The Mage in Black

I could just see what Adam had to say when he returned. But that wasn’t my style. Instead of leaving it up to him, I decided to wait and see how I felt when I saw him. After all, absence made the heart grow fonder. So maybe when he wasn’t absent anymore, the attraction would be less intense. Less urgent and confusing.



I hoped.



21



The shot slammed into the dummy’s midsection. A wide circle burned for a moment before the entire straw man burst into flames.



“Good!” Rhea shouted. “What’d you do differently? You almost hit the target that time.”



It helped to imagine myself as a weapon. A heat-seeking missile. A living, breathing instrument of destruction. Of course, I couldn’t tell that to Rhea. To her, I shrugged and said, “I tapped into the universal energy.”



Rhea smiled. “Bullshit.”



I laughed out loud. The glow of accomplishment warmed my center. I’d been working on that maneuver for a couple of days. The two hours I’d already spent on the effort so far that evening left me dripping in sweat. But now, watching the dummy smolder and smoke, a surge of energy shot through me. “Does it really matter how I did it?”



Rhea cocked her head. “Guess not, as long as you can do it again.”



I shook my arms and wiggled my fingers. “I’m ready if you are.”



“Damara?” Rhea called, looking around the room for her assistant.



Damara sat cross-legged in the corner with white cords extending from her ears. A magazine lay open in her lap, and she didn’t look up at Rhea’s call.



“Damara!” Rhea shouted, waving her hands to get the girl’s attention.



She looked up at Rhea with her eyebrows raised and a scowl on her face. The faint sounds of a guitar riff bled into the room as she removed the earbuds. “What?”



“Please retrieve another dummy from the storeroom.”



Damara sighed and replaced the earbuds. I frowned, wondering what Rhea would do now that it appeared the girl was flat-out ignoring her. I glanced at Rhea, but she looked unconcerned. Suddenly, a tingle of energy crept up my spine. A second later, a straw dummy flew out of the storeroom and floated across the floor like a ghost. Damara kept the dummy afloat even as she continued to read her magazine. I blinked, surprised to see how easily she’d wielded magic. Just then, she looked up and smirked at me. Her expression said something along the lines of, “See how easy this is for me?”



I raised my eyebrows and pursed my lips, showing her I wasn’t impressed—even though I was.



The dummy finally reached the opposite wall, and the ropes hanging from the ceiling tied themselves around its neck.



Damara rose then and brushed her hands together. I rolled my eyes, realizing she’d been showing off. Whatever. She might be able to move things easily, but I was well on my way to being able to destroy them without lifting a finger.



Rhea turned back to me and opened her mouth.



“Can I go now?” Damara interrupted.



Rhea sighed, looking put-upon. “Yes.”



Much stomping and squeaking ensued until Damara disappeared through the door.



Watching the closed door, Rhea shook her head. “Why do I put up with that child?”



I crossed my arms. “I was going to ask you the same thing.”



Rhea shrugged. “I feel bad for her, I guess. She doesn’t have anyone else. Her mom was one of the ones taken at the vineyard.”



My stomach lurched. Suddenly Damara’s sullen ways made a lot more sense. “That’s horrible.”



Rhea nodded. “She’s also incredibly talented. She’s already mastered several advanced areas of magic. But she’s impatient.” She shot me a sly smile. “Like some other students I know.”



“What you call impatience, I call eagerness,” I said with a smirk.



“Smartass. You ready to go again?”



I nodded. “Just give me a sec.”



I closed my eyes and focused on my breathing. Like Rhea taught me, I visualized the energy surrounding me—not hard, given I was in one of the largest cities in the world. The air pulsed with it. I drew it up from my feet, in from my fingers, and down from the top of my head. I gathered it into a glowing ball in my diaphragm. It beat there like a second heart, pulsing with power. On my next exhalation, I imagined a thin stream of red rising through my esophagus with the air. It climbed up until I could taste ozone in the back of my throat. My eyes flew open. The power surged through my pupils and shot like a laser across the room.



“Bull’s-eye!” Rhea shouted.



I slammed my lids shut. The leftover power dispersed through my veins, making my arms and legs tingle. The rush of energy through my body made me dizzy. I swallowed against the rising nausea and focused on regaining my equilibrium. Rhea told me that in time, my body would adjust to the aftereffects of such an expenditure of energy, but for the time being it left me feeling wrung out. My shoulders sagged, and a bead of sweat trickled down my temple.



Once I felt more stable, I slowly opened my eyes. The dummy was the first thing I saw. It burned like an effigy for a moment until Rhea cast a spell to douse the flames. I limped to a nearby table and leaned on the edge, feeling worn-out but pleased.



Rhea came over and patted my shoulder. “Excellent work, Sabina. With a little more practice you’ll be able to call up the power without concentrating so hard. Once you master that, we’ll work on reversing the spell.”



I frowned. “Reversing it?”



“Yeah, this is just a stepping stone on the way to being able to use your true power. Most mages can shoot energy, but only Chthonics can suck the life force out of living things. It’s tricky and has some nasty side effects, but it’s also quite effective.”



My mouth twisted. “What kind of side effects?”



“Nothing you can’t handle. But let’s not worry about that now.” She patted my shoulder again. “You did really well tonight. I’m pleased with your progress.”



“Thanks,” I said. “This trick will come in handy if anyone takes another shot at me.”



Rhea frowned. “Why do I get the impression you’re hoping there’s another attack?”



I considered lying, telling her I wasn’t doing just that. But she’d see through that. “At least then I wouldn’t be sitting around wondering when another attack was coming and who was responsible.”



“Sabina, I get what you’re saying, but I would caution you not to get too cocky. Any mage who could handle an Avenger demon will be able to block a simple power bolt. If I were you, I’d have Giguhl or another mage with you at all times.”



As smart as her advice was, it rankled. The very idea of needing a bodyguard pissed me off. “I can take care of myself.”



Her shrewd eyes narrowed. “We all need help sometimes, Sabina. Don’t let your pride force you into a foolish and potentially deadly situation.”



“I’m not an idiot,” I said, my hackles rising.



“Yes, I’m aware of that. But I’m also aware you’re itching to zap someone. I’m just saying, you need to keep a cool head and not get yourself in a situation you can’t handle.”



I jerked a nod. “Fine.” Rising from the table, I worked my suddenly tense shoulders. “I need to grab a shower before I head to Vein.”



“I hear Maisie’s going with you.”



I frowned. Was there anything this lady didn’t know? “Yeah. It was her idea.”



She nodded. “She told me. I think it’ll do her some good. She’s been so tense lately. Maybe getting away from here for a few hours will help her get her visions back.”



I stopped, my earlier indignation dissolving. “I didn’t know they left.”



Rhea sighed and crossed her arms with a nod. “She hasn’t had a vision since before you got here. It’s the stress. Between the negotiations with Queen Maeve’s emissary and the council pressuring her, it’s no wonder she’s blocked.”



“How’s the council pressuring her?” I knew there was some stress over the outcome of the vote, but Maisie hadn’t mentioned the council coming down on her about something.



“Think about it. Maisie’s an oracle. The council relies on her to foresee the potential outcomes of their decisions. Especially now, with so much riding on this war vote. But she hasn’t been able to see a damned thing.”



I chewed on my lip. “I hadn’t thought of that. No wonder she’s looked so worried every time I’ve seen her.”



Rhea nodded. “Like I said, maybe a night away will help. Get her mind off things. Please promise me you’ll keep your eye on her, though. If anything happens, Orpheus will have all our asses.”



“He doesn’t know?”



She shook her head. “Maisie told me because she needed some help with her glamour spell. The only reason I didn’t argue was that no one will recognize her and you and Giguhl will be there to watch her back. But Orpheus would go apoplectic if he found out.”



I gritted my teeth. If I’d known it would be this big of a deal, I’d have flat-out refused Maisie’s request the night before. “Good to know.”



When we arrived at Vein, Giguhl made a beeline for a gaggle of nymphs. Squealing ensued as the girls fawned over his arrival. I shrugged at Maisie and jerked my head toward the bar. She followed close behind, almost tripping over my heels. After the lecture I’d given her on the way over about sticking close and not engaging anyone, this wasn’t a surprise. I just hadn’t anticipated her taking me quite so literally.



She and Rhea had done a good job with her disguise. At first I’d been worried she’d decide to have a little fun with it. But they’d gone with a few sensible, but effective, changes. The red was gone from her hair, and the solid black tresses were pulled back into a simple ponytail hanging down her back. Her eyes were green now, instead of blue, and her nose was a bit longer. She wore black jeans and boots with a black shirt and leather jacket. She looked like Johnny Cash’s little sister, but I wasn’t complaining. She’d blend into the crowd in this getup much better than if she’d worn her normal broomstick skirt and peasant blouse.