Thanks. Me too.
With her back braced and her robes hanging straight, she walked up to the double doors, and they were swung open by two trolls in uniform.
She smiled and inclined her head. “Good evening. I am here for the party.”
One of the trolls extended his hand, and she produced the invitation. He peered down and inclined his head. “Go through to the ballroom.”
She patted his hand and smiled. “Thank you. I think that is the most polite thing I will hear this evening.”
He looked surprised, and he gave her a slow, toothy smile. “Welcome, Death Keeper.”
She nodded and remembered that that is what she was here. She was a powerful mage invited to an event. That was all.
The huge archway in front of her was glowing with light. She tucked her invitation into her belt and walked through the security spell.
A human butler stood by and held out his hand for the invitation. She pulled it smoothly from her belt and handed it to him.
He frowned, looked at her robes, and then announced her to the room of strange but rather familiar faces in the room. “Master Death Keeper, Imara Mirrin Deepford-Smythe.”
Technically, it was her name, though Imara Mirrin was acceptable for legal purposes.
The man who had to be her father strode forward. He glared down at her but didn’t speak.
A young woman came to his side and clung to him. “Didn’t they take your coat at the door?”
Imara raised her brows. “This is my formal garb, just as every man here is wearing his own master’s robes.”
She blinked and frowned. “They don’t look the same.”
“They would not be. I am not a master mage.”
That seemed to satisfy her. “That’s it. What do you do?”
Imara inclined her head. “This and that.”
“What are you doing, calling yourself a Death Keeper? Their branch of the guild is exceptionally strict. Wearing those robes could get you bound by law.” Desmond was trying to intimidate her.
“I am aware of that. It is why I proudly wear the rank earned by hundreds of hours of work with spectres. There are four in this building alone, are there not?”
He blinked. “You can’t be serious.”
“I can. If you are my father, happy birthday, by the way.”
The young woman jolted. She might be four or five years older than Imara, but her attitude was much younger.
He extended his hand in greeting, and she knew it was to test her power.
She extended her hand, and their grip generated blue and crimson lightning throughout the room.
He released her and smiled. “It is a pleasure to finally meet you, daughter.”
“And you as well, Master Demiel. Now, may I bring out the spectres and have them join the party?”
He shrugged, and the doubt was still in him. “As you like. Your brothers are here and will introduce themselves and their wives. You are welcome at Demiel Hall.”
She nodded. “Thank you for your welcome; now, let the deceased join us.”
She powered up the spectres to the point where they appeared solid, and they began to migrate toward the party.
Luken smiled at her and came over. “Come on, let me introduce you.”
She leaned toward him. “I hope it gets less tense.”
“Probably won’t. Let’s start with the baby. She’s friendly.”
Imara laughed and walked with her twin to meet her oldest brother, his wife, and their new baby.
The baby was genuinely a newborn. “She’s adorable.”
Her brother, Michael, and his wife, Hannah, watched her for a moment, and then, Hannah seemed to act on impulse and handed the baby over.
Imara blinked and cradled the little one with the pink cheeks and rich blue eyes of a new baby. “Well, I am not technically your aunt due to fun family stuff, but every baby deserves a present.”
Imara cradled the baby with one arm and reached into the belt with the other hand, sticking her fingers into the pocket specially made for this purpose. With a light touch, she brushed a tiny smudge across the forehead and then the back of each tiny fist. “Congratulations on the magic, little one.”
Hannah smiled and whispered, “Imara.”
“What?”
“Her name is Imara Rose. We call her Rosie for short, but Michael felt this was right.”
Imara grinned as the smudges disappeared and the baby’s bright blue eyes got a little brighter. “In that case, this is a very good gift.”
Hannah asked, “What was that stuff?”
Imara chuckled. “Dirt from the site of the last local wave of magic. It will give her a grounding when it comes to learning and the ability to call on nature for what she needs. Perhaps we can get another family member through the sky breaking course.”
Luken groaned. “Don’t tell me you got in.”
“I did. It was a fun course but hard as hell. You were never doing what you thought you were until you suddenly got it right.”
One of her nearest brothers walked over. “How did you get in?”
Luken made the introductions. “Edmund, this is Imara, Imara, Edmund. His twin is Edgar.”
Imara reached out for Edmund’s hand, but he didn’t take it.
“How did you get in?”
“I passed the aptitude test. It was as simple as that. If you didn’t get in, then the course would have killed you.”
Michael was frowning. “Edmund, why are you being rude?”
He hissed. “She doesn’t belong here. She’s stringing everybody along, making them think she is a true mage, a true talent, but we all know she was eighth. She is unlucky.”
Luken looked at Edmund. “Are you nuts? You know the truth.”
“Dad says it’s a lie. She was eighth. There was no doubt in his mind.”
Imara pinched the bridge of her nose. “Right. And he wasn’t in the room for any of the deliveries. Oh, and on my birth certificate, it lists my birth as a minute earlier. Oh, and our mother says I was seventh. For someone supposed to be unlucky, I do tend to be in the right place at the right time to help those around me. If you want to argue that, feel free, but you had better bring backup.”
Edmund flushed and spun around, stalking over to their father.
She looked to Luken. “Is there anyone else I can alienate while I am here?”
She handed the baby back to her mother after stroking her cheek one more time. “Bye, Rosie.”
Her married brothers were all fairly calm; it was the three in school that were tense. Michael, Alexander, and Desmond Jr. were all fine. They had achieved their Master status and were relaxed. Edmund, Richard and supposedly Edgar were all tense. Luken wasn’t, but he was lucky. That explained that.
The spectres came to her, and they all smiled and spoke favourably. Lord Demiel, Lady Demiel, and their two children, Halos and Nyxos, had been spectres since a plague had swept them away over a hundred and fifty years earlier.
Desmond came over. “Who are these folk? How did they get in?”
Imara blinked. “They are the spectres of Demiel Hall. They have been here the entire time.”
He paused, and Edmund shifted eagerly behind him.