Chapter One

Imara was curled up on the couch, doing some advanced reading for her next round of courses when Reegar wandered by. “So, your familiar is taking up hobbies?”

She blinked and stared at the spectre. “Yeah, he said he wanted to do something with his spare time. Why?”

“I had to help him with the welding tank. His paws couldn’t turn the—”

She was up and out of her chair, heading down the hall with all the speed she could muster. When she got to the lab, she grabbed the frame and whipped around the corner.

She took in Mr. E in his safety gear and the objects he was welding together. It seemed better to wait until his foot was off the pedal that was controlling the gas before she spoke with him. “Mr. E, what are you doing?”

He was in prairie dog position, and as she asked, he pushed his goggles up to look at her with his adorable kittenish eyes. I admired blacksmiths while I was a child, now that you have indicated I could entertain myself while you were studying, I decided to take up the hobby. It is more difficult with fur and my paws, but Reegar is helpful if bizarrely amused.

Imara pinched the bridge of her nose. “I think he is wondering where you got the goggles.”

Mr. E lashed his tail. Bara obtained it for me, once Reegar explained what I needed.

“Ah. Well, what are you making?”

He moved his small black body between her and his project. I am just experimenting right now. I will let you know when I have something worth observing.

“So, you want me to go?”

Please. You may call upon me if you need me, but I believe you are doing fine with your studies.

“So, you are telling me to bug off.”

I would never do that, my dear mage-in-training. But I enjoy the thought of making something with my own paws and minimal magic.

“If you get sparked, let me know. I will come running.”

He let out a small purr, and his chin lifted. Thank you. Enjoy your studies.

She inclined her head and backed out the door, waiting until she heard him start up again before she snuck her phone around the corner and took a picture of her kitten with a blowtorch.

Chuckling, she glanced at the image for the next two hours while she went over the basics of weather manipulation.

Imara was sitting and studying when Bara burst in, “Imara, turn on the TV. Argus is on the news.”

Imara closed her book and sat up, grabbing the remote and turning on the television. Bara grabbed the remote and flicked to a local station.

“Where are they?” Imara was watching footage from the previous night.

“There was a riot around Ritual Space. They have started to restrict bookings, and some wizard groups are complaining.” Bara sat next to her on the couch.

They watched the XIA team round up the wizards who were disturbingly naked. Imara tried not to look, but the festively decorated bodies were hypnotic.

Bara snorted. “They were one of those male magic is stronger groups. I guess they pissed off the proprietor.”

Imara wrinkled her nose as the Mage Guild bus pulled up and the men were handed off to those who would be able to deal with them. Epithets were fired from the arrested men to the non-humans that had cuffed them, but Argus and his team kept their cool in front of the camera.

The reporter tried to get them to speak, but the door to the space opened, and they excused themselves as the guild vehicle hauled the idiots off for processing.

The reporter smiled tightly and signed off.

Bara snickered and turned the television off. “Just thought you would like to at least see him this week. You two sure have an odd relationship.”

Imara sighed and drummed her fingers on her book. “We are doing just fine. I am on a fast track through school, and he is dealing with whatever happens on his shifts. We connect when we can.”

“From what I can see, you two don’t connect at all.” Bara looked idly down at her fingernails.

“None of your business, but I am a little young for him, according to him. I also have a business plan that we both want to see put into action. There is plenty of time for connections after that.”

Bara sighed and leaned against the back of the couch. “You are so serious.”

“That is my lot in life. On the other side, I am smarter than heck, have a few good friends, and a weirdly determined familiar, so I am feeling pretty good about myself.” Imara opened her book and found her page. The smug smirk on her lips probably didn’t become her, but she was enjoying the feeling of security that her surroundings were giving her.

A thought occurred to her. “By the way, how did Mr. E ask you for the goggles?”

Bara chuckled. “Reegar translated for him. Is he really using them?”

“Yeah. I think a welding shield would be better. He has a lot of fluff.”

“Noted. I will keep an eye out. I am really enjoying the textile studies.” Bara sighed happily.

Imara went back to her book, and Bara interrupted her again.

“Why are you studying across the board?”

Imara looked up and cocked her head. “How long have you wanted to ask?”

“Since last term.”

Snickering, Imara tapped the book in her lap. “For what I want to do, a business course is basically what I need, but to get my certification and guild membership, I need my degree. Learning what I can about other aspects of magic and its application can only help me in the long run.”

“So, you still want to be an investigator?”

Imara corrected her. “A spectral consultant. Outside of the Death Keepers, the spectres don’t talk to anyone. They can’t.”

“So, since you are a registered Death Keeper...”

“Technically an apprentice, but I am part of the guild.”

“So, you can go right from graduation to consultant with a degree to propel you into full Mage Guild status.”

“That is the plan. In the meantime, I am taking advantage of the largest collection of instructors and specialists on the continent. I have half the business classes already taken care of and am looking forward to whisking through the next three terms.”

Bara gave her a long look. “Aren’t you even tempted to delay just to experience college life?”

Imara shook her head. “Nope. I have been around enough partiers in my life to know that it might be interesting, but it leaves more regret than most folks want to admit. I would rather barrel through and save the regretful social situations for after I graduate.”

“Are you planning on having any?”

Grinning, Imara turned back to her book. “I have every confidence in my ability to get into trouble, with or without my familiar.”

“I have to say, I am glad to hear it. You are way too put together for someone your age. You make me look bad.”

Imara found the spot where she had been reading about the effect of magic on thermal currents. “I don’t. I just focus on my future. I have been planning it since I was four, so it is nice that I am finally here and my little self didn’t know what a kegger was, so it wasn’t in the plan.”

Bara snorted and left her alone.

Imara got through two chapters before she felt a tingle and smelled scorched hair. She got up and had her glass in her hand the moment that Mr. E barrelled around the corner, the top of his head on fire.

She dumped the ice water on the flames and picked him up, removing his goggles and heading for the kitchen. A light tingle of magic ran through their connection, and she watched as the discoloured skin at the top of his head heal and then sprout fluffy fur.

He sighed and relaxed in her grip. I didn’t think I would catch fire.

“That was silly of you. I am sorry, but you were designed to be a kitten, and kittens need to eat, sleep, and they are flammable.”

He mumbled something about stupid mages and cuddled into her arms. My head is still wet.

Imara sat and rubbed the growing fur slowly with a kitchen towel.

The spectre of Magus Reegar materialized in the kitchen. “Was he on fire? There is a trail of singed hair from the lab to the entertainment room.”

She smiled as Mr. E gave Reegar a narrow-eyed look. “He was. I don’t know if he is finished with his project.”

Reegar nodded. “I will turn off the equipment.”

He disappeared, and Imara continued to soothe her grumpy familiar.

In his previous life, he may have been a homicidal mage on a mission, but now, he was her kitten, and he needed attention. She scratched under his chin, and his little body started a heavy purr. Yeah, he was a terrifying monster. She was lucky to have him.

Don’t forget it. He gave a delicate yawn. How are the weather magic studies coming?

“They are fine. I think I am grasping the thermal drifts and how to use nature to magnify the effects.”

Good. Prepare to be quizzed.

“What?”

In a volcanic habitat, how do you generate snow?

She blinked, and he made a mental ticking clock noise. Apparently, class was starting a few days early.

“You begin by locating a water source, and then, you check the temperature of the magma...” She continued to pet him as she worked her way through the options of the techniques she had just learned. It wasn’t going to be the right answer, but it was an answer. That was a start.

Class was in session, and the professor was almost over his ouchie.