Dangerous, Diabolical

“You’re still here.” He noted, removing his shoes before sinking into the seat next to me with a groan. His bruises were much paler now but his cheekbones were still sunken.

“It’s not like I have a choice. Where’s all the other at-risk folk? Surely I’m not the only one suffering.”

His lips quirked. “They’re protected, besides they haven’t been targeted. Working from the theory the spellcaster is now murdering and reviving based off of an alignment checklist, it narrows down the potential victim pool.”

“So the spellcaster is robbing graves now because…” I raised my eyebrow curiously, not understanding how having a bunch of undead humans would help.

“Well, we’re not sure whether it is associated As part of our assignment we also ensure any odd news is normalised for the general public. Grahame will handle it.”

It all sounded rather dismal.

Leo slunk further in his chair, closing his eyes as he melted into the foam seat. His long limbs looked comically stretched as they hung over the chair edges. “You’re already leaking less magic.” He remarked absently.

“So that means it’s time for training part two?”

He yawned, cracking his neck. “Not quite, you still do need to work on refinement. During heating our mugs earlier, you displaced a huge proportion of energy unnecessarily.”

This was news to me. “I didn’t notice anything.”

“Obviously. I doubt there would have been such a large quantity if you had.” Then he had the nerve to shrug.

I scoffed, and he suddenly became very still, raising a finger as he noticed the daggers I was shooting him.

He stumbled over his first few words. “I-I just mean the residue left is annoyingly measurable.” He gestured to the area.

I felt a vein twitch in my forehead, attempting my new trick to detect magic spilling from the realms, but the room remained as devoid of useless energy as before. Meanwhile, he seemed to have realised what he’d just said.

He shook his head quickly. “The residue is annoying, not the fact you put it there.” I crossed my arms. “Er… You’re just not of a level that can manage that sensitivity.”

The room heated a few degrees as I started to simmer.

“Yeah, so.” He stammered. “So training part two.”

“Sounds like a good idea.” I agreed.

He let out a breath he’s been holding. “So what spell do you find yourself drawn to most?”

There wasn’t much choice. Mostly breathing fire, but I could make it come out of anywhere. “I can burn things pretty well.” I held up a fist, pushing warmth into it. Slowly uncurling the fingers one by one, a small flame levitated softly.

“Not bad.” He pulled at his top, the sweat gathering. “But would you care to let the air-con control the room head again?”

Leo was being polite. Dropping the heat I’d been building in the room, I redirected it to the unoriginal flame in my palm. Leaning forward, fire flickering in front of my face I pushed the energy in. As the draft reached the flame it twirled it, giving it a tighter form. The curls of fire were like delicate brush strokes that pirouetted their degeneration.

Finally, it gained the form I’d pushed into it, a small hare with fiery antlers that leapt from my palm towards Leo, the small paws became wisps that smoked into nothingness.

The fiery reflection danced in the deep darkness of his gaze. His fingers reached up to disturb the scattering of smoke where the flames had been.

Contemplatively he said one word. “Beautiful.” The awe in his voice was unabashed. “Your elemental control is unnaturally ahead of your magic refinement.”

Leo, the master of the backhanded compliments. I almost began to fry the room again.

“We can work on that.” He quickly added seeing the expression on my face. “First you need to understand how much wastage you just created, and then we can develop methods for you to retain it.”

“But how? I can’t see any new magic in the room.”

“New magic generates from the portals. This isn’t a new source. All energy is only transferred, never used.” He stood up to make another tea.

“Are you being purposely vague?” My brain hurt just thinking about it.

He smiled back slyly. “This is a top-ten class skill. Have you never wondered how the SPCC detects magical signatures?”

“You’re joking!” I gasped. “This is how you do it?”

“And if you figure it out, you’re guaranteed a high-level position almost instantly.” He winked.

“Tell me how!” I swivelled my neck to follow him, now standing by the kettle.

“You just need to stop looking.” He was grinning.

“Now you’re just being awkward on purpose.”

“Of course. I can’t do it for you. Of those that have achieved the skill, not a single person can give me the same description of how they accomplished it. The only common denominator was that they stopped looking.”

I slunk down into a chair. Was he being literal? Should I remove my eyeballs? Use a blindfold? How exactly was I meant to not see?

“That’s odd,” Leo muttered, lifting objects. “Where have all the spoons gone?”

* * *

There was a light pressure on my shoulder. “’Andine?” Leo asked. I woke blearily, trying to recall what I had been dreaming about, or when I’d even drifted off to sleep. Stretched over the room’s only bed, I found myself looking up into the dark, wide eyes of Leofstan. His hair was unkempt, his face unshaven and he smelt like the bitter tang of worry.

“Ehhhh?” I groaned in reply, trying to unglue each eyelid. The long overdue sleep had hit hard, trying to pull me back under.

“Grahame isn’t returning my calls, this is most unusual.” He’d already found time to put on his shoes and a thick jacket. “I’m going to head towards his last known location and scout.”

“Urghhh.” I agreed, trying my hardest to join the world of the living, pushing up onto my elbows. The tv had been switched off, mugs cleared and the lamp glowed softly from the corner.

“I need you to wait here. I’m faster on my own, and if anything occurs I’ll be able to pull more power without fearing if you’ve been kidnapped behind my back.”

I yawned, trying to get my bipedal limbs to cooperate at the same time.

“You’ve seen how these rooms are warded, you’ll be safe here.”

Heavy-headed, I nodded in reply.

“I may be about to walk into a trap,” he paused, “Connected as we are, I cannot afford anything to happen to you.”

“Stay safe, got it,” I mumbled.

“The shield enchantment I prepared for you should keep you safe in the unlikely event the SPCC walls are breached. But as Caesarius is currently in situ, you will be under the best possible protection.”

For a second it took me a moment to recall what he implied until I remembered the third charm he’d made, which I’d then gifted to Willow. “Oh yeah.” I mustered, sitting up. He was already halfway across the room to the doorway.

“I shall arrange for the reception to send a representative up in the morning should I not be back.”

He waited for me to nod.

“Celandine, under no circumstances are you to tamper with the door charm.” He reminded me as he was halfway out the doorframe.

Spoilsport. “Relax, I’ve made it nearly a century without dying, I’m sure I can manage a few more hours.”

He let out a large exhale, and for a moment he pressed his lips together as if to hold back another comment. Instead, he shook his head at me. “Right, stay put; do not, and I repeat, do not, blast this thing with magic.” He didn’t need to tell me that twice, I’d learnt my lesson. Becoming connected to the door was not an appealing thought.

Leofstan stood in the doorway, his muted clothing a gentle base against the cacophony of wallpaper in the corridor. For a moment he lingered, as if his sudden hurry was forgotten. My stomach grew warm, and a lightheadedness took hold. Biting my lip I offered him a weak smile, and his face relaxed, meeting me with a small one of his own.

And then, he was gone.

I listened to his hurried footsteps speeding down the corridor until he took to a run, and then was lost amongst the outside world. For a moment the room felt huge. The furniture was too far apart and I now recognised that the hideous decor was a sad attempt to make it feel warm through busyness. Mind wondering, my fingers traced the outline in the air of the fire I’d summoned. Was there still dead energy tickling the room even now?

Leofstan had wanted me to stay put in the SPCC building, with his big plans for me to eventually join the ranks, it wasn’t an appealing choice, no matter if I did figure out how to see the residue.

In all fairness, I did want to catch up on sleep, but I hadn’t checked in with Willow for a while now. There was a good chance she might still be a tree.

With both Leo and Grahame finally gone and not breathing down my neck, it left me the freedom to do whatever I wanted. If I were to wander around for a while would I find the necromancer?

Hmm… so much to do and only one me.

Springing up to peer out of the window, Leofstan was long gone and the streets were bare. Unclasping the brass hinges, I threw the window open. Technically I’d promised him I wouldn’t mess with the door. He’d never said any other exit was off-limits. Greedily inhaling the crisp freshness of the night sky. A gentle breeze greeted me. It was excellent flying conditions.