CHAPTER 1- LUTHER
THIS ISN’T WHEREI want to be.Being in an unfamiliar cornfield in the middle of the night gives me the creeps.Unfortunately, it’s part of the job.Traveling to random locations comes with the territory of being a lead agent in a worldwide coven of mages.I breathe in the Kansas air, then shut the rental car door.It’s quiet out here, and almost pitch black save for the brilliant twinkling stars.Whatever we’re about to face is silent and subtle right now, a potentially deadly combination.
“This way,” I announce as I walk through the only path between rows of corn.
“The only farmhouse in miles,” Necia remarks.“This thing better still be here; I don’t want to have to, like, chase a creature roaming around the Kansas wilderness.”
I snicker as we continue walking.My hands are in my trench coat pockets, and I squeeze the magical rock in my palm.No matter how many of these missions I go on, fear courses through my veins at the prospect of facing the unknown.“The intel report said it’s occupying the barn at this address.”
“A barn, huh?Let’s hope the mortals are hiding in their basement as instructed,” Necia says as we march on the dirt path.“We don’t need anyone witnessing our work.”
“Or any magic at all,” I reply.“Hence why we need to capture this thing promptly.”
After a minute, Necia clears her throat.“I can’t believe whatever monster is here is this quiet.”
“I know, right?I’d almost rather it make noise.”
“But not too much noise.Don’t want the resident mortals to come out and take a peek at the action.”
“Intel called us in as animal control.”That should answer any questions for non-magical bystanders.
Necia laughs softly.“Even if they buy that, I’m praying they don’t freak out at two random Black people walking around their farm at night wearing trench coats.”
I grin.“I think we can take care of ourselves.”I hold up the palm-sized rock, my geo arcanum, then pocket it again.“Let’s get in there and bind this thing.You got the container?”
“Aye, aye, boss.”Necia holds up a small blue jar, and I shoot her an amused smile.I hate when she calls me that; we’re partner agents, but we’ve also been best friends for years.I’m no one’s boss.
Once we get to the house, I stop and hold up my left palm.Necia nods at me, and I move my fingers.If there’s a monster here, I should be able to tune into it.In moments, the familiar pulse of a creature not belonging to this realm thrums into my left hand.
“The barn,” I state.We get moving like we’ve done dozens of times before, ready to take this thing in.Once we enter the wooden farmhouse, Necia whips out her flashlight, shining it all over the enclosed space.Piles of hay are scattered about, but I don’t spot anything supernatural.
Fortunately, the stalls are unoccupied; the family moved out their horses as instructed once the Union discovered the threat.Now we have to prevent any further damage.
A distinct rustling sound fills the barn from a far corner.“This way,” I announce, striding forward.
Once we get to a far stall, Necia shines her light on the corner.I bite back a gasp at the sight; there’s blood on the ground, likely from the poor horse that was preyed upon.In the corner, hunched over, stands a five-foot, bipedal, gremlin-looking thing, staring at us with four wide green eyes.We’re rarely prepared for exactly what we’ll see, so this monster renders me immobilized for a moment.
But I’m not an agent of SPELL for nothing.
I grasp my geo arcanum in my right hand and channel the magic from within it.With my left hand, I launch a simple energy blast.Three orange rings fly out from my palm and instantly bind the monster, and it falls over.
After it struggles for a few seconds, I don’t need to ask Necia to take out the binder’s jar.“Let me wrangle it in,” I say, cautiously stepping forward.I channel the orange rings of magic to drag the beast toward us.Steady now…
“Rarrggh!”The beast roars as he slips right through my rings.It leaps forward, and my pulse picks up.I’m frozen in fear as it jumps at me, fangs forward, ready to devour me.
In seconds, the beast bounces back.I notice an orange film in front of me?a protection spell.Turning to my right, Necia smirks at me with her left hand up.“You owe me one, Looth.”
I glance at the creature on the ground, shaking its head.Then, he leaps over us, bouncing on the magical bubble around us.It strides away, but I’m not about to lose my chance.
Necia lets the bubble down, and I raise my hands, ready to go on the offensive.“Add it to my tab.After we collect this sonuvabitch.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
“Head it off outside, and set up an immobilization charm,” I instruct.
“Copy,” Necia says.
My hands glow as the two of us dash apart.I reach the monster just as it stops romping toward a dead end of the barn.It turns and snarls at me.When it backs up, ready to launch, I channel more energy into my fingers.Not this time.
