Demon Accords 8: College Arcane (51 page)

“You think it could help?” he finally
asked.

“When we study stuff, most of us retain or
remember bits and pieces. This spell helps bring them all together.
Someone mentioned, maybe it was you, that you’re getting bits and
pieces back, but they’re all jumbled. I think this could help, and
I really don’t think it could hurt.”

He looked at me for a second, then nodded.
“Do it.”

Arkady growled, but Nika’s hand blurred out
and her finger went over his lips. “Hush. You have no idea.”

Nervous, I grabbed my book bag and pulled
stuff out. “Here, take a swig of this and hand me back the bottle,”
I said, handing him my UVM water bottle.

He did without hesitation. “Water?”

“Water you drank from. It’ll form the base
fluid,” I said, lighting a bundle of sage and wafting it around
him. An idea occurred to me. I turned to Tanya and pointed at her
chest. Actually, the necklace she wore. An arrowhead lying on a
partial eagle feather. “Did he give you that?”

She nodded, frowning.

“May I borrow it? I’ll give it right back,” I
said.

The feather made wafting the sage smoke
easier, but it was the symbolism and the connection between them
that I wanted.

Next, I snuffed out the sage into a ceramic
bowl I had picked up at a cool store on Church Street. Then I
poured a small amount of water from the bottle into the bowl. I
added a drop of Jasmine oil and a drop of Lilac oil. A single
Aricept tablet that I had gotten from a pharmaceutical salesman who
frequented the restaurant went in, along with the powder from a
ginko biloba capsule.

I stirred it with the flint arrowhead, then
used the tip of the arrowhead to draw my runes on his forehead with
the powdery, ashy fluid.

“Most spells are simply
frameworks for the witch to wrap his or her mind around the effect
they are trying to achieve. A lot of symbolism is involved. The
sage purifies the air you breathe to remove all negative energy.
The water is you, the feather and arrow is your connection to
Tanya, and the pills are symbols of memory. The runes I draw are
for knowledge, gifts, the Sun, and the yew for protection. With my
will invoked, I direct your mind to pull together all its
knowledge, memories, and experiences. To put them in proper order,
to open them up to your conscious mind for your inspection and
review. I
will
it
so,” I said, putting my left hand on his right temple and my right
on his left temple. As I said the word
so
, I felt a rush of power leave me
and enter him. Nothing huge, just a small mental shove.

I let go and sat back. He looked stunned,
eyes wide and mouth open, sitting frozen.

“What did you do?” Arkady demanded.

Tanya’s hand was on his chest before the
giant could move. We both looked her way. She was staring at Chris,
tears streaming down her face. She didn’t react except to smile.
The kind of smile that could stop traffic.

“He is remembering… everything,” Nika said,
eyes wide as well. Chris was staring straight ahead, looking at
nothing but still smiling. Awasos stood up and moved over to him,
putting his massive head on Chris’s lap. Without seeming to be
aware of it, Chris started to pat ‘Sos’s head.

Suddenly uncomfortable with the power of the
emotion in the room, I hurriedly packed my bag and stood up.

“Looks like it’s working, at least to some
degree,” I said. The vampires ignored me, still watching their
young leaders, but ‘Sos rolled his eyes my way without turning his
head. Stacia got up and followed me to the classroom door.

“Right, well I should get back to my room and
get some homework done. Spring break is over and school starts
tomorrow,” I said, rambling.

“Declan,” Stacia said, grabbing my arm. “That
was huge. Unbelievably huge. His memory has been a giant
issue.”

“Yeah, well, I could see that, so when I was
studying for mid-terms before break, it occurred to me that this
might help.”

“If half of what I think is happening, then
you did way more than help,” she said. I didn’t know what more to
say, uncomfortable with her gratitude on Chris’s behalf.

“How are you and your girlfriend?” she asked
gently.

“Well, we decided to take a break for a
while. Things have been difficult and all the attention I’m getting
from the witch world really strained us. Her in particular. But we
agreed we’re both too young to get super serious.”

“Your idea or hers?” she asked.

“Ah, hers,” I said.

She nodded. “Was it friendly, or tense?”

“Pretty friendly, although I know for a fact
she’s not going to work for you guys this summer if I am. I wasn’t
really surprised when she suggested a break.”

“What will she do?” Stacia asked.

“I think she’s going to work for the FBI this
summer. Use her skills for something less deadly.”

“You thinking of dating the Irish girl?” she
asked.

“I’m not exactly boyfriend material while I
have this thing inside me,” I said.

“Declan, does anyone else know about Sorrow?”
Stacia asked.

“No. Just you guys and my aunt. I told
everyone else that the book got destroyed, which is true, just not
the full story. I don’t think it would be a good idea for it to be
general knowledge.”

“Ya think? Super eligible boy witch who comes
with fully installed ancient and priceless grimoire? How do you
think the circles would react?” she asked.

Before I could answer, Larry the party kid
came whipping around the corner, headed for the entrance.

“Hey Declan. Delwood’s gonna try to bench
press a car,” he said, then caught sight of Stacia. He slammed to a
sudden halt, looked at his cell phone and then looked up at her.
“I’ve lost all my numbers… can I have yours?” he asked with a sly
grin.

She laughed. “Points for originality. Well
played. Not happening. See ya, Declan. Get good grades ‘cause we
need you this summer,” she said, kissing my cheek and sliding back
into the room.

“Duuuuude! You got game!” Larry said.

“Nah. So whose car is Delwood lifting?” I
asked.

“I don’t know. Some green Jeep or Land
Crusier thing,” he said, heading to the door.

I rushed after him, ready to save one Beast
from another. Halfway through my first semester of college already.
What did the second half hold? Or the summer, for that matter? No
way to know, but it beat the hell out of high school.

The End.

Author’s Note:

Declan and Chris will be back in God Hammer
or as I like to think of it, the most exciting college internship
ever.

Many thanks to Marty Munson, Ryan Bibby and
Susan Gottfried, whose hard work help my scribbles become a book.
The idea for the cover that Ryan skillfully created came from my
wife Robin. The college world was copied from my observations of my
daughter’s experience… from a safe distance. My younger daughter
supplies much of the snark and wit expressed by Declan and
company.

Finally, I want to dedicate College Arcane to
Mark W. Merritt, lifelong friend, patriot and shadow warrior. Rest
without pain my friend.