Magic Born (14 page)

T
he freezing asphalt
scratched my cheek and hands as I moved to stand. Thick clouds filled the sky, making it impossible to judge the time. Little bits of snow swirled around my face before making their way gently to the ground. I pulled my phone from my pocket, but it had no signal. Without a signal, the battery would die quickly, and I didn’t have a charger with me. I turned it off and put it in my pocket opposite the cloaker and communication orb. My ID and credit card were in my back pocket where I’d kept them out of habit. That was all I had with me.

It only took one try to get the cloaker operational. Out here on my own, I was vulnerable to more than just the elements. Marcus had proven that he wouldn’t stop looking for me. Supposedly, the cloaker continued to work until deactivated, but I made a mental note to check on it periodically.

Protected as much as I could be from Marcus, I took stock of my surroundings. I had no idea where I was. The Armory had been north of the Magical Games headquarters, but I’d slept during some of the helicopter ride. Even if I had been awake, I doubted I would’ve gathered any information that would be useful now.

The asphalt beneath my feet was crumbling and in disrepair. Potholes dotted the one lane road. To my right, all I saw was an endless stretch of blacktop surrounded by trees so thick they concealed any light that might have indicated a building. No turnoffs appeared on either side of the road. To my left, the horizon appeared slightly lighter, as if there might be something if I continued down the road that disappeared around a corner. Assuming I hadn’t been out of it all night, the air would be getting colder. I chose to go left, hoping I was correct. If I wasn’t, there wouldn’t be time to rectify my decision before I froze to death.

As I walked, I remembered my family vacations to Lake Powell and sang the country songs we’d listen to on the drive. The hot Arizona sun warmed me now, and the songs helped me push forward despite the fact that I shivered so much it was a miracle I could walk at all.

One foot in front of the other. I lost myself in a mental playlist of songs I associated with happier, warmer times. I focused so strongly on moving forward that the sight of a gas station on my left surprised me. The artificial yellow light inside called to me, and I ran to it. Warmth hit me as soon as I opened the door, and for a few minutes all I could do was luxuriate in it. My skin itched as blood flow was restored.

“Can I help you find something?” A man who appeared too young for his balding head stood behind the counter.

“My car broke down, and I had to hike here.” With the imminent danger of freezing to death taken care of, I needed to come up with a plan. “I actually need to get back across the U.S. border. How far of a drive is it from here?”

“You’re looking at three hours.”

“You know anyone headed that way?”

“Nope, but plenty of truckers stop in here. Might find one that’d welcome the conversation. On these long hauls, the radio can get pretty boring.”

“Do you mind if I hang out here while I consider my options?” Hitchhiking was the only viable plan, but I wasn’t completely comfortable with it.

“Not at all, especially if you buy something.”

Using my credit card wouldn’t be wise with Marcus having access to my computer. I would need to change the password to my online account first. This qualified as a good reason to use some of my precious battery life. After I updated my online credit card account, I powered my phone down and grabbed a coffee and donut.

“If anyone comes in who is headed south, will you send them my way?”

“Sure. You probably won’t have to wait long.”

The donut took the edge off my hunger, and I paced around the convenience store, sipping my coffee and thinking about what I could do. I needed to get to my car, but that would require crossing the border, and I had the same ID problem now that I did earlier. If I could get a ride, I could stop before the border and then cross by foot. The battery on my phone should be able to last long enough to navigate me to my car if I kept it off until then. The risk of freezing to death wandering in the wilderness was high, but I didn’t see any other option. At this point, calling anyone for help would only endanger them. Once I had my car, I could develop a plan.

“Nick says you’re looking for someone headed south.”

I turned to see a middle-aged man wearing jeans and a flannel shirt. A trucker hat covered long brown hair pulled back in a ponytail. Whiskers surrounding a mustache completed the stereotypical picture. He may look messy, but he smelled fine, which was the first criteria for someone I’d potentially be spending hours with in close quarters.

“Yeah, I am. I don’t have any cash on me, but I have a credit card. I can buy snacks or diesel for payment.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll appreciate the company.”

The thought of voluntarily getting into a truck with a stranger seemed crazy. I tried to convince myself otherwise. If he meant me harm, surely he’d let me buy him some diesel first, get the most out of the experience. Or maybe this was a nice-guy act to lure me in.

“John here’s a good guy. Known him since he was a kid. I go to church with his mama. He’ll get you where you’re going safe,” Nick called from behind his counter.

Plenty of criminals had mamas who went to church, but I’d already established that hitchhiking was the only option, so I might as well go with a guy who had a recommendation. The likelihood that this was an elaborate operation, waiting for vulnerable young women to come stumbling out of the woods to kidnap them, seemed far-fetched.

“All right. Thanks for the offer.”

John led the way to his truck. I’d never been in a semi before, and the amount of space in the red cab surprised me.

“Have you been driving truck long?”

“Since I was old enough to. I inherited the business from my daddy. What do you do?”

My first instinct was to lie, but there wasn’t much harm in telling the truth, especially since I didn’t have plans to return to that life.

“I’m a college senior majoring in political science.”

“So you going all the way across the border with me, or am I dropping you off somewhere along the way?”

“If you’d drop me off at a rest stop or gas station at the last exit before the border crossing, that’d be great.”

“That doesn’t sound very specific.”

Lying on the spot when I needed to was not a strong suit of mine. “I don’t have the right ID to get across the border. After I’m close enough, I can call my roommate to bring my ID.”

“If you want, you can hide in the back of the cab. They’re not going to look. This is the Canadian border we’re talking about, and I know the officers pretty well. This late at night, they might not even be checking.”

I didn’t want to risk being caught, especially since I had magical objects in my pockets that couldn’t be easily explained. But this way the risk of death due to exposure was significantly reduced. Staying alive outweighed the possibility of getting caught.

“I don’t want to get you into any trouble.”

“You won’t.” He seemed pretty sure.

Three hours later, John stopped and lifted the mattress behind the seats to reveal a storage compartment underneath. “Just sit in there and don’t make a sound.”

I assumed the fetal position in the cramped space. After we got moving again, it only took a few minutes to reach the border. When the truck slowed to a stop, I strained my ears to hear what was being said, but the beating of my heart was too loud in my ears to hear much of anything. We were only stopped for a few minutes, and then we were cruising back down the road. I drew a deep breath, willing it to calm my nerves and slow my heart. It wouldn’t be long now. Before we’d stopped, I’d used my phone to find the closest gas station to my car, and it was there that John let me out of the compartment.

“Thanks for the lift and the help at the border. I really appreciate it. Are you sure you don’t want me to buy you something for the road?”

“No, I’m fine. Glad to help. Good luck to you.”

“You too.”

According to my phone, it was a ten-minute walk to my car. Excitement filled me at the prospect of seeing my baby again. It was like coming home. I didn’t have much juice left in the phone, but I turned on the flashlight app. When I last traveled here, I had early morning light to go by. Even with the phone lighting my way, it was still slow going to make sure I didn’t sprain my ankle on a rock or pothole.

Three minutes out from the car, I swore I heard something and saw movement out of the corner of my right eye. I swung around, casting the light of my phone in front of me but seeing nothing more than trees. It had probably been a rabbit or some other small animal. Just in case, I pulled the cloaker from my pocket to confirm it still worked. The black design glowed back at me. Marcus wouldn’t be able to track me as long as it was on. Hopefully it didn’t require any kind of charging.

A few steps later, I saw movement again and whirled. This time, there was someone there.

“Ahhh!” I screamed.

“Shh! It’s all right. It’s just me.” Alex took me in his arms and held me close until I calmed down.

It couldn’t be him, but I felt his firm muscles under my hands, smelled his earthy scent. “How?”

“How do you think? I’ve never seen anyone as attached to something as you are to this car of yours. I knew you’d come back for it.”

That still didn’t make sense. “How?”

Alex laughed at my confusion. “We’ll talk later. Let’s get you to your baby and get the heater blowing.”

With Alex guiding me, I didn’t need the phone. He grabbed the keys from where I’d left them in the wheel well and helped me inside. I was still in shock and stared at him in amazement as he got into the passenger seat.

“What?” he asked when I couldn’t stop looking at him.

“You’re here. I just can’t believe it. Why? You left to get away from me.”

He reached over and put the key in the ignition then turned on the heater. “It didn’t take me long after I’d left to regret it. Regardless of any attraction I may feel on my own or through magic, I should’ve been there for you. I definitely shouldn’t have kissed you. I can control myself better than that.”

“Don’t worry about it.” I really didn’t want him to regret that kiss.

He brushed right past my comment as if I hadn’t spoken. “Once I told Casper I was leaving, it was impossible for me to find the Armory again. I searched, but once I realized he’d hidden it by magic, I knew there’d be no way for me to find it. I figured you’d come back for this car eventually, no matter how things went at the Armory, so I came here and waited for you.”

“But I may have never come.”

Alex shrugged. “It’s not like I had anything better to do.”

The relief at seeing him, at having him so close, made me happy enough to cry. Instead, I leaned forward and took his mouth in a kiss. It was every bit as good as I remembered.

“Thanks for waiting for me,” I whispered.

“Sure. Any time.” He pulled away. “We need to get you somewhere warm with a bed.”

I could go for that.

“A bed for you to sleep on,” Alex clarified. “I didn’t mean it any other way.”

“Uh-huh.” I started the car and headed to the freeway.

I
t would’ve been
easy to find a hotel nearby, but something didn’t feel right about staying so close to where I’d left the car. Marcus knew I had used my credit card at the diner and continued north after that. That would lead him here. So instead, I got on the freeway headed west, and told Alex all that had happened after he left.

“As soon as it became apparent that you needed protection more than ever, he kicked you out? Classy.” Great, I’d given Alex more ammunition for his dislike of Casper.

“I can understand that he wants to protect his operation. The other mages I met there, they lost their parents too. I can’t be the cause for other people dying.”

“That’s total bullshit. You are much too nice. You’re the vulnerable one. He’s the mage with protection, facilities, money, and not to mention other mages who, given what I know of Casper, probably aren’t too shabby either. He doesn’t strike me as the type to associate with people much below him.”

While I didn’t want to cast aspersions on Casper, having Alex’s support meant a lot to me. After an hour of driving, I pulled into the parking lot of a hotel, one that included a hot breakfast and appeared busy from the packed lot. There was a certain feeling of safety in numbers.

Once we got checked in, the first thing I did was take a shower. The hot water warmed me down to my bones, something my car’s heater had been unable to accomplish no matter how long I kept it at full blast. The front desk clerk had given us a tube of toothpaste and two toothbrushes. Add to that the hairbrush I kept in my glove compartment, and I had everything I needed to freshen up.

When I stepped out of the bathroom, I found Alex lying on the bed looking at the room-service menu.

“They have twenty-four-hour room service here,” he said. “We could order something, if you want.”

My frugal instincts immediately said no, but my credit card had plenty of room on it, and given the path my life was taking, keeping a good credit score wasn’t high on my list of priorities.

“Sure. Order whatever you want,” I said. He handed me the menu and we both ended up ordering the biggest steak on it.

“How long do you think we can keep running?” Alex asked. “At some point your money is going to run out.”

“I’m not planning on running.” I’d had plenty of time to think on the drive, and I wasn’t cut out for this kind of life, constantly looking over my shoulder.

“But with the cloaker, you could theoretically hide forever.”

“Do you really believe that? Because I don’t. Marcus will eventually find me. It’s only a matter of time. I want to continue improving my skills and go to Elustria.”

“There might be some shifters on the Oregon coast who have a way back. Worst case scenario, I told you there was a royal family in Europe that I know of who are shifters, but I don’t want to leave you to find them.”

“We can travel together in the direction you think we need to go to find someone who has a portal. While we’re doing that, I can be studying. These are not mutually exclusive options.”

A knock on the door interrupted us. I moved to answer it, but Alex waved me back onto the bed while he went to the door. The arrival of food put a hold on our conversation. The steak wasn’t great, cooked far longer than a medium rare should be, but after the gas-station donut I’d had earlier, I didn’t mind. Between the steak and garlic mashed potatoes, I was more than satisfied after devouring it all.

“You should probably get some sleep,” Alex said once I’d finished.

“We need to settle on a plan.”

“I’m open to what you said earlier, but how exactly do you want to go about it? How are you going to continue to learn magic with no one to teach you?”

During the drive with John, I’d considered that very question. The solution was both obvious and crude.

“The same way I did magic the first time: the game.”

“You can’t be that foolish. Marcus has access to your game account. He might be able to track you through that. And I don’t trust Casper. I’d rather you not give him a trail to follow either.”

“I’ve already thought of that. I agree I shouldn’t log in to the game or really into any of my accounts. Once the stores open, I want to go buy a cheap, little laptop. I should probably get a new phone as well. The quests in
Wizards and Fae
are full of spells. There’s dozens of fan sites on the Internet that have compiled databases of all the quest lines in the game. All I need to do is access them and learn what I can from the spells. Between the theory I learned at the Armory and the spells Casper put in the game in order to find latent mages, I’m confident I can make progress.”

“Do you really think there are going to be any spells there that are of use to you? Wouldn’t that present something of a dangerous situation for latent mages to have access to that?”

“No, because they don’t have a talisman. In the case of the game activating the magic of latent mages, the game code itself is the magical object the mage is interacting with. My mother enchanted it but only with a low level of magic, just enough to create a blip for Casper to find. It worked differently for me because I had a talisman. If my mother hadn’t stripped my spark when I was little, the magic would’ve activated for me the first time I played the game, but not big enough to actually cause ice to come out of my hands.”

“If you think it’ll work, I’ll support you and protect you while you do it.” Alex’s sincerity and commitment to helping me were overwhelming. Since my parents had died, I hadn’t had that kind of support.

“Thanks. You can also help in another way. I want to know everything about Elustria. I know you haven’t been there in a long time, but I heard different things while at the Armory. Casper seems to think that Marcus is a sorcerer assassin. I was so consumed with learning magic that I didn’t delve into the details of the situation with anyone, but I think I need to know more about whatever politics or conflict is going on, seeing as I’m now part of it.”

“The animosity between mages and sorcerers is both simple and long enough to fill several volumes. I’ll tell you everything I know, but we both need to get some sleep if we’re going to do this tomorrow.”

We stacked our dishes back on the delivery tray, and Alex left it outside the door. I set the alarm with just enough time for us to get down to catch the last few minutes of breakfast and climbed into bed. All throughout dinner, I’d wanted to reach out to Alex, to kiss him again, but there were more important matters at hand. With a little twinge of disappointment, I watched as he climbed into the other bed, turned off the light, and rolled over.