Chapter Thirteen

 

 

Imara blinked at the command, and then, she looked to see if Kitty had heard what she had.

“Don’t just stand there, I want you to go topside and clear up the thunderstorm without affecting the surrounding area.”

“Um, Professor Eckoak, that is a little beyond us.”

“Really? You two have separately created weather systems; together, you should be able to take down a storm without wrecking the local weather system. Go on up and give it a shot.”

“We can work together?” Kitty’s eyes were hopeful.

“Of course. I don’t want you to die. If you two can’t manage it, you fail. Well, you will be given a barely passing grade, but you won’t pass with flying colours. For that, I need a rainbow.”

Imara looked to Kitty, and they headed to the lift. Mr. E sat up from his bath time and blinked. You are leaving?

“We are going to break up the storm up top. Are you coming?”

This I have got to see and possibly offer an opinion on.

Imara extended her hand, and he ran up her arm, settling on her shoulder. She grabbed her bag, and she and Kitty stood close on the lift.

Kitty lifted her hands and created a dry bubble around them. “This is going to be tricky.”

“No kidding. First, we have to contain it and then—”

Do you need to contain it? Check the local weather.

Imara grabbed her phone and looked for the local information. “Holy shit.”

“What?”

“Our instructor built this storm, just for us. The surrounding areas are clear and sunny. All we have to do is unravel this carefully, and it should fall apart.”

Kitty exhaled slowly. “That is something. So, we just have to contain and dismantle weather magic. No problem.”

“Right. So, sorry, but we need to get a feel for the temperature.”

Mr. E hid in her hair as the wind lashed at them and the heat in the air was apparent.

Imara pulled a solid bubble of warm air around them. “Well, that was fun. Okay, so high humidity, low pressure, and minimal precipitation. If we use cold, we are going to have a tornado. So, thoughts?”

Kitty frowned and looked around. “I know you are going to hate me, but how about lightning? It will drain some of the pressure system and cause a cascading reaction through the cloud layer. I think tearing the sky a new one might be what we need.”

“I am willing, but we are going to have to ground it far enough away from us that we won’t get zapped.”

“I can take the statue on the far side of the field; you can take the one outside that parking structure.” Kitty bit her lip.

Imara looked around and saw her distant target. “Right, well, I am going to drop the bubble, are you ready?”

“Yup.” Kitty flexed her fingers. “Up from the bottom, right?”

“You got it. Mr. E, hold on.” She dropped the air bubble.

The wind hit her, and she staggered. As soon as she could, she focused on calling heat down from the clouds while pushing energy up through the distant statue.

Lightning crackled in a jolt that made her jump. She pushed and did it again, and again, draining the clouds of the magic that powered them.

Behind her, she heard matching crackling and booming, and the sky began to show through. They kept it up, draining the sky of magic until a rainbow arched over the administration building.

Imara sat heavily on the grass, and she looked to see Kitty kneeling with a stunned expression on her face. “Did we do it?”

Eckoak appeared from the lift and looked at the sign of their efforts. “Took you long enough. You should have been able to drain it with four strikes, but well done, ladies. You pass. High marks. Ninety-three percent for the both of you.”

The grumpy dryad left them, and they were stuck staring at each other.

Kitty started laughing, then Imara followed suit. They sat in the grass with the sun beaming down on them, revelling in the fact that they hadn’t killed anyone.

 

* * * *

 

Mirrin Deepford looked out her office window and saw the rainbow. “Thank goodness.”

Eckoak appeared in the chair next to the desk. “No kidding. I thought they were going to fry each other.”

“And yet you let them try to break the sky, Koki.”

Eckoak shrugged. “They needed to learn. They still think that it was magic in the sky and not natural energy. I believe that I will save that little informational tidbit for their post-class briefing.”

“You didn’t build that storm?”

“Nope. I had it blown in by another weather mage overnight. They managed to burst it and keep it from travelling, which is all I was after. You have a good kid there. Makes me almost wish I had reproduced myself.”

Mirrin laughed. “That is a frightening thought. Where are the girls now?”

“The women are laughing their asses off in the meadow over the classroom. All that power has a somewhat euphoric effect. It’s why most weather mages are so damned cheerful.”

Mirrin looked to her friend and shrugged. “Glad you are in a good mood then.”

Eckoak waved her hands. “Give me your computer; I need to enter in their marks, so I can get the hell out of Dodge.”

“I thought you were writing a post-class report.”

“I am coming back.” Eckoak sighed in exasperation. She grabbed the laptop, logged in, and her fingers flew in a rapid blur that was hard to watch.

Mirrin smiled and cocked her head. “Where did you learn to type?”

“It was a misspent youth. I still prefer the Dvorak keyboard, but this is fine.” She typed for a few minutes, saved her work, and then logged out.

“There, Mirrin, you daughter’s grades are final. You can breathe now.”

“She succeeds or fails on her own. I am not using any clout to get her a passing grade.”

Eckoak stood and stretched. “You don’t have to, she’s your daughter. Lucky too. It was like she could figure out everything and then used hand signals to pass the information on to Deegle.”

“It isn’t cheating.”

“No, but it is a little weird. Ah, well, I will see you in a few weeks before you get all crazy with the next term.”

Mirrin rubbed her neck and then smiled. “Thanks for teaching this course.”

“You are welcome. It was fun to see what your genetics can do in a proper receptacle. She’s impressive, and I get the feeling that she is destined for surprising things.”

“She wants to open a consulting business.”

“She will be good at it. If she teams up with the Deegle girl, she might even go further with it than she can imagine.”

Mirrin sighed. “I don’t think she imagines much. She wants stability and is willing to do what she can to achieve it. That is what the whirlwind of courses is all about.”

“Whatever. I tried to be nice, and you disagreed with me. See you in a few weeks. Good day, Chancellor.”

Mirrin stared at the spot where the dryad had been, and she leaned back in her chair. “Further than she can imagine, huh? I am looking forward to seeing it.”

 

* * * *

 

Bara was waiting when they got back. “So, how was your weather class?”

“Pretty good. I think we just had a surprise exam.”

Bara frowned. “Really? I had a present for Mr. E. I think he would enjoy it.”

Present?

“You can still give it to him.”

Bara grinned and headed into the kitchen area. When she returned, she held out some tiny objects, and Mr. E wasted no time in putting on the tiny yellow galoshes and standing up on his hind feet. The bright miniscule umbrella set off his black fur.

Imara snuck her phone out and took another picture.

You have to stop doing that. It was hard to take him seriously as he pranced around like an itty-bitty bear in his little boots.

Imara tried to fight her laughter, she really did, but instead of fighting it, she created a miniscule raincloud above Mr. E’s head, and he stomped around, completely dry.

When her giggles had faded, she dissipated the cloud and licked her fingers.

Bara stared at her. “Did you just make it rain indoors?”

“I think so. His boots look wet, so I am guessing I did.”

“Wow. That’s... wow. Is it complicated?”

“Is what complicated?” She burst into giggles again. “Damn, I think I am high on magic.”

Reegar appeared and gave her a long look. “Weather magic. Have you been using lightning?”

She nodded and went off into giggles as Mr. E tried to pull his little boots off.

“Magic, ozone, nitrogen, and oxygen. It will wear off in an hour or two. Just stay away from your kitten and you will be fine. Maybe follow your friend’s example and sleep it off.”

Imara sighed. “Boring! I am going to help Mr. E get his boots off, and then, I am going to braid his hair.”

She lunged, and all hell broke loose.

 

“I am fine now. You can untie me.” Imara sighed.

“Oh, no. I am not falling for that one again.” Bara scowled and pulled her still sticky hair away from her face.

“Listen, I didn’t know I could make it rain soda. I am sorry.” She tried to put her sincerity into her voice. “I am very, very sorry, Bara.”

She looked down at her feet, “You, too, Mr. E. I am really sorry.”

His fur was all matted, and he was giving her a homicidal glare. You are going to owe me for this.

She didn’t know what he meant until he moved behind her and the ropes were shredded. She flexed her wrists and got to her feet.

Bara was shocked. “Why did he let you go?”

Imara wrinkled her nose. “I stopped laughing at him. He knew it had worn off.”

She ran the water until it was warm to the touch and got a clean cloth. She filled a basin with warm water and sat at the table. Mr. E came up to her, and he stepped into it.

Imara dipped the cloth in the water and squeezed it out, blotting the soda out of his fur an inch at a time.

“It is a good thing that you are this size. It makes it easier to undo this.”

Bara sat at the table. “I am next.”

“I am not going to wash all of you.”

Bara snorted, “I just don’t want to touch any of my stuff on the way to the shower. You will pick up my clothing, hang up my towel, and close the door after me.”

“Yes, ma’am.” She continued to get the sticky residue out of her kitten for another ten minutes.

When he was dry and curled up in a clean, dry towel, she went to act as Bara’s butler for a few minutes.

After she was finished cleaning up the floor from the impromptu soda storm, she sat in exhaustion and looked at Reegar. He was sitting near the library with a book in his hands. “So, power drunk?”

“Apparently. My instructor didn’t mention it.”

“Eckoak is not very forthcoming with mundane bits of information.”

“You have that right.” She leaned back and tried to relax tense muscles.

“What is your next insane course?” He raised his brows.

“Just a little bit of stealth magic. Nothing serious.”

Reegar jumped to his feet and headed into the library. He came back to the table and dropped a stack of books three feet high on the wood. “Read these and then tell me it isn’t serious. Can’t you take another course?”

She frowned. “What do you mean? Stealth magic is just like enchanted hide and seek, right?”

“Start reading. If you still want to take the course after you finish them, I will help you all I can.” He left her alone.

Not one to ignore assistance when it was offered, Imara started reading the stack of tomes, and by the third, there was a nauseated feeling in her brain.

By the fifth book, she was shaking. Stealth magic wasn’t quite what she thought it was when she chose it for its high credit load.

I will help as well. I was a master of most of the skills of assassination and concealment. It is how I was able to make it into the homes of so many demon-contaminated mages. His little nose and wide eyes peeped out of the towel, at odds with his subject matter. The key to stealth magic is to calm your soul before beginning anything. You already have mastery of that move from your work with the spectres. If you wish to do it, I will help you through it.

Reegar returned. “So? What do you think so far?”

“I am petrified, but I am going to do it. Mr. E says he has used the magic before, and I trust him.”

Reegar heaved a sigh. “Well, in that case, read these.”

He beckoned, and a stack of books came floating toward the desk. “These are on practical exercises and means to strengthen the reflexes you will need. Your gentlemen caller will be able to help you with the physical assault aspects.”

She wrinkled her nose. “Is that really necessary?”

“It is if you want to come out of the course whole in mind and body. How did you even get in?” He growled it.

“I had a recommendation from my domestic magic instructor. She said I had a natural talent for assassination. I thought she was being funny.”

Reegar closed his eyes and covered them with his hands. Imara got the feeling that if he wasn’t already dead, he would have wished it on himself. When he sat up, he took a deep breath to steady his nerves, and he looked at her. “Right, the first thing you need to know is the art of being still.”

She smiled and focused. After an hour of lectures, she came to one important discovery, if she acted like Mr. E, everything would become easy. It was as terrifying as it was encouraging, and she tried to find a middle ground.

Two more terms and she would be out on her own. What was she going to do without Reegar and Bara?

Kitty groaned and clutched her head on the sofa. “What happened?”

“You got caught in a storm. Go back to sleep.” Imara grinned and fished out her phone to order pizza. She had just gotten through one of the toughest courses at Depford College, her friends were with her, and one of the toughest courses at the college was looming. She really needed a celebration.

You had to celebrate the small stuff, or the big stuff could pull you under.