Chapter Three

 

 

The café was bright, cheerful, and filled with non-humans. Imara paused at the door, identified where Benny and Freddy were, and headed toward them.

Benny looked at Imara, looked around, and grinned. “You found us all right.”

“Yes. Sorry I was late. Administrative issue.”

“Have a seat.” Freddy scooted over to the side so that Imara could take up the empty space.

She sat and set Mr. E down on the table. “This place is really jumping.”

Benny smirked. “The side effect of a nocturnal lifestyle. Are you all right with so many non-humans around you?”

Imara nodded. “Yes. It is just a shock after the college. You almost forget that anyone else exists.”

Freddy agreed. “It was like that when I was taking journalism. Everybody was either a mage or a human. It was a relief to get over to Benny’s house for a touch of the extranatural. Her family never disappointed.”

Benny grinned. “I am still getting used to my dad having days where he is looking human. It is quite a change.”

“What did he look like other times?”

Benny snickered as the waitress poured the coffee. “A demon. He was an incubus, and I am amazed that my parents never had more children than just little old me, but that was not in the cards.”

“Is your mom human?” Imara took her cup of coffee and added cream and sugar.

“She looks human. That is enough for most folks. Her line has wolves, vampires, fey, and there is rumour of a troll.”

It was apparent that Benny was proud of her heritage. There was no reason not to be.

The server came around again, so Imara ordered a slice and a whole coconut cream pie.

Freddy asked, “Are you hungry?”

“Mr. E has a sweet tooth. He also likes to chase bubbles. Jumping into the occasional pie isn’t doing him any harm.” Imara scratched him behind his ears.

Benny and Freddy were eating something more substantial.

It appeared that they hadn’t quite gotten the idea of Mr. E and his appetite because when the pie and the slice arrived, they squealed in delight when he leaped into the centre of the pie and started eating his way out.

The laughter from the other patrons around them told Imara that Mr. E had an audience. She ate her pie, and he ate his while Benny and Freddy played with him, putting globs of whipping cream on his nose to watch him lick it off.

Mr. E didn’t mind. He was going to get all that cream anyway.

Imara sipped at her coffee, and as she sat in the good humour and giggles that flowed around her, she checked her phone, and the intruder was in custody. The message from the guild was clear. The Death Keeper who was supposed to be on duty was missing.

Imara sighed and returned to her coffee.

Benny glanced at her. “Bad news?”

“The woman in the welcome centre wasn’t a Death Keeper. She was a stand-in or a thief. I don’t know which one. I do know that the actual keeper who was supposed to be on duty is missing.”

Benny looked concerned. “Do you know them?”

Imara shook her head. “No. We don’t usually socialize. The only Death Keeper I had met before I joined the college was my master in Sakenta City.”

Freddy blinked. “You don’t have guild meetings?”

“No. There aren’t enough of us. There are barely enough to man the memorial gardens. That is why they are so far from cities, though that is where most of their population comes from. They have to increase their access while increasing their distance from population centres.”

Benny blinked. “That is... weird. So, you don’t have to go to class?”

“No. This is on-the-job training. If you have a talent for it, you have a talent for it. That is all.”

Imara finished her coffee and looked at her kitten. He was sitting in an empty pie plate and beginning the laborious process of getting all the coconut and whipped cream off his black fuzz.

Freddy sat back. “Dang. If I had known that, I might have tried for it.”

Benny smiled. “You aren’t suited to it. You are firmly on the side of life at all times.”

Imara glanced from one to the other, and she could almost visualize the spiritual tie between them. “You have been friends for a very long time.”

Freddy wrinkled her nose. “Don’t put it that way.”

“Sorry. I meant that I can see the link between you.”

Benny smirked. “Freddy became my friend in kindergarten. She has been defending me against those who would think harshly of me for my entire life. She is an amazing bully repellent.”

Imara grinned. “I can see why. She is a force of will.”

Freddy grimaced. “I have to be when I can be. I could be summoned by my mage at any moment, and that tension drives me nuts. It is not something that makes me sleep easy.”

Imara nodded, and she reached out to stroke Mr. E’s clean, damp fur. “I understand.”

Freddy smiled. “If it makes you feel better, he doesn’t care that you are bound to him. He is exceptionally impressed with your skills and your determination. He is honoured to be your familiar.”

“Good. I am honoured to be his mage, so it works out well.” Imara smiled.

Benny laughed, “Well, I get the pleasure of your company twice this week. Tomorrow, three XIA teams will be with us, including my own.”

“Oh. Wonderful. It will be nice to see your mates again.”

Freddy spluttered. “Really? You just say it like that?”

Imara blinked. “She is not human, and she has shifters in her circle, so she has mates, not husbands. Partners, if you will.”

Benny grinned, and her eyes glowed. “So, you know that too.”

Imara wrinkled her nose. “Your magic isn’t human magic. It isn’t standard mage magic. I knew it when I first met you.”

Benny nodded. “It makes sense, considering your talent. I mean, you know about some of my ancestries.”

“Yes, I do. It makes sense now.” She grinned.

Freddy snorted. “So, Imara, what are you doing for the rest of the night?”

“I am heading home, getting some more studying in for my final course and then getting some sleep.”

Freddy blinked. “You are still in school?”

“I am finishing my qualifiers at Depford College. When I have this last course done, I will be able to get my commercial magic license.”

Freddy whistled. “Wow. That is a hard rating to get.”

“I know. That is why I went for it in this way. I have taken every high-credit course I could find in order to make this go as fast as I could, and there is only one left to go. Not many folks get through the course or even try it, but I am confident that I can get it done and gain some insight while I am doing it.”

Benny looked up from her fries. “What is the course?”

“Spell crafting.”

Freddy cackled. “She should meet Minnie.”

Benny finished her food. “You know, I think you are right. What are you doing right now, Imara?”

She blinked. “Uh, wiping the last of the whipping cream from my cat?”

“Come with us to the city, and we will introduce you to a friend of ours.” Benny winked. “If we are lucky, we might meet her dragon.”

“A dragon?” Imara blinked.

“Oh, I do love those mythical shifters. They get me all tingly. Benny occasionally works with a gryphon, and he sets my hellhound on fire.” Freddy sighed wistfully.

Imara smiled. “You don’t say.”

Benny chuckled. “Imara has met him a time or two. She understands.”

“I do, I really do.” Imara chuckled.

Benny grinned. “Wonderful. Freddy, you be her co-pilot, and I will lead the way. If we get lost, you can tell her where we are headed.”

Freddy nodded. “Will do.”

The server slid their bills in front of them, and Benny grabbed them all. “I have got this.”

Imara scowled. “I can get my own.”

Benny shook her head. “It is my pleasure to get you the pie and coffee. The XIA owes you a lot more than that.”

“I get paid. I get paid quite a bit. I wish folks would let me spend my money.” Imara snorted as Benny handed the server the cash.

Benny grinned. “We are going to a shop next. You can spend your money there.”

 

They were on their way when Imara asked Freddy, “Who are we going to meet?”

“Our friend Minerva. She is in town from Corudet City and working on taking inventory at an herb shop. She’s a master mage and an excellent judge of character. Also, she is married to a dragon. It’s a sweet story.”

“It sounds like it. Do you have a romantic attachment?”

Freddy smiled. “Aside from drooling over the gryphon with the dreamy eyes? Nope. I can’t. I have to be available to my mage.”

“That sucks.” She kept her vision on the red sports car that Benny was driving.

“It does. So, do you know any available mages who don’t have familiars?”

Imara scratched Mr. E’s ears. “No. I don’t socialize much, but I could ask my mother. What are your criteria?”

“Seriously? It has to be a human mage or I would have asked Benny’s family. I can’t get my family to ask around. We are bound by a geas. No call for help is allowed from us to another mage unless they approach us first.”

“So, because I asked, you can tell me?”

Freddy nodded. “Correct.”

After a few minutes of chitchat, they pulled into the parking lot of Sawberry’s Magical Supply. The door said CLOSED, but there was light inside.

Benny got out of her car, and she beckoned for them to come to the door. Imara shrugged and got out of her car. Freddy followed, and soon, they were at the door where Benny was texting frantically.

A moment after she finished the texting, the door opened. A tall woman, who radiated power, was standing at the entrance. “Come in. I have some tea brewing.”

Benny reached out and hugged the heavily pregnant woman. “Minerva. It is so good to see you again.”

The energy that Minerva was exuding was far more than the average master mage. To Imara’s senses, it was nearer to the power of a sun.

Freddy hugged the woman next, and then, it was Imara’s turn to greet her. She inclined her head. “Pardon my lack of hug.”

Minerva smiled slightly. “Thank you, and you are pardoned. I am Minerva.”

“Imara.”

“Death Keeper?”

“Yes. It pays for schooling.”

Minerva cocked her head. “Deity in the bloodlines?”

Imara shook her head. “Not that I know of.”

“Huh. Well, please come in. I am guessing that you are the reason that they came to visit.”

“I am. I am taking a spell crafting course at Depford College, and they immediately thought of you.”

Minerva nodded. “That would do it. Please, come in and have a seat. I am in the process of purchasing this shop, so I am doing inventory. The wards dissuade anyone who wants to nag me, and it sends them off to the next shop.”

The interior of the shop was neat and tidy for the most part, but the scent of herbs and the feel of magic were heavy in the air.

The woman walked slowly to the circle of comfy chairs, and she lowered herself into one of the seats. “Someone else pour, please.”

Benny sat and took the pot into her very competent hands. “Here. When are you due?”

Minerva chuckled. “By human standards, three weeks ago. By dragon standards, I still have two months to go.”

Imara asked, “So he is really a dragon?”

She sighed and inhaled the fumes from the teacup that Benny handed her. “He really is. Zemuel has his territory in Corudet City, but I have decided that my child needs more than just his empire in its life. This shop will give me a reason to come visit as well as an outlet for the child to work when it is of age.”

Freddy grinned. “Nothing like looking ahead... way ahead.”

Imara smiled softly. “It is good that you are planning for their life. Even if things change, it is alterations to an existing design.”

Minerva looked at Imara and grinned. “I like you. So, I am going to give you the best advice I can. When you get assignments to make spells and potions, look at the ingredients and think of what they mean to you. The meaning in your mind will determine the end result, no matter the dictates in the spell book. If you think of sunny days when you see a sunflower, it will make the spell brighter and happier. If you look at a lily and remember a funeral, it will darken and mute the effect of the spell. You have to put all of your focus in it and realize that there is no incorrect spell, just an undesired result. By concentrating on the ingredients, you can guess at what the spell will achieve or what it won’t.”

That made so much sense; it explained why the strongest magical sensing strips that she had ever made were made with her favourite paper. “Thank you. That explains a lot.”

“You are welcome. Is that your familiar?”

Mr. E crept out from behind Imara’s collar.

“It is. While I regret the shape I chose for him, I regret nothing else.”

Minerva smiled as the kitten crept closer.

“Eadric the Hellborn. I never thought to see you walking free.” The deep, rumbling voice came from a corner where Imara would have sworn there was no one.

The kitten sat on Imara’s arm with deep formality, and he bowed.

“Imara, this is Zemuel. Zemuel, you remember my friends Benny and Freddy.”

He chuckled. “Of course. Now, beloved, you need to return to our home to rest. This flitting around in portals isn’t good for you.”

In a moment, Imara felt the tremendous power of the dragon’s mind weighing down on Mr. E. He met the pressure and returned it calmly and directly. Their conversation was short, but it was obvious that they were friends of a sort.

Minerva snorted. “I can rest for a day after I have the baby.”

He stepped forward, and Imara was struck by the size of him. Minerva was a tall woman, but Zemuel was a huge man. He was easily over seven feet tall, and the air of power that he wore was casual as if it didn’t matter to him.

“Eadric, what are you doing wearing that ridiculous form?”

Mr. E answered him on his personal frequency, and the dragon shifted his gaze to Imara. “You are one of those from the demon-mage families?”

She cocked her head. “Genetically, yes. The Deepford-Smythe line is mine. I have not looked into the ancestors that were killed.”

That seemed to surprise him. “Why not?”

“I am not close to either side of my family, so I don’t concern myself with the past. I can’t do anything about it.”

Mr. E perched on her forearm and looked smug.

Zemuel raised his brows and actually looked closely at her. “You have the air of death about you.”

She quirked her lips. “I live at a college. Some of those folks don’t bathe. Sorry.”

Minerva barked a laugh. “I like her.”

Zemuel sighed, and the communication between him and Mr. E continued for a moment. The dragon snorted, and a shot of fire was exhaled. “Fine. I will leave her alone.”

Minerva’s eyes went wide. “That is one impressive kitten.”

Mr. E stood and fluffed his fur out a little before looking at her with big eyes and a soft murp.

Imara smiled. “He loves compliments.”

Zemuel crossed his arms over his chest. “He always did.”

Mr. E hissed.

Imara yawned. “Apologies.”

Benny grinned at her. “Long day?”

“Yeah. Prepping for classes takes a lot out of me.”

Freddy gave her a commiserating look. “Maybe you should head home.”

Minerva hissed. “Not until she has had something to keep her alert for the drive. Give me a minute.”

Minerva got to her feet with alarming speed and made her way across the shop. Zemuel was behind her, ready to catch her if his posture was any indication.

Minerva grabbed the wheeled ladder and slid it over to wherever she was targeting, and then, she began climbing. Minerva was muttering as she found a drawer and began to paw through it until she found what she was looking for. “Aha!”

She turned her head to Zemuel and murmured, “Coming down.”

He held out his arms and caught her when she jumped off the ladder. He didn’t stagger, but his knees bent slightly.

When he carried her back to them, she held her hand out toward Imara. “Here you go. It is a clarity stone. It will keep you alert. It is warded against detection, but I wouldn’t recommend that you take it to class.”

Imara smiled and took the tiny glass pebble. “Thank you, but I wouldn’t take it to class. Mr. E would eat it if I tried to cheat. He doesn’t need more clarity.”

He crept up to her shoulder and purred happily against her neck.

She slipped the stone into her robe pocket and inclined her head. “It has been pleasant to meet all of you, but I had best get back to the college. I have to get my supply list together for the course.”

Freddy smiled. “I thought you would have it already.”

“I would have, but they won’t give it to us until the day before the class.”

She bowed low and paused when Zemuel shifted Minerva in his arms, and he held out a card. “Here. Call us if you need us.”

She reached out and took it. The card was heavy with magic. “Um, thank you.”

Minerva grinned. “Let me know if you need any supplies. I can get them for you fresh and inexpensive.”

Imara smiled. “Thanks again. Good evening and take it easy. That baby needs a bit of rest.”

The room erupted in hugs and laughter, so Imara took that moment to escape and head for her vehicle.

Time to get home and check her email for the shopping list she needed for her course. She would apply what Minerva had told her in the class and see what following her associates could generate.