Smoke and Mirrors (37 page)

It took some time to sort out which symbols he didn’t fully understand. With Cormac’s watchful eye on them both, Xander was clearly embarrassed and having some difficulty concentrating on his work at first. The arrival of Xander’s father’s familiar, a jet black raven that flew in through the open kitchen window to land on a perch near the table, didn’t help. The raven gave one look at Cormac before braining itself on the wall behind it in its haste to escape the room.

The dragon picked up the limp form of the bird. He moved to the living room, leaving the two students to study in peace, lightly stroking the bird’s feathers and focusing on calming the dazed creature in his hands.

With something to keep the dragon’s attention off of him, Xander managed to relax and made a greater effort to pay attention to what Kimberly was trying to show him in the textbooks.

Once they found the missing basics he needed, it was a cinch to fill in the gaps. Xander was soon rattling off the proper names and uses of the runes on the pages as Kimberly pointed them out. There were also a few things he hadn’t quite grasped the theory of until Kimberly showed him an example by sketching out some of the runes herself and explaining under what circumstances she had used them.

With a little coaching on her part, Xander was soon able to rattle off a number of his own examples of how he could use each rune. It took longer than either of them expected, but his obvious relief and newfound confidence made it all worth it to Kimberly.

“So… summoning?”

Kimberly shook her head, slapping the textbook in front of her shut. “I’m not going to bother. Rieva made a good point. I’ve been trying to force myself to fit into the mold the school made for me instead of learning how to hone the skills I do have. Summoning isn’t my area of expertise, now or ever. I’ve learned as much as I can about being a mage. It’s time for me to start learning how to be the sorcerer I am.”

Xander’s brown eyes went wide. “That was you? I mean, I knew you were having some trouble but I didn’t realize…”

“Oh, God, I forgot. Professor Reed said the school was sending letters to all the parents that there was a sorcerer at Blackhollow. You heard?”

“Yeah, my parents freaked out and almost pulled me out of school. If it wasn’t so close to the end of the year, they might have. You sure don’t act like any sorcerer I ever heard of.”

One brow arched sardonically. “How many do you know?”

He chuckled. “Sorry, that did sound pretty bad. You’re the first I’ve met. How come you’re in school? I thought no sorcerers were allowed anywhere near magi.”

Kimberly reddened, turning away. “My mom didn’t know. Heck, I didn’t know until Professor Reed took me aside after class in my first year and ran some tests. Dean Morrell had a talk with me after that, told me to do my best but to see Professor Reed if I had problems in any of the classes. I’ve been doing my best to fit in, but that’s my problem—my magic isn’t the same as a mage’s, and it’s been driving me around the bend attempting to force it. I don’t regret going to school. I learned a lot. Having my diploma will help, too.”

“Why?”

That gave her pause. Seeing Kimberly’s look of confusion at such a seemingly simple question, Xander tapped the schoolbook in front of him.

“What makes you think having a piece of paper is going to make any of this worth your while? There can’t be many covens who would welcome a sorcerer, no matter where you graduate from or who writes a letter of recommendation. Especially after what happened a few months ago. I mean, all I ever heard before was how they use nothing but blood magic and black enchants.”

Kimberly frowned at him. “It legitimizes me. It shows I play by the rules. Don’t lump me in with that one crazy guy. That’s like saying all Muslims are violent terrorist extremists or everyone from the South is an ignorant racist or all women become crazed PMS machines during their periods or something. Jeez.”

“Don’t you?” he asked, eyes innocently wide. She laughed and gave him a sock in the arm. “Okay, okay! Sorry, I didn’t mean it. You’re right, that was a thoughtless thing to say. Doesn’t mean you won’t have trouble, though.”

“I know. If all else fails, I’m sure Rieva or Cormac will help me find a job.”

“Yes, I will,” Cormac said, now leaning casually against the doorframe with the raven perched on his shoulder. Its beady eyes were locked on him, raptly attentive. “Are you about done here?”

Kimberly glanced up, giving Cormac a nod. She turned a smile on Xander. “No matter how things turn out, whether I graduate or not, we’re still friends. Let me know if you ever need a hand brushing up on enchantments.”

He grinned. “Sure thing. Think maybe we could celebrate graduation at the Black Star?”

Cormac shrugged at Kimberly’s questioning look, making the bird on his shoulder flap its wings and squawk in annoyance. “I don’t see why not. I’ll make arrangements.”

Xander’s cheer made both of them laugh.

Cormac set the bird back on its perch and everyone said their goodbyes.

They enjoyed a few more minutes of chatting and planning the upcoming graduation party at the end of the week until the taxi Cormac called for them arrived. Xander followed them out, thanking them both profusely the whole way.

“You’re both awesome. Kimberly, I’ll see you at school tomorrow. Mr. Cormac, thanks again so much.”

“Save your thanks until after you’ve met Rieva. You may not think it’s such a great favor after that.”

Kimberly decided not to add anything to Cormac’s assessment. She knew Rieva wouldn’t like having magi in her café, but she hoped between her and Cormac they could convince the changeling that Xander wasn’t a threat.

A little ambitious and eager to meet a potential familiar, maybe, but not a threat.

Truth be told, she was still feeling a measure of surprise with herself over admitting out loud that she wasn’t a mage and that she was ready to learn more about what she was truly capable of doing with her powers. An ember of excitement was burning, deep down, at the thought of accepting Cormac to be her teacher in the sorcerous arts.

None of her textbooks covered sorcery. The closest she had ever come were the classes on defense against sorcery and other arts considered black magic, and those had primarily covered minor alterations on counterspells, runic spells, and enchantments she’d already learned in other classes.

Sorcery couldn’t possibly be all bad. There was no way the source of her power had anything to do with blood magic and black enchants and dealing with demons. The rumors of sorcery having no uses but to those involving forbidden arts were wrong. She had already learned a great deal about how to cast numerous harmless spells and utilize her power for defensive reasons on the fly. To have a tutor who was knowledgeable and—more importantly—ethical in their use of her type of magic meant so much more to her than a piece of paper that might help her get a job working for other magic users who were nothing like her.

They didn’t have licenses for magic like hers. Not really.

If the covens wouldn’t make room for her then she would carve out a place in their world for herself and prove along the way that not all sorcerers were creatures of pure evil. With a dragon by her side, she could blaze a new trail—not just for herself, but for future sorcerers, too.

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

Monday arrived too quickly for Kimberly. Much to her mother’s relief, she slept in her own bed while Cormac kept watch from the living room couch, a copy of one of Kimberly’s textbooks on summoning keeping him occupied in his time alone during the—in his opinion—interminably slow creep of night hours. Monster growled at him for a good portion of those hours from the safety of the hallway.

Heather surprised Kimberly by immediately agreeing to meet with Rieva to interview for a position at the Black Star. When Kimberly explained as best she could that it was a place frequented by supernatural creatures, her mother shrugged.

“They have to eat too, don’t they?”

And that was that. Kimberly promised to show her the way to the Black Star after Heather got home from work later that night.

Kimberly and Cormac left before Heather, leaving her still getting ready for work as the pair made their way to Blackhollow Academy.

The sun had only been out for an hour but it was already warming up to the point Kimberly was regretting putting on a light jacket over her t-shirt and jeans. Cormac seemed unaffected in one of his usual anachronistic getups he must have magicked up for himself; a double-breasted navy vest over a plain white long-sleeved shirt paired with charcoal trousers and oxfords polished until they gleamed. She privately thought he looked like he was ready to either walk into work in 19th century Wall Street or attend a steampunk convention.

They made good time. Enough that Cormac convinced Kimberly to stop for a bite to eat on the way. At his urging, despite the butterflies staging an epic battle for dominance in her stomach, she choked down a muffin and coffee. He did attempt to get her to eat something more substantial, but that was the best she could do.

Not long after they reached the Gate entrance on 77th and Columbus, Eddie the centaur joined them.

Cormac made what he thought was a heroic effort not to scowl. Kimberly nudged him with her elbow before turning a tremulous smile on Eddie.

“Thank you again for this,” she said. “I really appreciate it.”

Eddie gave a terse nod, his gaze locked on Cormac. Despite the centaur’s easy stance, neither sorcerer nor dragon missed the slight tremble in his knees or tremor in his arms. No doubt his fingers would have been shaking as well had he not had them buried deep in the pockets of his cargos.

“We owe you a deep debt,” Eddie said, his voice low enough to hide the tremor in the words. “I consider this an honor.”

Cormac gave a razor smile. “As you should.”

Kimberly frowned at him, nudging him with her elbow again. “Don’t be like that. He’s doing me a huge favor.”

“It’s not too late to change your mind. I can take his place.”

Eddie’s sun-bleached brows rose nearly to his hairline as she got on tiptoe and tugged Cormac down enough for her to place a peck on his cheek.

“You will. After my exams. I’ll see you this afternoon, all right?”

He turned burning blue eyes down to her, his smile softening. “Until then. I’ll be keeping watch nearby. If you need me, come to this Gate. I’ll see you.”

They exchanged one more sweet, lingering kiss. The centaur looked anywhere but at them, clearing his throat in obvious discomfort.

Cormac headed back in the direction of the coffee shop while Kimberly took Eddie’s hand and pulled him through the shadowed Gate between the trees lining the street. He did his best not to gape at the great bone beasts on display as they emerged into the entrance of Blackhollow, soon trailed by a number of other students on their way to class.

She was scheduled to take the familiar binding test during her second period class with Professor Lim leading Conjuration. Professor Cohen had already approved her binding circles and with Xander’s help, her circle needed nothing more than a few finishing touches—and Eddie in the middle—to do her test.

Her first class of the day was Counterspells with Professor Towers. As they made their way toward his classroom a few doors down, many students stared at Kimberly and her new companion, whispering to each other behind their hands. Though she had her misgivings about parading Eddie through the halls, he gave no sign of nervousness she could detect. He kept his head high and followed her lead, his gait slow and steady.

They were almost there when Aiden spotted her from across the hall and came at her with purpose, his lip curling in a sneer. Kimberly halted in her tracks, Eddie stopping just behind her, one steadying hand on her shoulder. She didn’t dare tear her gaze away from the fierce flash of hatred in Aiden’s eyes.

“So,” he hissed, coming to a halt uncomfortably close to her so he could use his height and frame to advantage and tower over her and block her way into the classroom. “Still think you’re one of us, sorcerer?”

The way he said the word make her sound like some filthy thing he’d found stuck to the bottom of his shoe. Though fine lines appeared around her eyes, Kimberly didn’t give any other outward sign of how much his tone bothered her.

“Get out of the way, Aidan. I have to get to class.”

“You’re dead when school is out. You shouldn’t even be here, freak.”

Eddie stepped around Kimberly to go chest-to-chest with Aiden, the centaur’s abrupt show of aggression causing the young mage to stumble back. “Show some respect, boy. You’re a mage, for Chiron’s sake. Comport yourself like one.”

Aiden looked the centaur up and down, his sneer returning. “Wow. Guess you’re trading down, huh, Kim? Wyvern wouldn’t have you, huh?”

Eddie leaned in, making Aiden flinch back. “At least she’s worthy of someone willingly choosing to serve her over being forced.”

With that, the centaur bodily stepped forward until Aiden was forced to get out of his way, leaving room for Eddie to open the door and wave her into the classroom. Just before it fell closed behind them, Aiden called out one last time.

“First order of business when I get accepted to a coven is to hunt your ass down, sorcerer. Watch your back.”