“Not on purpose.”Another sigh leaves my lips.“It’s a clever trick that banks on mages using force spells to burst the bubble, then grows as it feeds off of your magic.”
“That fucker tricked me,” he mutters.“Can you undo it?”
“Only from the outside.”My back drags on the bubble wall as I lower into a seated position.
“Well, maybe after they catch the suspect, Necia or Max can undo this.”
“That’s a big if.”My gaze tracks the dark red surface of the walls again as I carefully avoid Luther’s soulful eyes.“I figure we only have a few minutes of oxygen left.”
“Shit.Well, we can’t just give up!”He paces around the small area; he only has two steps before he has to turn around.“Aren’t you some kind of hex expert?”
“Again, outside,” I reply with all the patience I can muster.
“What is the point of having you here if you can’t help!”
Something inside me snaps.I bolt upright and, with a raised voice, say, “That was uncalled for, Westbrook.What is your problem?I tried to prevent us from getting trapped.I’ve listened to all your dumb orders, and I’m telling you the situation that we’re both stuck in.I show you nothing but respect, but you can’t even act civil to me!”He stares at me, frozen in shock.I point at him, my finger nearly digging into his chest, and continue, “We’re not kids anymore.Can’t you pretend to want to work with me?We’re on the same bloody side!”
As I catch my breath, the fight in him deflates.He slowly sits down, and I do the same.Our feet are nearly touching, and the bubble casts an off-red glow on Luther’s face.After another few seconds of silence, he shrugs.“I’m sorry, Taz.”
Well that was unexpected.After a long pause, I say, “We’re not in high school anymore, Luther.I’m not that punk-ass kid who kept trying to…chase after you.”
I regret the words almost instantly.“Chase after me?”he asks.“The fuck you mean?”
“Academically,” I add, while my cheeks prickle with warmth.“Academically chase you and keep up with you.”
Luther lets out a soft laugh.“Keep up with me?You did way better than me.”
“Only because you kept me on my toes.I had to be in the maiden class of spellcaster school with the son of a freaking councilman.All of us had this massive pressure to keep up with you because you were expected to be so great.”
Luther stares at his feet for a long moment.“Yeah, well, I hated it.”
“What?”
“The pressure, that is.I liked weekend spellcaster school, and I generally enjoy being an agent.But all I ever did, all I still do, is try to escape the shadow of my dad.”
A sympathetic frown grows on my lips.All these years of having no good parental figures, I never thought about how it would be to have a famous wizard dad.
He plays with his fingers and continues, “It’s bad enough that their only son is gay; so much of the world sees that as a flaw.So, I have to be a paragon in all other aspects.I need to be a successful Black man, just like my dad, every day.I can’t mess up?people with my skin color don’t have the luxury of second chances.I can’t make a mistake; I couldn’t back in sorcery protection school, and I can’t now.”He moves his head back, and it gently lands on the maroon wall.“And now look at me.I fucked up, and because of that, we’re hexed.”
I try not to freak out at the confirmation that Luther likes men.My hormones rejoice at the thought of having a shot with him, but I calm myself.“That sucks, mate,” I murmur.
“You know, Girish’s mom is a councilwoman.How come you never had to compete with him?”
“Girish has visions that make him sound not quite stable,” I reply.“Great guy, but he has his own problems.He’s competing with himself.”
We both crack up at my remarks.It’s the first time, possibly ever, that Luther and I are sharing a laugh.After a beat, he looks at me.“Hey, can I ask you a question?”
“We might suffocate here, so why not?”
“Why did you quit school right before graduation?It pained me to admit it, but everyone knew you were really good at spellcasting.We all did internships for the next two years to become full-fledged agents.What happened at home that made you leave the Union?”
My pulse picks up.“Your dad never told you?”
“Told me what?”
My mouth goes dry while I stare at my knees.“Right before graduation, I…asked the High Council for permission.To go into the Other Side.”
“What the hell?Why?Did you have a death wish?”
