat she would exchange through the Ministry or auction off privately. It wasn¡¯t the most consistent work, but since Lawry mostly needed to pay for maintenance, her month-to-month expenditure remained low.
¡°Hell yeah,¡± Nadir answered, and they moved on. They¡¯d both picked rooms, so they moved onto the third floor. Lawry decided they¡¯d reconvene on the first floor and decide what to do from there. Lawry assumed she¡¯d continue cleaning and August and Nadir would likely unpack, take a shower or head into town. They continued climbing the stairwell and their steps quieted by the moment.
The sound was muffled by the thousands of books. The third floor was largely composed of a library, relatively large though still modest. August adored it, though she noticed the walls of wards around some sections of the shelves. There was a door on one end, too, that was heavily warded. The other door was clean of any magic, however. August asked about the wards; they had begun to fascinate her. The wards enshrining the house were beautiful, she thought, and these ones were no different.
¡°Yes, well, some texts can be quite dangerous. Or they might be cursed, and therefore need to be contained. The warded door leads to the laboratory¡ªit has a supreme number of fallible and dangerous equipment, so I would like to keep both of you away for now.¡± She¡¯d let the wards allow them entrance after their education was furthered.
Lawry was letting herself get excited. She hadn¡¯t realized she wanted to teach them, but she also considered it was simply a want to have people to talk about her true life with. ¡°This is beautiful, Lawry,¡± Nadir stated. He was awe-struck, looking between each shelf and trailing his fingers along the earthen spine of each book.
¡°If you think this is lovely, may I introduce you to my favorite room?¡± Lawry chided, a smug grin enveloping her features until she was more covetous than a magpie. She opened the unwarded door and stepped into the sewing room¡ªa thousand projects still in work¡ªbefore pulling down the attic hatch. She let Nadir climb up first, then August, and she followed last.
August let herself breathe. It was an attic, not a monster, and Lawry was clearly excited to show them what lay at the top of the house, though August¡¯s experiences with attics had never been positive. They were always dark, dusty, cold and full of cobwebs. Nadir gasped above her, and she redoubled her effort to push away the doubt. It was banished by the sight at the top.
Lawry climbed up with them and her grin could have burned a thousand stars. She¡¯d expected a grand reaction from August and Nadir, but they were completely dumbfounded. They glanced between the velvety purple silk and the deep black furniture that filled the room. There was a large desk, made of pure ebony, with an astrolabe and other equipment resting on top.
And the ceiling was a mess of paint and stars, an accurate chart of the night sky¡ªduring summer, that is. Behind the desk, which sat at one end of the room, was a colossal stained glass mural of the celestial bodies. The sunlight streamed in and made the silk dance with a thousand colors, burning like a forest fire.
¡°It¡¯s beautiful.¡± Nadir muttered, stepping over a purple pillow on the ground. It felt like a shrine; the attic was the type of room to make you feel like an ant under the presence of something grander. Lawry led them to another window, though it lacked any stained glass, before pulling it open and climbing through.
August and Nadir followed her onto a balcony. There was a rocking chair on one side, facing outward, and a folded up telescope on the other side. Every concern August had about the attic was now cast aside, abandoned and wretching in its final moments. The trio looked out, past the balcony and toward the endless expanse of trees.
They shook in the wind, an infernal display of beautiful Autumn reds and oranges. ¡°Amazing, is it not? The view shocked me just as much as you two the first time I came up here. The interior was not like that when I first arrived, though. It used to be the kids room.¡± Lawry paused. Her voice was quiet, silenced under the force of the impressive view. ¡°The kids died young. You won¡¯t find their paintings anywhere.¡± It was a sad truth. Lawry didn¡¯t usually like kids, but the Fairburn twins had been sweet beyond belief.
She redecorated it in a manic delve after Nalini¡¯s death. Lawry had no regrets, it was her house now and not the Fairburn¡¯s. She slipped into the rocking chair. August leaned forward on the railing, taking in the endless expanse of trees. Nadir always felt miniscule when viewing nature from above; it could swallow him whole, if it wanted, and nobody would know. It¡¯s why he became a park ranger in the first place.
Lawry broke the silence. ¡°I am going to stay here a while longer. You two should familiarize yourself with the rest of the house. Everything should be fully up to date¡ªI am not some anti-technology sinner like you two seem to have gathered.¡± She wet her lips. ¡°Familiarize yourself with the home. There are showers, and we all need one. There is a washer and dryer in the basement, additionally,¡± When august gave her a look of utter disbelief at the fact that Lawry did indeed use technology, Lawry snorted. ¡°Take care of yourselves. I will begin cleaning again soon.¡±
The afternoon passed slowly. August and Nadir brought their things to their rooms, though they still didn¡¯t feel steady enough to unpack. Lawry eventually got back to cleaning, and they all showered and dressed in clean clothes. The house had been freed of the musty smell, and they were clean, truly clean, for the first time in months. They¡¯d rubbed their skin so raw they felt like newborn babes.
Eventually, the trio reconvened to discuss a foray into town, primarily for food. Nadir had coured every inch of the kitchen, obsessed with the large island, beautiful gas stove and expensive cookware. Lawry was glad it¡¯d get some use; Nalini fancied herself a cook, but Lawry never put much effort into it.
August was begging for Nadir to make chicken noodle soup when their conversation was interrupted. There was the sound of a car door slamming shut from outside, followed by the beep sound of the car locking. Lawry had decided to keep her revolver on her, even after changing, so she slipped it from its home in her waistband.
She gestured for August and Nadir to stay down, though they still followed her to the front door. Lawry peered between the front door¡¯s blinds and examined the sight. There was a black SUV stopped a few feet from her wards, and just in front was a tall, pale man. His black windbreaker shimmered in the afternoon soon, and its ministry chevrons glimmered brightly. With practiced ease, he rolled up his sleeves. His stark blue eyes met Lawry¡¯s before she instantly let go of the blinds, letting them obscure her.
The Ministry. And worse, she recognized him.