Zelda was just a regular mage, lower case m, but she’d been helping me a lot with learning the basic disciplines and skills I needed for magic mastery. She could only offer theoretical ideas when it came to controlling my Blood though. Truly, the only person who could help me with that for real was Jackson, but he was a good-for-nothing piece of shit who wouldn’t piss on me if I was on fire, let alone help train me.
My car door closed with a thunk, and I glanced back at the house to check that no one had woken up. Not that I was doing anything bad; of course they all knew I’d been out most every night since we first arrived in Seattle almost a month ago. But I really wanted them—Kit—to think I was getting a better handle on things, not worse.
Walking into that room that she’d been held in by Mr. Gray, seeing all that blood, had put things in perspective for me. My control was severely lacking, and I needed help. Better help than Zelda had been able to provide.
She’d mentioned to me a while back that she knew someone infinitely more qualified to teach me, but I’d declined. The fewer people who knew that there were new Blood and Ink Mages, the better. Already we had been “in charge” of the mages for close to a month and yet done nothing to assert our leadership. If we could get away with it, we never would. But even I knew that was wishful thinking.
Alone with my thoughts for the twenty minute drive into the city and Zelda’s shop, I was a mess of nerves by the time I pulled into the empty parking lot and turned off the ignition.
I’d messaged Zelda earlier in the evening when we landed back in Seattle and told her I was ready to meet her friend, if they were still willing to help. Since watching Austin seal his bond with my Kitty Kat, all I could focus on was the burning need to do the same. But he was right, as he always was; if I couldn’t control the Blood, how could I expect that of her too?
Sucking up my courage, I locked my car then let myself into the shop through the unlocked back door. My stomach was twisting like I was doing the wrong thing here, but I was convinced this was my best choice. An out-of-control Blood Mage could cause irreparable damage and thousands of deaths, if not millions. Just ask Vlad the Impaler.
“Caleb,” Zelda greeted me warmly. “Tea?”
She was hunched over her little stove-top kettle like a frail old lady, despite her middle-aged appearance. Technically, I supposed, she was an old lady. Zelda was one of the oldest living mages in this country, which was why I’d turned to her for help after I was changed.
We’d met once or twice when I was a kid and Yoshi was trying to teach Austin and I the craft. Not that I’d paid any attention at the time—something I had seriously come to regret. But I was glad for having met Zelda. She’d provided guidance when I was going out of my mind after my magic manifested almost instantly following Kit’s healing of me.
“Thanks,” I smiled, taking the cup of tea from her and sitting in my usual spot at her kitchen table. “So, you got my messages?”
“I did.” She nodded, pouring a cup for herself and coming to join me with a weary groan.
“And will your friend be willing to help?” I pressed, frustrated at her lack of urgency.
“Answer me this first, Caleb.” She narrowed her eyes at me shrewdly. “Why the sudden rush? A few days ago you were happy with the progress you’d made and happy to keep working on control a little bit at a time. What’s happened since then?”
“My girlfriend got injured,” I hedged, not willing to spill about Kit being a Ban Dia or all that entailed. “Pretty badly too... there was a lot of blood. A lot.”
“I see.” Zelda pursed her lips thoughtfully. “And how is she now?”
“My girlfriend?” I clarified. “Um, she’s... recovering.” Not a total lie. It was going to take her a long time to work through all that had just happened, and to lump Jonathan’s betrayal on top... I was worried for her. The sooner I could bond to her, the better.
“Well, I called my friend when I got your message that you were on your way.” Zelda nodded, sipping her tea. “She should be here shortly; however, there is one thing before she arrives.”
Why does she seem so damn shifty all of a sudden? “What’s that?”
“She’s a very private person, and if she is to help you with this, you must first consent to a confidentiality agreement.” Zelda didn’t meet my eyes as I glared at her, instead swirling her spoon in her teacup. I wasn’t a total magic newbie; I knew full well that this type of confidentiality agreement was not a piece of paper that could be easily torn up. No, this was a magically binding contract with dire consequences if broken.
“What are the terms?” I asked finally, and Zelda sighed.
“Just the standard pain punishments if broken. But that’s not usually an issue with most people because these things are so damn hard to break in the first place you have to be really trying. Then again, you’re the Blood Mage, so if anyone can break it...” She was rambling and it wasn’t making me feel any better about this decision.
“Give me your honest opinion, Zel,” I pleaded. “Do I need this woman’s help? Can I figure it out on my own?”
She finally met my gaze, and her eyes were full of sympathy. “I’d hoped you could, but if your reaction to seeing your girlfriend’s blood was strong enough to send you here in the middle of the night seeking help... no, I don’t think you can do it alone. Your only choices here are to track down Jackson and force him to train you or accept the confidentiality agreement from my friend and start your training tonight.”
I heaved a sigh and scrubbed a hand over my face. “Let’s do it then.”
Zelda nodded and quickly whipped out the tools she needed for the spell. Unlike Austin and myself, mages with a little m required more effort to use their magic, whether it be casting circles or spells or even potions. The strongest among them could use a gesture and short phrase, but none could wield their powers with the casual abandon that Austin enjoyed with his ink. Hopefully I would too, once my Blood was controlled.
The confidentiality spell snapped into place mere moments before a soft knock sounded at Zelda’s back door, drawing both out gazes to it.
“Come in, dear!” Zelda called out. “Spell is done. You’re safe.”
Safe? Why did that sound like a strange choice of word to use?
“Good, it was awfully cold outside tonight.” A woman’s lilting Irish voice sounded from beneath a deep hood as she stepped into the kitchen and closed the door behind her.
“You must be Caleb, then?” she asked, tossing back her hood and causing me to suck in a sharp breath. “It’s nice to finally meet you. I’m Bridget.”
To Be Continued in The Viper’s Nest… coming 2018
About the Author
Hello! I’m Tate, or TJ, or Goldie 2. I write books about people who do things, meet other people, things happen and stuff gets said. I am a wine and coffee addict who swears too much and thinks of sarcasm as the highest form of wit.
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