《Daemon Hunted》


 Chapter 1 - Daemon Hunted

    Daemon Hunted


    The Cultivating Wizard: Book 1


    By


    Brock Walker


    I grasped at a small aspen tree, the smooth trunk enough to give me purchase as I pulled myself the last few steps up the incline, a few rocks and loose scree sliding down the ridge behind me. The air bit my lungs, cold and crisp, with each inhalation of mountain air. I could see again, woodland stretching around me, the treetops in view now broken by the occasional cabin roof. Civilization. It should have been enough to soothe my fraying nerves, but it wasn¡¯t. It only made my heart start pounding more.


    The sun was falling out of view, descending behind a nearby mountain ridge. It sent a shiver up my spine that had nothing to do with the cold. Bad things happened in the dark, particularly in the wilds of the woods.


    Predators sought prey.


    Tonight might be worse than most, but I hoped I had more time. I looked back at the rough animal trail I¡¯d followed back towards town itching to run back down it and search through the night, but I was spent. My gut felt jittery, in part from what I¡¯d seen, and in part that I hadn¡¯t been able to find what I was looking for.


    Someone or something had been taking people from the woods. There were several missing persons, and two confirmed attacks and deaths. The details in the news had been sparse, forcing me to make my own way into the woods.


    What I¡¯d discovered left me sick.


    I wiped the back of my hand against my sweaty brow, then started down this side of the ridge, careful to not let the carpet of dead pine needles, built up over decades, slide beneath my feet.


    I¡¯d found the crime scene associated with the second missing person, and with it proof, at least enough for me, that it was a supernatural predator. The local police wouldn¡¯t be able to handle it, but I sure would.


    I grit my jaw, annoyed as I stepped over a fallen log covered in moss. The police may have suspected all the missing persons had been murdered or seen evidence of foul play at various sites. Unfortunately, that pertinent information hadn¡¯t hit the local papers until three days ago and has spurred me into further action. If they had been honest, I would have come looking more quickly and possibly could have stopped the creature earlier. Now I was playing catch up because they had kept key details hushed from the news, in order to not cause a panic. I¡¯d searched hard and found the first known attack site around noon. Since then, I¡¯d been in a foul mood, and the brief perception of the horror the victim had felt would be with me for some time.


    Whatever was killing people was vile, and it wouldn¡¯t surprise me if there was a half dozen people more people missing in the woods no one had noticed yet. I tried to relax my jaw, knowing that anger at the police was not going to help anything. But the fact was the murders and disappearances would probably break some kind of record for the state of Idaho.


    And I knew it wasn¡¯t done.


    My fraying nerves weren¡¯t for my own safety, but for those I¡¯d been, and might be, unable to protect. The creature could attack me right now and I felt confident I could end its reign of terror no matter what it was. It was one of the perks to being a full fledge wizard. One of the few.


    Grumbling, I continued at an angle down the ridge using another animal trail. The highway would lay somewhere ahead through the dense trees. After another quarter of a mile I found it, a sliver of sunlight still poking over the hilltops. I made better time on the flat land beside the main road and made it to my temporary home after another twenty minutes of hiking. The Sugar Loaf Inn wasn¡¯t anything special unless you counted the attached gas station as a feature that most inns didn¡¯t have. My hiking boots easily traversed the white rock graveled parking lot as I approached the store front.


    I entered the gas station and plastered on a smile when I saw Phillis, the gas station attendant for the night and owner of the Inn.


    ¡°Pulling a late night I see,¡± I said, as I made my way to the three fridges which held drinks.


    ¡°You are as well,¡± Phyllis said with a note of congenial grumble that only someone working a night shift can convey. ¡°But someone¡¯s got to do it, even at my age. It¡¯s hard to find good workers on the mountain these days. Things are getting far too expensive and most of the houses and cabins nearby are vacation destinations rather than homes.¡±


    I grabbed water from the fridge, the chilled plastic felt wonderful in my hand, and I knew it would feel even better for my parched throat. ¡°I hadn¡¯t thought about that. It¡¯s getting bad in the city too¡ªFinding good help that is.¡± My reflection in the glass didn¡¯t temper my mood. I was dirty with dust and grime which was nearly hidden against my tanned face, my generally short beard was a little too wild, my brown hair a little too shaggy. My blue eyes radiated my frustration, looking wild and untamed. I looked like the last person you would want to stumble upon in the woods which was not the persona I wanted to evoke to Phillis. I took a breath and tried to let my worries, stresses, and anger go.


    Phillis nodded, ¡°How¡¯s your room been, do you need anything?¡±


    I had several dislikes about the space, but they were more structural and intrinsic in nature. The room smelled, the bed was lumpy, and the air felt stagnant without multiple windows that would open. My single window showed the parking lot, and at an angle, I could see the fuel pumps and little else. But it was cheap, and my room was the furthest from the store on the end of the row of rentable rooms, which was the best option considering my aura and power were harsh on technology, a point made ever clearer as the halogen bulb above the cashier¡¯s desk began to flicker and pop. I needed to hurry, and there was no way I¡¯d tell Phillis my actual complaints anyway.


    ¡°Nope, it¡¯s been great,¡± I rushed. ¡°I¡¯m still planning on staying for another two or three days.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear, and you can stay as long as you like. I¡¯ve had several canceled reservations¡­ given everything going on.¡± Phillis gave the otherwise empty store a look over. ¡°In all my days,¡± she mumbled, ¡°We¡¯ve never had animal attacks like these anywhere in the forest.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sure they will catch them,¡± I said, my voice growing poisonous before I realized I might have inferred too much as even I wasn¡¯t sure exactly what was going on. ¡°¡ªwhatever the animal is.¡± I amended, with a calm confidence that seemed to settle Phillis¡¯s mind. I saw her relax, her tight shoulders fall ever so slightly and the worry behind her eyes lessen. I realized she might have fears about the creature herself. Her husband was out of town, which could have caused the reaction. But it might have simply been the financial issues her inn was facing due to travel slowing down in fall even further aided by the deaths discouraging travelers.


    I knew the terror would pass because I was going to nail this creature or being and make it pay for all the damage it had done. This was my home, my area of responsibility. And I wasn¡¯t about to allow any creature to come and wantonly kill inside of it.


    I paid for my drink, grabbing a protein bar at the countertop to add to it. Phillis rang up the total and I paid in cash. Walking outside the little bell on the door chimed my exit. I walked down an anciently poured sidewalk, its edges marred with breaks and cracks from the many winters it had endured. I passed the only other room that I could tell was occupied. A white Honda sat outside, and a woman sat inside the room, reading a book at the small table. She¡¯d been at it every time I¡¯d passed, to the point I figured she hated the woods, or people, or anything that wasn¡¯t a romance novel. But tonight, her husband or at least significant other, was present. Based on the fishing gear now attached to the top of the car I figured the trip was more for him than for her.


    I unlocked my room¡¯s door with the actual physical key the inn rooms used and stepped into the dark. I knew better than to turn on the lights if they still worked. I¡¯d have to leave a hefty tip for Phillis to cover any inconsequential damages my stay might have caused. I let out an exacerbated sigh as I considered my dwindling finances and turned to close the blinds. The room truly in darkness, I muttered ¡°Ignis¡± with a small effort of will, and several candles I¡¯d carefully stationed around the room sparked to life.


    I sat down at my own small table set against the window which was strewn with maps. The chair was uncomfortable, but it would only take me a moment to mark out the sections of forest I¡¯d searched and the crime scene I¡¯d found. I knew the rough area of the second attack, which was nearly eighty miles away through the forest as the crow would fly. It had been on a hiking trail I was familiar with. Now that I¡¯d had a chance to look at the first site, and use a few spells, I was certain it was dangerous and mostly likely supernatural, but I knew little else.


    I marked each update carefully with a pen and shaded in the searched area with a colored pencil. It felt refreshing somehow to be able to mark the section off, despite what I¡¯d found. I also marked out a few notable caves, or areas that might someday be useful to me, or in hunting for similar threats, should the need arise. I wasn¡¯t always meticulous like this, save for my artificery when it got around to it, but having good maps would save time later. Done with the updates, I planned the route I would take tomorrow. My mentor and friend Fren would also be able to magically contact me once I was in the deep woods if he had any other ideas of what might be afoot.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    Once my plans were set in stone, I made my way to the shower and got ready for bed, more than eager for some sleep and rest. The water was hot and welcome and I eagerly let it clean away my foul mood.


    I stepped out, feeling better, and after putting on new boxers I went to my bed to complete the last item of business before I could go to sleep. I set out a black tourmaline palm stone. The stone itself wasn¡¯t any different from any other of its like, but for a wizard, especially one with my affinities for earth and fire, a stone like this worked amazingly well as an anchor for a spell.


    I summoned my will, the threads of various powers flowing into the rock as a secure branching point to create a ward that would alert me of danger, guard my location, and protect my sleep. I thought about meditating to consolidate my physical gains from hiking all day but given how small they were likely to be, and how fatigued I felt. I skipped that task and lay down, quickly drifting to sleep.


    ***


    I walked down a darkened hallway lit by flickering industrial halogen bulbs; the building was cloaked in silence so thick you could cut it with a knife. I gripped my wizard staff¡ªattuned to work for just me¡ªand pressed forward. Adding insult to injury, the hallway was cold, and my fitted jeans and t-shirt did nothing to stave it off. With each exhale, my breath frosted in the air, making ghostly gouttes of white smoke. I¡¯d been in dreams like this before and knew I¡¯d be in them again unless I managed to outsmart the predator that was hunting me.


    Blip.


    One of the bulbs above me burst, its fleeting increase in light reflecting off the pale grey-painted brickwork of the impossibly long hallway before dying. The glass shattered around me on the floor. I took care with my bare feet as I walked forward, not wanting to step on the broken glass.


    Blip. Blip.


    Two more winked out in the distance behind me, the tinkling of glass hitting tile drawing my attention. That section of the hallway fell into utter darkness. As more began to flicker I cursed and ran, trying to stay in the uninterrupted light. It was futile, as more bulbs began to pop and crack, faster than I could keep ahead. The shadows slowly overtook me. In this dreamscape, the hallway could run forever, I couldn¡¯t.


    I summoned my will and crushed down the instinctual fear of the dark as it swept past me. My shoulders tightened as I imagined what new pain, torture, and possible death I might face from the blackness around me. It was difficult to manage my emotions after the seeming hours of torment I¡¯d already experienced. My heart raced and my eyes twitched towards every imagined movement in the black.


    Daemon relished fear.


    ¡°Come on out! I¡¯m not going to do this all night,¡± I yelled into the empty, otherworldly dark.


    A mad feminine cackle of laughter circled me, as if an invisible ghost flickered about at inhuman speeds. Despite my focus and gathered will to maintain the conscious thought that this was all a dream, the hairs on the nape of my neck stood on end.


    Fear can be like that.


    It overrides logic, overrides your basic decision-making; even for someone like me trained to overcome the mind tricks of creatures who haunt the night.


    Nothing about this felt like a dream. It felt real, and with it, so did everything else including the fear. I felt bruises forming on my feet from running barefoot. I felt the shivering cold slice through the fabric of my clothes. I felt the worn wood of my staff in my palm.


    The voice of the daemon was the worst. It felt more real than anything else. When she killed me, it always left a more lasting impression. It felt¡­ more substantial. I shivered for the reasons that might cause that, but this daemon didn¡¯t have any claim on me or my soul.


    I gathered my will. Come on Cal, you¡¯ve trained for events like this.


    Hell, wizards like me were some of the bests at withstanding mental attacks. But I was young, and this daemon was clearly ancient. I had no idea how it had discovered me¡ªagain¡ªmuch less broken through my ward. It shouldn¡¯t have been possible to reach me in sleep.


    The oppressive cold suddenly shifted, and I began sweating. I felt exhausted, like I¡¯d run for miles in a sauna. The hallway began to reappear as small trickles of firelight erupted around me. Where the roof had previously met the top of the walls, the fuel source for the flames was recessed beyond where I could see, as if the walls were hedges that didn¡¯t quite reach the high roof, leaving a space above them that light could pass through. The light source was pure flame, and I could occasionally make out the tips of flickering fire as it licked higher at the ceiling now composed of stone.


    Despite trying not to worry, my mind made me reflect on the now-changed hallway. I couldn¡¯t get the image out of my mind of a stone kiln, or ancient oven. It was like I was trapped inside one that slowly stretched on for miles as the small flames increased the temperature in the enclosed space.


    The firelight increased, as if running on propane with the gas slowly being turned up. As it did, it revealed more of the space around me. I stood in a subterranean catacomb of sorts. The floor and walls grew more defined as I focused. The ground was made up of strange round steppingstones set in a mud-like mortar. My forehead broke out in beads of sweat as the fires increased in intensity, the flames easily visible as they licked towards the ceiling. I saw the sides of the path were not made by hedges, or a low wall of stone; they were stacked bones. Skulls, femurs, and other less definable bits jumbled and packed tightly together. I would have been hard-pressed to fit my hand more than a few inches deep anywhere in the pile with how tightly they had been fit together.


    Not that I¡¯d want to do that anyway.


    The visible skulls, devoid of flesh, all seemed to indicate agony and horror at the time of death. The black sockets of their eyes were dark and foreboding, their mouths open far larger than a humans ever should or could in life.


    ¡°The shit I have to go through,¡± I muttered as I realized my clothing was gone and I was now naked. Even my wizard¡¯s staff had been taken from me, though in the waking world mine had been gone for some time. I¡¯d yet to find a replacement wood I could use to craft a new one. ¡°You¡¯re never going to control me this way. I won¡¯t succumb to fear!¡± I shouted into the confined space, knowing it was only half true.


    There was no answer.


    The daemon hunting me was sinister, calculating, patient. All things I didn¡¯t want in an enemy. There was nothing else for it but to march down the pathway. As long as I didn¡¯t lose myself to fear, or agree to any contracts with the daemon, I was safe.


    I hoped.


    One of the pavers broke and my foot collapsed into it with a sharp stab of pain. It forced me to let out a hiss of agony between clenched teeth. I looked down and realized the pavers weren¡¯t stone, they were skulls buried in mud and I¡¯d broken through the top of one with a careless step. I exhaled a long breath at the pain and resisted the urge to curse into the nightmare. I wouldn¡¯t give the daemon that satisfaction.


    I refocused my will.


    I wasn¡¯t here. I wasn¡¯t injured. My foot wasn¡¯t bleeding onto a disgusting floor. I wasn¡¯t surrounded by the dead in a subterranean grotto heating up like a furnace. This was all part of my mind. I was being assaulted by a being from another dimension, but it couldn¡¯t actually hurt me, not here. Not unless I gave in. I definitely wasn¡¯t leaving a trail of my blood on the ground that could be used by dark magic against me.


    ¡°None of this is real,¡± I whispered, the words becoming a mantra to help me keep my focus as I walked.


    ¡°You stole from me,¡± a whispered voice hissed, and despite my best attempts, I jumped. When a voice like hers, dripping with hate, whispers in the dark behind you¡ª you''re bound to have a visceral reaction. I grew tense waiting for the knife point to enter between my ribs.


    ¡°Yeah. About that¡ª¡± I said, taking a large gulp and turning to look every way. None of this is real, I thought, but my pounding heart wasn¡¯t listening. My feet itched to run. ¡°You¡¯ve said that before, but I don¡¯t know what you mean? I never¡ª¡±


    A shriek rang out and a skull nearby shattered as something unseen crushed it. The bone fragments were thrown out like daggers. I summoned my will and forced it into a shield. Energy surrounded me which flashed green as the bone fragments skittered off its surface like shrapnel.


    I dropped the power, exhausted. Far more exhausted than the shield should have made me feel, but it distantly remembered it wasn¡¯t the first one of the night. Regardless, I¡¯d rushed and made this one more powerful than I¡¯d needed.


    ¡°You took one of mine!¡± the feminine voice shouted, dragging out the last word in echoes that rang about the room.


    That made me pause. The Daemon had never given me details on how I¡¯d offended it before. I still didn¡¯t know what that meant. I¡¯d never killed one. I surely didn¡¯t have one in me. I had also never bound one to anything I owned or crafted. No daemon was subservient to my will... and Fren surely wasn¡¯t a Deamon-¡ªI at least felt certain of that, though the Tribunal might disagree with me.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t¡ª¡±


    She appeared then, as if to silence my denial. Gripping my jaw with her red-toned skin, my bones ground together painfully in her hand. Which is imaginary here, I tried to remind my aching self. Her eyes were mesmerizing black obsidian lit by faint red sparks deep within. She was tall and lithe. Her hair was straight black, spilling down her back to her waist¡ªI could see, because she lifted me up like a child¡¯s stuffed toy, high above her head as she bared her teeth and glared daggers.


    She wore dark leather armor but was mostly unclothed, her red hued skin glowing in the firelight. Two horns sprouted from her forehead and delicately circled the sides of her skull, each glinting in the firelight. More fire began to swirl on the floor under her legs and bare feet as the hallway seemed to widen like the maw to the world of the damned. The dancing fire ignored the flesh of her skin, clearly bound by her will, anger, and desire.


    It made me scared, and I knew I was losing this battle of wills. Fire was damn hard to control, and it spun out below us with a will shaped by the daemon. A daemon not even directly focused upon it. The flames formed a ritual of burning embers unlike any I had ever seen on the skull infused floor. The finished pentagram marred with runes and flows of energy lacked a circle around it the way I might use one, but it was so large we both fit easily in its center.


    ¡°I will not have you defile what I created,¡± she whispered menacingly. Then she reached a sharpened nail forward¡ªand slit my throat.


    I felt it.


    All of it.


    Dreams save you from some things, but not others. Animalistic panic filled me as my lifeblood flowed out, covering the woman. She smiled, glorying in my agony. Worse, I didn¡¯t die. I remained conscious as the blood spilled. Cold pain traveled from the tips of my fingers, my toes, to the crown of my head, as if the escaping blood was being replaced with a poison. I felt as if my consciousness, my vitality, my will, and my very soul were being siphoned away.


    I shook, terrified.


    This daemon had already done things that shouldn¡¯t be possible. This whole event, and the dozens before it, shouldn¡¯t have been feasible. What was my actual death among all that?


    She smiled, as if reading my mind. My blood dripped down her face and off her sharp, white canines. Her eyelashes were thick and wet, pushing aside my blood as the black orbs of her eyes considered me.


    ¡°I will find you. I promise it.¡± She breathed almost lovingly and reached a hand forward. I saw a sigil of some sort, made of my own blood and flame written across her hand. She pressed her palm to my chest and pain lit my skin like a poultice of salt, lemon juice, and battery acid pressed to a wound.


    The daemon laughed as I slowly lost consciousness.


    I came too in my cheap hotel bed.

 Chapter 2 — Marked

    The sheets were soaked with sweat. I leapt to my feet, hands going for my throat to feel for an injury¡­ blessedly I found nothing. After a panting moment trying to catch my breath, I let out a sigh. It was just a dream, a god-awful dream, but just a dream, I reminded myself. I reached and opened the nearby blinds, letting in sparce light as the first rays of morning fell upon my window.


    ¡°What a night,¡± I groaned, throat dry. I sat back down on the side of the bed, running my hands through my hair¡­ and I felt something as I moved. I looked down at my chest. At the point where the daemon had touched me. My skin was raised like it had been burned by a brand. The sigil wasn¡¯t as clear as it had been in the dream, but its overall shape was. It looked like a pentagram with a strange marking in its center.


    I had been marked.


    ¡°That¡¯s not good,¡± I hissed, my heart beginning to race anew.


    I was out of bed and dressed in moments. I had to get home and find out what had happened. I wished I had time to shower but this place was no longer safe. My duffle packed easily after I slipped into new underclothes and threw on my jeans from the day before with a new red T-shirt. I took a few extra moments to fold my precious maps safely into my bag.


    ¡°This shouldn¡¯t be possible,¡± I grumbled as I put on socks, my mind still racing over the events. I needed to see Fren. He might have an answer. I packed my last few remnants like my toothbrush and the warding stone which I found had been horrifically cracked in two.


    I opened the door to a picturesque mountain landscape. Other than the white Honda from the night before and an old truck that I assumed was Phillis¡¯s, the parking lot was empty. The sun wasn¡¯t yet visible over the mountains in the distance, but enough light was present to show it would be in moments. Nothing was quite like waking up in the Idaho mountains, and under different circumstances, I would have set back to enjoy the moment.


    I didn¡¯t take time to stretch like I normally would. I had an intense desire¡ªa need¡ªto leave this place. So, instead of my normal routine I flat out ran to the mixed market, gas station, and inn front desk. I needed to tell Phillis I was checking out and give her the key.


    ¡°Hello Cal,¡± Phillis said, tucking gray hair behind one ear and sliding her readers up onto her head as I entered. She looked tired, with dark shadows around her eyes.


    I¡¯d planned on throwing my keys to whoever was manning the desk and closing out my stay, but I remembered how worried she¡¯d been the night before. I couldn¡¯t rush out, not without a last few words. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re here this early. I figured it would be one of the others.¡±


    ¡°Like I said,¡± Phillis said with a slight smile, ¡°good help is hard to come by.¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be burning the midnight and early morning oil on your own,¡± I said.


    ¡°I agree. When my husband comes back from his fishing trip in Alaska, I¡¯m going to take a few much-needed days off.¡±


    ¡°Well, good for you. If you find yourself in Boise, let me know.¡± I pulled out a little business card for my shop ¡®Earth¡¯s Bounty¡¯ and handed it to her.


    Phillis squinted through her readers and looked my card over, ¡°A crystal shop?¡±


    ¡°It pays the bills, and in my opinion, it¡¯s also worth seeing. There¡¯s a good diner across the road and some other amazing shops. I¡¯d be more than happy to show you around.¡±


    ¡°I might have to give that a try, next time we''re in Boise. It¡¯s not too often we go to the city for anything but restocking the shop and getting supplies.¡±


    I grinned. ¡°I bet, but the views are better out here.¡± I tried to hide my stress and the urgency I felt inside to get far from this place, but it must not have been good enough as Phillis pulled off her readers and gave me a looking over.


    ¡°You¡¯re up early, did you sleep alright?¡± It was no surprise she might ask about the room and my sleep. The bed was horrible, lumpy, and old, and the room smelled like a ski lodge, but the easy access to the forest and her genuine kindness more than made up for it. They had clearly been making do for some time.


    ¡°Yes, it was fine. Unfortunately, something came up and I have to get back to town today. Here¡¯s my key.¡±


    Phillis nodded, but I saw a note of defeat in the motion as she took the key. I knew that of the four rentable rooms, only two were in use. I was leaving, and the other couple probably would be too.


    ¡°All hiked out then?¡± she said, voice grasping for normalcy. ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad you stayed, come back anytime ya hear. We¡¯ll look up your shop next time were in the area.¡±


    I nodded and said thanks. She might not feel like inviting me again if the TV, phone, remote, fire alarms, hair blower, and mini fridge were all broken. I¡¯d unplugged them the second I got into the room, as well as pulling out the batteries from the fire alarms. I¡¯d also tried to control my aura, but even that might not have been enough to shelter them. Especially with my crazy dream. Who knew if anything still worked?


    I stepped outside, relieved that I could get on my way. Brisk autumn mountain air enveloped me, cold against my skin, as the doorbell chimed on my exit. I regretted not grabbing my jacket from my bag and almost pulled it out. I loosened my bag to do just that, however, my misting breath reminded me of the cold air I¡¯d felt in many of the dreams. That remembrance sent a shiver down my spine that had nothing to do with the chill air. I hoisted my bag back up and jogged to my car, I could use the drive to train my focus against the elements.


    This wasn¡¯t the first time I¡¯d had dreams. Every time I left my home for an extended period, she found me. This time it had only taken two nights, which was the fastest yet. It always happened when I was away from my home and the protections I¡¯d built, and it was happening more quickly. I needed to find out why.


    I rubbed the spot on my chest, which made me wince as if I¡¯d touched a severe sunburn. Much worse.


    I tossed my duffle into the back of my jeep. It was an old CJ-5, with a light brown almost rust colored paint job which helped hide the actual rust in places if you looked closely. While it looked like nothing special, it was a vehicle that would work consistently for someone like me. Most of the time anyway. And when it didn¡¯t, it was easy to work on.


    I hopped in, not needing to bother with a door as it currently had none, and I didn¡¯t have the disposable income to buy new ones. A simple soft-cover roof was all that kept the heat relatively present and the rain mostly off, which was frequent this time of year.


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    It started, thankfully. And nearly as important¡ªthe heater cranked to life with it. I planned on training my will as I drove, withstanding the cold, but cold and insanely cold were two different things. I grumbled, knowing what my magical trainer Fren would think. Still, he wasn¡¯t here, and I was so the heater was going to stay on. In moments I pulled out of the lot and onto the state highway that split the wild of the forest.


    My ears grew cold from the racing breeze in moments but despite that, the tension I¡¯d felt since waking lessened and my shoulders relaxed as I put miles between myself and the place the daemon had found me. I needed to figure out how it had happened and why the dreams were getting more intense.


    Before it was too late.


    I¡¯d intended to stay in the mountains for a few more days until I caught whatever creature was picking off travelers in the woods. Initially, I had no sure proof it was supernatural, and therefore something I needed to deal with over the local authorities. It was clear it was, and I would have to deal with it, but my priorities had also shifted. I had a literal daemon marking me in my dreams. I picked up speed and manually shifted into fourth gear, slowly increasing to 65 mph which was about the max speed I could coax out of the old machine. I wasn¡¯t entirely sure of my speed¡ªthe gage bounced up and down wildly¡ªbut I did the best I could manage. I wanted to get as much distance from the inn as I could in case the daemon had some other way of reaching me outside of dreams.


    The drive home took two hours, I slowly passed through state parks, small mountain towns, and lone cabins. Those occurrences grew more frequent as I neared Boise.


    I slowed down when I left the state highway. Despite wanting to get home quickly, I didn¡¯t want to injure someone and getting a ticket wouldn¡¯t help my bleeding bank account. I passed through downtown, headed to the north end, to my home and shop. To the place the daemon had yet to find me, and I hoped never would. I shivered at that thought, but considering it had never happened¡­ I should be safe.


    I lived in an area of town that mostly consisted of houses built a hundred years ago or more. Many were renovated and worth ten to thirty times their original price. Newer homes were built to match the old craftsman styles of the community. The densely packed autumn trees in people¡¯s front yards passed by in a blur of yellows and reds. Piles of leaves were starting to fall and build up near fences, in ditches, and along sidewalks.


    I turned onto a side street, then into an alley that went behind a few storefronts which lined the main road. The main road was a quaint relic of a bygone era nestled among the houses that dominated the blocks around. There were only a handful of stores, and the craftsmanship of each building was as variable as the wares inside. My own store was the same, its exterior walls were built of quarried stone, brick, and ancient old wood. The street appealed to locals and tourists alike and during our busy seasons, we got a lot of foot traffic. I pulled up behind my store and home, parking where I usually did, my jeep bouncing over the uneven ground.


    ¡®Earth¡¯s Bounty¡¯ had been my new age crystal and rock shop for the last three years. The alley behind was nothing special, the road was old, and the backyard fences that rimmed it were nearly all in need of care and replacement. The potholes turned into pools of water which would soon turn to ice and a dumpster across the lane was the only stand outs. The fence line divided the commercial space from the urban, though many of the houses were barely distinguishable due to trees, bushes, and unusually long lots which made the parking area about as private as you could get in the city.


    I jumped out, and nearly rolled my ankle on a rock as I turned to grab my bag. Grimacing and hoping Fren hadn¡¯t noticed, I jogged up the back stairs. They were made from bare concrete, which was probably older than my parents, whoever they had been. The door was a large wooden affair that might outweigh my jeep. It swung open on silent hinges after I unlocked it with my keys. The handle was old, worn, and frigid cold to the touch, but as I stepped inside my shop, I took my first relieved breath in hours as warmth and familiar smells passed over me.


    I was home.


    I was safe.


    Compared to where I had been, it smelled wonderful. Kate, a bubbly college student, and my only employee was manning the counter. She was about six years younger than me, and I considered her like my younger sister, though I had never had siblings of my own. She waved and gestured to the coffee machine set behind the counter.


    ¡°It just finished if you need a warm drink.¡±


    I smiled, trying to hide my own concerns, ¡°I¡¯m fine, the cold worked enough for me today, but thanks for the offer.¡± I said, knowing that my racing heart and mind wouldn¡¯t be helped by coffee today. I was as alert as I was going to get.


    ¡°You¡¯re insane,¡± she said, holding her mug of coffee close to her chest as she looked me up and down. I was only wearing my T-shirt to combat the cold. The skin of my forearms and likely the rest of me was bright red and flushed.


    ¡°Fine, you¡¯re probably right. I could use something to dethaw my fingers at least.¡±


    I poured myself a cup of what remained of the coffee, the warmth instantly beginning to bleed through the mug and warm my skin.


    ¡°Good?¡±


    ¡°As always,¡± I said with a small sip, ¡°Thanks for insisting.¡±


    Katie nodded sagely, but I could see through the fa?ade. She was the last person on earth to tell anyone what they should do, but personally was the most capable person I knew.


    The coffee machine was remarkable beyond the simple fact that it kept running. I¡¯d purposefully bought an expensive, ancient, euro-looking one which was housed in an elaborate cast iron exterior. It was meant to look artistic¡­ or like a gothic steampunk coffee machine but it fit my needs. Iron was the big need. Iron tended to disrupt nearby magical energies and I¡¯d done a few extra things to help it stay running, but still, every time I saw it, I knew it had been money well spent.


    A family of out of towners were perusing the shop. A few scented candles burned in the windows letting off an enticing vanilla aroma¡ªKate¡¯s own recent touch upon my shop. She had a company card, one that consistently worked compared to mine which wouldn¡¯t scan after about a month of being in my immediate vicinity, I generally carried cash.


    ¡°Has everything gone well?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s been busier than usual, but more than easy to manage. How was hiking, you¡¯re back early?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. My plans changed, but I¡¯m going to have to keep the schedule largely the way it was. I¡¯ll probably be heading back out soon.¡±


    ¡°Works with me. I love getting overtime this time of year.¡±


    ¡°Well, if you need any time off, or help with anything, let me know.¡±


    ¡°Will do Cal. Thanks.¡±


    I nodded, and headed across the shop, the thud of my hiking shoes sounding heavily on the old wooden flooring of the store as I passed through. Pathways were worn smooth through the shop from steps just like mine, decades before I¡¯d bought the place. I liked the sound of it, it made the ground seem solid and this building was more solid than any newer build. The walls were thick stone and brick, depending on where you looked, the wood flooring thick hardwood with hundreds of rings showing in the planks, demonstrating the age of the original trees, the girders and planks were wider, thicker, and longer than anything you could find commercially now. Each plank across the floor was massive, aged, and distressed uniquely from wear and tear over the past century.


    The building was stronger still as I¡¯d reinforced each wall myself. Painstakingly using my mana and the few runes I knew to craft the bulwark of my home. Any enchantment or Artifice took serious work and effort. The wood itself had been easier to strengthen because Fren had done it. They might not quite match steel in strength, but it would be close.


    Towards one wall of the shop was a stairwell that had steps going up into a high second-story floor which was my room. There were also stairs going down into the basement, to what I referred to as ¡®my office¡¯ which it did have, but that was only a small part of the space. I unhooked a small brass chain which blocked the stairs from investigative shoppers, making it clear this was not an area they needed to go, and I descended into the basement.


    The stairs took a right turn before meeting a door at the bottom level. The brickwork wall was painted white in the shop above, but around the turn it fell back into deep red hues. I pulled my keys free of my jeans and unlocked the door. I was sure Kate and previous employees wondered what I did down here and why things were so secret, but there was no way around it. I took a deep breath and prepared myself for what I¡¯d tell my friend Fren. He might have knowledge about the new threat, and perhaps he¡¯d have some insight about the Daemon stalking my dreams.

 Chapter 3 — What Disrupts your Calm

    The basement would have been dark and foreboding, except it now received a lot of natural light after I¡¯d put in some very unique renovations. No windows lined the basement, and therefore no natural light had reached this level at all, which was probably against some building fire code nowadays because there was no other exit than the doorway I¡¯d just locked. But being as ancient as it was, it got a pass on a lot of the modern requirements and building codes. I probably hadn¡¯t needed to change the layout of the building as drastically as I had, but I¡¯d wanted to for my friend.


    New brickwork concealed the fact that I had opened a space from the basement to the rooftop lined with skylights. The opening was concealed on the main floor by new brickwork, making the shop ten feet narrower than it otherwise would have been, and it was the single largest renovation Fren and I had engaged in. As the sun rose high over Boise, bright sunlight spilled in, directly from the roof to a small section of the basement floor next to the far wall. The light currently filled the far end, illuminating the basement to the extent I didn¡¯t turn on any lights.


    The reasoning would have baffled a builder, but to anyone seeing the basement, they would immediately know why it had been needed. Along with the brickwork renovations, I¡¯d removed the wooden floorboards on the far side of the basement floor and then taken the time to break and remove a large section of the concrete floor beneath that side, exposing the rich bare earth beneath. In that earthen plot a small garden was thriving, at its middle stood a tree that looked to have been shaped by rough winds with waving irregular bark. It was reminiscent of the Great Bristlecone pine¡ªthe oldest tree known to man. But not to wizard men since my friend was even older than that. He had small bright green foliage, a mix between hardy pine needles and small bonsai leaves that I¡¯m sure a botanist would lose their shit to study.


    ¡°Frenerieneth. I need your help,¡± I said, tossing my keys and bag on my nearby work desk. I was careful to avoid crushing a pair of glasses I¡¯d been tinkering with before going on my mission. I pulled them on to see if the spells still held and looked towards the tree.


    The tree moved, roots and branches pulling free of others which clung to the wall in the sunlight. The mass of growth slowly twisted to form a humanoid shape. Frenerieneth, or Fren as I called him, was an ancient forest soul. I imagined the tales of wisps, ents, wood nymphs, or any number of living trees stemmed from his kind, but it was hard to know for certain where any story originated. He was guarded about his past, but he did refer to his race as Forest Ancients and they had been around for a very long time.


    Fren was an expert at life and earth energies, they were a part of him at an instinctual and foundational level. His body had grown over time allowing him to change into a solid wooden golem-like body when he desired. That transformation finished and Fren stood before me in his human sensible form. His face was expressive, the recesses in the bark and exposed wood grain forming patterns around his mouth and eyes that had once reminded me of Mauri War paint, and I¡¯d never been able to shake that comparison. Perhaps it was where the warriors had originally picked up the markings themselves? Fren stood nearly nine feet tall and if each of the floors of the building hadn¡¯t been as tall as they were he would have had to stoop.


    ¡°Greetings,¡± Fren whispered, ¡°The sun is strong and earth welcoming today.¡± His voice was deep and always slightly too loud for a given situation, but Fren didn¡¯t have ears like a human so I couldn¡¯t blame him.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it is,¡± I said, knowing that was Fren¡¯s way of complaining that I had pulled him from basically a nice meal and relaxing time in the sun rays. He didn¡¯t love our arrangement which forced him to live in the basement, but he understood the need. His vine-like tendrils extended everywhere, many covering the lower external walls of the shop outside, he even had branches that exited the top of the building. His roots probably spread into neighboring yards, under the roadway, and all among the plentiful trees in the nearby vicinity.


    They allowed him to connect to the nature around the area and sense things at a distance when he was fully listening. Fren had the personal goal of returning people to the forests by helping the ¡®constrained forest amidst man thrive¡¯. I didn¡¯t talk to him about it much because he could go on for quite some time about anything he was passionate about.


    As it was, the entire neighborhood benefited from his presence¡ªgardens were more beautiful, yards and trees thrived with minimal work, and weeds were less common.


    ¡°What disrupts your calm?¡± Fren asked, stepping from the recessed grass-covered earthen ground to the wooden beams of the basement floor. Surprisingly, he had nothing against wood being used as floorboards the way it was. ¡®It is all part of the cycle of life¡¯ Fren had said upon seeing the location when we¡¯d set up shop three years ago. He¡¯d told me the wooden floor was still able to connect humans to the wilds of the world. The human¡ªbeing me, since I was the only one that ever came down here.


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    Before I could answer the glasses, I was wearing had enough time to activate but the last spell I¡¯d wrought on them failed to work the way I wanted. Text flowed across them, easily ignored, but also easily read if I so wished.


    <h2>Identification Activated:</h2>


    Mana core: Identified: Monster Core


    Quality: Unknown


    Power value: Unknown


    Fortitude: Unknown


    Body: Unknown


    Being: Unknown


    ¡°Is your crafted item not working?¡± Fren asked as I took off the glasses, picking up on my frustration.


    ¡°No¡­although that¡¯s not my concern. It¡¯s the Daemon. It found me again last night,¡± I said without preamble. We¡¯d discussed it before.


    ¡°That should not be possible. Hmmm,¡± he said, going utterly still.


    ¡°Are you still with me?¡± I asked, knowing Fren had the habit of thinking so deeply he forgot I was present. He would outlive me by millenniums and already had several under his belt, so his time frame for urgency was a little different than mine.


    ¡°Yes. Daemon should not be able to target you. You have not given them your name or bound your soul to one, have you?¡±


    I shuddered at the thought. But no. I hadn¡¯t. Names were powerful, but it went beyond simply knowing someone¡¯s name. To beings of magic, you could say your name and instill a debt between you. It had to be given, unforced, and willingly, but it imposed that debt upon you by the power of your magic and soul. It was much more than simply saying your name, and I knew I had never given that to anyone or anything. ¡°No. I haven¡¯t given her my name or a portion of my soul,¡± I said.


    I¡¯d had dealings with beings that had wanted my name in exchange for favors. I¡¯d never given in, even if the information could have been helpful. While there were times or reasons to do it, wizards who were trained properly also learned about all the unfortunate events that could come from such a binding. Fren¡¯s servitude came from something similar, but it originated with him to another wizard of old. I¡¯d tried to release him multiple times, but Fren was content and said he must pay the price he vowed. He¡¯d never elaborated on what the original deal had been or for how long it would last. Fren either couldn¡¯t or wouldn¡¯t share. He¡¯d chosen me to be his master and caretaker, and since that time I¡¯d done all I could for him. Honestly, he was a precious friend and helped me in a million more ways than I helped him. When I eventually died, Fren would choose another to serve.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how she¡¯s doing it either, but this time it was worse.¡± I pulled off my shirt, my wound standing out prominently on my chest.


    ¡°You are injured,¡± Fren said, his voice growing hushed.


    ¡°She did this, in a dream.¡±


    Fren hissed, something I had never heard him do. It sounded frightening and feral.


    ¡°I know,¡± I said, prodding the still stinging wound. ¡°We need to stop it. Do you have any ideas?¡± While I had a significant level of power behind my spells and magic¡ªmore than most I¡¯d met¡ªI was still barely on my own. Wizard finesse and control came with age and experience, something I would be working on for literal decades if I wanted to meet my full potential and was lucky enough to live so long. I rubbed the bridge of my nose, a headache coming on.


    ¡°Should I contact Clair?¡± I offered, putting my shirt back on. Clair was the wizard who had found and trained me. Preparing me to have the skills necessary to pass the testing I needed to be recognized as a fully-fledged wizard in my own right by the Tribunal. It¡¯d been four years since I¡¯d passed and nearly a year since Clair and I had had any type of communication.


    ¡°No,¡± Fren said simply. ¡°Other wizards might assume you¡¯ve sold portions of your soul to a daemon for power, and this is the natural consequence. I do not think they will have your best interests at heart.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± I grumbled, knowing it was the truth. A few of the Master Magi in the Tribunal had thought as much when I was assessed, due to my strength. Clair was too much of a recluse and held too lowly of a station in the organization to stop the suspicion entirely. Since then, I hadn¡¯t really felt a large desire to ingratiate myself with or fold into the typical wizarding ranks. If my treatment as a new initiate was the norm, they wouldn¡¯t trust me now. Since my ¡®graduation¡¯ to full wizard four years ago I¡¯d basically stayed on my own and ignored the tribunal as much as possible.


    ¡°You¡¯ve felt my soul. I haven¡¯t sold or bartered myself for power.¡± I said crossing my arms.


    ¡°No, indeed.¡±


    Even if I reached out to Clair, she lived in the rurales of Montana. Off grid and perfectly content to live out her existence on her farm away from everything else. I¡¯d have to send a letter and that could take days or weeks for her to send a response. Still, given the circumstances, it might be worth it.


    Fren could be trusted. Honestly, he probably knew more about magic than Clair. He loved to read, enjoying both the act, the knowledge gained, and knowing that trees who had been altered to carry knowledge to the mind were being used. He respected books, as if they were a treasured memory of a lost friend. Add to that the countless wizards he¡¯d been with over the centuries, and he was a veritable trove of knowledge.


    This was something we would have to figure out on our own.

 Chapter 4 — A Gift

    ¡°I will dwell on this concern,¡± Fren said, turning to pace two strides that took him several feet away. ¡°That injury should have been impossible, but clearly it is not. Dreams can be breached, but not in a way to cause physical damage to you or your soul without your consent?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure I didn¡¯t give it consent.¡±


    Fren nodded, knowing I was skilled enough to recognize if I had. ¡°Did you allow its control over you?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡ª¡± I paused, considering the fear I¡¯d felt. This dream had been more realistic. I¡¯d been conscious, able to cast spells, but unable to awake. I knew the daemon had gotten to me at some level in order to manage it. ¡°I showed fear, at the end. There was no way I couldn¡¯t with what the daemon was able to do.¡±


    ¡°We need to train more, so you can resist,¡± Fren said, returning to stand before me.


    ¡°¡ªEven with that, it shouldn¡¯t be able to do this. We¡¯re clearly missing something,¡± I said, knowing from my tense shoulders I was getting too heated and Fren didn¡¯t deserve it. I knew I was frustrated at the truth of his words, despite years of training, I¡¯d been a little more casual the past few years and now I had a problem I wasn¡¯t ready for. I hated anything I didn¡¯t have the power to confront head-on, or that was mired in half-known details.


    ¡°Cal, do not neglect to forge yourself.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not. I haven¡¯t.¡± I said, feeling my anger come right back even though a part of me knew he was right. ¡°I work on new spells, my artificery, cleansing and purifying my core all the time.¡±


    ¡°Once or twice a week¡ª¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± I said, throwing my hands up. ¡°I¡¯ll train more but I don¡¯t see it helping much with this. It¡¯s a literal daemon in my dreams.¡± I groaned knowing Fren would hold me to it. But the truth was, I was scared. I had been pretty lax with training since ¡®graduating¡¯. But I had bills to pay, a store to run, a life to try and live. I¡¯d missed too much already. Plus, wasting my time with training wasn¡¯t saving people from actual threats. With the strict training regimen I¡¯d had during high school, then the three years of supplemental training, history, and spell theory after, I¡¯d basically been continuously busy and worn thin until becoming a full-fledged wizard. I¡¯d wanted a break, a little time to see what I¡¯d missed, to make friends and enjoy life again. I¡¯d figured a little time taking things easier was in order. But now¡­ Now I needed to be stronger, and I wished I hadn¡¯t wasted so much time.


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    ¡°Did you complete your task?¡± Fren asked, eyes growing wide. He was very expressive, even when he was simply in a plant body and not his current humanoid simulacra.


    ¡°No. Whatever attacked the hikers¡ªIf it was a creature from our side of the street, it wasn¡¯t around anymore.¡±


    ¡°It moves quickly. It hungers,¡± Fren said with a nod. ¡°But you are unsure about its being?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. The site was too old, too disturbed. Plenty of death energy ramped up with fear and anger. I know it killed its victim, but I couldn¡¯t get a clearer picture.¡±


    Fren had been the one to warn me about the danger in the woods weeks ago, but the forests were always full of danger, both magical and mundane. His ¡®source¡¯, literally the Boise National Forest, while helpful wasn¡¯t very specific. I hadn¡¯t thought it needed my attention until more details were released in the paper.


    ¡°More will die unless you halt its path.¡±


    ¡°I know, I know,¡± I said, hoping to stop the sadness in my friend¡¯s voice. He hated any loss of life. ¡°I just panicked. I need to get off whatever this Daemon¡¯s radar is, so I can get along with my life and focus on stopping this threat killing people in the woods.¡± I didn¡¯t mention fighting or killing the daemon. Neither of us did. That was far, far out of my current league and skill.


    ¡°It has been six months since you had the first dream,¡± Fren said.


    I hadn¡¯t realized it¡¯d been so long. The first had not been much more than a vivid nightmare. Something I¡¯d idly mentioned to Fren after coming back from backpacking. I liked to tell him probably more than I should because he literally had no one else to interact with¡­ well, no one else human. Fren had perfect memory, remembering details and dates far better than I would ever manage. The dreams had grown increasingly real, increasingly terrifying, and now I knew they were getting literally dangerous. What would another six months bring?


    I shivered, ¡°It hasn¡¯t found me here. We know the wards work.¡±


    ¡°Are your independent wards faulty?¡±


    ¡°Hell no!¡± I said, but I was beginning to doubt it myself. Something was getting through. At Fren¡¯s penetrating stare I relented, ¡°Okay, okay. We can practice those later too.¡± I didn¡¯t really want to. Fren¡¯s training could be nearly as horrifying as what the Daemon was dreaming up for me. Plus, I was still shaken up enough from the morning that I didn¡¯t want to jump into training right away.


    ¡°A seed given all, has the weakest roots,¡± Fren said in a singsong voice.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it. But I was planning on going to Rex¡¯s today, for physical training.¡±


    Fren gave an eager nod, then looked side to side conspiratorially, ¡°Return quickly. I have a gift for you.¡±

 Chapter 5 — Not Another Dead bug

    ¡°A gift?¡± I said, interest more than peaked at Fren¡¯s words. ¡°It¡¯s not another dead bug or something, is it?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Fren grinned widely. ¡°I have captured a monster core.¡±


    ¡°Another? From what?¡±


    ¡°A small fae creature. A twisted pixie of the shadows. It was aligned with the Unseelie ¡ªso I ended it.¡±


    I sighed. I figured Fren was part of the fae himself, but a neutral party as I understood it. The Fae was another world entirely but connected to ours in various ways and locations. It wasn¡¯t a planet so much as another¡­ realm attached to ours or ours to it. Creatures who escaped the fae into the mortal world generally hunted. Some fed off emotions and energy like Fren. Others, literally fed on people. I had to consider that the creature or person in the woods was a fae. It would explain how it had traveled such distances between the murders, and why the police had thought the attacks were only missing persons at first, or an animal attack.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said, truly meaning it. Monster cores were hard to come by. I wasn¡¯t skilled enough to get into the Fae in one of the more reliable ways myself. Clair had gone at times but never brought me with her. She¡¯d provided me a few weak cores to ensure I knew how to use them to jumpstart my abilities. It was the fastest way for beings like me to grow and develop.


    ¡°Well, I do have work to do¡­ but¡­ maybe I should use that first?¡±


    Fren grinned, his bark-like skin twisting in ways a tree never could. He¡¯d adopted white shale-like stone for teeth. He probably did it to look more human. Honestly, they made him look more terrifying than if he hadn¡¯t had any. Fren held out his hand delicately, his hand and fingers nearly double in size from mine. As if he was a magician, he twisted his palm upward and the wood of his hand twisted, revealing a small orb the size of a marble. It glowed softly and looked like an opalite palm stones I sold above in the store, but this was so much more.


    I touched the core and felt its magical energy¡ªakin to a static shock¡ªwhich coursed through my finger, up my arm, and towards my chest. It was a small treasure trove of power, but every little bit helped.


    I could absorb the power directly. That was hard for most wizards to do, and from what I¡¯d been able to learn, it was a rarity for anyone as young as I was. Artificer¡¯s had to have a knack for drawing in and moving energies and this talent of mine was likely tied to my others in artifice.


    If I chose to quickly will the energy into myself I¡¯d only absorb about eighty percent of the power present, drawing it into myself for my use. Others would have been lucky to claim fifty, Clair had said it was usually painful and difficult for people to do.


    For me it had never been hard.


    Once Clair had seen and assured I could use both methods for consuming cores, she no longer trained me in core advancements beyond theory.


    The true way was better. If I sat, stilled my mind, and used a capturing spell for the energy contained in the sphere I would get closer to a hundred percent of the available power compared to the faster option of direct absorption. Doing it right could take the better part of an hour out in the field, but in my basement with ritual circles inscribed on the floor, it would only take a quarter of that time. Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t have even that kind of time today, not for a core that was so weak.


    I looked over the monster core and envisioned what else I might use such a small vessel of power for. Many magics required cores to enact. I could imbue an item with it or use it to increase the safeguards of my home. The options were many, but the long-term best option would be to advance myself personally. That would increase the power I could muster for everything I created or in every future fight.


    I slid on my glasses now that I had another target I could experiment upon.


    Identification Activated:


    Mana core: Identified: Monster Core


    Quality: 1<sup>st</sup> tier


    Power value: Weak


    Inherent power affinity: ???


    Special Use: ???


    This was a weak core and given that Fren had killed it out of hand it likely didn¡¯t contain much raw power. I was a little miffed my glasses couldn¡¯t identify all the aspects of it, even with it distilled into a solid state outside of a physical body. I¡¯d been working on this prototype for six months. If I could get it right, they would help me identify anything with a mana core, whether concealed or not. I¡¯d chased monsters who looked and acted like humans¡­having a working pair of these glasses would have been a godsend. But it was clear they still needed work.


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    Settled in my decision to simply absorb the power to conserve time, I went to Fren¡¯s private garden and kicked off my shoes so my feet could rest on the earth. Fren grinned as well and returned to his glen, the massive floor beams giving slightly under his girth. Trees were not light.


    ¡°Why do you always stand so close when I absorb a core directly?¡± I asked, eyes locked on the softly glowing core in my palm.


    ¡°The way you use a core resonates with the earth. I am still trying to puzzle out how you do it so efficiently and quickly.¡±


    ¡°How I do it? Haven¡¯t you been around others who did the same?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°And it''s different?¡±


    ¡°I followed a druid once, years ago. His direct assimilation of power was the closest to yours, but you truly have a gift for eating the powers of the fallen. Every wizard is different with traits, talents, and affinities.¡±


    I scrunched up my brow over that and the phrase eating but I was glad I could still provide some mystery to the ancient being. I¡¯d only met a few other apprentices and even fewer fully-fledged wizards and didn¡¯t know much about the norms myself. I tended to rub the latter group the wrong way. I mean, if someone could live for literal centuries and they weren¡¯t open to new things, saw themselves as superior to everyone around them, and didn¡¯t try to help the world¡ªI didn¡¯t have time for them or their games.


    I more firmly planted my bare feet on the cool earthen ground. It should have been simple dirt, hard compacted after decades of being below the shop and the subfloor. Instead, it was a soft soil with spongy grass, like the ideal golf green. Roots formed asymmetries and contours in the soil of the garden or Fren¡¯s glen as I liked to call it. It gave the surface rich tiers and divisions in mesmerizing patterns. Flowers dotted the floor in near constant bloom from the plants Fren liked the company of. Granted, if he had had his way the entire basement level would have been deep foliage, if not the entire city.


    Fren stepped past me to rest in the direct sunlight, his feet somehow not damaging anything. Mine always did, but he could heal and restore the blades of grass soon after. The branches and folds of wood that composed his body folded and blended into the garden again until he grew difficult to discern other than being the largest tree.


    Feeling somewhat self-conscious, I took a few deep breaths, my mind going into the meditative trance-like state I used for difficult spells. After about a minute, I felt ready for the quick and dirty version of using the core. I drew on the energy in my palm, pulling it from the core down my arm and deep into my chest. I felt the power of it, it was miniscule, like a drop in a bucket but it was an increase, a power change that would be with me until the day I died. I felt that little drip of power which was separate from myself but attracted to my own energies, and I willed it to join itself to me.


    Part of the control each apprentice learned was how to apply newly acquired power. Given that, I knew I had three options or attributes for advancement, namely: Power, Fortitude, and Body.


    Power would make my spells stronger, would allow me to push my spells to the limits of what I was cable of. Fortitude would fine tune my use of power, allowing me more reserves, better efficiency so I could cast more spells and draw more energy in from the world around me to refill my mana pool. Body was something different entirely. It would increase my speed, my thoughts, my strength, my very vitality. I would heal faster and develop innate defenses from physical and magical attacks.


    Enemies were literal resources to wizards. By defeating them, we gained strength. Growing from glass canons to bastions of power if enough time passed while energy was added.


    My powers could also increase by my own efforts. Meditation and cultivation practices could help with Fortitude and to a smaller extent the power attribute. Physical exertion could raise my body attribute. But each was a much slower process and the stronger I became the more time each would take. Wizards who were centuries old had both factors working for them.


    For myself, I had a very long way to go to be as strong as I wanted. Most wizards didn¡¯t seek danger the way I did, until much later in their lives if at all. That made my predicament even worse. The few who did were part of the Tribunals militant force called the Strikers. They were one of the main policing agencies of the magical world, with the full backing, support, and guidance of the lead members of the Tribunal.


    Other wizards simply waited and bid their time for centuries until their power culminated through cultivation and the occasionally added core before becoming more involved in the world around them. With Clair as my model for gauging others in the wizarding world, I assumed most were reclusive and worried about their own affairs. The time spent adjacent to humanity removed their drive to directly help. As those they knew died or passed away, they became aloof.


    I was pretty sure Clair wasn¡¯t the only recluse who simply hid and worked on their own power, ignoring the world around them. I could have done the same, especially as a wizard with a gift for artifice. There was nothing I loved more than crafting and designing items, even though I¡¯d only made a few things around my home and shop.


    The Tribunal did some good for humanity but primarily focused on being the governing body for the magical forces on the earth. They reserved their strength for war or direct conflict, rather than fighting the never-ending plague of individual creatures and monsters who fed on mankind. I didn¡¯t have the patience or time to simply wait.


    On the day I passed my assessment and became a full fledge wizard of the Tribunal, they had tried to recruit me to the Strikers. Suffice it to stay, I hadn¡¯t gotten along with those leaders and was forced to make my own way in the world.. It was better, I wouldn¡¯t want to take the jobs they would have sent me on anyway, policing wizards and diplomatic missions with forces literally killing people.


    I clenched my teeth at those memories and focused again on the minuscule amount of free-floating power deep within my chest as I chose the Body attribute for it to enhance.


    The power readily disappeared. It wasn¡¯t much. My body didn¡¯t feel significantly more rested or stronger, but this had been a weak creature core. It felt more like I¡¯d suddenly had a full night¡¯s sleep, despite the events of the past evening.


    I could have used a spell that would show me exactly how much I¡¯d progressed, but it was a bit of a chore, and I had other things I needed to do right now.

 Chapter 6 — Like a few Hundred Bucks

    Chapter 6 ¡ª Like a Few Hundred Bucks


    I used the time after absorbing the monster core to meditate for a few minutes, folding the new energy into my own and honing my powers and ability in order to access them more quickly and efficiently. I drew upon the energies of the solid earth, its power flowing up my feet and legs, then along my spine to my chest, where it flooded my core.


    I had more affinity for fire mana than for earth, but fire was decidedly more difficult to work with and cultivate in this manner. I cycled the power up through my body and core, cleansing myself of any unabsorbed power, minuscule though it might be. I had to ensure my core took the new addition well. The Earth energies flowed through me and artificially buttressed my ¡®Fortitude¡¯ attribute the longer I cycled the energy. Had I needed to fight or cast magic, I would be at my strongest for a short time after focusing and channeling energies like this. The gathered mana would slowly fall back to my baseline level, but for a time I would be marginally stronger. By stretching and working my core this way, it would expand and grow over time even without adding cores.


    I opened my eyes to see Fren staring at me, like literally staring, his face a mere inch from my own.


    ¡°Gah!¡± I said, jumping back. Fear shattering my control. My magic surged painfully across my mana channels and out from my core. It burned as if lemon juice ran through my veins. I grimaced for a moment before glaring at my friend who had assumed his humanoid form again some time ago while I worked. ¡°I told you not to do that!¡±  I released my hold on my power before my emotions of anger, annoyance, fear, and my dissatisfaction for losing control could make the power run rampant and possibly damage my core or mind further, much less my shop.


    ¡°Dealing with surprises and working on emotional regulation are aspects of your training you have neglected.¡±


    ¡°Well, I hate when things jump out like that. Damn tree,¡± I muttered as I stood up.


    ¡°You did well with the oneness,¡± Fren said, ignoring my complaints and insults.


    The oneness is what he referred to as the meditation and building practices I¡¯d been trained in. Wizards now called them Forging or Cultivation, but he was from a different time and that was saying something when you considered how long wizards could live.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said, slipping my shoes back on. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± I reluctantly agreed after calming down, ¡°I do need to practice more, but I have so many demands on my time. I have a shop to run so we both have a place to live. I need to stop some creature from killing people in the forests and it seems like barely a month goes by before others start poking around our home.¡± We both regarded the travelable distance within a day from my shop in any direction to be our home and terrain to keep free of enemies and predators. I would have stretched myself further, but it became harder for Fren to glean information from anything more distant. ¡°I also need to train physically, as you well know. And yes, since I¡¯m in town I¡¯ll go to class today.¡± I sighed, ¡°The Jeep is also overdue for an oil change. Mix into that my own cultivation and I don¡¯t have time for anything else.¡±


    ¡°There needs to be time for love and stillness.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you go into all that again, I don¡¯t need a Hallmark card.¡±


    ¡°No, you need a mate.¡±


    I clenched my jaw.


    Fren was big on propagation and me finding someone who completed me. The last thing I wanted to do was dump my crazy life on someone else. I mean, I literally spent hours of each day researching, reading, meditating, training, and talking to a tree¡­ or well, I should have and intended to be more diligent in doing those things each day. Between that and risking my life fighting any threat, I could while trying to make ends meet. I wasn¡¯t the best person for anyone to be in a relationship with. My last one had ended badly.


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    ¡°I¡¯m not going to dignify that with a reply. I¡¯m just going to go get things done.¡±


    ¡°Yes! You are learning. A mate would¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªNot today they wouldn¡¯t,¡± I said, backing towards the door as Fren followed me through the basement like an unrelenting car salesman. ¡°Now do you need anything while I¡¯m gone?¡±


    ¡°More Coke.¡± Fren crooned, his focus successfully diverted.


    I didn¡¯t know why, but Fren, the being who hated all things unnatural, who despised the way humans treated the forest and shaped the world around them, somehow loved a good coke. And not just any Coke, no¡­ he had to have glass bottled Mexican Coca-Cola.


    ¡°Fine. But only the usual amount,¡± I said, pointing a finger at him. I¡¯d learned the hard way to specify any deal I made with Fren. ¡°And for it, no bringing up mating or anything like that for a month. A solid, blissful, month.¡±


    ¡°A pact is forged,¡± Fren quickly agreed with a smile, ¡°provided you fulfill your side of the bargain adequately.¡±


    I mentally added another ¡®to do¡¯ list item to my day. Granted, getting him a flat of soda while I was in town would be more than worth it for a month of bliss.


    Now that I¡¯d pacified Fren, I mentally listed the other things I needed to do today. Looking at the shelving and packages I¡¯d lugged down that I needed to go through. It was a few shipments of crystal that had arrived just before I left on my ¡®hiking¡¯ trip, each from the best suppliers I could source around the world. They needed to be organized, cataloged, and the most unique pieces priced and put in the shop upstairs but it being our slower season, we had plenty of stock in the store and I could put it off for another few days easily.


    ¡°I know what could help you with the store,¡± Fren said as his eyes trailed over everything as mine did.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked, genuinely curious about Fren¡¯s idea. Despite how much I didn¡¯t like many of his ideas, he was a font of wisdom and had a good intuition.


    ¡°Kate has grown, like a seed pressing through hard soil. It is time for her to grow more, to face the full harshness of the world.¡±


    ¡°What does that even mean?¡±


    Fren smiled simply then turned and lumbered back towards his glen.


    I shook my head, annoyed at his cryptic answer. If I didn¡¯t catch on, he¡¯d give me a few less subtle clues, and he probably saw this as some form of mental training. Fren and his plans.


    Resolved, I stepped out of the room and locked the door before heading up the stairwell.


    I continued to the third story of the shop which consisted of an attic type loft and my room. Dozens of plants dotted the corners, at Fren¡¯s insistence, and his roots crept up through the internals of the very walls to connect them to his network. He¡¯d assured me he couldn¡¯t ¡®see¡¯ my room, but it would give him a sense of the state I was in. He¡¯d also said I needed the fresh oxygen they would provide.


    My bed sat at the far end from the stairwell, the space as large as the store below, and in some respects larger since the brick wall that cut off a dozen feet of the shop space below stopped at my floor, turning into a brickwork railing festooned with ivy and vines. If I looked down over it, I could see Fren¡¯s garden from above, and the light from the skylights illuminated my room as much as it did the basement below. I noticed a new fiddle leaf fig tree peeked up over the wall from the basement below, its leaves as large as actual fiddles. Fren was always changing things.


    The same thick wooden floorboards lay across the ground here as on the two levels below. A row of three windows lined each of the walls facing towards the front and back of the building. I had large drapes to cover them at night but generally kept them wide open during the day.


    My bed was a mess. I hated making it. It was so much more comfortable jumping into the fold of pillows and blankets when they were all clumped up. One corner of the room, sectioned off with brickwork, held the bathroom and gratuitous closet space.


    The building had few electronics, and the fire alarms were probably all dead, burned out by my powers. I didn¡¯t bother checking on them anymore and Fren would make a better alarm system anyway. My room had no electronics at all. More sophisticated tech like cell phones only lasted about an hour¡ªif that¡ªin my presence, and only if I focused. My jeep had no radio, the register down below was an old antique affair. Part of Kate¡¯s job was to manage anything electronic. She thought I was a crazy person worried about EMF radiation or something, but I couldn¡¯t tell her the truth. Not after the way people had handled that secret in the past.


    I made my way to the corner of the bathroom and eagerly showered with the hottest water I could tolerate. The water heater was another essential item I¡¯d spent the time and energy to safeguard. I¡¯d still had to have it repaired three times and replaced once over the past three years, but it was worth it. It felt amazing.


    I¡¯d felt sweaty and clammy ever since waking up from the nightmare despite my cold drive. In the hot water my shoulders relaxed, my aches from hiking left, and I felt clearer about the path before me. Stepping out I felt like a million bucks, or in my case a few hundred, but still, it felt good.


    I got dressed, pulled on my favorite jeans, then remembered I¡¯d told Fren I¡¯d be going to my personal defense class. Grumbling, I changed into some black shorts and threw on another tee with a sweater since it was freezing outside. With a last sigh, I decided to get on with training.

 Chapter 7 — A Missed Message

    Chapter 7 ¡ª A Missed Message


    I walked down the stairs to see the shop was empty. Kate was sitting back, reading a book in a rather large leather desk chair we¡¯d positioned behind the cash register for just that purpose.


    ¡°So, how was this hiking trip?¡± she asked, knowing my love of nature, if not the real reason I went.


    ¡°It was great, but not very restful. How have things been here?¡±


    ¡°Pretty busy like I was saying. You probably wouldn¡¯t know, but Earth¡¯s Bounty was featured in a local blog by some influencer, we¡¯ve had an extra hundred people in each of the past two days.¡±


    ¡°That many?¡± My eyebrows went up, and I smiled. Chu-Ching! I of course knew what a blog was, Kate kept me up to date on that kind of thing, and¡­ I mean it was the twenty-first century.


    She grinned too, knowing my thoughts, ¡°It¡¯s been almost nonstop. We did what we normally do in a week almost every day you were gone.¡±


    I sighed, feeling relaxed the way only surplus cash to cover the mortgage on the building could make me feel. I loved this place and had no intention of letting it go. Ever. ¡°Do you think it will keep up?¡±


    ¡°With how many copycat bloggers, social media types, and travelers have been coming in? I think it will.¡±


    The store had done alright, up months covering low months, but it wasn¡¯t a cash cow by any means. Not when it sometimes took months to sell what I had shipped in. My saving grace was that I didn¡¯t need much money, neither did Fren, and Kate¡¯s salary was more than covered by what was left.


    ¡°Think we should change anything?¡±


    ¡°Nope. I organized some of the shelves that were selling well and wrote you a list of a few things I took the initiative to order.¡±


    ¡°You are a lifesaver.¡±


    ¡°I have been thinking¡­¡± Kate said while brushing a bit of hair behind one of her ears, ¡°If you decided to sell stuff online, you could probably sell more than what we sell in here every day.¡± She finished by idly winding a finger through a strand of her bright red hair, brighter than every red jasper stone I had in the shop.


    ¡°Really,¡± I asked, truly surprised. ¡°People would buy crystals and rocks sight unseen?¡± With my affinity for earth, I knew crystals held a small amount of increased power wizards called mana. I could imbue them with more, if I wanted to waste the effort and energy, even being in my presence would do it to some lesser extent. That mana imbued in them might draw some people towards certain stones, but you had to hold a rock to know if you liked it or not. Even a wizard would have to hold one to see if its inherent mana would be synergistic to their own and it would be suitable for a summoning spell or magical craft.


    ¡°Trust me, Etsy is flush with shops half as good as yours.¡±


    Thoughts began to race in my mind. But I couldn¡¯t run a website and an online store-¡ªLike literally. A computer would die in moments if I tried to use it. Even around customers in the store, I had to focus and maintain control of my power so that I didn¡¯t inadvertently break their phones and electronics. Kate had learned to leave hers out in her car after the third one had died in the shop. I knew she¡¯d attempt an online shop and run it if I asked, but that felt too much like I needed the help, and I felt like she was already overworked with just the two of us running the store. Then again, Fren had said she was ready for growth. Maybe he knew what she¡¯d been thinking about before telling me, or he had overheard her practicing what to say?


    ¡°You know how I am with computers,¡± I said, rubbing my chin.


    Kate nodded knowingly, I watched as her shoulders drooped and she looked down at her discarded book.


    ¡°But if you really think it has a shot, we should try it. What if we became business partners? You could set up the website and take, say, fifty percent of all the online sales net revenue plus your hourly wage while you¡¯re working in the shop. We already have the business and more rocks than we can sell now.¡±


    Her eyes lit up, pupils widening with the idea of being partners, ¡°You would let me start it, and be a partner?¡±


    ¡°Hell yeah. I mean you know the shop as well as I do. You help with all the computer stuff because electronics hate me, and I¡¯m not too fond of them either. Plus, the longer I have your help the better this place will be. You¡¯re literally priceless.¡±


    Kate¡¯s eyes darted about the shop, her book listing down in one arm, completely forgotten. Then I saw her confidence fall like a popped balloon. ¡°I don¡¯t know Cal. What if I¡¯m wrong? I¡¯m in a few business classes, but what do I really know?¡±


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    ¡°Kate,¡± I said calmly, ¡°If it fails, it fails. I¡¯ll be out some money, you¡¯ll be out some time, but it sounds like it¡¯s worth a shot¡ªbut only if you want, we can pretend this conversation never happened if you prefer, and if it fails I¡¯m not going to hold it against you.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? I¡¯ve¡­ I¡¯ve dreamed of doing something like this but¡­ do you really think I could?


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you could. I have a good hunch for these kinds of things,¡± I saw a bush sway in the corner out of Kate¡¯s view and knew Fren agreed with the decision. Honestly, I wouldn¡¯t have considered it since I couldn¡¯t run it and wouldn¡¯t want to burden Kate. I owed Fren one. With my mind being so distracted I probably wouldn¡¯t have agreed to this without his nudge, and the truth was, it was a good idea.


    Kate took a deep breath, holding it for a second before her smile returned, ¡°Deal! I¡¯ll start today¡ªI¡¯ll warn you though, it¡¯s going to have some costs to start.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s close the shop a little early tonight and we can meet and talk about it.¡±


    It was worth it all to see the excitement on her face. I felt a little bad. I¡¯d probably created a ton of work for her because I literally couldn¡¯t do it, and she¡¯d been working the past two days while I took a vacation and was on the schedule for the next few because I was supposed to be gone. I¡¯d have to make sure I covered some more shifts or closed the shop early to give her time off. I would supply the initial funding, the store, space, and the merchandise, but I was basically going to make money off whatever she did without me having to do much beyond what I already had. I hoped the percentage she got after expenses would make it worthwhile. She would have the lion''s share of making it work. Regardless, if anyone could do it¡ªI thought it would be Kate.


    While she pulled out a notepad and jumped to work on ideas, her red hair bouncing as she jotted down a ¡®To Do¡¯ list. I moseyed around the shop. We had wooden shelves on the walls, much like planter boxes on ladder-like A-frame stands, the shelf sections were also angled downward a few degrees to show off the wares inside without obstruction. Each wooden space held hundreds of stones. Gleaming spheres, rough stones, tumbled rocks and shaped crystals. Rose quartz, blue gleaming apatite, black obsidian, and various shades of fluorite just to name a few. Fren loved the shop too, at night he would sometimes come out to see the wares much as I did.


    Meditating and working on my earth magic mastery while holding rocks from around the world clarified the nuances of my power and connection to stone and earth. Magic wasn¡¯t a separate thing from the world. It was part of it. Life, death, fire, water, air, earth, light and dark and dozens of other firmamental powers. All of it was part of a greater whole which made up our world.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon,¡± I called to Kate. ¡°I¡¯m heading to Rex¡¯s.¡±  She waved without looking up from her notepad. She liked lists and organization, and, between her organizational craft, Fren¡¯s love of and ability to make plants grow anywhere, and my skill and insight into quality crystals¡­ the shop was truly something special.


    I exited the front, the walk to the dojo wasn¡¯t that far and it wouldn¡¯t be any warmer if I took my jeep.


    The front steps were large and well-worn, but somehow in better condition than those behind in the back alley, even though they were used more. The floor level of the shop was raised from the main road three or four feet. It was one of the few buildings like that in the run of adjacent storefronts, each built at different times and only vaguely in similar styles. From the sidewalk looking into my shop, you could only see the bright lights on the high ceiling, fiddle leaf branches which extended high over everything, their massive green leaves making it look like a jungle, along with more vines and creepers Fren artfully grew up the brickwork inside. There were also a few larger crystal pieces set in the corners of the window, it was enough to be intriguing and pull people in.


    Foot traffic was lower this early in the day, and this time of the year in general. I got a few weird looks since I was in shorts and a slim sweater, but I ignored them. I focused my will, disregarding the cold and practicing my skills as I walked.


    I saw Rex through the street front windows of his dojo and gym in his customary stance, with his arms folded behind his back as he strutted back and forth like a rooster. Rex was a former marine who had been trained in at least two fighting styles as a child. He was of Asian descent and had grown up in Hawaii. Somehow his military career in the Marines and mixed martial arts background had led to of all places, Boise Idaho.


    His gym was his own and more geared towards quick self-defense fighting and fitness rather than ancient martial arts, though he did train in those as well. He even brought in others to teach various other skills for a month or two at a time. I¡¯d heard a few of the younger kids in his classes were competitive in Jujitsu and UFC-style fight clubs within the city.


    I liked the place when I could attend, because of the variety of practical skills Rex taught. Since his dojo and gym were on the same street as my shop, he¡¯d given me a discount. I¡¯d hooked him up with a few earthen gifts as well, and whenever he needed a coffee, he went to my shop.


    ¡°Cal,¡± Rex said as I walked in the door. ¡°It¡¯s been a few weeks, I thought you might have given up after that last session?¡±


    Our last session had been, to put it mildly, brutal. As a class, we¡¯d done skirmish after skirmish, one-vs-two or one-on-one for nearly two hours straight in street defensive combat. I¡¯d had bruises and barely been able to get out of bed the next morning.


    ¡°You can¡¯t get rid of me that easily,¡± I said, giving him a firm handshake. Despite having literally absorbed a monster core of magic that had increased my body, his handshake was firm enough that it felt like a threat. It wasn¡¯t that he squeezed hard, it was simply how unyieldingly fixed and controlled it was. Rex was bald, clean-shaven and basically a walking muscle. Not large and bulky but lean and fast.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you made it today, but you missed the message that our normal class is paused today as we have a class for new arrivals starting in 15 minutes. You¡¯re welcome to join in and help me train the new recruits.¡±


    I nodded in agreement. I¡¯d done the same before and had once been a new ¡®recruit¡¯ myself. Most would have no skill, and it would be simple forms I could help instruct them on, but you never knew. I went to a corner where he had a few free weights, bench presses, and normal gym accouterments and got busy with a quick workout on a rowing machine, losing myself as I warmed up, until I heard Rex call out.


    ¡°Alright, gather up!¡±

 Chapter 8 — As Aggressive as You Want

    Chapter 8 ¡ª As Aggressive as You Want


    I stood, finding seven others had joined the introductory class. As I approached, I picked up on the fact that Rex was deep in his martial arts persona. He welcomed each newcomer and had them state their name and experience with martial arts if they had any, his voice strong and respectful. I lost my focus on him as I saw a new woman standing near the door. If I had to guess, she was about twenty-five or twenty-six¡ªmy own age. She had dark hair dyed with a hint of maroon coloring. It hung loose and bounced off her shoulders. Her eyes were a deep hazel, nearly green, her chin a little sharp and impish. I didn¡¯t know why she caught my eye and held it the way she did. She was cute, sure, but it was something in her stance, her determined face. I felt a little embarrassed that I hadn¡¯t even realized the seven people had come into the dojo. I needed to work on maintaining my perception when distracted or working. But I felt safe¡­ well safe-ish in Rex¡¯s shop. Still, if people could sneak up on me, enemies could as well. Then again, I had been doing rows and they could put me in a strangely focused state.


    I got to feel really dumb as I missed the first part of the woman¡¯s introduction, namely her name, because I¡¯d been too busy looking at her and in my own thoughts.


    Her voice was shy, but picked up in strength as she continued, ¡°¡ªI recently moved here and have taken several martial arts classes over the years. My father was in the military, so he made sure I knew how to protect myself.¡±


    ¡°Excellent!¡± Rex called, ¡°What branch?¡±


    ¡°He was a navy seal.¡±


    Rex nodded, usually he would give a joke about how the marines were the best, but I honestly didn¡¯t know which was tougher. Thankfully he¡¯d read her comments and body language better than I had. ¡°You said was, is he still with us?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± The girl said, eyes firm on Rex. ¡°He died in combat.¡±


    Rex nodded. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re here. It looks like he raised a strong daughter. I¡¯m sure he¡¯d be proud.¡± Then Rex turned to the next student.


    I missed most of what the next person said while I was thinking about the few words I¡¯d heard from the girl¡¯s story. I wondered how old she¡¯d been when her father had passed. For all I knew it could have been years ago, but the way her voice had resonated, and the forced expression on her face as she answered Rex, it made me think it was something more recent.


    I¡¯d been an orphan. My childhood home had burned down in a freakish fire that killed both of my parents or so I¡¯d been told. A firefighter had pulled me out and given me CPR. The report said I¡¯d been nonresponsive for two minutes. I¡¯d only been roughly four years old at the time and my memories were vague. I didn¡¯t recall anything directly of the accident and only a few things from my actual childhood before that point. Some people could seemingly remember their whole upbringing in perfect detail. I had not been blessed with that ability, but then again, I also hadn¡¯t had pictures or family members to reminisce with. Most of my memories were from being about eight years or older with various foster families and Clair¡ª


    ¡°¡ªCal.¡±


    I snapped back to the moment and realized everyone was looking at me expectantly.


    ¡°Uh, sorry.¡± I stammered, ¡°What did you want?¡±


    ¡°Your introduction, unless your shop has some new herbs, you¡¯re keeping all to yourself that we need to know more about first?¡± He said the last like it was a genuine possibility. I felt my face heat.


    ¡°Right¡­um, sorry. No new herbs. I was just thinking about something,¡± My eyes caught the girls, and I awkwardly looked away. ¡°¡ªI own the crystal shop down the road, Earths Bounty.¡± A few members of the group nodded, ¡°I met Rex about two and a half years ago and he¡¯s been slowly beating me into a stronger version of myself since then.¡± I wanted to say more, to be a little more interesting, but my mind was blank. I felt like I¡¯d come across as a distracted loon to the newcomers, the new girl in particular. I really needed to get out more and not spend so much time stuck with Fren and my own thoughts. Talking with my tree friend really wasn¡¯t helping my social graces.


    ¡°Alright, as I said before, Cal will be helping with training today. We¡¯re going to go through some basics, maybe spar a little and then I can let you know what class I¡¯m running which would best fit your ability level. We¡¯re going to start with ten warmup laps around the gym in each direction. Line up!¡±


    We lined up and began to jog. Rex opened a few windows, the old frames bending out at the base on hinges, much like an RV trailer¡¯s would. The cool air felt wonderful. Then we worked on footing, with Rex strolling through the group, nudging, and instructing as appropriate. Then we worked on some light footwork, shifting forward and back in more ¡®sturdy¡¯ stances. To my dismay Rex used extra force on all my stances, knocking me over a few times with chiding comments to ¡®focus and listen¡¯ even though no amount of perfect form would stabilize me through the kind of force he was using.


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    ¡°Alright, time for some fun then we¡¯ll partner up and get to practicing,¡± Rex said with a clap, considering the group before him. ¡°First, let¡¯s see what Lana can do with Cal.¡±


    I stepped forward, finding to both my excitement and nervousness that Lana was the girl that had so thoroughly caught my attention. I mentally told myself I needed to get the Coke for Fren before I returned home. He would be able to sense I¡¯d been attracted to someone and the last thing I needed was his annoying questions and unsolicited advice all night. He had the ability to pick up changes in my pheromones and could at times read me like a book. I gulped. Not the time to think about hormones, pheromones, or Fren. Focus Cal, don¡¯t be weird, I thought.


    Lana stepped forward, the firm mat on the floor bunching under each of our steps as we entered a small circular ring.


    ¡°Lana, are you ready?¡± Rex called.


    ¡°How far do you want us to go?¡± She asked, her voice was calm, resonant, and I liked the tone of it.


    ¡°Cal should be able to handle anything,¡± Rex said, looking me over. ¡°But, based on your footwork, I¡¯d say he¡¯s in for a surprise.¡±


    I gave him a side glance, raising an eyebrow. He thought Lana was good, that meant I could be a little more aggressive. Rex grinned, slapping me on the back as he passed. ¡°Don¡¯t make me and my training look bad,¡± he crossed his arms, turning to face us. ¡°Take this seriously Cal.¡±


    I was bigger than Lana. She was slender but tall for a girl, I still dwarfed her by six inches. I probably had her outweighed by a hundred pounds and I¡¯d been practicing with Rex off and on for nearly three years. I¡¯d also trained with Fren occasionally-¡ªa forest ancient who had eons of fighting prowess. The creature had been the companion to ancient wizards, monks, and everything between. He didn¡¯t like talking much about his past masters¡ªpreferring to focus on the present-¡ªbut when I gave into his incessant heckling that we train, I learned quickly. I was still far from what Fren would think of as a skilled opponent. But he was a devious master. The point was, Lana didn¡¯t have that kind of training, and I needed to be careful not to hurt her. My enhanced Body attribute, while weak by wizarding standards, still made me more resistant to injury and able to use the full strength of my muscles, speed, and stamina than the norm.


    Lana assumed a staggered stance, and I did the same.


    ¡°Feel free to go as aggressive as you want,¡± was what I tried to say, but I only got out, ¡°Feel¡ªgurk!¡±


    Lana moved faster than I could have believed possible. She shifted past my side, placing one leg back behind mine, using her hips and momentum to press me back to trip over that same leg. That alone wouldn¡¯t have been enough, but her right arm caught me across the throat, easily passing through my guard. I fell to the ground, but it didn¡¯t end there. As I fell, she somehow twisted and ended the attack with one knee against my throat, my nearest arm to her locked into my side by her other leg, and her fists raised to strike my face if needed. Her eyes shown with mirth and triumph as she smiled down at me.


    ¡°Woah. That was some impressive shit,¡± Rex muttered, slow clapping as he walked across the room. ¡°To be clear¡ªI mean you Lana, not Cal. Though taking a tackle like that and staying conscious does point to him having had practice being knocked on his ass a time or two.¡±


    Lana stood and offered me a hand. I took it and she helped me to my feet. She was strong but I saw her looking me over to make sure she hadn¡¯t¡¯ actually hurt me. Apparently, pride didn¡¯t count as harm.


    ¡°Hopefully I wasn¡¯t too hard on you,¡± she said, her grin slightly crooked with one dimple on the right side. She reached up, taking her hair and tying it into a ponytail with a band that was on her wrist.


    ¡°Naw,¡± I said. ¡°Let¡¯s do another round.¡± I knew there probably wasn¡¯t enough time if Rex wanted to give everyone a chance, but offering it seemed like the right thing to do. I looked at Rex and he grinned. Creepily, eyes large, with a smirk plastered on his face.


    ¡°Oh yes, again! You get one more chance to prove yourself Cal.¡± Rex said, pointing at my chest.


    I didn¡¯t want such a defeat to be our only spar, but I was also a little hesitant. Lana was skilled, much more than I was despite all my training. I could have cheated. With a good amount of earth-focused magic, I could harden my skin, speed my reactions, make myself heavier¡ªbut no. She was fighting without all that, so I would too. Well, except for my enhanced body which I couldn¡¯t turn off, but that hadn¡¯t slowed her down before.


    I took up position and prepared myself better, now knowing the skill level I faced in Lana. At Rex¡¯s yell, we sparred again. This time I was ready, not relaxing in the slightest. We exchanged a few blows and just as I was starting to feel good about myself and the bout, Lana cranked up the speed. In near record time, I was face down on the mat again, Lana¡¯s legs wrapped around me, and my head in a headlock, as she lay on my back.


    ¡°That was better,¡± she whispered in my ear, her breath warm against my skin. ¡°You almost made me work for it.¡±


    I might have enjoyed the sound of her voice, had my focus not been on my Adam''s apple being crushed into my throat or the sound of my own heartbeat ringing in my head.


    ¡°That¡¯s two!¡± Rex called out unhelpfully. ¡°Lana, we have an advanced class that you appear more than ready to participate in.¡± He helped Lana up to her feet and handed her a schedule with several times highlighted. ¡°That was Jujitsu at the end,¡± he said with a gleam in his eye. ¡°We¡¯re going to have fun continuing the framework you already have. Perhaps you could even help Cal out, he just joined the advanced class. He¡¯d be much better if I could get him to attend more regularly...¡± He said the last with a forlorn tone, letting the words hang in the air.


    I stood, slightly sheepish at my poor performance, but if her story was right, she¡¯d been fighting since she was a child. I simply hadn¡¯t, not in this way. Without my tricks and powers, she was a much better fighter.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be here,¡± I groaned, my voice sounding hoarse. ¡°I¡¯ve made the goal of being more of a regular.¡± I really did need to commit to training more. If I came across one of the many fae creatures that were more humanoid or fast, I would be hard-pressed to survive, even with magic. That¡¯s why smart wizards didn¡¯t do what I did at the age I was.


    We assumed positions at the side of the open floor area while Rex led the others through sparring matches. Those with no skill were spared the spar, Rex wouldn¡¯t want anyone to get injured, and instead, he taught a few strikes to practice while the other held a foam square as a target.


    I stood next to Lana, unsure what to say, but she broke the silence first.

 Chapter 9 — Tin Hat Conspiracy

    Chapter 9 ¡ª Tin Hat Conspiracy


    ¡°Hopefully I didn¡¯t hurt you,¡± Lana said in a whisper to not distract the others around us along the wall watching the bout.


    ¡°No, it was good. I¡¯m not Rex¡¯s prize student by any means, and I need practice. I will say, that I¡¯ve never had someone your size handle me so readily. You must train a lot?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s actually been three years since I did any training,¡± Lana said. I could sense it was a touchy topic by the slightly pained expression she made as she said it.


    ¡°Really? It doesn¡¯t seem like it. You are really good,¡± I emphasized my words by rubbing my throat.


    She laughed, ¡°So, you own a shop down the street?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s just across the road on the far end,¡± I said, running a hand through my hair which was sweaty from our exertions. I was curious what Lana would think. I knew my work tended to be one of the first roadblocks to any relationship. Owning a store was cool, having a crystal shop that sold the metaphysical, was something else. Not bad per say, but it represented some of the fringe elements of society and a few of the women I¡¯d met in the past hadn¡¯t seemed to appreciate it when their goal was a man with a stable income who wouldn¡¯t scare their extended family.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen that driving by,¡± Lana said. ¡°Is it the one that looks like a greenhouse with all the plants inside?¡± I noticed her right cheek lifted higher in her smile, showing her white teeth more on that side. They looked perfect, unlike mine. She¡¯d probably had braces and a more normal childhood.


    ¡°Haha, yeah. I have a friend who is obsessed with plants, and they help out a lot, but it does make it special.¡±


    ¡°You should pay them more.¡±


    ¡°They actually do it all for Coke on the cheap¡ªCoca-cola that is.¡± I amended at her raised eyebrow, ¡°are you from this area?¡±


    ¡°I actually only live a few blocks away. I moved here about four months ago. I finally got my job lined up last week.¡±


    ¡°So, you moved here without a job? What put Boise on the map for you?¡± I asked, truly interested.


    ¡°It¡¯s my grandmother¡¯s house. She passed away four months ago and since my dad is gone, she left everything to me. I was ready for a change, so I¡¯m living at her house trying to figure it all out.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about your loss¡ªboth of them. That had to be hard losing your dad. It sounds like you were close. Was it a long time ago?¡± Lana took a breath, as if bracing to dive into a topic she didn¡¯t want to discuss. I saw the signs, but it was too late, I¡¯d already asked.


    ¡°Three years,¡± she said, and I could see the hurt still evident on her face. It was the same time since she¡¯d stopped training. Today was a new start for her on many levels. I could tell our conversation, and probably even being here wasn¡¯t the easiest thing for her, so I tried to lighten the mood.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad I had the opportunity to be beat silly by you on your first day back,¡± I said with a chuckle. ¡°I¡¯m glad I could help you see that you¡¯re not rusty in the slightest.¡±


    ¡°It did feel good,¡± she said, eyeing me. ¡°I put it off for far too long.¡±


    Our conversation stalled for a moment as we both watched two others being walked through grappling techniques by Rex as they had a much more scripted spar. Rex did a good job of making them both feel safe to practice and not ashamed by not knowing much. This was probably the first time either of them had attempted anything like this. They were in a good place to learn.


    ¡°My dad¡­ well, he and I trained a lot. He was into boxing, jujitsu, and taekwondo.¡± She slipped into a more relaxed tone, remembering her father. I was glad she had decided to say more, and I hoped it helped her with her new beginning. ¡°He did lots of training abroad with other military forces, plus everything they could teach him in the navy seals. He went to conventions and courses, all to hone and improve his skills. He took me to anything we could both attend. When he was home or off duty, we went to classes like this.¡± She looked down at the padded mat flooring. Her face resolved and she squared her shoulders, ¡°It seems both very wrong and very right being here without him. This is what he would want me to do.¡±


    I nodded, giving her a smile of my own and nudging her friendly with my elbow. ¡°I¡¯m sure he would, and despite my poor performance, you¡¯re in good hands with Rex. I can¡¯t imagine a better teacher and I know his students do very well in competitions around here. What do you do for work?¡±


    ¡°I took a job with the forest service. I¡¯m a park ranger and was doing the same in Arizona, so I planned on continuing here. I¡¯ve always loved this area. It¡¯s beautiful.¡±


    ¡°It really is. I just got home from hiking up near Lowman.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, maybe you¡¯ll have to show me a few trails sometime?¡±


    My heart soared and I would¡¯ve stumbled on my words to say ¡®yes¡¯. I mean it¡¯s not every day you meet a beautiful woman who wants to spend more time with you¡­ well, at least not me. But Rex interrupted the moment before I could respond.


    ¡°Line up!¡± he commanded, brooking no further argument.


    We went through grueling training. Rex adjusted each exercise to the ability of those present. That left Lana and I as the two doing the most advanced of everything. In truth, he would normally have probably taken it easier on me¡ªbut not today. He saw an opportunity to push me past what I would normally do, and he took it. I could tell he was barely keeping his twisted mirth inside each time he walked past me and corrected my movement or had me hold a position for way too long to demonstrate the exercise for the others. When no one else was looking he¡¯d give me a friendly-mannered taunt, or let his joy show in his eyes. It seemed Lana had caught on, and she was enjoying the show too.


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    By the time the class was over, I was drenched in sweat, my legs, arms, and every muscle in-between felt like cooked noodles.


    Rex offered me a water bottle and I eagerly downed the whole thing.


    Lana paused beside me, drinking her own, much less aggressively than me.


    ¡°What days do you come, Cal?¡± Lana asked.


    ¡°Most of them,¡± I mustered, whipping an arm across my mouth. At Rex¡¯s clear eyebrow raise, I amended, ¡°My schedule is sort of a mess, so I come whenever I can, but it varies. I hike a lot and if the store is busy, I have to put it first.¡±


    ¡°Well, I think I¡¯m going to do the Monday, Wednesday, and Friday classes at seven in the morning. Maybe I¡¯ll see you here?¡±


    ¡°You certainly will,¡± I said, knowing this was the time when I should ask for her number. She seemed interested, eyes meeting mine as she waited for¡­ more. But the problem was, I didn¡¯t have a phone and was about the hardest person to reach. If I asked for hers, she¡¯d expect a call or text soon and it would get weird real fast when I never called her. Payphones would sometimes work for a couple of minutes, but chances were she wouldn¡¯t answer. I¡¯d leave a message, and then we¡¯d play phone tag for a while if I was lucky. It¡¯d happened before. My best option was to be honest or lean into being the ¡®crazy¡¯ new age guy who purposefully kept away from any electronics and lived like it was from the early nineteen hundreds. Not the typical dream guy of the 21st century.


    ¡°I uh, I¡¯d ask for your number, so you¡¯d have someone to call¡ªif you needed anything¡ªbeing new to town and all. But I don¡¯t carry a phone.¡±


    ¡°Oh really?¡± she asked, intrigued, eyes focusing on mine as one eyebrow raised in question.


    ¡°Yeah, I just¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªHe doesn¡¯t want the government following him around,¡± Rex interjected, likely having seen the difficulty my life choices could cause in situations like this over the past few years. ¡°I don¡¯t blame him, I gotta lot of respect for someone that can live up to their principles. I just can¡¯t cut free. He doesn¡¯t even have any social media.¡± Rex said shaking his head like that was the most insane thing someone could ever do.


    And just like that, Rex had framed it as something cooler, and not in a weird tin hat conspiracy theorist kind of way ¡ªwell sort of in exactly that way, but better than I would have managed. Tin hat was still on the table, but it was due to my principles.


    ¡°My dad was actually like that,¡± Lana said softly biting her bottom lip, ¡°He never had a smartphone once he found out how much information was sold out by apps. That¡¯s pretty cool.¡±


    And just like that, I was cool.


    ¡°But I¡¯m almost always at my shop. Kate, my business partner, is there if I¡¯m not and can pass a message if you ever need.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s how I tell him he¡¯s being lazy,¡± Rex chimed in. ¡°all the time, while I grab a coffee. Kate has a magical touch on the ancient steampunk looking machine Cal has, but it¡¯s the best coffee in town.¡±


    ¡°Feel free to stop by,¡± I said, trying to step between Lana and Rex to block him from sight and let him know I didn¡¯t need any more help, ¡°I¡¯ll let Kate know you get the friends and family discount, meaning free coffee.¡±


    ¡°-¡ªIt¡¯s worth it.¡± Rex said, his footwork better than mine.


    ¡°That¡¯s nice,¡± Lana said. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll see you around, Cal.¡±


    I nodded, liking the way she said my name, ¡°You too Lana.¡±


    Then she left.


    Most of the class was already gone by that point after Rex directed them to the best classes to participate in based on their skill level. A few other regulars were working out on the gym equipment but the immediate area around us was empty.


    ¡°You were flopping around like a fish!¡± Rex said as he slapped me on the shoulder, his laugh large and aggressive. ¡°Has it been a while since you spoke to a girl?¡±


    I muttered something incomprehensible while Rex continued, ¡°You going to be more of a regular now? I know I sure would be.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be here. I was planning on coming more anyways, before I met Lana. But thanks for the help with the phone stuff.¡± I rubbed the back of my neck which was unsurprisingly as sore as the rest of me.


    ¡°Anytime, it¡¯s a hard world to live in without some technology. Hopefully I got it right, is that not why you don¡¯t have one?¡± His tone was genuine, but I could tell he was more interested in my answer than he was letting on.


    ¡°Oh, it is. I just never know how to explain it right and not sound crazy.¡±


    Rex gave me a stone-cold face for a moment before smiling. You¡¯d suck at poker, can¡¯t lie to save your life. Kate and I have chatted about it, several times.¡± He said the last more conspiratorially.


    ¡°Poker?¡±


    ¡°No¡ªYou and tech. Keep up; you must be distracted¡­ I wonder why?¡± He said rubbing the side of his jaw, face perplexed then morphing into extreme consternation as if trying to dream up a reason I could be distracted.


    ¡°I know you and Kate talk,¡± I said. ¡°She also tells me you try to hire her yourself every time you come in.¡±


    Rex let out a bellowing laugh. ¡°Well, she never takes me up on it. You must be paying her well.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s actually going to be my business partner,¡± I said proudly. ¡°As of today. She¡¯s rolling out an online side of the shop.¡±


    ¡°Well damn,¡± Rex said staring absentmindedly out one of the windows, ¡°I guess I¡¯ll go give her a congratulations later, maybe try to poach her one last time.¡± He rubbed his chin as if deeply weighing his options.


    ¡°Thanks for the class. Even if I feel bruised, sore, and worse for coming in.¡± I said mockingly, rolling my shoulders.


    ¡°Anytime. Glad I¡¯ll be seeing more of you,¡± he said with a knowing smile. ¡°Hell, if I was younger and, in your shoes, I would be here at every class trying to get better and woo that girl. I saw the way she looked at you, before you even knew she was here.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    He gave me a pitying face, ¡°Though, I think she¡¯s more than you can handle.¡±


    I groaned and shook my head. ¡°I can handle a lot. Regardless, you will see me more. I promised a friend I¡¯d get more training in. But I do have other things to do, I can¡¯t come every day.¡±


    ¡°What, sitting and waiting for rocks to sell takes a lot of time?¡±


    ¡°Well, not when you make it sound like that¡¯s all I do. It¡¯s probably less time-consuming than instructing your clients on how to beat each other senseless while you watch, but it still takes work.¡±


    ¡°See¡ªyou got plenty of time.¡±


    I laughed as Rex gave me another big pat on the back, ¡°I¡¯m rooting for ya.¡±


    I walked back to my store, enjoying every moment of the cold air on the way as it soothed my aching body. I showered again, ate a quick protein bar and shake, not wanting to take more time to go out. Then I unboxed some of the new products I¡¯d been sorting on a small table in my room the past few days. I took the best few specimens to the main floor once done and placed them on the shelving where they would catch the eye. It was busy, group after group came into the store which was phenomenal in what was usually our slower season. I let Kate take off early to think about things and return around six to go over our plans. She was ecstatic, though her plans had been curtailed by shoppers in the store.


    It felt good to get lost in the work, I loved telling people about different stones, crystals, and where they came from. Kids were my favorite, and I had several pass-through who were very interested in the small fossil collection and polished stones set out at the perfect height for them to explore.


    When it neared six, I dimmed the lights and flipped around the open sign, then locked the front door. It was made of glass but clouded to give some privacy. Kate would use the back door when she arrived. I then made the mistake of going downstairs and was immediately attacked by Fren.

 Chapter 10 — Pacts and Bargains

    Chapter 10 ¡ª Pacts and Bargains


    ¡°Something about you has changed,¡± Fren said in a rush. ¡°I sensed it earlier, while you worked.¡± He¡¯d turned into his humanoid form and stood a literal millimeter behind what had been the closed door, being a tree he could have been standing there for hours prior to its opening. His voice was urgent, but quiet enough no one should be able to hear him above in the shop.


    Ahh shoot, I thought in a panic. I hadn¡¯t bought any Coke yet. I glanced up the stairwell, prepared to run, but I saw the glint in Fren¡¯s eye and knew he¡¯d drag me back down the stairs if he had to.


    I made the biggest sigh of my life, trying to play it cool as my heart rate began to race, something I knew Fren would pick up. ¡°Nothing¡¯s changed, I just have a meeting with Kate coming up that I¡¯m excited for.¡± I said, trying to back my way up the stairs, carefully.


    Fren sniffed the air, though I didn¡¯t think he actually had a nose, it was more of a leaning towards me with deep concentration on his face, ¡°That¡¯s not it. Your entire pheromone production has changed. Your heart rate has also been elevated for hours¡ªEver since you went to practice fighting forms?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, I had a good day. You should have seen me,¡± I did a few air jabs to sell it.


    ¡°You are more bruised and injured than after previous bouts,¡± Fren said, eyes narrowing.


    Freaking inquisitive plant, I thought. There was no way to get anything past him, Fren was like a hound on the scent, cheese on nachos, or Elmo and the alphabet.


    ¡°Fine, I met a girl.¡±


    ¡°A possible mate!¡± Fren¡¯s face lit up with excitement, the green leaves of his body seeming to glisten as his joy rose. He was loud enough I checked the stairwell to ensure no one lost or forgotten shopper had still been in the shop after I closed up. It was of course clear. Despite that, I closed the door behind me. Nobody deserved to overhear what Fren was going to try and tell me.


    I might have felt better about telling him if I didn¡¯t turn from the door to find Fren dancing in a circle.


    ¡°No¡­not a possible mate,¡± I said, exasperated. Frens eyes widened, ¡°Well, maybe¡ªwho knows. We like, literally just met. I know almost nothing about her. Plus, you can¡¯t ask about her anyways.¡± I said, sticking a finger towards the insolent tree.


    ¡°You did not supply me with my desired nourishment. The pact has not yet been finalized; I may ask as I wish.¡±


    ¡°Gaah. Okay. I need to go. I¡¯ll get you your drinks!¡± I tried to open the door, but Fren¡¯s tree trunk-sized arm put a stop to that.


    ¡°Else we will have a long discussion tonight. I can regal you with tales of how to catch your mate. I have witnessed many copulations and can give¡ª¡±


    ¡°Nope. Hard pass. I¡¯m thankful for your knowledge on other subjects, to be clear, but we''re not doing that¡ªnot ever. Now I have to go.¡± Getting Fren Coke suddenly became the number one thing I needed to do today.


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    I turned to leave; afraid I might have to fight of my plant familiar. Instead, Fren changed the topic, ¡°Be wary. I have sensed more Pixies about. They rarely hunt alone and are likely looking for their lost comrade.¡±


    ¡°The one you killed?¡±


    ¡°The same.¡±


    ¡°Good to know,¡± I said, but honestly, I wasn¡¯t too concerned. Pixies were like the cannon fodder of the Fae from what I understood. They wouldn¡¯t mess with a fully fledge wizard. I¡¯d never faced one, but I had learned about them. They were supposedly not very intelligent and fragile creatures.


    I sprinted back up the stairs to the shop level eager to get safely away from Fren. I hurriedly went over the business expenses and revenue for the past few days at the till. Kate was right. We were killing it. We had enough surplus I could probably buy doors for the Jeep which would be an amazing improvement for the winter months. I could also probably upgrade some of the magical defenses around the shop, make truly impressive long-standing defenses. I might even be able to afford some materials for alchemy. It all depended on how much it cost to set up a website, which I had no real idea about, but Kate would let me know.


    Kate arrived a few minutes later and we got down to work. She¡¯d already found a website hosting platform which had been insanely cheap by my estimation. Apparently, anyone could have a functioning website for a few bucks a month. She¡¯d also set up a few accounts with online retailer platforms. She had plans on which products to sell first and how to advertise the store on social media. I was thoroughly impressed. She¡¯d printed out a few images of the website she¡¯d created and told me about the other details. Kate knew better than to bring her laptop into the shop. I wasn¡¯t sure what the exact mechanism was for wizard¡¯s destructive force on technology, but we made batteries drain more quickly, computer chips burn out, and some tech to simply not function correctly. Those weren¡¯t much of an issue in the shop, but simple things like lightbulbs would also burn out more frequently due to surges of power snapping their fine filaments. Perhaps it was the same thing with other electronics, but I had no way of knowing.


    ¡°This is amazing,¡± I said. ¡°Do we need to bring someone else on, to help with the workload?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± she said. ¡°At least not at first. But¡­¡±


    We planned for an hour. Kate would take care of the internet side of things, I would work on fulfillment, prepping, and shipping the orders when it all went ¡®live¡¯.


    ¡°Are you sure this won¡¯t interrupt your schooling?¡± I asked when things were winding down.


    ¡°Honestly, the semester ends in about four weeks and it¡¯s a light one. I think I might put school on hold and see how well this goes.¡±


    ¡°Really? Are you sure you want to jump fully into the glamorous life of a rock peddler?¡±


    Kate genuinely laughed. ¡°Its business, and I¡¯ve loved working here. Its peaceful and helping people in a small way is fun. Plus, I¡¯ve always loved rocks. I was taking business classes anyway and this is a better business model than many I could dream up. I¡¯m excited to see what we can do.¡±


    I thanked her and let her out the back. As I did, we heard a knock at the front door on the glass window. ¡°I¡¯ll go check it out. Have a good night, Kate. And again, thank you. You¡¯re going to be a perfect business partner.¡± She¡¯d been somewhat hesitant with some of the plans but everything from my perspective looked amazing and well thought out, and again, what did we have to lose?


    She waved and hopped into her car. I shut and locked the back door once he car was started. But I didn¡¯t linger, not wanting to inadvertently break her radio or something more significant by walking out with her.


    I made my way to the front door feeling elated about how the business was doing, and the possibilities with our combined new venture. Trusting Fren to warn me if there was anything sinister outside, I approached the front door. Fren had assumed control of all the potted plants in the room by the walls and door and each also acted as his ¡®eyes¡¯ and ¡®ears¡¯. He would warn me or help if I needed it. I saw a thin figure through the opaque glass door, so I unlocked it, ready to tell them we were closed but stopped when I saw who it was.


    Lana stood a few steps down from the door on the sidewalk.

 Chapter 11 — An unwelcome guest

    Chapter 11 ¡ª An unwelcome guest


    ¡°Hi,¡± Lana said, waving with one hand, the other holding tight around her torso to brace against the cold.


    She somehow looked even more wonderful than earlier in the day. Her hair hung straight, framing her face. Her eyelashes looked longer and were dark. She wore comfortable jeans and a white formfitting long-sleeve t-shirt with a thick green vest overtop it.


    ¡°Hey Lana. Uh, can I help you?¡± One of the nearby plants in my peripheral vision began to shudder and twitch. Damn it. Fren knew.


    ¡°I was wondering if you could show me the shop? I didn¡¯t realize you closed so early.¡±


    ¡°Come on in,¡± I said. ¡°Get out of the cold. We closed early for a business meeting today but that¡¯s over now and I¡¯d love to show you around.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Yes, by all means. I was just surprised to see you so soon after meeting.¡± I regretted the words as soon as they were out of my mouth. The last thing I wanted to do was make her feel unwelcome, especially with the past few years she¡¯d had. Cursing my idiocy, I ushered her into the shop.


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m not great at patience,¡± she said, looking about as she stepped inside. ¡°I don¡¯t know many people in Boise and you¡¯re the first person I¡¯ve met that I wanted to know more about. But-¡ªand this is just so your aware¡ª I¡¯m not looking for anything more than a friend, at least right now. I know what it may seem like with me coming over late like this.¡±


    ¡°Ah, no! Nothing like that crossed my mind,¡± The plant behind her, now that she¡¯d stepped inside twitched, irritatingly I might add. After this, I was going to get Fren a big pot to live in, somewhere out in the back alley.


    ¡°This place is incredible?¡± Lana said, her eyes darting over the shelves covered in stones, crystals, and plants. ¡°Did you make all of this yourself? And these plants, you must have a green thumb?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m actually thinking of throwing them all out, starting fresh,¡± I said. ¡°But yes, this is¡­ all me. I mean honestly my employ-¡ªBusiness partner,¡± I needed to get used to saying that. ¡°Did a lot of the fine-tuning.¡± A plant¡¯s leaves drooped in the background, so I amended, ¡°And like I said before, I have a friend who is very good with plants who helps me out, most of the time. He¡¯s the one with the green thumb.¡±


    Lana nodded and eagerly walked over to a crate filled with yellow calcite a few feet inside the door.


    ¡°So, is there anything special about them, what do I need to know?¡± She turned to face me, lips parted, eyes genuinely interested.


    ¡°Well, some believe that each type of crystal has different properties or can help someone with certain things. Most of the shelves have a little placard with general information. Generally, its things like protection, help with courage, or simply make a home more welcoming.¡±


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    ¡°Do you believe it?¡±


    ¡°Yes-¡ªwithin reason. I think certain stones call to people. Having them can bring joy, and make someone feel braver or put at ease. Also, they can be useful tools for meditation.¡±


    That was true for a magical practitioner or someone just trying to learn to focus their mind on one thing. Holding something solid brought calmness and provided a point of focus. Anything could work, but crystals were special. While true wizards like me were rare, many people had gift, powers, or affinities for various energies. Those types of partial practitioners were some of my best customers. ¡°There are also loads of theories and even some research on things like grounding or other alternative medicine approaches including crystals that can help people. It¡¯s probably that the changes in lifestyle, mindfulness, and outlook are the main factors, rather than the crystals truly helping, but who knows.¡± I hesitated, then asked, ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve learned about meditation,¡± Lana said. ¡°Many martial arts practice some form of it, and I think it¡¯s helped me. So, why not something like this?¡±


    I wanted so badly to jump into some of the truth of that. As a wizard I knew how more of it worked than medicine and mundane practitioners could experience or describe. But I would come off as a total weirdo. My last semi-serious girlfriend from so long ago it boggled my mind had basically taken off the day after I¡¯d told her the truth. I was hesitant to get into anything like that too early here.


    We perused the shop together. Lana was more stunning now than she¡¯d looked when she first arrived as her true nature came out. She excitedly bounced around the shop, admiring the simple beauty that was Earths Bounty. Her jeans were tight and form-fitting, and I had to try hard not to stare. She had a wonderful figure. She stood straight and strong, poised with every movement, her feet graceful and sure. Her presence made me want to relax, if I wasn¡¯t also terrified that I¡¯d screw it all up and scare her away, or Fren would manage it for me in his own excitement. I could see the plant life around the room coming to life as Fren tried to show off. I winced, hoping Lana wouldn¡¯t pick up on the changes in areas she¡¯d already seen closely.


    ¡°Do you want a coffee? Or hot cocoa or anything?¡± I asked. ¡°I¡¯m not as good at making them as Kate, but I can manage.¡±


    ¡°No. But I am going to find a rock I like,¡± she said, the words slightly rushed as she eagerly continued searching. I was more than happy to let her. I leaned up against one of the walls and watched. It was always amazing to me how childlike and exuberant people could be when looking for a rock to take home. Lana was no exception.


    ¡°Don¡¯t feel like you have to find one today,¡± I said. ¡°Perhaps the rock for you just hasn¡¯t arrived yet. You can come around anytime.¡± I secretly hoped she would, again, and again.


    ¡°That¡¯s not the problem. The problem is I¡¯ve found three I like.¡±


    ¡°Well, take them all, I don¡¯t mind.¡±


    She gave me a glare, ¡°I didn¡¯t come here to rob you. I¡¯m buying all of them. In fact, my grandmother loved rock-hounding. As a park ranger, I enjoy it too. I took kids on rock-hounding expeditions in Arizona, and it was the best day of each month. But I¡¯ve never been in a shop like this.¡± She gestured to the gleaming shelves, the crystals catching the light and seeming to shine more than normal as darkness settled in outside.


    I smiled, ¡°Which ones have¡ª¡±


    A loud knock on the glass front door cut me off. Lana gave me a sly side-eye, as if I had several women who might be knocking on my door tonight and she was simply the first. I shrugged my shoulders in the universal ¡®I have no idea¡¯ gesture and went to the door.


    I opened it to find a man in uniform. A blue police officer uniform I¡¯d seen many, many times before. Officer Darron Vance.

 Chapter 12 — A bit of History

    Chapter 12 ¡ª A bit of History


    I swore under my breath which made Darron smile. He had thinning light brown hair, a ruddy complexion. He was big and nearly as tall as I was, but where I was built more like a basketball player, he was more of a lineman or a gorilla with a bad attitude. He wore a blue shirt with a metal badge attached to one of the pockets. His hips were loaded down with a belt which displayed handcuffs on one side and his firearm on the other. We¡¯d crossed paths before. He had suspicions about me and what I did that were far too close to the truth. Worse, he¡¯d arrested me about a year and a half ago when I¡¯d been trying to stop a creature in downtown Boise.


    ¡°Darron, not a good night,¡± I said in a rush as Lana made her way around to see who it was, slowing as she saw the man in uniform.


    Darron looked past me at her, and an evil glint filled his eyes. His smirk grew until, it was a predatory smile, twisting his goatee to one side.


    ¡°Sorry to intrude,¡± he said, his bearing showing that intruding was actually the least of his concerns, ¡°But you are a person of interest in a crime that occurred earlier this morning.¡±


    ¡°A crime?¡± I said, not feigning my surprise and confusion.


    ¡°At the Sugar Loaf Inn. I need to ask you a few questions. Will you let me in?¡±


    ¡°I¡­um,¡± I said, knowing I couldn¡¯t resist him, not without looking guilty to Lana. But I also didn¡¯t want Darron in my shop, poking around. He would drag this out, making me sound guilty in front of Lana no matter what had happened. If he had to stand out in the cold, he might leave more quickly, which was my preference.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± Lana said, sitting the rocks she¡¯d gathered on the counter, ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± I felt a pang of regret as she sat down her found treasures. The joyfulness of the evening popped like a balloon before the party had even begun.


    Officer dick face sneered at me, then in a more consoling tone to Lana said, ¡°You really should Miss, I can¡¯t guarantee your safety with him.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s just a misunderstanding,¡± I said to Lana, raising both my arms. ¡°Officer Vance and I can figure this out in a moment. If it was really that serious, he wouldn¡¯t have come alone.¡± I said, hoping to save some face. Darron couldn¡¯t have come at a worse time, and he could sense it.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not alone. I sent the rookie out back behind your shop in case you decided to make a run for it like¡ª"


    ¡°¡ªWell, here I am, completely not running,¡± I said shrugging and holding my hands out. ¡°And not guilty. Lana, your fine to stay or go. I¡¯m sure this won¡¯t take long, and I can assure you I¡¯m not a criminal.¡±


    ¡°Allegedly,¡± Darron said shifting into a wide stance with his chest and badged puffed out, his hand now resting on his holstered pistol.


    ¡°We have a bit of a history,¡± I said, frustration staining my words as I ran a hand through my hair. ¡°He¡¯s making whatever he¡¯s here about more of a big deal just because you¡¯re here.¡± I said to her, ¡°Plus, even if I was a criminal, we both know you could handle me easily.¡±


    Lana was making as if to leave when Darron made his first mistake, ¡°Ah admitting a girl could beat you Cal? I knew you were weak.¡± Darron wasn¡¯t looking at Lana, his focus was all on me as he sneered. But I saw the change. Lana paused, contemplating for the briefest moment before setting her jaw and pausing her flight. She positioned herself off to the side, her stance as if she was setting up for a fight.


    ¡°You have a problem with women?¡± she asked, eyes narrowing.


    Darron turned, I thought he might have realized he had crossed a line, based on her change of demeanor. But he was an idiot, so who knew.


    ¡°No. It¡¯s just the opposite. They can¡¯t cause the same kind of trouble that a man can and you may not be safe here alone with Cal, not with what he¡¯s implicated in this time, and in his past.¡± He said the end in a rush before another officer, the Rookie, made his way up to the front door. Darren clearly didn¡¯t realize that those words could also be taken as an insult. I saw as Lana clearly took the measure and found him lacking.


    ¡°Hello officer¡­?¡± I prompted to the new man. He was lean, and perhaps had some Indian heritage but it was hard to tell other than his long black hair and subtle facial signs but I could have easily been wrong. He moved with youthful energy and stood near the door but maintained a noticeable distance between himself and officer Vance. That could have been due to training, or him not liking Vance, or Vance smelling something awful. I considered the last the most likely.


    ¡°Lansing, Officer Lansing. I take it Officer Vance has already informed you as to why we are here?¡±


    ¡°He did, that and insulted my company tonight. I think he owes her an apology,¡± I was pissed at Darron¡¯s treatment of Lana, but glad she could see the kind of man he was. It might give me some room to explain myself later, so she simply didn¡¯t run away.


    Officer Lansing surveyed each of us and the room beyond the open door, reading the situation better than I would have given a new officer credit for, or maybe he¡¯d seen what Officer Vance was really like and knew my statement was probably true.


    ¡°Maybe I can take over, being new and all?¡± He said, turning to Officer Vance. ¡°It would give me practice on managing a situation like this?¡±


    Vance gesticulated with a chin thrust for Lansing to continue, stepping back from Lana and I while flexing his gun hand twice as if in reading his fingers for a quick draw before resting them on his pistol again.


    I grit my teeth. I wouldn¡¯t allow anything more than idle threats from Officer Vance and had the power to stop anything he tried if needed. Bullets weren¡¯t that hard to negate with magic and I sure as heck knew I could muster up a ward faster than he could draw. Fren was also really into composting. Hiding a body wouldn¡¯t be that hard, Fren had hidden much worse monsters down in the basement, using their bodies to spring new life from his plants. I took a deep breath to clear my mind. I wasn¡¯t a murderer. I¡¯d never killed a human and doing so by magic was forbidden, but Vance¡­. I grit my teeth, closed my eyes for a moment, and took another deep breath. For Vance it was almost worth running afoul of the Tribunal.


    Vance was a despicably misogynistic man, the kind that tarnished entire organizations. The other Boise officers I¡¯d met were great by far and large, but just like with anything else, there were those drawn to power who abused it.


    ¡°Where were you at 6:20 this morning,¡± Officer Lansing asked, pulling out a small notebook, his tone dismissing everything that had happened so far as irrelevant.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure of the exact time,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t wear a clock or carry a phone. But I was either asleep in my bed at the Sugar Loaf Inn, or I was driving home.¡±


    ¡°You stayed at the Inn last night? Which room were you in?¡±


    ¡°Yes, for the past two nights, but I¡¯m sure you already knew that. I was in room number five, again something you probably know. It was the last room at the far end of the motel.¡±


    ¡°There was a note in the inn¡¯s logbook showing that they switched another expected guest to a different room, so that you could have that specific one.¡± Officer Lansing said, ¡°Is there a reason why? And what transpired this morning before you left?¡± He watched my face and body as I answered, looking for any clue that I was lying, but his hand moved smoothly over his notepad as he recorded my statement. If I was more of a suspect, he would have had a recording device, but I didn¡¯t see one on him and it didn¡¯t look like they were going to haul me down to the station. That made me relax a little, then again, maybe that was the point of doing it like this. I knew I could probably decline to answer until I had a lawyer. It might be the smarter thing to do, Officer Vance had seemed to think I was central to this investigation in some way. But that would make me look guilty and I had nothing to hide.


    ¡°I asked for that room because it¡¯s the furthest one off on its own. I don¡¯t like to be disturbed and having other guests on all sides could wake me up. It¡¯s also a gas station and I wanted to be further from the pumps. As for this morning, not much happened. I woke up. I hadn¡¯t sleep well, so I decided to check out early rather than stay another day. I talked to Phillis, the owner, gave her my room key. Then left. I drove straight here to my shop.¡±


    ¡°Can someone vouch for when you arrived at your shop, or did you see the time in your car?¡±


    ¡°I drive an old CJ-5. The radio was gutted or stolen years before I bought it, along with any clock it might have had.¡±


    ¡°You really never looked at the time?¡± Officer Vance asked with a sneer.


    ¡°That¡¯s the way I live my life, time free. It¡¯s a unique perspective.¡± I gestured to the walls in the shop, none of which held a clock.


    Lansing looked around the room, spotting no cameras, no clocks, and no electronics whatsoever beside the old iron-encased coffee machine and the brass relic of a till. Both of which looked old enough they made a statement in and of themselves. ¡°Alright,¡± Officer Lansing said, brow furrowed, ¡°No exact time of return.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a freak, He¡¯s¡ª¡±


    I cut Vance off, ¡°-¡ªWhen I got in, my business partner,¡± I felt like congratulating myself on getting it right this time, ¡°was here. She might know the exact time and can at least vouch for me arriving early. You could ask her for any details you need about my arrival.¡±


    ¡°We will need her contact information,¡± The rookie said.


    I rattled off her address and phone number. I could tell the others were somewhat impressed but that was the thing. Everyone used to have to memorize phone numbers and addresses, so it wasn¡¯t a big deal. Now it was an abnormality because everyone else used phones rather than training their brains. It made me more irritated. I wondered what Lana was thinking.


    Lana had grown quiet, but seemed content to wait and watch.


    ¡°Can I ask why I¡¯m a person of interest?¡± I asked, hoping to clear my name directly in her eyes.


    The two officers looked at each other but Vance was the one who answered.


    ¡°There was a murder at the Sugar Loaf Inn. You were the only one that we know of who left early in the morning. A witness saw your Jeep driving off¡ªrather fast- I might add¡ªfrom the crime scene.¡±


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    ¡°Talk to Phillis, she saw me, and I had no time to murder anyone between when we talked, and I left.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s the one who¡¯s dead,¡± Officer Vance said with an accusatory glare.


    The news came as a punch to my gut. I broke out in a sweat, and I had to focus to keep my magical energies under control. Phillis had been a genuinely kind person. She¡¯d been excited to go see her granddaughters school play in Ketchum next week. She¡¯d been polite and helpful, especially when I¡¯d requested a certain room. She and her husband had bought and ran the inn and gas station for literal decades. I¡¯d never met her husband. He¡¯d been in Alaska on a fishing trip the entire time I was at the inn, but I¡¯d heard stories, and it seemed like they had a genuinely good life together.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked, lost for words. ¡°But she was fine. She¡­ Damn,¡± I trailed off. My expression must have looked genuine enough that it set off Darron.


    ¡°Don¡¯t feign innocence,¡± he yelled, pointing a finger at me like a dagger. I was glad he hadn¡¯t tried it with his gun. ¡°I know the type of things you¡¯re involved with. Strange disappearances, the paranormal, black magic. You hide it all with this new age shit,¡± he gestured to my store, ¡°but I¡¯ve seen you.¡± His last utterance sent spittle flying to stain his upper lip as he vehemently disparaged me.


    Lana gave me a side-eye. I didn¡¯t know what to say to rectify things, Officer Vance had seen the real me. I¡¯d been frantically hunting a changeling creature in the city. There had been three missing children and with Fren¡¯s help I¡¯d been on the hunt for the supernatural creature who had been responsible. I hadn¡¯t been able to trust anyone. Officer Vance had found me beating a man I suspected of being the creature in a parking garage. I¡¯d had good cause, but I¡¯d been wrong about the guy and ended up catching the true creature later. The guy had been a thug, pedophile, and possible human trafficker, so he deserved far worse than I gave him. I had trapped the man in a ritual circle which of necessity had been made of blood. My blood, because I wasn¡¯t going to hurt anything else to get it. My vigilantism hadn¡¯t gone over well when Officer Vance had arrived on the scene.


    The trap I¡¯d constructed would take away a changeling creature¡¯s ability to transform for a time, which I¡¯d needed in order to stop it. But finding me beating a guy in a parking garage by his car in a circle made of my own blood gave Vance good reasons to distrust me. I was clearly deeper into the occult than what I presented to the general world, and he knew it.


    The problem was, I was one of the good guys.


    Vance had locked me up, but the other guy had decided not to press charges given what I knew about him, and he thought that would stop me from revealing why I thought he was the true criminal. I hadn¡¯t been prosecuted. Still, it had permanently put me on Darron Vance¡¯s bad side. I was the fish that got away. I¡¯d still arranged for the right information to make it to the right people and the thug had been arrested a few days later and last I heard was spending a long time in prison.


    Actual monsters residing in Boise were generally smart, efficient, and well-hidden. I¡¯d found a few, but knew it was the outcasts. Those leading things here and seemingly in most cities, set firm rules to avoid discovery. I¡¯d initially thought starting in a smaller city like this would be a safe place to stop crime, grow my skills, and work on magic, essentially to do some good in the world in a place I wouldn¡¯t be outclassed rather than watch it pass me by. I¡¯d only been partially correct.


    Creatures of the night, the fae, and other supernatural groups were present threats even here. They just hid their tracks better. Missing persons, deaths, and injuries all covered under other guises.


    Travelers were targeted along with others who wouldn¡¯t be missed. I¡¯d found urban areas attracted sinister, smart beings, who killed with no overt bloodshed that would alert the local authorities. It was probably true in most places.


    I grit my teeth, mad that I couldn¡¯t fix it all, not even in my own city I¡¯d grown to love. Not even when the victim was someone I¡¯d met like Phillis. ¡°It wasn¡¯t me. But I want to know what you found, maybe I can help find the actual culprit?¡± I looked Officer Vance in the eyes and tried to convey my intent, my voice as calm as I could manage. ¡°She was a good woman. Perhaps we can piece what we each know together and figure out what happened, I¡¯m willing to share anything that might be of use.¡±


    The rookie looked to Vance.


    ¡°No. I¡¯m not going to give you the chance to come up with a cover story,¡± Darron said. ¡°You¡¯re far too cunning.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s almost a compliment, coming from you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to hang for this,¡± Vance said, losing his cool and stepping towards me aggressively. ¡°If you know more, you should tell us now or confess and make it easy.¡±


    ¡°What about innocent until proven guilty,¡± I asked, eyes narrowing. We now stood near inches from each other, close enough I could pick up on his stale body odor.


    ¡°You¡¯re our only lead. The only person who could have done it. When forensics get back you will pay for this. I know it was you. Phillis¡¯s husband was out of town, and they had a happy marriage. No reason for foul play.¡± He said the last like it was full-proof evidence that it could only have been me.


    Officer Lansing reached out and put his palm on Vance¡¯s chest, slowly pushing the man back from me and the open door. In a much more relaxed voice he gave me a few more details, ¡°There was only one other room in use and those tenants were still there. They found the crime scene a little after you left.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a gas station in the mountains. It could have been anyone,¡± Then an idea struck me, ¡°There should be cameras? You could check them; they were all over the pumps and there was one right inside the front door.¡±


    Officer Vance let out a bitter laugh, ¡°You would point out the cameras, knowing full well you broke them.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°The drives were corrupted. Half the cameras don¡¯t even power on anymore. Every light in the gas station is broken as well as all the fridges. The victim¡¯s husband assures us they were all working before he left, and that Phillis would have told him if that had changed.¡±


    I wanted to curse. I¡¯d stayed at the inn too long. The wards to shield my dreams might have been enough to do in the electronics in my room, given my nightmare it could have damaged them in a few others. However, as they had established, my room was the furthest from the front desk and pumps I could get. My deleterious magical effects on tech shouldn¡¯t have reached so far. If they had, the lights and electronics in the gas station would have all been burned out too, which they hadn¡¯t been when I left.


    ¡°And that implicates me how?¡±


    ¡°The alarm, TV, hell, even the smoke detector in the room you checked out of don¡¯t work anymore. It¡¯s not a big leap to see you don¡¯t like electronics and are good with tampering with them.¡±


    ¡°Did they show signs of tampering?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± The rookie said, jumping in to stall the tension. ¡°If they had, we would be having a different conversation right now. But Officer Vance is correct, you are a person of interest. We¡¯re here to notify you not to leave town until our investigation is over.¡±


    Lana had moved closer and was leaning against the nearby wall, watching the events transpire. I saw her eyes pass over me and wondered what she was thinking. Given her drawn-in stature, crossed arms, and narrow lips, my odds of ever going on a date with her had probably hit rock bottom. No sane woman wanted to risk dating a killer, innocent until proven guilty be damned. It was too much of a risk and I totally understood it.


    Officer Lansing continued, with a sigh, looking at Lana and seeing what I had. His next words surprised me, ¡°I¡¯m going to tell you both more than we should, given the situation.¡± Vance turned angrily towards him, but the other officer ignored him. ¡°There were no signs of tampering with any of the electronics in the store. The initial coroner report also made it look like the murder happened after the time you were seen leaving. The sole witness was reading in her room with the window open. She saw you leave, but no other cars came in or out that she noticed¡ªbut she wasn¡¯t paying particular attention for it. Given you were the only one there we¡¯d have arrested you already, but the event resembled other deaths which have occurred in the forest. The ones that have been all over the news.¡±


    I nodded, it had been the creature or thing I¡¯d been hunting. Magic was involved if everything in the gas station was broken.


    ¡°At one of those other attacks, someone matching your description Cal was reported as staying at a nearby bed and breakfast in Ketchum,¡± Vance suggested, undercutting his rookies attempts at saving my date and providing us with more information.


    Shit. I thought frowning. I¡¯d been casually searching for vague threats Fren had heard about from the woods, but I¡¯d been more casual about it until the news began saying it was an animal attack. I had been trying to think like a fae, as one of those creatures was the most likely culprit. That put me near some of the initial missing persons. I used cash, but I wasn¡¯t exactly a forgettable person if anyone spent time around me. I was tall, had a few distinctive scars, and was reasonably fit. I also wasn¡¯t the best at laying low and my inherent power made me stand out to sensitive and intuitive people. I¡¯d been trying to guess where the creature was roving in order to capture it and now that implicated me in the murders.


    Vance had also let something else slip. He¡¯d said attack rather than murder. The previous attacks had been chalked up to a rabid bear, cougar, or wolf by the news. If the death at the Sugar Loaf Inn resembled an animal attack they were only looking into other possibilities because they had no good answers. I was simply a suspect of convenience, not necessarily due to the evidence. The timing didn¡¯t match, I knew because I¡¯d arrived after the group went missing near Ketchum. Still being a suspect or tailed by someone undercover would hamper my own efforts to stop this thing.


    I might be their only lead.


    I didn¡¯t like that.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I told Officer Lansing. ¡°I know you didn¡¯t have to tell us that, and for my sake and Lana¡¯s I¡¯m thankful for it. I¡¯m not a criminal. But I am willing to help in any way I can. I was in Ketchum because I like to hike and be in the outdoors. I have nothing to hide. It¡¯s no surprise I¡¯d be near events if they were happening in the forest, I go out every few weeks. I know most of the inn owners by name, at least this side of the Sawtooth¡¯s.


    ¡°I only said so much¡­¡± Officer Lansing said, looking towards Officer Vance, ¡°because were trying to figure this out. For now, I believe you, but stay in town. We may have further questions.¡± His expression with a side glance at Officer Vance, signaled another unspoken reason. It was because he thought Vance was being a dick and that I deserved some context as to why, and probably because Lana had witnessed it all and he felt bad.


    ¡°Is there anything I can do?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Let us search the premises,¡± Darron said, loudly butting in. ¡°I¡¯m sure we won¡¯t find anything tied to the occult or witchcraft, and we could clear your name. A guy like you wouldn¡¯t have knives or weapons that could be used to resemble an animal attack. It would be for your own good and we could clear you right now. Just like the last time we met; everything was perfectly normal.¡± Officer Vance tilted his head up, as if considering deeply, then he gave me a wicked grin. With a glance at Lana to ensure she was listening in. ¡°What was it? Oh yeah, you were beating a guy half to death in a demonic summoning rite, drawn out in your own blood-¡ªCompletely normal stuff.¡± He said the last words while shrugging his shoulders.


    Officer Lansing and Lana both regarded me with different expressions. Lana¡¯s wide eyes met mine, and her expression could only be taken as surprise or shock. I clenched my fists and weighed if the charges they would bring up against me for punching Darron might be worth it. But no, I really didn¡¯t want to give them a reason to go through my stuff. I had some very¡­ rare ingredients downstairs and I wasn¡¯t sure if they were all strictly legal. Much less Fren¡¯s personal garden being disturbed. Nothing was as directly damning as what Darron had seen last time, but still, I didn¡¯t want to explain away my secrets all night.


    ¡°I have nothing to hide¡­ but I¡¯m going to have to insist you get a warrant. If you hadn¡¯t come in here like a jack ahh¡ªlike your loveable self-¡ª¡± I amended, ¡°then maybe. But if I¡¯m a suspect you¡¯re going to need a warrant.¡±


    ¡°Guilty as anyone I¡¯ve ever met,¡± Vance said, spitting on the brickwork of my shop off the main steps, ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve dropped bodies in your past. I¡¯ll¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªLet¡¯s leave, before we threaten a civilian who can push charges against us and the department,¡± Officer Lansing said, gesturing to Lana and myself. Clearly indicating that I had a witness present, and Officer Vance was clearly stepping over lines. ¡°We will be in touch Cal. Don¡¯t leave town.¡±


    The officers left and as the door clicked mostly shut, catching on the edge of a rug jostled in our conversation. My shoulders slumped as I let out a long breath, ¡°I¡¯m sorry you had to witness that. Officer Vance and I have a past.¡±


    ¡°That was clear,¡± Lana said, voice firm and reserved. I noticed she looked relaxed, but she was also keeping some distance between us.


    ¡°Look. If you want to leave and forget you ever met me, I get it. I can make sure I go to different classes at Rex¡¯s and the world will keep spinning.¡±


    ¡°Oh no. I¡¯m not running,¡± Lana said.


    I raised a brow and truly looked at her. I saw now that her focused gaze was more intrigued than terrified, shocked, or skeptical. I could tell she had more questions and wanted information.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯d be lying If I said I wasn¡¯t glad to hear it. Do you have any questions?¡±


    Her eyes seemed to see through me, ¡°My dad¡­ he was a bit¡­ unconventional. He had me training in fighting styles from the age I started walking. My mom died when I was eight. Cancer.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said, curious about the non sequitur.


    ¡°Shh,¡± She shushed me. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to tell you a sob story to get sympathy. I get too much of that as it is. I¡¯m trying to explain why I¡¯m not leaving. Going would objectively be the sane thing to do, but I¡¯m not sure I am sane. And you need to know why I¡¯m still here. Then I have questions for you.¡± Her eyes met mine, her voice firm, ¡°And you will answer them.¡±

 Chapter 13 — It hurts, but not as Badly

    Chapter 13 ¡ª It hurts, but not as Badly


    I nodded to Lana, intending to clarify anything I could now that the officers were gone. I ensured their patrol car had started up the road before I bent down and fixed the rug, allowing the door to shut completely now that I knew Lana wasn¡¯t going to immediately run for it. I didn¡¯t lock the door and took a few steps back from it an Lana. That she wanted more information was obvious, but it made me curious as to why. Darron Vance hadn¡¯t held back in describing how he¡¯d met me. It was explainable¡­ if I told her everything. Lana regarded me cooly, eyes calculating my every movement.


    ¡°My dad had me train in fighting, but also in everything else he could think of. We gambled¡­ a lot, and I got good at reading people, better than him in fact.¡± She said with a laugh which revealed more about her childhood than her story had so far. ¡°He had friends in other branches of government. The CIA, FBI, I¡¯m not even sure what some of them did or what they were a part of, but you know the types. I learned from them. I think he wanted me to take a route in life like him, protecting others, but staying out of direct combat or the military. He wanted me to be strong and work in the FBI or something. I almost did. But events in my life led me elsewhere. Here.¡±


    ¡°I bring all that up because that training lets me know a few things. I can tell you know more than you¡¯re letting on to those officers, but I also don¡¯t think you did this.¡± Her eyes bore into mine as if they might uncover my secrets. ¡°That only leaves a few options. You¡¯re up to something or tied to this in some way. Whatever it is, I want to know what you know, or I walk out that door and you never see me again.¡±


    I stood silent. Not sure where to start or if I even should. I felt the apprehension of telling her the truth like a physical weight around my neck. That hadn¡¯t gone well last time. I knew wizards tended to be more solitary in fiction and stories and it was for good reasons. Lore was based on a form of the truth. Wizards attracted danger. The pixie Fren had ¡®dispatched¡¯ was drawn to this location because of me and the residual power of my shop as well as the power I¡¯d laid down in the very foundation of the building to protect it. It kept me safe, but it also made the building stand out to the supernatural like a castle on a hill. More inquisitive or stupid beings would be drawn to it.


    I sighed as I weighed the many courses the conversation might go. The truth was, if I wanted to get to know Lana more, she in turn would have to get to know me. In my wildest thoughts since meeting her I¡¯d never imagined having to tell her everything, today. My most wild of thoughts had only ever dared consider going on a first date. That had seemed like a pipe dream. I¡¯d purposefully not thought about the eventual time I¡¯d have to tell her ¡®I¡¯m a wizard¡¯ and that my hobby was hunting creatures that fed on people, because I knew a date would likely never happen. Hell, Kate didn¡¯t even know the truth, and I¡¯d worked with her for two years. Other than Fren she was literally the person I was around the most.


    But the truth was, I was lonely. I wanted someone else to know what I did. I faulted the elder wizards for their seeming distancing from humanity around them, yet I had largely done the same.


    I¡¯d grown up in foster care, switching families repeatedly until being adopted and raised in basically what amounted to an off-grid homestead in Montana which hadn¡¯t lent itself to meeting many others. Moving here had been refreshing but I hadn¡¯t made many close friends. I wasn¡¯t sure how to be myself while also hiding the biggest parts of my life. I¡¯d always kept my guard up and assumed others wouldn¡¯t want to know the real me. That it would be too dangerous for them.


    That was true, but it was also more¡­ I was scared. I was afraid of telling anyone after what had happened last time, and that realization made me pissed. I hated being scared. Yes, Chloe had dumped me after learning who I was. Now I had the chance to start fresh, to possibly gain a friend based on trust from the beginning. Someone who knew the real me from the start. Someone who apparently needed people too.


    I saw one of the plants in the corner sway in an unseen breeze. Fren telling me to basically ¡®go for it¡¯. He would have understood my pause and hesitation more than anyone else.


    ¡°Okay. You''re right.¡± I said, to both Fren and Lana though she wouldn¡¯t realize. ¡°I know more than I let on. I¡¯ve been trying to find and stop whatever¡¯s been killing people in the forest.¡±


    ¡°The ¡®mountain terror¡¯ the news keeps talking about?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°And in what world is that your responsibility? Do you have a hero complex? And if so, what more could you even offer than the police?¡±


    Lana was smart. I had to give her that. Smart, very skilled, and as my hindbrain kept reminding me-¡ªbeautiful. Maybe not everyone would have found her so, but she was too me. There was a presence to her, and I couldn¡¯t help but be drawn to her eyes, her mannerisms. It made me nervous to tell her everything, but I had nothing to lose. Attraction was a great initial part of a relationship, but it took more than that to last. They took trust.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­¡± Shit. There was no good way to go about this. Maybe I should have put ¡®wizard¡¯ in an ad in the paper, then people would start with that information before they ever even met me. ¡°I¡¯m trained to deal with creatures most people never encounter, things that don¡¯t make sense.¡± I gestured to my shop, ¡°This shop is wonderful. I love it. But it¡¯s not my true calling in life. It serves to pay the bills and give me a place to live, but beyond that, it¡¯s just a shop.¡±


    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    Lana nodded, her hazel eyes not missing anything, boring into my own, ¡°What kind of training and what type of creatures?¡±


    And here it was, where things had to get weird. ¡°The spooky fairy tale kind. The kind that consistently comes up throughout history and legend. The things that make us instinctively scared of the dark.¡±


    Lana gave me a long look, ¡°Melodrama much?¡± She said. While her words portrayed annoyance or disbelief. Her eyes told a different story as she considered me, listening to every word. I wasn¡¯t good at reading people, much less her, but I didn¡¯t think she thought I was crazy. She hadn¡¯t run for the door yet, that had to be a good sign.


    ¡°¡ªYou¡¯ve seen things,¡± I said, and to my surprise, she looked down. Unsure of herself. Most people had seen something they couldn¡¯t explain. People lived long lives and things happened. Usually, they forgot, or convinced themselves it was something mundane, or that it never happened. Human recollection is terrible even in controlled studies, much less the messiness of actual life and recalling events days, weeks, and years after they passed. Plus, people didn¡¯t want to be seen as crazy, so they adjusted their stories until they landed on something they could believe or explain away.


    ¡°¡­My dad, and other Navy seals, some of the people that came to visit him¡­ they told stories.¡± Lana bit her lip, ¡°Militaries are full of stories that don¡¯t make sense. Deaths, attacks, black ops missions that fail for unknown reasons. He taught me to keep an eye out for the truly weird.¡±


    ¡°But you saw something. You wouldn¡¯t act this way if it was only hearsay. You saw something personally.¡±


    She nodded. Lips tight, shoulders hunched.


    ¡°Do you¡­ want to talk about it?¡±


    ¡°Not right now. I need to know how you know what you do. How you are certain you can find this thing?¡± Lana stared at me for a long moment. Her eyes growing watery, she had a tear form in the left one, but it wasn¡¯t enough to run down her cheek only blur her eye. Her dark mascara stained the drop an ashy color. Whatever she had seen must have rattled her.


    ¡°Well...¡± I said, ¡°I¡¯m never sure how to start this but¡­ I¡¯m a wizard.¡± I shrugged as if I hadn¡¯t revealed something extremely personal.


    At my words, she didn¡¯t laugh but furrowed her brow in confusion which bled to anger and exhaustion in a moment.


    ¡°A wizard?¡± Disbelief like a clear dagger in her words as the tear ran down her cheeks and her shoulders slumped. I saw a bit of the light in her persona falter.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said, gut clenched as I knew I was being rejected¡­ just like before.


    She took a long look around the shop, then looked me up and down. I wore jeans and an off-the-rack T-shirt which I¡¯m sure didn¡¯t help my pronouncement. I was tall, wiry, and had a scruffy few days of beard growth. Basically, I looked normal. I saw the change in her expression. The disbelief turned to a closing off of herself towards me. She didn¡¯t want to share personal information with someone who thought they were a wizard. Someone delusional that might even be a murderer. Whatever spark of interest that had caused her to stay so long was now thoroughly quenched.


    ¡°I can show you,¡± I said. My heart tight and my chest heavy. I wanted to unleash a massive flow of power and crush a car. To do something drastic and prove I wasn¡¯t lying.


    She raised a hand to stall me from saying or doing anything else. ¡°I¡¯ve met people who said they were wizards, Wickens, or who had supernatural gifts. They all turned out to be frauds. I just¡­ well, I thought you might be different. Might actually know about the supernatural.¡±


    The lack of belief made me irritated, ¡°I am. I¡¯m not a simple wilder. I am a wizard.¡±


    She let out a long breath. ¡°You may have seen things too, but a wizard?¡± Her jaw firmed, ¡°No. That¡¯s a step too far for me. I should leave.¡± She stepped towards the door.


    I thought of a million things I could say, that I could do, but this reminded me too much of Chloe. I felt hot and my hands were shaking. I had a raw spot for those not believing who I was when I flat-out told them.


    I wasn¡¯t a liar.


    It hurt, but not as badly as it had in the past. Chloe had been my best friend and then-girlfriend. We¡¯d been inseparable the last two years of high school¡ªLana was barely an acquaintance. I was who I was, and I didn¡¯t blame her. Hell, most wizards kept their identity secret and didn¡¯t take kindly to those who shared that information wantonly. Witch burnings hadn¡¯t all been wrongful superstitious killings. The truth was, even doing magic in front of someone who didn¡¯t want to believe it wouldn¡¯t change their mind. In the same way a religious person could see a miracle where others saw only coincidence, or where a political rival only saw the faults of the other side, despite absolute facts presented to them. People were tribal and it was impossible to convince them of things they were set against. Trying with Lana would only frighten her. Even if I managed to give her a glimpse of a largely unseen world around her, it would only scare her, and make her feel less secure. She¡¯d been through enough and was just starting to rebuild herself. Honestly, it was probably better for her to not know me.


    My chest hurt. But I could control my feelings, my frustration, my pride. I tried to rein in my magical aura, so as to not damage her phone if she had one. My emotions were growing frayed and it took some work.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I wasted your time. Thanks again for coming by,¡± I said, managing to keep my tone level. ¡°You''re always welcome back."


    Lana nodded, and I swung open the door for her, unsure of what else to say.


    She began stepping through the threshold but paused, half in and half out of the shop. Her eyes met mine for a last moment, scrutinizing them. Perhaps, given time she¡¯d be ready to learn more. The plant beside the door and out of view from Lana drooped as if dead and unwatered for days. Fren likely could feel my disappointment and felt the same. He was a good friend. I guess it was just me and my tree companion for a little longer, though I knew an annoying night of unsolicited advice was heading my way.


    Lana turned to leave¡ªand something struck her like the hand of god. She was thrown back into the shop, tumbling in a sprawl across the floor. I hesitated, looking to see if she was all right rather than slamming the door so the building¡¯s strongest wards could activate immediately. That was all the time the creatures needed.

 Chapter 14 — Humfrieens

    Chapter 14 ¡ª Humfrieens


    Three shadow pixies flitted into the room on wings sharp as razors to join the one who had struck Lana in the chest and barreled her to the floor.


    The four wild fae screeched at near subsonic levels. They were small, each only the size of a house cat, but far more powerful than they looked. They had bulbous grey-skinned bodies and looked like sickly miniaturized humanoids with wings that darted about the room at the speed of diving falcons.


    ¡°Fren!¡± I called out as I gathered my will and slammed the door shut with my arm. Power flooded my body like a surge of adrenaline which I was surely feeling too. My hesitation only lasted for a moment, fortunately, I¡¯d laid the groundwork for defensive spells in the building. I considered running to where I could activate the more aggressive ones. But no, that would leave Lana exposed for far too long. My baseline spells to reinforce the building and hamper these creatures would be in effect, and it would have to be enough. This was my home turf.


    I changed course, sprinting toward Lana. She lay stunned and the little creature that had struck her was busy pulling a small dagger free from a black leather sheath at its side. It was a fae blade, made of some blackish metal reminiscent of obsidian. I arrived just as the creature struck, the small three-inch blade seeking Lana¡¯s heart. I didn¡¯t hesitate and punted the fae like I was kicking a soccer ball. The effect was devastating on the little creature atop her chest, likely killing it instantly as its body flipped through the air into the far recesses of my shop.


    Its three remaining companions let out screeches of blinded rage. Each diving towards me seeking retribution. I summoned my will, focused my power, and crafted a solid shield ward around us with a word. I didn¡¯t yet have the control to simply shield one direction so a rough, dome surrounded us. To anything nonmagical it would appear invisible but as the creatures struck, it flared in iridescent greens and reds. The fae creatures howled in miniature fury as they were tossed back.


    Sweat broke out on my forehead with the effort of the spell. Shields were exceptionally draining, and I wasn¡¯t only opposing their attacks. My shield extended down into the floor and under us wasting something like 90 percent of the energy and as strong as most of my spells were, it wasted a lot. Magical refinement and conservation of power came with years of practice and meticulous spell crafting.


    I stood¡ªfurious, holding my shield strong as the strain built. One of these little buggers had tossed Lana halfway across the shop with its sheer strength. Without biological magical reinforcement, attempting something like that for such a small creature should have killed the fae outright. It hadn¡¯t, that showed how strong the little bastards were. Their strikes were harder to repel than a bullet would have been, due to their mass and inherent strength, in time they would have overwhelmed my shield. Luckily, I wasn¡¯t alone as the barrage continued against the barrier.


    Fren silently rose from the far stairwell. His normally calm demeanor shifted into a silent snarling rage. His body contorted into one of his many battle forms. He stooped like a hulking human, with overly long arms that nearly dragged on the floor, broad shoulders, and strong legs. He nearly made it to us to strike unseen on the pixies but one of them spotted the new threat and gave a screech of alarm. The attack against my spell relented as all three pixies took flight towards the ceiling to regroup.


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    I turned to check on Lana and saw her shocked face as she watched them buzz away, eyes large. The fae were enough of an oddity but adding in Fren and my own magic would mean Lana might not handle the next few moments well. She had a small, ragged wound across her sternum where the dagger had gained some purchase before I kicked the creature away, but it didn¡¯t look too serious. Still, I should have been faster.


    I released my shield as anger boiled up in me and my magical power surged. Strong emotions like fury, love, lust, confidence, resolve and even fear could magnify spells. They pulled more direct energy from the mind and soul; overriding calm logic and thought. They served to enhance my power like a short-lived catalyst, but it could impact spells in unpredictable ways.


    Lana moved, scrambling back from me, Fren, and the creatures. I wanted to explain, to let her know everything would be okay¡ªbut now wasn¡¯t the time.


    There were still threats.


    Fren elongated his forest-growth fingers, trying to trap one of the creatures in one corner of the room. He was assisted by a potted plant in that area which grew dozens of times its normal size, blocking escape paths for the fae with questing vine like tendrils. Fren would catch the enemy in moments.


    Unfortunately, the other two were still free. One swooped down to Fren¡¯s back, scoring a small cut across his wooden body. Fren gave no sign of pain, he was strong in his own right, so I focused on the other coming at me.


    I summoned my will. I had some skill in all the basic elements. Higher powers like dark, light, life, and death were more difficult, but I had enough juice to be a full fledge wizard. Fortunately for me, most of my power was earth-focused and we were in a building made of stone, wood, and brick.


    I focused my will on a brick high up in the wall desiring it to be my cudgel. ¡°Mot!¡± I shouted, and the brick, broke free of its grout and flew rapidly at the flying fae. It crushed into the creature who spun out of control, grabbing onto one of the shelves full of crystals and knocking the whole thing over as it thrashed to the floor. The crash rang out, precious gemstones and wood splintered and skittering across my shop.


    My spell also had the unintended effect of shattering every lightbulb in the room. Glass shards rained down as we were plunged into darkness with at least one pixie of shadow still alive if Fren had managed to kill his target. My eyes adjusted to the faint moonlight streaming through the windows, I saw Lana was standing and had grabbed a crystal in one hand as an impromptu weapon. My spell had also been enough to kill the two streetlights ringing the front street of the store, it probably also broke things in the next shop over which shared a wall with mine. Oops. Jeff who owned the shop next door was going to be pissed.


    Lana moved to stand a few feet away on my left side as we listened intently.


    I heard the flittering buzzing of the pixie¡¯s wings whirling above in the shadows as it darted about us. The one thrashing on the floor from my brick strike had gone silent, either it was dead or had taken flight again but towards Fren. I ducked as the tone of pixie wings shifted in pitch. Instead of losing an eye I received a deep cut across my brow.


    Pain and fury lanced through me, as I lost my calm. I had no way of knowing if Lana was also being attacked or if the next strike might cut something vital.


    ¡°Mot!¡± I yelled, green light playing about my fingers and hands as I focused on the hundreds of rocks in my shop. I sent them all skyrocketing toward the ceiling like a massive shotgun blast. Rocks shattered on the roof, which was the wooden floor of my room. The noise was unbearably loud as everything stuck at once.


    I wasn¡¯t sure where the pixies had been, but my attack had been thorough enough to end whatever they had been scheming. They were probably little more than pulp somewhere in the shop or plastered on the roof.


    A rage-filled pain flooded my head as the cost of expending so much power in a single spell crashed into me. I¡¯d overreached¡ªwhich could have life-threatening consequences. I fell to the ground, adrenaline, and power fading. I tasted blood and my head swam.


    ¡°Cal? Cal!¡± Lana yelled, coming to my aid on the floor. My head was clouded but I needed to let her know Fren was a friend.


    ¡°Humfrieens,¡± Or something near to that was all my mouth and brain were able to piece together before I blacked out.

 Chapter 15 — First Date

    Chapter 15 ¡ª First Date


    I came too sometime later. My head rested on something softer than the wooden floor. I reached back to find a purse.


    ¡°What?¡± I mumbled, sitting up.


    ¡°See, he is well,¡± Fren¡¯s voice said in the dim light. ¡°As I foretold.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Lana said, relief evident in her tone. The room was lit, someone had found the matches and the several candles around the shop. It was probably Lana, Fren didn¡¯t like fire.


    The store was a disaster. Most of the shop¡¯s wares were destroyed. I could recover some, using my mana to bind objects of stone was a spell I was more than familiar with, but the sheer volume of stones that needed repair made buying new ones an easier proposition.


    The pixies¡¯ bodies were gathered into a pile. Each of the four clearly dead. The one on top had a large wooden plank from one of the shattered shelving stands stabbed through it. Maybe Fren¡¯s work?


    As I sat up and the world swam so I took my time before sliding a few feet to rest my back against the cool wall of the front counter. Its support against my back a welcome help.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Lana asked once I got adjusted. ¡°Cal, can you understand me? How many fingers am I holding up?¡±


    ¡°Four,¡± I said with a grin, while she held up only three.


    She looked questioningly at Fren.


    ¡°He has poor taste when it comes to joking and serious occasions,¡± Fren said with an awkward shrug. His body had changed from the hunched nightmare of the battle to one more preferential to human sensibilities.


    Well thanks Fren, I thought, ¡°I¡¯m fine now. How long have I been out?¡±


    ¡°Long enough for your she mate to slay one of the shadow fae. She is now blooded.¡± Fren made the statement with an odd note of approval and satisfaction.


    ¡°Blooded?¡± Lana asked from beside me, but the question was directed at Fren. She shifted to a more comfortable position than kneeling directly on the floorboards beside me. Fren towered above us like a great oak.


    ¡°You are now an enemy to one of the Queens of the fae,¡± Fren said.


    ¡°The Queen of Crows. The Morrigan, the Queen of darkness, Mab. Take your pick on the name, it¡¯s all convoluted in history,¡± I said, ¡°but she¡¯s a big deal. You have killed one of her minions and are now forever marked as enemy. Welcome to the club.¡±


    Fren grinned above as if having an enemy was a wonderful thing.


    Shit, I thought. I mean, it shouldn¡¯t matter but if Lana ever did stumble upon one of the servants of that queen, she was in a world of trouble. I¡¯d killed fae on both sides of the table, so I was doubly screwed, or an independent operator. Semantics mattered, especially when dealing with the fae. Still, the simple truth was that by trying to get to know me Lana¡¯s life had irrevocably been changed in a single evening, and not for the better.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said. ¡°Damn, this is a mess.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. She doesn¡¯t sound like a great person anyway,¡± Lana said. ¡°And I don¡¯t know what else I could have done.¡±


    ¡°Well-spoken warrior. I am glad to have shared in battle with you,¡± Fren said, matching his words with a formal bow.


    I watched Lana¡¯s smile for far too long as my head and thoughts swam-¡ªand since when did Fren have more game than me? Lana didn¡¯t seem the least bit perturbed by talking to the hulking forest ancient. Maybe I had hit my head when I collapsed, and this was all a dream? ¡°When did she kill one?¡± I managed.


    ¡°As you lay unconscious, unable to fight, defend, or plead for parley. She rose up and destroyed the wicked fae.¡± Fren said, his voice booming with pleasure.


    ¡°Way to phrase that in the most helpful way possible Fren¡­¡± I grumbled, attempting to stand, now that the world wasn¡¯t spinning so severely. Lana helped, lending me some extra strength with her arm. It was warm and strong. Fren smiled and gave an overly obvious wink as he considered us. This day is just going fantastic, I thought. ¡°So, you killed one, good job.¡±


    ¡°More like finished it off. I think it was the one that got hit with the flying brick, it didn¡¯t die but was trapped under the shelving until you¡­ did whatever it was you did at the end.¡±


    I gestured to the pile of dead pixies, the topmost creature with wood impaling its¡­ well, it was small enough it nearly had torn the thing in half. ¡°That one?¡±


    Lana grimaced, then nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said, running a hand through my hair. ¡°This has been a crazy night. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve never had a first date like this huh?¡±


    ¡°Date?¡± She asked, looking me up and down, ¡°I was just coming to make a friend.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah¡­ Just ignore that I ever said that. My brain is all over the place right now.¡± Freaking hell! I¡¯m worse than Fren, I thought.


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    Fren was busy running a hand down his own face at my words while shaking his head and looking apologetically at Lana. ¡°For Cal, this is the most interaction he has had with a female in a long time. I am sorry he considers this enough to constitute a date, I will educate him further in this regard.¡±


    He got the words out before I could shut him up. I took a deep breath, again imagining the pot I could plant him in in the back alley. I pinched myself to make sure, ¡°Yeah¡­ this is my real life.¡± I mumbled then rubbed the bridge of my nose before gesturing in a way that could encapsulate everything from my bloody head wound, Fren, the shop in tatters to Lana¡¯s own injuries.


    ¡°Well, date or not, I do have to say you know how to make things interesting,¡± Lana said.


    ¡°She has elevated pheromones around you as well Cal, you¡¯re doing great!¡± Fren said in a whispered voice like thunder with a massive thumbs up. Fren, the wingman I wouldn¡¯t wish upon my worst enemy. The comment and my clearly frustrated face were enough to make Lana laugh.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m sorry you had to kill something and got hurt,¡± I said, to break the building tension of the moment.


    ¡°Oh, you read me wrong. I¡¯m glad I got to fight. Those creatures were disgusting.¡±


    ¡°Fae most awful,¡± Fren agreed, nodding.


    I couldn¡¯t stop my eyebrows from raising, ¡°You know, you really are my kind of person.¡±


    That got another laugh, and I decided date or not, this was the best night I¡¯d had in ages¡­ minus the pounding headache, head wound, property damage, and Fren hitting it off with Lana more than I was.


    ¡°Do you have the energy to do a harvesting spell, or should I procure the monster cores on your behalf?¡± Fren asked.


    ¡°All yours buddy. My head is still ringing.¡±


    Fren got to work, clearing the floor about the bodies. His magic was more instinctive, primal, and raw than what I did, and that was saying something. It didn¡¯t require the structures mine did. Circles, rituals, and words to contain the free powers that could otherwise harm me.


    His magic¡­ well, it reminded me of the bible. Genesis to be exact. ¡®Let there be light¡¯ and there was. Fren began to hum, the notes a language of their own, pure vibrational tones. It was beautiful and terrifying all at once. As he sang the bodies simply changed. His voice all that was needed. The pixies¡¯ bodies would dissolve in a short time anyway, now devoid of a soul that anchored their formed bodies to the magic needed for survival in this realm. It would take the better part of a minute for Fren to finish his spell based on past experience. I wanted to ask Lana what they¡¯d talked about or done that I¡¯d missed, but she was transfixed on Fren and his magic.


    I realized everything else she¡¯d seen was while in the fight, quick dirty magic when she had been terrified or unable to really watch. It¡¯d also been pitch dark when I¡¯d done my last spell. So, I left her too it, amazed at her resiliency. I¡¯d only ever had to ¡®induct¡¯ a few people into the fold of magic. People who I¡¯d saved from beasts and creatures in the city or nearby woods. One was now a regular to my shop, probably more than anything to reassure himself that I was real and that the events they¡¯d been a part of had actually transpired.


    When Fren finished, four gleaming spheres sat on the ground. The bulbous, grey skinned humanoid creatures now gone.


    Fren stooped down, clasping the gems in his bark-like writhing hands. ¡°I¡¯ll put these in the basement until you are well enough to consume them,¡± he said, then directly began marching for the stairwell.


    ¡°What were those?¡± Lana asked in a near-silent whisper.


    ¡°Oh, he harvested the mana cores¡­ uh, the powers of the creatures we killed. I can use them to become stronger.¡±


    ¡°That was magic?¡±


    ¡°Sort of. What he does is kind of what existed before magic. Or I guess magic would have existed then, but nobody knew how to use it? Or if they did, we don¡¯t have knowledge of it now¡­¡± I cut off as I saw her wide eyes and her body lean in slightly as she grappled with the theory. My mind was still a jumble and I knew I wasn¡¯t doing the best job of explaining things.


    ¡°What?¡± she asked, ¡°Explain that again.¡±


    ¡°It gets complicated. I mean ancient writings are kind of few and far between. Nothing¡¯s very clear past a few millennia back.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Lana said, taking a deep breath. ¡°I am clearly going to need more context if I¡¯m going to understand anything.¡±


    ¡°Likely days and days of it,¡± I said, ¡°And the way my heads pounding I¡¯m not the best one to tell you right now, but I will. I¡¯ll tell you everything you need to know, but for tonight¡ªgood work. Thanks for finishing off that last one before it got up to trouble.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure Fren would have figured it out,¡± she said hesitantly.


    ¡°About that, how did you¡¯re getting to know him go?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Lana said, her cheeks growing flushed, ¡°I hit him with a second plank. It didn¡¯t do much. Then he applauded my strength and said we should check on you. I figured if the plank didn¡¯t do anything I wasn¡¯t going to be able to stop him with my bare hands, and for all I knew he really was your friend.¡±


    I smiled, picturing it all happening while I was out cold. I¡¯m sure it had been more awkward than she was letting on, given Fren was involved.


    ¡°He said you¡¯d hurt yourself,¡± Lana said. ¡°Doing all of this,¡± She gestured to the room. Rock shards lay everywhere. I¡¯d destroyed literally thousands of dollars of product, and my beloved shop was in shambles. My rage grew, but with it my splitting headache reared its head again. I¡¯d overdrawn on my power, which had been amplified by my emotional state. That was dangerous but I¡¯d survived and would be fine. I could sense my own core was undamaged. I¡¯d only injured it once before, a scar and imperfection that had long since healed with painstaking meditation and cultivating. I¡¯d developed a very powerful fire spell in my youth that had almost killed me and burned out my ability to use magic from my soul. Once I¡¯d mostly recovered Clair had said I was ready for testing.


    I groaned looking at the shop, my insurance company was not going to enjoy the call I was going to have to make in the morning.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I said, looking it all over and taking a deep breath. ¡°First, I need to take something for my headache. Then we can take a better look at the shop.¡±


    ¡°What was that word you yelled out? ¡®Mot¡¯? Is it magical?¡±


    ¡°No, just Latin. Probably not even the right Latin word if I¡¯m being honest. I was sixteen when I started learning magic commands and my instructor simply told me to choose or invent words that worked. So, I found a Latin dictionary and muddled my way through for most of them. It ties a spell to a word and saves your brain from having to process everything each time. I can teach you more later but for now, that¡¯s probably as good of an explanation as I can manage.¡±


    Lana shook her head, clearly trying to cope with it all. Somewhat hesitant, she continued. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t believe you¡­ I¡¯ve met people who said they were wizards. They weren¡¯t, not like this.¡±


    I sighed, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I should have presented it better. I have my own hang-ups about telling people about the supernatural.¡±


    Lana bit her lower lip, the conversation stalling. I yelled for Fren down the stairwell to get the blinds to break the silence. A dozen blinds began to lower over each window simultaneously around the shop as he worked his magic. Vines and branches pulled them down to shield the shop from the street front. It was late, but not too late and surely the noise had alerted someone in the area. We were probably lucky nobody had come knocking yet.


    Come with me, I¡¯ve got a first aid kit upstairs. Lana followed me up the stairs to my room.

 Chapter 16 — That has got to be Annoying

    Chapter 16 ¡ª That has got to be Annoying


    ¡°How¡¯s your cut?¡± I asked, fingering my own on my forehead as we reached the door to my room. My finger still came back red with fresh blood, and it stung. Headwounds bleed like crazy and I knew I had to look terrible.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s not too bad,¡± Lana said. ¡°Yours is worse.¡±


    I nodded but inwardly disagreed. Any wound could get infected, and she had gotten this one on my account. I would do everything I could in my power to remedy that. Once in my room, I mulled over using a spell that would light all the candles at once. They lay in several spots across the room as my backup light source if I ever needed them. The light bulbs generally didn¡¯t last long enough to be useful in my room and were a pain to change all the time. Fren took care of the ones downstairs. Shaking my head I groped in the dark on my dresser top for matches and accidentally knocked something off which bounced on the floor. I hoped I hadn¡¯t moved them downstairs for Kate to use in the store since it had been weeks since I¡¯d used them myself.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Lana asked softly.


    ¡°Yeah. I normally use magic to light my room and now I can¡¯t find the matches and magic is still beyond me.¡± I felt exhausted. I could summon up powerful spells, more than others my age from what I understood, but my stamina was still that of an apprentice. I wasn¡¯t sure how long wizards lived; it was one of those things they didn¡¯t talk about much, but I knew it was a very very long time. I had a lengthy way to go until I could match anyone who had been around a century or two. With equipment and focus, the fight might have gone better for me, but I¡¯d basically been brawling.


    Wizards are not well known as brawlers in any medium for a reason.


    The rough spells I¡¯d used tonight were akin to grappling vs shooting a gun. They were inefficient at taking creatures out and took much more energy to work. Magical gear could have been a great equalizer. I hadn¡¯t gotten around to making much due to expenses, time, and focusing on my shop. Magical gear was prohibitively expensive and took loads of work to prep, design, and then doing it all again to refine it. I had the knack for it, which I was grateful for. Few wizards had the inherent talent. Those who didn¡¯t had to purchase their gear for even higher prices from the Tribunal or other supernatural groups.


    My fingers stumbled upon the matchbox which was further back towards the wall than I remembered. I opened it and struck a match, the light revealing more of my room. I lit a few candles. Lana helped, grabbing a candle to light others, we both went around the room, lighting all that we could.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got a thing for candles,¡± she said.


    ¡°I have a thing for reading at night and it¡¯s really inconvenient when the bulbs go out,¡± I said.


    ¡°Makes sense, I guess. I assume you¡¯re bad on electronics with the way the lights all blew out downstairs after you used magic. Is that the real reason why you don¡¯t have a phone?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I confided. ¡°But it¡¯s still a totally cool reason.¡±


    She snorted, then took out her own phone which didn¡¯t respond to anything she tried. ¡°Good thing I was planning on getting a new one.¡±


    ¡°Shoot,¡± I said with a grimace.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry it¡¯s all backed up. I tried to call the police after the attack. Fren told me it would be best not to, but I wasn¡¯t sure what to do, and you were unconscious. Then I didn¡¯t have much of a choice because my phone was bricked.¡±


    ¡°Sorry about that. I¡¯ll buy you a new one.¡±


    ¡°No. If this is the cost I have to pay to learn more about the world, I¡¯m gladly going to pay it. I don¡¯t need help.¡±


    Her last words were definitive, and I saw a glimpse of who she truly was. She was a fighter rebuilding her life and she didn¡¯t want handouts. I grinned, liking her grit. I didn¡¯t like handouts either.


    Once the room was set in a red glow, I ushered Lana into the bathroom. My bathroom was nice, plants grew where they shouldn¡¯t have been able to without light, thanks to Fren. Everything was new, clean, and beautiful, except for one root which crept into the toilet under the seat. I¡¯d told Fren to stop that, but he loved the porcelain water for some reason. Today he¡¯d earned it, so I didn¡¯t tell him off though I hoped Lana didn¡¯t see it. I lit a few candles on the countertop. Lana tried the light switch, but nothing happened. That was a bad sign. Hopefully, I had not broken all the breakers, the water heater, and the coffee machine too. Though those were normally pretty resistant to my magic.


    ¡°That has got to be annoying,¡± Lana said, her brow creased with genuine concern.


    ¡°You have no idea,¡± I complained. ¡°Flying is out, phones, computers, basically anything newer than the 1900¡¯s. Combustion engines work alright but cars are getting more complex. If they eventually pass a bill for everything to switch to electric, I¡¯m going to be riding a bike.¡±


    ¡°Wow,¡± Lana said, thinking through the complexities of everything that would entail in my life. ¡°And it¡¯s only going to get worse.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I heard some of the younger wizards in my organization have tried pushing for change. Or to address concerns like that in the world before they become large individual problems, but they don¡¯t have the clout or the seniority to get anything done about it. I¡¯m sure when something truly inconvenient happens to the right ancient wizard they¡¯ll pull some strings in Congress or something.¡±


    Lana shook her head as we both considered ourselves in the mirror. My neck was due for a shave, my hair was cut short but disheveled. Bits of broken rock and straw which had inlaid many of the bins downstairs to protect the crystals were now sticking out of it. Blood was running down from my forehead to one side of my neck and staining my shirt. Lana was bleeding too, though it was clotting already. Blood ran down her sternum to her white shirt, staining the fabric red.


    I gripped the countertop and sighed, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll probably be saying that a lot tonight.¡±


    Lana looked down at her wound, ¡°It¡¯s not that bad.¡±


    ¡°It came from a knife and is deep enough to warrant stitches if you went to the ER,¡± I said. ¡°But don¡¯t. Later we can fix it. Fren has ability with healing and life magic. For something small like this, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem or take long. Did the initial attack harm you, that pixie threw you across the store?¡±


    ¡°Scrapes and bruises, nothing worse than I¡¯ve gotten training.¡±


    I laughed, nudging her with my elbow, ¡°Well not from today¡¯s training.¡±


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    We grinned like idiots for a moment, then I went for bandages.


    I opened a small drawer and pulled out medicine for my headache, taking two pills. Then I grabbed out a few Band-Aids and we got to work cleaning our wounds.


    ¡°So, those things were pixies?¡± Lana asked as she cleaned her wound.


    ¡°Yeah, from the dark court,¡± I said distractedly as I checked the bandage I¡¯d placed on my cut.


    ¡°The dark court,¡± she repeated softly.


    ¡°The Fae is split into three factions, these were from the court of dark and shadow, bone and blood, death and finality.¡±


    Lana met my eyes.


    ¡°They are a bad group, as you can guess from the name,¡± I said, reading her apprehension.


    ¡°Are they after you? You¡¯re blooded too, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes and No. I¡¯ve killed plenty but it¡¯s not like they¡¯re going to send anyone after either of us. Minions escape to our world and basically run amok. Outside the shop you might not have been able to even see them. They were limited in some ways by entering my sanctuary. It slowed their speed and restrained their magical abilities to shrink in size or conceal themselves entirely


    Lana let out an exasperated sigh, ¡°I thought pixies were cute little fairies.¡±


    ¡°They are fairies alright, but the Grimm fairy tale kind. Those of the light court might appear more like what you¡¯re thinking of. In many ways they are just as vicious and bloodthirsty, but they don¡¯t generally seek to destroy mankind¡­so that¡¯s a win. At least from what I understand.¡±


    ¡°From what you understand? You don¡¯t know?¡±


    ¡°How much do you know about what¡¯s going on in the Middle East right now? Even with your father¡¯s past occupation and all the people you¡¯ve met.¡±


    ¡°Not much, it¡¯s a mess.¡±


    ¡°What about here in America, do you know what all the politicians are scheming or what the military is concerned about, or the CIA is working on?


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. Now imagine it wasn¡¯t here close or an oil-rich nation and was literally part of another realm that was more than difficult to travel to, full of monsters, and ruled by two forces locked into constant battle that generally don¡¯t like humans, wizards, or anyone else. Each has their own agents who are some of the most powerful creatures in existence.¡±


    Lana shivered.


    ¡°It¡¯s complex. News moves slowly. As good as I am with magic and as much as I know, I¡¯m still young to all this too.¡±


    ¡°Good with magic?¡± Lana said with a chuckle, ¡°Didn¡¯t you just knock yourself out using it and destroy half your shop?¡± She was clearly being sarcastic, but to her surprise and my annoyance, all the plants in the room twitched with the plant version of mirth as they bounced up and down. Lana jumped at the sight.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s just Fren¡ªWho said these plants were not used as sensory organs!¡± I said, my voice rising with each word. ¡°I swear Fren, I¡¯m going to make you live in a single, small pot, out back for a year!¡± Instantly all the plants fell still. ¡°Not really,¡± I whispered to Lana, ¡°but he doesn¡¯t have to know that.¡±


    She laughed and we stepped back out into my room.


    I walked to my closet and took off my shirt, eager to get into something clean and get back downstairs. I was a little self-conscious about doing so while Lana was there, but she didn¡¯t give any indication that she was going to leave, and I didn¡¯t mind.


    ¡°You''re stronger than you look,¡± she said. ¡°I mean you put up a decent try at the gym but¡­ well,¡± She paused, cheeks going red as if she hadn¡¯t meant to say any of that. ¡°I mean you clearly work out¡­ and you¡¯ve got a lot of scars.¡± She said the last clearly grasping at any straw to change the conversation.


    I grinned; it seemed Lana liked scars. All the grueling hours Fren had insisted I exercise were now well worth it. That was until I tripped on my own feet while pulling a new shirt free from the closet and I had to catch myself on the rack to keep from falling. All the clothes swayed a little. I heard Lana laugh but I didn¡¯t dare look back. Muttering about my stupid legs, I pulled on a new tee. ¡°Wizard training is tougher than it looks. Injuries are common. Early on I didn¡¯t have Fren to help heal the small stuff.¡±


    I turned to find Lana taking her shirt off. I stared in open surprise. Probably gapping open-mouthed if I¡¯m being honest¡­ She looked¡­ good.


    ¡°Quit stammering and give me a new shirt, you owe me one.¡±


    I snapped my jaw shut and did as she said, tossing one that I knew ran a little small on me. It was still too big for her but fit better than others might have. She lithely slipped it on and with a sigh, I found myself regretting the change. Still, I hadn¡¯t missed the bruising along her ribs and her left shoulder from being tossed along the floor by the pixie, or the blood staining her bra. I gripped a hand into a fist, wishing I had more of the buggers to eliminate.


    ¡°You, okay?¡± she said, hesitance in her tone.


    I realized she¡¯d just changed, and I¡¯d been standing like a dazed idiot after, or a weirdo, with a fist clenched while thinking about killing more fae. I quickly relaxed. Her lips parted as a smile spread on her face and I realized another option, she thought I was speechless after seeing her changing. That was perhaps the best-case scenario, but it was still embarrassing.


    ¡°Nope. I¡¯m good. Let¡¯s uh¡­ go downstairs.¡± I said, my voice hoarse.


    I led the way and we carefully carried a few lit candles down to the store level for more light. I mean we¡¯d just met, and she said she didn¡¯t want anything more than a friend, but friends didn¡¯t change in front of each other like that. At least not the ones I¡¯d had.


    But in truth, I hadn¡¯t ever had many friends. I was the loner foster kid or the loner rural kid who lived miles out from anyone else. The one who came to school covered in bruises and cuts from my training. Clair was an amazing teacher, but the training was brutal. Normal people didn¡¯t understand that. I¡¯d heard rumors that I was beaten at home, but no one bothered to ask me. The school never did anything to help or assess my living situation. It was just the way it was.


    I sat a few candles on a shelf and the shadows withdrew a little more. Fren returned, grinning sheepishly. I glared; he should feel ashamed after spying on us like that.


    Thankfully my migraine felt like it was beginning to subside, and the medications were taking effect. The shop was in shambles, which made me want to yell in frustration. Instead, I sighed, we probably only had a few minutes before police arrived. ¡°We need to come up with a cover story.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Lana asked, resting her candles on a cleared shelf a dozen feet away.


    ¡°Well, for starters I¡¯m going to have to file an insurance claim to recover from this. My business is doing alright but now we have no product to sell. The more pressing problem is someone is going to have heard all that,¡± I gestured to the broken stones and woodwork.


    Fren nodded, ¡°People are already out, walking, looking, searching.¡±


    ¡°Robbery?¡± Lana asked.


    ¡°Yeah. Average height guy in jeans. They hit me with the butt of a shotgun and pushed you as well as some of the shelves over. One of the shelves did something to the electrical and the lights went out. He ran and his gun fired outside.¡±


    ¡°You came up with all of that in two seconds?¡± Lana said, folding her arms. ¡°I¡¯m mildly impressed.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been on my mind since the fight ended,¡± I answered truthfully. ¡°Plus, I¡¯ve had to do this before. It¡¯s another reason Officer Vance is suspicious of me.¡±


    ¡°Alright then,¡± Lana said. ¡°That sounds good. What about the roof?¡±


    I looked up and saw the roof for the first time. It was pimpled like it had been hit with about a million golf balls, or¡­ a rock shop full of rocks¡­ The iron sconces which held and protected the very expensive antique lights, because they worked a little better around me, were trash.


    ¡°Damn,¡± I muttered. ¡°If they don¡¯t look at the lights¡­ well they can pass but clearly something happened to the roof.


    ¡°I can assist. But I will need to rest following,¡± Fren said.


    ¡°It¡¯s probably best you do anyway and head downstairs. People will be here soon. Thanks, Fren, you were immensely helpful tonight.¡±


    ¡°I live to serve,¡± Fren said with a light bow as he lumbered towards the basement. In his garden he¡¯d be able to connect with the earth and ¡®heal¡¯ the deadwood above, changing its shape and structure. In a short time, the wood wouldn¡¯t show any damage.


    I berated myself for losing my calm. Losing control that way. What if I¡¯d blown out all the windows or taken the roof off the building? That may have killed the pixie, but it was a stupid way to use my powers. I recommitted to my training, meditation, and to making gear I could use to help focus my spells.


    I glanced around the shop. The shelving on the walls was relatively spared but the middle sections of wood were tipped, and a few of the shelving units were shattered. Much worse than simply being pushed over would account for. Fren could fix them later, but not tonight.


    ¡°There were two assailants, and I tried to fight one in the dark, that¡¯s why everything is broken. They ran out the back door.¡± I said the last as I unlocked the back door for the story.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t I fight them?¡±


    I laughed, ¡°Because you would have won, and I¡¯m pretty bruised up from this morning, it will be more believable.¡±


    Lana nodded and I headed to the door to start our plan.

 Chapter 17 — Wizarding Cred

    Chapter 17 ¡ª Wizarding Cred


    I stumbled down the steps to a few locals who were looking for whatever the commotion had been. As far as I was aware I was the only one living in one of the storefronts on the main road. ¡°Call the police!¡± I stammered, stumbling out to the nearest person who obligingly pulled out his cell phone.


    ¡°We were attacked,¡± Lana said, adding to the cover up as she stepped down the stairs.


    In minutes two patrol cars pulled up. We were grateful to find out they were different from the officers before. Lana and I were separated, and our stories taken. Others collaborated the loud bang that might have been a gunshot. A few officers were sent out to search for any evidence as the assailants had entered the back of the store and ran out in the same direction. I knew firsthand it was hard to see anything in that alley and there were no cameras. The officers were surprised we¡¯d bandaged ourselves up before calling for help, but I told them we¡¯d been concerned about how serious my wounds were and had the supplies on hand.


    An EMT arrived who wanted to address our wounds further. I had to decline several times and tell them I got beat up as badly at my local gym up the road. I played up being upset I¡¯d lost to whoever the assailants had been and that my trainer, Rex, would have been ashamed of me.


    The EMT and police bought our stories. None realized or connected that I was loosely a suspect for murder, but I knew eventually that information would materialize and place more scrutiny on everything I said tonight. Unfortunately, as the evening progressed things went from bad to worse.


    Officer Vance arrived back on scene. His Rookie helpfully folded in with the rest of the force, but Darron Vance went straight to me like a dog on the scent.


    ¡°What did you do?¡± He growled, his jowls shaking as a little spittle appeared on his lips.


    ¡°Nothing. Didn¡¯t you hear, I got attacked?¡±


    ¡°We were just here¡ªsomething else must have happened.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I got attacked. Fat lot of help you were, couldn¡¯t even scare away burglars properly.¡±


    Vance clenched a fist, eyes boring into mine. I knew he wasn¡¯t the type of man who took someone standing up to his authority well. He was probably on a power trip most of the time and I was one of the infuriating blades of grass that wouldn¡¯t bend down before him. It made me feel warm and fuzzy inside.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to hang for this¡ªand for the murders.¡± Vance whispered, his eyes darting around the shop looking for any clue that might feed his version of events.


    ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± I asked loudly enough to draw the attention of other officers, officer Lansing included. ¡°Just because you were trying to coerce me into an unlawful search earlier doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t be attacked on the same night. Now you¡¯re threatening me with hanging!¡± I said the last with a measure of distress, looking at the others for help.


    ¡°Cal, I¡¯m gonna¡­¡± Officer Vance started before realizing what I¡¯d done. He swore, spit on the floor of my store and walked away, fists squeezing tight and relaxing in a furious back and forth.


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    Just to be exceptionally annoying I called out, ¡°Hey, I pay your salary!¡±


    Lana came over and nudged my side with an elbow, ¡°You''re being kind of a jerk.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± I said. ¡°But only to those who truly deserve it. I¡¯m like the distributor of karma. You saw what he thought about women earlier. You can¡¯t tell me he¡¯s a good cop?¡±


    ¡°Someone¡¯s got to do the work they do. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s seen some terrible things.¡±


    I grunted. I knew in a small way he was like me. He was trying to make the world a better place. At least if I was very generous with what I thought about his internal motivations.


    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll try to play nice.¡±


    When we were assured, we were no longer needed and the officers had photographed everything they needed from the scene, things started to wind down. I closed the door and we both took a deep breath as I locked it. I turned resting my back against the chill glass. Lying and keeping up a front was more taxing than it looked.


    ¡°Look. I¡¯m sorry about everything. ¡°I said, ¡°You got injured, hurt, and had to lie to the police because you simply met me. I wish we could rewind this day and start over.¡± Except for us meeting, or the smile I saw she had after the fight, or being able to confide in someone. I found those parts of the day more than agreeable.


    ¡°You just want to go back and try to win our fight at Rex¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°Well yeah, of course. Getting beat by a girl makes me feel all emasculated,¡± I said in a winy voice.


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you mad at Officer Vance for doing that same thing earlier¡ªand you better not have held back at practice?¡± Lana said, a dangerous gleam of something threatening in her eyes.


    ¡°True, and no. You beat me fair and square, though I normally don¡¯t rely on only my vast fighting skills.¡±


    She chortled, then looked at my place, ¡°I¡¯m sorry about your store¡ªAnd despite everything, the past few hours have been the best I¡¯ve had in years.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± I said, turning to face her. Her eyes were downcast for a moment, but she had a small grin. She seemed lighter, like a weight had been lifted which had been present when we met at Rex¡¯s.


    ¡°Yeah, being terrified and attacked can pull you out of your own despair and thoughts. Also, the world is a lot bigger than me and my problems. Knowing that helps.¡±


    ¡°So, attacked, afraid, and learning about a terrifyingly bigger world¡­ and that¡¯s the best day you¡¯ve had in years?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± she said with a sad grin. ¡°Why else train hard if you¡¯re not going to get to use it every now and then?¡±


    ¡°Health, definitely health and¡­ confidence maybe?¡± I said, voice growing unsure as I thought about it. ¡°That¡¯s why you should train.¡± But I understood, my training had always been for a purpose. As bad as these pixies had been, they were small fish in the world of the supernatural. I always knew training mattered, that I would need my powers and skills in order to survive. My life would depend on them. Even with that knowledge, it¡¯d been easy to skip training at Rex¡¯s, or to go eat out, or do something else in the evenings rather than training with Fren or working on spells and equipment beyond what I¡¯d made-¡ªat great expense¡ªto protect my store. I had more reasons to practice than anyone¡­ yet I¡¯d been casual about it. Lana clearly hadn¡¯t, which said a lot about her. Even though she also knew she might not ever need her skills. That took resolve and determination. That was honorable. She was a park ranger and might occasionally have to arrest someone or be prepared for an animal encounter or something. I really didn¡¯t know, but still, she was overtrained for anything she might encounter short of a bear attack. I resolved to do better. What if the pixies had killed her? I needed to be more.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get all stoic and introspective,¡± she said, some of the mirth leaving as she thought about deeper things ¡°This was a good night, you answered questions I¡¯ve had for years,¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad we met. That last pixie might have killed me had you not taken care of it. That would have really hurt my wizarding cred.¡±


    Lana shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m sure Fren would have handled things.¡±


    ¡°That might be true, but it wouldn¡¯t be a sure thing.¡± I looked around the shop and sighed, ¡°I¡¯ll take care of this later, let¡¯s go downstairs and get your wound healed up.¡±


    Lana raised an eyebrow but seemed enthusiastic about seeing more magic, she¡¯d watched Fren disappear into the basement and was likely curious about it. It was late, really late. With the deposition to the officers, the attack, and our time taking care of wounds, it was well into the night.


    ¡°This might take a while,¡± I said. ¡°Do you have anything going on in the morning?¡±


    ¡°No. I have Saturdays off.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± I said.

 Chapter 18 — Like Little Fawn

    Chapter 18 ¡ª Like Little Fawn


    I led the way to the door in the basement and unlocked it for both of us, Fren having locked it to keep the police out while we enacted our cover story and ensure no one poked around too much.


    The basement was dark, I hadn¡¯t thought about the skylights not being enough this time of day. I had a few ways to create light with magic, but my head was still in no shape to do it right now.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think ahead,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back with light.¡± I ran upstairs and grabbed two pillows from my bed, wishing I had a fresh pillowcase for Lana, but I¡¯d washed them a few days ago at the local laundry and it would have to do. I blew out the candles in my room, then the ones downstairs, grabbing three I could fit in one hand while holding the pillows in the other.


    Downstairs I met Lana again who took some of the load. Together we entered the basement in truth, our lights hardly enough to light the large area.


    Shelves full of rocks and crystals stood to one side casting shadows on the wall behind. The basement seemed a little ominous, even to me, and for Lana who knew something as large as Fren was hidden somewhere in the dark, it had to be even more so. I looked at the boxes of gemstones; I¡¯d need to get as many of those out into the store tomorrow as I could. The shelving units were metal with heavy wooden shelves breaking them up. They were much more industrial than those in the shop above, but they also held a lot more weight. I had a desk nearby. An old heavy oak construction from a thrift store. Fren had made a few adjustments for me but generally, it was what you would expect. Beyond the mundane ¡ªwas something far more impressive. Fren¡¯s garden gleamed along the far wall. I¡¯d grown used to it but saw it with new eyes as Lana did. The soft candlelight slowly showed how spectacular his home was.


    The grass looked springy, inviting, and luxurious. Flowers bloomed in perfect accompaniment, their radiant colors seeming to flash when they caught the light. Twisted branches and roots made bowls that held water or protected recesses for other growth. Spiraled patterns of branches and roots scaled the walls and disappeared through cracks and hidden niches of the building and internal walls. It almost looked like there was a pattern to it, a language only Fren and the plant life understood.


    ¡°Wow,¡± Lana said, joy and awe evident in her voice and by her opened mouth expression. It was like she¡¯d seen a hidden wonder of the world, or a super nerd found themselves in Bag End and free to explore. Her eyes swept around taking everything in.


    My large ritual circle was visible across a nearby section of the floor. It had rings of metal inlaid into the wood in various loops which gleamed in the light. The wooden floorboards were etched and carved, a few runes were even filled with melted bronze, iron, aluminum, salt, ash, and even silver. Resting in little hallows or atop symbols sat crystals from my shop that were useful for my spells as well as a metal bowl and a jug of lighter fluid with a cigar lighter. My circle was a pale example of magic, especially next to Fren¡¯s living grove, but it was still something to behold. To me it didn¡¯t look sinister, but I was seeing it with my own eyes and didn¡¯t know what Lana would think. It was a place I could mediate, refine my powers with greater ease, and develop spells with more safety, not a dark ritual or some of the things typically associated with the occult.


    It was also one of the reasons I hadn¡¯t wanted Officer Vance and Lansing to search the store. This floor was special and clearly¡­ different.


    Kate for example had never come down. That made me reflect that as a business partner she might insist. She knew I spent a lot of time down here. I might need to think of ways to hide everything¡­ or¡­ considering how well Lana had taken to everything, maybe I should share the truth? I¡¯d been trained not to do that. Clair had said it always led to trouble and that it was best to simply make relationships with our own. There were laws within the Tribunal to keep wizardry a secret. More for security or the annoyance it could pose than anything else. But those were in the broad sense, telling a few close friends wouldn¡¯t be a crime. The various ancient factions of the world generally opted for secrecy and stealth as those who hadn¡¯t had died out long ago.


    ¡°Did Fren make that?¡± Lana asked, body still as her eyes were captivated by the sight of the grove.


    ¡°Fren is that, see the central ¡®tree¡¯ thing?¡± When Fren went ¡®full forest¡¯ as I liked to refer to it, he became something like the ragged tree¡¯s that had seen the world pass by and were unmoved and unimpressed by it all. His true body looked like a mix of a Bonzi and the great bristlecone pine. The branches and wood were flowing and irregular like hard winds had forced them to grow in asymmetrical ways. His bark and body were hard as stone. The branches he had were short and adorned with small pine-like growths. Fren had said they were better for battle and storm since they were harder to tear or rip off. He looked like a hardy plant that could withstand animal¡¯s, natural disasters, and fire.


    Lana shook her head, absorbing it all.


    I glanced at the shelving which sat against one of the walls. It was adorned with various ingredients and things I needed for spells, along with a workshop table and simple tools. Nothing electronic, but it did have many tools I could use for artificery and making my own creations. I hadn¡¯t had much success so far, my circle was the biggest completed job, as well as some of the reinforcement runes and magical suppression wards upon hostile forces built within the building.


    Laid out on the wooden floorboards just before the garden were four palm sized gem like monster cores. I hungered to use them. I had sensed their power from the moment I stepped into the basement. Anyone or anything that could take them in their current state would. Fren, had he been wild, would hold them near his home, enjoying the increase in ambient magical energy like a dragon hoarding over his treasure as it lured in prey. Fortunately, he got enough of an increase in ambient magic around me that he was more than willing to share something that would make me stronger.


    ¡°Those are the cores you were talking about?¡± Lana asked.


    ¡°Yes, the one¡¯s Fren¡­ processed. I can do it too, but it takes longer and is either magically intensive or gory.¡±


    ¡°These were in those creatures?¡±


    ¡°Sort of,¡± I paused, thinking of the best way to explain. ¡°These cores are the conduit to the creatures¡¯ powers and abilities. The connection point between soul, magic, and the physical. They have to be extracted quickly and in the right way or they¡¯re useless and dissolve. When the creature is alive, they are more like an idea. We change them from the ephemeral to the physical.¡±


    ¡°And they help you?¡±


    ¡°They will combine with my own powers to make me stronger.¡±


    Lana gave me a side eye, ¡°Are you like a magical vampire taking power from others?¡±


    ¡°Oh no, not at all.¡± I said, before realizing that in a sense I was. All wizards were¡­ I¡¯d never considered it since we killed monsters and rouge fae and we didn¡¯t require cores for growth, but they were much faster than cultivating. I¡¯d have to think about that later.


    ¡°Can anyone do it, do magic?¡±


    ¡°No. Not everyone has magical resonance, or the ability to form a core like these. I have one, but it¡¯s between my soul and body. It¡¯s not physical, but I can still sense it. Its where my magic flows through and comes from.¡± I said, ¡°But¡ªif you¡¯d like to try later, we can see if you have the talent. I can¡¯t sense magic in you now, but that may simply mean it¡¯s not awakened.¡±


    ¡°How does that happen, without someone like you?¡± Lana asked brow furrowed.


    ¡°Well, not to squash your dreams,¡± I said seriously. ¡°But it¡¯s literally one person in maybe a million that truly has the gift in the general population, and a strong enough gift that it will awaken on its own. Many more have minor abilities, but they don¡¯t always require a mana core to harness them to their full effect. The number is even higher for those simply sensitive to magic or with smaller gifts. But to be able to use cores like this is on a whole other level. That¡¯s excluding wizarding bloodlines which have a much higher likelihood of being able to.¡±


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    ¡°What happened in your case?¡±


    ¡°I was found. Powers already awakened.¡± It was something I¡¯d discussed with Fren. He knew more about the likelihood of people having their power awakened naturally, perhaps even more knowledge than Clair, or the whole tribunal, but even to Fren my situation raised questions. I could be a bastard from a wizarding bloodline, but we¡¯d never figured it out. We¡¯d scoured over the events of my life and the memories I could recall in order to solve the mystery to no avail. I didn¡¯t have any memories of my parents. I didn¡¯t even have a memory of when my powers had been awakened. Usually, that was ingrained into someone¡¯s mind, the event coming at an extreme time of danger, stress, or triumph. Perhaps I had been exceptionally young, but it still seemed like I should have remembered something like that, no matter the age.


    ¡°¡ªHow do powers awaken on their own?¡± Lana asked, pulling me from my reverie. I realized I¡¯d grown quiet in my own reminiscence.


    ¡°Very traumatic or poignant events,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t remember mine. Fren and I assume it occurred when I was a child, or I¡¯ve blocked it out somehow.¡±


    Lana nodded, leaving things at that.


    I gathered up the orbs to use them, but no. I couldn¡¯t risk losing any of their valuable energy. Not with this many and not after feeling the inadequacies of my preparedness and skills. I needed to be better, to hone every skill I had, and use all the power before me to its utmost, small as it may be. I already got more from them than most wizards did, but that didn¡¯t mean I should be wasteful. Especially not after the night we¡¯d had.


    ¡°I should have been faster and stopped the pixies before they hurt you and damaged my shop,¡± I said, looking down at the riches.


    ¡°Stop.¡± She said, her voice brooking no further argument as she grabbed my arm. ¡°We were attacked by flying creatures. No one could have been ready for that.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Still. We¡¯re going to get you healed up. Fren, do you have enough energy to heal Lana?¡±


    ¡°I did not expend too much energy fixing the building. I can heal you both.¡± Fren¡¯s tree form said from somewhere in the grove.


    ¡°You¡¯re growing,¡± I said.


    ¡°As you grow, so do I,¡± The tree whispered. ¡°When I found you, I was in a weakened state¡ªlong a wanderer.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°Okay. So, let me tell you how this is going to go,¡± I turned to Lana then gestured to Fren¡¯s garden. It had a fairly large patch of short grass in the middle. I¡¯d laid there many times to be healed, but it would be a close fit for both of us. ¡°To heal, Fren will place us into a trance like sleep. It¡¯s actually quite refreshing.¡± I said with an easy grin, hoping to put Lana at ease. ¡°Imagine meditating and being completely poised, each muscle relaxed. It¡¯s like that, only more than you can imagine. During that time, Fren will coax your body to heal itself and provide energy to speed the process.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not that great at meditation,¡± Lana said dubiously.


    ¡°Even that he can help with, trust me. This night will outshine the ¡®best day¡¯ you¡¯ve had in years.¡± I said, inflecting my words with a little sarcasm about how this day, of all days, could be the best of anything.


    ¡°Are there any ill effects?¡±


    ¡°None. It¡¯s the most natural thing. Like, literally natural. Fren is a being of nature and forests. Imagine perfect supplementation for your body, grounding, and deep meditation. That¡¯s what it¡¯s like, a total body reset and rejuvenation.¡±


    ¡°Grounding¡­ is that like where you just put your feet on the dirt?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is. You get the star pupil award,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s a connection thing more than the act of touching the earth. The earth has an almost spiritual or religious power to it and when you touch it with your bare skin that power connects to you. Most people have a hard time feeling it. Some experience it more so. I have wondered if those who do have a higher innate magical affinity or are more sensitive to things like that. Not enough to do what I do, but enough to feel the energy. Or it could be they are more responsive to the placebo effect of just about everything¡ªI don¡¯t know. But this is like that, only more.¡±


    ¡°It is quite healthy for the human composition,¡± Fren said, his tree form shifting slightly to his more humanoid. ¡°Humans don¡¯t take enough time to be still, to allow their bodies to rest and heal. I simply guide you into the stillness and oneness that is in life all around you.¡±


    Lana smiled, larger than any I¡¯d gotten all night, simply by seeing Fren¡¯s change and hearing his voice again. If he managed to steal my girl he was definitely going into a pot out back.


    ¡°I believe you,¡± she said, looking at us both but trusting more on Fren¡¯s calming words. ¡°What do I need to do?¡±


    ¡°We just need to lay down together,¡± I said, gesturing to the spot in the little garden.


    Lana smirked, shook her head at me, then snatched a pillow from my hands. My cheeks burned as I realized my wording.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing more than lying in the grass.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t even a date,¡± She muttered before walking up to the edge of the basement flooring. ¡°Should I take my shoes off or something?¡±


    ¡°Being unclothed is most freeing,¡± Fren said. ¡°And that helps with the-¡ª¡±


    ¡°Clothes are fine,¡± I cut in. ¡°Some part of your skin needs to touch the earth for his powers to have an effect, but it can be a hand, or your feet, anything really.¡±


    She gave me a sideways look raising one eyebrow. I raised my hands in front of me, I mean Fren had been the one to suggest anything more, and here I was getting in trouble. Then I considered for a moment she might be thinking of listening to Fren and I wanted to kick myself for jumping in. But no. She¡¯d had an awkward enough night as it was, full of new things. I wanted a good friend, needed one honestly. If this developed into something more, so be it. But I had far too few relationships in general and most of the closer ones knew nothing about my true self. We were in uncharted territory and I didn¡¯t want to muddy the waters too much too early. Lana was wonderful, but relationships were built on more than attractiveness. She¡¯d managed far more than I would have given anyone credit for in a single day. But she was likely still in shock. I needed to see what came after.


    ¡°Here I¡¯ll show you,¡± I said, kicking off my shoes and shucking off my socks before I stepped off the floorboards and out into the miniature glen. I walked to the center, showing that it wouldn¡¯t ruin or disrupt what Fren had clearly spent a lot of time crafting.


    ¡°And let you steal the most comfortable spot; I don¡¯t think so,¡± Lana said, gently nudging me aside with her hip as she raced past me, claiming the left side of the little clearing.


    ¡°Like little fawn, awkwardly playing,¡± Fren droned from where he was standing.


    ¡°Whatever Fren,¡± I said looking at the forest ancient. ¡°Now get to the healing.¡±


    ¡°Why so defensive when I have not yet received my proffered boon for silence given?¡±


    I groaned. It was true. I hadn¡¯t gotten Fren any Coke, and he could make me pay the price for it if he wanted.


    ¡°Please,¡± I whispered anxiously. Lana looking on at our exchange.


    ¡°Double,¡± Fren said with finality.


    ¡°A little extortionist, but fine,¡± I had to make it sound like a large amount, else he¡¯d push for more. The truth was I would buy him an entire jeep load of coke if it shut him up right now.


    ¡°A pact on your word, I will refrain.¡±


    ¡°What was that all about?¡± Lana asked, lying on her side facing me.


    I laid down, using one of the pillows for my head. The grass and soil were exceptionally soft. Fren would make it more so once he began, shaping the soil and plant life to perfectly contour and relieve the stress and strain from our bodies.


    ¡°Just an agreement we made earlier today. I need to get him his favorite drink,¡± I said. Lana looked gorgeous laying in the grass. The dim light from the candles I¡¯d left on the floor made the scene somewhat romantic as the shadows moved on her face. Her pupils were wide alert pools. Her shirt shifted down and away from her hip as she lay on her side revealing a tantalizing bit of skin which the light caught upon.


    ¡°What is it?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Coke. Mexican cola in glass bottles to be exact.¡±


    Lana laughed, the muscles on her torso bouncing as she did, ¡°The Coke!¡± She said, ¡°He¡¯s your plant guy. You told the truth.¡±


    I smiled, ¡°He loves the stuff.¡±


    Fren let out a pleased hum which silenced our mirth, before he began to work his magic.


    Lana¡¯s eyes grew wide for a moment, and she glanced toward the cores laying on the floorboards a few feet away.


    ¡°It¡¯s a different working, trust me.¡± I said, reading her train of thought in thinking we might end the same way the pixies had.


    Her eyes met mine and she gave a slight nod of trust.


    ¡°Plus, you don¡¯t have a core so you would be fine regardless.¡± The idea did make me gulp. Could someone harvest a core from a wizard? It made sense, but I¡¯d never heard of it being done or even imagined it. My mind gently eased from those worrying thoughts as Fren¡¯s harmonic solid tones which shifted slightly from time to time began to pass over the room. It was as if my body began to vibrate at the same frequency causing tensions and muscles to relax, my mind¡¯s thoughts to ease. We were both bathed in the sounds of earth.


    I felt exhausted, the stress and excitement of the day culminating into a very tired wizard. Yet lying next to Lana the last thing I wanted to do was sleep and miss a moment. Lana gave me another smile, her eyes growing lidded, as Fren strode over the ground. His bulky sledgehammer-like feet were somehow delicate in this own domain.


    ¡°Now, listen to my song,¡± Fren whispered, the first words to break the tone which still hung in the air. He made a few light adjustments to each of our positions. Expertly knowing how to reduce tensions and make us more comfortable. Then the vibrational humming tone began again, it was primal, foundational, and as I listened my eyes slowly closed. I knew Lana would be feeling the same.


    As my body relaxed, stress I didn¡¯t even know I was carrying in my shoulders began to loosen. My still throbbing headache eased. Everything began to feel warm as the tone shifted again and I fell deeply asleep with it.

 Chapter 19 — Not Seen as a Wound

    Chapter 19 ¡ª Not Seen as a Wound


    I awoke feeling like a million bucks. Somehow Fren¡¯s healing always made me smell like a spring meadow. Literally. Even my breath was fantastic. My head felt clearer than it had in weeks, or realistically since the last time Fren had healed me. If it didn¡¯t take a lot of energy out of him¡ªenergy that was hard for him to recover¡ª I would have slept every night this way.


    Sometime in the night I¡¯d rolled off my pillow and my face had been caressed by new roots grown from the ground. I just knew I had big red lines across my face despite how comfortable the felt, roots were not a pillow.


    I stood slowly, rubbing my eyes and daring a glance towards Lana. She looked at peace like a child. I grinned, knowing this night might significantly help her resilience and path forward as she tried to reclaim her life. I felt a warmth rise in my chest, I hadn¡¯t imagined the night before.


    She had fought through the kind of thing that would cripple others and trusted Fren and I after. That was more attractive than anything else I could imagine. I watched her breath a few clearly content breaths. When I glanced up, I saw Fren¡¯s tree had an eye upon it which winked at me. I shook my head but couldn¡¯t get the grin off my face. Forget speaking, Fren would know from my pheromones more than I did about what I was feeling.


    I stepped free of the glen, stretching quietly while letting Lana rest. She¡¯d had an eventual day learning about magic but had handled it remarkably well. I kept worrying the next moment would be the one that broke her, that drove her to leave, but perhaps she was made of tougher stuff.


    I ran a hand over my head, knowing what I would find, the bandage. I pulled it free fully confident I would no longer need it. The wound was gone, the scar would be a faint, barely perceptible line, basically the maximum perfect healing that the human body could imbue upon a wound, further fostered by magic under Fren¡¯s direction. As I moved, I felt a pain in my chest which was very strange. I pulled up my shirt and looked down. The mark from my dream the night before was still there. It was improved¡ªsignificantly so-¡ªbut it remained. If Fren had known why, he would have said something or woken me with his concerns. The fact that he hadn¡¯t suggested it was hidden from his powers somehow¡­ or worse, not seen as a wound.


    I shivered.


    Both were bad news for me, but there was nothing for it. It was healing, it hurt less, and I was home. I was safe.


    Stepping out of the glen, I greedily stooped and picked up the literal power lying freely on the ground contained in the four monster cores. They would help me prepare for whatever might come in the near future.


    There were spells, developed eons before I lived, that applied simple mathematics upon a wizard¡¯s abilities. They were complex and I didn¡¯t always have the time to use them. My prototype glasses used a modified version. Right now, with Lana sleeping, the world still, and a busy day ahead of me cleaning the shop and finding whatever had murdered Phillis. I decided I had the time to absorb these cores properly and to assess my abilities.


    I was worried about the attack at the Sugar Loaf Inn, and now the attack by the pixies in my shop. Together they might indicate something more sinister afoot than simple coincidence. I let out a sigh, I might not ever know but I planned to prepare either way.


    Kate would be in soon when the sun was fully up. I was supposed to be out of town, so she would be coming to opening the shop today. My senses, both magical and physical, let me know that I still had about an hour until the sun rose and that was roughly when she would arrive. I sat back down on the wooden floor amidst the ritual circles I¡¯d set in the ground; I would have more than enough time to finish before she arrived.


    I sat in the lotus position, calming my mind, an act that came much easier given Fren had healed the parts of my brain that were injured the night before. Probably nothing that would have been permanent in nature, but swelling, and feeling like I¡¯d received a concussion for a few days from overdrawing on my mana was not something I wanted. I thanked my lucky stars that I had Fren and that I wouldn¡¯t have to tough it out for a few days like I would have in the past, even if he was a barely passable wingman half the time.


    My power ebbed and flowed. I felt it drawing into me from the wood of the building, the earth below, and the air around. Like priming a pump, a part of my core started pulling more power into it beyond my normal capacity increasing my hold of and reserves of mana. The rising swell of power was eager to be used.


    I loved the feel of magic.


    It heightened my senses, which was wonderful in a calming state like this, in a place where I could do more complex work. In a battle or fight like the night before it could make the horrors more present and my emotions more volatile as the powers fed into them. That was one of the many reasons why you didn¡¯t try to create new spells on the fly, you were far more likely to mess up or do the enemies work for them by taking yourself out.


    Here, in my sanctuary and guiding wards was the place where I could assume a state for creation. I could be completely calm, regulate my thoughts, focus my mind purely on my craft and hold emotions at bay while developing my spells and reinforcing my abilities. This state of mind or place of being with my magic was central to a wizard¡¯s ability to control their gifts and not be driven by them. True masters could do it in even the thick of battle. I was far from that level of clarity and ability, but some day it would be mine.


    Clair had made me practice for hours simply holding my power, not letting it overfill me, not letting it lash out in uncontrolled force with the desire to be used. I¡¯d ruined more than one structure on her property due to failing in that regard.


    I crafted the components of the spell I wanted. Focusing on creating lines of magic to supplement and utilize the runes on the floor. Strands of fine green and fiery red composed most of the construct. But a little white light, a black strand of shadow, and even the miasmatic force of death which showed as a sickly green and purple circled into the spell. Complex spells required a little bit of everything, and they were the reason most practitioners were warlocks rather than wizards.


    A warlock, by the tribunal¡¯s definition, was someone with only a single affinity to a power or if they had more, they were too weak to pass the wizard tests and thus had more restrictions on the use of their powers. They could be strong, but they couldn¡¯t generally cast spells, at least not complicated ones like this. They were one trick ponies tied to a single element and since they were commonly from nonmagical families they generally went untrained and abused their powers. The strikers, or the tribunals task force hunted them down. Those with death affinities were the reasons we had so many rules about how death magic could be used and why so many cultures had fairy tells, folk stories, and myths about the dead rising.


    My affinities lay more with earth and fire, and like any wizard I had to practice, study and work to develop each. I had the power to attempt most spells, but each took trial and error to adjust the spell to work for my own affinities. Some came more easily; others might possibly always be out of my reach. To be a wizard, to be a member of the general Tribunal, I had had to demonstrate some ability with dozens of core types of mana and show I could craft a number of various difficult spells with the correct desired outcome. Yes, death magic was banned but only with death-based or focused spells and spell crafting.


    Everything was balanced¡ªlife itself was paired to death, and both were essential to complex spells like the one I now crafted.


    The outer ring laid out in the floor, one made of cold iron, stopped my building power from escaping and running havoc on the electrical components through the neighborhood and my shop. I had painstakingly altered it with runes and inlaid copper to allow for energy to be pulled inward to help empower and craft spells, but to lock that energy inside like a one-way sieve. The artificery was designed with that in mind. I¡¯d had to do a lot of extra work on this circle for several reasons and that had been the first. The second was that people and things could move around on the upper floor which would break the circle and make it useless or dissipate any energy I had collected. That would have been very detrimental to my shop and the neighborhood if it happened at the wrong time.


    To fix that, I¡¯d created a matching circle on the ceiling to ¡®seal¡¯ this circle between those two points. Like a contained cylinder which was more controllable and less likely to be disrupted as it only existed in the basement. It had been a pain to get right. Fren and I had had to work for months to test and refine it. On the lower ¡®true¡¯ circle I¡¯d laid out runes, inscribing them with power to make them functional. I¡¯d had to etch the iron, then fill the runes with silver as it was one of the few metals that could hold a ¡®magical¡¯ charge, then add copper to pull energy in. The circle was probably the most expensive thing I had in the shop, including my jeep outside. That didn¡¯t even take into account how expensive it had been to craft.


    Despite that, it had been necessary and very worth it. The crazy thing was that on the scales of crafting true magical items this was simple, cheap even. Sure, I wanted to recraft a wizard¡¯s staff, my last having been destroyed by a spell I¡¯d forged. I also needed to develop defensive clothes, magical weapons, shield bracelets, wands, rings, and rune imbued stones. But cost, time, and effort were significant limiting factors.


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    Once the spell was laid out and the circle was increasing the magical gradient towards me and my core, I mentally double checked all the spells components, my mind slipping down the filaments of power like a spider checking over and sensing movement in its web. Once satisfied I willed the spell to feed itself on the energy coming into the circle and directly from my own core which was filled to capacity.


    The room lit with color. The light was skewed in hews of green and red due to my increased affinity for those types of energy, but other areas which required me to use other strands of power radiated different light. From the pristine white of light mana, to a strange type of negative light that used to hurt my eyes when I saw it. It was like a line in the air devoid of anything sucking in light like a black hole, that segment was made of annihilation mana.


    Once it was primmed, I raised the first orb in my hand, and pulled on the energy within until I was on the brink of absorbing it, then I allowed the spell to trigger. Information became known to me. It was different for everyone, their minds developing their own way of providing context to the information that the spell gathered through external sources and tried to relay to the senses. Mine had always been like text written before my mind¡¯s eye, text that overlaid whatever my vision was seeing which forced itself into the forefront of my attention.


    Spell based identification activated:


    Mana core: Identified: ¡®Rot Pixie¡¯ Monster Core


    Quality: 1<sup>st</sup> tier


    Power value: Weak


    Inherent power affinity: Body


    Special Use: None


    Other properties: May enhance blight, rot, or decay workings.


    The information was generally what I had expected, but I still liked to check. My glasses had worked better than I thought, though they hadn¡¯t gotten everything. I¡¯d never seen a core with a special use, but I¡¯d been trained on what they would allow. A special-use core would give an additional benefit or power if used solely for that effect. The first line, Quality 1<sup>st</sup> tier, basically meant that these creatures ¡®monster cores¡¯, the literal place they harvested mana and magic to imbue their bodies was rubbish. One of the cores Clair had given me once had been a 2<sup>nd</sup> tier. Still weak in power value, but it had provided me with even more progress after I used it.


    Exceptionally strong creatures had a much harder time crossing over into our world from the Fae, which was a plain of existence rich with magic and dangers. While it sucked for my power growth had probably saved mankind a million times over the centuries, still it had crept into our legends like Avalon or Yggdrasil, places of magic, mystery and connection of worlds.


    The power value was simple, my spell revealed how much power was contained in the core. I¡¯d never seen any with a higher power level but hoped I would one day find one. As it was, I was already lucky due to Fren. He captured enemies that I wouldn¡¯t have had any idea existed who surveyed my wards and protective enchantments on the building. Other wizards wouldn¡¯t have that benefit and would have to create ¡®traps¡¯ to tempt weak creatures into a location where they could be dispatched more actively. I essentially got free advancement help from him.


    I contemplated that for a moment.


    I¡¯d read books about magical dungeons leading people in to feed off their souls or death energy and it wasn¡¯t too far off from some wizards defensive towers.


    With Lana¡¯s comments last night about wizards being energy vampires¡­ I was beginning to see myself and wizards in general, in a new light. Are we the bad guys? I thought, then dismissed it immediately. I¡¯d seen truly evil and heinous creatures. One was literally killing people in my city.


    I¡¯d saved some time with my home defenses because of Fren and his strength. Instead I¡¯d been able to focus on crafting wards to protect my shop and home while running a business out of it. Unfortunately, since I¡¯d been holding the door open, the pixies had been ¡®invited¡¯ past many of those same defenses. It was one of the downsides of having my home and shop in the same location. The threshold was weak, and I had to allow ¡®hostile¡¯ forces in under certain circumstances.


    It had to be that way so I could allow in store patrons, police, possible human enemies, and anyone that might have a minor magical gift. My wards had significant flaws to allow that. The defenses were weak unless I actively beefed them up for a time. It was the only way I could construct them and still have people feel comfortable inside the shop or not risk getting hurt. Fren remedied much of that weakness. He was like an external scout with his senses and could warn me of dangers so I could respond in time. Theoretically. He was also tough and could cover for me while I readied spells.


    Still, what I had developed repelled direct magic that was not mine or Fren¡¯s within the shop. It would force beings who entered beside myself or Fren to lose access to a portion of their power. Their ¡®cores¡¯ would also have to actively fight to pull mana in while inside. That would limit any other creatures¡¯ magic power by some measure. For creatures like the pixies, it would basically be a death sentence if they directly broke a window and entered, their lifegiving mana would be halted to the extent they would die in moments.


    Looking at the monster core in my hand, I considered the next line of text provided to me. The ¡®inherent power affinity¡¯ meant that if I put these stones into ¡®body¡¯ I would gain a little more energy from them than in any other use. It made sense, the pixies could fly, a physically demanding task, and they were insanely strong for their size as well as resilient to external physical forces despite how effective my kick and rock spells had been at taking them out.


    I thought through my options. Weighing the benefits to increasing my power, fortitude, or body attributes. The energy of the first pixie core was primed and eagerly awaiting my decision, I decided to place it into my ¡®body¡¯ attribute so I could get the most out of it. It would help with spell feedback as my brain would be more resilient, and against physical damage. It would make my body stronger, my senses keener, and my ability to heal and survive better.


    Once I chose, the power flooded my body in a wave drawn in by the spell, making it so very little of the power could escape.


    I closed my eyes, reveling in the flood of incredible vitality. I quickly picked up the second stone. It was identical to the first, they all likely would be, not offering any higher power value or tier of core. The ¡®Other¡¯ properties were the same, each a ¡®Rot Pixie core¡¯ that could be used in rot and decay workings. Thankfully the energy that was removed from the core and added to mine didn¡¯t remain tied to rot. It was purified, but the idea of a fae creature tied to rot made me hate the creatures even more. I had no need for the ¡®other¡¯ properties and thus wouldn¡¯t save these cores for any of my items or crafting.


    I ended up putting two into my body attribute and two into fortitude. I already had so much inherent power in my attacks that I generally overused mana, and I didn¡¯t have a lot to spare. My shields could stop bullets with ease, but I would tire out in moments. I could probably stop a cement truck traveling at highway speeds if it crashed into it. Clair on the other hand could hold a weak shield that would slow bullets to the point they were no longer an issue and hold the spell for an hour while using others, but larger attacks might get through. Head-to-head my shield would be stronger than hers for brief moments. Clair was a master wizard, she had remedies to that weakness, she was an experienced wizard.


    The same was true for attacks¡ªthat was my one trump card¡ªmy power could overwhelm most creatures but if I used my powerful and expensive attacks at the wrong time, I would be incapacitated and dead to some simple creature like the pixies from the night before. I was the definition of a glass cannon, and I didn¡¯t like that.


    Once all four were used, I activated the best part of the spell. The ¡®webs¡¯ of power folded inward, resting on my soul, body connection and my own core. Instead of evaluating an external source, the spell now assessed me. Information flooded my mind.


    Spell based identification activated:


    Mana Core: Identified: Human Mage


    Quality: 1st tier


    Power value: Strong


    Inherent power affinity: All


    Power: Rank Three 65/100


    Fortitude: Rank Two 83/100


    Body: Rank Two 95/100


    I grinned at seeing what I referred to as my stats. Older wizards called them anything from divine rank, astral affinity, cultivation levels, or even soul powers. They liked to bicker and argue about who¡¯s definition was right¡ªor so Clair had told me. I preferred cultivation and generally referred to it under those terms. I didn¡¯t care so much about the name but knowing my power was wonderful. The recently used cores had helped significantly. Strangely my ¡®Power¡¯ rank had been at a three for as long as I could remember. Even Clair had been surprised but figured that was why I stood out to her and perhaps it was due to my inherent ¡®power value¡¯ being strong. Clair had never told me her own and had told me never to share my details with anyone else.


    I was curious if I could push this spell further. The power that assessed my core didn¡¯t reveal as much as it did on others. I didn¡¯t know if that was because I was alive¡­ or if it was some limitation of the spell in the first place. I would have loved to know if my core had any special use properties¡­ but that would only be useful for someone else, if they could harness my core. That had never come up in training.


    I shook my head to dispel the thought. I¡¯d experienced my ¡®fortitude¡¯ and ¡®Body¡¯ attributes each rank up once with training, meditation and growing from the core¡¯s I¡¯d gathered on my own and the few Clair had given me. Over time each category would increase slowly with simple training, but cores jumped the process forward.


    The last time I remembered looking at my ¡®Body attribute¡¯ It had been 76 so the three I¡¯d used from Pixies over the past few days had advanced me months of my own practice and training. I grinned at that. Body took physical activity to increase or even more difficult tasks like recovering from poisons, sicknesses and wounds. Eating healthy as well as meditating while focused on my body could also assist, but it progressed along at a glacial pace. Having monster cores jump forward that process was an amazing boon and would let me focus on working on the other areas I enjoyed more.


    These cores had had more affinity for ¡®body¡¯ and gave me more growth in that category than they would have another. Each tier was more difficult to progress through, training and refining techniques each more important. I had no idea what high-level wizard¡¯s powers would look like. They guarded those secrets carefully and even Clair had never told me her cultivation levels. Still, anyone could die from the right attack or from being unlucky in a battle. Tiers and power didn¡¯t mean everything, but they did help.


    Done, I opened my eyes to find Lana watching with Fren standing on the floor beside her whispering information in her ear while I had been working.

 Chapter 20 — It Does have some Perks

    Chapter 20 ¡ª It Does have some Perks


    I relaxed my will under their scrutiny and the spell vanished, the ethereal light from my magic which filled the dim basement waning with it. Fren had extinguished the candles at some point in the night which now left the room dark.


    Feeling better from my state the night before, I focused my will, imagining lighting each candle with a spell. I spoke the word ¡°Ignis¡± and several snapped alight with small bursts of flame. I felt the draw on my ¡®Fortitude¡¯ which was the magical pool of energy I could harness rapidly, it was diminished somewhat from my previous spell, but the changes were minor. I would recover given time thanks to working within my circle which supplemented my recovery.


    ¡°That was amazing,¡± Lana said. She positively radiated vitality, energy, and femininity. ¡°This all is. I feel incredible, like every stress I¡¯ve ever had was relieved while I slept,¡± she sighed, and spun around, taking in the room. ¡°And all my injuries are healed.¡± She stretched her shoulders and neck, ¡°I haven¡¯t felt this good in years. Thank you Fren,¡± she said, hugging the ancient forest being. She awkwardly laughed and I heard her mutter, ¡°Never thought I¡¯d be a tree hugger.¡±


    ¡°I am pleased,¡± Fren said, his voice full of his own brand of enthusiasm. ¡°Cal needs someone to watch his back where I cannot venture. I am glad he has confided who he truly is, in you.¡±


    I looked down at Lana¡¯s breastbone, looking to where the cut she¡¯d had was, it had been smaller than mine, and now it was basically nonexistent. I felt relief at that, not wanting her to be scared the rest of her life due to meeting me.


    ¡°You weren¡¯t lying,¡± she said. ¡°I wish I could do that every night.¡± Her joy dispelled my darker thoughts about her injury.


    ¡°Honestly, me too,¡± I said. ¡°It does take a lot out of Fren. But our wounds were minor and he hasn¡¯t had to use much power recently.¡±


    Fren nodded his head, ¡°It was a pleasure to serve and meet you. Now I must rest, the morning light is most beneficial for my recovery.¡±


    Lana gave him another hug, then Fren strode away and settled into his grove to recuperate.


    ¡°What was that you were doing? I only caught the last part fully.¡± She had gestured to my rune inscribed circle on the floor, the metal and crystals glimmering gently in the soft light beginning to fill the room beside the candles I¡¯d lit.


    ¡°What did you see?¡±


    ¡°Thin lines spreading and twisting across the floor in the air. It looked like a mandala of lights all around you. They almost looked like strings. Then they shifted all at once and¡­ well, you glowed for a second.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. It means you have some ability to see magic. Many people do, but some can¡¯t even see things like that.¡± I was thrilled she¡¯d been able to see my spell. It probably reassured her that everything that had happened last night hadn¡¯t been a dream.


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Lana grinned, before biting her lower lip, ¡°You said you could check me last night, to see if I can do this. Can we still try that?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said, gesturing to the circle around me. ¡°You just need to sit in the middle of this circle, it will help and give us the best assessment of what might be possible.¡±


    Lana quickly obliged. She settled down and crossed her legs in front of her as I had been sitting only moments before. I took a moment and brought over a few more candles. It made the magic circle less ominous and let her see the beautiful stones, the wood I¡¯d painstakingly carved, the countless adjustments I¡¯d made to the circle to fit me, and my power carved out into the floor like a declaration. Some were emblems of earth that helped me draw in that type of power at an instinctive level. I carefully placed the candles at locations where they would assist my flame affinity. I didn¡¯t need them, but I wanted to do this properly and it gave me time to settle my mind. I was far too excited that Lana wasn¡¯t freaked out by me and what I could do, and for this next working I would need clarity of mind more than anything. It would make the process more comfortable for her.


    Once ready, I moved to the floor and sat across from her, both of us barely within the iron ring, ¡°Now try to stay relaxed, you might feel some changes around you, pressure, maybe noise. For everyone its different.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m literally the most relaxed I think I¡¯ve ever been. Last night was like the perfect spa retreat. I got to fight, had to lie to the police, then had a relaxing night. I couldn¡¯t be better!¡±


    I choked down a laugh, ¡°Well, if you like that, we''re just getting started. Welcome to my cluster of a life, but it does have some perks. I had fun too, given the circumstances. You should see what a real date with me is like.¡±


    She grinned, showing white teeth, ¡°I do have to say, I¡¯m kind of curious.¡±


    I paused, unsure what to say, then decided to proceed with what we were doing, ¡°For this spell, we will need to hold hands.¡±


    Lana gazed at me for a moment before reaching out. Her hands were slender, smooth, and warm. I clasped them lightly in each of mine and began cultivating while also engaging the outer ring of iron to let energy in but not out with an effort of will and a touch of my barefoot on the metal. I was looking for a resonance in her with the inward-flowing power. My energy played up and down my body, cycling through my core. It was the reason people believed in chakras. Those who could cultivate on a slight level, even if they couldn¡¯t intake monster cores or perform magic, could cycle their own body''s inherent energy in a similar way. Lana¡¯s body, soul, and mind would instinctively follow mine in the circle. Like the ocean tide lifting all the ships in a harbor, we were both where energy was plentiful and moving, it filled my core as it would hers¡­ if it could. The odds were basically nil that she would have powers, but you could never know without testing. Clair had told me stories about entire families with the talent who had been found in the past. It was probably a blessing it was a rare gift; most magical creatures largely ignored humans because they didn¡¯t develop cores unless their power was awakened and then cultivated. Yes, vampires needed blood, and ghouls loved flesh, and other creatures fed on emotions like pain, love, and fear¡ªbut it was nothing more than that.


    We sat like that for some time, but I knew after the first few moments that she didn¡¯t have any true magical affinity. She was empathic enough to pick up on magic, perhaps even more than most, but at the fundamental level there was a difference. Wizards had some change, some alteration or mutation which allowed for using energies rather than just feeling or sensing them. They had an inherent power. Still, cultivating with someone like this could help refine what abilities they had.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said, opening my eyes.

 Chapter 21 — Full Bore

    Chapter 21 ¡ª Full Bore


    Lana simply nodded at my statement that she didn¡¯t have inherent magic, I could see from the slight drop in her shoulders that she¡¯d held some hope despite all my warnings. I had been curious too.


    We both paused for a moment as I let the power building around us falter, then I began pulling it into my core to recharge myself.


    ¡°I felt the difference,¡± she said, after the long silence. ¡°I could sense and feel something in you. I could feel it influencing me somehow, but nothing beyond that.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s actually pretty impressive. You have a gift more than many. Were you a Wiccan or wanted to play around in more mundane magic or aura readings and the like, you¡¯d probably be good at it.¡±


    ¡°So, there is some truth to those?¡±


    ¡°Most things have a sliver or fraction of truth. It¡¯s the only way they would stay around. Meditation, chakras, auras-¡ªhell even the metaphysical properties crystals are supposed to have are based on a shadow of the truth. Religion can even give people power.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Faith. Mental focus or devotion to anything wields a power of its own. It may not be as controllable or outwardly visible as what I can do, but it can be a protection from some creatures out there. Even some spells.¡±


    ¡°Are you religious?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­¡± I wasn¡¯t sure what to say, I believed religion was good, and as I had said it wielded a power of its own. But most religions didn¡¯t take to wizards and magic well. ¡°I¡¯m pro religion. Most I don¡¯t think would like me, but I¡¯ve read most religious texts that exist. You?¡±


    ¡°Sort of. I¡¯ve been to churches, but my dad was religious, but never really liked church and we moved so much it never took. I recently started going to one a few blocks away. It¡¯s pretty good.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t aware that we had a church that close.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a small one. Do you know that youth center by the foothills that closed down?¡±


    ¡°I think so, it¡¯s been closed for a few years.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it recently got converted into a church by a guy who retired from the military. I¡¯ve only gone twice, but it was good.¡±


    ¡°Well, maybe I¡¯ll have to check it out sometime with you. But if I catch on fire walking in the door or something I may not stay for the full service.¡±


    Lana shook her head; I knew she would probably need days to reflect on everything once it really hit home. She¡¯d probably have another thousand questions too.


    ¡°Thanks for trying, to see if I have magic. I have¡­ felt things like that before. People or things in the woods that were not quite right. Now I know why.¡±


    I nodded, shivering slightly. If she¡¯d been that close to threats¡­ I would have to redouble my efforts to making sure the nearby forests were a clear off-limit zone for any denizen that would wish her harm.


    Unsure how to comfort her, I squeezed one of her hands once which was still resting in mine. From my perspective there were very few people on earth who could become wizards, and for those that could, most would never know it. In some ways the talent had been dying out. While it could be passed down through bloodlines, many wizards also died in training or fighting creatures like we had the night before, prior to having their own families. Over centuries the power had been culled from the population or so Clair hypothesized. It was one of the reasons she¡¯d been willing to overcome her reclusive nature to pull me from foster care and not let a talent such as mine go to waste.


    Wizards needed training to be effective, or else they could become a liability. If someone or something found those with the talent first and forced them down a different path¡­ well, it wasn¡¯t safe to have untrained individuals wielding the foundational forces of the universe, especially if they were batting for one of the other teams.


    That was what kept most enterprising male wizards concerned about the future from going to the local sperm bank every day. Wizards were also nearly sterile, or so my instructor had taught me. It was very hard for anyone who used a lot of magic to reproduce. The other concern was some spells could impact bloodlines. Powerful wizards oversaw their children closely as they were a ¡®weak link¡¯ that an enemy could use to reach them if they were dedicated enough.


    I felt the changes in the world above as the sun rose fully, the shift of energies from dark to night passing over our part of the world. It was easy to notice when my aura and focus had been extended, trying to feel a stirring of power in Lana. That meant it was time to really get started on the day. Kate would be here any moment.


    ¡°Are you hungry?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Actually, I¡¯m starving.¡±


    ¡°Then follow me. Healing can do that,¡± I said. ¡°Nothing in this world comes for free and knowing Fren, he probably went over the top and healed everything he could in both of us.¡±


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Lana turned to follow before taking a last look back at Fren¡¯s still form in his glen before whispering as if it were a secret, ¡°Are there more people like him?¡±


    I was glad she saw Fren as a person, though in actuality he was a forest ancient with different goals and motivations than the typical human. I considered my friend as she had done before quietly whispering back, ¡°I think there used to be. As far as I know he¡¯s immortal, but that¡¯s with a lowercase ¡®I¡¯. He can be killed. Fren doesn¡¯t like to talk about it and the most I¡¯ve gotten out of him is that he¡¯s been separated from his kind for millennia. I like to think there is a grove chock full of them somewhere hidden in the world. I think it makes him uncomfortable when I ask, so I don¡¯t push.¡±


    Lana nodded and we went upstairs. I grabbed my backpack I had hanging on a shelf by the door which contained most of the gear I would need for the day. It was different from my hiking pack, in that it didn¡¯t have my maps, but had some crossover with defensive magical items and tools. I left Fren to lock the door, he would do that from inside with one of his nearby roots or branches. I also grabbed my prototype glasses, just in case I needed them.


    The upper floor was in its normal luster. Light from the windows gave the shop a bright appearance, crystals and stones gleamed. Unfortunately, most of them did it from the floor, scattered about from my spell the night before. With the events of the night, I¡¯d forgotten how beat up the shop was. This floor of the store was more concealed in shadows, it not having access to the light from the rooftop renovations, and the east side on this floor had no windows due to a bathroom and the large door which led to the back alley behind the store front, as well as the cash register area being backed by a storage room.


    I groaned as I looked at the mess. Then I thought about my Jeep for the first time since the fight and hoped that it hadn¡¯t been damaged by my release of power. Combustion engines as old as that one generally withstood my magic, but it wasn¡¯t a sure thing. Spark plugs and the like were still susceptible.


    It was obvious something had happened here. A few drops of blood¡ªLana¡¯s or mine¡ª stained the floor. Fey blood would turn into goo and evaporate after a half hour or so. Red, yellow, blue, green, and purple crystals dotted the floor, many shattered like glass. A few looked salvageable, but I¡¯d have to see. Luckily, I hadn¡¯t used everything in the shop with my spell, only the large middle section¡­ which housed the most impressive wares. We both looked up at the ceiling after seeing the mess and broken stones on the floor, to find Fren had been busy with it as well.


    The divots and chipped wood of the rafters and floor above had all been repaired in the night and looked just as it had. The thin metal pipe like cover that housed the electrical wiring and made its way to each light was bent and dinged, the iron light sconces were in even worse shape. I¡¯d painted the iron housing black, and the dark color helped conceal much of the damage from this distance. I hadn¡¯t seen any police officers the night before notice the ceiling, which was good.


    ¡°Do you have a kitchen here?¡± Lana asked.


    ¡°Unfortunately, no,¡± I grumbled after seeing the shop. ¡°But we do have options. There is a breakfast shop down the row that should be open. It¡¯s great. I eat a meal or two there most days.¡±


    ¡°You really don¡¯t have a kitchen?¡± Lana said, realizing another peculiarity to my life.


    ¡°I would love one, but with my powers modern gas or electric stoves come with big risks. Fridges won¡¯t work more than a day or two. Microwaves are completely out. Unless I want to find and install a massive old-fashioned wood burning stove and grocery shop every day, I¡¯m out of luck.¡±


    Lana¡¯s brow scrunched, ¡°So¡­ if we were to date, that would come with some pretty serious considerations.¡±


    I nearly choked as my heart lurched, ¡°You¡¯re thinking about dating? Me?¡±


    She laughed and the sound of it melted my very soul, ¡°Well, it¡¯s not every day I spend the night at the house of someone I just met,¡± she gave me a sly grin. ¡°It simply makes me think, and we both seemed to like what we saw in your room last night.¡±


    She stepped forward and put her hand in mine, then pursed her lips as she looked at my face. I looked down at our hands. I mean, we had just held hands downstairs, but this was different. Her fingers seemed so small and delicate in mine, but I knew she could probably break my hand with ease had she wanted to¡ªbody tier 2 or no.


    ¡°Yeah, this might work,¡± she said with a wicked grin, squeezing my hand hard once. ¡°We¡¯ll have to see what happens.¡±


    ¡°I thought you were just looking for a friend?¡± I said, eyes narrowing. ¡°Like literally last night.¡±


    ¡°And I still am, but¡­ we¡¯ll you¡¯ve surprised me. Do you want me to change my mind?¡± she asked, eyes meeting mine.


    ¡°Hell no. I just¡ªWell¡­ Last night was a lot. If you need time to process that¡¯s fine and¡­ I¡¯m not great with people, not long term.¡±


    ¡°Man, do you have some baggage¡­¡± she said with a grin to take away the sting. ¡°Regardless, I like you and I¡¯m willing to see where this goes. But¡­ I¡¯ve been rash in the past with relationships. I tend to jump in full bore and they crash and burn. I¡¯m trying to be better. I¡¯ve dated the wrong types of guy before. You¡¯re something completely different. I like that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not all baggage,¡± I complained, though I felt elated at her open confession. ¡°I mean, I know where the best places to eat are.¡±


    ¡°Then show me, because I¡¯m still starving.¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay, okay,¡± I said. ¡°Just one thing.¡±


    I wrote a little note out on a piece of paper for Kate. I apologized for the mess and told her I would be back soon in case she arrived before we returned. I also made it clear I would clean up the mess and that a police report was filed, and we could hopefully open up a claim later that day with the insurance company.


    With that we were off. I led Lana out the front and into the brisk morning air. I locked the back door. Willing the magical defenses to become active around my store. Kate¡¯s key would disarm most of them, and I really needed to rethink some of them after my homes first true attack.


    We¡¯d stopped holding hands soon after our conversation in the store, but I found myself missing the feel of her delicate fingers. It was like I could still feel the smoothness of her skin against mine. Granted we weren¡¯t dating, not officially, but she was thinking about it. It made it stupidly hard to hide my grin. My shirt¡ªwhich Lana was still wearing¡ªwas black and went well under her green vest jacket which thankfully hadn¡¯t been stained with blood, though her arms would get cold if we were out too long in the early morning chill.


    We made a brisk pace as I led the way. Lana observed all the sights that I had seen a thousand times on the block. Several people were out biking or jogging. Most had at least one dog. A few of the canines came to me eagerly for scratches if they were a regular on the street.


    This area of town was hardly every empty. Parking on the street was still plentiful but it being the weekend that would change soon. We approached the restaurant. It was a small affair, the couple who owned and ran it well into their late fifties. They wouldn¡¯t truly be open for another fifteen minutes but Sarah the owner saw me coming and unlatched the door, waving us both in and out of the cold.


    I whispered to Lana, ¡°See benefits.¡±


    The way her half smile revealed beautifully white teeth and a dimple on one side made me realize everything I was facing was worthwhile.

 Chapter 22 — Gesticulation

    Chapter 22 ¡ª Gesticulation


    We sat in my favorite booth. It was set in one of the back corners, next to a window which let us see the shops across the road, mine included on the far side of the block. The table also happened to be the furthest from Sarah and Dave¡¯s cash register and office which probably held a computer, and I wanted to stay as far away from it as I could. The kitchens sat even further back and should be safe unless I was actively slinging spells.


    ¡°Now you¡¯re a welcome new face,¡± Sarah said looking at Lana then beaming at me like she was my proud mother, and I¡¯d finally found a worthwhile girl to bring home. I began to slightly regret my decision to come here for breakfast.


    I cleared my throat, ¡°Sarah, this is Lana, I met her at Rex¡¯s, and we¡¯ve hit it off since then.¡± I left off that it had only been a day before. Sarah smiled knowingly and I considered what she must be thinking about us, about being together getting breakfast so early. I felt my cheeks coloring. It wasn¡¯t that I was embarrassed it was just that this was Sarah and what she was assuming was wrong, but nothing I could change.


    ¡°I just couldn¡¯t let him go after trouncing him at Rex¡¯s,¡± Lana said. ¡°I wanted to make sure he was okay, and then I couldn¡¯t stop.¡±


    Sarah quirked her head to the side not getting the joke because Lana didn¡¯t look like she could beat the crap out of anyone, much less me. But she smiled, nonetheless. ¡°That I¡¯ll have to ask Rex about the next time I see him. You should know Cal is sort of the bachelor of the market district. We¡¯ve all tried to find him someone. I¡¯m glad he¡¯s finally getting around to doing it himself.¡±


    ¡°Wait what?¡± I managed.


    Sarah gave me a knowing look and patted my shoulder like I was some lost kitten who had finally begun taking care of itself. ¡°Oh dearie, your cheeks are going flush, is it terribly cold outside?¡± she asked, looking at me then to the street out the window.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that bad,¡± I said, clearing my throat. ¡°Could I get a menu¡ªfor Lana?¡±


    The light above us sputtered, then died. My embarrassment caused havoc to my personal aura control. Shit. I felt a little bad, but Sarah had been unknowingly disturbing my calm.


    ¡°Again,¡± Sarah said, looking to the dead bulb. ¡°I swear this building wasn¡¯t wired correctly.¡±


    ¡°Does that happen often?¡± Lana asked, eyes roving over me, but the question clearly directed at Sarah. ¡°The same thing happened at Cal¡¯s last night.¡± She finished with a wondering voice.


    ¡°It must have been something with the breaker,¡± I added. ¡°Knocked out everything in my shop.¡±


    ¡°It does,¡± Sarah said with a concerned look on her face. ¡°But I just put a new bulb in this socket last week. Must have been a lemon.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I actually like it better without the light,¡± I said.


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re going to have to like it. We¡¯re out of spares and in thirty minutes it will be too busy in here to change it.¡± Sarah placed her hands on her hips. ¡°What were we talking about¡­ Ahh, a menu! Let me grab one.¡±


    ¡°So, was that you?¡± Lana asked once Sarah was a good distance away as she pointed a finger up at the light.


    I nodded, ¡°Not on purpose though.¡±


    ¡°Clearly,¡± she laughed, ¡°But it doesn¡¯t only happen when you use magic?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s my presence, my aura. Especially if I lose focus.¡±


    Her grin quirked up one side of her lips in a way I was finding increasingly enjoyable. ¡°Lost focus huh? A little light banter was all it took to throw you off?¡±


    I gulped unintentionally. My throat being dry made it louder than it otherwise would have been. Lana¡¯s grin turned into a full-fledged smile. She took her hands and began putting her hair back into a ponytail, using the same band on her wrist she¡¯d used at Rex¡¯s.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time,¡± I said, shrugging my shoulders. ¡°Things with my last girlfriend didn¡¯t end well.¡±


    ¡°Long time?¡±


    ¡°Since I had a girlfriend, and others knew and could razz me about it,¡± I amended. ¡°I¡¯m not used to it and Sarah has sort of appointed herself as my adopted mom around here.¡±


    ¡°How long has it been?¡± Lana said, eyes curious.


    I wanted to kick myself for how stupid it seemed, and my hesitance at sharing, but relationships were built on trust and honesty. Vulnerability. I hated to be vulnerable, my life was literally full of secrets and danger. Normally when I felt vulnerable, I killed whatever creature made me feel that way. That solution wasn¡¯t an option here. The question made me realize how long I¡¯d been pushing others besides Fren away. I generally kept things brief and surface-level.


    ¡°Eight years,¡± I said as it dawned on me. I¡¯d been in high school, hadn¡¯t even jumped into the more intense training and really hadn¡¯t had many other friends at the time given my cloistered life at the ranch.


    Her eyes widened slightly, but there was no judgment in them.


    ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°Two,¡± she said quickly. ¡°It ended badly as well. Mixed with everything else¡­ I needed a fresh start. It was something I jumped into, and it wasn¡¯t what I needed at the time.¡±


    I nodded, unsure what to say. I was probably another person that she would look back on the same way. I was likely far more than she¡¯s bargaining for, I thought with a pang of regret.


    ¡°Well, here¡¯s to a new start for each of us,¡± I said as Sarah approached with two glasses of ice water.


    There were so many things I needed to tell Lana. Things that would probably make her run for the hills. For starters, I was going to live for a long, long time. If I managed to survive. Also dating me did have certain considerations. Many she was already thinking about. I couldn¡¯t simply go to the movies or share most electronic media couples talked about or spent time together consuming. As a wizard, my very presence was threatening. She would be a target if she was close to me. Hell, the pixies had attacked her simply because it was a fortified position with the doors open. Or¡­ they hadn¡¯t, and I was more of a target than I knew?


    I thought back on the events of the past few days. Phillis had been killed soon after I left after having had that dream, then the attack at my home. Were the events too much of a coincidence? Either the creature that was killing people in the mountains had suddenly changed tactics to attack someone indoors, or it had come looking for me? Maybe to frame me or warn me off hunting it if it was a being of some sort? If so, it was a far better predator than I was, and it was intelligent. I still had no idea what it even was other than being supernatural in some sense given what I¡¯d felt from the attack site I¡¯d found while hiking.


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    What if the creature had some connection to the pixies? I didn¡¯t like that train of thought. It meant the creature was a thinking and reasoning being from the fae. Something with influence and tied to the queen of darkness. That could put Lana in a lot of danger.


    ¡°Where did you just go?¡± Lana said, holding the menu. I hadn¡¯t even realized Sarah had dropped it off.


    ¡°Uh, yeah. I was just thinking,¡± I said. ¡°About all of this.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that was clear. What did you arrive at?¡±


    ¡°There is so much you don¡¯t know. Things you deserve to know if we¡¯re going to be in any sort of relationship.¡± I could feel my hesitance building at telling her what she deserved to know. It was a coward¡¯s feeling and I smothered it. Lana deserved to know everything.


    Lana¡¯s brow furrowed.


    ¡°Things you need to know to even consider a relationship with me.¡±


    She nodded, eyes widening slightly. She looked afraid.


    ¡°It has nothing to do with you. You¡¯re incredible in like every way I could conceive. Great even... But you may not want to stick around me once you know it all.¡± Her posture relaxed a little but before she could say something trite like it didn¡¯t matter, or that she could overlook things before she actually knew what I meant, I continued. ¡°And I was thinking about¡ª¡± I looked around to make sure I hadn¡¯t missed anyone else coming in and sitting near us or Sarah doing something nearby, ¡°The possible connections between the disappearances and attacks in the woods, the creature I¡¯ve been hunting, and the pixies last night.¡±


    ¡°What about them?¡±


    ¡°What if they aren¡¯t all separate events? What if I¡¯m being hunted now and that¡¯s why it attacked Phillis at the inn yesterday.¡±


    Lana¡¯s eyes never left mine.


    ¡°You may want to stay clear of me for a while, until I figure it out. It could be dangerous. Last night you were stopping by to say ¡®hi¡¯ not to get dragged into this. It will always be dangerous around me, but I¡¯m afraid it might be even more so right now.¡±


    We paused for a moment as Sarah approached across the shop to take our orders and to drop off two coffees. My heart was racing as I waited to hear Lana¡¯s response. I knew the smart choice would be for her to take off.


    What I wasn¡¯t ready for was the fierceness of her answer once Sarah left, ¡°First of all. I didn¡¯t get dragged into anything. I liked you at Rex¡¯s. You''re are handsome, clearly active, and¡­ well I have a good feeling about you. I trust my intuition. You literally said this morning that I have a gift with that sort of thing.¡± She said the last like a threat and that I shouldn¡¯t argue with her. ¡°I don¡¯t show up at any guy¡¯s places at night because I was bored or clueless. I knew where things might lead, and I was willing to see what happened, but I also wanted to not set up any sort of expectation.¡±


    I gulped again, really wishing the night had gone differently.


    ¡°I also have reasons that I need to learn what you know. I¡¯m not ready to discuss them now, much less here,¡± she said, looking over the shop. One of her eyes grew rimed with a tear. ¡°But I know you can help me. I felt the safest I have felt in years at your store last night, part of that is what you can do, the other part, is you.¡±


    I sat in silence. Reflecting on her words. We had a lot more to discuss, but the elation I felt was something I had yearned for.


    ¡°And Fren... Actually, it¡¯s probably mostly Fren,¡± she said with a sarcastic smile as I took too long to answer.


    I grinned too, knowing there was actual truth to her last statement. I felt the same. Lana had something in her past dealing with my side of the street. I didn¡¯t know what it was. But if she needed help, I would wade through monsters, blood, and gore to give it to her. She was strong enough something simple wouldn¡¯t scare her away and fear was the impression I got. She was frightened by something from the past that she didn¡¯t understand.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I said. ¡°But I want to give you all the information. I¡¯m an open book, and you need to hear it before you¡­ or well we consider anything more. We¡¯ll still be friends, and I can help you with whatever you need. Don¡¯t feel like¡­ well, like this all has to work out to get it.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± she agreed. ¡°But only if you stop thinking you¡¯re the only one with baggage and that I¡¯ll run away. You might run from me.¡±


    We had a lovely breakfast. As other diners came in, we turned to more normal discussion topics. Cats or dogs, Jobs we would like to do, places we¡¯d been. Lana was surprisingly well traveled, and I could tell she missed her father a great deal. It seemed he had been the impetus for many of her hobbies, trips, and life goals. She¡¯d been close to and relied on him deeply. I found out more about her job in Arizona with the forest service. She¡¯d been working there until just before moving here. It explained her tan skin, even this time of year. She¡¯d only had a few orientation days at the new place and started in truth on Monday morning. It was part time, three days a week, but she hadn¡¯t wanted or needed anything more and with her inheritance from her grandmother it would be enough to cover her expenses.


    Sarah was busy taking orders for the kitchens when we got up to leave. Dave, her husband, would likely be in the kitchens or the office doing the behind-the-scenes work. I left a tip like always, even though Sarah had expressly told me more than once that as a regular I didn¡¯t need to. I always did, despite how tight funds had been in the past, I wasn¡¯t a beggar and I felt responsible for the power problems they had due to me, so I tried to be as generous as I could manage.


    Another waiter was waiting the tables at the far side of the small store. She was a wonderful woman named Arleen who had moved here from Virginia. She was an immigrant from Haiti who had moved to Boise when her son got a scholarship at Boise State playing football. I waved on the way out and told her to let Sarah know the food was amazing as always.


    ¡°Well, what is this?¡± A gruff voice I knew all too well said as we stepped out of the shop.


    ¡°Good morning, Rex,¡± I said turning to see the man looking us over carefully. We were standing close, and he definitely recognized the shirt Lana was wearing.


    ¡°Very good morning it seems,¡± he said, clearly meaning the words for me. ¡°You took my encouragement to really embrace the new students to heart?¡±


    ¡°Shut up Rex,¡± I said with a grin. ¡°It¡¯s too early for your jokes.¡±


    Lana laughed.


    Rex gave me a more than awkward wink and I wished for the first time that I didn¡¯t know so many of the other shop owners around here. They were all much more concerned about my love life than I had imagined they could ever be. Hell, were they having late night chats about who too hook me up with? A few more than awkward encounters came to mind of people coming into my shop having ¡®heard¡¯ about me by their aunt, or friend, or someone else¡­ and it dawned on me. They had all been trying to hook me up, likely trying to arrange things behind my back as a group. It was thoughtful but also incredibly annoying. I¡¯d been so blind.


    The stoplight on the street corner let out a loud buzzzzzt then died, the lights going blank.


    I reigned in my emotions again, normally I was much better at it.


    We all looked upward at the light.


    ¡°Well, ain''t that the darndest thing,¡± Rex said, taking a sip of his coffee before turning back to us. ¡°Hey¡ªI heard something went down at your shop last night?¡± He barely kept himself from an improper joke at realizing his own words, ¡°-¡ªPolice and everything, or so I heard.¡±


    Lana nudged her hip into mine with a questioning look at the light.


    ¡°Yes. Attempted burglary,¡± I stammered, answering both of them. Lana grinning as I did so. She seemed to really like me screwing with electronics.


    ¡°And you let them get away? Have I trained you at all?¡± Rex nearly spilled his coffee even though he had a lid with the jerk his arms made at the thought of burglars getting away.


    ¡°They had a gun,¡± I said, trying to remember the details of our cover story.


    ¡°He was very brave,¡± Lana said, resting a hand on my shoulder. ¡°And we¡¯re simply glad everyone was safe.¡±


    I thanked her nonverbally for not joining in, or frankly not running off with how annoying all my local friends were being.


    ¡°Safety is paramount¡­¡± Rex said, stroking his chin, ¡°But I worry about the next people they might run into. I did hear you tussled with one of them, hopefully, gave them what for?¡±


    ¡°He did. Well, enough I didn¡¯t even need to jump in and help.¡±


    Rex grinned, ¡°Man, I wish I could have seen it. See, you really need to install some security cameras in your shop, even with your proclivities,¡± he said, gesturing a finger at my chest. ¡°They can deter that sort of thing.¡±


    ¡°Probably wouldn¡¯t work long given the power issues around here,¡± Lana said with a secretive smile.


    ¡°You¡¯re observant,¡± Rex said, gesturing to the light. ¡°Place is plagued with that sort of thing. We should all go in on it and hire an electrician to fix it all. I have lights burning out like crazy,¡± Rex shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ll call this in,¡± he said, gesturing to the traffic light. ¡°Before someone gets in an accident. I better see you both in an hour for class.¡±


    ¡°I might have to miss today,¡± I said, definitely not wanting more of Rex this early in whatever our relationship was at this point. ¡°I¡¯ve got to get my shop back into working order.¡±


    ¡°Me too,¡± Lana said. ¡°I¡¯m helping.¡±


    Rex gave us both a flat, knowing stare. ¡°Well. Next time then. Have fun,¡± he pulled out his phone and began a call as I quickly led us away before I did his phone in as well.


    I glanced back and got a huge thumbs-up while Rex mouthed, ¡°You¡¯ve got stones man.¡±


    I turned back to our walk, trying to get the gesticulation he had made after the words with his hand out of my mind forever. I might need to pick up bleach for my eyes after getting Fren his coke. I also needed to find a new gym because Rex was going to be more than annoying the next few weeks. The only problem was, he would literally hunt me down if I went anywhere else.


    We made our way back to the shop to gather Lana¡¯s purse and her shirt upstairs. As I led the way in through the front door of the shop, we found Kate.

 Chapter 23 — An Arms Dealer

    Chapter 23 ¡ª An Arms Dealer


    ¡°I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re okay!¡± Kate said as we entered. Her enthusiasm shifted to curiosity as Lana followed me in.


    ¡°Thank you for the concern, Kate. Kate, this is Lana, I met her at Rex¡¯s and she¡¯s new to town. Lana this is Kate, my business partner.¡± I was getting very good at saying that now. Kate was about five years younger than me, and that seemed like decades with the different world experiences we¡¯d both had but she was basically family, and I was excited to introduce the pair. The girls smiled at one another, each saying hello.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m sorry I must be bad luck,¡± Kate said, shoulders slumping and her curly red hair spilling over her face. ¡°The first night I¡¯m your business partner we get robbed, and the police come to question me about you being a person of interest in an investigation.¡±


    ¡°Both things that have nothing to do with you or our new arrangement,¡± I said. ¡°But I¡¯m glad the police contacted you, what did they ask?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, they wanted to know what time you arrived yesterday, so I told them.¡±


    ¡°Perfect,¡± I said. ¡°What else did they tell you?¡±


    ¡°They said you were a person of interest for something, and they needed to establish a time frame to rule you in or out as a suspect.¡±


    ¡°Not much then,¡± I took a deep breath, glad it had probably been Officer Lansing who had spoken with her. ¡°I¡¯d rather you know than for it to be a surprise and weight on your mind. Someone was murdered at the Sugar Loaf Inn yesterday shortly after I left.¡±


    Kate¡¯s eyes grew wide, and she covered her mouth with one hand.


    ¡°Your answers probably removed me from the suspect pool entirely,¡± I said. ¡°But you deserve to know the whole story.¡±


    Kate nodded, ¡°I knew whatever it was, they had the wrong person.¡± She turned to Lana, ¡°Cal would never do something like that, he¡¯s harmless.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Kate,¡± I said, unsure how to take the praise. ¡°But I¡¯m pretty sure Lana knows¡­¡±


    Lana nodded, eyes serious. ¡°I don¡¯t think Cal hurt that woman, but we do need to make sure his name gets cleared so they can find whoever did.¡±


    Kate had already brought out a broom and was clearly planning on getting started with cleaning despite my note.


    ¡°How about I take care of this? Let¡¯s not worry about opening the shop for a few hours, if we even have anything left to sell before I get to the ware¡¯s downstairs sorted and moved up. The police filed a report, we just need to reach out to insurance to get damages covered,¡± I said. ¡°Would you mind making that call?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Kate said, eagerly turning the physical mess over to me. She knew where all the business files and contact info were stored in the back closet. I kept them all on paper for obvious reasons, and she could use her phone in her car. She¡¯d done enough weird things like that for me that this wasn¡¯t an especially big deal.


    ¡°You¡¯re a lifesaver,¡± I said as she gathered her belongings.


    It was really the only way to get things moving with the insurance company. I could make a pay phone work for a longer call if I focused, but there was always the chance it would die after a few minutes of being on hold, or worse when I finally connected with someone who could help me. I didn¡¯t like ruining public phones. Many times, the city didn¡¯t even replace them.


    ¡°I¡¯ll run home to use the computer since they will probably need pictures, or something uploaded. I¡¯ll be back at¡­ say one?¡±


    ¡°Did you take some pictures?¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding me, look at the shop. People are already asking about it online and I¡¯m going to show them what happened.¡±


    ¡°Perfect,¡± I said, my worries rising that evidence like photos might reveal more than I wanted of the shop, or not match our story. ¡°¡ªAnd lunch is on me, go buy something fun.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll update the store hours on our website and social media too. It was nice to meet you Lana, hopefully we can get to know each other a little more later?¡±


    Lana smiled and agreed.


    ¡°Wait, you said people are asking about it online. How has the news gotten out, and do you already have social media, and the website up and running?¡±


    ¡°Oh Cal,¡± Kate said, shaking her head and looking at me, then a forlorn expression to Lana. ¡°They don¡¯t take long to set up. I would have done it ages ago but without my phone or laptop working in here, I never brought it up. Honestly, I didn¡¯t know if you would want them the way you are with tech?¡±


    ¡°Shoot, you should have told me. We could have worked something out.¡±


    ¡°You already pay me very well,¡± Kate said with a laugh. ¡°Most of my friends were already asking me why I was even going to school in the evenings. Now that I¡¯m a partner, it makes sense to put school on hold. If you weren¡¯t a caveman when it came to tech you would have already set it all up yourself.¡±


    ¡°And people actually look at the website or social media to see the store hours?¡±


    ¡°Cal,¡± Kate said, shaking her head with a bemused smile, ¡°We have over a thousand followers in a single night. I told you a famous blogger shared about the store, people have been wanting to find out more.¡±


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    ¡°Yeah, but that was days ago, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, and she¡¯s more than a blogger, she has her fingers in everything, you should really get online and check her out ¡ªRegardless of that, if haven¡¯t seen a newspaper you wouldn¡¯t know. The store made the front page, ¡®Earths Bounty¡¯ robbed! The blogger shared her story again tied to the robbery and said everyone should help out. She linked our new socials while I was asleep. We probably have a few hundred people who are going to try and come in today,¡± Kate¡¯s eyes widened in horror. ¡°Now that I think about it, we should probably open earlier¡ªI can do the insurance claim tonight.¡±


    ¡°If it helps Cal, I pulled up your website last night to check on the store hours before I dropped by last night. I didn¡¯t realize the website was that new. It does look good Kate. You have a good eye for details,¡± Lana said encouragingly before turning back to me. ¡°But she¡¯s right, everyone goes to the internet first.¡±


    I let out a long sigh which made both the girl¡¯s grin. Lana in knowledge of my dilemma. Kate with an expression that said I should at least try to join the 21<sup>st</sup> century.


    ¡°Kate, again you are a lifesaver,¡± I said. ¡°But no amount of prodding is going to get me on the internet, no matter how persistent you can be. That being said, I literally couldn¡¯t grow this store the way it looks like it will without you.¡±


    I was happy about the news, but also frustrated. If the store was going to be packed, I couldn¡¯t hide out in the basement all day devising ways to capture whatever was attacking people. Increasing the defenses on the shop was also out of the question¡ªwell, who am I kidding¡ªbeginning to do upgrades would take weeks but I needed to start sometime and dive into the theory and see what I could devise. But I didn¡¯t want Kate to have to deal with running everything alone, especially if we were expecting a rush. Kate was a partner now, and I fully intended that to be an equal partnership for the business. If she was running the online side of things, I needed to make sure I covered the instore responsibilities. She already had to handle too many on the tech side and had probably put in hours last night despite saying it was no big deal.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t planning on working in the shop today but maybe I should,¡± I said, thinking out loud. ¡°We¡¯re equal partners.¡±


    ¡°You were going to be out of town anyway,¡± Kate said, gesturing at the store. ¡°Get this cleaned up and I can watch things if you have stuff that you still need to do. If it continues to get busy or the website takes off, we will have to look into hiring more people.¡± Kate¡¯s eyes gleamed with the challenge, and I could only imagine what she could do now that the ¡®reigns¡¯ of employee had been removed.


    ¡°Deal,¡± I said.


    ¡°Perfect. I¡¯ll go out to my car and do what I can from my phone, then I¡¯ll hurry back. We need to get the shop opened!¡± Kate bounced out the back door nearly at a sprint.


    ¡°She¡¯s good,¡± Lana said. ¡°What was she going to school for?¡±


    ¡°Business management.¡±


    ¡°I can see why.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said. ¡°She¡¯s probably going to be better at it than me. If this all takes off, that may mean I need to change where Fren and I live in the near future to allow for expansion. To be clear, I¡¯m not complaining, it¡¯s just¡ªI like this place.¡±


    ¡°You could always buy out the store next door and expand,¡± Lana said, helpfully.


    ¡°That¡¯s actually not a bad idea,¡± I said, rubbing my chin and I looked at the mess and tried to determine the best way to clean up. My store was the corner store on this side of the row of buildings down the street on the far north end of the market district. If I could expand more into this building itself, buying another section would give my shop all the space it needed. I¡¯d have to knock out the wall between them and I wasn¡¯t entirely sure how that would work since that was the wall with the staircases, but a contractor could figure that out and there was some space between the two flights. If I did, it would also place me further from any ¡®electronics¡¯ that I might break in the adjoining buildings. Next door was currently a thrift store, and I knew the owner hated the power ¡®problems¡¯ on this side of the block. His store was also growing enough he¡¯d thought about moving more than once. It might be better to buy his shop out, rather than let someone else move in. Heaven forbid if a salon or dental office set up and my abilities kept messing up their equipment.


    ¡°That¡¯s really not a bad idea,¡± I said consideringly. ¡°If things take off, I could probably afford it.¡±


    ¡°Or I could buy it?¡± Lana said.


    I looked at her questioningly to make sure I¡¯d heard her right.


    ¡°What?¡± she said. ¡°My grandma left me with quite a lot.¡±


    ¡°No, I can manage,¡± I said sharply feeling my jaw tighten. ¡°I¡¯m not looking for handouts.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like that,¡± she said. ¡°I want to help, and I can clearly see that your presence is rough on the neighborhood. It would help us both.¡±


    ¡°You have no reason to buy a shop. Literally no reason.¡± I said standing tall and turning towards a shelf to fix a large crystal that had toppled but looked unharmed.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know everything about me. I want a place to train in and something that can be my own. While I love my grandmother, her house is old and not my style. I also have a financial adviser who has basically been begging me to invest in things. Who knows, maybe I¡¯ll set up a place in the attic and live on the street like you do? It might be fun running a shop.¡±


    ¡°So, not only would you open up a place, but you would live here too?¡± I said, regretting the heat I put into my words.


    She looked at me questioningly, brow furrowed as if I was a puzzle that needed unwinding.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± I said, raising my hands, ¡°I just, I don¡¯t need help or handouts. The offer while generous just rubbed me wrong. I can manage on my own. That being said if you decided to move next door it would be great. If you want to open up a business that would be great too. I could help you learn the ropes.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know what to think, excitement and suspicion warred within me, everything was moving so fast. Lana clearly was getting much more invested than I felt comfortable with when she didn¡¯t know so many things about me. But why was I worried? It was mostly that she might regret things later. That it would be dangerous living so close to me, but she could handle herself.


    ¡°We¡¯re in no hurry now,¡± I said. ¡°Consider your options. Like I said, you may not want anything to do with me in the future.¡±


    ¡°Whatever,¡± She said, then she rose on tip toes and kissed me on the cheek. ¡°You¡¯re so protective, it¡¯s cute. But I¡¯m a grown-ass woman. I can decide to invest in a business if I like. If you don¡¯t want the space, I¡¯m sure I could make a killing selling firearms or something. I mean, this is Idaho. Being an arms dealer has a fun ring to it...¡±


    I chuckled. She probably could. The feel of her lips lingered on my cheek. Unsure what to do, I returned to surveying the shop. Lana was much more¡­ sure of herself and what she wanted than anyone I¡¯d known before.


    ¡°I¡¯m not tied down to the idea of being a park ranger,¡± she said, genuinely thinking it over as she looked at the space and the far wall with the shop beyond. ¡°Wait, do your powers impact firearms?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said. ¡°Maybe on very complex firearms, but simple ballistics shouldn¡¯t be impacted. They don¡¯t have electronics, capacitors, batteries, or electricity to worry about.¡±


    ¡°Red dot sights?¡±


    ¡°What are those?¡±


    She chuckled, ¡°I¡¯ll put that down on the probably list. Still, it might be fun.¡± She grinned, ¡°My father would have loved something like that. If you don¡¯t move on the space, I should do it simply to honor his memory.¡±


    I put an arm around her shoulders, the most brazen I¡¯d been. When we sparred, we¡¯d been closer but that was also necessary in the gym. This was not. ¡°I wish I could have met him.¡±


    ¡°I think he would like you, all things considered.¡± Lana gave no indication of wanting me to let go.


    ¡°Yeah? Even with¡­ everything else?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said as we both imagined the future possibilities.

 Chapter 24 — Serial Killers and Crime Scenes

    Chapter 24 ¡ª Serial Killers and Crime Scenes


    The moment between us passed and I got to work cleaning. Lana jumped in to help though I told her she didn¡¯t need to. We hauled the broken wood downstairs for Fren to sort out later, and everything else that wasn¡¯t immediately salvageable we loaded into boxes. For the worst ones I¡¯d haul them to the dumpster, for those I might be able to save without too much effort and mana I placed in a different bin after explaining what I planned to Lana. I used a little affinity spell to pull all the rocks together into one place which were loose on the floor from all around the store. The delicate part was influencing the rocks enough to get them to move, but not enough to pull others from shelves or from the containers they sat in undisturbed. It was like a controlled version of what I¡¯d managed the night before.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to have to tell me all you can do,¡± Lana said looking over the pile of small stones. ¡°That way in our next fight, I know what you¡¯re capable of.¡±


    ¡°Hopefully there aren¡¯t any more fights,¡± I said, grabbing a handful of small crystal fragments and throwing them in the trash pile. ¡°Especially if they put you in danger.¡±


    Lana paused, eyeing me. For a moment I thought she looked disappointed but then she turned back to picking out the rocks that were rather undamaged. ¡°I doubt that¡¯s how it will go.¡± She said, strangely her tone carried a note of relief.


    I didn¡¯t bother arguing. She was probably right; despite my best efforts, I¡¯d fight again. I knew it, and it undoubtedly wouldn¡¯t take long. However, my normal fights didn¡¯t go down like they had last night. Most were decidedly one-sided because I took time to prepare and took out the evil creatures¡­ judiciously.


    ¡°Most of what I do takes setup,¡± I said. ¡°I can shift stone or earth like you saw last night relatively easily. I can make a shield that is basically impenetrable for a few moments. I¡¯m pretty good at finding connected items tied to earth.¡±


    She looked at me questioningly.


    ¡°Like if you took this rock,¡± I gestured to a rock that had a crack clean through it but had managed to hold together due to friction or some small part staying connected. I gripped it and broke it in half in truth. It was blue appetite, a shimmering stone that I personally loved. This piece had been a rare one, it had been nearly solid blue with only the occasional swirl of brown which looked like sand separating seas. It had been smoothed into a palm stone, which was now severed in two near-equal halves. ¡°I could use one side of this to find the other basically anywhere, given time.¡±


    ¡°Can I have half? Then you can always find me?¡± Lana said, grinning. We were both sitting on the ground, surrounded by piles of ¡®good¡¯ and ¡®bad¡¯ rocks.


    ¡°I would love nothing more,¡± I said, handing her the blue stone half. She smiled, bringing the stone close to her face in order to inspect it.


    ¡°It really is beautiful.¡±


    ¡°I always feel like I¡¯m looking at a beautiful ocean from high above when I see those. That stone is supposed to help with the ¡®minds connection to the spiritual¡¯,¡± I said, trying to sound magical but probably ending up sounding more like a boring scholar.


    ¡°That¡¯s definitely something I need, given the last few hours I¡¯ve had.¡±


    I laughed, ¡°Probably more than anyone I¡¯ve met coming into my shop.¡±


    The back door unlatched with a familiar metal jingle and Kate came back in through the door beaming. She told us that we had dozens of comments from people who were sad we had had an attempted robbery and asking when they could come in to buy something. ¡°When do you think we can open?¡± Kate asked, almost breathless as she saw what we had already been able to clean up.


    ¡°People are nuts,¡± I muttered.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Kate asked.


    ¡°A robbery at some place doesn¡¯t make me want to go there,¡± I said, looking at Kate and Lana in turn. ¡°If somethings dangerous, the smart thing would be to stay away.¡± I knew my words could carry more than a single meaning to Lana.


    ¡°Sometimes a bad event lets you see something in a new light, to consider what you might have missed before,¡± Lana replied coyly.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Kate agreed, not catching the double meaning. ¡°People want to help someone who was wronged, and if it gets them in the store, you know they are going to love it. It¡¯s crazy how few people come inside without buying something.¡± She said the last to Lana. ¡°I¡¯ve done research on it for my class, and this store is way above the average in sales per patron.¡±


    I nodded, knowing the likely answer. It was due in part to the magic I used in the shop. Some of that energy would be embedded into these stones as they were vessels that could hold minuscule amounts of power. That in turn would make them more appealing to those who were sensitive to that sort of thing. We did have a lot of regulars.


    I gestured to the crystal Lana held. ¡°Hold onto that, once everything gets back to normal, I can make it into a necklace if you¡¯d like. I have some silver downstairs, and it wouldn¡¯t take too much work to shape and attach it. Or I could get you a non-broken piece?¡±


    ¡°I really like this one,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s got character.¡± With a laugh, she showed Kate who was now curious about the rock I¡¯d given her before explaining, ¡°It reminds me of those friend bracelets from elementary school that gives each person half of a whole.¡±


    I chuckled. Then remembered that I¡¯d seen those little metal or toy bracelets on others, but I¡¯d never shared one with anyone. My childhood hadn¡¯t been typical, but I guess better late than never. We both tucked our half of the stone away.


    ¡°As to your question Kate, I think we¡¯ll have the store as ready as we can in an hour, maybe two.¡±


    She nodded and raced outside to put up the post and use the traction already present online to broadcast the news.


    My guess wasn¡¯t too far off. It took nearly an hour to pick up all the broken rock even though I¡¯d gathered it all to one point. We inspected each to see if it was salvageable. I¡¯d used a lot of force with my spell so it was rare to find a piece that wasn¡¯t damaged, but we saved all we could. For the others, I had to haul up another plastic tote from downstairs to fill it with the broken pieces that were too small or too broken to salvage. Kate and I decided that it would be a good ¡®sale¡¯ box, or a collection of rocks we could give to kids who came in for free. I loved the idea, everyone needed a good rock, especially kids who you never knew what they were dealing with at home or school. One last box was piled high with mostly intact stones which had fractured surfaces or marred edges. Those I could clean up and use mana to repair and they would go back downstairs until I could get to them.


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    Kate and Lana hit it off, though they were in different phases of life, with vastly different backgrounds. They talked about their pasts, where Lana was living, which she and I hadn¡¯t even gotten into the specifics of. She lived close enough I¡¯d probably walked by her house before¡­ or well her grandmothers house at the time. Lana had walked over last night rather than drive because it was so close and she wanted to get to know the area better.


    ¡°I think that¡¯s it,¡± I said, looking over the tidied up shop. Kate had handwritten a note in detailed lettering to hang on the door saying we were open and to excuse the mess given some of the store was damaged in the burglary. ¡°We can open for business. Thank you so much Kate. Seriously, it¡¯s going to be wonderful having you on as a partner and hopefully it more than compensates you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s great. You always act like having me literally ¡®do my job¡¯ is a burden.¡±


    ¡°Well, there are certain things I can¡¯t do, and you cover a lot of that. Running this,¡± I gestured at the shop. ¡°Was a lot more difficulty before you came around.¡±


    ¡°I know, EMF radiation and all that, you don¡¯t like electronics,¡± She mimed in a robot voice.


    ¡°Still, those are important details, and I can¡¯t thank you enough.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never felt used by you. Let¡¯s just drop it. I¡¯ll more than happily run that side of things as my side of our partnership. Together, we¡¯ll make this work. My parents were ecstatic when I told them.¡±


    ¡°Good, I¡¯m excited myself.¡± I said. Kate had wonderful parents and was the oldest of six siblings. I¡¯m sure they were more than happy with the example she was setting for the younger ones.¡±


    ¡°No problem. Now get out of here and enjoy your weekend. Then I can bring my phone in and see how crazy it¡¯s going to be today.¡±


    I pondered how observant Kate was in knowing her phone would work better when I was gone. Or perhaps it was just she didn¡¯t want to ¡®bother¡¯ me by having it with her? Either way, she was very perceptive, and my secret was going to come out sooner or later. Someday I would have to tell her the truth. I had been very hesitant to share my secret, not wanting to lose her or anyone else. But Lana¡¯s reaction changed my mind. Perhaps letting Kate know would go just fine. I hadn¡¯t told anyone close to me in the past except my girlfriend and that had torpedoed the relationship. It felt nice knowing Lana knew and hadn¡¯t gone running for the hills, at least not yet.


    ¡°And lunch is still on me. Get something fun.¡±


    ¡°Will do captain,¡± Kate said, settling down into the office chair behind the countertop. ¡°I¡¯ll order something in while you¡¯re out doing Cal things.¡±


    I gave her a questioning look to which she only grinned. Lana raised an eyebrow at me as if to suggest I share more.


    I ignored the implied suggestion and began walking towards my room through the now more open main floor as we¡¯d removed the broken shelving. ¡°I¡¯m going to change real quick, then head out to run some errands.¡± I told Kate. ¡°I¡¯ve got to go to the mountains again and perhaps stop by the Sugar Loaf Inn, maybe I can give them some details to help the investigation along.¡±


    ¡°Serial killers often go back to the crime scene,¡± Kate said, eyes buried into another book as she spun lazily in the big leather chair behind the countertop. ¡°I¡¯d avoid that if you don¡¯t want to be considered a suspect. You read as much as I do and should know that detail.¡±


    Lana snorted at Kate¡¯s completely mundane tone giving me tips on how to avoid being a suspect.


    ¡°Well, this is real life.¡± I said lamely, annoyed at how right she was, now that she had pointed out the obvious. ¡°Either way I had a hike planned. I¡¯ll make it short and should be back in a few hours.¡±


    ¡°Have fun, and don¡¯t get arrested!¡±


    Lana followed me, and as we approached the stairs, I dropped into a whisper for her ears alone. ¡°¡ªI¡¯ve got to get back to the Boise National Forest. I have to find out what¡¯s out there.¡±


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯m coming too.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t feel like you should. It¡¯s probably going to be a boring day walking around¡­ or not so boring and only horrifying.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a forest ranger. I live for boring days walking around in nature, and you know I don¡¯t run from a fight. I might be able to help you see things you otherwise might not,¡± she said with a smug grin. ¡°My dad trained me in more than martial skills.¡±


    ¡°Well, if you had other plans for the day, I won¡¯t be offended. But I¡¯d be lying if I said I didn¡¯t want you to come, but it may not be safe.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m going,¡± Lana said before hesitating as we made it midway up the stairs, before shaking her head and following me up to my room. I didn¡¯t stop her.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to brush my teeth even though they probably don¡¯t need it with Fren running things last night. It just feels wrong.¡±


    Lana nodded in agreement. ¡°I feel the same, cleaner than ever been, but I literally slept on the dirt last night. It shouldn¡¯t feel that way.¡±


    She stayed in my room while I entered the bathroom. I brushed, put on some fresh deodorant, and looked at myself in the mirror. I was damn happy the scar had healed across my forehead. Having a head wound for weeks like that would have been more than annoying. It had also been big enough that if the EMT had had their way I would have been brought in somewhere for stitches which would have scared worse. Now, the cut was barely visible. I had several faint scars like it from past injures.


    Only one was sizable which split the hair in my beard down one cheek with a thin silvery line. I worried it made me look scary to those who didn¡¯t know me, but it couldn¡¯t be helped more than Fren had already done for it in the past. As it was it wasn¡¯t something people saw on first glance given its size.


    I stepped out into the room and grabbed a new T-shirt. Black with some white patterns on the front. It went well with my jeans. Then I grabbed a silver quarter zip as well as a beanie. Since we were going to the mountains and the weather could change in a split moment, I grabbed a large jacket I¡¯d pack in the jeep just in case. It was a workman brown color but had a water-resistant exterior that would be more than helpful if it rained.


    Lana was looking through the bookshelves I had along one wall. It was an extensive collection, like I was a book hoarder. Given that I didn¡¯t have TV, a phone, or other things to keep me preoccupied at night, I turned to books. I was probably one of the top ten readers at the local library too and I reminded myself I needed to take several back.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got a little bit of everything. History, fantasy, sci-fi, even a few murder mysteries,¡± Lana said appraisingly.


    ¡°I like it all,¡± I said, proud she liked my selections.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got a real dearth of romance novels.¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ yeah,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ve got nothing against them, I just don¡¯t own any.¡±


    ¡°You blush far too easily,¡± Lana said, teasing. ¡°Rex hardly insinuated anything, and you went beet red and if I don¡¯t miss my mark, killed a streetlight?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a private person, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°Is that all?¡± Lana asked, her eyes like dark pools as they wandered over mine.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± I said, avoiding the question to her laughs and light cat calls, but she followed.


    Kate was getting the coffee going and grinning. Clearly having heard some of what was said as I was chased from my room. It looked like she¡¯d gotten everything squared away for the day. I thanked her as I grabbed my backpack behind the counter filled with my normal wizarding accoutrements. Salt, iron flakes, and a pair of handmade iron knuckles, a few ingredients to a general summoning ritual, and a few others that would let me talk to Fren should the need arise from anywhere within about a day¡¯s journey. It had my detailed maps, and also carried some snacks and my water bottle. I should have probably include a few potions inside, but I hated potion work. All the names for plants had changed and it was a chore to decode what a potion needed, much less find and procure the correct ingredients. My success rate with them had been abysmal. Clair had had a gift but hadn¡¯t been able to pass that on to me despite immense effort. I was better with artificery, but she hadn¡¯t had much skill and the only other wizard she knew who did refused to teach me.


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to direct me to your house. We can swing by and get whatever you need if you intend on coming.¡± I said as we ditched out the back door the alley.


    ¡°I¡¯m only going so he doesn¡¯t seem too suspicious.¡± Lana confided in Kate and they both shared another laugh at my expense.


    I shook my head and opened the back door, leading the way out. My jeep sat unmoved and unchanged from the day before.

 Chapter 25 — My Last Boyfriend

    Chapter 25 ¡ª My Last Boyfriend


    The jeep took three tries to start. Thanks to the uncontrolled power I¡¯d used last night. It was more embarrassing than anything. Lana looked at me worriedly until if fired up with a gout of exhaust from the tailpipe. My shoulders relaxed and I shifted it into gear and backed up slowly. First and reverse were short touchy gears, but I made it look easy. Exhaust filled the cabin for a moment as we reversed, the open back and absence of doors allowed the contaminated air to blow in over us. The roar of the engine and the early morning air bit at my ears and I regretted putting my beanie in the backpack. I¡¯d also loaned my thick jacket to Lana to help her stave off the cold but it would only be a short drive. We bounced down the rough roadway of the alley. It was too loud to carry on a comfortable conversation, but Lana managed to direct me the few turns to her home.


    It was a nice place. A wrap-around porch covered the front and at least one side of the house, the others concealed behind a fence. Ivy grew over the lower brickwork, and it had several aged maple trees in the front yard which were busy dropping leaves. The house was well maintained if a bit old. The leaves lucky enough to still cling to the old trees were various shades of red, yellow, orange, and a few stubborn branches clinging to green despite the cold autumn air. They wouldn¡¯t be able to hold out for much longer.


    I pulled up on the driveway and turned off the engine.


    ¡°I can wait¡ª¡±


    ¡°Come in,¡± Lana said, jumping free of her seat. My lifted tires made getting out a bit of a jump, even for me, but Lana managed just fine. She slid out of my jacket and tossed it at me. I stuffed it in my backpack which I then flung into the back of the jeep.


    I hoped out, taking in the yard. Further behind the house was a large separate garage that could hold at least two cars and a bit of a shop or storage. The home looked to have a basement with a few low windows poking up through bushes and shrubs. The backyard was long and spacious with more trees, bushes, and a big lawn. The foliage was so dense you couldn¡¯t see much more than rooftops from the nearby houses. We walked to a side door which Lana opened.


    Inside was like stepping into the past. We were in the kitchen, with an old stove, oak drawers and cabinets with a granite countertop which surrounded most of the room. Aged rugs adorned the hardwood floor.


    It wasn¡¯t the open concept of newer homes, or open like my shop. Each room was its own space. I mentally focused on controlling my power, forcing it inward. I really needed to make an inhibitor¡ªsomething I could probably craft¡ª to limit magical spillover from my body so it didn¡¯t damage things around me. The problem was, it would be damn expensive and take a few weeks to prepare. It would probably also inhibit my senses and ability to use my powers when worn which would put me at a disadvantage. I¡¯d never considered needing one before¡­ as it would be basically like wearing handcuffs all the time in regards to my abilities. That meant more danger¡­ but it might be worth it to spend time with Lana, in her home, without fear of breaking anything.


    ¡°Feel free to help yourself to anything in the fridge,¡± she said. I took a large step away from the fridge making it clear I didn¡¯t want to destroy it. She showed me around the house, the front room looked untouched and rarely used. Doily¡¯s sat under two tabletop lamps, nestled against a retro-styled sofa. While old, each piece was immaculate and well cared for.


    ¡°The whole house needs some serious renovations.¡± Lana said with a nervous laugh, her eyes tracing everywhere I looked. ¡°But I¡¯ve found myself hesitant to change it from the way it was when I grew up and visited. It¡¯s like losing the last memory of how life was before everything changed.¡±


    I nodded, sensing her own heartache, ¡°Its lovely.¡±


    ¡°You seem to have some good style. Maybe you could help me, with the hard parts?¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s what you need, I¡¯d love too.¡±


    We perused a few more rooms. The house was spacious with at least three bedrooms on this level. ¡°I have changed my bedroom from what my grandma had,¡± she said, biting her lower lip. ¡°You can come see that if you would like¡ªor are we in too much of a hurry?¡±


    ¡°¡ªNo hurry at all,¡± I said, my voice sounding a little gruff as that was likely going to be the most intimate part of her home to show me. ¡°Bu¡ª¡± I started before she leaned in and kissed me once on the lips. It was soft, strong, and jumbled my mind. The electric energy of it damned any concerns I¡¯d had. I¡¯d been about to tell her some of the things she needed to know about me and how I would age, the threats that would always target me, the powers of the world that would be against her simply by being associated with me. But instead, I stopped and looked at her. Lana¡¯s eyes were wide and scared, as if the impulsive kiss had been an accident and she was now unsure what the consequence would be. I answered by wrapping my arms around her warmly, she leaned in, and we kissed again. Her lips felt amazing, soft, and warm. She pulled away before things could too passionate. Her cheeks flushed, and slightly out of breath.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said, looking at me coyly through her dark eyelashes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be.¡±


    ¡°No, that came out of nowhere,¡± She took a deep breath, closing her eyes as if trying to center herself. ¡°I¡¯m prone to jumping into things. My¡­ my dad always warned that could get me into trouble and it has.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°I¡¯ve jumped into things too quickly too. It¡¯s fine Lana. We go the awkwardness of a first kiss out of the way.¡±


    ¡°First two kisses,¡± She agreed, then her tone grew vulnerable. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ Well, usually I have guys coming onto me too quickly, and I know they are the wrong type. Fancy cars and trust funds, obsessed with themselves and what they have. I know deep down it¡¯s not what I want, and that it¡¯s not going to work out in the long run. With you¡­ It just feels different. But that makes me want to be careful¡ª and then I go do something like that. You just looked really cute, and I acted on reflex. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    My heart soared at hearing she thought I was cute, ¡°Lana, its fine. I feel like this is something different too, something specia¡ª¡±


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    One of the nearby lamps let out a buzzt and died in a flash of light, dropping us into soft darkness.


    ¡°Oh, no!¡± I said, unsure how to continue as the moment had been broken, before realizing that we both had a bigger problem, a much bigger more annoying all-consuming problem. ¡°Fren is going to be incessant for details¡­he¡¯s going to feel this, this deeper connection between us.¡± I said, annoyed at the actual panic in my voice.


    ¡°Wait, what?¡± Lana said, brow furrowed as she considered the non sequitur and the burned-out bulb.


    ¡°He¡¯s going to know we kissed, it¡¯s going to be written all over my aura and our pheromones or however he does it. He¡¯s going to ask nonstop questions and give us both a million pointers we don¡¯t need.¡± I could tell she didn¡¯t understand the seriousness of the problem, and I didn¡¯t know how to bring home the magnitude of it for her. I was worried I wouldn¡¯t get any sleep for the next week.


    ¡°Really,¡± She said carefully as if internally reconsidering everything she¡¯d said before, ¡°How would he even know what a kiss is like?¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± I said pointing a finger. ¡°He¡¯ll go on and on and on! And none of it will make any sense. It will be all ¡®I¡¯ve deeply reflected on the human condition in regard to love¡¯, then he¡¯ll jump into dryad this, dryad that¡ªThen, he¡¯ll try to get into specifics with things he¡¯s seen and overheard.¡±


    Lana shook her head laughing. ¡°I¡¯m glad you make me laugh or we¡¯d be in trouble.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not joking!¡± I said seriously, ¡°We really are in trouble.¡±


    She grabbed my hand to dispel the rant, dragging me towards a set of stairs and presumably her room. The tactic worked though I was going to need to get some coke pronto, though that marginally worried me that Fren would make his way to her house to ask for all the details since she had no such protection. I¡¯d have to set some special wards.


    Lana looked gorgeous as she led me up the stairs to a single large attic-like space she¡¯d converted into her bedroom. It was spacious and had an inviting bed of white linin with some burnt orange throw pillows. The drapes over the windows were pulled back but showed only the long backyard surrounded by trees. Privacy with a view.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Lana asked, with no small amount of nervous energy as she bounced in place.


    The room was clearly a space she had made all her own. The decor didn¡¯t match the rest of the house, and most of it looked new. A few plants dotted the room, rich woods, and simple colors mostly consisting of white, cream, or autumn orange. The bed looked as soft as a cloud, a large mirror and antique vanity adorned one corner. Several plants dotted the room giving splashes of green color. Even better, she had three bookshelves filled with well-worn, well-used books. It looked inviting and like a place I would never want to leave.


    ¡°It looks wonderful. I like your style,¡± I said, considering the bohemian vibe with her own flares, which was similar to but also uniquely different than my own home.


    I strode to the bookshelf and got my own wicked grin as I discovered each and every book I could see was a romance novel of some variation.


    ¡°Real dearth of Sci-fi and Fantasy novels?¡± I said, mimicking her comments from my own room.


    ¡°A girl has her needs,¡± she said slyly from beside me, perusing them as well. ¡°And a few of these could be considered romantic fantasy.¡±


    I grinned, but when one of the nearby lamps flickered, I stepped back from her and the shelf on instinct.


    Lana let out a delighted snicker, ¡°I¡¯m sure I¡¯m going to get sick of that at some point, but right now it¡¯s really fun ¡ªOh, I should move these,¡± she said, gesturing to a laptop on a short nightstand beside the bed, as I nodded.


    ¡°How far away?¡±


    ¡°Honestly the further the better,¡± I said, taking another careful step back.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll be right back,¡± she said bending over far further than what was necessary, her back to me tauntingly as she gathered up the devices. I didn¡¯t mind the view, but I did mind the mock disapproving look she gave me when she stood back up. Before I could say anything to explain myself Lana quickly turned and descended the stairs with her valuable electronics.


    I sat on the edge of her bed, focusing on my control and racing heart as I looked around. The closet was open, and I could see the shelves were full, lots of blacks, reds, and olive greens. Solid dark colors.


    A picture of Lana and her dad I assumed rested on the nightstand. He was dressed in a military uniform; they were at some formal event or another. He looked strong¡­ sturdy in ways that only someone ready for combat at any moment can be. He had a bright smile. Lana looked exuberant beside him, if much younger and more na?ve than she looked now. She stood in a form-fitting black dress that looked incredible. Her hair didn¡¯t have the slight auburn maroon tint that it did now. Instead, it was black as midnight and much longer going clear to her waist. She looked¡ªjoyful. I could see with that comparison alone, that the past few years had been hard. Loss weighed on people, she looked gaunter now, her cheeks narrower. Her beautiful eyes now held a note of caution. Some of the changes could simply come from growing up, but I doubted it was all from that. Lana had had a few rough years, and I internally promised to protect her as our lives collided. My goal to keep this area safe redoubled, especially now that she was blooded by to the unseelie. I had to find the entity causing trouble.


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep her safe,¡± I vowed to her dad in the picture, hoping that wherever he was, he would know I meant it. I needed to tell her more about myself, and what a relationship with me would also entail.


    ¡°Shit!¡± I heard Lana yell from somewhere in the house.


    ¡°What is it?¡± I said, jumping up and going towards her voice.


    ¡°I opened my laptop to check it, and my work has been trying to get ahold of me!¡± She said, running past me up the stairs and into the room to gather a few things. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡± She said, as she ran to her closet and began to change her shirt, uncaring that I was present in her hurry.


    I turned away, giving her privacy, despite the changing we¡¯d done at my place.


    ¡°It¡¯s about the murder,¡± she continued, voice a little more stressed than I¡¯d heard before. I knew she liked to excel at things and not showing up to work when she was needed must have thrown her off. ¡°My phone was¡­ well, dead after last night and I didn¡¯t work today so I didn¡¯t think about them calling me in, but they did! All hands-on deck to help the FBI with their investigation and they want me present.¡±


    ¡°Sorry about the phone,¡± I said with a grimace. ¡°And that you missed all of that because of me.¡±


    ¡°Not your fault, or, well it is -¡ªbut it¡¯s not like you tried to break it,¡± she said, dashing about the room to grab her uniform and other necessities for work¡±


    ¡°I can still drive you if you need. I can drop you off at the station?¡±


    ¡°Thanks for the offer, but I have no idea what I¡¯ll need to do or how long I¡¯ll be there. I¡¯ll take my car. I¡¯m so sorry we have to rush out like this,¡± She paused looking me deep in the eyes.


    ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll see you up there?¡± I asked, ¡°I was going to start near the inn and see what clues I could find.¡±


    ¡°No, follow me! I¡¯m going to the inn! We can clear your name with the FBI while were there. I actually know the guy running the case, it¡¯s why they specifically wanted me in on this,¡± she said, as I hastily glanced away while she changed her jeans. She didn¡¯t seem to mind, but I felt like I was invading her space now that she hurrying to get ready.


    ¡°Wait, FBI?¡± I said, refocusing on what she¡¯d said. ¡°You know the agent?¡±


    She grinned, having watched me turn she changed and likely knew the reason I hadn¡¯t grasped all the details at first. ¡°Yeah, the FBI manages all murders in the national parks, there are only a few of them on this case.¡±


    ¡°And you know one?¡± I said as I tried to keep up. She led the way downstairs, grabbing her purse, some food, and a water bottle from the fridge, offering me one which I declined.


    ¡°Yeah, his dad and mine were friends. We dated once or twice in high school, then again, a few years ago. If I¡¯m being fully honest¡­ it never really went anywhere, but you should know he was my last boyfriend two years ago.¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t find you amazing?¡±


    She smiled, taking my praise for what it was, ¡°He did, I just didn¡¯t find him as amazing. Now follow me, if you think you can keep up!¡± She said with a wink.

 Chapter 26 — Starring as an FBI agent

    Chapter 26 ¡ª Starring as an FBI agent


    I hopped in my Jeep, cranked the key, and the engine started on the first try, thank goodness. I threw on my jacket and beanie while Lana ran to the separated garage and through a side door.


    I backed out of the drive and onto the rather quiet road waiting for her. She backed out in an Audi luxury coupe. It was pitch black with deeply tinted windows. Silver rims, trim, and decals. I shook my head, chewing over the woman who was now a part of my life.


    I looked at myself, wearing my brown jacket that matched my rust-colored brown Jeep. Both were worn, scarred, and aged if I was being generous about them. The seats in my car had weather lines in the fabric from use and exposure, foam piling visible in some. I¡¯d pulled out the stereo ages ago to deter anyone from trying to rob me since it didn¡¯t work anyway. The floor literally had holes for drainage that you could see the road through. My feet and whoever had owned it before me had worn through the paint at multiple places and on some of the handles exposing shiny metal.


    I¡¯d never felt... insufficient in my life, but I did now.


    In magical terms, I was a powerhouse for my age. I had been smart, if a little rebellious in foster care and school. However, despite being in the system and often the outcast at school or social gatherings, I never felt less.


    Yet right now I did, and I was about to meet Lana¡¯s ex.


    I couldn¡¯t see what Lana saw in me and I feared she was making a rushed mistake. As regretful as I was about the change of course this morning, it was for the best. I did not have my life together. I was quick to anger, and despite how long I might live, I¡¯d gone about things with a short-term perspective. Not training or constantly updating the defenses on my shop the way I should. Not taking care of myself the way I should. Her lightning-like effect on my life made me realize I needed to grow up. To heal and recover from things in my past. I needed to dedicate myself to my chosen goals and life more fully if I was truly going to be a force for good in the world like I imagined being. I didn¡¯t like feeling inadequate, and unprepared. But now, alone, for the first time since meeting Lana, I felt it. I wanted to be more for myself and for her.


    ¡°Bet you can¡¯t keep up!¡± She called out the window as she backed up with an impish grin. Her car pulled onto the street ahead of me. Then she blew an amazingly slow kiss in her mirror before slipping away down the lane. And just like that my fears melted away. Lana was energy and excitement bundled together in a small frame. She wanted me despite all the things I felt. Maybe I was more than I gave myself credit for?


    I shifted into first and felt like a madman as I tried to keep up at speed around turns Lana¡¯s Audi could easily manage, my vehicle proved much less agile. My jeep could get me into places her car couldn¡¯t fathom. But for driving on a well-paved road, hers was by far the superior ride.


    I tried to stay caught up, though I knew where we were going. I hoped she did without a phone for guidance, but she must have. I felt bad about the rush she was under due to breaking her phone. I hoped it didn¡¯t cause any issues at her new job.


    I thought on the past few hours as I drove mechanically. Despite everything¡­ I was having fun. It had been years since I felt so excited and alive¡ªif ever. That was due to Lana. She knew my secret and hadn¡¯t run. She could hold her own. She had a past, just like me so it didn¡¯t feel so one-sided. She was confident, capable, intelligent, and beautiful-¡ªAnd I won¡¯t let her get away¡ª I thought as I pushed for speed as we neared the old highway entrance that led through the mountains.


    Lana pulled away quickly from the last stop light and I eagerly tried to catch up. Another car, a grey family van, snuck in between ours despite my best efforts, my cars acceleration not enough to narrow the gap. I growled my frustration as the car in front of me carried on at exactly the speed limit, the road going from four lanes to a two-lane highway a few hundred feet from the last intersection. I saw Lana¡¯s car darting away ahead and could only imagine her laugh as I clearly tried to find an opening to pass the van covered with stick figure sticker children and dogs on its back window.


    It took five miles of road, which seemed an eternity, but I eventually passed the van at the first chance the roadway allowed. Then I laid into the gas as much as my old jeep was capable of. The engine hummed and growled as the wind noise picked up. The odometer was more of a suggestion in the old thing, the dial bouncing up and down with each press on the gas but I knew I was going well over the speed limit and near its max speed.


    I shivered, wishing I¡¯d worn another shirt or two under my jacket. I¡¯d gone two years without doors on the jeep but now that I might be driving someone else around, someone used to the warm interior of an Audi no less, I needed to invest in them. If simply so we could talk and stay warm. I reached into my bag and pulled out gloves. Lana¡¯s car came into view as I entered a long straight stretch of road. She hadn¡¯t pulled too far ahead. I caught up, clearly because she¡¯d wanted me to so we could arrive at the same time. We were still speeding but at a less aggressive pace.


    The grassland sloping foothills slowly turned into pine forest as we approached Idaho city, a quaint town nestled in the woods. She slowed and took a few turns to stop at the ranger station. I pulled in and watched as she hopped out and waved for me to wait while she ran inside.


    In only a few minutes she came out with a radio and a few other supplies and took one of the ranger official trucks left in the lot. Then I followed her again as we went straight to the Sugar Loaf Inn.


    It looked different from when I¡¯d seen it before, the building looked hollow and old¡­ forlorn. Orange cones blocked off the turn-in, not enough to stop us but enough to let others know the gas pumps were closed. Two black sedans were parked in the middle of the lot, ignoring the rough spray-painted parking lines on the gravel. There were also three ranger vehicles and one Boise police department vehicle.


    Lana pulled her car to a stop and jumped out, running towards me.


    ¡°Hang out here. I¡¯ll go check the scene and see what we can do. Are you alright talking to my friend?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m here and I have nothing to hide.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try to feel out how much they think you¡¯re responsible for before letting them know you¡¯re here. Just wait in your car.¡±


    I nodded and planned on doing just that. It was cold at this elevation, but I was more than used to it. Still, I fortified my mental defenses which could help me ignore things like cold and would train my ¡®tier two body¡¯, it was good meditation practice. Tiers were significant jumps, but it would take much more for me to be anything like a superhero. Strength, speed, and a resilient body were the dream of any wizard facing the supernatural. Not being killed in a single hit from a vastly more powerful creature was always a big plus.


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Lana nodded to two park rangers who stood by the inn looking towards my jeep. She said something to them, and they both nodded, remaining at their posts rather than coming to annoy me for which I was grateful.


    I waited ten minutes, then bored I pulled out my identification glasses and assessed them carefully behind the dash. I¡¯d worked small runes and spell patterns along the inner bands. It was fine work; work I was less used to doing since most defensive runes and workings in my shop could be as large as I wanted. While I was proud of what I had wrought, I¡¯d already brainstormed a few changes I could do to make them more powerful and increase their effectiveness. I  hadn¡¯t read about or seen anything like them in my brief time at the Tribunal headquarters or inside the books I had access to. That didn¡¯t mean nothing similar existed, but I felt fairly confident that they were unique.


    As it turned out, I had plenty of time to work, it took forty-five minutes before Lana exited with another man and they were clearly heading to my jeep. The guy with her was tall, broad-shouldered, with blond hair and looked like he should be in an action film starring as an FBI agent, rather than the real deal. And that was coming from me, who didn¡¯t watch TV. I¡¯d dreamed up a few modifications for the glasses, and tinkered with them to see if I could improve their effectiveness, but there was only so much I could do away from my shop. I¡¯d also been too far away to assess the personnel stationed around the inn.


    As the pair approached, I saw the man, who was likely Lana¡¯s ex, had pearl white teeth, brilliant light blue eyes; and was annoyingly laughing as he told Lana something funny. His chiseled jawline and large physique wouldn¡¯t look out of place on a marble statue. I decided I didn¡¯t like him at all.


    Lana approached my would-be door, ¡°Cal, this is Chris. He¡¯s my contact in the FBI and fortunately for us he¡¯s overseeing this case.¡±


    ¡°Hi,¡± Chris said, offering a hand. I took it and the guy tried to crush my hand in his. It was annoying and I met his pressure to protect my hand before he released, a trick Rex had taught me with his own annoying hand squeeze. I stepped out of the jeep, not wanting to feel trapped.


    I was taller than Chris, but not by much.


    I slipped my glasses on and took a long look at him, my ambient aura drawing in power and the contact with my skin enough to activate the glasses.


    <h2>Identification Activated</h2>


    Mana core: Not detected


    Quality: Not detected


    Power value: Base


    Fortitude: Base


    Body: Base


    Being: Unknown


    The information gathered still wasn¡¯t perfect, but it did work better on a vanilla human than it had other targets. They hadn¡¯t detected a core, and his power, fortitude, and base were all at the ¡®base¡¯ level of a human which I¡¯d calibrated the glasses for. Theoretically, if a creature was stronger than normal but did not have a monster core I could still spot them. I was relieved to know this Chris wasn¡¯t some fae, vampire, or hidden god among men.


    Lana continued as I slipped off my glasses. ¡°Chris would like to talk to you, he said that Kate gave the police almost enough information to rule you out as a suspect. There are factors which complicate the scene, and they are unsure if it¡¯s due to the other attacks being in the forest or something new.¡±


    ¡°Perfect,¡± I said. ¡°Phillis was a wonderful woman. She didn¡¯t deserve anything like this, I¡¯d be more than happy to help.¡±


    ¡°You seem to have grabbed Lana¡¯s attention.¡± Chris said casually, ¡°I¡¯m curious to see if you can help us with the case as she seems to think. She said you¡¯d cooperate?¡± The last was a true question, Chris eyeing me carefully. I could read his eyes as they searched me for visible signs of weapons and more, they judged me and found me wanting.


    Lana nodded, missing or ignoring Chris¡¯s demeanor, ¡°I told Chris that you would be a good outside source on this¡ªas a private investigator.¡±


    I nodded, seeing she¡¯d provided me some cover for my desire to be involved. I¡¯d thought about getting a license to be a private investigator, given the things I regularly chased and the crime scenes I frequented, but my shop was more my style. Fren was also more than capable of helping me find threats to hunt rather than having clients coming in paying me to do the same. Unfortunately, ¡®local shop owner¡¯ didn¡¯t hold a lot of weight in an environment like this.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get started. Follow me Cal,¡± Chris said, turning sharply and walking back towards the inn. His shiny black dress shoes which matched his black suit pants were already growing dusted white from the gravel parking lot.


    Lana stepped close, her hands going to my face to rest on each of my cheeks in a very familial way. It drew my full attention to her. Her hands were warm from being inside the building compared to my cold skin. I grinned as I looked down into her eyes, strangely annoyed Chris couldn¡¯t see the sign of affection from her. ¡°He¡¯s seen things too,¡± Lana said, letting her hands drop to my chest once she knew she had my focus. ¡°I told him that you were familiar with paranormal things. His dad and my dad were studying stuff like that before my dad passed. It¡¯s how we met.¡±


    I nodded. I didn¡¯t really like someone from the FBI knowing that I knew things, but I trusted Lana. She knew Chris and I¡¯d follow her judgement¡­ for now. ¡°I can play nice.¡± I managed gruffly.


    ¡°Especially if it keeps you out of prison.¡±


    ¡°Especially if it does that.¡± I agreed with a little more poise. I gave her a last smile and jogged to catch up to Chris who was waiting closer to the inn.


    ¡°I¡¯ll need to take a statement from you,¡± he said. ¡°To answer some questions about yesterday morning. It will make everything official and on record.¡± He¡¯d turned and watched us. His tone was a little sharper than before. I thought it might be because he realized Lana and I might be more than friends given our close stance.


    ¡°Fine,¡± I said, happier than I¡¯d felt a moment before. ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to the room you stayed in,¡± he said. ¡°DNA from your room is being tested, so sitting in there again won¡¯t complicate things unnecessarily.¡±


    DNA testing the room seemed like a waste. There had to have been hundreds of people through that room this season alone, and I doubt it got cleaned well enough to remove all traces of each. Then again, I didn¡¯t know a lot about forensics other than what books stated which were generally more outdated and not always correct, perhaps they could glean useful information from a busy place like that. The three of us walked towards the room. Chris pulled open the door which was unlocked, then he turned, raising a hand to bar Lana from going inside, ¡°Lana you need to stay here. This is an investigation, and I need to interrogate a possible witness.¡± The last was said with doubt as if my status was very uncertain in that regard.


    Her eyes narrowed, but she followed the order. I gave her a smile letting her know I¡¯d be fine alone and rested a hand on her shoulder. But I decided to push the boundary with the FBI agent to see how Chris would react.


    ¡°I¡¯d be more than willing to let her in to listen. Another witness for you couldn¡¯t hurt given the nature of these things. I¡¯ve heard you know Lana well. She wouldn¡¯t get in the way.¡±


    Chris¡¯s jaw muscles bulged as he bit down, ¡°No.¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°It¡¯s up to you, big man.¡± I stepped through the door and into the room.


    Chris shut and locked the door behind me. The bolt loud enough Lana would have heard it clearly. Then the FBI agent gestured to the small table with two chairs which sat by the front window. It was small enough that it might be able to hold two Styrofoam take-out meals, if those eating were willing to share the cramped space. Generally, that wouldn¡¯t have been daunting to me, but this guy had been her boyfriend soon after she lost her dad. I didn¡¯t know the full story of how that had ended, and I got the feeling Chris wasn¡¯t done chasing her. I could dislike that, but I couldn¡¯t blame him, Lana was incredible.


    Chris carefully set out a small recording device on the empty table. I grinned, knowing it wouldn¡¯t be working five minutes from now. Despite the control I was exerting to keep my aura contained¡­ I was uneasy. I felt trapped, and my mind was all over the place with thoughts of Lana and the events of the past few days. The daemon had found me in this place, and the cramped, smelly room put me on edge. Nevertheless, I had control, I could lock up my aura more tightly but the creature that had killed Phillis might be near and Lana was alone outside with mundane officers that wouldn¡¯t be much help. Given that, I wouldn¡¯t limit or block my senses. Interview or no.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get started,¡± Chris said his demeanor changing now that Lana was safely locked outside. His eyes locked unwaveringly onto mine as if they alone could unearth all my secrets.

 Chapter 27 — Divine Intervention and Bloody Destiny

    Chapter 27 ¡ª Divine Intervention and Bloody Destiny


    ¡°I need to make a recording,¡± Chris said coolly as I took my chair at the small table inside my old inn room. ¡°That way we can catalogue the information you provide. Do you consent to a formal interview?¡± He clicked a record button on the digital recorder, the miniature LCD screen lit up and showed a timer which began ticking up as each second passed. His eyes met mine again as he waited for a response so it too could be recorded.


    I nodded, rather than answering out loud just to irritate him. His jaw tightened again, he repeated the question but added the request for me to answer out loud which I did.


    He ran a hand through is hair, annoyed, ¡°One of the local officers who assisted us yesterday reported that you have a history of being involved in things like this, and he was more than eager to find and question you.¡±


    ¡°Wow, you actually use a digital recorder? Why not a phone? It¡¯s got to be annoying carrying both around, making sure they have a charge¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªLet¡¯s not focus on unimportant details. Can you give me your name, Mr. ¡­?¡±


    ¡°Cal,¡± I said simply, not liking the intonation of his question.


    ¡°Just Cal?¡±


    ¡°For now, yes.¡± I wasn¡¯t one to give out my full name, not if I could help it. Fae beings could do interesting magics with a freely given name and he had asked for my name personally. That could carry many connotations. Chris didn¡¯t have a mana core, and my glasses seemed to have ruled out most other changes that would be present in something that could harm me, but you could never be certain, and they were still prototypes. In a setting like this it was unlikely he could do anything too nefarious, even if he had been a fae, but old habits die hard.


    ¡°Even for the sake of the record?¡±


    ¡°Cal works fine for me.¡±


    Chris sighed, ¡°I know your full name is Cal August. As I¡¯ve stated, I had a good discussion with a few of the local Boise police officers, an Officer Vance was more than happy to tell me about his past run ins with you. Is Cal August your full name?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said. Him knowing it was different than me giving it. I wasn¡¯t surprised he knew my name being one of the lead suspects, among every other detail he could get about my life. Chris smiled and I wondered if he knew what I was thinking. Lana had said he knew things. Perhaps this had been a soft test of my knowledge. What he probably didn¡¯t know was that Cal August wasn¡¯t even my real name¡­ but that didn¡¯t matter right now.


    ¡°Cal, could you explain¡ªfor the record-¡ªwhy you are so well known to some of the local police? And why they might think you are the perpetrator of any crimes committed at this establishment when the crime scene was discovered and your connection to it?


    ¡°Sure Chris,¡± I said with a fair amount of disdain. ¡°I had a run in with the law a while back. I¡¯m sort of a hobbyist private investigator as Lana said. I was involved in an altercation, no charges were pressed and officer Vance stubbornly keep me incarcerated for the full 24 hours he could for no reason.


    ¡°Those events could be construed as vigilantism.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m just like Batman,¡± I said, eagerly. ¡°Anyway, what happened was I found a pedophile¡ªwho¡¯d slipped the police net and suspect pool for a missing persons case. I had connected him to a few of the disappearances and thought he was the reason for the kids going missing about a year and a half ago¡­ we uh, had an argument when I confronted him¡ªand I still allege that he threw the first punch. Anyway, he was the wrong guy for the true crime but deserved what he got all the same.¡± I said shrugging my shoulders.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard. To clarify, you attacked a random citizen you suspected of being the kidnapper, who after which suffered from a concussion, three broken ribs, multiple lacerations, and a crushed testicle, after the¡­ argument. And you were?¡±


    ¡°Fine. I slept great that night other than being in the police station. I did develop a few bruises on my fists which was weird,¡± I said, grossly undermining the details he¡¯d given as I considered my hands. I hadn¡¯t heard how badly I¡¯d beaten that guy up. Then again, I thought he¡¯d been a changeling who would be able to heal rapidly and would have the ability to move around bones and organs in our fight. I guess a tier two body did have some perks when it came to a fight. Rex would be proud, Fren too for that matter. I¡¯d have to let him know.


    ¡°All that and he still dropped the assault charges against you,¡± Chris said with a fake smile.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said. ¡°I guess he didn¡¯t want to go to court and have to explain why I allegedly beat the shit out of him.¡±


    ¡°Allegedly,¡± Chris agreed, his eyes watching my every move, twitch, and hand gesture. I knew he likely had tons of training in interrogation and body language. I had none, so I tried to remain comfortable and at ease. ¡°Then a few weeks later information leading to his arrest mysteriously appeared inside the police station, atop the sheriffs desk.¡±


    ¡°Weird, right?¡±


    Chris could see this was going nowhere and changed tactics focusing on the current situation after a long pause, ¡°But you were here yesterday, at this inn?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I was,¡± I said.


    ¡°And this was indeed your room?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Could you tell me why¡ª¡± Chris said, letting the question linger as he pulled out a little note pad, ¡°¡ªall the light bulbs including those in the bathroom and closet, the hair dryer, the mini fridge, the TV, the TV remote, the alarm, the wall clock, and the smoke detectors in the room are all dead?¡±


    ¡°No idea,¡± I lied. We had enough light coming in from the front window that the lights weren¡¯t needed but now that he pointed out their absence it stood out to me. I was used to having lights off and out, he wouldn¡¯t be. ¡°Must be something about the room. Maybe that¡¯s why I didn¡¯t sleep well?¡± I contemplated, ¡°You should watch out for your tape recorder, it might not work after being in here. Something must be off with this place.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard you don¡¯t like electronics, that your shop has the bare essentials and even there you often don¡¯t turn on the lights.¡±


    ¡°Ask around, power around the whole area is terrible. Surges blow out lights and electronics all the time. Plus, natural light is good for you and my shop has a lot of it.¡±The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°And it¡¯s a crystal shop?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°And there was a burglary attempt on it last night?¡±


    ¡°Yeah...¡± I said, seeing the angle his investigation was leaning. He wanted to present me on the records as suspicious, trouble, dangerous.


    ¡°And you engaged in an altercation there?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we got into a fight. I mean the guys were trying to rob me. I lost badly, but no one died.¡±


    ¡°Were you injured?¡±


    I hesitated. I had been, the officers last night would have seen my wounds and put the description in a report somewhere. My head laceration had been cleaned up, but it had bled. Both Lana and my missing wounds would now be obvious. I felt restless and had to consciously stop one of my legs from twitching before I answered, ¡°Yes.¡±


    His eyes narrowed, and I saw a certain amount of glee in them as if I¡¯d fallen for a trap, ¡°My report shows you had a head wound, it looks fine today.¡±


    Chris was taking this conversation into areas I really didn¡¯t want to get into. Especially on record. I still couldn¡¯t read him to see if he thought I was the suspect or simply an anomaly he was trying to figure out. The ability to hide what he was thinking was probably good for him and his career, and for playing poker, but it put me on edge.


    ¡°It was shallower than we first thought, and I heal fast. They wanted me to get stitches, but I declined. Good thing huh.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s quite irregular to have someone leave one crime scene and have another occur at their residence the same night.¡±


    ¡°I wish I knew why my luck was so bad,¡± I said, shrugging my shoulders. ¡°But I really have no idea.¡±


    ¡°Do you know about the local mauling¡¯s and attacks in the forest?¡±


    ¡°I mean yeah, they are all over the local paper and apparently in the news.¡±


    ¡°What do you think about them?¡±


    ¡°I think¡­ I think I¡¯ve never seen or heard of a bear, wolf, or mountain lion which could attack that many people, hundreds of miles apart, anywhere in the world. But that¡¯s what the news says is happening and they get their information from people like you, so who knows.¡±


    ¡°Is that what you think?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m not a detective,¡± I said, leaning back further into my chair. ¡°I¡¯m just a curious local shop owner.¡±


    ¡°Yet, you¡¯ve been seen near many of these sites the days following an attack.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s possible, but it¡¯s not like they publish where they take place and I like to hike. Like I said, it¡¯s a hobby. Plenty of people are curious about the disappearances and I can admit to a little curiosity myself. It¡¯s no surprise I¡¯ve been around some of them.


    ¡°It could also be construed as a recognizable pattern,¡± Chris said. ¡°Do you know that serial killers sometimes have a tendency to go back to the scene of a crime? They get a sick thrill out of it, or it stokes their ego and curiosity. For some, its almost like it¡¯s part of the ritual.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that,¡± I said trying not to think about Kate¡¯s comment. ¡°Lots of books mention details like that and I¡¯m a big reader. Seems like a dumb thing to do if you ask me.¡±


    I glanced and saw his little recorder had died somewhere along the way. Only about a sixth of the screen was lit up and that flickered as if it had been shattered. There was no way the digital recording would make it if we went on any longer. Good riddance, I thought. Chris hadn¡¯t noticed yet. With the death of the recorder I relaxed, I wasn¡¯t feeling an overabundance of need in trying to restrain my aura.¡±


    ¡°Did you kill those people?¡± Chris asked, point blank.


    ¡°No,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m just trying to help.¡±


    ¡°And why would you be able to help, what can you offer that the local authorities lack?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m steeped in the metaphysical,¡± I said, deciding to lean into my shop persona. Despite what he may have said to Lana, Chris didn¡¯t think I was innocent. I felt hesitant telling him I was a wizard, recorder or no. ¡°I know things about the world that a typical investigator might not and would overlook. If I can, I want to help.¡±


    ¡°Why did you leave the inn so early yesterday?¡±


    ¡°I slept poorly and decided I wasn¡¯t feeling up to hiking all day, so I went home.¡±


    ¡°What time was it?¡±


    ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know,¡± I gestured to the room and the broken clock and the dead alarm on the nightstand beside the bed. ¡°The sun wasn¡¯t up, but it was close. I told the officers who interrogated me the same thing last night.¡±


    ¡°Tell me about the events that led up to your leaving?¡±


    ¡°I woke up, hadn¡¯t slept, so I grabbed my bag and left. I checked out and talked to Phillis. Gave her my key. I was with her for literally fifteen seconds, then drove away. I didn¡¯t know anything had happened until the police arrived at my home yesterday evening.¡±


    ¡°Tell me about Phillis?¡±


    ¡°She was nice. She wanted to know why I was leaving early and if I had liked my stay. I told her the stay was great, thanked her, then left.¡±


    ¡°You left quite fast. Our witnesses described you as ¡®peeling out like a bat out of hell¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Like a true vigilante,¡± I jested, knowing the recorder was done for. ¡°I know who your witness probably was. She was always up reading at her window. Looked anxious, and easily irritated. I¡¯m not sure what she¡¯s doing on a vacation here because she was always in her room when I passed by, reading something or another. It wouldn¡¯t take much for her to think someone was speeding. The truth is, the clutch on my jeep is touchy and on a gravel drive straight onto a highway it takes some work not to squeal the tires as I¡¯m getting up to speed.¡±


    ¡°What is your relationship with Lana, one of the rangers working this case?¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t seem pertinent to the case.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the detective and will decide what is pertinent. You knowing someone working the case is an abnormality.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± I said, shrugging my shoulders. ¡°We are friends. We were planning on going hiking today¡ªher day off- until you guys pulled her in by name¡ªshe got email while we were at her house and then raced here.¡±


    ¡°Why did you come along?¡±


    ¡°She told me to, said she knew you and I should come talk, get my name cleared and all that.¡±


    Chris let out a sigh, steepling his fingers, ¡°Why are you so interested in these attacks?¡±


    ¡°Because this is my home,¡± I said, leaning forward. My voice had grown harsher than I intended, and it was hard to hold back, ¡°Nothing should hurt the people here, not if I can help it!¡± I said the last while standing, growing annoyed with the interview. ¡°Are we done officer?¡±


    ¡°A little volatile, are we?¡± Chris said, a smirk I didn¡¯t like on his face. He looked at the recorder, clearly hoping it had caught my change in disposition.


    I returned his smirk when he saw it was broken. He eyed me like I¡¯d incriminated myself by breaking it without his knowing. I raised my hands placatingly. ¡°I warned you. Something is off with this room.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re hiding something.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah. Lots of things,¡± I said. ¡°But they aren¡¯t relevant to your case. I didn¡¯t murder Phillis. I wish I had been here, maybe I could have stopped it. I am here to help. Lana is not an idiot; you should trust her.¡±


    ¡°No, she is not,¡± he said with a reluctant sigh. ¡°And I do trust her, more than I would trust anyone else in the world. But she¡¯s been through a lot the past few years. She has a reckless self-destructive streak and has made some rash choices in a rush.¡± He eyed me up and down with an obvious dislike, ¡°She could be making bad choices and as a friend who cares deeply about her, I¡¯m here to help.¡± His expression made it clear I was one of those bad choices, the worst one. He couldn¡¯t see what she saw in me and it made me angry because honestly, I wasn¡¯t sure either. Compared to Chris, who was unnaturally handsome with muscles evident even through his suit coat, vibrant eyes, and pristine smile, I was average. He also had a steady job and a skill set similar to Lana''s. I didn¡¯t. I was strong in my own way, but leaner in my build. My hair was dark, my beard not as full. People who didn¡¯t know me were sometimes put on edge when I was around. I could see it in the way they moved, stood, and regarded me. I was tall and imposing, something about my aura made me instinctively an outcast to most people. I had scars and a sharpness to my features that wasn¡¯t from genetics. I was not the choice Lana should make. Yet, I couldn¡¯t let his comment stand unconfronted. He wouldn¡¯t have said it if the tape recorder had been working or Lana present.


    ¡°Or Chris, she found someone who could help her after discarding the trash,¡± I said voice seething. ¡°Someone who cares. Someone who sees the real her, values her choices, and doesn¡¯t categorize them as mistakes. Sometimes we meet the best people in our worst places. They help us out of them rather than watching us fall, judging it all.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you think you¡¯re a good person, you think your better than me?¡±


    ¡°Divine intervention and bloody destiny,¡± I said in a resounding voice like a stage magician. I was done with Chris and his incessant questions. ¡°Those forces pulled us together. I saw it in my horoscope the day we met.¡±


    Chris ground his teeth, his large jaw muscle bulging outward as he stood, hands locked into fists. I readied myself for the first blow.

 Chapter 28 — Brotherhood

    Chris stood, hands bawled up into fists, his eyes not leaving mine. I wasn¡¯t going to throw the first punch, not as a suspect, and not with the lead FBI agent on the case. After ten seconds with nothing escalating. Chris took a step back and ran his hands through his hair, the tense moment passing.


    ¡°Look, I¡¯m here to help,¡± I said, staring Chris down. ¡°Either I¡¯m a suspect or I¡¯m not. You tell me. As for Lana, you don¡¯t get to make her decisions for her.¡±


    Chris looked at the digital recorder, consciously relaxing his fists. ¡°You agree to another interview, later on, one I can record?¡±


    ¡°Maybe, if you¡¯re not a dick the whole time. But it will probably end up with the same result. Check your phone.¡±


    And just because I didn¡¯t like him, I purposefully summoned my will, gathering the energies which made up the foundation of the universe, into my core. My inward power surged and with it I knew the bleed off that impacted electronics would spike.


    Chris pulled out his phone and turned it on. It activated but the screen flickered, and the speaker made a slight whine even though he wasn¡¯t directly using it.


    ¡°How did you do this?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not saying I did. This room is pretty weird,¡± I put my hands on my hips and spun around, taking in the cheap wooden wall panels, the old dusty picture frames. ¡°Maybe that¡¯s why I had a nightmare and wanted to leave so quickly. Hey¡ªcan¡¯t ghosts make lights flicker and go out?¡±


    Chris slammed his phone back in his pocket, ¡°We do have records of events like this.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure the FBI has run across a lot of things,¡± I said.


    ¡°About people with talents, gifts¡­ magic.¡± He spat, ¡°Interestingly electronics don¡¯t work long around people like that¡ªor so I understand. What is your gift?¡±


    I sighed, turning to Chris. He¡¯d revealed more than I thought he would, which probably spoke to him being angrier than he was letting on. I was impressed the FBI had files on wizards or those with talents, but not particularly surprising. It was surprising that a field agent like Chris would readily know them. That might mean the bureau knew these attacks and disappearances had a supernatural factor, and they had sent a very specific person to look into it. Then again, that was assuming the government was competent in what it did, which was asking for a lot.


    Lana had said her father worked with Chris¡¯s father while looking into the supernatural. Things were starting to make a little more sense, but I didn¡¯t want to reveal all my cards. ¡°Plenty of people have some form of gift, if that¡¯s what you want to call it. But they are corrupted or self-taught. I¡¯m something more. And I¡¯m here to help.¡±


    Chris stared at me for about a minute straight. I didn¡¯t know what he knew about the supernatural, but I bet he knew more than he was letting on. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll trust Lana about you. The other guy on my team will get it. We both deal with the more obscure cases on the regular. The locals, however, are not going to be onboard with a civilian looking over the crime scene. A civilian who is also our most promising person of interest.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure Lana can come up with something, some form of cover.¡±


    ¡°She presented it like you were an amateur private investigator who had some theories that might be relevant. She said you were here in the inn the day of the attack because of that information and that you were looking for the cause of all of this. You must have some good insights if you were that close. The attack did occur.¡±


    I nodded, smiling at Lana¡¯s of description of me and my motives. If only it was that simple. ¡°That¡¯s sort of the truth, but I don¡¯t have crystal-clear information I can just hand over. It was luck. I was actually trying to find the exact location of one of the attacks so I could learn more.¡±  I said rubbing my chin. It had been Fren who had sensed evil near this place, and I had come to try and stop it if I could.


    ¡°Why are you really looking into this?¡± Chris asked, folding his arms, his body blocking the door out now that we were both standing. It annoyed me that he felt like he could trap me in the room.


    ¡°I hunt what hurts people. Same as you, just the scope is a little larger for me.¡±The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Chris let out an exasperated sigh, ¡°Get online and get a certificate to be a private investigator by tonight. You might not even need a certificate here in Idaho but figure it out. Get it done and make it official. It will make this easier for the others and those we report to.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to change my life to be involved in your case. Use my information or not, I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s easy for you or those above you to stomach. I¡¯m going to do what I can to solve this, then live my life.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the only way,¡± Chris said folding his arms. ¡°Lana said you could be useful. This is the only way I can swing it. I¡¯ve collaborated with people with gifts before, once or twice. It was helpful and it¡¯s the only reason I¡¯m considering it now. Maybe you can help us save lives, but it will be you helping us.¡±


    I nodded, willing to give him a little slack despite not liking him. He was trying to do his job. We were on adjacent teams, ¡°There is a problem with that.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    I gestured to his phone. ¡°I can¡¯t easily go online and fill out paperwork.¡±


    ¡°Damn. That¡¯s got to suck,¡± Chris said, grasping my meaning.


    ¡°You have no idea,¡± I said. Thinking about my options. ¡°Lana can help me, but it¡¯s going to be a process and I¡¯m not ready to do it tonight. Plus, then I have to worry about taxes and all the government regulation shit that is more than a pain for me.¡±


    ¡°Do it. If you¡¯re half as good as Lana seems to think, then we need you. I could pull you into future cases. You would be paid.¡±


    ¡°Like into the FBI? I don¡¯t really do ¡®big organizations¡¯ and ¡®corporate life¡¯.¡±


    ¡°No, not like that. Did Lana tell you about her dad, what he was up to?¡±


    ¡°Sort of,¡± I said, realizing I didn¡¯t know much. ¡°But not all. I don¡¯t know how long she told you that we¡¯ve known each other, but it hasn¡¯t been long.¡±


    ¡°I figured, she moved here a few weeks ago, so not long even if you met her first day.¡±


    ¡°Are you stalking her?¡± I asked, I felt my arms and torso grow taught, the thought of this guy hounding her unawares made me furious.


    ¡°She¡¯s a friend. I keep an eye out for her,¡± He took a small step to widen his stance, picking up on my own change. ¡°Her dad asked me to keep an eye out for her, should anything happen. It was shortly before he died.¡±


    ¡°Sure¡­¡± I said, making it clear what I thought about that.


    ¡°When did you meet?¡±


    ¡°Yesterday.¡±


    Chris¡¯s eyes rose, ¡°Oh.¡± He laughed, his shoulders relaxed, and a large smile lit his face.  ¡°You don¡¯t know anything do you? And really, she can¡¯t know that much about you.¡± He ran his hands through his hair frustrated at himself. ¡°¡ªThis isn¡¯t going to work. You¡¯re too much of an unknown.¡± I could tell he regretted telling me the little he had.


    Offended, I drove down my impulsive responses to show Chris what he didn¡¯t know. But I had to work with him if I wanted more information and on the off chance, he would give me access to the crime scene. He was also, as much as I didn¡¯t love it, a friend of Lana¡¯s. To get his mind working in the right direction I asked, ¡°How did the gifted individuals you worked with in the past help?¡±


    Chris didn¡¯t answer, he grimaced as his lips were drawn to one side. Then he sighed, his walls coming back down. ¡°The first was a medium or psychic¡ªwhatever you want to call them. They could talk to the dead and asked one of our murder victims what happened.¡±


    I whistled. That was actually a rare gift. Truly talking to the dead, especially if they had been gone for a time was closely related to death magic, but some people had a gift and could commune with the dead without using magic. The connection was somehow through their soul and being rather than ambient mana flows. ¡°That had to make the case easier.¡±


    ¡°Sort of. It led to more evidence which solved the case. The victim hadn¡¯t seen their attacker.¡±


    ¡°And what did you do to the psychic after?¡±


    ¡°They are still somewhere in Pueblo Colorado, last I checked. I¡¯ve pulled them in twice since, but the victims had been passed too long and didn¡¯t wish to commune, or so they said. Can you do something like that? Talk to Phillis and find out what she saw?¡±


    Now it was my time to put some cards on the table, ¡°No. That¡¯s a different kind of gift, even in my circles that is rare. I can cast spells, find connected items. I should be able to sense enough to know if the murderer is part of the supernatural or mundane community.¡± I¡¯d chosen my words carefully and watched Chris to see his response. He gave none.


    ¡°Back to Lana¡¯s dad, I¡¯ll let her fill you in, if she ever trusts you enough. But¡­ well her father¡¯s whole mission was to find supernatural creatures who did things like this¡ªand he did. If you do something similar, I can see what drove Lana to take an interest in¡­ you. Her dad had friends in the FBI, my father among them. They helped hide what he found a few times and made the paperwork simple for local departments. Frankly, a lot of it doesn¡¯t make sense. It¡¯s the stuff my partner and our small subset of the bureau deal with.¡±


    His matter-of-fact explanation quickly passed over the barbs or his statements about me. I knew he was trying to put me on edge, make me doubt myself. The worst part was, it was working.


    ¡°Her father¡¯s death is mired in that sort of thing. Honestly, the FBI has files and files of things that don¡¯t make sense. I¡¯m part of an internal ¡®special inquiries taskforce¡¯. Our closure rate is abysmal, but we help people feel like it¡¯s in the right hands when things are terrible and cannot be explained by any other means. We can conceal what needs to be hidden from local authorities, and the public, so people can sleep at night. If you really know things, you could be invaluable. How did you learn? Are you part of the Grimm Brotherhood, one of the Grimm seekers?¡±


    Grimm Seekers. Chris knew a lot if he knew what a seeker was. In a way I was like them but not one of them.

 Chapter 29 — Not the Big Guns

    Chapter 29 ¡ª Not the Big Guns


    ¡°You know about the Grimm Brotherhood?¡± I asked, buying time as I decided what to reveal. The Grimm Seekers were humans who tried to take out anything supernatural which was preying on mankind. Unfortunately, they often saw wizards as a threat. Beings like Fren certainly would be a target, and those with gifts like the psychic Chris had mentioned might not be safe. Grimm seekers were a very small, militant, loosely connected group. They were as secretive as the Tribunal was to the general populace. Each one was their own brand of fanatic that could see me as a helper and resource or an abomination.


    ¡°I do know quite a lot about them. I assure you, if you are one you are not revealing any secret information to me by letting me know. But I do need to know.¡± Chris¡¯s voice brooked no argument.


    ¡°I¡¯m similar to the brotherhood, and I¡¯m familiar with the Seekers within them,¡± I said, with clear noncommittal about myself and the organization. ¡°Are you one of them, do you work with them?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Chris said with a huff. ¡°Most are assholes. The last one I knew got put into prison after he murdered two innocent people believing they were some mythical creature. Local forces captured and prosecuted him. I kept an eye on the case, even went so far as to investigate if he had found something that got away. He hadn¡¯t. He had jumped to conclusions and let biases influence him until it led to a tragic event. Lana¡¯s dad collaborated with them. Good ones, not the run-of-mill. It¡¯s how he learned a lot of what he did.¡±


    I hadn¡¯t run across any seekers personally, Clair had. What I did know was that they hadn¡¯t survived the encounter. The way she¡¯d told the story made me think it wasn¡¯t anything recent and it probably had occurred centuries ago. Seekers were the militant outward arm of the organization. Those who took care of business. She¡¯d told me stories of more recent sounding events with other wizards as part of my general instruction and training. Lana¡¯s dad having affiliated with them connected a lot of the dots in my mind as to why she hadn¡¯t run when I revealed what I had that first fateful night. Grimm Brotherhood members were conversant with my world and she¡¯d probably met them. I felt a slight fear that perhaps everything up to that point had been her pumping me for information before trying to eliminate me¡ªa seeker might think that way¡ªbut I couldn¡¯t bring myself to believe it.


    ¡°I know of two I could pull into this case,¡± I could see the distaste in his expression as he said it, as if the words themselves tasted like shit. But I could also see he¡¯d do it, if it would help. That gave me a small insight into the man behind the suit. ¡°Do you think they¡¯d be useful, more than you?¡± He asked.


    ¡°No, not at all. I want to lay low. I live here. Seekers would be a pain in the ass for me to deal with because while I share some goals with that organization personally, I¡¯m not one of them. There are plenty of neutral or even benevolent creatures out there. To a seeker they are all a threat to be killed on sight, they might even consider me the same way.¡± I said, letting him know a little more about me in answer to his previous questions. ¡°I will stand up for whoever and whatever deserves it, but if you bring seekers in, I¡¯m out. That would be detrimental to you and your case. I¡¯m a veritable treasure trove of knowledge in the supernatural.¡±Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°Are you scared of them?¡±


    ¡°No. And that should tell you something.¡±


    Chris stared at me for another long moment. ¡°I¡¯ve never willingly brought them in on a case, but we have met a few we¡¯ve been forced to rely on for various jobs. I would be hesitant to ever do so again. They do follow us from time to time, stalking us like we¡¯ll lead them to something interesting. Two I¡¯m familiar with have already been spotted in town. I had my partner track them in turn to an inn in Idaho City.¡±


    I groaned and ran a hand through my hair at the thought of Grimm Seekers catching my trail or heaven forbid, Fren¡¯s. It was frustrating because their organization did a hell of a lot more than the wizards I¡¯d met for general mankind, though the higher wizards in the Tribunal would have argued that point. The few I¡¯d met beyond Clair, when I¡¯d gone for testing and one Tribunal conclave after, had seemed self-centered, bigoted, prideful, and fearful of endangering themselves. Seekers were the opposite. They sought to protect mankind and help people at the expense of their own lives and desires.


    I respected that, but it would also take a very special sort of person who could do devote themselves like that¡ªshape their lives around travel and hunting literal monsters. They lived life on the road, separate from society, and perhaps even running from the law. I¡¯d heard they weren¡¯t well adjusted in general and that ¡®facts¡¯ or ¡®due process¡¯ were more of an idea than anything they held themselves too. True vigilantes. It sounded like Chris felt the same way about them. Still, I could reserve judgement. It¡¯s not like they were after me and there was no reason for them to even know I existed.


    I sighed, ¡°Okay. We can do another interview later. I don¡¯t have a ton of time right now and whatever did this is still running rampant. I want to find and stop it. To do so I need to see the crime scene or get out of here and start tracking it directly.¡±


    ¡°What do you think it is?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I haven¡¯t been able to find much information yet. Part of the problem is that I have to wait to hear what happened each time it strikes. The information is partial and I¡¯m sure most of the details are withheld from the public. By the time I can get to a cleared crime scene all the evidence is gone and the trail to my senses has gone cold. It sounds like the attacks are coming from a beast of some sort. I have found enough to believe its supernatural in origin, but I haven¡¯t been able to verify anything else.¡±


    ¡°Our forensic analyst has been lost but seems to think it¡¯s a beast of some type, or a person using a crude weapon to resemble animal attacks.¡± Chris looked me up and down, his face pained. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll let you see the crime scene¡ªBut you better not make me regret this.¡± He pointed a finger at me, ¡°And if you are the culprit, I will make you pay. Even if you took my partner and I out, we¡¯re not the big guns you have to worry about within our organization.¡±


    I nodded, filing that information away.


    ¡°Deal,¡± I said.

 Chapter 30 — Magic Bullshit

    Chapter 30 ¡ª Magic Bullshit


    Chris led the way out of the room. Lana was basically bouncing on her feet outside. Her eyes darting between us, looking for any clues as to what had transpired. The wind had picked up and her hair billowed freely in it.


    ¡°He checks out. So far,¡± Chris said. ¡°I don¡¯t have enough information to pin him as our murderer, and it does appear he left prior to the events were investigating. My witness said he was only in the front of the gas station for a few minutes which¡­ once you see it¡­ make me feel he¡¯s not our suspect. We¡¯ll see where things go in the future, but for now I¡¯m going to let you, and Cal see the crime scene.¡± He turned to Lana, ¡°You should still be wary of what stray you pick up. I don¡¯t think you¡¯re dad would approve.¡±


    Before I could say anything Lana did, ¡°You don¡¯t get a say in that.¡± She said, much more calmly than I would have. ¡°You don¡¯t get to have a say about anything in my life.¡±


    ¡°Lana¡ª¡±


    ¡°Listen to Cal. We¡¯re done talking about this. I know Cal can help, let him.¡± She gave me an encouraging grin. I was glad a smile could replace her anger over Chris¡¯s stupid words so quickly.


    Chris shook his head, but led the way, waving off the other authorities who wouldn¡¯t have let me near the building much less into the actual crime scene had he not permitted it. He paused before the double glass door which led into the gas station and inn front desk. ¡°You don¡¯t have a queasy stomach, do you?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said.


    ¡°Good.¡±


    He swung open the door and led the way to a little containment area which sat between the store''s next set of double entry way doors which would help keep bugs out in the summer and regulate the air within the building. A box of little ¡®booties¡¯ to put on over our shoes, and gloves sat on the floor against the wall on one side. I could smell blood and the nauseating smell of death even here. That meant the room beyond was bad. The view through the second set of interior door was blocked by an adhesive yellow plastic sheet stuck to the panes of glass. It would stop anyone from viewing inside or trying to peek in.


    Chris saw me looking at them, ¡°It keeps the news teams from getting photos that shouldn¡¯t be released, and our two friends in town from being able to see anything.¡±


    Once the three of us were ready, Chris gestured to me and opened the door, I stepped through instantly seeing how terrible the crime had been.


    Blood spray stained the white ceiling, the red stark against the plaster. It wasn¡¯t a single spray line either but a massive area ten feet in diameter which circled over the cashier¡¯s counter like a pipe above filled with blood had broken and seeped through the roof. I looked down sicked by the sight and saw a trail of smeared blood which led from behind the register and towards the door I had just entered through. I felt my stomach acid roil as I saw dried clumpy blood already stuck to the front of my booties. This had been Phillis. I swallowed, focusing on remaining calm.


    The smell of death hung heavy in the room. I looked started to take it all in again slowly, not wanting or able to take in the entirety of the room at once. The tracks on the floor trailed from the store counter towards the door. Each ¡®track¡¯ a little less defined the closer it came to the exit door as the blood staining it was absorbed by the short, carpeted floor.


    They were wide prints, about eight inches at their largest, and a little longer than a standard foot would be. The pattern was also irregular, two steps on one side, then an occasional mark on the other but not in any consistent pattern. Perhaps the creature had multiple limbs, or some hadn¡¯t been covered in blood? They were large, oval, and the rounded back end or pad made me think of an elephant or rhino, something with broad feet made for a massive creature.


    ¡°That¡¯s interesting,¡± I said, focusing on the tracks. I was no track expert, but I was observant, and this was abnormal.


    Lana was standing tall, eyes closed against the sights for a moment as she too gathered herself.


    ¡°It gets weirder,¡± Chris said. ¡°If that is a human foot, initial estimates put them at close to ten and a half feet tall.¡±


    I puzzled over that detail. I¡¯d never run into a hill or forest giant, but they were creatures that could escape from the fae. From what I knew, they might kill people, but they would claim a territory as their own and wouldn¡¯t move around as sporadically as the attacks and disappearances had.


    We circled the counter, and I almost lost my breakfast. The body¡ªPhillis¡ª had been removed; but blood and other bodily fluids covered the floor, pooling in the small ¡®cubical¡¯ that was the center of the checkout counter. Strange indents lined the countertop, as if an immense weight had pressed the Formica down into the wood beneath it, scarring the surface. I focused on them, focused on anything that drew my eyes from the obviously gruesome death. I saw three of the wooden shelves beneath the countertop were also damaged, the stapler, pens, and miscellaneous items spilled towards the fallen broken sections. Two cabinets walls had broken at strange angles, each from a single strike or pressure if I had to make a guess since the edges didn¡¯t show the multiple strikes of damage that a hammer or maul would leave if I was trying to break the wood with them. It was as if a single unrelenting force had snapped them. I said as much to Chris.


    ¡°That is interesting. I hadn¡¯t considered it was a single strike. I¡¯ll make sure our forensic analysts figure out what kind of force that would take.¡±


    I nodded, regretting it as the fresh stirring of air brought the smell of death home again. ¡°Any ideas on the countertop damage?¡± I muttered, looking up and trying to focus on Chris but my vision passed him, finding more blood, droplets, and the sprays staining nearly every nearby surface. I took a few steps back. Despite my best efforts I had to rush towards the door. I made it to the parking lot before vomiting into the gravel. The rangers outside watched knowingly. Nobody laughed. It wasn¡¯t a laughing matter.


    I took a moment to clear my mind, looking up at the forested hills, the sun high overhead. Fresh mountain air which I loved at odds with what I¡¯d just been exposed to. Beautiful scenes to remove those of horror. It felt wrong having such beauty and wonder so close to something horrific. I was sure my watery eyes were bloodshot, and my mouth tasted like acid.


    The highway was busy with traffic. Two dozen cars drove by while I gathered myself. They were a mere hundred feet from something horrible, and they would never know it as they went camping, hiking, or perhaps to visit many of the hot springs in the area. The people inside were blissfully unaware of the horrors this world had to offer, what threat lay somewhere in the woods. A threat that could come for them.


    My resolve firmed; my breathing slowed. My throat stopped burning. I spit onto the gravel to clear the taste from my mouth. It took a few tries but helped. I went back inside ready to don a new pair of booties. Lana and Chris were talking with another man in the entryway, a new blacked out suburban sat next to the inn, its engine still ticking as it cooled. I hadn¡¯t even noticed it when I rushed outside.


    ¡°Cal, this is my partner, Gregory. He was out with some of the local Officers looking for game trails and prints. Gregory this is Cal, he¡¯s a local private investigator who was trying to figure this all out before we arrived. His searching led him to the inn before the event.¡±


    ¡°He was also our most promising lead,¡± Gregory grumbled to Chris. Clearly pissed I was there. He was black with a gaunt figure and high cheekbones, his slight accent pointed to his coming far from Idaho, perhaps even the East Coast or maybe from the south. I wasn¡¯t good enough at accents to know. ¡°Good to meet you regardless,¡± he said, reaching out a hand. The words seemed less genuine after hearing what he¡¯d muttered to Chris, but he did sound like he actually meant them.


    We shook, in the normal way, unlike what had happened with Chris. Gregory was about my height and radiated a very calm, professional demeanor. I could instantly see him as the type not to let an unknown such as myself on the crime scene under any circumstance. His suit was immaculate, and I pictured his reports, car, and suitcase while traveling would be as well. He probably folded the back of his toothpaste tube and fixed with a clasp to get every last bit and treated the rest of his life the same.


    ¡°Nice to meet you. I wish you were the one who had interviewed me rather than Chris.¡±


    ¡°Oh, and why is that?¡± Gregory said, a little more cordially.


    ¡°He strayed from the topic at hand,¡± I said with a quick glance towards Lana. She froze, Chris stood stoic a predatory smile plastered to his face as if daring me to reveal more. His ultra-white teeth and GQ-styled hair annoyed me, so I did. ¡°Get this Greg, he also forgot to check his recorder. The battery died halfway through the interview.¡±


    Gregory eyed me and then Chris questioningly. Lana was busy giving Chris a glare and she was damn good at it. I figured she¡¯d guessed where the interview had strayed and upon which topic.


    After a long moment Lana turned to me, ¡°Are you doing alright?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said. ¡°It was hard in there, knowing the victim.¡±


    ¡°Did anything else stand out to you?¡± Chris prodded.


    ¡°I assume the wounds were bad?¡±


    ¡°Very,¡± Gregory said, removing a set of photos from his pocket and handing them to me. Of course he¡¯d be the one prepared with evidence to review.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    I leafed through them, trying to focus on the details and not how much pain the sweet woman had likely had to endure. Some of the close ups showed cuts in various patterns, each different and reminiscent of claws, but also wrong. They were generally singular which would be more like a knife rather than a claw and they struck from so many directions the if it had been a knife the attack made no sense.


    The last few photos were of a further back more complete view. Phillis¡¯s body had been pulverized, twisted and scarred. It looked like her limbs and her pelvis had been compressed in a vice until they deformed. I winced at how badly her bones must have broken. ¡°What the hell,¡± I stammered, my eyes unable to leave the images as I flipped through them one by one.


    ¡°It¡¯s like whatever it was rang her dry,¡± Chris said.


    ¡°Coroner is still working on their report,¡± Gregory said. ¡°It will take a few more days. Initial x-rays show nearly half the bones in her body were broken.¡±


    ¡°Have you seen anything else like this before?¡± Lana asked the agents, then to me in a voice like a haunting whisper. ¡°Or do you know of something that could have?¡±


    I shook my head, feeling my heart rate rise and my face grow hot. Whatever had done this deserved what it had coming, and I was going to dish it out.


    I took a deep breath, air catching as the smell of death surprised me again. Gregory offered a mint with a knowing look, and I instantly decided he was the best FBI agent in the force.


    ¡°We sent some of the initial findings digitally to our medical examiner and forensic specialist who works frequently with us,¡± Chris said. ¡°He lives on the east coast, but the closest thing he¡¯s seen to these types of compound fractures and lacerations is when someone gets twisted in rope or a winch line or something similar in an industrial accident. If the force doesn¡¯t amputate the limb entirely, you end up with fractures and lacerations like this.¡±


    ¡°Or an exceptionally strong anaconda,¡± Gregory said, with a shiver. ¡°I hate snakes,¡± He confided. ¡°Our contact said it could have been a snake, but that he¡¯d never heard or seen of any that could do something quite this aggressive. It¡¯s further complicated because the force applied to the limbs occurred in different directions, likely at the same time. It¡¯s like an anaconda as strong as a truck decided to break her up, piece by piece, shifting force and direction at will.¡±


    ¡°Tell me it was fast,¡± I said, blood pounding in my ears as my vision tunneled to the door leading to the crime scene.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t,¡± Gregory said, furrowing his brow as he gathered up the photographs. ¡°Whatever did this was psychopathic and knew how to keep her alive. Blood tests and analysis of the wounds show it took some time¡­ conclusively.¡±


    Chris eyed me, ¡°It¡¯s also what makes you a poor fit as the perpetrator. Your jeep was empty, or at least didn¡¯t have the machinery needed for this. The police last night checked and reported back that it doesn¡¯t have a winch. These facts make you, our most likely suspect, somewhat incapable of doing a feat like this. The other crime scenes also occasionally had similar wounds which ties this to them. The missing people we are unsure of, but if they are related they are presumed dead.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t hear that in the news, not yet,¡± Gregory said. ¡°Keep a lid on it.¡±


    ¡°But this was much worse,¡± Lana asked. ¡°Worse than the others.¡±


    The two men nodded.


    ¡°Much worse,¡± Gregory agreed.


    I thought hard about this new information. There were probably an innumerable number of creatures from the fae who could do something like this. To take delight in torture and pain was basically the bad fae calling card, but none immediately came to my mind. Granted even the whole of all wizarding knowledge that existed probably couldn¡¯t even start to categorize all the terrors and horrors inside the fae. Shadow creatures leapt to mind as they could and would torture victims and could vanish and appear seemingly at random. But this had happened in the day, as had some of the other attacks. I looked at the strange bloody footprints. A shadow creature wouldn¡¯t leave prints.


    A wizard could have managed the murder, the foot prints were off for them too, but the damage could be done with spells.


    Though, only a wizard with much more endurance than me. I could theoretically see how binding spells of air could be modified to do something like this. I wasn¡¯t as skilled in air magic and wouldn¡¯t reveal this possible threat to the FBI, even if the Grimm Seekers weren¡¯t involved, but I had to consider it. A wilder steeped in blood or death magic might also be able to do this.


    I glanced around, realizing for the first time that the lights were on in the room, the outside light against the yellow film on the doors overpowering them with a more natural glow.


    ¡°The power works here,¡± I asked the agents. ¡°In the gas station, you didn¡¯t have to change the bulbs or anything?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Gregory said, eyebrows raised. ¡°Why would the lights be out?¡±


    ¡°Just a question. My room¡¯s power kept failing, and the police mentioned the cameras not working, so I figured everything was out.¡±


    Chris squinted at me, and I regretted my question. If he knew about power failing around those gifted with magic a electrical problems in the shop would point to a different type of suspect. If he assumed I thought a wizard or individual like me could do this it could paint me as a suspect again.


    ¡°The camera system experienced intermittent failures the past few days,¡± Gregory said, rubbing the smooth skin on his chin.


    ¡°They weren¡¯t operating when the attack happened,¡± Chris added. ¡°Those blackouts started about two and a half days previous to the attack.¡±


    That was right when I¡¯d arrived. I cringed at the thought that my very presence may have made it harder to catch whatever had done this.


    ¡°The other attacks, were they exactly like this?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Chris and Gregory said in unison.


    ¡°The cuts and some of the marks are similar,¡± Gregory said. ¡°But the broken bones, the death by constricting pressure. The blood literally wrung out of the victim, no. That¡¯s new.¡±


    ¡°Any witnesses on the past attacks?¡±


    ¡°Not even one. We¡¯ve got four confirmed dead and another five missing. They were all out alone in the park or in pairs. No witnesses.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm,¡± I said. ¡°So, what changed? Why attack someone inside. The others seem like attacks of opportunity¡­ this one¡¯s different.¡±


    ¡°I agree,¡± Chris said.


    The instant thought I had was that I had changed things. I was at this location before the attack happened. Could that have influenced the killer? But no. Whatever creature, man or beast, it shouldn¡¯t know about me, much less care.


    Yet, I had been here. Later the same night Fae had attacked me, but the pixies couldn¡¯t have done this. But was the attack on my home simply due to opportunity, or had they been watching my home? I¡¯d lived there for years without any issue until now. It made my skin crawl thinking something in the fae that had control over pixies had it out for me. But why? I could theorize all I wanted, but what would be the reason? I couldn¡¯t figure out one.


    ¡°You said you had to leave early, that you didn¡¯t sleep well,¡± Lana said. ¡°Could something¡­ supernatural cause that to happen?¡±


    I thought long and hard on that. My mind had already reflected on it, but I¡¯d pushed that thought away.


    A daemon would be more than capable of something like this or so I supposed. Daemon lore was sparse, at least from the bit I¡¯d learned from Clair. Chris and Lana obviously thought it was supernatural in origin and I agreed. I wondered how much Lana really knew? She hadn¡¯t told me she knew about the Grimm Brotherhood. I wondered what Grimm Seekers had taught her father and how much had he shared with her? I again couldn¡¯t help but think about how much of our burgeoning relationship might be based on her wanting information. It made my chest hurt to consider, but¡­ she had leapt into this faster than I would have believed possible. [Copyrigted by Brock Walker Author] Gregory raised his eyebrows, not knowing why the others were waiting for me to give my opinion, but he didn¡¯t know much about me. He was professional, he kept his composure, waiting for an answer. His eyes assessing me with new light.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± I said, feeling more than useless so far. ¡°There are a lot of things that can cause dreams, but I think the crime scene would have been different had it been one of those.¡± A blood filled room would be the perfect calling card for a daemon, I thought. But I didn¡¯t know for sure. Even the idea that a daemon could have been this close made me shiver. ¡°I could ask Fren, see if he has any ideas.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I want you telling anyone else about classified information. Is there anything else you can do?¡± Chris said, voice growing harsh.


    ¡°Fren is trustworthy,¡± Lana interjected. ¡°He might have an answer.¡±


    Chris gave her a patronizing look, then turned back to me, ¡°Not to be rude, but so far you haven¡¯t been able to contribute anything Cal. It¡¯s time to put up or get out.¡±


    I saw Gregory mouthing the name ¡®Fren¡¯ before shaking his head and muttering ¡°Idaho.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± I said. ¡°I feel the same. First, is there any forensic evidence on those gouges in the countertop?¡±


    Chris let out a long sigh, I could tell he was getting annoyed, ¡°No. But it would take exceptional force. We think whoever it was brought in heavy equipment to¡­ do what happened, and those were mounting points. It may have taken a few people, or a gang. That might explain why some of the previous victims were killed after a pursuit.¡±


    ¡°A few winch lines could break a person up like that,¡± Gregory said, ¡°but the problem was whoever did it left no tracks or impressions in the blood on the floor, no fibers, or metal traces, no fingerprints. A contraption which could do this would need mounting points or be exceptionally heavy and our witness outside would have seen a group of people taking in equipment.¡±


    I nodded, mind racing, ¡°There are a few things I can do to get more information. But¡­ they will disturb the crime scene.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t have that, not yet,¡± Chris said, crossing his arms.


    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll do the quick, dirty version, and see if we can find any magical residue. That way it won''t hurt anything. But we only get one shot at this,¡± I said, holding up a single finger. ¡°And it may already be too late for my senses without doing the full working. If I try the quick and dirty we can¡¯t go back later and do something more thorough later.¡±


    ¡°What kind of disturbances are you talking about, if you do the full thing?¡± Chris asked.


    ¡°I would need to set up a ritual circle around the clerk¡¯s desk at a minimum.¡±


    ¡°Ritual circle?¡± Gregory muttered, then he swore under his breath and looked at Chris and Lana who took it all in stride. ¡°Another magical case. Gosh darn it all,¡± he drawled, turning to face the outside door as if willing the other Officers to enter and end the stupidity of it all.


    ¡°I¡¯m a practitioner,¡± I said for the first time, giving Chris a clear picture of what I could do. ¡°I think something on my side of things did this. They wouldn¡¯t need ¡®equipment¡¯ to make it happen, depending on what type of being they are, or power used.¡±


    ¡°So, special inquiries it is,¡± Gregory muttered to Chris who nodded in turn. ¡°I hate doing the paperwork on those.¡±


    ¡°And you can tell us exactly what it was and how this all occurred if you laid out a full circle?¡± Chris said.


    ¡°Maybe. For something like this, I¡¯d need to lay out a circle to draw in more energy, it might help me see what sort of entity caused the death, perhaps even show you. It would also lock down the residual energies inside while I assess them. That will help them last longer and protect my mind. The enemy was only here for a short time, so it will take a lot of power to see what magical ¡®DNA¡¯ was left.¡±


    It was more complex than that but simplifying it for them was for the best. If I could make a circle, I¡¯d have to choose to make it either of salt, blood, or fire. Salt for purity and clarity of past events, blood could connect to the death energy of the moment, or fire because any circle of fire was insanely more powerful than other methods, but it came with its own risks too¡ªforemost being surrounded by flames. Fire consumed and wasn¡¯t entirely secure if the spell went awry. I considered my options before answering. ¡°I¡¯d need to make it of salt.¡±


    Chris and Gregory deliberated for a moment in hushed whispers.


    ¡°What are the odds of quick and dirty working?¡± Gregory asked.


    ¡°Odds are good I¡¯d get something, but it may or may not be helpful or enough.¡±


    ¡°Magic Bullshit,¡± Chris muttered.


    ¡°It¡¯s not bullshit,¡± I said, annoyed. ¡°Time was wasting, and this thing is still out there. I need an answer now.¡±


    ¡°Could you make the circle on saran wrap or tin f¡ª¡± Lana began to say before Chris spoke.


    ¡°¡ªNo. Do quick and dirty. I don¡¯t trust you or your magic. Despite what I may have read or seen. You¡¯re still an unknown quantity. One we¡¯re willing to tolerate, but only on a preliminary basis. I¡¯m not going through the headache of explaining why salt contaminated the scene. That could confuse or eliminate any clues that we haven¡¯t pieced into the puzzle yet.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± I said. ¡°Then stand back and shut up. This is going to be much more complicated than you can imagine.¡±

 Chapter 31 — Fireworks and Dynamite

    Chapter 31 ¡ª Fireworks and Dynamite


    I strode past them, through the doors, and across the room. I attempted keeping my feet free of blood, but it was a near impossible task. Luckily other footprints marred the ground, and the blood had generally dried. I got to work. I didn¡¯t want Chris to change his mind. The others stayed by the door as I made my way towards the back opening to the clerk¡¯s station.


    I expanded my will while focusing my power. Using my aura like another ¡®sense¡¯ wasn¡¯t as difficult as using a spell, it was an extension of myself that didn¡¯t require the control of a circle, but it could benefit or be blocked off by the same.


    The drawback to using my aura like this was that it left me exposed and open. Not necessarily to attack but to being known by whatever entity had been here. Another wizard or fae creature could sense me if they have left enough of their power in this place. The perceptions my aura picked up would also be much more visceral without a circle like the one I¡¯d desired to make. I might feel things rather than simply seeing and understanding them. It would be like running my hand over a corpse, rather than looking at a photograph.


    Auras were a projection of the soul, will, and mind. Even a mundane human would feel something if I directed my will and aura fully upon them. It was akin to someone staring at you, most people would eventually realize they were being watched or feel on edge. Even the military trained specialists to not stare or look too directly upon targets to avoid making that target aware of their presence. My aura was significantly more powerful than simply looking. Turning it upon a person would skew the response as they would be powerless to resist while knowing something was being observed about them. It made average people feel uncomfortable and distrustful around you and was likely one of the reasons wizards were more solitary when around the general public. People sensed something different and generally wanted to avoid it. Their inherent senses would realize the threat of a predator or a power beyond their kin and ascribe it to the right target even without magic.


    Its why aura control was so important to wizards. Concealed, retracted, and hidden auras made it difficult to read another practitioner, but it was also necessary to be around people and to protect your mind and soul from ¡®rubbing¡¯ up on the worst things of the world in a magical or emotional senses.


    I was opening myself up, akin to opening my eyes, ears, and senses to anything. Magnifying what those senses would normally pick up. It was like being able to zoom in my eyesight, enhance my smell, my taste, my ability to touch and feel, only on the magical plain.


    The problem was, if you could increase your ability to see and a bright light was shown in your eyes it hurt, if you could increase the sensitivity of your skin then touched a hot stove, it would burn all the worse. Auras could be like that, and I was throwing mine unprotected into the fire of a gruesome murder.


    A circle would afford me protection and more finesse with my aura. A circle and a well thought out spell along with my aura as a guide would be even better. Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t personally know of any spell which could manage it off the top of my head and experimenting with spells was about as dangerous as it got. It was all a moot point since Chris wouldn¡¯t allow me to disturb the crime scene anyway.


    If I had to use something other than a spell, it was going to have to use my aura. I could enhance it by feeding it mana which would increase my senses to the magical world around me, then develop flows of power on the fly to make my aura uncover what I wanted. It was a fine line between aura work and crafting a spell. It would be less dangerous for the world around me, but for me personally it could be worse.


    While other young wizards were playing with fireworks I was playing with dynamite. My power value being ¡®Strong¡¯ was amazing, but it made the stakes of a mistake much higher, even in something like this.


    My control was good. It would grow greater with time, and as my mana core gained layer upon layer of reinforcement with cultivation. Only then would doing something like this not be as deadly. Right now, I wasn¡¯t at a master level and that difference played out in my magic. Even with simple aura projection.


    I couldn¡¯t lose control of this spell no matter what I saw, felt, or experienced.


    If I did, I could die, or worse, crack my core asunder and lose my ability to use magic. Even Fren couldn¡¯t heal something like that.


    I nodded my head, closed my eyes, and began to work. The lights began to flicker as power bled from my aura¡¯s enhanced strength. I fed mana from my core directly into it, my soul itself feeling enlarged like fire ripping through my veins. If Chris¡¯s phone wasn¡¯t dead before, it was now, same for Gregory, even though I was purposefully directing my aura away from them. The incandescent bulbs began to pop as their inner elements burst. I heard someone shout but ignored them. It was going to get worse and was pointedly the reason I hadn¡¯t told them about the possible side effects of using my mana and aura in a less controlled fashion. I had to see what this creature was beyond the vague infusion of magic I¡¯d felt at the sites I¡¯d been able to find.


    I pushed my aura out in front of me, sensing the area. The spiritual, the physical, and the magical space in-between. I sensed power here, dark twisted power. It felt akin to sticking my arm into a fetid pond, hoping something wasn¡¯t beneath the surface. The act was disgusting but worse I couldn¡¯t feel the bottom¡ªI needed to reach deeper. I couldn¡¯t feel what I was looking for, not yet, not without extending myself further.


    Inwardly I groaned, but knew I had to do it, I had to use a sense all wizards possessed which could significantly increase the sensitivity of our auras and magical senses.


    I opened my third eye.


    I didn¡¯t literally have a third eye, but metaphysically we all did. Wizards simply learned to utilize theirs. With that and my aura blanketing the area I could now ¡®see¡¯ and ¡®taste¡¯ the magic of the area in a way that my aura alone, or my spells, had I been permitted to use them would only mimic or give the faintest impressions of.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    Dark energy and blackness stained my newly opened sight at the location of the murder, it hung in the air like a blackened miasma that roiled over the room, my aura, and my very being.


    It was as if I¡¯d jumped headfirst into a putrid bog, opened my mouth and breathed it all in, then found out it was full of the dead, diseased, and leeches.


    It was filthy.


    My mind burned with the dark energies, and it felt like I¡¯d rubbed my brain straight onto asphalt, then did it again after dumping salt and acid onto the surface for good measure. I tasted the fear Phillis had felt, the terror, pain, and despair. I relieved her frantic last thoughts. Some lingering connection of those intense feelings would be attached to this place for decades. That was the power of emotions, of energy, of the soul.


    There was also a foreign perception.


    It was twisted in rage, hate, and the desire to hunt. I felt power, ancient forces of the world but skewed toward darkness, destruction, and blight. It hunted for¡­ something¡­ no, someone. It was frustrated and had killed Phillis too quickly in a fit of rage. Perhaps with a circle I might have gleaned information more clearly. It would have been a more tolerable experience for my mind, and I could have lingered on each new detail, studying them and I tried to see the whole. As it was, I skittered from one element to another like a drop of water on an oiled pan. The experience was sharper, I felt the heat but was too involved for the world itself to be clear. My mind unable or unwilling to linger longer. The quick staccato of warring sensations gave me impressions but nothing deeper. I couldn¡¯t allow myself to be exposed to this too deeply.


    That being said, I did know a few things. There was no magical residue left in the space, which would be present from a wizard like me using a spell. I could completely rule out that the being had used magic in this place, at least one operating at the levels I understood. I relaxed my power as it all began to grow too much, I began to force my third eye closed.


    As I did the lingering energy of this place didn¡¯t wait, it leapt for me, striving to enter my being through my open and unguarded third eye. It assaulted me as if the residual energies of the being¡¯s presence had a sentience of their own and were strong enough to attack and consume me.


    I instantly resisted, wresting my control from the entity, my true being warding off the incorporeal. Without my instantly raised defenses, my firmed resolve, and the certainty of who I was and what I stood for, those invasive energies, thoughts, and intents might have become my own. Imprinting over my mind like the simulacra of a human.


    I¡¯d nearly experienced a partial possession, and it freaked me the hell out. But the attack wasn¡¯t over. I heaved the energies of it back.


    I¡¯d heard the third eye could open you up to things like that if you weren¡¯t careful or used them in the wrong settings. Clair had made that exceptionally clear in my training. The one time I¡¯d been taken to the headquarters of the Tribunal itself for testing and membership it had involved seeing the Sanctum. It was a place filled with the mad and insane. Apprentices and full wizards many of whom had exposed themselves through their third eye to the madnesses of the powers out there. Some were catatonic, others appeared totally normal but even being in their presence for a moment made me want to shirk away and hide, others possessed by evil.


    Clair¡¯s instructions then had been thorough. These were only the more benign as severe cases had blessedly been put to death as their odds of recovering were infinitesimal.


    I saw that horrible place as the darkness inched ever closer to what made me¡ªme.


    As my mind was assaulted, I fought to remain strong, clinging to myself. My core bolstering my soul as I sought to close the third eye, I surged my mana forward into my aura and eye for a moment overcoming the other entity enough to close off my enhanced senses without pulling something of it inside with me.


    Still, I learned more through the fight, I learned its true desires.


    Once safe, I rested, closing my eyes and taking several shuddering breaths. I was on the ground flat on my back. I raced my hands over my chest and body looking for wounds or anything out of the ordinary, feeling that I was still myself, my clothes felt familiar, my hands and body were fully my own.


    Relieved flooded over me like a wave of water, I was still me, alive, and unharmed.


    A sheen of sweat covered my entire body. My mind felt like it was stuttering as I returned to normal sense and awareness. Despite the evil I¡¯d felt, closing my third eye always felt like a loss, though in this case it was a welcome. In more ideal scenarios it felt like my awareness of the world was lessened. It felt like I was choosing to close my true eyes with the intent to never use them again¡­ever.


    I felt less but that passed as my normal senses returned to focus. I opened my natural eyes to see the room was darker, every light had been blown out. The only light into the room was tinted yellow as it passed through the front doorway and the yellow plastic adhered to the glass.


    ¡°Well, that was unpleasant,¡± I muttered, the others not knowing the filth I¡¯d had to expose myself to simply to get a glimpse of what was going on. My head ached and my vision flickered between what was real and the remembered senses from my third eye of the space around me. The black miasma that filled this room, the fear, chaos and evil. I could almost pretend that it wasn¡¯t there, that it had been a trick of my mind. But I knew those things were here in this room, as was an entity composed of them, feasting off the evil and death.


    That entity wasn¡¯t the enemy, only an opportunistic parasite of the unseen world.


    I rubbed a hand across my nose, and felt warm blood stain my wrist. I dabbed it with a small cloth from my pocket. I¡¯d burn it later. I hadn¡¯t used my third eye in years because what you saw could literally change your soul, your person¡ªIf you weren¡¯t careful.


    I thought I had been, but it was still an uncomfortable affair to use that sense as I had. I¡¯d need to train it with Fren, that attack had been far too close to overcoming me. He had senses beyond my own and could perceive of this side of things at all times.


    ¡°Sooooo?¡± Chris asked, drawing the words out far, far too loudly as I adjusted back to my senses.


    I held up a hand. Taking a moment for the world to fully set to rights. I could barely make him out a dozen feet away.


    ¡°Clearly something happened,¡± Gregory said to the others, his tone fueled by adrenaline. He still sounded freaked out and was busy trying to get his phone to turn on for more light I presumed.


    ¡°Sorry. I should have warned you,¡± I said.


    ¡°Happened to mine yesterday,¡± Lana said. ¡°Cal is bad on electronics. But it does verify what he can do, right?¡±


    ¡°What exactly was it he can do? He just stood there moaning after the lights blew out.¡± Gregory asked carefully. ¡°Then he fell or flew back. I couldn¡¯t make it out.¡±


    Chris ignored both of them his eyes locked onto mine.


    ¡°¡ªI got some answers,¡± I said. They all went quiet, waiting while I scrunched my eyes closed in an attempt to reduce my burgeoning headache. ¡°It is a supernatural creature, that¡¯s for certain. Its mind, thoughts and intents were foreign in a way a humans would not be but more intelligent than an animal¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°Anything else?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hunting something, for someone. It¡¯s frustrated its target is not clearer to it and its hunting off senses we don¡¯t even have words to describe. It¡¯s frustrated to be at another¡¯s beckoning but its frankly terrified of them. It was exasperated that the human.¡±  I took a breath, shaking my head to clear it. The thoughts I¡¯d felt weren¡¯t mine, they were the creatures. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡ªPhillis, didn¡¯t know more about its query.¡±

 Chapter 32 — Letter from an Owl

    Chapter 32 ¡ª Letter from an Owl


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Chris asked. ¡°You blew out the lights, sat there for five minutes and all you can tell me is it¡¯s a supernatural creature hunting someone? What does it look like? Where is it? How do we stop it.¡±


    I was too tired to be angry. My mana reserves had dipped precipitously with the extra energy I¡¯d forced into the working and to clear and close my third eye. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s all I could get. It¡¯s more of a jumble of feelings and intermixed thoughts and events tided to this place, I had to piece together. I experienced its mind, its essence.¡± Along with a hostile being, you asshole, because you made me do this the hard way. I thought, but I wasn¡¯t going to convolute the waters even more by telling them that. ¡°It¡¯s not like I can mindread it or directly see the past. I can only sense what this creature was feeling.¡± I sighed and experienced and involuntary shudder, ¡°And what she felt. Were lucky I could even do that.¡± I could have told them more, but they didn¡¯t need a crash course in wizardry. ¡°It¡¯s hard to vocalize what I learned through doing what I did, but it¡¯s definitively a fae creature. Likely of the Dark Queen. Most horrors are.¡± I saw Lana looked frightened, ¡°And ¡®that¡¯s it¡¯ is more than you had before.¡± My anger rose, ¡°What I just did was akin to undergoing shock therapy while trying to remember a funny joke and coming out the other side just fine, delivering the punchline without missing a beat. Show some respect.¡±


    ¡°All I see is a vague story that it¡¯s not a human, hunches, and a bunch of broken electronics we now have to explain in our report¡ªAnd a suspect I still need to interview,¡± Chris said, growing frustrated himself.


    I clenched my fists, the feelings of rage I¡¯d been inundated with wanting to fill me again, feeding on my own anger.


    ¡°Maybe you should go,¡± Lana proposed, seeing that we were both unwilling to compromise. ¡°I can catch you up, later¡ªtonight.¡±


    ¡°¡ªDid you do this, at any of the other scenes, by yourself?¡± Gregory asked before I could respond to Lana.


    ¡°No,¡± I said. ¡°I used a proper circle which kept my mind safe. I painstakingly crafted spells and used magic over the course of hours rather than shoving my brain and soul into the darkest place it¡¯s ever been, for a scrap of knowledge no one is thankful for!¡± I realized I¡¯d ended in a shout, my body tense and heart racing as adrenaline pumped through me. They didn¡¯t know I¡¯d risked insanity to gain a few answers for them.


    I wanted to leave and needed to take something for my headache which was getting worse. Most mundane people who talked about using their third eye couldn¡¯t or didn¡¯t have the power to see much so the feedback and risk they experienced were not as intense. They were blessed by that weakness. Using it could be immensely helpful¡­ and in fairness, I should have included it more into my training, but the aftereffects really sucked.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    In a quieter voice, I answered Lana, ¡°I think your idea is a winner. I¡¯m going to go home, rest, and think this through.¡±


    ¡°What about our interview?¡± Chris asked, annoyance clear.


    I wanted to yell at the man. He had already gotten an interview. Yes, I had promised another to see the crime scene but his total disregard for what I had done was frustrating. I mean, he wasn¡¯t wrong, from his perspective nothing had changed.


    For me it had.


    This was my fight. I needed to stop this creature; these men wouldn¡¯t be able to. It was too powerful, and others would die if they tried.


    I also knew one other detail I¡¯d discovered which I wasn¡¯t about to tell any of the others.


    It was hunting for me.


    The last feeling of that perception when I¡¯d been scrambling to close my third eye safely had given me the last clue I needed. It was also the only thing that made sense in hindsight. Why change tactics and attack someone inside a building? A building I happened to have just left? Knowing it had been so close to its prey had driven the creature into a rage. We were lucky it hadn¡¯t murdered every person staying at the inn.


    What was truly frightening was how it had found me. It was following senses that drove it towards me, that meant it probably had a tie to the daemon of my dreams. Perhaps that was the despised creature that was compelling it to hunt for me. I had no idea how the daemon had invaded my dreams, but I had the hunch that this creature had had an entire night to hunt me while the daemon kept me occupied. And it had been successful.


    I shivered despite myself. I¡¯d awoken and left just in time. If it had found me while I was trapped I the nightmare¡­ I didn¡¯t even want to contemplate that.


    My aura and third eye had shown me enough, I was certain this creature wasn¡¯t the daemon. It was serving something else and royally pissed off about it. Daemons couldn¡¯t simply walk the mortal world. They required someone to summon them, offer a sacrifice, and create a pact or payment. Even with that they would only have a limited time they could be in our world and a fraction of their power. I didn¡¯t know much about it, as I¡¯d never had the need, desire, or stupidity to summon a creature like that. Daemons were not meant for this realm. Daemon summoning¡¯s were outright banned by the Tribunal, in the same laws that outlawed necromancy and dark magic.


    I needed to study up on what a daemon possession would look like and keep an eye out for it in the future if I managed to beat whatever this creature was.


    There were grey areas, like summoning an arbitrator creature like an imp from the hellish realms. They could commune with a daemon and be a liaison to a wizard, acting as an intermediary for deals or information exchanges. But if you could summon a daemon in secrecy and maintain your control of it no one would be the wiser, at least the first dozen times or so. Eventually it would show in the magic of the individuals mana core and the Tribunal did track that.


    Clair had been very pointed in her education about never summoning one for any purpose as they always ruined the life of the one who summoned them eventually. But the Tribunal wasn¡¯t omniscient, an evil practitioner wouldn¡¯t get a letter from an owl summoning them to court due to breaking a law of magic.


    ¡°Later,¡± I responded to Chris about the interview, seeing his impatience rise as I thought inwardly through my next few plans. I passed the others to leave, they gave no objections to it. Lana could find me when she had the time.

 Chapter 33 — A Pact Paid

    Chapter 33 ¡ª A Pact Paid


    I quickly excused myself, and drove home, mind racing. The air cold without my having enough focus to resist the elements, even though I had on my jacket, beanie, and gloves. I clenched my fists on the steering wheel and wanted to hit something.


    I was the reason for the attacks¡­ but why? In a supernatural sense, I was useless. Too strong for weak factions, not strong enough for larger factions to take awareness of me. I hadn¡¯t done anything to warrant being hunted¡­ except in my dream the daemon had said something...


    I ran through the half-remembered details.


    Previous dreams had been vague, though the daemon always spoke or appeared at some point, signaling the nightmare was of their creation. For a while I had thought they were my own dreams. They only happened when I had extended periods outside my home and hard-set wards. I thought they were my fears becoming a nightmare due to being outside of my home and protection. Now¡­ it was abundantly clear they were more. Fren had suspected as much but I hadn¡¯t been concerned until my dream had literally hurt me.


    Facts. I had to figure this out.


    I was having dreams that were more than dreams. One had hurt me. I¡¯d been marked. The spot on my chest had not fully healed after Fren¡¯s healing. That meant something was actively keeping it there or as I¡¯d assumed that morning, that it was a part of me that couldn¡¯t be healed. I shivered again, my grip on the steering wheel keeping them from growing.


    I took the turn off the old highway and wended my way through Boise towards my home. At a stoplight I pulled open my collar and looked down at the wound. It looked better than before, the monster core energy I¡¯d absorbed likely having helped heal what Fren could not. That¡¯s a good sign, I thought.


    The inner-city streets were busy, it being early evening after nearly two hours of driving this morning, waiting for Lana, then being interviewed by Chris, as well as the drive back. I made one quick stop and bought two flats of glass bottled coke, not wanting to deal with any of Fren¡¯s pesky questions tonight.


    I needed to talk to Lana and see how much of her interest in me was related to her father. The thought made my gut squirm. Perhaps we didn¡¯t have they type of burgeoning connection I thought we did¡­ but I couldn¡¯t let things continue if not.


    I revved the engine and a few minutes later pulled into the back alley, driving down the long stretch of stores, bouncing on the uneven, poorly maintained back road until I reached my shops back entrance at the far end.


    Then I sat, resting in my jeep as the cooling engine clicked. I was hesitant about what I needed to do next. I didn¡¯t want to abandon Kate if I went in, but I needed to. I needed to think, to prepare. For the first time I was annoyed that my shop was also my home. I took a few minutes to gather myself. I could sense I was starting to panic, having something like that creature hunting me was not something I was mentally prepared for. I wasn¡¯t sure if I could stop it.


    The store was a madhouse, two dozen people perused shelves, touching, and exclaiming over every find. It was so loud I could barely hear. This was new. We¡¯d never had a crowd like this. Kate hadn¡¯t seen me, overwhelmed at the register, so I ran the Cokes across the store and left them sitting by a plant near the stairs. Fren would know what to do with them when no one was looking. I whispered next to the plant, ¡°A pact paid. Now keep an eye out, we are not safe.¡±


    Then I changed course.


    Instead of going downstairs to plan and discuss things with Fren, I went to help Kate. It wasn¡¯t the most important thing I needed to do, but I couldn¡¯t abandon her. I needed to overcome my fears and act logically, not reactionarily. Helping would give me time to calm down.


    Kate let out a massive sigh and gave me a grin as I arrived. ¡°I hoped you¡¯d make it back early.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad it worked out. I¡¯m sorry, has it been this busy for long?¡±


    ¡°At least an hour.¡± She said, finishing out an order and wishing the store patron a great rest of the day.


    ¡°The perks of a website it would seem.¡±


    Kate gave a weary shake of her head.


    I traded her spots and she seamlessly turned to packaging people¡¯s purchases, wrapping the rarer gemstones in paper, answering questions, and helping anyone with exact cash payments. We didn¡¯t accept credit cards¡­ for obvious reasons. Maybe that was something we could change if I got better control of my abilities or invested more in the structures of the store? I took the lead talking with patrons and Kate got a little reprieve.


    Everything kept pointing to the same thing. I needed to get stronger, I needed to get better, I needed to train, I needed to prepare. I¡¯d curtailed my progress the past few years since leaving Clair¡¯s tutelage. I¡¯d coasted on my strength planning on taking decades to slowly learn and put in the work, all while I fought and destroyed threats to mankind I could manage. However, the threats had grown, and I wasn¡¯t ready. My grace period had ended. I had been as aloof and concerned about my own life and worries, that I¡¯d done exactly what I hated other wizards and the Tribunal for doing. I¡¯d put my self-interest first and others had paid the price¡­


    ¡°Are you alright Cal?¡± Kate asked.


    ¡°I.. yeah, I was just thinking.¡± I said as I plastered on a smile and greeted the next person in line.


    We worked for two hours before things in the shop calmed down.


    ¡°I¡¯m so glad you came back early,¡± Kate said, gulping down water from a canteen she brought with her each day.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry you had to deal with that, alone, for far too long.¡±


    ¡°It was crazy, it¡¯s never been that busy. We also need to get a card reader, you hadn¡¯t been here and had me run to trade Sarah when we ran out of smaller bills we would have been in trouble.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Yeah. We will have to look into that.¡±


    ¡°I had to send at least thirty people away who didn¡¯t have cash on hand. To make matters worse the ATM next door is down so we lost a lot of sales.¡±Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    ¡°Hmmm,¡± I said, chewing on the problem and ways I might be able to implement magic. There were ways, it would be expensive, and my focus on training would mean it would take time away from that¡­but first things first. ¡°I need to make a way you can contact me while I¡¯m away,¡± I said.


    ¡°Without a phone? That seems sort of impossible.¡±


    I nodded, making the decision, ¡°There are other ways. We¡¯ll have to troubleshoot them together. I promise we will soon. We have a lot to talk about first.¡± I felt the hesitancy inside me build, I had to tell Kate the truth. If being around me involved the kind of danger this hunting creature could bring, she needed to be aware of it.


    Kate nodded and looked relieved at the idea. It was something I should have done before but the business was now growing at an unprecedented rate, and we had threats. I needed to bring Kate into the fold. I would never forgive myself if something happened to her because she was unaware and unprepared to face the types of things my life might bring into hers. She deserved to know why we didn¡¯t have many electronics beyond lights and that it wasn¡¯t simply a personal choice. An equal partnership couldn¡¯t be made of unilateral decisions like that.


    We closed the shop, on the weekends we were only open until six, so it worked well. I was starved and offered to buy Kate dinner, but she had other plans, so I went alone to Sarah¡¯s so I could thank her for exchanging bills with us. As I walked, I thought through how I could bring Kate into the fold. I hadn¡¯t processed the events of the day so far, the scene¡¯s I¡¯d witnessed and felt personally. I was fearful of Kate¡¯s possible rejection, and the ulterior motives Lana might hold, as well as the excitement I felt with the kiss earlier this morning. The effect was that by the time I entered the diner, my appetite was nearly squashed by my nerves.


    Sarah¡¯s Diner had a great menu, but I ordered a simple half sandwich to save time. It was turkey on a local bakery¡¯s bun, with bacon and avocado and smothered in some specialty sauce Sarah had invented. It was delicious, but today I couldn¡¯t focus on the flavors and ate methodically, my mind racing. The food did dispel the nagging headache which had been present since I¡¯d opened my third eye. I ate alone, then walked home.


    The shop seemed strange and foreign. Kate was gone. Lana wasn¡¯t there. The lights were still blown out and dark. Shelving was missing making it seem much more open¡ªand it wasn¡¯t the safe bastion I¡¯d imagined.


    I was being hunted.


    It didn¡¯t feel like a fortress. The stone walls I¡¯d magically reinforced appeared a pale defense. The wood floor, nearly as hard as steel now seemed paltry. The windows which let in such wonderful natural light appeared like gaping weak points a being like this hunter could exploit. My home wasn¡¯t safe. Not when a creature that could hurt someone as badly as it had Phillis was out there. I closed my eyes and silently promised Phillis that I would make it pay, and that I was sorry I had brought my troubles to her door. I don¡¯t know if spirits can hear us from this side, but Chris¡¯s story of the diviner made me want to believe she could hear me. I locked the shop up as tightly as I could and headed downstairs to the basement.


    ¡°Fren,¡± I called as I entered his room.


    ¡°Yes Cal,¡± Fren answered as he morphed into his humanoid body within the glen.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you,¡± I said, as I strode across the room, kicking off my shoes and socks and stepping into the glade beside him.


    ¡°Hmmmmmm,¡± Fren said, contemplating my face. I was sure his extraordinary senses were evaluating a dozen things about me. ¡°You have been through an ordeal today.¡±


    ¡°I opened my third eye and spread my aura upon the scene of a terrible murder.¡± I failed to hold back a shudder.


    ¡°Did you remain clean, untarnished, and pure?¡±


    ¡°I think so. I kept my control¡­. Thankfully. But something else was there, feeding off the energies. It attacked me and I barely managed to remain free, both beings had such malicious intentions.¡±


    ¡°The darker things of this world thrive on misery and pain. It is a path that eventually leads to sorrow, misery, and pain.¡±


    ¡°It was so evil. Even the echo of its soul left in that place was filled with hate. No wonder the forest has told you about an encroaching darkness¡­ And I found out more. Something that matters to both of us.¡± My eyes met Fren¡¯s in his towering form. His obvious strength made me feel a little better, ¡°It¡¯s hunting me.¡±


    Fren¡¯s eyes widened. He did it for my benefit, mimicking human emotions so I knew his thoughts. He didn¡¯t say anything, allowing me to continue.


    ¡°And what it did¡­ to a person I knew because it was frustrated. It was terrifying.¡± I realized my hands were shaking and I had a tear streaming down one cheek. ¡°It killed someone and I wasn¡¯t there.¡±


    Fren considered me, offering no judgment at my visible fear, only support. After we paused for a time, he spoke. ¡°But you will stop it, halt its terror, and save your people.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know if I can. I have to, its hunting me, but I don¡¯t have the strength. I don¡¯t even know how to stop it, it has a sense for my soul and my aura signature somehow. I sensed what it desires to find and it¡¯s me.¡±


    ¡°You are safe here,¡± Fren said gesturing with wide strong arms to the walls of our shop. ¡°You are powerful in your own right. I chose to serve and bond you for many reasons, foremost was your potential and the shape of your soul. You will rise to meet this challenge.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been right all along,¡± I muttered, hugging my friend.


    ¡°Hmmm?¡± Fren said with a smile. ¡°I am right on all things, but what was this particular matter?¡±


    I laughed, ¡°You were right about my need to train and control my abilities. Next time I¡¯ll try not to balk so much. If I¡¯d trained as much as you wanted I¡¯d be much better prepared.¡±


    ¡°You are young. The young always think they have all the time in the world ahead of them. That they are strong and immovable. But the fire, drought, and axe come only when you are least prepared.¡±


    ¡°Its powerful and I need an edge to kill it. I think it¡¯s a creature from the fae. Nothing I¡¯ve encountered is so mentally bound to a single idea the way they are. Its serving a master who must be powerful, but the compulsion to follow its command exactly only exist in fairies that I know of.¡±


    ¡°The master we will face another day. Iron will assist you now. Face the foe before you and grow, the next will be met in time.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I agreed. ¡°I¡¯ll get prepared.¡± I hesitated, ¡°There was one more detail. I¡­ I think its command to find me is coming from the Daemon.¡±


    ¡°That bodes darkly,¡± Fren said, the wood of his body creaking as it tightened and drew into his form, compressing like armor. ¡°You can do naught but grow. Once this threat is neutralized, we will concern ourselves with its master. Take peace while it is available to you.¡±


    I nodded and rushed about the room to prepare. We had a little drawer of iron. I kept it shut up tight. I mean there was no way to avoid the material in the modern world, but I knew it made Fren uncomfortable. He didn¡¯t like steel and other metals which were basically iron alloys, but true Iron was the bane of daemons, fae, and many other creatures heavily reliant on magic. Iron rings and wheels could be used to complete some impressive spells. My own ritual circle laid into the floor had an outer ring of iron, but the greater workings of iron crafting were far beyond my basic abilities.


    I opened the draw safeguarding my iron implements. None were true artificery as they had no magic or design to them beyond the mundane. I¡¯d crafted a pair of iron knuckles years ago while at Clair¡¯s ranch and I tossed them into my backpack. The drawer also had an iron dagger and a bag of iron filings. It wasn¡¯t much, but it did make me feel more prepared. I took them out and carefully placed them in my backpack to carry wherever I went. The knife had a fitted leather holster that I wound onto my belt. I wanted something readily available. I decided to put one of the iron knuckles into my back pocket as well, just in case. I could slip it onto my hand quickly if needed.


    I walked back to Fren¡¯s grove and sat the bag on the floor beside the drop off into the glen itself. I¡¯d take it up to my room in a moment.


    ¡°Thanks Fren,¡± I said. ¡°We should spar again sometime soon. I know you have a lot to teach me, and I haven¡¯t taken full advantage of that.¡±


    ¡°Are you sufficiently recovered?¡±


    ¡°Now?¡± I said, before I could stop myself. ¡°Yeah,¡± I groaned, not feeling like a practice session right now, but I knew Fren¡¯s excuse would be that it would help me feel more confident and that I needed to be able to fight at any time or in any condition. My mind being all over the place and the fear I felt rising within would only be a bonus.


    ¡°Prepare yourself, we practice now,¡± Fren said, his voice changing in modulation as his body altered before me. The lights flickered, then went out. His work, not mine. He had roots all over the breakers.

 Chapter 34 — Checkers and Chess

    Chapter 34 ¡ª Checkers and Chess


    In the pitch black, I extended my aura hesitantly after the events earlier today. I could have opened my third eye and known right where Fren was, but it was much like a muscle, one I had neglected then severely overworked. That ability was more than fatigued from the day I¡¯d had. Still, a wizard¡¯s aura is a powerful tool in its own right. As mine flooded over the room I gained a perception of the hostile entity¡ªFren.


    I sensed movement all around me in the glen, so I dashed away, up onto the floorboards of the basement. Fren made noises with his branches around the building to throw off my senses. Drumming from plants and roots on the brickwork, shelving, and floors transformed the room dropped into darkness into an arena of plant life, eager to watch me be slaughtered.


    The magic infusing Fren¡¯s many ¡®parts¡¯ threw them off even more. With my aura extended like it was, it gave me something akin to ¡®spidy senses¡¯ for spells and magical entities. I would have a few extra moments to respond to any threat as it approached or Fren willed his magically infused limbs to attack. That decision once made was something my aura would be able to pick up on.


    ¡°Lumen,¡± I whispered, and a faint ball of energy began to glow in my outstretched hand. I tossed it up above me and with an effort of will be suggested that it stay above my head in that location. While it made the shadows fearsome, it was better than pitch blackness. I saw movement in multiple areas and plant life seemed to recoil from the light, vines twisted, shelving swayed. The climax was the basement door slamming shut. Fren had a flare for the dramatic and was trying to put me on edge, coax out my fear, and push me to make mistakes. It didn¡¯t matter, I wasn¡¯t going to retreat any further. I smiled despite myself, Fren¡¯s display would be his undoing. He liked to push the ambiance to a crescendo before he attacked. The roots and noise began to increase in tempo, like a tribal beat around us. I knew the moment was almost ripe.


    Unfortunately, even though I knew it was only Fren, the tumult did affect me. I needed to practice honing my own emotions, both for my dreams and fighting prowess¡ªwhich was why Fren was doing what he was, I realized. Despite my unhelpful realization, fear rose within me. With it my power swelled stronger but grew volatile, responding to my inner turmoil. The light I¡¯d summoned above blazed, then sputtered causing the room to strobe randomly as the flames which made it up crackled with changing power.


    Cackling laughter circled around me, though it was from no human. Branches cracked and struck one another in the similitude of laughter but alien and horrific. Loud ¡®thunks¡¯ reverberated through the floor from various areas of the basement.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get started with this,¡± I whispered. ¡°No reason to drag it out.¡±


    As if in answer a whip like tendril flashed towards me, and I ducked, rolling to the side. It was followed by a projectile; I wasn¡¯t sure if it was a rock, or some implement from the basement, but I barely managed to avoid it. The worrying thing was it didn¡¯t strike the wall on the other side of the room, something had caught it in the shadows.


    A twine like trip line slid across the ground at breakneck speeds. I felt it coming thanks to my aura and jumped, focusing as much as I could. A grin spread on my face. If I¡¯d used my aura in the gym and not worried about breaking the electronics, I might have stood a chance against Lana.


    Four more came, sliding across the floor at various heights as I twisted and dropped, barely managing to escape each of them. I had to drop to the ground as the last whizzed past, back flat against the solid floor as the trap narrowly missed me. That was not a place I wanted to be. I jolted to sit up.


    The flying object came again, and I was too slow to avoid it this time. It wasn¡¯t a rock¡ªit was a brick. It slammed into my back, throwing me face down with its force. A corner or edge splitting the skin on my back with a loud whap.


    ¡°Gah!¡± I yelled and focused my will into the energy I would need for a shield. My back ached and I knew I would have a wicked gash and bruise.


    I sensed the next coming and shaped my will, ¡°Murus!¡±


    Power sprang into existence, my shield covering me from all directions as I regained my footing. Three bricks slammed into the shield, then to my surprise the other iron knuckle I¡¯d left in my bag in Fren¡¯s glen hurtled forward at speed.


    Iron has a nasty habit of repelling or disrupting magic. It¡¯s why it can work so well to protect electronics and was the outer ring of my circle inlaid into the floorboards. It¡¯s not a perfect science, at least not to me. That property was also why iron wreaked havoc on the bodies of the fae and daemons which were magical constructs. The mana that generally gave them strength and increased constitution was dispelled by the inherent properties of the forbidden metal to the fae. The tumbling iron struck my willed shield¡ªand kept coming, ignoring it. The shield had been able to disrupt the angle of the throw, and it had lost momentum, but it managed to thump into my right shin with enough force to bite. Blood spirted and I cursed, remembering again why I didn¡¯t like training with Fren.


    He didn¡¯t pull his punches.


    Well, he did, but it didn¡¯t feel like it. Even if I knew he would heal me after.


    Consumed by pain my shield wavered, and vines raced in to incapacitate me, noose like roots reached forward seeking my neck, arms, and legs.


    I cursed, if Fren wasn¡¯t going to hold back, neither was I. I needed to grow up.


    I used fire.


    Offensively fire was great, but it was much harder to control than more inherently stable magics like earth. I knew Fren abhorred fire, and I generally refrained from using it.


    Not today.


    I shouted, ¡°Ignis¡± as the tendril like vines began gaining purchase on my skin. The spell caused a blade of fire which I mentally summoned to race around me as I stood back up. The roots and branches were severed and cut clean through. The flame also had an unintentional side effect. It left a burning circle on the ground. Circles could assist in magic. A circle of iron, salt, or blood could cut off or pull in magical forces, depending on your desire. Any circle could suffice, but it would require more will, focus, and power to maintain. Fire made a wonderful circle but came with inherent dangers. It lent its own consuming power to spells, sometimes twisting them from a practitioner¡¯s control like a wildfire or ramping up their power beyond the ability to control.


    I didn¡¯t hesitate and used the fire, taking advantage of the circle I¡¯d crafted around me. It would have been cooler If I¡¯d thought to do this with my fire spell before casting it, but the truth was it was a lucky accident, one I would have to use and perfect in the future. I willed the flames to lessen to a small burning ring a few inches high, its diameter nearly four feet with me at the center.


    I focused on the circle being the end to all other external magics, and everything inside controlled absolutely by me, my power, and my will.


    Three more branch-like attacks struck, the loose loops of corded roots passed through the circle then fell inert, severed from Fren¡¯s control and unable to actively tighten and wrap around my limbs. They also didn¡¯t disrupt my control over the circle or break its power since Fren and beings like him didn¡¯t have the direct agency to break magic constructs with ease like a human could. I had to be careful as a careless movement on my part would break the circle immediately.


    I¡¯d ready many magical tomes which theorized why circles carried these properties. I was in a very small minority of opinion and ascribed it to biblical origins, God giving man choice and agency above all other life. It tied in nicely, at least to me. Holy ground around churches acted much the same and many creatures and evils were unable to tread them freely. I wasn¡¯t sure what God thought of me or wizards in general, but if he made this rule, I was grateful for it. Fren could get through eventually, but it would take a lot of time, energy, and he would lose much of his strength in the battle of will to overcome it.


    Fren was smart and strong. We¡¯d fought like this before. He could still pull on the external part of those now severed limbs and they could trip or entwine me if he got lucky, but his control was the same as anyone else would have been trying to lasso me. I kept a wary eye of where I stepped, and for any other attempts. If he caught me and dragged me from the circle it would be the end of the fight.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    The room grew still. Roots began to gather about my circle, piling up. Fren was exerting himself aggressively. In moments I was in a bowl of wood, a few inches thick and about the height of my knee, then in the next moment it was up to my waist.


    It was then that I realized my mistake. I tried to use my earth magic to control the wood of the floor, making it move to free me, but I¡¯d effectively trapped my control to the boundary of my circle! The flames burned within the wooden bowl, giving me more light as the reflected back. I could imagine Fren¡¯s glee as he trapped me so completely, using my own spell which had stopped him against me. I¡¯d also not realized that Fren had physically ¡®permeated¡¯ the floor below me and while it was severed from his being it was infused with life mana and had recently been ¡®living¡¯ which would make it sluggish to obey my earth magic which was better with stone and earth rather than living base material.


    I had to get out.


    I jumped, trying to leap out of the circle, but a wall the size of a washing machine raised up in an instant, and I struck it full on. My face burned and the air was pressed from my chest like I¡¯d leapt at a concrete wall. My movement should have broken the circle, but Fren¡¯s construct was right at its edge, trapping me within, unable to break its barrier by bodily action.


    I was trapped.


    I fell backwards and by the time I got up I was fully cocooned by magically reinforced wood. My circle still burned on. I nearly mentally extinguished it, but that would be admitting defeat. I would have done that in the past, but not today. If I got rid of the circle Fren¡¯s enclosure might tighten in and I¡¯d have to tap out, or he could make spikes of wood grow from the surface which could impale me¡­ or any number of things. Best Fren or no, he was devious when he wanted to be and would push as hard as he needed to get me to admit defeat. Fren hated losing.


    This was a new strategy from him and frankly it was frightening. Circles were a defense to wizards which we could erect anywhere with relative ease. He had made it my tomb in moments. My overhead flame lit the cocoon as did the flame about its edge but despite it being well lit I felt fear creeping up. I felt like I was in the gullet of a plant like beast. There was no exit, no place to escape. We were in a stalemate or so I thought as my mind raced through ideas and strategies that might allow me to escape.


    I grimaced, unable to come up with a plan. Fren had turned my magically reinforced circle, the bastion of wizards everywhere, into a trap. That¡¯s when I noticed the air beginning to thin and pollen of some sort drifting into the enclosure.


    Fren was a plant-based lifeform, pulling in carbon dioxide and making oxygen was his thing, but in a vacuum, he could play with the ambient air quality. I was playing checkers, and he was playing chess.


    My mind resolved. The only option was to throw over the board.


    Trapped in Fren¡¯s cocoon of wood my oxygen continued to wane, and I felt my head beginning to swim. Fren¡¯s would win the fight in moments if I didn¡¯t do something. I summoned my will, sat, and assumed a meditative pose. I took one last large breath knowing the air wouldn¡¯t remain for long and the pollen do any number of things too me if I let it build. I closed my mouth and eyes redirecting my focus to the spell of light above me. I didn¡¯t want to waste breath uttering a new spell into existence to it would be my means of escape. The ceiling was high, and therefore the tube of wood I was in was as well. I began altering the light spell, changing, and modifying the flows of power on the fly. Modifications were easier and the consequences less likely to be deadly, compared to crafting an all-new spell. It was inherently more stable, but still far riskier than I wanted to be. I have to be stronger, I reminded myself and didn¡¯t hesitate.


    For most of my spells, like the line of fire around me turned into a circle, I could ¡®direct¡¯ them by my will which was an inherent part of the construction of the spell. For example, I could change the course of a flying brick or rock I used as a projectile, those changes were well practiced and honed. I had to modify spells like that all the time, but the spells had parameters that allowed for it. Refining spells to use my particular blend of powers with high levels of efficiency was a lifetime of work for a wizard. Creating new or unique spells took even longer and greater understanding of magical theory and practice but they became works of art to the wizards that developed them.


    I was trying to do a mixture of each. Modifying an existing spell, shaping it to my specific powers, and creating something new. Even attempting this was would have been impossible the first two years I trained with Clair but by the end it was a skill I had a modicum of practice at. Now I used those same skills to enhance my spell above. I¡¯d done similar works and knew what the risks where¡­ usually I had protective wards and my true crafting circle to ensure safety, but today wasn¡¯t a day for caution. I had threats to face and if I couldn¡¯t defeat Fren in a spar¡­ I had no hope of beating the creature hunting me.


    Using my fire affinity, I modified the lingering orb of light above. I shifted its crafting so it could feed on my mana directly and it wouldn¡¯t sputter out as oxygen vanished in the enclosed space. The orb flared, and I felt the draw on my mana as it was fueled by my will.


    In a magical sense the changes I¡¯d shaped on the spell were small. What I was going to do next was much more, akin to rebuilding a car while driving it. It could be done, but it was also reckless. It would be much simpler to have two cars prepared for different events and use cases. But I didn¡¯t have two spells, or time to develop them.


    I distorted the flows of power in my familiar light spell, warping them to radiate heat rather than simple light. In moments the heat grew, a blistering ball of fire which hung overhead like a miniature sun. I broke out in sweat and felt my hair burning but there was nothing else for it. I flattened the ball of power, bringing its burning twisting edges to knife like points against the edges of the circle high above near the ceiling. I used flows of power rather than modifying the spell inherently, figuring it would be safer. The magic wouldn¡¯t pass the circle I¡¯d formed on the ground, but physics were still physics and the heat the orb was generating was something out of nightmares.


    I could see the fire light of it through my eyelids, and I didn¡¯t dare open them. The air would nearly be gone, if not absent entirely within the vacuum space. I fed the spell more energy to fuel it, my reserves dropping quickly as the flame relied on me for its support. The spell did its work, burning and blackening the wood by its edges as heat transferred outward, then I prepared to add the last few changes which were¡­ highly unstable¡ªbut they should work.


    Once done, the new flows of power waiting to be activated, I used the last reserves of my energy and air in my lungs to speak the command phrase for my bubble shield. The shield was compressed and small due to the constraints of my circle still burned into the floor, conveniently it forced the shield to be stronger and less energy draining than normal enclosed into the confined space. I¡¯d have to research that later and see what I could develop. Regardless, the smaller shield served me well by saving energy and mana.


    I overloaded the new flows of power about my fire spell and severed my connection to it after the final exchange of mana. I didn¡¯t want the poorly formed spell to harm my mana core or send me magical backlash.


    As I¡¯d hoped, the spell failed, cracking out in a moment like the burst of a grenade.


    Concussive force splintered out and the wooden cocoon I was trapped in shattered as the spell fell into chaotic uncontrolled motes of energy. The physical change in pressure overcame the strength of Fren¡¯s grown wood. The burnt section functioned as a weak point which allowed cracks to extend from that point down to the floor around me, splinters blasting outwards to rain wood across the basement.


    I knew Fren had expended a lot of energy to make his trap, and it had nearly worked. I was exhausted but knew he would be too. I quickly leapt from the wooden hollow before Fren could close it again breaking the defense of my own forged circle as I dove into blackness. The space, filled with ambient mana felt wonderful and I extended out my aura now that it could go beyond the confining space. My senses were confused by the flying debris, and Fren¡¯s magically infused wood blows across the basement. I could also sense his active control of vines, roots, and wooden constructs about the room that further blinded me like I¡¯d stepped into a spotlight with my eyes open.


    Magically blinded, I rolled into a standing defensive position as Fren struck in truth. He stood ahead in his humanoid form but had a few extra ¡®tentacles¡¯ of wood which provided him more stability and movement. I struck with a fist, hardening energy around my hand with a word, ¡°Indurare!¡± Flame energy surrounded my fist, enhancing the strike.


    My fist left a divot in Fren¡¯s chest the spell energy protecting my hand so I didn¡¯t shatter the bones. Even with that assistance it felt like I¡¯d punched concrete.


    Fren moved. He was going easy on me, his multiple arms could have easily incapacitated me in my weakened state, but he attacked in ways that I could defend if I was fast enough.


    I wasn¡¯t.


    For all my effort my body was soon covered in bruises and shallow cuts began to run the length of my arms and body. His attacking limbs were shrouded in thorn like protrusions which cut flesh or dug in.


    We had rarely gone at it this forcefully, but Fren had felt my panic and need for advancement and was meeting it with his own strength. Training like this would raise my body¡¯s strength, endurance, and defenses. It would hone my mind for true battle. It forced me to fortify my abilities and combine my strategies in ways Rex¡¯s gym simply couldn¡¯t foster. I¡¯d already devised a new spell I could improve upon with practice and a new way to make circles when I was in a hurry, need was the crux for invention.


    I flowed forward, striking his supports with a lancing strike of fire as I shouted my associated spell command word. The wood charred and burned, magical fire extending through each strike like electricity, scarring the wood until it turned to charcoal and flaked away.


    While Fren was distracted I readied my next surprise. I pulled out the iron knuckle I¡¯d put in my pocket earlier. He¡¯d used one and now I would too. I slipped it over one hand and punched out again, this time not bothering to reinforce my strike with magic. First because the iron would have messed up anything I tried and second because my magical tank was running on fumes.


    Fren roared in surprise as my strike landed on the side of his face. The iron burned and bluish flames burst out upon his bark-like skin like cold fire. Fren pushed me back instinctively with a slapping arm¡ªfull force¡ªand I flew.


    Literally.


    I¡¯d caught him by surprise, and he¡¯d had an instinctive reaction. I hurtled through the air to slam into a metal shelving unit. The wooden boards that made up the shelves pushed free or broken by my impact. I crashed to the ground amidst them. Pain riddling my back and body. My last dazed through was the realization that Fren did indeed pull his punches.

 Chapter 35 — I Win

    Chapter 35 ¡ª I Win


    I came to a few moments later, the lights were back on and Fren stood over me, assessing my body. He was clearly worried¡ªfear evident in his eyes and movements in a way I never knew they could convey. He was so solid, so strong, I¡¯d never seen him afraid before. Now he was over my possible harm. He was a good friend; he had my back.


    ¡°So, who won that one?¡± I groaned with a chuckle, hoping to ease my best friend¡¯s worry. Fren had a brand in the shape of a thin, rough rectangle which matched the size of my iron knuckles on one side of his face. I knew iron hurt the fae, but I¡¯d never used iron as a weapon against Fren. His response, I knew, had been automatic and self-preserving.


    ¡°Foolish son of Adam,¡± He growled. ¡°I could have killed you.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t,¡± I said. ¡°It just feels that way.¡± I sat up, my body protesting the movement but for Fren I could act like all was well. My shin ached like fire where it has been struck before and my ribs were more than uncomfortable. I¡¯d probably broken or cracked at least one by crashing into the shelving but that was okay, Fren could heal me.


    ¡°Are you well, are you hurt?¡± The forest ancient asked with alacrity as I moved.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I said, as I felt myself for further injuries. While I hurt, I wasn¡¯t in any immediate life or death danger. I stood, my body protesting¡ªmy back screaming in pain¡ªbut I was able to stand. If I didn¡¯t have the option for magical healing, I¡¯d likely have needed to go into the ER to get an X-ray and some good muscle relaxers for the next few days. I¡¯d have to have a professional make sure I didn¡¯t have a fracture somewhere I wasn¡¯t aware of.


    My ¡®tier 2 Body¡¯ had probably helped me stave off the worse of the injuries I otherwise would have had. I was more than eager to gain ¡®tier 3¡¯. Once I had a chance to meditate and cultivate, this fight would bring me incrementally closer to that level of renewed, strength, reflexes, and healing. My bones and tissues were already the ideal humans, like an aggressively good athlete would have, but it was still far from supernatural territory. Plenty of humans for that matter were probably close to what I could do, given that I hadn¡¯t pushed myself to the max of what my Body attribute would allow.


    Fren relaxed as I stood. When I stepped past him towards the glen he followed. He was limping as well. I realized with concern that half of his body was limp as if he¡¯d had a severe stroke.


    ¡°Fren! Are you alright?¡± I turned to assess my friend, seeing the signs of more significant injuries than I thought he could sustain from our bout.


    ¡°I will heal,¡± he said with finality.


    ¡°What happened? Did you expend too much energy?¡±


    ¡°It was the iron¡¯s effects upon my mind,¡± Fren said. ¡°I have lost control of much of myself.¡±


    ¡°Oh shit¡­¡± I said heart racing. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, how can I help?¡± Pure panic stained my words.


    ¡°I will be fine; I simply need to heal the damage and purge the effects of iron. It will take time but can be done.¡±


    ¡°Iron did all that?¡±Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    ¡°Iron disrupts and inhibits magic,¡± Fren said, his tone and voice somewhat diminished. ¡°My soul is fused to my being by magic. The iron sought to sunder me from myself.¡±


    ¡°I could have killed you¡­¡± I stammered, realizing how stupid and reckless my attack had been, ¡°Fren, I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    ¡°No. This alone, even much more, would not be enough to kill me. But it would take me long to recover. I had ¡®condensed¡¯ my thoughts and being while in my human simulacra to my physical head as humans do. It was a foolish choice. Had I not done it the iron would not have been this damaging. I have learned from this battle as well as you, and an attack such as this will not limit me as much in the future. We must learn and adapt to survive. Our roots grow to support us in direct opposition to the forces we face.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± I said, as I helped Fren awkwardly step down into the glen. His footstep hard enough to crush the loamy earth in a way that showed his true injuries. I was sure it killed plant life, and I knew how hard Fren typically worked to avoid that. He exhaled a relieved breath as his foot touched the solid earth and I watched all the life in the glen twitch, grass blades bending towards Fren the branches on the wall writhing and reaching out to support him as he made his way to his usual spot on the little hill at its center.


    ¡°We have both learned much,¡± Fren said. ¡°This is the purpose of practice.¡±


    ¡°But Fren, what if I had killed you?¡±


    ¡°Then you would have learned how to kill a forest ancient.¡±


    ¡°Really, how can I help?¡± I asked, voice small.


    ¡°Allow me rest. I must rejuvenate. If you want to sleep in the glen, I will see to you when I can.¡±


    ¡°¡ªNo. Save the energy. I can wait. I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°I am sorry for striking you. I introduced the iron into our melee and should have considered its use against me.¡±


    ¡°I surprise attacked you,¡± I explained. ¡°This is not your fault.¡±


    ¡°It is neither of our fault, we fought and¡­. came to a draw.¡±


    ¡°I think you would have won. I was in a bad way while you could still have fought on,¡± I said, running a hand along Fren¡¯s body as it knit itself into the glen and he shifted to his treelike state.


    ¡°Then, I win,¡± Fren said, his eyes closing as he assumed his meditative state. I felt more than heard a soft hum in the air as Fren worked magic, ¡°And Cal.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t modify spells as recklessly as you did. I have lost master¡¯s before who got into the habit of using untested spells.¡±


    I nodded. It had been a risk. One I had been comfortable taking as it was a change on a spell I had already created, but a spell miscast or a spell that pulled too quickly or rapidly on my core could burn out my magical abilities or worse. If I had passed out and been unable to form my shield, that blast would have killed me.


    I¡¯d almost burned out my magical abilities with a fire spell I¡¯d created as a teen. Even the simple unknown force of how powerful the spell could have been could have injured or harmed us both or leveled my shop. The odds of that were slim¡­but if I managed to craft an unknown spell, the energy I¡¯d put into it might have been sufficient if I¡¯d been very unlucky.


    The odds were significantly against that happening, so I¡¯d chanced it. That had been foolish. Even trying to replicate exactly what I had done might not work again as it would rely on my memory and instinct. When I crafted new spells while meditating in one of my protective and supportive circles on the floor, they could be recalled exactly or replayed by other spells to some degree. That let me take an outside look on what I had done and fine tune any changes, as well as ensure I knew what I had done. It was like running uncontrolled chemistry experiments, vs meticulously taking notes, video, and recording every detail so that you could repeat it again.


    I groaned, but Fren was right. ¡°I¡¯ll try not to. That was definitely too hasty for practice. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Fren didn¡¯t give another answer, which let me know how injured he really was.


    I stepped out of the glen, not wanting him to expend any energy to heal or talk to me. I cursed myself for not thinking and being so reckless. I¡¯d wanted to improve my abilities and instead, I had hurt someone I loved. Fren was fighting off the ground, already at a significant limitation, he¡¯d had to expend energy into the floor and into his connections with the earth to power his attacks and traps. Then I¡¯d blindsided him with an attack of iron. He may have been right that it wasn¡¯t enough to kill him, but what If it had been? Or given him permanent brain damage or something?


    I felt disgusted at myself.

 Chapter 36 — Decidedly Unfair

    Chapter 36 ¡ª Decidedly Unfair


    I stood looking over Fren for a long moment. He had partially morphed back into his tree form but even that looked sickly from its normal. The basement was dark, only moonlight filtering in from above giving objects in the room vague shape. The moonbeams fell on Fren¡¯s form, and I was thankful, they would help him heal. He fed off light, life, and people''s joy and comfort. That was one great part of my shop, the guest who loved rocks and who were always a little overjoyed to be inside gave Fren increased sources of energy.


    I walked over to the shelf that now held the new flats of glass bottled cola and took one to Fren. I popped off the cap and walked into the glade, pouring its contents onto the ground near Fren¡¯s root system. The hum picked up in fervor and I knew Fren was pleased. ¡°Get well my friend,¡± I said.


    I limped upstairs, grabbing my bag full of iron implements as well as the pair of iron knuckles, tossing them inside. I wanted them as far from Fren as possible.


    The stairs took a solid minute to climb, each step painful, but I made it up. At the top, I paused and watched the world out the front windows of my shop. Despite our loud practice, no one outside had been aware of anything untoward. The drive was quiet though it was early evening, only the occasional car passed as someone made their way home.


    I wanted to sit down before I made my way upstairs and resolved to get some nice chairs to sit out in the shop. The one behind the register was much too far away. It would be good for my more elderly patrons as well as bruised and beaten wizards. The streetlights out front were blown out from the night before so it was darker than the rest of the block, like some ill omen had befallen the store and street, marking it for the world to see.


    It was probably true.


    I brought death to the inn, injured my friend, and got Lana hurt all in less than two days. I saw a new aspect of wizardry I hadn¡¯t considered; one I¡¯d tried to ignore. Perhaps I needed to be more like Clair. Live alone and far from others. For the first time I reflected upon the reasons that Clair might live the life she did, let alone the other more ancient wizards who separated themselves from mankind.


    I grimaced and gathered my resolve as I looked up the long stairwell to my room. I wanted nothing more than to fall into my bed and sleep. I could feel the soft bedcovers, the mattress hugging me just before I fell asleep. Pain in my back flared halfway up and I missed a step which caught my toe about a third of the way up the stair. I fell, rolled, and ended up in a heap at the bottom of the stairs.


    It hurt.


    I lay sprawled in a pile, cursing the world. Fren not rushing upstairs or the branches visible in the room twitching with his form of laughter showed me how dire his state was.


    I deserved the pain.


    I would have laid there all night, resigned to sleep on the floor and not move, but a knock at the back door stirred me some time later. I managed to stand despite cramping muscles and pain that caught my breath. Cursing tonight of all nights for something as dumb as this to happen. My knees were stiff, and the muscles of my back felt as tight as leather. I hesitated after getting up, if the creature who had killed Phillis came tonight¡­ But no, an evil creature of darkness wouldn¡¯t knock. Right?


    It took me far longer than I would like to admit shuffling to the door. I reached in my bag gripping an iron knuckle in case opened the heavy door to the back alley.


    It was empty, other than my Jeep. I looked up, down, and along the length of wall running the back of the shops. When nothing made itself obvious, I extended my will. There were beings of the fae that could basically move about invisibly under glamor and wards. None revealed themselves and they were either so good, I simply needed to hope they didn¡¯t want to end me, or no one was there. I closed and latched the door when I heard a knock at the front. I cursed, limping more quickly towards it now that I was moving and wanted this mystery solved.


    I glanced through the blurry glass that made the door and saw a person-shaped blur through the glass and shadows outside. I clung to my weapons, harnessed what remained of my will, and opened the door.


    Lana stood out in the cold hugging herself against the night air. She gave an awkward wave, ¡°Hi Cal. I wanted to see you again, but you don¡¯t have a phone so¡­ What happened to you?¡± her expression turned to that of concern. She¡¯d changed out of her work clothes into a form fitting pair of jeans and a maroon t-shirt which poked out from a black hoodie.


    ¡°I fell down the stairs,¡± I said, stepping aside and ushering her in. ¡°The lights are still out; I haven¡¯t had a chance to install new ones.¡±


    ¡°You fell down the stairs. Was it from the magic you used earlier?¡±


    ¡°At the inn?¡±


    She nodded and I shook my head. ¡°No, the stairs were my fault.¡± I took a deep breath, ¡°Most of what you see-¡ªhowever I look, is from training with Fren. We both got too into it tonight.¡±


    She stepped inside and I locked the door. The store was dark and uninviting, its normal luster wearing thin. It made me feel more like shit, ¡°Did you knock on the back door?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, then I ran around to the front when no one answered.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s your car?¡± I asked, my mind feeling like it was ticking over details like molasses.


    ¡°No offense, but you are hard on electronics, and I love my Audi. I left it at home and walked over. It was nice, I needed some fresh air and time to think after work.¡± Lana¡¯s eyes looked strained as she said the last, and I thought about how much longer she¡¯d probably had to work at the inn.


    ¡°Did you find anything else?¡± I mustered; the very act of speaking hurt my ribs.


    ¡°No. Nothing beyond what you said. Chris was annoyed after you left but that¡¯s his baseline.¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s one of the reasons we never worked out.¡±


    I praised the world for assholes worse than me. ¡°I apologize, it¡¯s not the most accommodating in here right now. We can go up to my room, the lights might work up there¡­ I think. If Fren got around to changing those.¡± He usually managed the ones downstairs, and I did all the others, but I hadn¡¯t checked to see. ¡°There are candles if not.¡±The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Where is Fren?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s healing. Our fight was¡­ well rough on him too.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you won?¡± She said, giving me the lightest elbow jab she could. I was worried even that might send me falling over. She hadn¡¯t seen the full extent of my injuries in the faint light.


    ¡°Without a doubt,¡± I said, mock bravado filling my voice. ¡°I got banged up and I¡¯m sure I have some bruises, but he was so worn out he couldn¡¯t heal me right away.¡±


    I saw the leaves on a tall fiddle leaf fig in the corner shiver. It made me smile and some of my pain vanished. Fren would be alright.


    ¡°Really?¡± Lana asked, incredulous as she squinted and leaned in to see my face more closely. It probably had bruises all over it.


    I feigned insult. ¡°Well, yes. Wizard,¡± I said, patting my chest. Then I led the way through the shop and we both made our way upstairs. The lights it turned out, did work, at least enough of them to dispel the gloom, Fren had been busy while I was gone today. I groaned knowing that meant he¡¯d probably tired to fix the ones on the main level, but they must have been beyond repair. Those would be expensive to replace.


    ¡°Oh my?¡± Lana said as most of the lights flicked on. I looked down at myself. My shirt was ripped, and I¡¯d forgotten about the wound on my shin. My pants were bloody¡ªlike soaked clear through and staining my shoe bloody. I made my way to the bathroom. I had obvious bruises setting in on my face and arms. I smelled like burnt hair and really didn¡¯t want to look in the mirror to assess the damage, but my anxieties wouldn¡¯t let me ignore it. When I did, I groaned again as if feeling the wounds for the first time. The end clumps of a few tuffs of my hair were burned, glassy-looking and matted together.


    ¡°Shit,¡± I said, patting at them and then taking in the state of my shirt. ¡°This was one of my favorite shirts.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you won?¡± Lana asked from the doorway. Her dark hair shone in the bright light, the darkness of it pulled to the forefront. ¡°I¡¯m not so sure you did.¡±


    ¡°In all honesty,¡± I said before dropping to a whisper. ¡°It was more of a draw, but tying with a plant hurts my street cred.¡±


    Lana laughed and I started to pull my shirt off but couldn¡¯t manage it as a wave of pain lanced up from a few of my ribs and the muscles along my back. Lana helpfully stepped in and helped me extricate myself from the shirt. Her hands were gentle as she stood close and helped slide it off. We both whistled as my skin was revealed.


    I had a massive lumpy bruise forming on my right side, easily a full square foot of bruised real estate, my real estate. The pain stupidly got worse now that I could see it. The skin had split, and a cut ran along one of my ribs, torn by the simple pressure transferred through the skin. It had clotted and some point, probably from me laying on the stairs for an indeterminable amount of time. Taking off my shirt had reopened the wound and the blood began to ooze out.


    It looked bad.


    ¡°I think you need stitches,¡± Lana said, not looking squeamish in the slightest.


    ¡°Nah. I¡¯m not going to a hospital.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you are! What if that gets infected?¡±


    ¡°Fren can fix it up in a day or two. I can manage until then. I¡¯ve survived worse¡±


    ¡°You probably have broken ribs.¡±


    ¡°And I don¡¯t feel like breaking an x-ray machine just to find out. Who knows what kind of radiation that would release, and others need it working.¡±


    ¡°I hadn¡¯t thought of that,¡± Lana said, her forceful resolve to drag me to the hospital no matter what I wanted vanished. She sighed, looking me over like a stubborn child. ¡°Can Fren heal bones?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but it takes a while,¡± At her glance I explained more. ¡°Three or four sessions of healing like we did last night, or a very intensive single session for him.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not too bad. That¡¯s sounds more like a retreat.¡± She grinned, then figured at one of my wounds.


    ¡°Ow!¡± I said, hopping back.


    Her eyes widened, ¡°We should put some antiseptic on it.¡±


    ¡°No, we shouldn¡¯t,¡± I said, imagining the burning pain that would entail.


    ¡°Well, we have to do something?¡±


    ¡°Help me get on another shirt. That¡¯s all I need. Really, I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°What if we took you to an urgent care? Some place that wouldn¡¯t do x-rays?¡±


    ¡°They still have a lot of equipment they need to work well to help other people,¡± I said. ¡°If anything gets worse, I¡¯ll think about it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re just like my dad,¡± Lana grumbled.


    ¡°Huh?¡± I asked as I looked over shirts in my closet and tried to decide which one blood wouldn¡¯t stain too bad.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t like the hospital or doctors. Never went until he was beyond sick, or had an active infection that was weeks past what should have got him in.¡±


    I nodded. Slowly getting more of the picture of the person she loved and missed deeply. It brought to the forefront my own concerns I¡¯d harbored since learning more about her past life from Chris, and her father¡¯s interests. ¡°So, what brings you by?¡±


    ¡°I wanted to see you. Nothing else,¡± Lana said with a sly grin.


    ¡°Just to see me, huh?¡± I asked, mildly surprised.


    ¡°Well, possibly other things,¡± she said, looking me over appraisingly. ¡°¡ªIt has been a long time, but you''re clearly in no shape for anything else.¡± Her tone was sarcastic and clear enough to convey she was joking. Likely alluding to the awkward comments Fren had made from earlier.


    ¡°Right,¡± I said, letting out the longest sigh of my life. ¡°Shit,¡± I mumbled.


    She laughed and put an arm around me with a quick hug to let me know it was all in jest. I hadn¡¯t picked a shirt yet, so she did. It was an old button up fleece which she helped me get on. I looked down at my pants, covered in blood. ¡°I can get these¡ª¡±


    ¡°-¡ªNot while I¡¯m here to help,¡± she said, forcing me to sit down on the edge of the bed with an aggressive hand and light push to get me to take the first few steps backwards. Under other circumstances it would have been fun play, as it was, I felt like a child corralled into caring for myself.


    In a few seconds I was sitting in my underclothes feeling like this night was decidedly unfair. I told her as much and she reminded me that I got an eyeful already at her place.


    ¡°My back was turned!¡± I said, knowing it was only partially the truth, she clearly did too as she gave me a no-nonsense glare. ¡°Fine.¡± I agreed.


    I thought back on the events of the day as she debated what pants I would wear. My shin was bloodied, and I took a moment to put some bandages carried from the bathroom on it. My mind kept returning to the things Chris had said, and the possible connections they might have to Lana¡¯s response to events. If true, they meant she had more than purely romantic interest in me.


    ¡°We should talk,¡± I said. ¡°About¡­ everything. This is all moving really fast-¡ªAnd I¡¯m fine with that.¡± I said before she could speak. ¡°But we both have a past, and I love what we have starting here. Really, I do. But I don¡¯t want to ruin it by jumping into something too quickly.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Lana said sitting on the side of the bed.


    I regretted not waiting to start this conversation until after I had my pants on. It would have helped me feel a whole hell of a lot more confident.


    ¡°That would probably be good,¡± she said, her shoulders seeming to deflate a little. ¡°Despite what it looks like, I¡¯m not the type of girl that ¡®chases¡¯ often. Yet, I¡¯ve come here two nights in a row and we¡¯ve either slept together or someone¡¯s been mostly naked each time.¡± She held up the pair of pants she¡¯d selected from the closet. I grinned at her choice of words. Her eyes were penetrating, deep, and full, her long lashes adding an intensity to them. I wanted nothing more than to live in this moment and not harbor any concerns, but I couldn¡¯t. I¡¯d been betrayed once and I couldn¡¯t allow that to happen again. Not when it would risk Fren as well.


    I cleared my throat, ¡°Talking would probably be best, for now. Do you want to talk here, or go get something to eat somewhere?¡±


    ¡°I ate on the way.¡±


    ¡°Well, that solves it.¡±


    ¡°Did you eat already?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I semi-lied, but my stomach chose that moment to betray me with a rumble. The half sandwich hadn¡¯t been enough, and with my energy expenditure both in mana and physical exertion, I needed more.


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not hungry?¡± Her eyes narrowed.


    ¡°Lana, I was going to sleep on the stairs where I¡¯d fallen had you not come over. Food is the least of my concerns.¡±


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t a no. You haven¡¯t eaten, have you?¡±


    I looked away, ¡°I ate a little a while ago. What time is it?¡±


    She laughed, ¡°You¡¯re not a good liar.¡± She held up my pants, looking at them as if they held the secrets of the universe, but I could tell she was seeing through them, thinking deeply on something else. ¡°I like that in a guy,¡± she said softly.


    I should have asked more, asked why but the moment passed quickly. I nodded, ¡°I am hungry, but it really is the least of my worries right now. What time is it?¡±


    ¡°Close to ten, and you have to eat,¡± she stood, turning to face me, my pants held out in front of her like a shield. ¡°Worries and wounds get worse when you¡¯re not taking care of yourself. Trust me, I know. Do you think you could walk to my place? I can cook something.¡±


    ¡°Do you think you could drive my Jeep; it¡¯s got a loose clutch?¡± I countered.


    And that¡¯s when I learned you don¡¯t ask a Navy SEAL''s daughter if she knows how to handle a stick shift.


    <hr>

 Chapter 37 — Friendly Neighborhood Wizard

    Chapter 37 ¡ª Friendly Neighborhood Wizard


    Lana let out a little whoop as she cranked the finicky gears into second after a brief stop and rapid acceleration, peeling out from behind the alley to my shop and home. I gripped the handlebars as delicately as I could, thankful the jeep had so many. The stiffening of my muscles hurt every wound I had, but I was impressed with the speed Lana could coax out of the old Jeep.


    ¡°I forgot how fun these could be!¡± Lana yelled, her dark-tinted maroon hair dancing as we whipped past the streetlights.


    I didn¡¯t reply, my focus fully on staying alive and inside my jeep. The gapping open doors now more of a threat despite my flimsy sun-rotted seatbelt. The cold air and injuries also made my muscles tighten in the most uncomfortable way around possibly broken ribs.


    Lana slowed as we approached her house but she decided to do some ¡®off roading¡¯ last minute and missed her driveway, instead rolling up over the curb and some gravel and grass to one side of her house before laughing and pulling back onto the asphalt in the drive. The lurching bump bounced me in the seat and if I wasn¡¯t with such wonderful company, I would have passed out and slept there in the jeep uncaring if I lost fingers or a limb to the cold.


    ¡°Nice ride Cal,¡± she said, lightly tossing me the keys.


    I didn¡¯t bother trying to catch them and simply let them bounce off my jacket and land in my lap on the jeans Lana had helped me put on.


    ¡°I will never again question you about your driving skills,¡± I wheezed, then rushed. ¡°I-learned-my-lesson.¡±


    ¡°Best remember it. Now let me help get your poor, frail body down from the Jeep.¡±


    ¡°I can walk. I have my dignity¡ªAnd I only said that because of how tight the pants you picked out were¡­ and you were kind of manhandling me,¡± This night was making me feel washed in masculine energy and very secure about myself, I thought dryly.


    ¡°Nothing compared to Rex¡¯s.¡± Lana said, hopping out of the driver¡¯s side door more chipper than ever. I was glad she could keep that joy, despite what we¡¯d both witnessed today.


    I hurried to get out of the jeep without help, the simple act of getting out of passenger seat required using all my wizard training to focus through the pain. Perhaps my ribs and injuries were worse than I thought?


    ¡°Follow me,¡± Lana said, turning from circling the jeep once she saw she was not needed to help me out. I saw the wicked gleam in her eyes and was only partially thankful I¡¯d been able to manage on my own.


    I reached into the jeep, and pulled my backpack free which held my wallet, my iron weapons, and my extra winter gear like gloves and a beanie which I probably should have been wearing in the first place.


    I followed Lana into the backyard to discover the wrap around porch continued back here. It was raised from the yard about four feet with stairs extending straight down into the back yard which was met by grass and a firepit another ten feet out with soft chairs circled around it.


    ¡°Grab a chair and I¡¯ll get a fire started,¡± Lana said, running up a few steps towards the back door of her home up on the porch. ¡°I don¡¯t trust you around all the electronics after what I saw today.¡±


    ¡°I was good this morning¡ªAnd warm inside my house.¡± I shouted playfully, but her concerns were right. I really needed to make a suppression item to limit my effects on electrical things.


    It was a cold night, but the wind was blocked by the home. The rustling trees in the yard concealed the nearby homes and drowned out the sounds of the city. It made me feel like I was in the woods, one of my favorite places under normal circumstances. At times, I felt a primal need to be in the forest. It was probably from to my earth affinity but who was to say. I knew nothing magically that would require that connection.


    Lana returned with a box of matches and loose newspaper. She went around the corner of her house, and I hopped up to follow. Set on the far side of the house was a small, awning by the fence line with stacked wood. We each grabbed a few pieces and returned to the fire pit. I had more than enough juice recovered to start a few fires, but sometimes doing things the slow way was preferrable. We both jokingly debated the best way to get it alight with Lana telling me I needed to sit back and watch.


    When the fire began to burn in truth it quickly staved off the night chill, the heat gathering in the still area enough I could unzip my jacket. We watched the flames for a while, deep in our own thoughts, and likely thinking of what we¡¯d say tonight.


    ¡°So¡­ what did Chris say?¡± Lana broached. ¡°Things have seemed a little different tonight, and I assume it was from that.¡±


    I contemplated where to start, somewhat surprised she knew exactly the topic I wanted to discuss.


    ¡°First things first¡ªHe¡¯s a dick,¡± I said, to Lana¡¯s light peals of laughter. I looked up at the starry night for a moment, the cool air and sight of the vast cosmos clearing my mind.


    ¡°He can be,¡± She admitted.


    ¡°I broke his recorder¡­ or well my aura did.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, he was pretty peeved about that after you left. Gregory gave him a hard time about it, it makes him look incompetent on the report and he hates being viewed as incompetent.¡± She mimed Gregory¡¯s voice, ¡°¡®Interviewed the lead suspect but recording was lost due to malfunction¡¯.¡±


    It made me smile.


    ¡°Any bureaucrat or conspiracy theorist won¡¯t believe his tape recorder happened to break in the interview. His higher ups are going to be pissed.¡± Her voice dropped a little, ¡°Chris did say he didn¡¯t think you were the murderer, to me, personally anyway.¡±


    ¡°He told me a bit about your dad,¡± I said after a brief pause, not sure how to dive into the questions I wanted to ask.


    Lana went still. Her face lit in flickering shades of amber light from the fire. She looked tired, younger than she came off normally. Vulnerable. I looked like she was holding her breath.


    ¡°What did he say?¡± She whispered.


    ¡°That he was an amazing guy who had had run-ins with the supernatural. That he met with Seekers from the Grimm brotherhood.¡±This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Lana nodded. ¡°He did. I heard stories and¡­ he told me there was a whole other world out there he wanted to protect people from. He changed a lot the last few years, before¡­¡±


    I nodded. Not wanting to get into the seekers not being the best source of information, but then I couldn¡¯t really judge, everything I knew was second hand. My chest tightened as I had to ask the question that might break the fragile friendship and relationship we had begun. ¡°Is that why you didn¡¯t run¡­ when you found out about me? ¡ªWhat happened that first day that changed me from a friend to¡­to this? Is it that I might have information your father was looking for? Answer questions you¡¯ve had?¡±


    ¡°No, No.¡± Lana said quickly, her concern turning into more of a relieved smile.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± I said, my tense shoulders refusing to relax, ¡°Most people who learn about the real me take off. I never see them again.¡±


    ¡°Would you believe me if I said you weren¡¯t the weirdest guy I¡¯ve dated?¡±


    ¡°All of this? The past few days, really isn¡¯t the weirdest?¡± I said, my voice not concealing my lack of belief.


    ¡°Top three for sure,¡± Lana said, rubbing her chin and looking up into the starry night. ¡°There was one guy with a rubber ducky fetish.¡± She said with her signature impish grin. ¡°You know what, he also had a jeep.¡±


    ¡°I stand corrected,¡± I said, and we both laughed for a time until we feel back into companionable silence. I waited for Lana to say more, to truly answer my question. I could tell she was building up to it, but had to settle her own mind.


    ¡°My dad had something happen to him on one of his deployments.¡± I watched as her hands fidgeted in her lap, her words coming slowly. ¡°Half his squad didn¡¯t come back. He changed after that; it was like the world wasn¡¯t the place that it had been before. I thought it was PTSD, at first. Or him struggling to cope with the loss.¡±


    She pulled her knees up in the char, hugging them with an arms. ¡°Later, he realized a few of his surviving friends had begun going missing. They lived all over the country, a few even disappeared from military bases. One at a time. He was¡­ well, he grew sure they were being hunted.¡± She pulled her legs closer, a tremor of cold, or something else passing over her.


    ¡°After that we moved a lot. Didn¡¯t use phones or the internet. We lived out of a motor home traveling for months at a time on the road while he was on leave, long before influencers made that lifestyle seem glamorous.¡± She smiled bitterly.


    I watched her, felt the dread she felt.


    ¡°He grew more and more paranoid. Then he found some people he referred to as Seekers. He started going out with them on training missions. We traveled several states with a small group. His joy seemed to return, so I didn¡¯t ask too many questions. Through that time, he trained me, or if we were in any place for longer than a week or two I took fighting classes. I learned to shoot and spar. He met with dozens of people, from the FBI, CIA, law enforcement, even random people who clearly had no military training, but he always kept me at a distance from them.¡±


    ¡°After about six months of that he grew more secure, and I thought he was getting back to normal. He bought us a house in Arizona when his leave ended. I started school and thought life was back to normal until I found one of his journals. He¡¯d left it out and I was curious, so I poked around in it. He was investigating supernatural sightings.¡± She stopped for a moment; her eyes boring into the flames of the fire. ¡°I confronted him and asked why. He¡¯d never kept anything from me until those last few months,¡± she let out a soft bittersweet laugh. ¡°It wrecked me for a while.¡±


    Lana took a deep breath, ¡°It took some work on his part to prove it. I thought he¡¯d had a psychotic break and reacted to it the way you probably assumed I would when you told me you are a wizard. Eventually he got me to listen to the full story. And I believed him.¡±


    ¡°On his last deployment, half his squad had been killed by something moving faster than should have been possible, something he knows he shot yet it wouldn¡¯t die. Then as his surviving friends and comrades began to disappear, he was certain it was hunting them. He felt like he¡¯d gathered enough information and was planning on killing the creature. He left with a few seekers and friends from the military to ¡®take care of it¡¯¡­ and I never heard from him again. He disappeared.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± I said, scooting my chair closer to sit beside hers. I clasped her hands in mine. Hers were shaking. She had tears, big silent droplets falling from each eye.


    ¡°He disappeared. He never came back,¡± she whispered. ¡°He sent me to my grandmothers before he left which was our routine. It was supposed to be a short stay, a weekend. But days passed. I began to worry. I stayed by my grandmother¡¯s phone for four days and nights straight waiting for him to call.¡± Her watery eyes met mine, glistening in the firelight, ¡°He never did. He never came home. Weeks passed, and I knew something was wrong.¡± She took a small quick breath, as if gathering her strength for her next words. ¡°I never found out what happened to him or the creature. A few weeks later I turned 18 and went back home to Arizona on my own. I wanted to see if I could figure out what happened. Find out where he went by looking at his journals or meeting with the people he had interacted with in Arizona. I only had to find them myself. I took a job with the park rangers and spent most of my free time and money looking for anyone who might know anything. I tried to piece together what he¡¯d found, where he¡¯d gone. He told me so much, but nothing about what was chasing him, nothing about where he was going, nothing about what to do if he failed.¡±


    I felt the tenseness in her arm and hands as I held them.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± I whispered. It took a few moments for Lana¡¯s body to calm. The recounting had been difficult for her. More pieces of her life story fell into place within my mind.


    ¡°Chris was one of those I met in Arizona. His dad and mine met a lot so we hung out a bit. He was already in the FBI and helped me try to find the people my dad had. After about a year we dated¡­ but it didn¡¯t last long.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re sure your dad is dead?¡±


    Lana stiffened, ¡°As sure as I can be. It¡¯s been almost four years. He said it was a very dangerous mission, but he¡¯d be back soon.¡±


    I sighed. Four years was a long time, especially for someone resourceful like Lana¡¯s father clearly been. He would have returned if he could or sent word. The lack of closure was clearly a festering wound for her.


    We sat, still, watching the flames slowly burn down. Our hands clasped. I didn¡¯t know what to say that wouldn¡¯t sound trite, but I could see my company was enough. Lana had needed to get this off her chest to someone.


    ¡°As for you, I was interested in you at the gym,¡± Lana said, wiping away lingering tears. ¡°If that helps with anything. Things didn¡¯t suddenly change when you told me about all the supernatural stuff, it just¡­ made it easier. I knew I wouldn¡¯t have to hide anything I believed from you.¡±


    ¡°You said you only wanted a friend when you came over? And if I remember correctly, you were leaving after I told you the truth, until Officer Vance showed up.¡±


    ¡°It sounded too far-fetched. I¡¯ve searched down people who said they were wizards, but they weren¡¯t legitimate. I¡­ I thought you might be like them. But I did come over the day we met. Your cute.¡± She said, her nose scrunching in the firelight, shadows exaggerating the cute quirk. ¡°And everyone around here loves you. Rex, Sarah, Kate. People with a lot of red flags don¡¯t have groups around them like that.¡±


    I chuckled, ¡°If only Rex knew the truth.¡±


    ¡°He knows. Not everything, but he knows your different. It doesn¡¯t faze him. Now quit doubting and asking why I would like you¡ªYes, you¡¯ve got some quirks. Yes, I wanted a little more time to think things over last night before the police arrived, but then I found out you¡¯ve been nothing but honest and trustworthy.¡± Her voice fell, ¡°Even when I didn¡¯t believe you. You had everything to lose, yet your concern was for me. You didn¡¯t lash out. You treat others well. You are surrounded by hardships but are trying to make the world better. Literally trying to protect people.¡±


    Her eyes bore into mine, brooking no argument, ¡°Don¡¯t question it, just know, I like you. I just do. It¡¯s been a damn long time since I found someone I instinctively liked and felt like I could relax and be myself around. Lots of men don¡¯t like a strong woman. They don¡¯t like someone who can out drive, outshoot, and out fight them.¡±


    ¡°¡ªHey, you haven¡¯t seen me shoot.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need to,¡± she said with a smug grin.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ You probably don¡¯t.¡±


    My heart swelled. Lana had shown me over and over in our brief time knowing each other that she was someone I could trust. She¡¯d spoken on my behalf with Chris, stayed when the police had questioned me when the smart thing would have been to run. When she was attacked at my home and learned about the supernatural, she had handled it well, wanting more¡ªnot running for the hills. I could extend her some trust as she was extending trust to me.


    ¡°Now, tell me about your past?¡± Lana said, shifting in her seat so her shoulder bumped into mine. ¡°Tell me what brings you here and why you¡¯re doing what you do? How did Cal become the friendly neighborhood wizard?¡±

 Chapter 38 — A Freak Like You

    Chapter 38 ¡ª A Freak Like You


    I paused at her question, dumbstruck about how to answer. I felt my inner walls wanting to rise up about me like a citadel to protect my secrets. I wanted to give a brief, incomplete answer. I could feel my heartrate begin to rise and my mind skittered over several stories I could tell, before I crushed my fear with my will. I will not give her a partial answer¡­ I can¡¯t do that, not if I want to grow closer, I thought. I reached down and tossed a fresh log on the fire while I judged where to begin my story. Lana had begun by talking about her past relationship with Chris, so I figured I could start there and work up to the harder stuff.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t told¡­ well, really anyone, about my life,¡± I said, sighing and looking up into the night sky. ¡°Well, not anyone human. Besides Fren, I haven¡¯t had anyone I can be truly honest with about everything.¡± Lana was watching me carefully as I considered what to say. ¡°I¡¯ll start where you did, with your past relationships. I had a girlfriend for about a month when I lived in Montana. We¡¯d been friends for a long time. She was one of my best friends actually.¡± I said, hating my bitter laugh after, as I began my story.


    I could remember that day as clearly as today. ¡°Chloe borrowed her parents¡¯ old truck so she could drive us for a night out on the town¡ªI was even rougher on electronics then. It was well into our third week of being officially boyfriend and girlfriend. I¡¯d managed to get some money from doing extra chores around the ranch and took her to dinner, then she drove us to an overlook I hadn¡¯t known about. It was where all the high school kids went for alone time. You know the type of place. I¡¯d never seen or heard about it, but I wasn¡¯t involved in most high school gossip. She parked the truck where we could conceivably watch the sun set.¡± I coughed, recalling that I hadn¡¯t witnessed much of the sunset, or the scenery outside the truck that night. I left those details out of my story but given Lana¡¯s wicked grin, I surmised she was filling in the missing details more than I would have liked. What I did remember was the intensity of Chloe¡¯s eyes, the depth and size of her pupils, the softness of her lips, and the conversation we¡¯d had after.


    ¡°Chloe and I were never ones to have a silent moment between us,¡± I said, the night growing darker around Lana and me. ¡°That night, she asked me pointedly about my bruises. I always had them, and I distinctly remember a big one she pointed out on my upper arm. It was black and mottled. I¡¯d gotten it from a rock Clair threw with magic to test my magical defenses. I¡¯d been too slow to summon my shield, and the bruise had been the result¡­¡± I paused, looking deeply into the fire, ¡°That kind of accident happened a lot when I was younger. Clair was old school in her training, but it was thorough. That night I¡¯d had several and Chloe had seen them all but the one on my arm was the worst. I remember I considered lying about them when she asked, like I normally did. I could tell her they were from falling off a stubborn horse, or that it was from a plank of wood I¡¯d been carrying while doing farm work¡ªBut that night, I was in love. I decided to tell her the truth.¡±


    The fire crackled and a spark flew out by my foot. I crushed it with my boot, smothering the ember before it could light anything aflame. I could see it clearly, as if I was still in that truck with Chloe. I could see every perfect detail. I could smell the mustiness of the old truck, the slight gas smell imbued in the fabric. I remembered Chloes golden hair cascading around her face, her light blue eyes as she listened to me tell her about my training, about how I was going to one day be a wizard. The stars which were so vibrant out the truck windows, their edges stained with fog. I remembered what I took for awe in her eyes, how contemplative she¡¯d grown as we talked, and she simply listened. I remembered her hug after, how she¡¯d held be close, then kissed my bruise, then my lips.


    ¡°I remembered my elation the rest of that weekend after we parted. I¡¯d told someone the truth about me, and they had understood. Grueling training felt like nothing. My life was finally changing, and everything was connected and right. I had magic, I had a wonderful girlfriend, and the future was brighter than it ever had seemed before.¡±


    ¡°I got ready for school early that next Monday and eagerly awaited the bus.¡± I laughed, ¡°That was the first time, most of the time I got on it with feelings of inadequacy because I was nearly eighteen and the oldest person who needed to ride it to school. It also broke down several times, stranding all of us, and I never knew what day my curse would cause a problem. The younger children on the bus avoided me, and as I sat alone in the back seat, none of it phased me in the slightest.¡±


    I¡¯d rushed to see Chloe at lunch, to meet her at our usual table. I¡¯d found her there but quickly picked up on something being wrong, being different. Instead of a smile and the excitement we generally had, Chloe had held a binder close to her chest, as if warding me away.


    I remembered my stupid words, ¡°Hey Chloe, are you alright?¡±


    Then her eyes had met mine. They were red rimmed and harsh, but not nearly as much as her words, ¡°¡ªOf course I am, I¡¯m normal, not a freak like you.¡± I remembered the feeling as my stomach sank and my mouth went dry. My appetite and elation crumbling to ash like the stalks of corn Clair had me slash and burn on her farm.


    ¡°Chloe, what¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked again, trying to hold in my emotion. Others were beginning to turn in their seats, dozens of eyes locked onto us. The lunchtime spectacle.


    Chloe seemed to not see them, ¡°I want a real man Cal. Not someone who thinks they can do magic. We¡¯re in high school, and I can¡¯t date someone so delusional. Where is the future in that?¡±


    I could have shown her my power, I could have proved it to her and the hundreds of eyes now watching that I was a wizard. But it was Chloe, I hadn¡¯t thought I¡¯d needed too, that had been the best part of the weekend date¡ªshe had trusted me implicitly. She¡¯d believed me and took me at my words. Now her rejection felt like a slap, or a knife to the kidney. I was blindsided.


    ¡°Chloe¡­that was the truth,¡± I stammered.


    ¡°Cal, I¡¯ve felt bad for you for years, I mean look.¡± Chloe gestured to my arms which had several fresher bruises and a sharp gash on one which was scabbed over from my training that weekend. I knew one of my cheeks had been injured as well, the purpling bruise just below my eye hurt more at her gesture than it had when I¡¯d received it.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t lyi¡ª¡± I began.


    ¡°--¡ªCal, you need to see someone. Talk to a therapist or something. You¡¯re being beaten at home. You know it, I know it, we all know it.¡± she said, gesturing to those around.


    The room had grown uncomfortably quiet. I felt hot and knew my face had flushed. As dozens of eyes regarded me, many nodding along with Chloe¡¯s words I realized my error.


    ¡°You can¡¯t make up fanciful stories to hide the fact,¡± Chloe said, a single tear running down from one of her eyes. ¡°You can¡¯t lie to me and expect me not to point it out. I need someone in my life who is strong, someone who won¡¯t make up stories rather than confronting the real problem. It¡¯s not healthy.¡±


    By now there were a few jeers from the crowd, a jock who missed the tone of the conversation mocked me for being dumped, to his friends. I looked around¡­ and saw nearly everyone in the lunchroom watching, those closest with grim sympathetic faces.


    But no, I realized as it became clearer. It wasn¡¯t sympathy, it was pity. Pity for me. They all thought I was being beaten at home and was too obtuse to do anything about it.


    I¡¯d seen that same look on foster families¡¯ faces before. The expression that said I was a broken liar and that they knew better. That I was a case to be fixed. That if I just told the truth all would be well. It was the look that said I¡¯d broken the last thing in their home, and I would be moving on soon if I didn¡¯t wizen up and fix the error of my ways. I couldn¡¯t be trusted around electronics, cars, or things of value, much less normal society. They pitied me because I couldn¡¯t fit the normal mold, and I was too dumb to see it.


    Those looks made it abundantly clear that I was a poor lost soul to be helped, not an equal human worthy of respect.


    They were wrong. I vowed to myself in that moment that I would amount to something. I would be strong. I would show people my true value. I would help others who were helpless and never be the one in need.


    I would not be pitied.


    I realized I¡¯d paused for far too long reminiscing in my memories. Lana sat close, her hand in mine. I coughed shaking my head before continuing my story out loud. ¡°The next time I saw Chloe, after our date. I realized what I¡¯d imagined as her taking it all well, had been the opposite. After thinking my story over, she thought I was delusional. That I was being beaten at home and had concocted the story that I was training to be a wizard to cope with that reality. I¡¯d been so relieved that she believed me¡­ only for her to dump me a few days later.¡± I said to Lana simply. ¡°It was public and made me feel like a pariah. She didn¡¯t believe anything I said, and she thought I needed mental help,¡± I chuckled darkly. ¡°It sounds so stupid and sad to say it out loud now, but it messed me up for a while. But that event was also when I got the drive to make something of myself. I trained harder than ever with Clair. Since then, I haven¡¯t told anyone about myself, other than the necessary facts to those I¡¯ve helped over the years.


    Lana gave me an encouraging smile and reached out to put a second hand on mine, pulling it into her lap.


    ¡°Is that all you want to say about it? You were gone for a minute.¡±


    I locked my jaw and took a deep breath, ¡°Yeah. For now. I¡¯m not sure I could get through more details and they don¡¯t really matter. It was a shitty day, and she dumped me in front of my entire high school, but it was the culminating moment for a lot of things. I¡¯ve had days as bad. Foster families who rejected me and I¡¯ve had more than one awkward drive away from a home with a representative from the agency. They would drop me off at a children¡¯s home or a very temporary foster house until I could be placed again. But that one was more personal.¡±


    ¡°What was the foster system like?¡±


    I looked deep into the flames of the fire, ¡°I distinctly remember one guy¡ªwho should never have been a foster parent¡ªFuming at me when the TV broke for the fourth time, and he couldn¡¯t watch football. He demanded to know what I had done. I didn¡¯t know I had magic at the time and had no clue how it broke, I hadn¡¯t touched his precious TV. I was aware enough to know tech meant trouble and I avoided it at that age, and I was only ten or eleven. He was so mad and so sure I had done something that he kicked me out right then and there. It made me feel like I was less important than a TV.¡± I carefully avoided looking at Lana, not wanting to see her reaction or sympathy for me. ¡°As hard as things were when Clair adopted me, she at least invested time. Made me feel like I had a home. Even if I made a mistake, she took it all in stride.¡±If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    ¡°What about before, with your real family? Do you have any memories with them?¡±


    I let out a sigh, ¡°I don¡¯t remember much about my real childhood. Glimpses of my mom that I only half trust. Camping somewhere. A green birthday cake with people I hardly recall. My parents died when I was five. There was a housefire and I was rescued by the fire department. My rescue made the paper and that¡¯s the only reason I know what I do. I nearly asphyxiated from the smoke. Then due to shock, fire, or losing my family¡ªI don¡¯t know¡ªbut I couldn¡¯t remember anything when I first woke up. I was nonverbal for weeks, or so I¡¯ve been told. My memories are fuzzy from the first year or two after, and almost nonexistent for the events before. No other family came to claim me or provide information. I spent a few weeks in the hospital, then went into foster care. I found those details from the paper years later in a library archive. The house I was found at was vacant, but three bodies were found. Two women and a man. No other identifying information on them was ever discovered.¡±


    I watched as Lana¡¯s eyes widened, filled with concern. I looked away towards the burning logs, chuckling darkly. ¡°I don¡¯t even know my real name.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what?¡± Lana said, this new fact somehow a larger surprise than magic had seemingly been.


    ¡°Yeah, some exhausted firemen accidentally put the fire department¡¯s designation as my name on the hospital form and it stuck. Cal Fire, for the California Fire department who rescued me. They found me in August so that became my last name in the hospital records. Cal Fire August.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± Lana whispered. I could tell she understood. I could see it in her eyes and bearing, I didn¡¯t have anyone else, just like her. We¡¯d both lost people before their time and could relate in ways that others could not. I likely had it easier, I hadn¡¯t known the difference and had no real memories of my family, she did.


    ¡°The paper hypothesized drugs were involved and a fire had gotten out of control. I became a ward of the state. Foster care was as you would expect, especially since electronics had the tendency to break when I was around, and weird things can occur around wizards when their powers awaken, especially at a young age.¡±


    Lana shook her head as if trying to clear her mind of all the horrible details. ¡°Did you know that something was different about you?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t realize it was magic,¡± I continued. ¡°Not for a long time. I didn¡¯t have conscious control of what I did at the time. I know I accidentally willed at least two fires into existence in my pre-teens. I¡¯m pretty sure I screwed up the foundation on one house when I was mad. With things like that happening, I was in and out of counseling and police departments as well as families. Fire starting is a big red flag for a lot of criminal tendencies and that made people hesitant to foster me as I grew older, those who did eventually all backed out.¡±


    A slight breeze built and billowed around us. It had enough force to chill my face despite the fire before us. Lana let go of my hand, reached to the side of her chair to grab another log and plopped it onto the large bed of coals.


    ¡°Then Clair found me and told me what I was,¡± My gut clenched, and I debated sharing my next thought, but this was Lana, I had to tell her the truth. ¡°Ever since I learned about magic and that I have an affinity for fire, I worry that I created the fire that killed my parents... Even to this day I don¡¯t know, and probably never will.¡± I said the last in a rush, I felt a hot tear slide down my face. The growing fire blurred before my eyes.


    ¡°You can¡¯t blame yourself! You were only five.¡± Lana said, eyes trying to bore into mine, but I couldn¡¯t meet them.


    ¡°I know,¡± I said, gaining composure again, squeezing her hand. ¡°But my powers were awakened early, and I still don¡¯t know why they did. It¡¯s a mystery I can¡¯t solve. Usually, the event that awakens a wizard¡¯s power is seared into their memory. If I could only remember, I might find out that I do have family, but without more details nothing will ever come of it.¡±


    Lana could sense my mood and changed the topic to something I did know, ¡°Was your time with Clair bad? You mentioned injuries, but I don¡¯t sense any bitterness from you towards her?¡±


    ¡°My whole life changed when I met her. As hard as training was, she made me into who I am today.¡± I said, my voice regaining its normal strength. ¡°The parts of my life that didn¡¯t make sense suddenly did. She provided stability and had the expectations of me that held the frayed strands of my life together long enough¡ªin her own way¡ªthat I could thrive.¡±


    I swallowed, wetting my throat and eager to jump into a new topic that wasn¡¯t as difficult for me to explain. ¡°She saw me somewhere and felt my uncontrolled aura and knew I was a wizard. She never elaborated on the where. It was probably the grocery store, since that was about the only place she left her ranch to go to. I was with a foster family at the time but that fell apart. Lucky for me, she found my agent in the system who informed her I was trouble and would likely need a new foster parent soon if she had any interest. She did, and went through the steps to not only foster but adopt me. Believe me, for her that was an amazing amount of effort and trouble. She was a recluse and hated bureaucratic paperwork.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like a little miracle.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°She was a fully trained wizard and taught me until I could stand on my own two feet. I¡¯m glad she found me rather than someone or something else¡­¡±


    ¡°Something else?¡±


    ¡°Many entities would love to corrupt a wizard for their own uses. I¡¯m loosely a part of a group that tries to stop it, but we can¡¯t save everyone,¡± I shivered and we sat in silence for a long time.


    ¡°What was Clair like?¡± Lana asked. Her face a picture of compassion.


    It made me uncomfortable. I hated others feeling bad for me and my lot in life. The past was far behind me, and I¡¯d built a life I loved. I¡¯d prove to Lana I was more than a sob story.


    I considered omitting details about Clair that would amount to me telling half-truths to Lana, but if Fren ever found out he would correct the story and I didn¡¯t want to lie to Lana, not ever. ¡°Honestly? She is focused, dedicated to structure, and wise, but personally she was cold. She doesn¡¯t seem to enjoy conversation, company, or heaven forbid touch. To this day I¡¯m surprised she did what she did, but I¡¯m thankful for it. Despite other ways I might wish my younger years had gone, I could have done worse. Clair gave me stability and a home. I had consistent schooling, meals, and a little money for the things I needed. I had the space to make friends. I was nearly sixteen when she took me on, and I learned quickly. We trained every day, and I got strong doing the farm work. I was able to pass the Tribunal testing and prove I was worthy of the mantle of wizard at twenty, which is no small feat. I can tell you more about that some other time, that part gets a little more complicated.¡±


    ¡°That sounds better than I was imagining, she¡¯s old school and it wasn¡¯t easy, but it sounds like she did right by you. Are you still in contact?¡±


    I cringed at the opening to discuss one of my worries, one which Lana deserved to know about. I had been the one to suggest we talk, and exchange truths before our relationship became anything more. Cuddled in our chairs close to the fire I almost regretted that decision. But Lana needed to know all of it, everything I could so she could make and informed choice going forward. ¡°Clair is very old school. She¡¯s at least two or maybe even three hundred years old. She never specifically told me and I never asked. But there were clues. I intuited early on in my training that it is impolite to ask a wizard¡¯s age, and she wouldn¡¯t have answered if I did, At least, I don¡¯t think she would have. She¡¯s lost people and faced things I can¡¯t imagine. She knows history in a personal way. I figure her response to trauma and losing people grew into agoraphobia and indifference to others around her. I think it helped her heal, having me there. I don¡¯t know how many decades she lived alone.¡±


    To my surprise, Lana didn¡¯t immediately jump on the detail of wizards living unnaturally long lives, but her next question was quick enough I wondered if it was to keep me talking while she thought on it. ¡°Did you have many friends?¡±


    ¡°Yes and no,¡± I sighed. ¡°When I was younger yes, but I moved so often and was generally in trouble, so I wasn¡¯t the kid invited over to birthday parties or that kind of thing. At Clair¡¯s I was finally in a stable place long enough to meet people, and I gained control over my powers and could have ¡®normal¡¯ friendships,¡± I said, letting go of Lana¡¯s hand for a moment to do air quotes around the word normal.


    ¡°At least a few of them. Chloe was my closest friend, until we started dating and I told her the truth,¡± I let out a bitter laugh, ¡°I liked her for years and finally got courageous enough to ask her out. A month later I told her the truth and she was gone, she¡ª¡±


    ¡°Wait, was Chloe your first girlfriend?¡±


    I nodded, sheepishly, ¡°Yeah, so?¡±


    ¡°Your like, new to all this then,¡± Lana said, snuggling in next to me, our shoulders touching, then to my surprise she rested her head on my shoulder, taking the sting from her words. ¡°It¡¯s so cute.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a wizard¡­ I¡¯m not supposed to be cute,¡± I mumbled.


    ¡°Your high school crush dumped you and you haven¡¯t dated since then.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve dated, just nothing¡­ lasting.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah? How many girls then?¡±


    ¡°¡ªI¡¯ve been busy. Training, increasing my control and taking out creatures like whatever¡¯s out in the woods,¡± I said, annoyed at the rise she was getting out of me.


    Lana smiled and kissed me on the cheek.


    My heart did something stupid at the gesture.


    ¡°I could just ask Fren,¡± Lana said coyly, but her eyes were predatory, ¡°I¡¯m sure he wouldn¡¯t hold back.¡±


    ¡°No, he wouldn¡¯t,¡± I said with a groan, realizing she¡¯d won. ¡°Fine. I have like, zero, experience with woman. Happy?¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± Lana said, eyes looking deeply into mine with her impish grin. ¡°We are going to have so much fun.¡±


    We both fell quiet, enjoying the moment, deep in our own thoughts as the fire burned. I had no idea what time it was as the logs broke down into gleaming coals, but I was more content than I had been in a long time. I think Lana was too. Our friendship was new, but it showed promise.


    The night continued to grow colder outside, but it wasn¡¯t unbearable, and inside I felt like my chest was on fire. Our chairs were pushed as closely together as they could, Lana sitting as near as she could get in her own chair. I took that as a good sign, but I knew my track record with that wasn¡¯t the best.


    The cold air kept me alert and awake. I held Lana close under one arm, she was warm, and her hair smelled amazing, soft vanilla, and an herbal blend. I turned and kissed her. She was more than eager to return the affection. The kiss grew into two, and I reached out with my other arm to pull her closer. Unfortunately, something bumped my wounded side which made me hiss and pull back. The mood broken in an instant.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I complained.


    ¡°Like hell you are. It¡¯s okay.¡± She said with a little breathless laugh.


    I grumbled something incomprehensible.


    ¡°You¡¯re a good kisser,¡± she said.


    ¡°I¡¯ve had some practice,¡± I said, in a mock annoyed tone.


    ¡°I¡¯ve had a little too. You¡¯re still good.¡±


    Her lips had been amazing. My heartrate was way up and my eyes, lips, and¡­ everything thirsted for more. ¡°You¡¯re amazing,¡± I sighed. ¡°But I need a moment to focus my will if we don¡¯t want to fry all the electronics in the neighborhood.¡±


    Lana¡¯s smile turned devilish in the waning light. She was definitely excited by the fact she could see how much I lost my focus around her.


    ¡°By all means,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ll go get food inside and be right back. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re starving and it should be more than done right now.¡±


    She left and I watched her walk away, admiring her figure. She was literally my dreams incarnate¡ªwell my good dreams. Still, it somehow didn¡¯t feel like this could be possible for me. I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop, for everything to spiral out of control and go wrong like it always had before. My business was growing in leaps and bounds, my love life actually existed and on top of that Fren couldn¡¯t pester me about it for a full month. I was motivated like I hadn¡¯t been in years. I had a thousand short-term goals to work towards including artificery projects, crafting, spells I wanted to perfect, magical research to do, not to mention physical and mental training and cultivation to shore up my abilities.


    But I was also being hunted.


    I had a literal daemon stalking my dreams and a creature of the woods capable of murder thirsting for my blood. Seekers were in town, and my shop was in shambles. The FBI might still be looking into me. I didn¡¯t know how I could be so excited and happy at the same time everything was so bleak.


    I sighed, thinking of Lana as I focused on my aura. I really needed to be ready when she came back. I heightened my control of my aura, folding it in tighter which reduced its effects on external things at a distance but increased it on those nearby. It also served to increase my perception for the environment around me. It was sort of like zooming in on a camera, like those I¡¯d toyed around with when I¡¯d been able to use one for more than a minute before it broke. Auras were an extra sense all wizards possessed. I focused on what I could feel with my aura, training my senses and controlling my power. I perceived Lana above in her house, heard the clink and muffled noises more clearly as she moved items on the countertop inside. Even closer to me I could feel things, I felt the life energy of a small group of birds a dozen feet away, silent in a nearby tree. I couldn¡¯t tell you how many there were, or what Lana was doing exactly, but nonetheless there was an awareness of beings nearby.


    I also sensed something else, deeper in the yard. Something that didn¡¯t belong.

 Chapter 39 — Like My Dad

    Chapter 39 ¡ª Like My Dad


    I redoubled my efforts to sense the area around me and felt a slime like resistance pressed against my aura, as if something was locked off and hidden from my perception. It was like a bubble in still water or a shadow in a room otherwise lit with light, I wouldn¡¯t have noticed it without refining my control. The presence actively sought to hide from my broad senses. I carefully probed further and gained the faintest hints of its intention. Its own aura was fueled by darkness and anger which masterfully shoved mine aside, but I didn¡¯t get the sense that it was aware that I had spotted it. Its own control was an inherent trait, not something forged and refined by practice like my own. Normally something so sinister and close would have set of my aura off like a gong in my head¡­ this creature was stealthy. While my full efforts were rebuffed, I gained one other crucial detail. It was hunting.


    ¡°I cooked hotdogs in the oven, and grabbed a bag of chips,¡± Lana said, as she exited the house. The old screen door screeched as it swung shut and slapped loudly in the door frame. A gunshot couldn¡¯t have broken the stillness of the night air more. ¡°I know it¡¯s not the healthiest meal, but it¡¯s all I had on hand.¡±


    I tensed, waiting for the entity to attack, but it didn¡¯t move, didn¡¯t change, didn¡¯t twitch. I couldn¡¯t sense exactly where it was, only that it was. I stood from my chair, gaining my feet while feigning the need to stretch lightly as I stared into the dark shadows around the yard. I saw only bushes, which given their size could conceal anything behind them. The trees were still full of leaves which could hide a predator above.


    ¡°Are you alright with that?¡± Lana asked again, stepping around and running a free hand across my back. She stiffened, catching my alertness and instantly assuming her own. No questions, no details needed. She dropped the food onto her chair without a second glance. I couldn¡¯t risk telling her anything out loud, the creature might simply attack.


    ¡°I could use a drink, mind running inside and getting me one.¡± I asked, risking a glance at Lana but she was studying the yard as intensely as I was.


    ¡°Yeah, in a minute.¡±


    I hardened my will and focused my power. I was exhausted and wounded but I had some juice if it came to a fight. I fueled my potential spells with the emotions raging through my mind which would lend an added measure of strength to the magic. Passion, fear, desire-¡ªall enhanced the use of magic, but each ran the risk of lost control, or a spell twisting and doing something I didn¡¯t intend. But as weak as I was, I needed them for help, or I¡¯d be an easy target. I was exhausted, but I would burn myself to a cinder before I let something happen to Lana.


    ¡°I-could-really-use-that-drink,¡± I said, in a rush.


    ¡°No need to be shy, you can go get it yourself.¡± Lana answered confidently. I could tell from her tone she knew I was trying to get her to safety and wasn¡¯t going to take it.


    ¡°Somethings here,¡± I whispered, voice low and pitched for her ears alone.


    We discovered then that the creature had excellent hearing, I¡¯d barely mouthed the words, but it instantly stirred, and we both jumped as branches broke in the far corner of the yard. I felt anger and hatred bleed from its aura as stealth was discarded, they felt like the burning heat from a fire. I sensed its strength and knew instinctively that my power would be insufficient to stop this beast.


    ¡°Lana, run!¡± I yelled.


    ¡°I¡¯m not leaving you¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªIt¡¯s wants me and there¡¯s nothing I can do to stop it.¡± I said, throwing an arm up to block her from whatever was out there as more branches cracked and the creature rushed forward.


    ¡°¡ªThen were going down together,¡± From somewhere Lana drew a concealed pistol. It was small but lethal. In a smooth quick motion that did indicate she was much better with firearms than I was she pulled back the slide, racking a round into the chamber. Depending on what we were facing the gun might not be effective at all, but it was better than nothing. Regardless, I didn¡¯t have time to argue.


    I readied my will, drawing energy through my core like few times I had before. I pulled from the earth and the fire before us, those powers most familiar and useful to me.


    The fire dimmed and the earth beneath my feet began to wilt.


    The creature didn¡¯t hesitate or give a moments pause as it raced across the yard. A row of thick roses, which would have stopped me, were as grass to the creature the size of a guerrilla who barreled through them without a care. Lana¡¯s gun snapped quickly at its rapid lumbering advance. The muzzle flash and remaining firelight were enough to reveal a creature of blackness and hard lines. Jutting points like bones protruded from its asymmetrical body giving it a menacing presence. It stood on all fours and had faint red eyes, barely distinguishable from the dark, as if lit internally by a dying battery.


    The creature didn¡¯t howl or cry out but raced forward in utter silence, the bullets I was sure were rending its flesh didn¡¯t dissuade it. Lana screamed as it rampaged to within a dozen feet of us. In a moment of clarity¡ªI knew what I needed to do. I focused my will, my intention for my spell never so clear as it was now. My shield sprang up around us. I put enough power into it that it hummed with green energy, visible to the naked eye, something it had never been before unless struck. The creature hit it like a train¡ªand it stopped it cold. I grimaced as the energy demand skyrocketed, green flashing light blinding us to the creature¡¯s subsequent attacks against my shield.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    I fell to my knees, my next actions completed in a haze as my mental force was bent on resisting the creature¡¯s physical will through my spell. My shaking hand reached into my bag, feeling for the first iron weapon I could find. My fingers met the plastic of the Ziplock filled with iron filings, clutching it tightly. My mana reserves began faltering and the vibrant green of the dome around us faltered, growing pale. I clenched my teeth, tasting blood. My next attack was one Fren had used against me, and I hoped it would be enough, or this would be the end of each of our stories.


    I tore the bag, dumping iron into my hand. I¡¯d never do this at home so uncontrolled, the little filings would act like landmines to Fren and most Fae. The bag was literally an ecological disaster to the magically infused creatures. I only hoped I was right about the nature of this beast. I stood and faced it, its writhing arms slammed down relentlessly on my shield, each strike strong enough to crack a stone. Lana was screaming something at me but I couldn¡¯t find the wherewithal to comprehend as each bash sent a lance of pain through my mind. My weapon felt meager, but I hoped it would hurt like hell. It deserved that for killing Phillis. My shaking hand grew firm, and I threw the iron filings as hard as I could through the shield.


    Just as Fren¡¯s attack earlier that day had passed through my shield, this attack did as well. The iron flakes were enough to disturb my spell, which sputtered and collapsed around us in a motes of green energy. Our only defense vanished into the night. I dropped my direct control of the spell just before the flux would have caused spell feedback that might otherwise have incapacitated me.


    The creature¡¯s silent attack turned into a blood curdling screech as blue ethereal flames burst out across its body. One of its massive arms swiped across its own flesh and skin but the flakes burrowed in like hot coals. Another sweeping clawed arm arced at us. Lana moved more quickly than I did, tackling me forward and towards the ground. It still hit, the strike far too fast to fully avoid and the arm much longer than what should be possible for a creature that size.


    Instead of being cut by the sword like claws, its forearm hit us after Lana¡¯s quick movement and we both summersaulted away. I went spiraling through the chairs, cracking wood, and flipping onto the grass. Similarly, Lana tumbled away but one of her legs went through the fire, kicking up coals and sparks which were strewn out across the entire lawn with the residual force of the blow.


    I groaned, luckily the hit had been on the opposite side of my body than my injury side from fighting Fren. The direct blow had caught me on the hip. Otherwise, my guts might have been spilled out over the lawn or a rib would have punctured something vital. I tried to hop up immediately, but I felt the frenetic aura of the beast, now tinged with a personal bone deep hatred for me, fleeing into the night. It was injured, the iron still burning its body and weakening its ability to move and use magic.


    I had struck Fren with a large piece of iron. That was bad enough to tear control of half his body from him. That contact had been short, and over a small if crucial part of his body. This attack of iron fragments had dusted the front of the creature entirely. I¡¯d tossed a massive handful of cold iron all over its being. Each flake stuck and rent flesh, perpetually burning, severing its soul¡¯s connection to its physical body. I¡¯d basically covered it in magical burning napalm and it might burn alive.


    I grinned at the creature¡¯s pain.


    It made me feel a little better about my own. Knowing we were safe, I got unsteadily to my feet, noting my hip might be broken, but that didn¡¯t matter, I needed to check on Lana. By the time I limped to her she was getting up as well, dazed.


    ¡°You alright?¡± I managed, a stitch making me cough and spit up a ball of bloody phlegm.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± she said, while wincing and shaking her head. She was gingerly holding one of her arms. The limb wasn¡¯t broken, but the skin was split, and she was bleeding from a deep gash. We could only see it because the sleeve on her jacket had also been severed away by the creatures¡¯ claws, the rocks around the fire, or something else. It had all happened so fast. The creature hadn¡¯t even been aiming at her and its strike had done this. She already had purpling skin around the wound from the force of the blow.


    We were both lucky to be alive.


    ¡°Thanks for saving our lives there¡­ quick thinking,¡± she said, letting out a single huffing adrenalin fueled laugh as we surveyed the other shadowed recesses in the yard. Despite the season and the cold, the coals were more than up to the task of lighting things on fire, spots of lawn and one of the nearby bushes were already beginning to blaze alight.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get water,¡± Lana said, gingerly walking towards the house.


    I caught her good arm to stop her, ¡°I can take care of most of it.¡±


    I gathered my will, using a familiar spell I used to put out the candles in my home. With a word, the fires extinguished. That worked for ninety percent of the flames, those too large for my unaltered spell took a little earth moving to quench the flames with dirt and wet loamy soil. I still had some mana, but I would be hard pressed to do anything significant with it.


    Lana¡¯s arms were in no condition to move the stones around the fire back into place, so I bent over to do it. That act caused a muscle spasms across my back, spine and left hip. The injuries were almost enough to lock me into place.


    ¡°Tier two body my ass,¡± I groaned as I stood upright and switched to using my foot to push the stones back enough to encircle the fire again.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Lana said from nearby, still evaluating her own wounds.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you about it later, let¡¯s get inside. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s coming back, and it¡¯s getting cold.¡±


    We limped up to the house together.


    ¡°Did you kill it?¡± Lana asked, breathless as she pulled up a pant leg on the first step up her back porch. A straight edge bruise was forming with a small gash on its lower edge making a straight line across the side of her lower leg and calf, probably from one of the large cinderblock stones she¡¯d hit with her leg after it passed through the fire. The ankle was swollen and bruised.


    ¡°No,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s injured¡ªbadly. It won¡¯t be back tonight. But it got away.¡±


    ¡°What did you throw at it?¡±


    ¡°Iron powder. It¡¯s basically anathema to the Fae and a lot of magical beings.¡± I gave her an arm to help her up the first steps. She could still put weight on her ankle, which was a good sign.


    ¡°So, that was some sort of fairy,¡± She hissed painfully, switching to hopping up the steps with her good leg and support from me.


    ¡°Yup. The bad kind.¡±


    ¡°Are you attacked every day by fairies?¡±


    ¡°Not even close,¡± I mumbled. "Usually, I get the weekends off." We stumbled up towards the back door. I turned to look down at the yard in shambles. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have been near you with this creature being loose. It¡¯s hunting me.¡±


    ¡°Hunting you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­I¡¯ll tell you about it inside,¡± I could hear sirens in the distance and knew the police would be here any minute.


    ¡°Just like my dad,¡± Lana said, her voice pitched low. ¡°No wonder he was so paranoid. Creatures like this shouldn¡¯t exist.¡±


    ¡°This one sure as hell won¡¯t soon. We know its weakness.¡±


    Lana¡¯s grin shouldn¡¯t have been frightening or eager, not after the night we¡¯d had, but it was.

 Chapter 40 — Psychiatric Ward

    Chapter 40 ¡ª Psychiatric Ward


    The sound of sirens grew, and I knew they were heading for us. Shooting an entire magazine in your backyard was a good way to have the neighbors call the cops, especially in a more elderly neighborhood like this. However, the gunshots might help lower the property taxes in the neighborhood.


    ¡°Think they know it was your house?¡± I asked as we shuffled through the door.


    ¡°Probably not, but they will knock, and we can¡¯t really hide that something happened here. Look at us.¡±


    I did¡­ like really looked¡­ and saw the truth of her words. Lana had blood flowing freely down her arm and leg. The small sitting room inside her back door had a large mirror on one wall, wreathed in an antique gold painted frame. In it, I saw how bad I looked. I had cuts and bruises across my face, my hair was still burned and looked ridiculous. We both had dirt and grass stains like we¡¯d been playing tackle football. Combined with my injuries from earlier I looked like I¡¯d been stuffed in a washer and ran on the normal setting for an hour.


    ¡°Burglar again?¡± I asked, excited to have an accomplice.


    ¡°Or a dog attack.¡±


    ¡°There is probably no blood left from your gunshots...¡±


    ¡°We could say I¡¯m a bad shot.¡±


    ¡°Could you¡­ handle that?¡± I asked, grinning despite it all. ¡°I mean from what I saw, you hit it with every bullet.¡±


    ¡°I did,¡± she said, her lips assuming a smug smile.


    I whistled.


    ¡°What about a cougar?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Maybe, it doesn¡¯t match all of our wounds.¡±


    ¡°It does if it''s attacking. We''re close to the foothills, it¡¯s not entirely implausible.¡±


    We both glanced down at the cut on her arm. It might pass for a cougar attack.


    ¡°Then what happened to me?¡±


    ¡°You got beat up at Rex¡¯s dojo yesterday, in a fight with a robber that night, and today you tripped over the fire running from the cougar and landed on a paver.¡±


    ¡°So¡ªjust to be clear¡ªYou shot at the thing attacking us, all heroically, while I tripped over the fire running away?¡±


    ¡°That sums it up,¡± she said, her eyes with a jovial twinkle. ¡°Can you handle that?¡± She asked the last miming my exact tone and inflection from before.


    ¡°Yeah. I can.¡± I chuckled before cutting it off because my ribs hurt too much to continue.


    Lana rose up on her toes and we kissed once more. Despite everything, I couldn¡¯t help but feel joyful around her. My life was kind of amazing, and the adrenaline high we were both experiencing was dulling the pain and fatigue. I knew it wouldn¡¯t last, but right now I felt amazing.


    We stepped out on the front porch and waved down the first police car to drive up the road. There were multiple trolling the streets, lights on but most with silent sirens.


    The car pulled up and parked. I swore as Officer dip shit stepped out.


    ¡°Well, well. Aren¡¯t you two having an eventful few days,¡± Officer Darron Vance said as he stepped from the patrol car while tucking his fingers into his belt with a smug expression. The rookie, Lansing stepped out of the passenger side of the vehicle behind him.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°We were attacked,¡± Lana said, not halting at Officer Vance¡¯s tone and words. ¡°By a cougar. I shot it¡­ I think, but it got away.¡±


    ¡°Call it in,¡± Darron said to the Rookie who, somewhat hesitantly, sat back inside the car.


    Officer Vance strode forward, thumbs still looped into the sides of his belt, chest thrust out like he owned the sidewalk. ¡°And what was your name again¡­ Miss?¡±


    ¡°Lana.¡±


    ¡°Lana who?¡±


    ¡°Lana Pike.¡±


    ¡°Well Lana Pike, discharging a firearm inside city limits is a serious offense.¡±


    ¡°Not if it¡¯s in defense of myself or my property.¡±


    I could see Officer Vance¡¯s condescending demeanor deflate slightly as he realized he was dealing with someone who knew their rights and who wasn¡¯t intimidated by him.


    ¡°Why is he here,¡± he said, gesturing to me with a tubby thumb.


    ¡°None of your business. Honestly, I¡¯d rather speak to Officer Lansing if you don¡¯t mind,¡± Lana said. The tone neutral but her hands on her hips made it clear it wasn¡¯t a request.


    ¡°Well, you don¡¯t get a choice,¡± he said with a sneer.


    I clenched my fists. But what was I going to do, assault an Officer for being a dick?  Maybe. I considered it for a long moment. But then Officer Vance would handcuff me and it would only make the night worse. Despite logic winning out this time, I had to focus on relaxing my jaw. It was nearly an act of war trying to keep it relaxed and not shout out the things I wanted to say. The flickering red and blue lights on the patrol vehicle cut out and flickered erratically before the red one came back on by itself. I took a deep breath and focused on controlling my aura.


    Lana snickered at the broken light, and I was glad I could help in some small way. ¡°I get all the choices I want, Officer Vance,¡± she finished as another car pulled up into the driveway behind my jeep. A female Officer stepped out.


    ¡°Hello Officer?¡± Lana said to the new arrival, trailing off as she waited for a name.


    ¡°Smith,¡± The woman provided as she stepped out, hand on her holster as she tried to ascertain what the situation was.


    ¡°Can I give my report to you, this Officer,¡± Lana said pointing to Vance, ¡°has been condescending and frankly misogynistic the whole time.¡±


    ¡°Hey now¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªYes, you can,¡± The female Officer Smith said immediately, giving Vance a glare. I grinned. Apparently, Vance was a dickhead to everyone.


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll search the premises and the house,¡± Officer Vance said and turned to go inside.


    ¡°Not without your minder.¡± Officer Smith said, shaking her head and tossing her short hair out of the way of her eyes. ¡°Lansing! Go search with Darron, make sure he doesn¡¯t miss anything.¡±


    I whistled and raised my eyebrows at Vance, giving him the middle finger in a way only he could see.


    We both gave our story to Officer Smith, then circled around the back of the house and showed where the attack had occurred. The destruction was more than I recalled in our brief moments before heading inside. The rose bushes were trampled, and burned spots littered the grass. Brass casings from Lana¡¯s spent rounds lay strewn about the lawn. Her gun lay discarded on the ground from where it had fallen when we¡¯d been struck.


    It reinforced one thing for me. We were lucky to be alive.


    If the creature had attacked before I¡¯d spotted it, if I hadn¡¯t had my backpack with iron filings inside and right next to my chair, or if our chairs hadn¡¯t been together where they were¡ªeverything could have gone differently.


    An ambulance arrived and we both had to fend off the helpful EMTs, stating we were proficient in wound care and would take care of everything ourselves. They still insisted on checking me for a concussion and assessing Lana¡¯s wounds while applying antiseptics and education on wound prevention and a few light bandages for her ankle and forearm. They highly recommended she go into the ER for stitches.


    We were separated and I was asked about my wounds, the Officer and EMT carefully inquiring if I¡¯d been abused and felt safe with them leaving me there. I was sure Lana was asked the same questions and while it felt dumb given what we¡¯d just faced together, I knew they were just doing their jobs. We were allowed to return to each other after a few moments when they were reasonably assured we weren¡¯t the cause of each other¡¯s injuries.


    ¡°They probably can help you,¡± I whispered in her ear, ¡°I¡¯m sure that cuts stinging pretty bad.¡± I said, gesturing at her arm, ¡°You might also need meds, or imaging of your leg.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine,¡± Lana said. ¡°Fren can help in a few days, right?¡±


    I nodded glumly. Hoping he would be able to, but I didn¡¯t want to get into the details of it right now since an Officer had moved close by, and discussing Fren¡¯s powers was probably a quick way to get put into a psychiatric ward, or at least taken to the hospital to ensure we were in a proper state of mind to make decisions like refusing medical care.


    Our story was questioned, multiple times. It helped that whatever had attacked us had scarred the fence with claw as it physically broke through the thick planks to escape. I personally didn¡¯t think a cougar could manage the feat, but it was clear something had attacked and that we thought it was a cougar. I heard someone on the patrol radio telling someone on the other end that the FBI might want to see the site for their ongoing investigation. I groaned, knowing we were going to have a very, very long night.

 Chapter 41 — Abuse of Power

    Chapter 41 ¡ª Abuse of Power


    The night went longer than I feared. Chris and Gregory showed up to question us incessantly a second time, the Officers bought time until they arrived by questioning everything and surveying the backyard and house multiple times. I let out a sigh of relief when the local Officers got bored and left us alone with the FBI agents. I swore Officer Vance was hanging around simply because he could and didn¡¯t want to do any actual police work.


    Now able, Gregory and Chris asked for the real story. We told them all we could. I¡¯d barely seen glimpses of the creature through the gunfire and my shield energy. I had no idea what it was, but we let them know it was the threat.


    The most relevant information I could get across was that we had injured it with iron. Chris and Gregory were surprised by that. They hadn¡¯t known iron could be so effective on magical creatures. It was Lana¡¯s telling of what I¡¯d done that made Chris buy it. He trusted her enough that he in turn was beginning to trust my information. I might have been more excited about it, if I wasn¡¯t beaten to a pulp and barely able to stand.


    ¡°If Iron can hurt these things¡­¡± Gregory said, looking down at the hardwood flooring. ¡°We need to get that into the files.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we do. Especially if it works so well against a broad array of enemies.¡±


    ¡°Anything infused by or crafted from magic. That includes most beings from outside of our world and the Fae. If they have been here for a long time some of that weakness will diminish.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s still a godsend,¡± Chris agreed.


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised your records don¡¯t have it.¡± I offered, hoping to learn more about the FBI¡¯s store of knowledge on the supernatural.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have access to everything, and it¡¯s not like we have an introductory training course,¡± Gregory said, tucking a little paper notepad away he¡¯d used for notes. ¡°People just¡­ find themselves in our position from time to time. We¡¯re more adept at it than others and have developed a name for ourselves within the organization.¡±


    ¡°We have higher backers, but they don¡¯t tell us everything,¡± Chris said, and I could see the late night was getting to him, his eyes looked shadowed.


    ¡°They should have told you something like that,¡± I argued.


    ¡°It¡¯s time we were leaving,¡± Chris said. ¡°Cal, you still owe me an interview, but we can do it another time. Lana, thank you for your hospitality.¡± He gestured to the drinks she¡¯d brought.


    ¡°Anytime Chris,¡± Lana said. ¡°It¡­ is good to see you again. I hope you can catch this thing before Cal and I have too.¡± She said the last in jest, but her usual confidence was lacking.


    I nodded in agreement, but inwardly knew, I was the only person in this town who would have the ability to stop this creature, and I didn¡¯t have much time to do it before it killed again.


    We led the agents to the front door, and they left without another word. While Lana locked and bolted the door I stumbled down onto her couch, not wanting to get up again that night if I could help it. The benefit of being so exhausted and having used so much of my power was that my aura would be much less likely to damage her things. The lights in the room were still working after events of the night. It would take an extreme emotion to for that to change, like it had for Vance¡¯s patrol car.


    ¡°What a night,¡± Lana said, groaning from the opposite chair in the front room she¡¯d collapsed into.


    The night¡ªmorning was well into the single-digit hours. An old standing clock read just after two.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said, feeling forty years older than I was. ¡°We¡¯ll have Fren fix you up in no time.¡±


    ¡°I hope it¡¯s soon,¡± Lana said with a sigh. We sat, relaxed and unhurried after having to be so guarded and careful with the Officers and then slightly less so with the FBI. To my surprise, Lana stood and melted into the sofa next to me, snuggling in close. She felt warm and I appreciated being close. Our late-night conversation had been wildly interrupted. She turned and I could feel her breath lightly against my ear for a moment before she spoke, the words breaking through the cloudiness that was my mind.


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    ¡°I decided,¡± her eyes met mine.


    ¡°Decided what?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re sleeping over.¡±


    I feared for a moment I had already fallen asleep and was simply imagining her words while snoring away on the sofa, but the pain I still felt, and the warmth of her being close, let me know I was awake. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°No way either of us are driving right now. And honestly. I¡¯m freaked out that that thing knows where I live. You¡¯re staying the night.¡±


    The finality of her statement made me grin, ¡°You just want me for my body.¡± Even those words took an effort of will.


    ¡°You really are stuck at a highschooler mentality, aren¡¯t you?¡± Lana said with a relaxed smile.


    ¡°If only. I feel like I¡¯m eighty and not going to be able to walk straight for days.¡±


    That made Lana quirk her lips.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go¡ªget some sleep,¡± she said.


    ¡°Only sleep?¡± I asked, unsure of what I really wanted with how injured I was.


    ¡°I like you Cal, but¡­ I don¡¯t want our first time to be when were exhausted, beat near to death, and wounded.¡±


    That really made me perk up, my body trying to scream, I¡¯m not exhausted, or injured, not me!


    When I nearly missed a step walking up the stairs to her room for the second time on the same day, I had to agree were weren¡¯t in the best shape. I grabbed the rail to save myself from another fall which sent a lancing pain down my side that doubled me over. Lana was right. Sleep was in order.


    ¡°Fine, sleep only,¡± I groaned in clear answer to the discussion we¡¯d been having downstairs, ¡°But Fren is going to fix us both up soon¡ªtomorrow.¡±


    ¡°I can agree with that,¡± Lana said, reaching down to give me a hand. We shuffled into her room, and she flicked on the light. Her bed looked more inviting than anything else I¡¯d ever seen in my life.


    ¡°That piece of shit,¡± she growled, standing taller as her eyes searched the room.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked, blinking and trying to find what had raised her ire.


    ¡°That bastard¡ªOfficer Vance¡ªit had to be him.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± I said, my perusal of the room showing nothing out of place or unexpected.


    ¡°He searched the house earlier, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I answered. ¡°I think a few of them did, a few times if I recall.¡±


    ¡°Well, he left one drawer in my room half open.¡±


    I followed her glare and saw one of the top drawers in the waist-high dresser left open. Inside lay piled lacy bits of clothing, panties, and bras all tossed and moved aside as if someone had been digging through them looking for something.


    A part of me growled in frustration and indignity at the blatantly abusive Officer. Another part growled in hunger and desire to know exactly how Lana would look in each of those items.


    She slammed the drawer shut and swore again.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said glumly. ¡°I dragged you into his bad graces.¡±


    ¡°Police Officers shouldn¡¯t have bad graces. They should be respectable, honorable. That¡¯s what my father always projected¡ªYes, he was in the military, but it¡¯s still a position of public service. It just annoys the hell out of me when people abuse their power.¡± She stood, hands on hips, glaring at the dresser.


    ¡°Yeah, his rookies not too bad though,¡± I said to lighten the mood. ¡°Hell, the rest of the force is great.¡±


    ¡°Right. He¡¯s already a better Officer, yet he¡¯s tied down to dead weight. You saw how quickly the female Officer jumped in; she knows Vance is scum.¡±


    I agreed. Darron was the worst of them. But I was too tired to jump on the band wagon and didn¡¯t know how to help Lana with her frustration. So, I reached out and grabbed her shoulders from behind while she glared at the dresser. I rubbed them, digging my thumbs into the tight muscles from her neck to her shoulders and back. It hurt my side a little, but not enough to stop.


    This was the first time I¡¯d really initiated close touch with her. Her shoulders easily fit in my hands. Her skin and muscles were tight, but in moments that tension began to wane. She rolled her head to one side, letting me work the other harder, eyes closed.


    ¡°That feels amazing,¡± She crooned.


    I kissed her lightly from behind on the right side of her jaw where it met her neck. She smelled wonderful even though she also carried the faint scent of smoke from the fire and grass from the tumble through her yard.


    She turned and we kissed. Gently, then another single passionate kiss before she stepped back, putting one coy finger over my lips, ¡°No more tonight.¡±


    ¡°I agree with that plan,¡± I said, exhaustion making me believe my own words roughly ninety percent.


    ¡°But¡­¡± Lana said, unbuttoning her pants, ¡°I do need to get into pajamas.¡± She bit her bottom lip, then slowly slid them off.


    Her legs were incredible. Like, freaking incredible. My ninety percent resolve to just go to sleep, crashed faster than¡­ well any computer in my personal sphere would have in that moment. The light above flicked and with a small pop, died.


    Lana laughed and I let out the most annoyed sigh of my life as the room settled into absolute darkness.


    ¡°Sorry about that,¡± I said, as I began undoing my belt and pulling my own pants off.


    ¡°I have spares,¡± she said, as I heard the bed move as she lay down. My heart raced, but the moment I lay down my mind calmed. Exhaustion flowed over me, though Lana did cuddle in close. Her bed smelled like her and was much softer than mine. The blankets were thin, the same way I liked them, and the air in the room was cool, a window left open a crack all night had cooled it more than the rest of the house. I held Lana close, her back to me, one of my arms resting over her, feeling her skin and the way her ribs rose and fell with each breath. Sleep claimed us both in moments.

 Chapter 42 — Power Failed Me

    Chapter 42 ¡ª Power Failed Me


    I stood in an open field by a barn, the sun moments from setting. Stalks of growing wheat stretched away for miles around me over softly rolling hills. They swirled, revealing the movement of the wind, as if invisible fingers touched and brushed through their golden heads.


    The sun began to fall further behind the hills freeing shadows which grew towards me, the movements of the grain took on an ominous edge. The individual wheat stalks began to twitch in disharmony, as if multitudes of creatures were eating at their bases while the field fell into night, stalks began to drop one by one to the ground in twitching fits.


    Then I saw one of the creatures. It was a small mouse or rat. It climbed a nearby stalk using its body weight to drop the heads of grain to the ground where other rats below began to feed. Hundreds, then thousands of red beady reflective eyes became visible to me. As they neared, their attention turned from the grain¡­to me. The twitching wheat stopped as the multitude eyed a better meal.


    I gulped, spinning around to ensure none where already on their way towards my back, as the more venturous began to lead the horde. I ran, finding momentary shelter in a nearby barn. The door was open, but it was pitch black inside. The soft screeches and thumps of little bodies hopping behind in the dirt as they leap at my legs made me panic. I did not want to be chewed slowly to death by pests. I dove into the awaiting barn, shutting the large swinging door with a kick before I leapt up and latched it tightly closed. I stomped the nearest creatures who made it in and swatted those scrambling up my pants.


    Panting, I turned to face the darkness, stretching out a hand to avoid running into something that might impale me, I blindly tried to get further from the door. The wooden walls were made of slatted wood, and they wouldn¡¯t hold out the vermin, not for long. I needed to do something to reinforce the walls. There was a lantern or some manner of light ahead, lit faintly, but it seemed more distant than it should have been for the small building. Regardless I made my way towards it, as I did I felt the dirt floor of the barn transition to a rough stone beneath my bare feet


    I realized the darkness around me concealed any other escape, I pressed up to a wall in the darkness and felt stone all around. I looked back behind me, but all I could see where vague shapes of stone and darkness, hadn¡¯t I been in a barn? I needed light.


    I turned and found the light that had been ahead had changed while I looked away, or perhaps I hadn¡¯t seen it clearly before and now I did? I could see it clearly. A pool of water sat ahead in the stone floor, illuminated by refracted light. Perhaps I could get out through that water. The light emanating from the water left mesmerizing patterns on the cave roof as I approached the stone lip to the pool. As I got closer, I saw the pool was deep and lit by light internally that I could not see the source of, as if the water itself was bioluminescent or there were industrial grade flood lights lighting the pool out of view. It served to give the water an uncomfortable brightness to my adjusting eyes and made every bubble, every impurity show. When my eyes adjusted to the brightness, I saw something deep in the water.


    Lana.


    She was as I had just seen her. Nearly naked, lacy black underwear with a matching black tank top undershirt which billowed about her in the water. She floated face down in the pool, her head turned to one side letting me know it was her. I could clearly make out the lines of her shoulder blades, the soft points of bone along her spine which were not covered, the arch of her back as it met her hips and legs, her hair spilled out dark black around her in the water.


    I yelled, reaching into the pool as my heart began to race but suddenly the opening was so small I couldn¡¯t get more than my arm and shoulder into the water. I yelled, splashing, and swinging my arm to get her attention. Her body slowly spun, it took agonizing moments before she turned face up and I saw her eyes clearly.


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    Open and lifeless.


    I stepped back in horror and realized I was no longer in cave. The brightly lit pool of water I had just been looking into became the off white of linens adorning a hospital gurney. I looked around and found I was alone in a hospital room; the bright lights above were harsh, and I lifted an arm to shield my face.


    It was frigid in the building, my breath billowed out in a cloud.


    My feet stung and I looked down to see they were bare beneath the hospital gown I was wearing. The floor was as cold as ice. There was nothing soft or warm in the room beyond the gurney. Its sheets were tucked under the thin mattress tightly and well used leather restraints lay across the top, those were enough to stifle the urge to pull the blanket free for warmth. Nearby, carts with tops covered in syringes lay upon sterile steel trays, along with blades, scalpels, and knives among other metallic instruments I had no idea the use of. The array of carts blocked easy exit out of the room. I pushed one cart aside, then another and made it to the doorway.


    I knew what kind of place this was. I knew this wasn¡¯t real, it was a dream. Despite that realization, I was already panicked.


    How had this happened? How had Lana been here? I¡¯d been confused at first, as I often was in these miasmic night terrors of the Deamon. The changing rooms were always fueled with horror that grew worse and worse; it could be from no other source.


    I tried to wake up, but as always, felt trapped and unable to flee.


    The hallway outside lay in shadow, a single flickering light sat a hundred feet down the passage. Its reflected light all that let me see. I passed a dozen empty rooms to stand under the light. My hospital gown had seemed to shrink with each step, feeling far too small and constrictive.


    ¡°There you are,¡± a soft feminine voice said. ¡°We haven¡¯t finished, you and I.¡±


    I turned and saw someone who looked like Lana, but the expression, the stance, the person inside, was wrong. They had black eyes which gleamed in the dim light like obsidian, having no sclera.


    ¡°Get back!¡± I shouted, focusing my will, my power.


    Nothing happened. I couldn¡¯t feel the familiar power of my core. I couldn¡¯t feel the pull of energy into my body, into my control. I felt hallow, empty. I¡¯d never felt that¡ªeven in a dream.


    I fell to my knees suddenly weak. It¡¯s just a dream, I thought. But that didn¡¯t change the emptiness I felt inside, an emptiness so foreign and wrong I had no comparison for it.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t you remember?¡± The creature said as it approached. It wore Lana¡¯s skin but was not her. It wore a white lab coat, a surgical face mask hung loosely about its throat. It smiled almost the same way Lana did.


    ¡°We took that pesky thing from you, that is what the surgery was for. You begged me to remove it.¡±


    I looked down and opened my robe to see my bare chest. A winding path of staples closed a scar that wended from one shoulder across my chest, then zig-zagged back and forth until it reached my other thigh. It was red with spots of black rot and infection, vibrant green and purple bruises highlighted areas next to puckered skin that looked ready to rupture.


    I looked up at the false Lana. She held a shiny palm-sized sphere in one hand, a core. It was sticky with blood, congealing on its surface and adhering to her blue surgical gloves.


    ¡°A surprisingly small core for a wizard, but I guess we have to take what we can get.¡±


    I screamed and the Lana creature laughed.


    My voice grew hoarse, my limbs felt leaden, and I sat on the floor watching her, unable to move as my energy suddenly drained. She smiled, her jaw opening wider than it should, popping and cracking as bones dislocated until she could fit the core in her mouth and swallow it whole. Its size made her throat bulge out in a way a humans never could as the center of my power was consumed. The creature paused, pressing a hand against her mouth for a moment as if to stifle indigestion, then they winked. The not Lana reached up with long-nailed fingers and grabbed the skin of her forehead and began tearing it aside with each hand, like ripping a banana from its peel.


    Agonizing moments later, the daemon emerged. My core visibly glowed through the skin of her chest. She laughed as I swooned, my remaining strength siphoned off against my will. My body and power failed me.


    ¡°You will be mine, wizard. I will consume you,¡± She glared daggers at me, her pitch-black eyes sucking in the light. ¡°I will take everything you love,¡± She gestured to the floor where what was left of Lana lay. ¡°I will make you suffer for what you have done to me, for what you have taken!¡±


    She stepped forward, grabbing my throat as she lovingly choked me to death.


    That was the first of many, many dreams.


    I was stuck, dying time after time until finally it ended.

 Chapter 43 — Watchers

    Chapter 43 ¡ª Watchers


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Lana asked. She sat upright in the bed on her knees beside me, leaning over so she could shake my shoulders with each arm. Her hands were only inches from my neck.


    I started, sweeping an arm across hers to knock her grip free before I realized this might be the real Lana and that I was awake. Then again, it would be just like the Daemon to start the dream fresh like this in order to throw me off and give me hope of release.


    Without the support of her arms, which I¡¯d expertly swatted aside, Lana fell forward onto me. Using her better marshal skill, she used her legs to push as she fell so her chest, rather than nose or forehead hit my face. We rolled apart and I stood from the bed, wrenching part of the sheet free as I did. I stood drenched in sweat, every muscle tense and ready for combat.


    ¡°Cal? Cal? Are you okay? What was that?¡±


    ¡°What was what?¡± I said hurriedly, arms still raised defensively.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t wake up! I was trying to wake you up for like fifteen minutes.¡± Lana sounded exasperated, and worried.


    ¡°Really?¡± I said, hesitantly looking around and trying to determine if this was the real world or another dream. My sore muscles, the exacting detail of Lana¡¯s room and feeling my core swelling within me with power made me relax.


    ¡°It looked like you were having a seizure or something, you kept twitching. I was trying to figure out how to get an ambulance without a phone.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± I said, distractedly as my eyes swept over the room, finding nothing creepy or off putting about it. I was tense and had been battling¡­ well dying and being attacked most of the night. It was hard to let my guard down. The sun was up, Lana was dressed the same as she¡¯d appeared several times in my dreams. While she looked incredible, it dredged up unpleasant memories. Most importantly she didn¡¯t have the black eyes of the Daemon. She¡¯d never had her true eyes in that place. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said, allowing myself to relax.


    ¡°What, was that? Is thatt a normal wizard thing? You slept like the dead.¡±


    ¡°Definitely not,¡± I said with a sigh. ¡°Nothing about that was normal.¡±


    Lana tilted her head. I saw two faint streaks where tears had run down her cheeks. She¡¯d probably thought I was dead or dying. If only she knew how many times that had happened.


    ¡°I¡¯ve told you so little of what you need to know, and I feel like the mountain of information I need to tell you¡ªso you can make a truly informed decision about us¡ª keeps growing. I¡­ I¡¯ve been having nightmares.¡±


    Lana sat on the bed, curling her knees up close to her chest, and wrapping her arms around them. ¡°Everyone has nightmares.¡±


    I chuckled darkly, ¡°Not like this they don¡¯t.¡±


    I filled her in on the basics of the dreams. The barest hint of how dark some of the deaths and event had been. I didn¡¯t tell her she was in them now, or the things I¡¯d seen happen to her or that she had done to me. It would only freak her out.


    ¡°Fren and I think it¡¯s a daemon of some sort. I think it might have sent whatever attacked last night. It¡¯s like a hound hunting me for its master. The daemon is the force behind it.¡±


    ¡°All of this is about you?¡± she asked, staring at one of the walls. ¡°I don¡¯t know. That doesn¡¯t make a lot of sense. The murders and missing people have been going on for weeks.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. It didn¡¯t know where to find me before. Each night it¡¯s come closer to it, I¡¯ve had a dream like this. The night before the attack at the inn was the last one I had.¡± I tried to calm my voice and slow my racing heart.


    ¡°But they only happen when you¡¯re not at home?¡±


    ¡°Yes, my protections keep me safe. It usually takes a few days for them to start. As bad as the dream last night was, it wasn¡¯t the worst,¡± I felt my chest, where the daemon had recently turned my power against me and burned my flesh in the real world. ¡°I was stupid last night. I didn¡¯t set wards to protect my dreams, even if they don¡¯t seem to be working. I was tired and not thinking clearly.¡± I looked at Lana now sitting cross legged on her bed, holding a pillow tightly to her chest. She nodded, but it didn¡¯t have her normal cheery grin. ¡°And I was very, very distracted.¡± My words did the opposite of my intension to lighten the mood.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Lana said, looking down, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have made you come over, not with how beat up you were, you should have been sleeping for hours longer, safe at home.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you did. It was a night to remember. But I do need to see Fren. I need to make sure he¡¯s okay. Also¡­ you should sleep over tonight, at my place.¡±


    A hesitant smile crept onto Lana¡¯s face.


    I grinned too, ¡°Yeah¡ªit will be much safer. I want you to stay over until we catch this thing.¡±


    ¡°Normally I¡¯d insist we have at least an official date first, but I¡¯ll pack a bag.¡± Her usual jovial attitude began returning as she hopped off the bed and ran into the master bathroom.


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    I got dressed in my clothes from the night before, then found myself with absolutely nothing to do. I wanted to brush my teeth but didn¡¯t have a brush.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to go look out back,¡± I said. ¡°See if anything stands out differently this morning.¡±


    Lana yelled something but was obviously brushing her teeth and I couldn¡¯t make it out through the door.


    I restrained my aura, knowing that last night in the throes of my dreams any damage that could be done, probably already had. Then again, I¡¯d been exhausted and mentally separated from myself and power somehow. Perhaps I hadn¡¯t destroyed everything in Lana¡¯s home. It was a small redeeming thought.


    I hadn¡¯t had power in my dreams, I hadn¡¯t had my magic. I itched to use some, just to reassure myself that my core hadn¡¯t been taken from me. Could a core be harvested while someone still lived? I didn¡¯t think so, not with it being tied to a soul. It could simply have been a fear the daemon latched on. Or perhaps it was because my reserves were already so drained in the waking world.


    In the kitchen the fridge was still humming along and one of the porch lights was on and visible through the front door, so I took solace in that and went to the back yard.


    It looked bad last night but, in the daylight, it looked strangely worse and not as bad at the same time.


    The burned patches and charred bushes as well as the broken fence were worse, but without the shadows and unknowns, without the red and blue bright lights illuminating everything from patrol cars, it looked much more mundane. The grass was trodden down from dozens of footsteps in the night. My heart caught at another part of Lana¡¯s life I¡¯d ruined and hurt just by being present.


    The autumn weather was oppressive on the plants, the now flattened grass dormant and subdued. I could tell it wouldn¡¯t bounce back the way it would have a few months ago. My Jeep was visible, parked in front of Lana¡¯s external garage. A few new leaves sat on its hood, the deep fall colors matching the old paint job, leaves also covered the corners of the fence and around most bushes in reds, yellows, and browns.


    I surveyed my jeep; the exposed front window was covered in frost. Otherwise, it looked unchanged. I really needed to get a garage or install covered parking behind my shop because I hated scrapping windows.


    I walked over to check on it more closely. In the turmoil of the night the Jeep had largely been overlooked. I saw my discarded backpack one the way and grabbed it. It didn¡¯t look like it had been disturbed but I was sure at least one Officer had taken a peek inside. Either iron knuckles were alright in Idaho, or they hadn¡¯t found them. I walked back to my jeep and put the bag in the back.


    Unsure what to do next, I walked out front to look down the road. I felt bad, Lana would probably lose some of the ¡®goodwill¡¯ neighborhoods like this gave new move in¡¯s after dumping a magazine into the fae creature last night. Things like that, from a young single girl in the neighborhood would freak people out or lead them to assume Lana wasn¡¯t very stable. Perhaps when they heard about the animal attack that would change, but who knew.


    A few hundred feet down the road I saw an old mustang, a 69¡¯ based on the trim on the doors, facing towards her house. It was pitch black and gleamed in the morning light. The windows were fogged, and the car was off. I could make out the blurred shapes of two men eating breakfast sandwiches from a local fast-food joint inside.


    One saw me and nearly dropped his meal, turning to the other. After a quick look they both tried to look anywhere but at me. My shoulders tightened. They had been startled to see me, which in and of itself was odd.


    There were a few other people out. A woman jogging along the road and an older man slowly walking the sidewalk, but the two men hadn¡¯t responded to seeing them. The pair was parked across the road and about three houses down from Lana¡¯s. The car parked exactly between two houses, which made it clear it didn¡¯t belong to either one of them. I contemplated what to do, turning back to head inside as I did. It was strange, this was an out of the way street to pull over and eat breakfast. We were a few blocks from Sarah¡¯s place and that was literally the closest eatery. But they¡¯d gotten food elsewhere and come here for a reason, for a purpose, and my gut said it was me.


    Lana must have been waiting for me because she stepped out onto the drive from the kitchen when I walked into view. ¡°I¡¯m throwing some eggs on the stove. Sorry I took a little longer, my hair dryer was dead.¡± I could tell her hair was wet because of the water marks on her shirt. ¡°Everything else has been working fine though.¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± I said, knowing that we¡¯d gotten off lucky. ¡°I¡¯ll buy¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªIts fine. But it¡¯s going to take a little longer to get ready, that¡¯s all. Maybe start a fire?¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll go on a quick walk,¡± I said. ¡°Be back in like ten minutes.¡±


    ¡°Do you think it¡¯s safe,¡± she whispered. ¡°For either of us to be alone?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t be far.¡± I didn¡¯t want to concern her if the two men were completely innocuous, but I needed to be certain.


    I jogged into the back yard and dipped through the new hole in the fence. I discovered the fence line ran along a small canal, in the not-too-distant past it probably led to a farm. Now it served to irrigate the larger yards each of the houses in the neighborhood boasted, all the farms long gone in this area. It had a dirt road for maintenance running along one edge, which I used to get away from Lana¡¯s yard in secret.


    The sun was up, cresting the foothills near the city. The air was crisp and clear, the sky blue. Kate was probably already at the shop, getting it opened. I owed her hugely. We took turns and this week was hers to open every day, but it had been a busy eventful weekend, and she¡¯d covered extra since I was supposed to be out of town ¡®hiking¡¯. I wasn¡¯t sure how reliable I would be next week with everything going on. I needed to stop this creature quickly. It was one thing to open the shop whenever I felt like and change that time on a whim if I needed, consistency be damned. But now I had a partner, and social media.


    I walked the sidewalk, approaching a turn that should place me a few hundred feet behind the mustang. I took it and only a few seconds after coming into view the car started up. It had a nice American muscle purr to it, but it wasn¡¯t aggressively loud. The two men left driving slowly down the lane.


    It was weird and I had had about enough of weirdness the past few days. But it could be coincidence, or maybe they were watching the house and saw me coming up behind which spooked them? There was nothing to do for it but keep an eye out and see if I saw them again.


    I walked back to Lana¡¯s and the eggs were done. We ate quickly inside the warm house; she packed a few last things and then we left. Lana left her car, after checking that it had still started.


    It thankfully did.


    We both hopped into the Jeep, and I drove slowly so we didn¡¯t get too cold in the early morning air, especially with Lana¡¯s hair still being damp. Pulling into the back alley I saw Kate¡¯s car parked at far end by my shop¡¯s back door and that she had indeed already opened up the shop. I parked beside her, and helped Lana grab her bags, leading the way up to the back door to unlock it and let us in.

 Chapter 44 — Married?

    Chapter 44 ¡ª Married?


    As we entered, I heard a few voices out of view and by the register. That by itself wasn¡¯t abnormal, but they sounded different from normal shop patrons, more gruff, clipped and low. I took a few steps in until I could see the counter. Two men were questioning Kate, and she looked uncomfortable. Her shoulders were hunched, and she stood behind the register like it was her last bulwark against them. Her knees were bent, making her appear smaller and on the verge of running.


    The shorter of the men had circled to the side of the register countertop, and had one hand on the countertop, the other on his hip. It looked like a relaxed posture but given his stance behind the counter, it wasn¡¯t. He was speaking aggressively to Kate, his back to me. Seeing it all in the split second after opening the door made my ire rise. There was no good reason for someone to be cornering Kate in like that.


    ¡°Hello gentlemen,¡± I interjected loudly. Kate gave Lana and I a quick glance, a soft exhalation of held breath showed me her relief. ¡°Can I help you?¡± I said, rudely stepping well into the comfort zone of the one closest to her. He turned to look me up and down, eyes narrowing in what I took for recognition, but I couldn¡¯t place him from my past. He took a step sideways back from me and the side of the counter to a more reasonable place for a customer to stand. As he moved next to the other, the taller of the two, I saw the way his shirt and jacket moved and assumed he had a firearm of some sort concealed under his stiff jacket.


    ¡°Yeah, we just have a few questions,¡± The man said, flipping a legal looking badge open, then slapping it closed again before I could read it.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t really catch the department on your badge, can I see it again?¡±


    ¡°Not to worry. You¡¯re not in trouble or anything,¡± he said, not proffering me the badge again. ¡°I understand you had a break in the other day and we had a few questions about it.¡±


    ¡°And who are you?¡± I asked, trying to remain civil.


    ¡°James Colt, and this is my partner, Seth Colt,¡± the shorter and more dominant of the two said. His stance, posture and confidence reminded me of those with a military baring, like Rex at home in his dojo. The taller of the pair was lankier and more ungainly compared to the first, but they both had strong arms and looked like they knew how to throw down.


    Kate took a few more steps back to be closer to Lana and me. I could see the muscles near her shoulders and neck were strained and tense, her face flushed. It pissed me off.


    ¡°Same last name,¡± I said, stepping forward again. ¡°Married?¡±  I raised my hands defensively as their demeanors changed. ¡°I¡¯m not one to judge.¡±


    ¡°¡ªWere brothers, not that kind of partner,¡± the shorter one said, his face growing flushed. I¡¯d irritated him which he more than deserved.


    ¡°Brothers in the same legal department, working together? Care to elaborate, that seems a little odd and with the way you were treating my friend you better have a damn good reason for being here?¡± I felt like shit. I knew my face, neck, and arms were bruised and scraped. My clothes were torn and bloody. But my voice as I said those words carried all the threat, frustration, and anger I was storing up inside. I was about an inch taller than the tallest Colt brother and wasn¡¯t in any kind of mood to banter. They got the picture.


    ¡°FBI,¡± Seth the lanky one said.


    ¡°I know some people at the FBI, what department?¡± Lana asked, in a tone that might be considered helpful, if you didn¡¯t know her. ¡°Maybe you know them?¡±


    James and Seth both looked at each other for a moment, then James lost his cool, ¡°Look. We know you¡¯re involved in the disappearances and missing persons in the woods. People have died, and we¡¯re not the ones on trial here, you are.¡±


    Kate took another few steps back as James raised his tone. I took another step forward and adjusted my stance, ready for a fight if it came to that. Lana inched up next to me and, unknown to the other two, was the greater physical threat. I was beginning to get an idea of who these two might be, and they weren¡¯t FBI. I looked out the front of the store and saw a black mustang parked just in view of the window.


    ¡°Nobody¡¯s on trial here, but you two,¡± I said. ¡°The real FBI and the police cleared me. You can both leave now and never come back, or we¡¯re going to have problems.¡± I wanted to take my frustrations out on them, but Lana and Kate could be hurt. They had firearms, though Lana probably did too, and I bet she was a quicker draw after seeing her last night.


    James held up his hands defensively, but his actions didn¡¯t match his accusatory tone, ¡°You were there when the attack happened at the Sugar Loaf Inn, you had an attack here yesterday, and an attack at a home a mile from here last night. It doesn¡¯t take a rocket scientist to put those pieces together.¡± He thrust out his chest like each word gave him a religious right to be in my shop. He knew how to fight as I saw him set his own feet. By the shape of his nose, he¡¯d been in a few before. His brother looked to be the more reasonable and less hot headed of the pair. He stepped back towards the door, putting an arm on his brother¡¯s shoulder to calm him down.


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    ¡°We don¡¯t know anything for sure,¡± Seth, the tall one said, if that was even their real names. ¡°There is time to figure it all out.¡±


    ¡°Like hell there is. People are dying,¡± James barked.


    ¡°Look, we honestly came for information,¡± Seth said to me. ¡°We¡¯ll go now.¡±


    ¡°Like hell you will. Impersonating the FBI is a federal offence. I also saw your car casing the house this morning. You¡¯re staying right here.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s all settle down,¡± Seth said. ¡°Things are getting far too heated. We¡¯re all good people here.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not certain,¡± James growled, his knuckles popping as he tightened his fists. I began preparing a spell that would shatter the man¡¯s arm bones if he tried to punch me.


    ¡°We were at the house,¡± Seth said, ¡°because we¡¯re tracking the murders. You¡¯re right, we¡¯re not FBI, just private investigators. We were only joking around.¡±


    ¡°Joking at jail time,¡± I said, holding my ground.


    Everyone paused as Seth¡¯s phone began vibrating loudly in his pocket.


    ¡°Do you mind if I answer this?¡±


    ¡°Go ahead, we have calls to make too,¡± I said, but I didn¡¯t have a phone, Lana¡¯s was still bricked, and Kate had probably left hers in her car.


    Seth answered the call and held it up to his ear as we all paused, the store falling to an unnatural quiet. His face fell. ¡°What time did it happen?¡±


    A pause.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    Another pause.


    ¡°Thanks for calling. You stopped James from doing something stupid,¡± Seth said, then closed his phone, letting out a large breath. ¡°It¡¯s not them.¡±


    James grit his teeth, grimaced, then stepped back a few steps, his aggressive posture diminishing.


    ¡°What was that?¡± I said, ¡°You came in real hot to give up now, what changed?¡±


    ¡°More murders,¡± Seth said. ¡°Last night, while you were with the police and FBI agents.¡±


    I growled at how much information they had beyond us but was glad the strange set of events had cleared our names in their eyes and hopefully would the FBI and police departments as well. ¡°How bad,¡± I asked, knowing the answer.


    ¡°Bad. At least twelve dead.¡± Seth said.


    ¡°Shit,¡± James and I said at the same time. I looked at him irritated and saw he was doing the same.


    Without warning, the two men turned and began to leave in a hurry.


    ¡°Hey¡ªwait. You¡¯re not going to leave after the crap you just pulled, were getting the police,¡± I said. At that both the men ran towards the door. Lana somehow conjured up her gun again, but by the time she did they were out the door and onto the main road.


    ¡°Who was that?¡± Lana asked.


    ¡°I have no idea,¡± I said, since Kate was present. But as I passed Lana to grab her staying over bag she¡¯d left by the back door amidst the commotion I whispered, ¡°Seekers.¡±


    Her eyes grew and she nodded, now understanding.


    ¡°Whoever they were, I hope they don¡¯t come again,¡± Kate said, visibly shaken. Her voice cracked as the adrenaline and fear keeping her upright waned.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Kate, do you need a moment¡ªor to take the day off?¡±


    ¡°I just need a minute. Nothing happened, they were just mean, and I was here alone¡­ it¡­ it made me worried. I¡¯m so glad you arrived when you did.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to have to change some things around here.¡± I said, ¡°Get a phone, maybe cameras.¡± At Kate¡¯s nod I added that we also might have to try a credit card reader. ¡°We¡¯ll have to see if the electrical of the building fries them, but with everything that¡¯s happened the past few days, there¡¯s no way around it.¡±


    Kate seemed relieved by the prospect. It made me angry. She was like my little sister and had lived a relatively sheltered life which made her seem even younger. I suspected the Colt brothers, if that was their real names, of being part of the order of the Grim brotherhood. After their actions and the story from Chris with the FBI, I now believed that every bad thing I¡¯d heard about the group was true.


    I raced through my options for making the shop safer for Kate. I could move the shop or move my home. Or¡­ work my butt off to shield the shop and separate it from my room and the basement ¡®magically¡¯ so that they were more protected and the powers I sued shielded to protect electronics in the shop. I knew Kate wasn¡¯t alone, Fren was here and if anything turned south he would have immediately gotten involved. However, that might freak Kate out even more if it happened suddenly. I needed to learn more control since I wasn¡¯t just living my life alone now. I had a business and¡­ a relationship. We hadn¡¯t really defined what we were. Friends, certainly, but also more¡ªif last night¡¯s conversation was anything to go by.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ Well, we¡¯re going to be downstairs. Let¡¯s lock up the shop, give you whatever time you need to recoup, with how crazy it¡¯s been we could even close today if we need. Monday¡¯s not generally a busy day.¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m fine, but I¡¯ll step out and get something to eat, to settle my nerves. I¡¯ll go to Sarah¡¯s,¡± Kate said with a determined nod. ¡°Do you think those two were the men who tried robbing the store?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± I said, Kate¡¯s comment sparking some interesting ideas. ¡°They were about that height. Maybe we should call it in. Get the police to investigate. They were driving an old black mustang. That¡¯s gotta be easy to identify and track down.¡±


    I doubted it would be enough to drive them out of the area, and they were likely trying to help, but I didn¡¯t want them to hurt us or someone else who couldn¡¯t defend themselves in a misguided attempt at justice. I was sure they had weapons in their car and any search would cause a headache if nothing else. ¡°Do you mind calling it in, I don¡¯t have a phone as you well know, and Lana¡¯s died the other day.¡±


    ¡°Fell to the ¡®Earths bounty¡¯ curse huh?¡± Kate asked with a knowing smile.


    ¡°Yeah, it was the weirdest thing,¡± Lana agreed. ¡°It was working fine. Then I spent a little time over here and now its completely dead.¡±


    ¡°I swear they are going to find out that the cell towers or something converge on this street and we¡¯re all being cooked by microwaves or something,¡± Kate said, only half joking. I was glad she was feeling safe, and back to herself enough to do it.


    The opposite was actually true, at least since Fren was here. Living near him would extend life and be rejuvenating for the body. It was in a more indirect way than his healings, but anyone in here for long would feel better and  would heal faster with the curated life mana all around. Kate had benefited and it was probably one of the reasons she liked this place. Most people would be instinctively drawn to it. Life, earth, and light energy gathered in the shop because of Fren. Those same powers fueled his magical reserves and fed his power.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll go on a drive to clear my head, but I¡¯ll make the call. Be back in a bit,¡± Kate said, stepping out the back. I watched at the door until she got into her car, started it, and began backing out, I waved and closed and locked the back door.

 Chapter 45 — Priceless Coke

    Chapter 45 ¡ª Priceless Coke


    ¡°We need to find out more about those new murders,¡± I said as I shut the back shop door and turned to Lana.


    ¡°Yeah. I was supposed to have the day off, but given their were more murders I should see if I¡¯m getting called in again.¡± Lana said with a sigh.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see if Fren can do a rush job on your arm. Then yes.¡±


    ¡°After last night,¡± Lana sighed, ¡°it would be more suspicious if it was suddenly healed.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I doubt he will be able to heal it completely, but doing some now will help it not to scar.¡±


    With that she followed me as I locked the front door and flipped the open sign to closed on the window. Then we headed down into the basement. As often occurred the natural light was better in the basement than the main store this time of day, the sun not having a direct way to make it inside the storefront level.


    ¡°Fren, do you think you can help Lana out? We were attacked again last night.¡±


    Fren shivered to life, stepping free from his connections among the small glen, ¡°I am relieved to see you well. The forest was quaking with the forces of evil last night. I am not surprised to hear you were attacked. I was also unsure how best to help Kate. Your arrival was most fortuitous.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad we got here too. We need to figure that out, but it gets worse. The creature last night was definitely a fae being. It was strong, like insanely strong. Iron was effective we weren¡¯t able to kill it.¡±


    ¡°Hmmmm.¡± Fren said.


    ¡°I also had another dream. They are coming more quickly and are more¡­ aggressively now.¡±


    ¡°There must be a connection between the two.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure of it. Last night I felt the creature with my aura. It is hunting me in favor and debt to another. It hated having to serve any interest not its own, but it also didn¡¯t attack outright when I wasn¡¯t aware of it, I¡¯m not sure why.¡±


    ¡°It was likely concerned it was a trap, you are a wizard after all.¡±


    Lana gave me a questioning look.


    The fae are giving me far too much credit.¡± I said smugly, glad my reputation had preceded me.


    ¡°They give your kind credit. Not you individually,¡± Fren helpfully corrected.


    ¡°¡ªAnyway,¡± I said, miffed as Lana struggled to hold back laughter. ¡°Do you think you can spare some healing for Lana? She must leave quickly.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I have recovered a little. But if time is short, it will be insufficient to heal all if I speed the processes.¡±


    ¡°Do it anyway,¡± I said.


    ¡°Lay down in the glen. I will remove the worst parts of your injuries.¡± He gestured to me, ¡°You too Cal.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine I don¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°You must be at your strongest to face the coming threat. I will heal you.¡±


    I wanted to argue, but Fren was right. I couldn¡¯t face the next day or two injured as I was. Compounded by not having slept well, I felt exhausted, and my injuries made every movement painful and stiff.


    We both lay down on the grass, holding hands this time which was a new development. Fren grinned nearly ear to ear, far wider than a human would be capable of. He began opening his mouth, but I pointedly looked at his flat of glass bottled Coke on a nearby shelf which prompted Fren to do so as well. He looked like he wanted to argue that what he was going to say or ask didn¡¯t infringe upon the agreement, but thankfully he decided to hold back whatever it had been.


    That Coke was literally priceless.


    Fren strode around the glen, stepping over and around us.


    ¡°Calm your minds,¡± He whispered and began his magic. A hum rose in the air, beautiful, crisp, and clear. I felt a warmth pass over me like a sunbeam. Then it localized to my ribs, they eased somewhat, breathing grew more comfortable. My fatigue and mental exhaustion from the past few days of restless sleep were also removed.


    ¡°That is all I can do at this time. I must rest and gather more energy,¡± Fren said. ¡°In another few days I should be able to ease all your wounds. See that you do not gather more.¡±


    Lana still had a bandage on her arm, curtesy of the EMT¡¯s last night. But by the way she was moving her wrist it must have felt better.


    I pulled up my shirt, half expecting to see a stapled surgical scar across my abdomen, as had been present in the dream. Instead, it was my normal flesh. The split cut on my side looked like it had been given a week to heal and the bruising around my ribs and the newest bruises coming up around the opposite hip were lessened. I thoroughly looked forward to moving without as much stiffness and pain.


    Hell, I might even be able to do stairs now without falling down, I thought as I grimaced at the low bar of functioning strength that could bring joy in my life. The puckered burn from the daemon was nearly gone, but it still gave me a chill as I pulled my shirt back down.


    ¡°Thank you Fren,¡± I said, placing a hand on his tree form which he had assumed to recover. I realized too that his walk had looked normal and his transition to his tree form was smooth. He had repaired the damage I had caused. ¡°I owe you, and I¡¯m sorry for hurting you earlier. It won¡¯t happen again.¡±


    ¡°More Coke,¡± he droned from somewhere. ¡°You had two small rib fractures and significant bruising but nothing which should halt you now. I set and partially healed the bones.¡±


    I chuckled and walked to the flat to grab a Coke for Fren. He¡¯d more than earned it. I saw he had been working on the stack himself, it was down a few more bottles since the last time I¡¯d seen him.


    There was so much to worry over, but here with the two people I cared most about they seemed like far off threats. The Seekers, the creature, the daemon. Now that I thought about it, I needed to pick Fren¡¯s mind.


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    ¡°Fren, are you up for a few questions?¡±


    ¡°For a moment, I reserved some level of power due to the threats at hand, but I need to focus.¡±


    ¡°Good call.¡± I said, Fren was the primer example of what I should be doing. I could have learned so much more simply by emulating him. ¡°This will be fast. Lana, you should take my Jeep, check things out at home with your work and return if you can. It should be safe. If you get called in, just drive by with your car and let me know. I¡¯ll walk over and get my Jeep later. While you do, I¡¯ll fill Fren in on last night and see if he has any insights. His knowledge might be invaluable.¡±


    Lana hesitated, clearly wanting to stay and hear Fren¡¯s take, but conflicted about her own obligations. ¡°That works.¡± She said, ¡°Keys?¡±


    I tossed her the keys, and she ran up the stairs. I followed, giving her a kiss goodbye, and double checking that the front and back doors were locked, and that Kate wasn¡¯t back. Then I eagerly went back to Fren. He stayed in his ¡®plant¡¯ form which was a little odd. Talking to a plant, even though I had done it countless times, was a strange experience.


    I filled Fren in on the night, on the attack, and how we had survived. I even gave a few details about what we had discussed, and that we had kissed. I knew if I didn¡¯t, he might explode.


    ¡°We were honestly lucky to survive. But it took all of my power to block its attack. I don¡¯t know if I can go toe to toe with it, if it comes to that.¡±


    ¡°And you are sure you desecrated its body with iron, and it still maintained control?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, what do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°It struck you, fled, and if the reports are correct from the two men upstairs¡ªit fed again.¡±


    ¡°Is that bad?¡±


    ¡°If you had dusted me in iron, I would be unable to move and in excruciating pain for some time. Iron would severe my connections with my outer vessel, confuse my mind and defile my strength.¡±


    I rested my chin on my hands as I sat with my bare feet in the glen, thinking over Frens words. While I did, I wiggled my toes in the grass. I used the wooden basement flooring as a permanent ¡®chair¡¯ for one of my favorite places in our home. I had no fear of bugs coming from beneath the floor boards, especially spiders¡ªwhich I hated¡ªbecause Fren kept them at bay or killed them at my command. He was the best exterminator anyone could wish for¡­ and it was all natural.


    ¡°So, what you¡¯re saying is this creature is stronger than you?¡±


    ¡°Undoubtedly,¡± Freen agreed.


    I shivered, like literally shivered. Fren was insanely strong. In our most recent battle, he could have easily killed me, and nearly had on accident. He¡¯d lost control momentarily and it had almost spelled my end.


    Humans were squishy.


    A mage or wizard was often referred to as a glass cannon, meaning we were incredibly strong and powerful, but easy to break. It was the truth, especially for those who were young like me and taking on far more difficult battles than they should.


    ¡°Shit,¡± I muttered, feeling more inadequate than I had in a long time.


    ¡°But fae have weaknesses,¡± Fren¡¯s voice said comfortingly. ¡°Iron, oppositional elemental forces, and magic. All are more effective on my kind. It is also likely bound to the courts, few are independent like me, and truly outside of their influence. We will learn of its weaknesses and use them.¡±


    ¡°Dark and light courts¡­¡± I grumbled. ¡°This thing was definitely from the dark side of things.¡±


    ¡°Very probably.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it have to be? It literally murders people?¡±


    ¡°Many of the light court would as well. Or the other independents who exist. Preying on humans is not a particular attribute, solely of any of those groups. You said you had a dream?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s never happened before in a single night. Usually, it takes a few days in one spot for the daemon to find me. And I, well¡­ I also forgot to put up wards.¡±


    ¡°A reckless night of abandon?¡± Fren said, his statement and voice clearly wanting to know those details.


    ¡°Not so much. Just, fatigue, fighting, injuries and sleep.¡±


    ¡°And do you like your new she mate?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not my mate.¡±


    ¡°She desires to be.¡±


    That¡ªthat got me excited, but it also felt like cheating somehow. ¡°You can¡¯t tell me that. It¡¯s like you¡¯re reading her mind.¡±


    ¡°You also want to mate with her¡­¡± Fren said apologetically.


    ¡°Get out of both of our heads!¡±


    ¡°I have no power over the mind, soul, or desires. I am simply commenting on the changes in both of your natural pheromones, physiology, and energy when around one another.¡±


    ¡°Well stop,¡± I sighed, trying not to think about Lana, how incredible she was, how well suited we appeared to be together. And how much I wanted it all to work out. I focused my resolve, ¡°How can I defeat this creature?¡±


    ¡°Use its weaknesses. You know it is harmed by iron. You know it is leery of you and the power you wield. It also feeds on misery, blood, and death.¡±


    ¡°Feeds on misery, blood, and death? Where do you get that from?¡±


    ¡°When wounded, what did it do?¡±


    ¡°¡­It went and attacked a bunch of people.¡±


    ¡°When I am wounded, what do I do?¡±


    ¡°Network with a bunch of trees and get an earth high,¡± I said.


    ¡°I take in earth, life, and light energy. They are abundant, but also take time to cultivate. It¡¯s more like the principle of osmosis. The larger gradient of those magics flows into my empty reserves. This creature takes, claims, and thirsts for those things to renew its power and strength.¡±


    ¡°So, if I hurt it, trap it, and keep it from feeding, I can destroy it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you also have access to fire which is bane to most forms of life.¡±


    I chuckled at that. I did have an affinity for fire, and I rarely got to use it because fire by its nature was hard to control and destructive. My personal nature hadn¡¯t lent itself to the finer parts of control in my training. That was an error, another thing I would need to work on when this was all over. But with fire I might be able to destroy this creature outright.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to come for me again,¡± I said sure in the knowledge of it. ¡°Probably in a few days when it recharges. It might not know about you; perhaps, we can surprise it together?¡±


    ¡°Hmmmm,¡± Fren said. ¡°You be the bait, I the trap?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like it,¡± I grumbled. ¡°But¡­ I do need to reinforce areas of the shop anyway. I¡¯ve been planning on it for the better part of a year. I could use iron to dispel magic going to the upper floor and magic circles as traps that could bind a creature of the fae if we can coax it inside one.


    Circles were a foundational part of magic. Like rituals, they helped to contain or grow magical forces. The initial intent was important, as was the material creating them. You could make a circle out of chalk, and it would provide some small amount of protection or foundation for a spell. Make one out of your own blood and it would protect you significantly from many magical forces. Iron could be used to repel, bind, or destroy magical energy and creatures, depending on the intent when it was formed. I could use runes to increase that strength in numerous ways. Lana, or any human for that matter could place some will into a circle as a minor protection.


    ¡°Could you do so today?¡± Fren asked.


    ¡°No. I could start some of them, gather supplies. But doing more will take longer than we have. Would having more iron around be a bane to you?¡±


    ¡°Iron is already all around us. In the cement, in the soil and foods, many of the pipes in the building are of iron.¡±


    ¡°I thought they said this place had new pipes, the old had rusted out?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but they left the old ones in place, running new beside them.¡±


    ¡°The lazy¡­.¡± I swore, thinking of the contractor I¡¯d had do the work, ¡°Alright. So, iron is already here and you¡¯re fine.¡±


    Fren¡¯s tree bush twitched in what I took as a nod.


    ¡°What about steel?¡±


    ¡°That metal has been changed and has no impact on my kind or the fae.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ isn¡¯t steel like highly refined iron with¡­ something else added in?¡± I said, voice trailing off as I tried to remember chemistry I¡¯d learned one time or another. It was one of those times I really wished I could use a computer or phone to look up an answer in a moment.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Fren said. ¡°But steel is everywhere, and I have no problem touching it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to ask Clair about it one of these days,¡± I said, glancing at my bookshelf of magical tombs I had largely ignored of late. I used to read from them all the time, but that was when I was an apprentice. Once graduating, I¡¯d kind of taken my power and studies for granted.


    I was a few years out on my own, and my powers were still relatively unchanged. I recommitted ¡ªAgain-¡ª to being better. Those books were relics in their own right, hard to come by, and prized by those associated with the paranormal or supernatural. Many were a few hundred years old and only had a small print run at the time. I don¡¯t know why no one had re-printed them, but then again, the Tribunal and the magical community horded knowledge like treasure. Knowledge was power and in an arms race like that, you didn¡¯t share what you had.


    ¡°Well. I need to head to the hardware store then. I¡¯m all out of iron filings and need to find some iron for weapons.¡±


    ¡°Go with haste.¡± Fren said, clearly eager to get back to his beauty sleep. I left him to it.

 Chapter 46 — Permanently

    Chapter 46 ¡ª Permanently


    I opened the front door and allowed a few customers who were waiting outside in. I¡¯d man the store until either Lana or Kate got back.


    ¡°Oh, look at this, it says this one will bring you prosperity,¡± A younger woman with dyed green hair said to her friend.


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful. You should get it.¡± The other replied.


    ¡°I do need something to cheer me up, after that story in the news.¡±


    ¡°What story was that?¡± I asked from the counter, circling to see what they were looking at. They had found a little bowl of citrine points, small crystals that had a slightly yellow gold hue.


    ¡°The murders. You haven¡¯t heard?¡± the girl with green hair asked.


    The other wore a short pixie cut of brown hair and she clearly wanted to talk about anything but the murders. Her fake, extra-long eyelashes swished aggressively as she looked away from me and her friend. ¡°We haven¡¯t heard much, only that there were some murders.¡± She mumbled.


    ¡°The news is talking about it on all the channels,¡± The green haired one said, clearly excited to fill me in. The other left to peruse the store and focus on something else. ¡°They are saying it was the Boise Forest murderer.¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t it an animal attacking people?¡± I said, feigning ignorance.


    ¡°That¡¯s what they thought, until today.¡±


    I gulped, ¡°What changed?¡±


    ¡°Twelve campers were killed. They were dispersed camping somewhere in the forest. A hiker stumbled upon them this morning and uploaded a few pictures before the police arrived, so all the news outlets have the photos.¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t catch me going into the woods for anything,¡± The brown-haired one said, from a dozen feet away, having found a crystal she clutched to in one of her palms. ¡°Not for a million dollars.¡±


    I pressed for more, ¡°But they know it¡¯s not an animal?¡±


    The girls looked at each other, then me. ¡°You just need to see it,¡± the girl with green hair said. ¡°Look.¡± She held up her phone after finding an image she wanted to show me.


    Right then and there, I recommitted to utterly destroying this creature. It had come to my town and hurt my people while hunting me. Twelve bodies were hanging from the low branches on an ancient tree. Some from the legs, others from arms, two from their necks. The picture was blurry and taken at a distance. Even so, it was clear each of the people¡¯s bodies were mangled and broken.


    ¡°No¡­¡± I said, clenching my fists. I could feel my power responding to my distress, and I closed my eyes, taking a long deep breath. ¡°That¡¯s terrible.¡±


    ¡°It is. No animal could have done that. The police have locked down the park and anyone inside is to leave immediately after questioning.¡±


    ¡°I heard the FBI is even in town after the murder at that Inn, on the way to Redfish.¡± The more reserved one added.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Green hair said, ¡°I bet it was crazy there¡ªa whole inn. They haven¡¯t even released any of the details about that.¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°Some things are too evil to let live.¡±


    ¡°I agree,¡± The green haired girl said. ¡°They need to catch this person fast.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for filling me in. I hadn¡¯t heard.¡±


    ¡°Probably wish you still hadn¡¯t,¡± the girl with the eyelashes added, a note of disgust in her words..


    ¡°Tell you what, you both can take one of those for free.¡± I said, gesturing to the citrine points. ¡°For helping me get all caught up on the news.¡±


    They beamed up at me eagerly each clutching close their chosen stones. They thanked me and left, leaving me alone in the shop.


    ¡°Gaa!¡± I cursed at the ceiling in the empty store. I wanted to break something, call down fire and burn the sick creature alive while I watched its skin boil and blister. This had all happened because of me. This put the full death count at roughly seventeen if all the missing individuals were related and went unfound. I ground my teeth. That had to be some sort of Idaho state record on murders, deaths, and missing persons for a year. Generally, Idaho was a safe place, a state where not much happened.


    Before I could get too heated, I heard a knock at the back door and opened it. Lana stood below me on the stairs. She¡¯d changed into her work uniform and clearly spent a little more time getting ready. Her being in her work attire made it clear. She¡¯d been called in and it didn¡¯t take much detective work to know why.


    ¡°It¡¯s bad,¡± she said.


    ¡°I heard.¡±


    ¡°Is it our fault?¡±


    ¡°¡ªWhat? No.¡±


    ¡°We hurt it.¡±


    ¡°I dumped iron on it, and its hunting for me. We didn¡¯t choose for it to come here, we didn¡¯t choose for it to escape last night, we didn¡¯t choose for it to hurt those people¡ªand were probably the best people to ensure it doesn¡¯t hurt anyone else ever again.¡±


    ¡°If you weren¡¯t trying to protect me, maybe you could have killed it?¡±


    I didn¡¯t hesitate for a moment. ¡°No. I was protecting myself as much as you when it attacked.¡± Then I thought about what Fren said, ¡°I couldn¡¯t have beat it last night, its strong. It¡¯s going to take preparation to take down. If it was me alone last night it might have killed me outright before I even sensed it. Then it could have feasted in the woods for years and no one would have known. The noise from your gun and your attack probably distracted it or rushed it.¡± I said, encircling her in a hug.


    ¡°We have to do something.¡± My gut fell as she sniffled, and I knew she was crying.


    ¡°We do,¡± I said. ¡°Do you have iron with you?¡±


    ¡°I have a cast iron pot in my car, it was the only thing I found that might work.¡±


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°It will, but that¡¯s not the best weapon. Wait one second.¡± I said, running to my pack. I grabbed what was left of the bag of iron filings, basically a few pinches of dust stuck in the Ziplock, and the dagger made of old cold iron. It wasn¡¯t much, but it was better than nothing. I gave them to Lana. ¡°Be safe.¡±


    ¡°You too¡ªand Cal.¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Find a way to kill this thing. Permanently.¡±


    I nodded, more than eager to do so. We kissed, it was brief, short, but comforting in a way I hadn¡¯t felt in a long time. Neither of us was alone.


    Lana left, just as Kate pulled up, ready for work again.


    I was so mad, I decided to go to Rex¡¯s and lift some weights. It was the only way I could think of to calm down and use some of my pent-up energy. Still, two lights blew out and I saw one guy slapping his Bluetooth headphones nearby which had stopped working.


    It made me more frustrated.


    My very existence was harming those around me. I was bringing threats to my wonderful town. I was a target, and anyone around me could be hurt. I thought of Lana getting attacked by the fae pixies. I thought of her being tossed like nothing through the fire last night. I thought of the people murdered to heal the damage I¡¯d caused that monster.


    I worked harder than I ever had, the pain in my body, my ribs, not halting me, but driving my focus. Rex could see the mood I was in and didn¡¯t bother me more than to nod. He knew I¡¯d been very concerned about the past deaths and could likely feel the rage boiling off me.


    I felt how close I was to Body Tier level 3. The injuries, adrenaline, and physicality of the last few days acting like a springboard.


    I returned home, and instead of going up to shower I went downstairs to the basement. I sat in my painfully wrought circles and runes to meditate. I focused on cycling my power, pulling in magical energies from the surrounding world, purifying them in my core, then expelling them out into the circle in a controlled demonstration of my will. It was exhausting, detailed work, but pure energy began to rise in the confined circle which made my magical senses flare to all-time highs. In a mana dense state like this, I could work on strengthening and enlarging my core to make me more powerful. It took hours and hours to raise it a single point towards tier 3, but that time would pass anyway, and I¡¯d wasted enough. The circle amplified how quickly I could pull in power and what I could retain, giving me greater control, and thus, more practice for the time I spent. It added magical pressure to help fortify my core.


    That resiliency and strength were important. It would make magical miss castings or spell crafting less dangerous. It could protect me from using too much power at once as I developed and practiced stronger spells. I¡¯d nearly died and had injured my core once with a spell Clair forbade me from using ever again. It had also destroyed my staff, a painstakingly time intensive crafting that had taken eight months of hard work to forge and I hadn¡¯t put the effort in to do it since that day.


    I had a knack for artificery and magical creation, or so Clair had said. Most wizards only learned the basics and crafted a wand or staff for general use. Eight months had been faster than Clair had ever made one. I¡¯d been proud at the time but now it infuriated me. I¡¯d destroyed it a few months before taking my test and becoming a fully-fledged wizard. I¡¯d wasted years not making another. Yes, my spell control had improved, and I could do some very impressive work without a focus. But having one would have helped me save energy, would help me draw more to myself in battle. Would help me cast a few spells more quickly which could mean the difference between life and death in a fight.


    I sighed, berating myself wouldn¡¯t do any good. The time was past, and now I would work to be the wizard I should have been.


    I returned my focus to cultivating. My core swelling within me, the ambient power around me that pulled in against the gradient by my core causing it to stretch and work like a muscle. I needed to cultivate after having taken in new energy from foreign cores to strengthen myself.


    Those powers folded into mine, but it took time to ensure they were truly fused to me and under my control. Otherwise, they could try to peel away from my core and return to their previous use or type. I had to apply the ¡®pressure¡¯ of cultivation to ensure they didn¡¯t fray at the edges or escape. It was akin to Paper Mache; I slathered a new core¡¯s energy atop mine and compressed and held it into place until it became part of the whole. Stronger and more resilient. Not cultivating after drawing in great swaths of external power from cores could cause permanent changes to my baseline power, core strength, and the nature of my spells and crafting. Usually, those changes weren¡¯t for the better and more than a few past practitioners in the ¡®sanctuary¡¯ had been placed there from neglecting their cores or having never been taught how to properly cultivate. Clair was apparently very good at it, so I considered myself lucky to have had her train me.


    Cultivating was mentally exhausting which allowed me to focus on something other than my own self-recriminations or the image from that girl¡¯s phone. Once finished, my mind, as well as my body, were exhausted.


    As a last effort, I constructed my self-assessment spell and cast it, the power flowing more readily and easily in my now densely cultivated magical energy.


    Spell based identification activated:


    Mana Core: Identified: Human Mage


    Quality: 1st tier


    Power value: Strong


    Inherent power affinity: All


    Power: Rank Three 66/100


    Fortitude: Rank Two 84/100


    Body: Rank Two 97/100


    I grinned at the results. I¡¯d actually raised them all one from the day before and my body attribute two points. That was quite impressive, but I still had ground to cover until the ranks would advance which was when most of the actual ¡®gains¡¯ occurred. Body was the closest and I itched to achieve it.


    I stood, wiping sweat from my brow. I broke the outer ring¡¯s control by pushing my foot across the iron circle with the intention of breaking it. The gathered magic dispelled around the room like water released from a vat. I felt and heard Fren¡¯s vibrational hum increase in pitch and tempo as a significant portion of the energy made its way towards him. I grinned, hopefully it would help him heal, he couldn¡¯t draw power towards himself the way I could. Perhaps that was something we could work on together I thought, as I considered my friend.


    I took out a sheet of paper now that my mind was clear and wrote a letter. I told Clair about what was going on, everything I knew about the deaths and the attack. I let her know I was being hunted and that there were also seekers in the town and that I wanted to know anything she could tell me about their organization that might help. The real reason I wrote the letter was that if I failed Clair might come and end the creature if the killings continued. Wizards generally didn¡¯t watch TV or scroll the news¡ªfor obvious reasons. Because of that, the impression I got from the few others I¡¯d met was that they were aloof and only concerned with their own affairs. They didn¡¯t see the day-to-day things going on around them. Tribunal politics, powerplays among the supernatural factions, Tribunal governing decisions, and growing their own power and pursuing their own pursuits were their only concerns.


    I¡¯d only spent a few days around others while undergoing testing. It had been enough to easily make the choice to set off on my own. I knew every wizard couldn¡¯t be that bad. The Tribunal did have an arm called the Strikers who were wizards doing basically what I did, with the full authority and support of the Tribunal. They hunted monsters and creatures who overtly preyed on humankind.


    But they didn¡¯t stop everything and were a small force.


    Their focus was keeping things under the table and out of the news. The beckoned to the Tribunal and were not much more than foot soldiers. Their main purpose was to make sure wielders of magic didn¡¯t make spectacles of themselves. Whether they be those untrained, who had strong enough gifts and talents to cause issues, or those who were trained¡­ improperly. The Tribunal disposed of the second type. They were basically the swat team of the magical world and if they showed up you were generally already judged, found guilty, and the executioners had arrived.


    I¡¯d been pressed to join them after becoming a full wizard. Clair had warned me that I might get the opportunity, but that the choice would be mine to make. She¡¯d also said I had a stubborn streak they would have had to beat out of me and that I¡¯d have to learn to follow orders. She knew me all too well, and it was enough to spur their advances.


    When the opportunity came, I declined, wanting control over my life for the first time in living memory. I¡¯d never regretted that choice and still didn¡¯t. I wasn¡¯t good at following the beat of someone else¡¯s drum. Maybe I was operationally defiant, but if I had gone with them, I may not have ever met Fren. I surely wouldn¡¯t have saved anyone in Boise. I wouldn¡¯t have a business and my own home.


    Clair would see to the creature should I fail. She had a vindictive streak and would see the work done. Even on the off chance she didn¡¯t do anything, it was worth the time and the cost of a stamp. I sealed it and placed it with the store¡¯s outgoing mail then I left to prepare for battle.

 Chapter 47 — Artificery

    Chapter 47 ¡ª Artificery


    I walked back to Lana¡¯s to get my car, the chilly air and time since learning about the attacks cooled my mind. The jeep fired up on my first try, and I saw Lana had left a little secretive note on the dash that said: ¡°Xoxo ¡ªSorry our plans changed. See you soon!¡± It dispelled my mood.


    I felt bad she needed to be around me to feel safe now that the creature knew her home and our familiarity. Yet being by me was also the most dangerous place. The fact that I¡¯d dragged her into this mess gave me the itch to punch something.


    I drove to the bank and withdrew some cash. Most people now-a-days rarely had to go inside a bank, where I was a regular customer. I couldn¡¯t use credit cards, the magnetic back dying after a short day or two. I was honestly concerned about the future of banking, and money for that matter. If it all transitioned to electronic devices I would be hosed. Still, that day wasn¡¯t today.


    I walked up to the teller, who knew me by name.


    ¡°Cash today, Cal?¡±


    ¡°As always.¡±


    I withdrew five hundred dollars. Sadly, that was a pretty large dent in my tight finances. Staying at inns and buying food while away had hurt my budget. I had enough left to cover the mortgage and food next month¡­ but that was about it.


    Grumbling about being an honest wizard and not accidentally damaging an ATM or something like that to get a couple grand, I drove to the hardware store. It turned out to be surprisingly difficult to find objects made from plain iron. I was especially careful after having discussed what would work and what wouldn¡¯t with Fren. I had nearly resolved to leave and try someplace else, as most things made of ¡®iron¡¯ had something else mixed into them upon inspection, or they were coated in nonrusting materials. A briefly concealed spell I uttered near each showed no disruption to magic.


    I even put on my glasses, I¡¯d been working on having them be able to identify items. Unfortunately, they didn¡¯t reveal much.


    <h2>Identification Activated:</h2>


    Item: Metal


    Type: ???


    Inherent power affinity: ???


    Special Use: ???


    I still had some work to do on the glasses. I did feel a note of pride that while I had wasted a lot of time, I was in the process of making something that could be a true gamechanger for wizards. Altogether, I was so annoyed I didn¡¯t concern myself with the three florescent lights, high above, which sputtered and died when I tested the possible fifth item of iron.


    Then I had an idea and checked the iron fencing¡­ to find they were all steel alloys.


    Here I was, trying to save the town and the literal hardware store didn¡¯t have what I needed. I thought about asking an employee but decided to hell with that. I searched awhile longer and left with the few things I¡¯d found, some elbow pipes and small pipe fittings which were covered in paint or some anti rust coating. I hoped they would work when I sanded it off. They had disrupted my spell. A few long pipes would have been nice, but they were all steel. I grit my teeth at the price of the fittings and again contemplated a life of not so innocent living. But no, that was the type of thing the Strikers did seek out misguided practitioners for.


    I drove to a nearby custom fencing company and found that they did wrought iron fences and the raw material would actually work. Unfortunately, the raw pieces they used were too big for me and the tools I had on disposal at home. I would have no way to shape something like that other than extensive use of magic which would be hard to work near and around iron. The worker did gather up a few scraps in a bucket and sold them to me for a pittance. I told them that if they worked for my project, I would be back for more or to discuss buying pieces they could shape for me. This time my glasses worked a little better, though I had to focus and force a little more mana inside them which I felt comfortable doing outside in the parking lot where damage to anything around me should be minimal.


    <h2>Identification Activated:</h2>


    Item: Metal


    Type: ???


    Inherent power affinity: ???


    Special Use: Spell mana flow disruption


    The special use was just what I was looking for. If it could disrupt spells, it could disrupt fae beings. I had no idea what the metal¡¯s actual composition was other than ¡®wrought iron¡¯ and how it different from most of the stuff sold at the hardware store, but I eventually would need to figure it out. Using the full ¡®identify¡¯ spell at home I could get a definitive answer, but I was satisfied my glasses had identified something. With a little more tinkering around they would be invaluable.


    Lastly. I stopped at a thrift store and picked up a few cast iron pots for a few dollars each. It saved buckets of money compared to what the hardware store had charged, and I knew they would work. I personally didn¡¯t know the difference between wrought iron fencing, cast iron, and steel alloys but I knew cast iron would work against the fae, and the wrought iron had interrupted my magic and probably would too.


    I got a quick lunch and headed back home to do what work I could. It took a lot of time to file down iron filings into a Ziplock bag. My tools grew dull, and I had to work them by hand. I got frustrated with the fact that I¡¯d need to upgrade them soon. Power tools would have been amazing, but they wouldn¡¯t work for more than a moment. Still, I persevered.


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    I attached a few hunks of iron to the end of wooden dowels. I managed to fasten a few around an old wooden baseball bat I had lying around. It didn¡¯t look as fearsome as say nails through it, but it would work in a pinch. A few pieces I simply made into crude implements with sharp points, essential shanks. I did not want to use those against the creature. If it got that close the battle was already lost, but the more prepared we could be the better.


    Once done, I swept and mopped the area to make sure I wasn¡¯t leaving anything behind that could hurt Fren. The metal work had been noisy, and I hoped not so noisy that it disturbed Kate and the shoppers upstairs. For that same purpose, I kept my grumbles and swears to a minimum as I worked.


    I had an edge over the creature now and felt better about our pending battle. Having workable weapons did wonders for my mood. It would be aware of the threat of iron, but it would lose something in the conflict by trying to counter what I prepared.


    Now ready, I turned to work on something new. I had also picked up a signet ring at the thrift store. It had cost fifty dollars but was large enough to fit comfortably on a few of my fingers, more importantly it was made of pure silver. Its front was flat, that surface left blank for an insignia to be carved or stamped. The blank signet ring gave me the perfect place to inscribe a ritual circle or rune of my own that I could use for spell casting. If I wanted, I could craft it in a way to help me control my power more or use less energy when casting. I could also possibly devise ways for it to cast a spell charged up and saved in the ring which would save me in the heat of battle.


    The problem was¡­ it wouldn¡¯t be done in time.


    I had precursory knowledge as an artificer from what I¡¯d read and the few things Clair had me make. But everything I¡¯d made so far had been short term junk that only worked a few times and was not worth the time put into making it for what they did. Even my staff had been limited. My glasses were the first true success, and they were still a work in progress. I had ended up using some of the principles I learned making my shop more defensible in crafting them, and getting runes and magics to work together had expanded my horizons. It was also a pain in the but because things grew infinitely more complex and I had no formal training.


    I knew the Tribunal had an artificer who made specialized gear for the strikers and crafted circles like I¡¯d sat into the floor of the basement for burgeoning wizards to train in. He¡¯d also made portable structures other members could purchase to make their homes more defensive.


    Seeing the price of one, I¡¯d saved a literal fortune doing them myself.


    When I¡¯d become a full wizard, I¡¯d received a few things from the Tribunal. First was a parchment which listed the current rules of the Tribunal as well as their punishments. A calendar for the next five years of Tribunal meetings, and another paper that listed items and services that I could procure through the Tribunal. I¡¯d been flabbergasted by the quoted prices which all said ¡®prices may vary¡¯ beside them in a way that made me know they would actually cost much more than the listed price.


    True magical items were amazing but took a damn long time to craft. Artificery wasn¡¯t a skill most wizards had. Clair had surmised that my earth affinity as well as my fire might have led to me having more of a gift for that art.


    Since I¡¯d done so well with my staff, basic as it was, Clair had taught me the fundamentals of artificery she¡¯d gleaned over the years. However, runes, connection lines and glyphs as well as the knowledge of what materials would work best for a given construct were tightly horded secrets¡ªelse they were simply unknown. She hadn¡¯t known much. Even if I had access to every scrap of artificer knowledge it would still take time, each magical item was insanely specialized. If I made something and created a blueprint, the exact same lays of power wouldn¡¯t work for anyone but me. They would have to painstakingly modify them to their own affinities. It was the same with spells and why it took so much work to develop individual ones, even if you had a tomb describing every detail of the functioning spell with diagrams and descriptions of how others adapted it to their own power sets. It was why several standard spells were required in the testing to become a full wizard. If you hadn¡¯t developed your talent enough to master them, then you weren¡¯t ready for membership.


    Many items, even more basic items like a wizards staff that most could manage, were so individually tailored in the creation process that they wouldn¡¯t work well for others.


    The last item I had received had been the most important, I¡¯d received the medallion of full Tribunal membership which hung on the limb of a plant upstairs. It was a true work of artificery and the reason the Tribunal always kept a Master Artificer and horded all the information they could about the art.


    That medallion was my proof of having achieved full wizard status to the Tribunal. It was my badge or license to operate as a wizard. Only holding it, and verifying my identity with it, could I attend Tribunal business.


    I didn¡¯t wear it often.


    It was gaudy, heavy, and really didn¡¯t match anything, but I was glad to have it and someday wanted to figure out its secrets. Something the wizard who had given it to me had strictly forbidden. Probably for good cause, it had been tied to me by spell, blood, and rite.


    I delved deeply into thoughts about what I could do with the ring, my mind racing in ways it hadn¡¯t in years. I was excited to push myself and prepare like never before. I drew out several ideas on paper. Containment and directional runes set in a circle that should draw power towards it when I willed it.


    Then I scrapped that idea, it would be best if the ring could hold its own power, building up over a long time rather than pulling energy into it in a rush. That would make my own core have to compete with it for ambient mana in a battle. Once I had some ideas, I would try to get them to actually work in my spell crafting circle. It could test their stability and efficiency over a few weeks, then begin crafting.


    I knew silver could hold a little magic inherently. That made it more effective against creatures like werewolves and vampires without any changes, working much like iron did upon the fae but the disrupting effects would be less pronounced and more localized. Silver had antibiotic properties, and crafting it into¡­ say, a bullet, also fueled it with the intentions of the will of the maker, which would compound its power. Silver worked like poison or an opposing will on some creatures. Vampires and werewolves were both infected with a sickness that the silver could directly try to circumvent if it was used right. That was one of the reasons artificery was so hard, each gemstone, metal, and spell required various changes in order to work together. Then you could also tap into the power of various metals and gemstones if you knew the trick. But those tricks were painstakingly hard to identify and know beyond the more broadly known attributes of things like iron and silver. They were simple enough even mundane people could craft workable weapons from them. My iron filings and weapons for example, didn¡¯t need any changes to fight whatever this creature was beside the baseline properties of the metal. If I truly knew how to forge a weapon with iron it¡¯s power would be magnified.


    I devised a few more ideas. Things I would run by Fren later. A leaf from a nearby plant had slowly made its way to look over my workbench as I tinkered, so I knew he was aware of what I was doing. ¡°We can talk about this later, when you¡¯re better rested.¡±


    The leaf bobbed slightly. If Fren where to fully empower it, the plant would be able to move much more freely. This leaf¡¯s movements were so small I could have dismissed the gesture as from a nonexistent breeze. Fren had done far, far too much the past few days.


    My anger and frustration diminished after training and prepping what I could. I planned on returning the iron from the hardware store since the other stuff had been cheaper and more usable and saving a chunk of money was a big win. Finished, I went up to help Kate with the store.

 Chapter 48 — Stay Incognito

    Chapter 48 ¡ª Stay Incognito


    The rest of the day passed quickly as a steady flow of customers trickled in. The few times the store fell empty we completed various other tasks around the building. I got frustrated thinking of all the protective iron enclosures I could make for store cameras, a card reader, or a landline phone, if I had the tools, the skills, time, and the money to make them. I¡¯d had these ideas before, but I hadn¡¯t been as devoted to making them happen. I¡¯d been content to live life, enjoy my time, work the shop, and hope it grew.


    Now I was, on a whole new level.


    I thought about having the fencing company make me hallowed-out iron tubes I could cover wires with to help protect the power to more sensitive electronics. It would take an insane amount of work, but it might be enough to protect them. I would also need to carve protection circles in them and inlay those with silver or something else I could imbue with magic shielding to further reinforce them as dissipated magical energies could still damage the components inside overtime if all I did was cover them in iron.


    I frowned, gritting my teeth. Making my shop the way I wanted, and the gear I wanted along with it was going to take a long time, but then I would have it indefinitely. I would get better and faster at atificery. My plans could seed ideas for others and help speed up the process.


    There were others who could build what I needed. Svart elves, dwarves, and perhaps a few older wizards who had picked up the knack. I was sure the Tribunal didn¡¯t have a complete monopoly. Unfortunately, the cost to work with the first two groups would be immense, and likely not entirely paid in money. Favors were the preferred binding payments of many races. My favors wouldn¡¯t be worth much, and the cost of so many things might mean I¡¯d have to dedicate ten years in service to some tribe of dwarves in the fae to come out even. All to shield a few devices in my shop. I also had Lana and Fren in my life and I couldn¡¯t abandon everything and leave for years to pay a debt like that.


    That made me think about the silver ring. I could use the ring to diminish my aura, my power, and thereby protect everything around me. I¡¯d rather it be for a weapon or a shield, but that was an option. Only making it restrict my power was an insane thing to do. Without my aura, I would be defenseless in many ways. If a creature attacked and I didn¡¯t have access to magic readily¡­ I was toast.


    Attacks like that were rare, excluding the past few days, but they did happen. I had a core inside me, just like the fae creatures Fren had stripped. That core could fuel someone else¡¯s power if I were killed. I¡¯d never considered it before, but it made sense. Wizards would be a great resource to grow stronger for anything willing to take up that fight. I knew one of the tribunal''s laws was death to anyone and anything that killed a wizard. I wondered if that was why? It would serve to conceal our own value as a resource from other entities.


    I thanked Kate as the last of our customers left near closing time.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to get something officially drafted up, to encapsulate our partnership. Make it all legal, official, and above board.¡± I said, ¡°You are amazing, and I can¡¯t think of a better partner.¡±


    Kate¡¯s face flushed, ¡°I actually already found something online and printed it off.¡±


    ¡°For real? When?¡±


    ¡°Late last night. I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about how exciting this all is.¡±


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s make this official then.¡±


    Kate pulled out a document, and I read through it. Wizard training included a lot about reading contracts, in preparation for ones dealing with other races where if you signed the wrong agreement, you could lose your soul.


    Clair had been extremely adamant I learn how to deal with creatures who delt in contracts. It translated well to ¡®legalese¡¯, and I quickly approved of what Kate had found. The store itself wasn¡¯t involved, though the online business proceeds would be split 50/50 after all expenses were covered as well as a generous percentage being saved for business expansion, growth, and acquisition of new product and tools.


    The document was thorough, and I found myself amazed at Kate¡¯s forethought. ¡°You really thought this all through?¡±


    ¡°I had some ideas from my class. And I have friends that have started businesses together but nothing as big as this. Do¡­ do you like it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s literally perfect.¡± I gave her a serious look, ¡°I hope the store can grow online, but I can¡¯t make any guarantees. This whole thing could flop, but I think it has a good chance.¡±


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    ¡°So do I,¡± Kate said. ¡°I think inside a year the online store will outsell this one.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± I said, hoping it was true. That might fix many of the money issues I was having. And I hoped it would fix them for Kate too.


    Agreeing with everything on the contract, I signed. ¡°Business partners.¡± I said, a stupid grin on my face.


    Kate was clearly excited too, ¡°Business partners.¡± She said as she signed the document, then we shook hands. ¡°Now that we are, we may need to discuss ways to ramp up storage and how many rocks we have on hand to meet demand.¡±


    I laughed, ¡°Alright, down to business. Make sure you take a deep breath now that this shop is yours as much as it is mine.¡±


    ¡°I already feel that way. But we need to get down to business. With the news covering the break in and influencers coming in we have followers all over the world. There¡¯s already been people asking for an online purchase option. Be prepared to join the 21<sup>st</sup> century.¡±


    I wanted to swear, but I was also excited. Shielding the store and crafting items to help my control, despite the risks, might be what I had to do. If the money started trickling in, I might just be able to make it all work.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do it,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll have to show you the downstairs soon. Then we can plan out what we¡¯ll need.¡±


    ¡°Really!¡± Kate said, bouncing, ¡°I¡¯ve always wondered what it looks like down there and I love old buildings. It¡¯s also weirded this inner wall doesn¡¯t match the walls outside? I¡¯ve wondered if there is an old abandoned staircase or something that goes to the roof.¡±


    ¡°Wow. I don¡¯t think anyone has noticed that before, at least that I know of,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s not a staircase, it¡¯s something even cooler.¡±


    ¡°I was a little jealous you took Lana down there,¡± Kate said in jest. ¡°I mean, I¡¯ve seen your room, but never the basement. No one has.¡±


    ¡°Yeah? I¡¯m sorry to have made you feel that way. The basement¡­ it¡¯s going to take a few explanations.¡±


    She looked at me quizzically, ¡°As long as it¡¯s not full of bodies or something, I¡¯m on board.¡±


    She said it as a joke and I smiled, but I had had bodies down there. When I killed something and wanted its core¡ªwithout Fren¡¯s assistance. I took the bodies down into my amplification circle. I could do the spell without, but there was a chance the core would be corrupted, damaged, or broken, and it would lose some of its power. It was the most frustrating thing to destroy some dark creature and not get the loot that made me more powerful.


    ¡°Soon you¡¯ll know all,¡± I said mysteriously. ¡°And there are no bodies down there right now,¡± I added with a smile.


    She laughed, ¡°And no dark leather kinky stuff either?¡±


    My eyebrows raised as she laughed harder, covering her mouth at my surprise. ¡°¡ªThat¡¯s what Rex says anytime he comes over and you¡¯re in the basement and can¡¯t be disturbed.¡±


    I swallowed hard. Flipping Rex and his dirty mind.


    ¡°I need to clean up a few things but there should be plenty of room for extra storage and to place we can package and store supplies for the online shop. The rest will take some explanation.¡± I tried not to sound too worried, especially after what she¡¯d suggested.


    ¡°Excellent,¡± Kate said, grabbing her purse and heading out the back door of the shop. I cracked my neck and tried to avoid thinking about how she might react to the full truth. It might help to have Lana there; she could bridge gaps and catch social cues I missed. Fren could remain in his tree form. If it went well, I could maybe even tell her I was a wizard¡­ maybe.


    I cleaned up the few waste bins in the store. We didn¡¯t have a lot of waste internally, but people threw out drinks, receipts, and other trash. I saw a newspaper which showed the killings as the front cover story. I would have pulled it out to read it, but it was wet from a smoothie or shake.


    I bundled up the trash bags and headed out the back door to the industrial trash bin I shared with the next three stores. It would be emptied tomorrow, so I wanted to toss what I had out.


    It was sunny, the air cool, but it felt nice. I tossed the bags up and over the enclosure around the bin, the bins lid propped up on one side and clearly open. Then I turned to walk back. As I did, I saw a black mustang parked at the far end of the alley.


    It was empty.


    I grit my teeth. There were seekers nearby and I didn¡¯t know where or why. The back of my neck started to itch, and I readied my will for a shield. I hoped the police would have taken care of them, but they clearly got off or hadn¡¯t been spotted yet.


    I walked carefully towards my shop door but didn¡¯t see anything out of the ordinary in the back alley. Before going in, I whispered to one of the plants that grew next to the door in the alleyway. ¡°Fren, is anyone inside?¡±


    One of the highest leaves twisted side to side, in a ¡®no¡¯. Then stopped. Before my anxiety could fully pass, it tilted up and down in the universal ¡®yes¡¯ sign.


    ¡°Did you just changed your mind about that information?¡±


    The plant remained completely still.


    ¡°Did they just get inside?¡±


    The plant nodded again, briskly as if to say I was the problem in the way I asked my questions. I swore. I¡¯d locked the front door before taking the trash out, so they¡¯d broken in. That meant they intended harm.


    I thought about my options. I could loose Fren on them, but there was a chance they would have iron weapons, and he was already weakened. If I sicked Fren on them it would also reveal my friend to the seekers. To ensure both of our safety I¡¯d have to kill them. Fren¡¯s power right now was too weak to trust him for long term confinement of the pair or even catching and holding the two reliably if they had tricks up their sleeves. As much as Fren liked propagation, if he fought it was to kill. He didn¡¯t allow enemies to come at him a second time. While I didn¡¯t like the seekers that didn¡¯t mean they deserved death. They might even be useful. I¡¯d never killed a human and didn¡¯t want to start today, even with these assholes.


    ¡°Be ready to help, but for now, stay incognito.¡± I told the plant, assured that if anyone was watching me, they would be thoroughly convinced I was mad. That made me wonder what Kate, Rex, and the others had noticed without my awareness. I sighed, grabbed the door handle, and got ready to throw it open.


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