kc writes

writing blog of postghost ☕ table of contents ✒ nanowrimo

[scribeghost-blog]

Suffer the Beasts

This is a Knights poem I wrote last month about one of the mythical races in the story from the perspective of the general population through the ages. It’s rough n short but I haven’t posted writing in a long time so might as well for poetry month :]

Flightless birds they are; those young men who live under stars They suffer no injury they cannot mend, lives as long as Summer’s end; for their sun scarcely sets, and always rises again

No decent creature should go near these things who like us appear, they defy the nature the Spirits crafted, there is no charity to man they’ve acted

The monsters do not live by our laws; they meet civility with bloody claws Should a beast be exposed by the good, they shall meet the gallows wood.

[scribeghost-blog]

The Case of the Broken Magic (EPILOGUE)

Epilogue

The college campus was buzzing with busy students the next afternoon. News of Johanna's crimes quickly came to light, and everyone was eager to meet up and gossip about it. The police followed her for a quarter of an hour before losing her trail in the city. Some hours later, her car turned up on the other side of town, in a parking garage, totally abandoned. The machine was recovered from the trunk, but there were no signs of where Johanna went from there.

Anne, Luna, and Franky sat together on a sparkling metal bench under the shade of a large oak tree and people-watched together. Ember and Essie were both secured to the bench, and enjoying playing with and burning up the nearby leaves.

“So are you really going to keep it?” Anne asked. She was looking at Franky, who for the first time since the accident, had taken off his beanie and was running his fingers through his neon pink hair.

“You know what, it's sorta grown on me,” he admitted. “I could turn it back anytime I wanted now, but... I dunno... it's a new look, right? All I'd have to do is paint my guitar to match.”

“I think it's nice,” Anne smiled. “What do you think, Luna?”

Luna was far off in thought. She blinked and looked at Anne, then at Franky. “Oh! Yes. It is very bright, that's for sure.”

“You doin' okay?” Franky asked, pointing down. Luna looked down at her arm, which was wrapped in a sling that went around her shoulder.

“Oh, yes, I keep forgetting about that. It's not a big deal. I was just thinking about this morning.”

“You had a meeting with the chief of police, didn't you?” Anne asked. “You haven't told us how it went, you just keep drifting off.”

“Oh, I'm sorry. It's just I was very nervous, and I'm worried I acted too... flustered around her.”

“Well, what did she tell you?”

Luna tapped her fingers on her knee. “Well, I confessed to stealing that bicycle, and breaking into the car, and working while suspended. I was hoping to be reprimanded.”

“Hoping to be punished?” Franky asked.

“It would only be fair. But instead she gave me a promotion.”

“What? That's great news!” Anne said. “Why don't you seem happy?”

“I don't feel like I earned it,” Luna frowned. “I'm glad that I was able to reach you all before you were hurt. But I broke protocol, and the law, and Johanna still got away.”

“That's not your fault, Luna. She obviously had contingency plans for everything. She must have had some escape route out of the city.”

“If I had just known she had a wand, I could have attempted to disarm her completely before she used it. Then we would have had her.”

“You just got shot! You can't blame yourself. We were all in a flustered state of mind.”

Luna sighed. Anne patted her on the back and pointed at the students walking by.

“Just think of what we did do,” she said. “With Minnie in custody, she can tell us where all the machines she helped hide are. This city will be back in proper magic working order in no time. Everyone will be safe again.”

“I suppose you're right about that. I was told she was talking as soon as she got to the department. She doesn't seem to want to hide anything anymore.”

Anne and Luna paused and looked at Franky. He looked pained.

“Sorry, Franky, I didn't mean to bring her up again,” Anne said.

“Nah... I've got to face it, right? Barry's having a harder time with it than anyone, anyhow... I shouldn't act like I'm the only one who she hurt.”

“It is possible she will get a good deal,” Luna said. “With how much she is cooperating, I truly think she'll get reduced jail time. The main issue is how much she'll be willing to share about the smuggling ring. I don't know if she's opened up about that at present.”

“Whatever she gets, she brought on herself,” Franky frowned. “If she could lie about something so big for so long, how can I trust anything she ever told me? Maybe she was never really my friend.”

“I don't know about that,” Anne said. “I think it's more likely that she just got involved with things that were way too big for her to handle. It's no excuse, but... if she never actually cared for you, she wouldn't have hesitated to blow up your place when Johanna asked her to.”

Franky sighed. “Guess that's true...”

Anne looked down and kicked her feet against the stone sidewalk. They were all quiet until Luna remembered something and faced Anne.

“I should tell you, the results for the blood analysis in Dr. Wilkins's hotel room came back. Her own blood was found, but also as you suspected, so was someone else's.”

Anne scratched her chin. “That seems like a moot point now, but I guess it's good to know.”

“Well, traces of Johanna's blood were left in her vehicle. They're comparing it now. I know it seems a minor detail, but we will be able to prove with solid evidence that she was behind the assault. Every truth that comes to light is important.”

Anne smiled. “You're right. We could use all the answers anyone has for us in this case. There's still so much I don't understand.”

“The connection to Singh Labs,” Luna nodded. “I have been wondering about that, too.”

“Whoever hired Johanna must be connected to them. Don't you think? Or, used to be connected to them, before they cleaned up their act.”

“And I am still wondering what the purpose of Torres's convention was. There doesn't seem to be any indication that she was working with Johanna.”

Anne sighed. “That too. Could that have been totally unrelated to the case here? Is that possible?”

“All these questions're making my head hurt,” Franky said. Anne leaned back on the bench and rubbed her eyes.

“Mine, too. Maybe these are questions for another day, after a good night's sleep.”

“I know I got a lot of sleep to do,” Franky said. “And I gotta make sure to keep Barry's spirits up. I oughta invite him to a show.”

“Luna, please tell me you'll be resting up for at least a day or two,” Anne said. “That paperwork can wait until your arm feels better.”

Luna smiled weakly. “I'm not thinking about paperwork right now,” she said. “I don't think I'll be getting much sleep until Johanna is brought to justice.”

“That's not just your job, though. You know that, right?”

She didn't answer, and only played with the strap of her sling.

“She'll be caught,” Anne said. “She can't run forever, and no matter how much she tries, she can't get rid of every loose end she leaves.”

“You're right, Anne,” Luna said. “The truth always comes to light. I didn't become a police officer to give up so easily.”

“I can't fathom any reality where you would give up, Luna.”

Franky put his arms up and brought the two in closer, giving them a big smile. “None of us will, right? No matter what my professor did to this city, we still got through it. What's stopping us from getting through whatever else she does?”

“Nothing!” Anne smiled. “We have the advantage of being able to study the machines she left behind. No matter what she and her employer were planning to do with them, we have the upper hand now.”

“I truly hope that's the case,” Luna said. “It's difficult to say we're ahead of the game, when we don't even know what the game is.”

Anne tapped her foot on the ground. “I suppose all we can do, then, is wait and see what the next move is.”

“Oh, did you guys hear?” Franky asked. “They're already planning on rebuilding the fountain. As soon as the rubble and funds are cleared. That's another thing to look forward to, right?”

“That is good news,” Luna said. “It was a symbol of unity for everyone here. It would be a shame not to rebuild it.”

“Oh, no,” Anne said. “I just remembered something.”

Franky and Luna looked to her anxiously. She had a grave look on her face.

“I totally forgot to go back and clean up the cafe after I trashed the pantry. I even left a note.”

Franky laughed. Luna gasped.

“You did what? We should go now!”

Anne slapped her forehead. “I'm sorry! Getting held at gunpoint kinda adjusts your priorities. I'm sure they've already cleaned it up by now, I'll just apologize later.”

Luna bounced to her feet. “That's not acceptable,” she said. “If you said you would clean up the mess, you need to do it.”

“Aw, Luna. I want a break. My feet hurt.”

“If both Franky and I help you, it'll go three times as fast.”

Franky smiled. “Yeah, I'm in to help. I owe you for a lot of things.”

Anne sighed and got to her feet. “All right,” she said. “But afterward we should all do something special. Like... a hair dyeing party.”

“Whoa! Yeah!” Franky said. “I'm itching to do my spells again!”

“I have been curious about trying a new color,” Anne grinned. “And I think purple would look great on Luna to match her uniform.”

“M-Me?” Luna said. “That's against dress code.”

“Fine, then Essie can have a purple tail.”

“T-That's probably against police dog dress code!”

“Now you're just inventing rules to follow, Luna.”

Luna and Anne untied Essie and Ember from the bench and walked along with Franky toward the cafe. The sidewalks of Tellus sparkled under their feet in the daylight, and for at least a few moments, they were able to put the last couple days out of their minds.

[Previous Chapter]

[scribeghost-blog]

The Case of the Broken Magic (CH13)

Chapter Thirteen

The traces of calmness left Johanna's face all at once and she pointed for them to move away. She set the bomb case down and held her gun up as she approached the door. The knocking came again, more frantically. Johanna put her ear to the door for a moment, and then pulled away.

“You couldn't have called anyone,” she said, quietly, staring at each one of them in turn. She looked back at the door and pointed the gun as she slowly opened it. The light from the factory spilled out into the abandoned parking lot. No one was there.

Johanna gripped her gun tighter and peered out. All Anne and the others saw was a long piece of plywood suddenly appearing and striking her in the stomach. Johanna shouted and buckled to her knees. Luna rounded the corner and pushed her to the ground, reaching to grab at the gun in her hand.

“Luna!” Anne cried. Luna and Johanna wrestled until Johanna elbowed Luna in the throat and pushed her off. Johanna still had a firm grip on her gun, and she wheezed as she scrambled back to the door to slam it shut. Her hand trembled as she locked it. She pulled herself to her feet and pointed her gun at Luna.

“How did the police find me?!” she yelled, looking angrier than Anne had ever seen. Luna held her neck and coughed as she pushed herself up to her feet. “Hands up!”

“T-They didn't,” Luna said, holding her hands up where she could see them. “I found you on my own. I'm still suspended, the... the police aren't involved.”

The panic dropped from Johanna's face and she lowered her gun. She leveled out her breathing and stood up straight. Anne crossed over slowly and touched Luna's arm.

“Are you okay?” she asked. Then she leaned closer. “Did you seriously come alone...?”

Johanna motioned with for Anne to step away, and she obliged. Johanna moved closer.

“How did you find us?” she asked.

Luna looked down at herself, at her wrinkled and dirtied uniform. “I began to grow worried,” she said. She glanced at Anne while she spoke. “I left you at such a critical time because I was overwhelmed by what happened, I'm sorry. I felt bad, so I went looking for you.”

“Cut to how you found where we are,” Johanna said.

Luna looked back at her, meeting her eyes with determination. “I couldn't find her. Against my better judgment, I looked deeper... I visited someone who said Anne was off looking for you. So I walked around the city with Essie. Essie is very good at finding people, I've been training her. I got her to catch Anne's scent from the scarf she left at my home.”

“I don't care about your dog, how did you find this place?”

“Essie led me to that nightclub,” Luna continued. “She kept barking at something, and that's where I found Anne's backpack. When I found that, I knew she was in serious trouble. I didn't think she would just leave that unattended. From there, I walked down a few blocks. I went the wrong way a few times... but Essie knew when we were on the right track. I found your apartment, Johanna.”

“My apartment? You were there?”

“I was just outside. I could hear voices inside, though not very well because of all the noise... but I was confident that I heard Anne at one point. So I waited until you left, and I saw you force everyone into your car. Then I followed you here.”

“You followed me? I didn't see a car trailing me.”

“I... I, um... I... commandeered... a bicycle that was nearby. It had a basket just perfect for Essie to ride in.”

“Wait a minute... you stole a bike?” Anne asked. “You actually stole a bike?”

Luna looked utterly ashamed. “I left a note,” she said, weakly. “I was planning on turning myself in as soon as everyone was safe.”

“There won't be any need for that,” Johanna said. “I shouldn't have let this oversight happen. I thought for certain you were no longer a risk. I underestimated you.”

“But Luna, where's Essie?” Anne asked. “You said you brought her here with you?”

“I tied her up outside so she would be safe,” Luna said. She looked back at Anne, Franky, and Minnie, who were watching with apprehension as Johanna calculated her next move. “Don't worry,” she said.

“Taking everyone in the car is too troublesome now,” Johanna decided. “At least alive. Once the bomb goes off, cause of death won't be discernible, anyway.”

Luna stood in front of the three and drew a wand from her belt. “I will not allow you to bring harm to anyone,” she said. “Even if I am suspended, it's still my duty to protect the citizens of this city.”

“Luna, no!” Anne said. “There's a machine in her car, magic won't work here!”

“I have to try,” Luna insisted.

“This whole town's police force will fall if they're as arrogant about their magic strength as you are,” Johanna said, amused at the sight of the pointed wand. “You shouldn't have listened to a teenager. If not for her, you wouldn't be here right now. None of you would.”

“She was right about most of her suspicions, and right about you,” Luna said, resolutely. “If you are going to fire at us, I must warn you now that I will be using offensive magic to disarm you.”

Johanna righted her gun and fired. As she pulled the trigger, Luna let loose the pre-charged spell on her wand with a flick of the wrist, and a shot of electricity struck Johanna and surged through her body. She crumbled to the floor and her gun tumbled to the concrete. Franky caught it under his sneaker and kicked it farther away, watching it skid under a work bench, out of reach. Luna dropped her wand and her hands shook as blood ran down her sleeve.

“She hit you!” Anne gasped, looking at the wound in her shoulder. Luna smiled through grit teeth.

“It... It's nothing serious,” she said. “No vitals. I'm okay, Anne. Is everyone else okay?”

“How did you do that?” Franky asked, looking down at Johanna, who was still writhing and groaning through the pain.

“I thought there was a machine running!” Anne said.

“I went to Barry's apartment,” Luna said. “He had a machine there, he told me you found it, Anne. He said he broke his promise and couldn't resist tinkering with it. He figured out the proper sequence to disabling it, and he told me, and I wrote it down.”

“Oh, Barry... I'm so glad he didn't listen to me,” Anne said.

“When I arrived on the scene here, I investigated Johanna's car before coming in,” Luna continued. “I'll have to report this, but... I... well, I broke into it. I found a machine secured in the trunk, so I followed Barry's instructions and disabled it. I took the chance afterward to charge my wand in case I needed it quickly.”

Anne lit up with joy. “This means... we have both a functional machine at Barry's place, and functional machine in Johanna's own car to compare it to. That's the evidence the police are looking for! Luna, you're amazing!”

“H-Ho-How did you get a machine?!” Johanna sputtered. Her whole body had tremors as she sat up, and she looked at Minnie with rage in her eyes.

“I found it in the cafe,” Anne said, knowing that Minnie wouldn't answer. “It was meant to keep me in there, I think, but it wasn't much use when the door itself wasn't even locked.”

“Minnie... you just... left a machine there... unsupervised...?”

Minnie looked like she could faint. She held her arms close and started to sweat.

“I thought I was doin' good,” she muttered.

Johanna struggled to her feet, and Luna moved in with handcuffs. Johanna reached into her coat and pulled something out: her own wand. She pointed it in their direction and started backing up toward the door.

“If you come near me,” she grunted, “I will incinerate all of you.”

Anne took a step, but Luna shook her head and blocked her from getting any closer. Johanna shakily unlocked the door, and as soon as she did, the red and blue lights and siren wails flooded the factory.

“I'm sorry for lying about that,” Luna said. “I did tell the police what I was doing. As soon as I got here I radioed in to tell them to send reinforcements.”

“They listened to you!” Anne cheered.

“I told them that Johanna had hostages,” Luna said. “No matter what problems I caused, they wouldn't turn their backs on people in need.”

The police were at the door, and Johanna backed up a step into the factory. Luna winced to pick up her own wand again and pointed it at her. Johanna looked back and forth between them as she backed several more steps in. In one gesture, she picked up the bomb case that was sat near the door and pointed her wand at it.

“Any closer,” she announced. “Any closer and I explode the bomb.”

“A bomb?” Luna gaped. “Is there really a bomb in there?”

“It's true!” Franky said. “We saw her put the bomb in the case ourselves!”

The police at the door hesitated and backed off as she demanded them to. She slipped by them and started pacing carefully to her car. There were four police cars parked all around it, and all of the officers had wands trained on her. She felt the scrutiny of their gazes and suddenly turned her wand on the nearest group. There was a pandemonium of screaming and shouting as the officers were caught in the blazes from her wand and as they shot their own spells at her.

She dropped the bomb case, and everyone held their breath, but it tumbled and rolled quietly away. She scrambled to her car and fell into the driver's seat, but not before being hit by several well-aimed spells.

Even from the factory door Anne and the others could see the pain and panic on her face as she slammed her foot on the gas pedal. She skimmed against a police car and rammed through the road block they had set up. The wheels of her car and the chasing police car screeched as they sped down the dark road.

The four stood there silently until the remaining officers on the scene joined them in the factory. The detective Anne recognized from before ran to Luna's aide when he saw that she was wounded.

“I-It's not serious, sir,” Luna stuttered. “Thank you for coming so quickly, even though technically I've been working while suspended. I know it's bad form. Even now I should be in street clothes, but...”

The detective rubbed his eyes as another officer started treating her wound with their first aid kit.

“Luna... your technicalities really get on my nerves,” he said, gently. “We have a lot to talk about. A lot of things to apologize for.”

“I know, sir, I acted completely inappropriately this evening.”

“That's not what I meant.”

“Detective, there's something else we need to address,” Anne said. Minnie was still standing there, pale, and avoiding eye-contact with everyone. Anne pointed at her. “Johanna is fleeing, but we have her accomplice right here, and I'm sorry to say, she should be arrested. You might also want to talk to her about the local smuggling ring.”

The detective looked to Luna for approval. Luna looked to Anne. Anne nodded, and in turn Luna motioned for him to continue. Minnie didn't try to run as he approached her with cuffs in his hands.

[Previous Chapter] [Epilogue]

[scribeghost-blog]

The Case of the Broken Magic (CH12)

Chapter Twelve

Johanna's apartment was nestled on the bottom floor, in between two loud nightclubs. She led the three in one by one and locked the door behind them. Inside, it was anything but homey. The living room was devoid of furniture, and the walls were bare. Instead of a couch, there was one large foldout table set up in the center of the room, with a box as a chair. All that was around the kitchen were stacks of disposable supplies like plates and utensils, and canned foods. It looked more like someone was camping here than living here.

“You two,” Johanna motioned to Franky and Anne, “in the corner, away from the door. If I see you move anywhere near the door, I'll shoot you.”

The way she spoke made it seem less like she was threatening them, and more as if it were a simple fact. The two of them did as she said and sat against the wall in the corner of the room. The noise of the two clubs made the walls shake, and they could feel the sound reverberate through their bodies when they touched the wall. If a gun was fired in here, Anne thought, no one would hear it.

Johanna moved to the kitchen, and pulled the cordless phone off the wall to dial a number. Minnie was following behind her at every step, pleading to let them go, but it was clear she wasn't hearing a word she said. Johanna sat across from Anne and Franky with the gun pointed at them as she waited for the other line to answer.

“Hello,” she said, and she gave Minnie a look that made her shut her mouth. “Yes, there's an issue. With Anne.”

Anne strained to try to hear the other line, but the noise from the clubs made it impossible.

“I'm looking at her right now,” Johanna said, frowning. “Yes, it was necessary. I told you from the beginning it would end up like this if we did it your way.”

Johanna tapped her boot on the floor as the other line spoke. She looked more impatient every second.

“No, sir, I don't see how she could be useful in the future.”

Anne and Franky exchanged glances. Johanna looked Anne in the eye when she looked back.

“I know. It's your money. All right, then. I'll do what's best.”

Johanna hung up, and dropped the phone onto the fold-out table. She stared longer at Anne and pointed at her.

“Is that what I think it is?” she asked, looking at her arm.

Anne looked down, and realized she still had Ember's inactive collar around her wrist. She had almost forgotten about it.

“What do you think it is?” she said.

“I want to see it. Show me your magic creature.”

“Sorry, but I left my backpack in that stinky alley. I can't activate him without my tools.”

“Is that so? Let me see it anyway.”

Anne gripped the collar and held it close. Johanna shook her gun a few times, and Anne sluggishly handed her the collar, her fingers still holding onto it as Johanna ripped it from her grasp. Johanna turned it around in her hand, and looked impressed.

“I'll look into this more later,” she said, sliding the collar onto the table. “As for right now, we have some business to attend to. I bet the two of you must have questions.”

“Jo! Please!” Minnie pleaded again. “Franky didn't do nothin'! Even the kid's just a kid!”

“I just wanna go home,” Franky whined. Minnie could hardly stand even looking at him.

“Minnie, don't worry,” Johanna said. “I'm going to do what's best for us, and for the whole situation.”

“And what is best?” Anne frowned. “Who was the 'sir' you were talking to just now? It sounded like he knew about me.”

“Oh, he is familiar with you, but he's not your concern now. I'm the one in the room with you.”

“But who is he? Is he behind this whole thing? The machines, the bombing? Did he hire you to destroy magic?”

“That would be an oversimplification. I was hired to find a solution.”

“A solution to what?”

“Merely a solution for defense against magic.”

“Why would you want that? You're a magician too!”

Johanna tapped her gun against the table. “Nothing should be able to go unchecked. We have bullet-proof vests for guns, why don't we have precautions to protect against dangerous spells?”

“Magic ain't a weapon!” Franky cried. “It's supposed to help people, to be an outlet! It's a good thing!”

“That's idealistic,” Johanna said. “I have even told you before in class, that any power can be a weapon if it's exploited, and there are always people who will exploit things. Just look at the police department here. Magic is their only weapon.”

“But they're responsible,” Anne said. “Look at what you're doing! Are you telling me that blowing up things and holding people hostage makes you the better person here?”

“I never argued that I was being the better person.”

“So... so you know this is all wrong!”

Johanna paused. “Yes, it's wrong, and it's necessary.”

“Minnie, how could you be doin' all this?” Franky asked, but Minnie still couldn't look at him. “Were you doing this all this time? Behind my back?”

Johanna waited to see if Minnie would respond, but she could only bite her lip and look at the floor. Johanna rolled her eyes.

“Yes, she was,” she answered for her. “I contacted Minnie several months ago when I got wind of a successful smuggler operating in town. Had I known that she was an idiot, I would've found someone else.”

“A smuggler?” Anne said. “Luna mentioned that there was a smuggling ring here.”

“How long were you doing that?!” Franky asked, his voice fluctuating the more desperate he grew. “How could you do all this! I thought we were friends!”

“Franks, I'm sorry! I didn't mean for all this to get outta hand!” Minnie finally spoke. “It was all all right until the fountain! I didn't know she was gonna blow it all up!”

“What did you know?” Anne asked. “What did you think was going on?”

Minnie pulled her hair. “I don't know! It all started so simple, just get the parts and bring 'em back. Easy money! Then it was like... put those weird machines around... turn them on and off when she told me to, but no one was getting hurt, right?”

“This whole time you knew why magic was flipping out?” Franky asked.

“I... I didn't think she'd be doing it for too long, I swear. I thought you'd be back to doing your spells right in no time. Just thought this was some kinda science experiment, no one was supposed to get hurt.”

“Minnie, you're the one who used a machine near the fountain before the explosion, weren't you?” Anne asked.

Minnie looked at Johanna, and Johanna shrugged in approval for her to continue.

“Y... Yeah. Things got real weird once you got here, kid.”

“That's right,” Johanna said. “Had you not shown up, I would have finished my studies in a few months time, and no one would have been any wiser. But you complicated matters. I thought I should have gotten rid of you as soon as Minnie told me you were here, but my employer insisted on this cat-and-mouse run around to keep you busy. It was needlessly complex.”

“You faked that hotel note,” Anne said. “You drew us there to frame Dr. Wilkins because you knew I had a past with her.”

“It secured me some time.”

“But why did you try to kill her, then?”

Johanna rubbed the still-healing wound on her forehead. “That was a mistake on my part. She wasn't supposed to return to her room so quickly. I was making sure she would be found as a suspect in your investigation.”

“Planting more evidence, like you planted those parts in her briefcase.”

“It got messy. I should have been more precise with my weapon, or even drawn my gun. But getting struck in the head does make you too dazed to think clearly.”

“Lucky for Dr. Wilkins...”

Johanna checked her wristwatch. She gestured for them to stand.

“It's time to go,” she said. “My car is just outside. We're going to get in, and drive for a while.”

Franky scooted closer to the wall instead of standing, and shook his head. Anne stood slowly and looked at Ember's collar anxiously.

“Where are you going to take us?” she asked.

“Just somewhere,” Johanna said. “You're going to get into my car, whether you walk yourself, or whether I have to carry you. It's your choice.”

They looked at Minnie, who looked helplessly back at them. Reluctantly Franky stood and stuck close to Anne as Johanna led them out of her apartment. Her black car was parked practically in front of her door, and she unlocked it while holding the gun close. She made Franky get in the passenger seat, and ushered Anne and Minnie into the back. Anne noticed Johanna hesitate on the sidewalk. She stared down the road and paused for a moment before getting in and starting the car.

Johanna drove with one hand, and kept the other low, gun pointed at Franky. Anne stared at the gun as she slowly drew the second wand she had taken from her sleeve. She held it flat against her lap, half-covering it with her arm, and did a spell with as little movement as possible. Nothing happened. She looked frantically between the wand and the gun and tried again, and again, but it was useless. She realized that Johanna was watching her through the rear-view mirror, and swallowed.

“You won't have any success with that,” Johanna said. “I've made sure of it.”

“But how?” Anne said. Without trying to hide it, she waved her wand around and tried desperately to conjure a spell. She looked around the car, at the dark interior, and looked out the back window. “Do you have a machine running in the trunk?”

Anne saw Johanna look at her in the mirror, but she didn't answer.

“Give me your wand,” she said. Anne exhaled and slid it toward the front of the car. Johanna took her gun off Franky just long enough to tuck the wand away in her coat. Anne held her head in her hands. Minnie shuffled uncomfortably next to her, and started biting her thumbs.

Anne watched through the window as they drove, trying to keep an idea of where they were. She noted down street signs in her mind, but before long, they had gone so far that there weren't any signs. The lights and colors of the city started fading away gradually. They were on the dark outskirts of town, and when they finally stopped, Anne had no idea where they were.

They were facing a large factory that looked like it hadn't been used in decades, and there were no other buildings in sight. The old streetlamps were half burned out, so the four walked in near-darkness as Johanna ushered them to the door. Once they entered, she slammed it shut behind them, and locked it.

She turned a switch and the lights sputtered on, revealing dusty conveyor belts and rusted machines. The only thing that looked like it had any recent use were the workbenches lined up against the walls. They were covered in metal parts, fuses, and tools, and Anne recognized several empty metal casings that looked similar, though not exact, to the casings she'd seen on the machines.

“I... I think they used to use these places... like... when I was a kid for production stuff, ” Franky said, looking at the broken tools all around.

“You make your machines here?” Anne asked. “It's so... dreary.”

“I am not so particular about where I work, as long as the job gets done.”

Anne frowned. “Here I thought you made the machines in the lab at the college...”

“You figured out that much? You were right.”

“Then what's this all for?”

Johanna passed by them and unlocked the cabinet below one of the workbenches. With the pistol slipped into her belt, but readily accessible, she carefully lifted the rectangular box out and set it down. She glanced at Minnie, who looked like she was about to burst into tears.

“What? What is that?” Anne asked.

“It's a bomb,” Johanna said. She took out a large case from the cabinet as well, and began storing the bomb in it for transportation. Anne and Franky looked at each other.

“So you did blow up the fountain, for real,” Franky whined. “Why? We all loved that place!”

“The fountain was a necessity to draw focus away from me. After the mess that Dr. Wilkins caused, I was in a difficult spot.”

“But why do you got another bomb? What're you blowing up now?”

“Minnie could tell you.”

Minnie wailed. “I couldn't do it!” she said. “I put the first bomb there, but I told her I couldn't do the second one!”

“You planted the bomb at the fountain yourself?” Anne asked. “Minnie, how could you?”

“I... I mean I waited until no one was close to blow it up. I tried real hard not to hurt anyone! She didn't tell me it'd make the whole fountain blow up!”

“Where did you want Minnie to plant the second bomb?” Anne asked. Johanna was busy locking the case, with one hand on her gun.

“Franky's place!” Minnie said. “She told me to put some of those machine parts in his apartment, 'cus I go by there all the time. Then she told me to put the bomb there and wait until no one was home and blow it up! But I couldn't do it, man! That's too far!”

“Is that what you were arguing about?”

“Yeah! I never signed up for all of this!”

Anne watched Johanna as she picked up the case with one hand. “You plant the parts, blow up part of his place to get the police's attention, and he gets framed as both the suspect for the fountain bombing and the machine building?”

“More or less,” Johanna said.

“Who could believe that a magic student could do all of that by himself? Unless... did you plan on framing Barry as his accomplice? The engineer behind it all?”

“That used to be the general idea.”

“Used to...?”

Johanna stepped closer with the heavy case weighing her arm down. “Had Minnie done what I said, that is. I told her, very clearly, that Franky would not be arrested for the crime. He would only be a suspect. There is no hard evidence that he or Minnie's cousin ever had a hand in any of this. It would only be a valuable distraction.”

“But that's not the case anymore,” Anne said, looking at Franky.

“No, thanks to Minnie.”

“I-I couldn't just blow up his place!” Minnie cried.

“You were too cowardly to destroy a handful of things. To blow up an empty apartment. Now, it's not going to be empty.”

“What's that mean?” Franky asked.

“This is what I'm thinking,” Johanna said. “Anne went to Franky's place after the show, because she figured out that he was involved with the magic issue, and the explosion. She confronts him. Then, one way or another, something goes wrong. Making bombs is highly dangerous. You never know when one might just... go off. The police look around, find parts of the bomb, and the machine, and make the connection. Barry will likely still be questioned. But you don't have to worry, Minnie, he won't be in trouble. It will just give me enough time to wrap things up and leave.”

The three looked at each other with fear.

“You can't just kill us,” Anne said. “You can't just get away with murder and leave.”

“Murder? It's an accident. The bomb wasn't intended to go off, didn't you understand? Franky should have been more careful when he helped make it.”

“But... your employer said I was useful! I heard you repeat that!”

“My employer holds too tightly to anything that may, one day, in some far off possibility, be useful to him, no matter how troublesome it is at present. I am not him. I don't like loose ends.”

Anne looked at Minnie, who was shaking and holding her head, and didn't feel the need to voice her thoughts that Minnie would soon be another loose end once they were taken care of. Johanna motioned for them to walk, but they found it hard to move. She drew her gun and was ready to threaten them.

But all of them froze when a loud, steady knock rattled from the front door.

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The Case of the Broken Magic (CH11)

Chapter Eleven

The college looked abandoned at this time of night. In the parking lot nestled on the side of the building, Anne only saw two large vans parked, which were labeled as belonging to a cleaning company. She approached the driver's side of one of them and caught the driver off guard.

“I didn't mean to startle you!” she said. “I'm just looking for a friend, I was wondering if they were staying late studying here again.”

The driver looked down at her and scratched her head.

“I can't say I saw anyone,” she said. “I don't think anyone's run into any students tonight, sorry.”

“Are there any classrooms, or rooms at all, still in use at the moment?”

“Uh... I guess there's that lab. Someone's always in there when we come around, it's annoying 'cus we have to wait until they leave to clean it, so we end up driving home late.”

Anne looked at the building with anticipation. “That's inconsiderate of them,” she said.

“No kidding. Uh... what's your friend's name? I could go ask around next time I go in, if you want.”

She shook her head. “That won't be necessary, thanks for your help. I just remembered somewhere else they might be.”

“Suit yourself.”

Anne smiled at the driver and walked away several paces before looping back toward the front of the building. She sat herself behind a thick array of bushes where she had a clear view of the entrance. She dangled Ember's warm, quiet collar around her wrist—it was easier to put him in travel mode to avoid being seen from a mile away. She got comfortable, settling in for a long stake-out.

Less than an hour passed. She was spending the time making notes in the dim light of the streetlamp nearby. She was so focused on her notebook that she almost missed seeing a figure emerge from the doors of the college. She put her things away and looked closer.

It was Johanna, wrapped in a knee-length, rust-colored coat. She walked swiftly, tucking her arms to her sides and stuffing her hands in her pockets. Anne waited until she was a good distance down the sidewalk before she picked up her feet and went after her.

Anne followed as quietly as she could, ducking into alleys every so often when she grew afraid that Johanna was going to look back. But Johanna seemed intently focused on where she was going, so much so that she was nearly running. Anne's legs were tired by the time they walked down two blocks and took a few corners. Anne waited at the last corner and watched Johanna.

In the dark of the night, the neon sign for the nightclub Sidra glowed so bright that it hurt her eyes to look at it. The letters rotated through rainbow colors, and flashed every few seconds. Even from down the block, she could hear muffled music pulsating from within. The club was simply impossible to miss. The music cut through the air clearly for a second as Johanna pushed open the door and went inside.

Anne stood at the door and waited a moment before pushing it open a crack. The music hit her and she tried to ignore it as she looked around. She couldn't make anything out between the oscillating lights and the waves of people moving in front of her view. What she did see was a large figure standing near the door, with their arms crossed, and she quickly drew herself back and frowned. Then, she pulled herself up, as tall as she could seem, and entered the club confidently.

The music was so loud it reverberated in her chest, and she almost didn't hear the bouncer when she put her arm out and spoke.

“Sorry, I need some I.D.”

Anne tried to look as surprised.

“That's a first,” she said, nearly yelling to be heard. “I come here all the time, no one's ever stopped me before.”

“Really? I've never seen you around.”

Anne crossed her arms and made a point to look offended. She tried to get a glance around the club as she threw her head back. All she could see from here was people dancing rapidly, and a sea of glowsticks, all crowded near the stage. She realized that Franky and his band were playing, but saw no more as the bouncer stepped in front of her view.

“All right, fine!” Anne said. She pulled her backpack around, and started digging in the main pocket. “Let me just find my identification... let's see... you know what, I think I left it at home.”

“You're gonna have to go back and get it, then.”

“But I live far away! Can't you let me in this once? My friend is playing, I promised I'd be here to support him.”

“Sorry.”

Anne sighed. “You know, I'm friends with the owner of this club. If they find out you turned me away, you could get into some big trouble.”

“My mom owns this club.”

The bouncer pointed at the door, and Anne conceded and left. Without the music in her ears, everything felt muted outside. She kicked a stray, fizzled out glowstick that was on the sidewalk, and started walking around the building. She looked for windows to peek through, but there weren't any. The club was designed to keep out as much outdoor light and noise as possible. She rounded to the sides of the building to investigate.

On the right side were several rows of apartments fit snugly in between each other. On the left side, there was an alleyway. Anne crossed into the dim alley and smiled at the sight of the fire escape. She climbed the rickety metal ladder and pulled herself up onto the balcony. There was a narrow door in the wall.

She inched the door open slowly and found that it led to the second floor of the club. The second floor, it turned out, was hardly a whole floor at all. There was a spiral staircase that led down, and a handful of chairs pushed against the walls, but the rest of the area was not floor space, but walkways, laid out above the bottom floor and tilted in ways so that one could see the stage from the second floor if they wanted to.

There were a few people leaning over the glowing rails on the walkways, but most everyone was on the dance floor below. Most importantly, to Anne's relief, there weren't any bouncers up here guarding the fire escape.

Anne crossed to the railing and looked down at the stage. She only recognized Franky, who was on the far end of the stage, playing a luminescent green bass guitar. Two women, the red-haired guitarist/singer, and the purple-tipped drummer, were railing away with their instruments as passionately as Franky was. Anne rubbed her ears and was aware the club scene wasn't her most favorite activity.

She looked over the other side of the rail, at the dance floor, but she couldn't pick anyone out of the crowd. They were moving around too much. She looked toward the bar, and saw rows of tired-out students, a few of which she recognized from Franky's introductions the day before.

Then, she saw, tucked into the corner of the club, Johanna. She sat by herself in a booth, with a glowing white drink in front of her that looked untouched. Her hand was to her mouth and her elbow was on the table, and she looked too rigid to be enjoying a show, though Anne was sure she was looking very intently toward the stage. Anne knelt down low and watched her through a gap in the railing, hoping she wouldn't, for whatever reason, look up.

The music kicked up even louder as the band played their last song. The drums and the guitars revved up and everyone in the club was cheering except for Anne and Johanna. Finally the singer grabbed the mic as the music came to a slow, and announced that they were done for the night. Anne glanced at the stage and saw Franky leave in a different direction than his band-mates.

When she looked back, she saw Johanna getting out of her seat. She had to put her head through the rails and strain to see her. She took long steps and walked quickly out of the club, leaving before a wave of people came rushing by toward the bar. Anne jumped up and moved to go downstairs after her, but she saw another bouncer hovering around the crowd. She leaned back and forth on her feet a little before deciding to turn around and go back out the fire escape. She went out and began to climb the ladder, but the sound of footsteps below made her stop.

Johanna walked briskly into the alley, pulling the collar of her coat up so her face couldn't be seen from the sidewalk. She stood at the farthest corner, in the dimmest spot, and stayed there. Anne stayed on the balcony of the fire escape and watched her. It was a tight spot, so she had to take her backpack off and lean it beside her to be able to sit comfortably.

New music began pumping out of the club while they waited. Johanna tapped her foot, and though Anne couldn't see her face, it was clear that she was becoming irritated.

Someone ran into the alley just then, and Johanna was immediately upon them.

“Where were you?” she asked, nearly shouting. Anne didn't dare lean forward, for fear the wiry balcony would creak and give her away. From the angle she was in, all she could see was Johanna standing with someone at the entrance of the alleyway.

“I'm sorry, I got caught up in the show!” the other person said. Anne knew the voice. She held her breath as Johanna pulled Minnie farther into the alley by her arm.

“I told you to be ready before the show was over. I saw you there, partying, as if you'd completely forgotten.”

“Ow! I said I was sorry! Man, I told you I had to support Franky, that show meant a lot to him.”

Johanna threw her arm down and exhaled deeply. Minnie rubbed her wrist and glanced around their surroundings.

“Did you do what I told you to?” Johanna asked.

“'Course I did, what do you take me for?”

“Did you do everything I asked?”

Minnie hesitated. Johanna stared at her.

“Minnie, did you do everything?” she asked again.

“Look,” Minnie began, and Johanna groaned. “No, see, hear me out! I was gonna, but... but it doesn't make sense to me.”

Johanna took a forceful step forward, and Minnie flinched and stepped back.

“It doesn't have to make sense to you,” Johanna said. She put her hands on Minnie's shoulders and spoke carefully. “This whole thing does not work, unless all of the pieces are in place. Do you understand?”

“I get it,” Minnie said. She fidgeted and rubbed her hands together. “But why's it gotta be him? Can't it be someone else?”

“Minnie, it doesn't make sense unless it's him. You told me you could do it.”

“Yeah! But that was before things got all complicated! You didn't tell me that the whole freakin' fountain would blow up!”

Johanna covered Minnie's mouth with one hand and took a sharp breath. She pulled her back into the alley further and let go of her. When she spoke again, her voice was calm.

“It's easy. All you have to do is leave it there. Just walk in, set it down, and walk out. Are you telling me that you can't do that?”

“Look, man... this just isn't worth it anymore. I thought this would be some easy money, but... it's too heavy.”

“It doesn't matter what it's worth to you. You're in this as deep as I am now.”

“What's goin' on here?”

Anne had been so enthralled by the conversation that she hadn't heard the new set of footsteps. Neither had Johanna or Minnie. Franky walked into the alley with a bottle of water in his hand and a look of confusion on his face.

“Minnie, I came to find you 'cus you disappeared. What are you doing back here?”

“Franky! I'll meet you in the club, just give me five,” Minnie said, her smile looking more frantic than happy.

He tentatively stepped closer. “Professor? Minnie, what're you and my teacher doing here? Didn't Anne say she's bad news?”

“Ah, Franks...”

“You tryin'a get a confession out of her? Professor... is it true you've been into some bad stuff?”

Minnie ran to cut him off before he got close to Johanna. She pushed him back a few steps and smiled again at him.

“Come on, I just ran into her, it's not anything,” she said. “Don't you have to get back in and pack up your guitar?”

Franky kept looking at Johanna. “I don't get it. What're you doing here?”

“I said it was nothing! Let's just go back to Barry's place and celebrate your show, all right?”

“Minnie,” Johanna spoke. Anne saw her adjust her posture and slip her hand into her coat. “Are you going to do what we discussed?”

“What's she talkin' about?” Franky asked.

“Uh... I don't... I got no clue, man,” Minnie stuttered. “She's all, like, talkin' nonsense.”

“We should get the cops,” Franky said. “This doesn't feel right. I'm gonna use the phone inside.”

“I'm only going to ask one more time,” Johanna said, sternly. “Will you do what I said?”

Minnie held onto Franky's arm and looked back toward the sidewalk. “Yeah, I mean... huh? I don't know what she's talking about.”

“All right, I believe I understand. You won't do it,” Johanna said. When she drew her hand out of her coat, she pulled out a pistol, and pointed it at the two of them. They both screamed, though the pulsating music of the club masked them. Franky dropped the bottle he was holding and it rolled out into the street.

“Whoa, stop!” Minnie shouted. “I'll do it, okay! I'll do it!”

“D-Do what?” Franky asked. “Professor, why do you have that?”

Johanna stepped forward. “It's too late for that now. Now we're going for a walk.”

“No way!” Franky said. “No way am I goin' with you!”

“We're walking,” Johanna asserted, and though she was keeping a calm voice, Anne could see the anger building on her face. She looked like she could shoot them down at any second. Anne looked around the balcony. All that was around her was her backpack, the door, and the ladder down. She reached inside her backpack, feeling around the sticky supplies. She drew two wands and slipped them into her sleeves.

She stood up, and as she feared, the metal creaked under her weight. Johanna's eyes snapped to her, and Anne screamed as she ducked back down and just avoided the bullet she fired. She crawled to the ladder and more-so fell down the distance than climbed down. She stumbled against the trashcans nearby, and kicked a trash lid at Johanna with as much strength as she could muster. It rammed into her legs, but she met it with a stronger kick and knocked it into the wall of the club. Anne had drawn a wand in those precious few seconds, but Johanna pointed her gun squarely at Franky's head.

“Don't move,” she asserted. “I guarantee I can shoot faster than you can cast a spell.”

Anne's arm fell slowly. She looked apologetically at Franky.

“You just told me you took care of her,” Johanna said.

“I did! I swear!” Minnie croaked. “I don't know how she got out!”

“For one, you didn't lock the door,” Anne frowned. “I should have known it was you. Have you been doing Johanna's dirty work this whole time?”

Franky looked, wide-eyed, at Minnie, and she couldn't speak. Johanna pushed her off of his arm and put the gun in his back.

“We're walking,” she said. “All of you, now. We're taking a short walk to my apartment. It's not far.”

“You can't make us go with you,” Anne said. “You wouldn't just shoot someone right here, you'd be heard!”

“No one came rushing to help after the shot I fired just now,” Johanna said. “You surprised me, I didn't mean to shoot at you. You're very lucky I missed.”

Anne felt a cold sweat building on her brow as she looked up at the balcony, and knew that Johanna was right. Johanna held out her free hand and gestured for Anne to give up her wand, and she obliged. At her word, they all walked solemnly down the sidewalk.

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The Case of the Broken Magic (CH10)

Chapter Ten

“Hey, I'm in here!” Anne yelled. “I know it's past closing time, but I still have some more work to do.”

She waited for a response. None came.

“Hey! Who locked me in?” she yelled, louder. “Ms. Manager? Minnie only let me in because I asked! Kind of! I'm not up to anything bad in here.”

She was met with silence again. She frowned and dropped down to her knees, to peek through the gap under the door. All she could see was darkness. The lights in the kitchen had been turned off, and she suspected, in the whole restaurant. She banged her fists on the door until they got too sore for her to continue. Then she slumped her back against it and kicked her feet on the floor.

“I can't believe this,” she said. She looked around the large room, and felt unease at the silence. She leaned forward to pull her backpack around, and drew Ember's collar from it. She lit him as normal, though instead of sparking into soft warm hues, he flickered into being and fluctuated between greens and blues before settling on his normal tones. Anne looked at him with some mild horror.

“Are you okay?” she asked. “I hadn't even—I didn't even think what this whole broken magic business would do to you! I thought magic was okay here!”

Ember blinked his burning white eyes and circled until he was near her feet. She exhaled and held her head.

“I'm glad you seem fine. I don't want another repeat of what happened in the desert... and I don't want it to be my fault again. I guess she really did reinforce your collar much better this time.”

Ember crackled as he burned up a fallen sugar packet Anne had missed when she was cleaning them up. She smiled at him.

“At least I'm not alone,” she said.

She stood up, and took a wand from her bag. She paused and ushered Ember away several steps before holding it close to the handle. She carefully and slowly did her own crafted lockpick spell, and covered her eyes as she tapped the wand to the handle.

The result was worse than she expected. The wand broke apart from where she was gripping it, to the tip, and crumbled in her hand. She grimaced as the fractured pieces of wood fell to the concrete floor and scattered.

“At this rate, I'm going to run out of wands entirely,” she said. She kicked the remains across the room and fell down against the door again. She rubbed a small bit of the crumbled wand between her fingers and looked around the room.

“There's definitely a machine here,” she said. “There was no room in the kitchen to hide anything, as far as I could tell. And someone would notice one in the dining area, right? This is the best place to hide it.”

Ember traveled closer and started burning up the wand pieces. Anne scooted and started searching through the shelves again. She pulled out boxes and slid them away, not bothering to put them back in order.

“The manager said magic was working all week, why did it stop working right when I got here? Could the machines have some way of turning themselves on and off? It would account for magic skewing right before the explosion... Johanna or Ms. Torres wouldn't have needed to be there...”

She looked up at the higher shelves. The tallest shelf was way beyond her reach, and everything up there was far from eyesight on the ground. She stood and grabbed onto the third shelf to pull herself up. She knocked over several cans and bottles while trying to get footing, but the sturdy concrete shelves held her.

She climbed until she reached the top shelf. The dust was thicker up here, and she wondered how fresh the boxes of food were. It looked like nothing up here had been touched in some months. She squinted at the labels and shook boxes to see if they were empty as she moved across the shelves, knocking a few more things down as she went.

She was almost at the opposite end of the room when something caught her eye. A heavy-looking crate hugged the very back of the shelf against the wall. The label painted onto the wood said it was a milk crate, and Anne could feel her stomach turning at the thought of milk being stored here for this long. She pulled herself closer and saw that there was a trail cut through the dust, as if it had been pushed back recently.

While holding on for support with one hand, she pressed against the shelf as close as she could and grabbed at the crate with her other hand. She could feel her muscles straining as her fingers just brushed against the wood. Finally, she caught an edge, and wiggled it closer a couple of inches. Despite the size, it moved easily. When it was at the edge of the shelf she grabbed it from the open top and found it easy, though awkward, to lift with one hand. The crate bowed to one side, and the weight inside felt uneven.

She pulled it down and set it on the shelf below her to get a look at what was inside. She frowned when she saw the stacks of square napkins.

“Napkins!” she shouted, and Ember sparked a few times at her sudden noise. “I didn't climb up here for napkins. But it felt heavier than just paper...”

She ran her fingers on top of the stacks and tried to look through them. All in all there were four large, loose piles of napkins, and one sat just taller than the others. She brushed the top of that stack away and her fingers hit hard metal. She grabbed the other stacks around it and yanked them out of the crate. As she ripped them out, she started seeing dim lights, and before long, the whole machine revealed itself. She was so excited she almost fell backwards.

She climbed down the shelves while moving the box down shelf-by-shelf. Once she reached the bottom, she exhaled and shook her arms out. She almost slipped on the fallen piles of napkins as she knelt and carefully lifted the machine out of the box.

It was the same size as the first one they'd found, and as far as she could tell, was constructed the same way. She held it to her ear and could hear it whirring softly. She grinned at Ember as he came over to inspect the dozens of scattered napkins.

“We found it,” she said. She gently set it down and stared at it. She looked at the door, at the crumbled dust of her wand, and back at the machine. She rubbed her chin. “We need to get it out of here in one piece,” she said. “But I can't use any lock-picking spells with it on.”

She picked it up and turned it around in her hands. She felt the surface for buttons, or switches. When she pressed on the top too hard, the whirring turned into screeching and she let go. She set it back down and sighed.

She walked to the door and tried the handle again. She bent down and peered through the gap again. The light from the pantry shined into the dark kitchen, casting streams of light on the tile floor. But Anne saw something she hadn't noticed before. Two wood posts, standing at opposite ends in front of the door. She pushed her face to the ground and squinted to make out what they were. She could just see two more posts farther away, not touching the ground, and she realized it was a chair, likely wedged under the doorknob on the other side.

She reached her fingers under as far as they could go, but she couldn't reach the chair. She retrieved one of her few wands left from her backpack and tried to tap the chair legs with it, but it didn't budge. She groaned in frustration and sat back up.

“I thought I got locked in by mistake, Ember,” she frowned. “But someone obviously wanted me to stay trapped in here. If Luna was with us, she could just radio in for help... ugh.”

Ember came closer to her, and she had to smile when she saw he was burning brightly from using the napkins she had littered as kindle.

“But Luna's not here,” she said. “And we can get out of here on our own. Let's see, we just need to think of a way to get that chair out of the way. After that, we'll find a way to unlock the door. No matter what, we need to keep this awful machine in tact.”

Anne watched Ember as he looked closely at the door, leaning down to peek at the gap. His collar bumped against the wood, and it gave Anne an idea. With her gloved hand, she measured the height of his collar, and then held her fingers to the gap. It would be a close fit, but she was almost certain it would work.

“Ember, I have an idea. If I can get you to the other side, you can bump against the chair and knock it out of the way.”

Ember looked up at her and blinked his burning eyes.

“Come on, it'll be easy. You just need to dim yourself to a small flame first, I slide your collar under, and you get bigger again on the other side. It won't take a minute.”

Ember did as she said, and dimmed so much he only stood four inches tall, though Anne was sure she somehow saw doubt on his expressionless face. She pushed him down by the collar until it touched the ground and his flames were flat and licking up at the air in odd places.

She nudged him under the door until the collar got stuck midway. She pushed on it and winced as she heard scraping sounds. Finally he reached the other side and popped out from under the door. Anne watched him through the gap as he regained composure and grew brighter and larger again.

“Great job!” she shouted. “Now try to push the chair away. Run into it!”

Ember nudged into the leg of the chair, brushing it with his flames and only making physical contact with it when his collar bumped into it. The chair didn't move.

“I know you can do better than that,” she said.

He tried again, rearing back farther, and bumping harder into the chair. It pushed forward half an inch, but was still well stuck. Anne started getting concerned when she smelled smoke, and saw that Ember was burning away at the leg of the chair. She tried to give a thumbs up, but it couldn't be seen through the gap.

“Oh, good idea, keep doing that! Or maybe you just wanted to burn something... either way.”

After a few minutes, the weakened chair buckled from the damage. Anne jumped up to her feet and pulled her backpack around, thinking of what she could use to unlock the door.

“It might just be easier for you to burn the door down too,” she said. “But I don't want to accidentally burn the place down.”

She retrieved a thin letter opener, and knelt down at the door. She had only practiced lockpicking a couple of times with tools instead of magic, so she wasn't confident in her ability. Still, she felt she had to try. When she stuck the end into the lock, she paused. The handle jiggled to her touch, and when she tried it, the door opened. She sat there, staring at Ember on the other side.

“I guess it wasn't even locked,” she said. “I just assumed... well... all for the better then.”

She crossed to the back of the room and picked the machine up with both hands. She looked around briefly at the large mess she had made of the shelves, and thought about cleaning it up. But the whirring machine in her arms made her anxious. She set it down again and pulled out her notepad, scribbling a quick note saying that she would be back to help clean things up later. She taped it to the pantry door on her way out, and, guided by Ember, made her way out of the dark cafe.

* * *

Anne and Ember stood in Barry's apartment, with the machine set in front of them on the kitchen counter. Barry was looking it over without touching it.

“I thought about going to Luna,” Anne said, sitting down on a stool. She had only arrived a few minutes ago, and Barry was trying to make sense of the situation.

“Why didn't you?” he asked, listening to the machine whir contently.

“I didn't want to get her in more trouble than she's already in. Besides... I'm not sure if the police would cooperate, or try taking it apart themselves and destroy it like we did the first time.”

“That's a fair point,” he said. “I think I know what I did wrong that time. If I tried again, I believe I could successfully disarm it.”

Anne shook her head. “I'm sorry, it's too valuable. I just need somewhere to keep it where it'll be safe until I can figure what to do... and you're the only one here I can trust with it.”

He stared at the machine for a moment longer and then faced her. “Who do you think trapped you in that room, anyway?” he asked.

“I don't know. I guess it could've been anyone in the restaurant at the time, the manager, or... I have no idea. I think I need to see what Johanna is up to, though. She obviously managed to sneak a machine into the place, maybe she snuck in once everyone else had left and trapped me.”

“Could she have done that?”

Anne sighed. “I don't really know. But I still need to see what her next move is. You don't threaten a police officer's career unless you have something to hide, right? Unless she's just that petty...”

“No, I think you're on to something,” Barry agreed. “I'm going to be home all night studying, I'll keep an eye on this for you.”

“Thanks a lot,” she smiled. “I have an idea of where Johanna might be.”

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The Case of the Broken Magic (CH9)

Chapter Nine

“First my hair, now the fountain, everything's goin' so fast,” Franky said. He was sitting on the floor against the back of the sofa in Barry's place, because Minnie was once again taking up the whole of it by herself. Anne was pacing around the studio apartment in thought, and Barry watched them all without knowing what to say.

“We've got to do something,” Anne said, resolutely, though she hadn't thought of what it was they should do.

“I liked that fountain,” Minnie lamented. “I'd stick my feet in there all the time and fish out coins.”

“At least no one was killed,” Barry added. “Especially since you were there yourself when it happened, Franky.”

Anne turned around and started pacing another circle around the room. “No one except Luna's career... Are you sure you didn't see anything important, Franky? Anything at all, before the explosion?”

Franky scratched his head under his beanie. “Can't say. But it's like I said before, me and some classmates were hanging around and doing magic when it just stopped working right. Never seen it just mess up right in the middle of using it before.”

“It's just like the police said... so a machine must have been turned on somewhere,” Anne said. “Did you see anyone suspicious?”

He shrugged. “I wasn't lookin',” he said. “Sorry, it all happened so quickly. When the magic started goin' wild we started to leave for the club again because we got frustrated. Then the explosion happened and everyone panicked.”

“There must have been someone there with one of those stupid machines,” Anne said. She flopped down onto the futon mattress in the corner of the room that was Barry's bed and kicked her feet.

“If we could get our hands on another machine, I think we could get some answers,” Barry said. “I'd be much more careful with it. Maybe we could find out, concretely, who built it.”

“I know who built it! Or at least... helped build it,” Anne frowned. “Johanna is so guilty and she's not even trying to hide it.”

Franky whistled. “To think my teacher was doin' all this nasty stuff this whole time... I should drop her class. I should, right? It's just all kinds of weird now.”

“We need to arrest her, not drop her class,” Anne said. “Barry, Minnie, do you two know anything about Franky's teacher?”

“I never met her, myself,” Barry said. “I go to a different school. I have heard of her strict reputation, though. I remember we held a vigil for Franky when we found out he was in her class.”

Minnie sat up straight on the couch. “I already said I don't go to any school,” she said.

“There's got to be a way we can dig up some dirt on her,” Anne said. “We should go look around some of the places magic has been acting up. Franky, do you know of any spots where magic has been messed up, that Johanna also frequents?”

“Actually, Aurora is one of 'em. I used to go there all the time, which is why I saw her so much. But then all the magic flavors and colors kept going wrong and I stopped going so much.”

“The cafe seemed busy enough when I went earlier.”

“Yeah, it's a real poppin' place, so long as the magic is workin' right. I just gave up guessing when that is.”

“We should head there and look around, then,” Anne said. She hopped up from the bed with new motivation. “Franky, Minnie, will you two come with me? I like having at least one assistant around.”

“Anything I can do to help!” Franky said.

“I got nothing better to do,” Minnie shrugged.

“Great!” Anne said. “Barry, you're welcome to join us, too, if you'd like.”

Barry shook his head with a tender smile. “That's all right. I think too much time around both Franky and Minnie would wear me out, and I have studying to do.”

“Never any fun, I told you,” Minnie said, making a face at her cousin.

Anne was already half-way through the door. “We have to find something,” she said. “For the town's sake, and for Luna's sake.”

* * *

The cafe Aurora was much less busy at this time of night, and because of the fountain's destruction. Only a few people remained seated outside, taking in the sparkling string lights that were rung between all of the umbrellas. In the day time, Anne hadn't noticed them, but now they were lit up in vibrant waves, providing almost a ceiling of colors outside. The three of them cut through the seating and went inside the small main building.

There were only four tables set up inside, and stools pulled up to a long table that had a cash register at the end. The colors inside were just as wonderful as they were outside, with everything painted in eye-catching tones that made the older furniture of the place feel at home in the increasingly modern city.

Anne walked straight to the counter and waited for the woman in the sleek black and blue uniform to notice her.

“We're closing,” the woman said, in an apologetic tone. She looked exhausted from the day, and was wiping the counter with no enthusiasm. She wore no name tag, but the stitching on her shirt said she was the manager of the place.

“We're not here to eat anything,” Anne said. “My name is Anne August, and this is Franky, and Minnie. We're here on police business.”

The manager stared at the three of them with a blank expression that slowly turned to anger. Anne was ready to defend herself when she quickly crossed to the other side of the counter and got in Minnie's face.

“Where were you?!” she shouted. “We needed extra hands! Tons of people came in here for refuge after the explosion!”

Minnie gave her a toothy, nervous grin back, as she scratched her messy hair. “Was I supposed to come in today?”

“You have to come in sometime! You haven't been in all week!”

Anne looked at Franky. “Minnie works here?” she asked.

“Oh, yeah,” Franky said. “I forgot about that. I thought she was working at the place down the street. She jumps around a lot...”

Minnie raised her hands defensively. “Look, I'm sorry! I got all upset and traumatized and stuff about the explosion. I couldn't think straight.”

“You were supposed to come in way before that happened, Minnie,” the manager said, her anger not wavering in the slightest. “Do you want to keep this job?”

“Whoa, hey, hey, I need this job. Look, how about I do extra shifts or something to make up for it?”

“How can I count on you to actually do that?”

Minnie raised one hand and put the other behind her back. “You got my word,” she said. “I'll be here at the crack of dawn tomorrow. I'll clean the toilets. I'll wash the dishes. Maybe not in that order, but you get my point.”

The manager stared down at her and let out a long sigh. “This is your last warning,” she said. “Help clean up so we can lock up tonight. Then you'd better be here before the doors are even open tomorrow.”

“You totally got it! That's fair!”

She put a washcloth in Minnie's hands, and looked back at Anne and Franky. Anne made a point to smile and speak in a calm voice.

“We're just here to look around, we're investigating the issue of magic not working right.”

“You are? That's ruining our business, but we can't prove it,” the manager said, her angry eyes already softening. “Everyone just thinks our spells are slacking.”

“Franky here brought it to my attention,” Anne said. “I know we don't look like... well, we aren't officially police, but, I'm confident that we can help.”

“I don't care what you are, as long as someone's finally doing something about it,” the manager said. “Go ahead and look around if you think it'll be useful. At least until we close.”

“That sounds fair enough,” Anne said. “Have you been experiencing the issue today?”

“Not lately, no... today was going well, actually, aside from the fountain exploding. But as far as I could tell we've been fine today. Been fine all week, actually. But that happens. Fine one day, rubbery cookies that taste like soap the next.”

The manager opened the kitchen door for them, and then left them to their own devices. Anne could see there wasn't much reason to distrust a stranger here: the kitchen was small, and full of cooking tools, pots and pans, and not much else. There wasn't anything of value in sight. Anne and Franky spent a few minutes opening and shutting metal cabinet doors and peeking through drawers.

“Do you see anything?” Anne asked.

“Some wicked grease,” Franky said, looking inside of an oven.

Anne knelt down and looked under the half inch gaps between the appliances and the floor. All she could see were some crumbs and darkness.

“I don't think you could hide a machine anywhere in here,” she said. “This kitchen is pretty open.”

“What about there?” Franky asked, and Anne had to stand up to see where he was pointing. At the farthest end of the room, nestled between a large sink and the wall, was a door. The wood door was nondescript, and when Anne tried it, she found it locked.

“I wonder what's in there,” she said.

“It's the pantry,” Minnie said, and both Anne and Franky jumped at her sudden appearance.

“Aren't you supposed to be cleaning?” Anne asked, looking at the rag still in her hand.

“I can do it in a minute,” Minnie shrugged. “I thought you'd need some help. I know this place, I've been back here at least a couple times.”

“Can you get us into the pantry?”

Minnie produced a ring of keys from her pocket and smiled. “Also why I came to help. These are supposed to be for locking up, but this is important, right?”

“You sure you won't get in trouble?” Franky asked.

Minnie stepped forward to unlock the door. “Eh, I'm already in trouble.”

She pushed the door open and flicked on the light, and Anne and Franky were surprised by the sheer size of what Minnie had called a pantry. The room was bigger than the kitchen, with concrete shelves built into the walls. Rows of supplies like spices, teas, coffee, crackers, flour, sugar, everything a cafe could possibly need, were lined up. With how small the whole building was, this had to take up half the size of it. Anne stepped in and started peeking through crates as she took it all in.

“There's so much food,” Franky said. “This is makin' me miss when this place didn't have weird flavors.”

“We're going to fix that,” Anne said. “And everything else. How about I start looking at this side of the room, and the two of you start at the other end? Jeez, I bet if Luna were here she'd have a more efficient method of searching, like, alphabetized by food group, or color...”

“I dunno, I better get back before Boss Lady starts breathing down my neck,” Minnie said. “But you two let me know when you're done and I'll lock up, okay?”

“Thanks for getting us in, Minnie,” Anne said.

Minnie threw her thumbs up as she grinned at them and went back into the dining area. Anne and Franky began working on their own. They opened box lids and sifted through bags of dry ingredients. Anne accidentally knocked over a box of sugar packets and had to pick them all up. Franky was elbow deep in a box of tea bags when his watch started beeping at him. He checked the time, and groaned loudly.

“Aw man,” he said. “Aww, maan.”

“What is it?” Anne asked.

“I forgot about our show tonight. I'm supposed to go set up for rehearsal right now.”

“Are you serious? We're in the middle of an investigation.”

“I'm real sorry, I can't just not show up. We're dedicating it now to the victims of the explosion, and we're puttin' everything we were paid for the show toward their fees. Like, hospital fees, and stuff.”

Anne sighed and sat against a shelf. “Why did you have to make it sound so noble?”

“Aw, man... Anne... I'm a terrible assistant, aren't I?”

“No... you've helped a lot already. Go ahead and go to your show, I'll let you know if I find anything here.”

Franky looked torn. “Are you sure?” he asked.

Anne smiled. “Go on, don't leave your band waiting. I'll just work extra fast here so I can catch some of your show later.”

“Okay... well... okay. Look, after my show, I'm all yours for whatever assistanting you need, right? No matter what, you got it? Even if it's like, super late! I'll skip class!”

“I got it. Go! I'll see you around, Franky.”

Anne watched Franky run through the kitchen and shut the door behind him with a slam. She sighed again. She turned around and leaned on her knees, getting in view with the second-lowest and lowest shelves.

She ran her fingers along the edges of the row of boxes on the bottom shelf. She stopped when she reached a gap. The whole bottom row was stacked with boxes of various sizes, except for one slot. She squinted at the floor, and in the absent slot saw a dust ring formed around a square shape. She measured the square with her fingers and tried to remember just how big the machine was. She was in the middle of gently sliding out a box when the sound of a door slamming hard made her heart jump.

Anne looked up from the bottom shelf, and saw that the pantry door was shut. She got to her feet and turned the handle, but it didn't move.

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The Case of the Broken Magic (CH8)

Chapter Eight

They were at the college at sunset. Luna took Essie home, and called her superiors. It was tentatively agreed on that an officer would watch Torres, who was only scheduled to be in town for the rest of the night. Now they stood at the door to the laboratory, and Anne was all too eager to go in. Luna unlocked the door with the keys she'd asked for and Anne ran in.

Inside, it looked more like a storage room than a lab. There were dozens of long metal tables, and all but one were covered with boxes and crates. The one table still in use was tidied up nicely. Two metal cases were stacked on top of each other. A box was cut open on the table, and inside were large bundles of wires of all different colors. Anne poked through everything while Ember explored the corners and sizzled away dust bunnies.

“This looks like the wire Barry found in the machine,” Anne said. “You can see the name of the college printed in strips on it.”

“This is incriminating,” Luna agreed. “But I was told to bring Johanna in if we found any actual evidence that ties her to the assault. I'm not sure if that counts.”

“Are you kidding me? Of course it counts. We told them about the machine and showed them the parts that were left over.”

“They don't really... see the two events as being related,” Luna said. “They don't even believe the machine did what we said it did.”

“But this proves that Johanna acquired the materials to build it, or at least some of them. No one has used this place but her.”

“According to Franky.”

“Yeah, but why would he lie?”

“I agree with you that this is important, but I just don't think it's enough.”

Anne tapped her foot against the tile. “Do they at least believe she was the one who assaulted Dr. Wilkins?”

“I told them about her injury, and the lie we exposed. However...”

“Evidence,” Anne frowned.

“Yes, exactly.”

“Hold on, there was blood found at the scene. Why don't we test it? We could tell if it's Johanna's. That would be the conclusive evidence they're looking for!”

“They are in the process of testing it. Though even if it doesn't belong to Dr. Wilkins, it's not as if we have a sample of Johanna's on hand to compare it to.”

“So we get one, duh.”

Luna looked mildly startled. “I hope you don't mean forcefully.”

“Well, we won't start out that way.”

“I hope you're kidding.”

“I am, don't take things so seriously.”

Anne played with the latches on the metal cases stacked on the table. She managed to pop one open when the heavy metal door opened with a loud clang and scared the both of them. She dropped the case and spilled out the contents of the tool set all over the floor and table. Anne and Luna looked just as surprised as Johanna when their eyes met.

“Are you stalking me?” Johanna asked, breaking the silence. She shut the door behind her and took off her jacket. She draped it over a box and stared at them.

“We're investigating you,” Anne said. She looked down at the tools, and picked up a pair of wire-cutters. “What's all this?”

“They're tools.”

“I know that.”

“Then why did you ask?”

“I meant, what are you doing with all of this? It looks like you're the only one who uses this pathetic excuse for a lab.”

“It used to be much busier and nicer, up until a year or so ago.”

“Before this place stopped getting money from Singh Labs, you mean.”

“Is that what happened?”

Johanna was crossing the room slowly as they spoke. Anne kept her head high and held her gaze the whole time.

“We know you lied about your alibi,” Anne said. “You've been lying about everything, haven't you?”

Johanna stopped at the other side of the table and looked across, and down, at Anne. She placed her hands on the cool metal table. “I don't know what you mean,” she said.

Anne pointed at the bandage on her forehead. “We asked Franky, and he said you never taught class this morning.”

“Was it only Franky who told you that?”

“Yeah, and I believe him!”

“Just Franky. That's good to know.”

Anne tried not to sweat under her stare. “Don't you have anything to say? We know you weren't here this morning.”

“I must have slept through my alarm and missed class.”

“You must have? You aren't saying you did?”

Johanna massaged her forehead. “I don't know, I suppose I bumped my head and forgot all of the small details.”

“Luna, you can see through her just as well as I can, can't you?” Anne asked.

Johanna's gaze shifted to Luna, and she nodded. “Y-Your story does sound quite unlikely. You told us you sustained that injury in class. How can you say now that you missed class?”

“She can say it because she's lying!” Anne said.

Johanna shrugged. “I said I was confused because of my injury. Is being confused a crime now?”

“You're perfectly fine! You don't seem hurt at all, it just looks sore!”

Luna touched Anne's arm. “What story you tell us doesn't matter. There are some serious accusations against you, including the illegal manipulation of magic, endangering the public, and physical assault. Perhaps even attempted murder.”

“And lying,” Anne added.

“That does sound serious,” Johanna said. “Am I being arrested for these crimes?”

“Of course you are!” Anne said.

Luna jumped. “Anne, no! We don't have the evidence!”

“We have enough! There's plenty to at least bring her in to question her!”

“Anne, we talked about this.”

“We need to get her down to the station, where she can't just lie to our faces about everything.”

Luna rubbed the back of her neck. “I don't know about this. I was told only to bring her in if—,”

“I know the ifs, ands, or buts,” Anne groaned. “You told me that you wanted to be taken seriously as a police officer. How seriously will you be taken if you let a criminal get away just because you were afraid to arrest her?”

“I never said I was afraid to arrest her.”

“So arrest her!”

Luna looked up from Anne, at Johanna, who had been watching their conversation unblinkingly. She ran her fingers over the cold handcuffs attached to her belt, and felt conflicted.

“Johanna Paige, I'm sorry, but, I'm afraid I have to arrest you,” she decided. Johanna stood up straight and made no move as Luna crossed around the long table and approached her with the cuffs in her hands. Johanna, being several inches taller than her, stared down to meet her eyes.

“All right Luna!” Anne cheered. “Finally, some cooperation!”

“Please turn around and put your hands behind your back,” Luna said.

Johanna did as she was told. Luna locked the cuffs around her wrists and held her by the arm.

“Now, um, I didn't bring the car,” Luna said. “So we're going to have to walk to the police department.”

“That undercuts the drama of this situation some,” Anne said.

“Do you think I should call the station and have them send a car instead?”

“I don't know, I've never arrested someone before. I mean, I've seen it, but... not in a situation like this.”

“I've never arrested anyone either, Anne.”

Johanna shifted impatiently. Luna was about to suggest something else, when the radio on her belt made an urgent noise. She put it to her face and answered that she was here and listening. The static interference was thick, but Luna listened carefully with it by her ear. All Anne could grab were broken bits of sentences.

She didn't really need to hear what was going on, though, because Luna's face showed that it wasn't good. She looked more and more flushed and unsettled as she listened.

“There's a major emergency downtown,” she said. “An explosion.”

“An explosion?!” Anne shouted. “Where?”

“At the fountain. The whole statue has been destroyed. No word on casualties yet. All officers are requested to assist immediately.”

“But we're in the middle of an arrest! Let's go drop her off before we head over there!”

Luna put the radio away. “That's not all,” she said. “Minutes before the explosion happened, people were making a scene about magic not working properly.”

Anne looked at Johanna, who was looking away from them for the first time, at Ember, in the corner of the room. Anne looked back at Luna.

“Johanna planted another machine there,” Anne said.

“Magic was fine up until moments before the explosion,” Luna said. “That's the official word.”

“Ms. Torres, did she get to the fountain to activate a machine?”

“We have her under watch, Anne.”

“Someone had to have done it!”

“I need to go,” Luna said. “I... I can't make this arrest. She couldn't have been involved with this. Maybe it was someone else who got the parts from here.”

“I'm sure she just found a way, come on! What about Dr. Wilkins? Don't ignore all of the lies she told us!” Anne said, frowning as Luna unlocked the cuffs.

Johanna rubbed her wrists. Luna looked up at her and tried to form an apology, but Johanna spoke before she could get a single word out.

“I will be sure to report this unwarranted harassment,” she said. “Arresting a professor with only circumstantial evidence at best, and even suggesting the idea of public humiliation before my innocence or guilt was proven?”

“Excuse me, what?” Anne said.

“You planned to have me walk several blocks to the police department, in handcuffs, for all of the town, and my students, to see? Did you not consider what irreparable damage that would do to my career?”

Luna wiped the sweat off her brow. She opened her mouth to speak again, but Johanna didn't let her.

“Your career is over,” she said, simply. She looked at Anne, and then again at Ember. “And perhaps I should report your creature, before anyone gets hurt by it.”

Johanna stood and waited for a response, but she wouldn't get one. Anne gathered Ember up by his collar, and didn't look back as she followed Luna out of the laboratory.

* * *

The center of town was swarmed with people. The rubble of the fountain was roped off and police were thick on the edges making sure people didn't get in. Anne stood with the pedestrians and gazed in at the ruins. It was clear even from a distance that nothing was left of the statue of Marjan. Stone rubble laid in the fountain, and the sparkling water was leaking everywhere.

Even though the presence of the curious crowd and the shouting from the police couldn't be heavier, Anne felt alone and isolated. She had put Ember away after leaving the laboratory, too uncertain of Johanna's threat to risk taking him, and Luna had disappeared after they arrived at the fountain. She was growing restless.

When there was a break in the police perimeter, she dove under the rope, and stayed low as she practically crawled along the edge. She nearly tripped over a piece of rubble that she realized was part of Marjan's wand, and got sadder. It took her several minutes before she found a face in the police assignment that she recognized.

She approached the detective who she had seen at the department several times before. He had bossed Luna around, but he was the only one she was at least somewhat familiar with. She hoped to get in some questions before he could object.

“Excuse me, Detective?” she asked. He turned around and made a face at her.

“You? How did you get in here?” he asked in return. “Get back behind the ropes, for your own safety.”

“All right, fine, but I have a question or two before I go.”

The detective gave her a shove. She frowned as she stumbled. “Wait!” she shouted. “Did anyone get hurt here?”

“A few people,” he frowned.

“Any deaths?”

“I can't say.”

Anne groaned as he gave her a final push back under the ropes. She grabbed his arm before he could step away.

“Hold on! Officer Luna came with me here to help with the clean up and stuff, but I haven't seen her anywhere.”

“She's not here,” he said, shaking his arm free. “She was called back to the... it's not my business to say. Whatever she did, it wasn't good. Now stay behind the line or you'll be in serious trouble.”

Anne crossed her arms close to her chest as he dismissed her and walked away. “I've met nicer detectives,” she said.

She watched the police sort through and poke around the rubble for several more moments before deciding she could do nothing here. Her thoughts were too clouded with the words of Johanna's threats, and her heart was heavy with worry for Luna. She pushed her way through the crowd of onlookers and walked down the block to the police department.

The department was nearly deserted. It was so quiet that Anne's footsteps seemed to echo throughout the whole building as she walked up to the clerk and asked where Officer Luna was. The clerk could only shrug, and say that he hadn't seen her since she arrived and went to the back office. He wouldn't allow Anne through, so she sat in the waiting room.

Anne waited for nearly an hour, and found herself growing more anxious as time passed. She was thinking about returning to the rubble when the back door slowly opened. Anne hopped out of her seat at the sight of Luna, but she almost fell back into it when she realized she was in a t-shirt and khakis, no longer wearing her uniform. She had a bag slung over her shoulder, and she couldn't meet Anne's eyes.

“What happened?” Anne asked. “You were in there for so long!”

Luna was having trouble thinking of what to say. She stared at the floor and fidgeted with a string on her bag.

“I've been suspended,” she said. “Indefinitely.”

“What? Why?”

“Johanna wasn't bluffing,” she said. Anne caught a glimpse of her eyes as she looked up at the ceiling, and saw they were red and puffy. “She called the chief, and she told her everything that I did.”

“You didn't do anything wrong!” Anne cried. “How did she get you suspended so quickly? All you did was handcuff her for about five seconds.”

“I tried to explain it, but... with the emergency going on right now, there isn't anyone to investigate the situation. Normally they might take my word over hers, but... apparently Johanna name-dropped a notorious lawyer... and the department doesn't want to deal with it right now. They've suspended me to be safe.”

Anne threw her hands up. “That's ridiculous! That's wrong!”

“No, Anne, I did something wrong. I acted and arrested her even though I felt it wasn't right.”

“But... but I convinced you to. If anyone should be in trouble for this... I should.”

Luna leaned in closer and shook her head. “Oh, no, it's not your fault! Anne... I don't mean any disrespect toward you, but... you're not an adult. I was the adult in the situation, and I let things escalate. You were only saying what you thought was right. I should've... used better judgment.”

“Luna... I'm sorry this happened. But even if you are suspended, we can still make the most of this.”

Luna shook her head. “Make the most of... ?”

“You and I, we can go investigate on our own, forget the police! They didn't believe us, anyway. I still think Johanna is involved somehow, if we work hard enough, I know we can figure out the whole truth.”

Anne was practicing her biggest smile, but Luna only stared at her with vacant eyes.

“I'm sorry, Anne,” she said. “I can't work on this anymore, not after being suspended. I would be fired, for sure, and I would just make things worse.”

“You can't give up on this now,” Anne said. “What about the fountain? People were hurt today. Do you think that's really unrelated to everything that's been happening here lately?”

“I don't know. I don't... I don't care.”

“What do you mean, you don't care? You don't care what happens to the people here?”

Luna gripped her bag string tightly. “I can't help them,” she said. “Anne, I'm really... I'm very sorry. I'm going home.”

Anne tried to think of something to say, but no words came. She watched as Luna walked through the doors onto the sidewalk without so much as a second glance back at her. She gripped her own backpack straps and stood there a moment, wondering what her next course of action should be.

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The Case of the Broken Magic (CH7)

Chapter Seven

Wilkins was sent home after being interviewed by the police. The police determined that the incident was a robbery gone wrong, something that Anne loudly protested to, which resulted in her and Luna being kicked out of the hotel. They didn't find Wilkins's shaky testimony about suspecting Professor Paige entirely convincing. Anne thought differently, and had already gotten a hold of Franky to ask him if she had anywhere she frequented in the city.

Anne and Luna were walking through town now, with Ember and Essie in tow. Franky mentioned a cafe that he always saw her at after classes ended, so that's where they were headed. Luna retrieved Essie while Anne was contacting him, as she often brought Essie along with her on her days off.

“I would have liked if Dr. Wilkins could've stayed in town,” Anne said, breaking the silence. They had been much quieter since discovering her assault.

“It was only a request from the two of us... the police never formally asked her to stay in the first place,” Luna said. “After the stress she endured, it's best that she go home and recover.”

“I don't disagree, but... she was really rattled, it's likely she forgot some details. If she was still around, she could've told us anything she remembered.”

“Quite a lot of things could be more ideal about this investigation,” Luna said, and Anne agreed.

“I am not entirely sure what to make of Professor Paige being a suspect, honestly,” Anne said. “She's a magician. Franky said it himself. Singh Labs didn't have too many of those in their employ, from what I understood. Why send her out here? Why did she stay?”

“More pressingly,” Luna began, “if she is a magician, why would she be involved with a device that disables magic?”

“That's an even more puzzling question. Maybe Ms. Torres has something to do with that.”

They arrived at the cafe Aurora, after some delay because of Essie stopping to sniff every interesting smell along the way. The establishment was tiny on the outside, with the majority of the grounds dedicated to its large outdoor seating arrangements. Sparkling umbrellas of all different colors and patterns shaded every white metal table. Comfy chairs were pulled up around them, and on the tables themselves were intricate stone carvings of various historical and fictional characters. Anne noted they were all of famed magicians.

The seats were nearly all full. The two walked around the outside of the thin gate and searched the crowd of students. Every table had two or more people seated at it, and they were all talking energetically as they caffeinated themselves with bright, flavorful drinks.

Only one table was quiet; the closest one to the building, with a black and white striped umbrella. One woman sat there, with her legs crossed at the knee. She was wearing a floppy hat and sunglasses, and reading a thick book with one hand while her other held a clear glass mug of something red. But even with her face hidden behind accessories and her book, Anne recognized her as the speaker from yesterday.

Anne hopped over the short fence and moved closer. Luna had to go the long way around to bring Essie through the gate.

“Professor?” Anne asked. The woman didn't react to her, and only took a sip from her mug. “Professor Paige, it is you, isn't it?”

“Are you one of my students?” she asked, not breaking eye contact with her book.

“Uh, no.”

“Then you don't have to call me 'professor.'”

“Uh, all right then. Ms. Paige...”

“Johanna is fine.”

“Johanna,” Anne said. “My name is Anne August. Can we speak with you for a moment?”

She didn't respond. Luna finally got to their side, holding Essie in her arms so that she didn't get tempted by the tables that had food. Before she could speak, Johanna did.

“You shouldn't have dogs in here,” she said, though Anne was certain she hadn't looked up at any time to see her.

“I'm sorry, we won't be long. And we are still technically outside...”

“It's unsanitary. Pets aren't...”

Johanna trailed off, and her head tilted down. She set her book and drink down, and flicked her sunglasses up. Her sharp eyes were locked on Ember.

“What is this?” she asked.

“He's my friend,” Anne said, tugging him back a step with the leash he had. “I thought you had something against pets.”

“That is no pet,” Johanna said. Finally, she met Anne's eyes for the first time in their conversation. She stared at her unflinchingly for several long seconds before examining Luna with a critical eye.

“You are a police officer, aren't you?” she asked her.

“Yes, I am Officer—,”

“Has life magic become legal?” Johanna interrupted.

“I'm... I'm sorry?”

Johanna pointed a hand at Ember. “Don't you know life magic when you see it? This creature is highly illegal. Shouldn't you do something about it?”

“Oh! Oh, don't worry, I have already talked to Anne about it, and she wasn't the one who made Ember, so really, she isn't the one who broke any laws.”

Luna was pleased with the answer she gave, but Johanna didn't look convinced in the slightest.

“Who did make it?” she asked.

“Ember isn't what I wanted to talk to you about,” Anne said. “Johanna, we are conducting an official investigation. I need to ask you a few questions about your whereabouts today.”

“My whereabouts? At what time?”

“About ten in the morning.”

“Ah, that's easy. I was at the college.”

“Were you? Do you have anyone who can verify that?” Anne asked.

Johanna shrugged. “Only the thirty students who I was teaching at the time,” she said.

“You were teaching class then?”

“I believe I just said that.”

Anne exchanged a glance with Luna. “How long was your class?”

“An hour and a half.”

“So you didn't get out until the afternoon...”

“Yes, that is how time works.”

“I think we've made a mistake,” Luna said.

Anne frowned. Johanna watched them both closely.

“What investigation is this?” she asked. “Has something serious happened?”

“You might be familiar with this problem as a magician yourself,” Luna said. “Anne here has come to help look into the issue of magic not working properly around town.”

“Ah, yes, I am familiar with that.”

“So you've experienced it too?” Anne asked.

“Of course.”

“You don't sound very concerned.”

“I'm not. Magic has never been an exact science. That's why it isn't a science. It ebbs and flows. I assumed this was only a natural phenomenon that would right itself in time. Goodness, who called in the big guns over this?”

Anne was sure that Johanna had almost smiled at the words “big guns” as she looked over them. She crossed her arms. “In fact, it was Franky.”

“Oh, of course. That makes sense.”

“In what way?”

“It's just that Franky is definitely my most... imaginative student,” Johanna said, sipping from her drink. “It doesn't surprise me that he would make something out of nothing. It's rather shocking he would go so far as to involve the police.”

“Um, the police aren't... totally involved...” Luna said. “My superiors aren't taking the magic issue very seriously. But don't worry, I am.”

“Ah. That does assuage my worries. I'm relieved to know you are singular in your thoughts of what makes an issue important enough to involve the authorities.”

Luna looked away from Johanna, and only pet Essie quietly. Anne could feel the tension building, though Johanna looked as calm as she did when they first approached her. It was only Luna and herself who were feeling it.

Anne glanced around them, at the chairs and umbrellas, and something occurred to her.

“Johanna, I have another question,” she said.

“What is that?”

“Why are you wearing a sunhat in the shade?”

Johanna looked up, at the fringe of her hat, and at the umbrella. “I walked here. I simply forgot to take it off. I didn't plan to stay long.”

“You looked like you were settled in to read your book.”

“You know my plans better than I do, I suppose.”

Anne took one step closer. “As part of our investigation, I need to ask you to remove it.”

“And how would that help your little excursion?”

“That's classified.”

Johanna looked to Luna. “Is this an official police request?” she asked.

Anne urged Luna on with a nod. Luna looked at her feet. “No. Actually, I'm not even on duty today.”

“Luna!” Anne groaned. “Stop sabotaging our own investigation!”

“But it's the truth!” Luna said. “I can't lie just to get things done the way you want them, Anne.”

Anne threw her hands up. “What if I just took the hat off your head myself?” she proposed.

“That'd be rather rude.”

Anne stared at her, but didn't move closer to actually do it. Johanna seemed so unfazed by the whole thing that she felt uncertain.

“Don't look so uncomfortable,” Johanna said. “If it satisfies you, I really don't mind removing my hat. I was only wondering what the reason was.”

Johanna removed her floppy hat and set it on the table. She ran a hand through her black hair to smooth it, and then looked expectantly at the two of them. The bandage on her forehead was immediately apparent, and their eyes were stuck to it.

“Where did you get that injury?” Luna asked.

“I had a magic accident this morning in class. I'd actually forgotten about it until now, it wasn't serious.”

“You're lying!” Anne said, pointing a finger. “I know exactly where you got that!”

“You do, because I just told you.”

“No way, you got that this morning at the hotel. You must have!”

“How was I able to sustain an injury at a hotel when I was teaching a class at the same time?”

Anne's pointed finger fell. She hesitated. “I don't know,” she admitted.

“Is there anything else? My tea is getting cold.”

Anne was too flustered to think of anything. Luna shared her expression. Anne sighed and scratched her head. “Do you... I mean... what about your connection to Singh Labs?” she asked.

“Excuse me?”

“You used to work for that western corporation, didn't you?”

“Not exactly. I worked for other people who worked for them.”

“Same difference. What kind of work did you do for them? Magic? Or do you also dabble in more technical ventures?”

“What business is it of yours?”

“Singh Labs is tied to this case, somehow. I have a feeling that you might know why.”

“No, I can't say I do. I haven't been involved with them in years.”

“But the conference!” Anne said. “What about Maria Torres?”

“The conference director? I only met her three days ago.”

“Is that so? Is that really the truth?”

“Yes, it is.”

Luna touched Anne on the arm.

“Maybe we should go,” she said, quietly. “I don't think we're going to get anywhere.”

Anne rubbed her eyes. “But something doesn't feel right here.”

“Don't worry. There's always a next step,” Luna said. “We should go verify her alibi.”

“I guess you're right,” she nodded. When she looked back to say goodbye to Johanna, she noticed that her eyes were once again fixed on Ember, watching his every move. Without a word she tugged Ember along and they left the cafe.

* * *

Anne and Luna sat at the bar in the club Sidra. It was late in the afternoon, and the place was starting to become crowded. The bartender told Anne she would have to leave if it got too packed, but since Luna was with her, it was all right for now. Anne wasn't paying that much mind. She was kicking her shoes against the bar and tapping her fingers.

“Are you sure Essie will be okay out there?” she asked Luna.

“She'll be perfectly fine. She and Ember are together, and she's tied securely to the bicycle rack. We won't be in here long, we're just here to talk to a few students.”

“Yeah... but... she's just so little.”

Franky greeted the two of them as he fell onto a bar stool. He was still wearing the same lime-green beanie he had on yesterday. He tugged it down so it wouldn't slip off his forehead. Anne was expecting Minnie to follow, but she wasn't anywhere to be seen.

“Where's your partner in crime?” she asked.

“Minnie? She's upstairs. She's been really going hard today, I've barely seen her. I'm just here to clear my mind, right? And we got a show here tonight, so I'm getting in the zone.”

“Your band is playing tonight?” Anne asked. “I'll have to come, if I'm not too busy.”

Franky grinned wide. “Both you should! Though maybe not in uniform. You're kinda killin' the vibe.”

Luna looked down at her uniform and sat up straighter. “Oh, you have a point,” she said. “Maybe that's why everyone's been looking at me funny in here.”

“So what's the deal? Barry told me about the girl you found hurt, did you figure out who did it?”

“We have a suspect,” Anne said. She tapped her fingers on the bar again. “Sort of.”

“That's awesome news then,” he said. “One step closer, right?”

“Right... we just wanted to ask you a question about Professor Paige.”

“Her again? What's she got to do with any of this?”

“We have reason to believe she was the one who assaulted Dr. Wilkins.”

Franky's face fell. “No way,” he said. “Professor Paige couldn't do that. She's a teacher.”

“Teachers can commit crimes, too,” Luna reminded him. “Everybody can. That's what makes crime so scary.”

“Do you really think she's that bad?” he asked.

“I don't know for certain. That's why we came here to clear something up.”

Franky sat up and nodded. “You got it. I'm all in this investigation thing a hundred percent. I didn't ask you here to question your, like, detectivey methods.”

“Thank you for that,” Anne said. “Franky, did your professor sustain an injury today?”

Franky blinked. “Wait, huh?”

“Did she hurt her head, I mean.”

“What're you talking about?”

“Did Professor Paige hurt herself in class earlier this morning?” Luna asked.

“Uhh... she wasn't in class this morning.”

Anne and Luna were wide-eyed.

“Did she show at all today?” Anne asked.

“Nope. We waited 'round in class for like, half an hour, then got bored and left. Figured she wasn't coming.”

“Is it common for her to miss class like that?”

“No way. You even show up a minute late and you get scolded by her. She's a real pain in the... uh, she's real dedicated to her work.”

“Are you sure she wasn't on campus?” Luna asked. “Could she have been anywhere else?”

Franky thought about it. “Maybe the lab, but she usually doesn't go there till after night when things're quiet.”

“I'm sorry, the lab?” Anne asked. “There's a laboratory at your magic school?”

“Yeah, I dunno what it's for. I don't think anyone I know's ever used it.”

“What does she do in the lab?”

“Who knows? We all sorta think it's just a quiet place to work on spells. What else would you use it for here?”

Anne and Luna shared a look, as if they were thinking the same thing.

“I can think of one reason why this particular magic school would have a science lab,” Anne said.

“I agree,” Luna nodded. “Most pressingly, though, this is serious. Johanna has lied to our faces. She has no alibi. The police will certainly not be able to ignore that, in light of the assault.”

“Do you think they'll take it seriously enough to do us a favor?” Anne asked.

“What do you have in mind?”

“I think someone should keep an eye on Ms. Torres. It's a likely possibility that she and Johanna are working together.”

“All right. That's a good idea.”

Anne hopped down from the stool and smiled at Franky. “Thank you for your help, you may have helped us crack this whole case open.”

“I still kinda can't believe it,” he said, looking solemn. “I mean. I believe it, if you believe it. But I can't believe it. Minnie's not gonna believe it.”

Anne nodded. “While you two work on believing it, we have our own work to do. I want to check out this lab.”

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The Case of the Broken Magic (CH6)

Chapter Six

They started the next day bright and early. Anne had fallen asleep waiting for Luna to finish her paperwork, and woken up to Luna cooking breakfast for them. If it wasn't for Luna's energetic attitude, Anne would have assumed she hadn't slept at all.

Anne gave Barry a call and passed along another message for Franky and Minnie: that they'd be doing some investigating today, and that they were invited if they wanted to come. Barry could only tell her that Franky had class to attend, and that Minnie was thoroughly unconscious from the previous night at the club. Today would be Anne and Luna's day alone.

Though it was Luna's day off today, she still considered it appropriate to wear her uniform, because she was working on their case. They took a taxi to the hotel, and Luna was rigid with nerves as they entered an elevator.

“Are you absolutely sure—,” she started to ask, but Anne groaned and interrupted.

“Yes, it is perfectly safe to bring Ember. He'll be a beast to deal with if I put him away again so soon. Don't worry so much.”

Ember hovered by Anne's feet and crackled in amusement. They stopped on the tenth floor, which was part of the newer, fancy additions to the hotel. Anne checked the note she wrote again.

“The clerk said that my Aunt Maria was staying in room eleven on the tenth floor.”

“I can't believe you lied to him like that. Ms. Torres is not your aunt.”

“No, but they wouldn't have told us where she was if I didn't. I'm glad it was a different clerk from yesterday.”

Luna shook her head as they arrived at the right door. Anne knocked hard on the shiny gold wood.

“Open up!” she shouted. The two waited for several silent moments before Anne knocked again. “I know you're in there, Ms. Torres! The conference hasn't started yet today.”

“Maybe she's gone to the bathroom,” Luna said.

“We'll keep knocking until she answers, then. Ms. Torres! It's the police!”

“Well, one police.”

“That's enough police,” Anne asserted. The door moved slightly as it was being unlocked from within with an electronic card. Torres cracked the door open, and frowned at Luna in particular.

“What is the issue, officer?” she asked, in as bored of a voice as she was asking the questions yesterday.

“The issue,” Anne spoke, “is quite complex. May we come in?”

“No,” Torres said. She caught a glimpse of Ember, sizzling by Anne's feet, and grimaced. “No,” she repeated. She tucked her hair behind her ear and adjusted her tie. “I'm getting ready for today. I need to go finish eating breakfast.”

“Oh, we're sorry that we interrupted your breakfast,” Luna said.

“Wait a minute, aren't you the officer who was wandering around yesterday?” Torres asked, pointing a finger at her.

“Oh, well, yes, I was.”

“You're the one who arrested that woman. While hilarious, it was quite disruptive. We had to end the conference early for the day.”

“I am very sorry.”

“Luna, please,” Anne said. “We're here to talk to you about that woman, actually, among other things.”

“Oh?”

“First of all, I understand that you're the conference director. I wanted to ask what inspired you to set up this meeting of magicians and technicians.”

“Seemed like a swell idea,” Torres said, blankly.

“You don't sound all that genuine,” Anne said. “Do you know any magic, yourself?”

“Jeez, no, what would be the point? I don't need another useless hobby.”

“Magic is not simply a hobby,” Luna said. “It can be, but it can also be so much more.”

“Sure. But I don't know any.”

“Ms. Torres, do you dislike magic?” Luna asked.

“Not really. I don't really care. If you do magic you're probably just not that committed to anything serious in your life, and I find that rather detestable. One should make their time worth something. But if people want to waste their lives, go ahead.”

“If you feel that way, why host an entire conference around the subject?” Anne asked.

“Felt like it,” Torres frowned. “Are we done?”

Anne pushed the door to stop Torres from closing it. “Hold on! Tell me what you know about Dr. Wilkins.”

“I'm sorry, who?”

“The woman who was arrested yesterday. There's no use hiding it, we know you and she share a history with Singh Labs. You met with her enough times to form an opinion about her, she told us so.”

At the mention of Singh Labs, Torres grew even more annoyed. “Is this about Dr. Wharton? Do you think I'm up to something just because he cut me a paycheck a couple times? You'd have to arrest half the west if you went after everyone he did business with. He's the one in prison, not me.”

“You're dodging the question,” Anne said. “You're familiar with Dr. Wilkins, why won't you admit it?”

“Ugh. All right, so I am. She's an idiot. She fumbled and spilled coffee on me every time she came to give me a cup. All she did was follow that quack's orders. She's spineless.”

“So you are admitting to having a grudge against her.”

Torres rubbed her eyes under her glasses. “What are you talking about?”

Luna chimed in. “We became aware of the fact that someone tried to frame Dr. Wilkins yesterday for a very serious crime.”

“And you think I did it?”

“You do have strong opinions about her,” Anne added.

“I have strong opinions about everyone, because everyone is annoying.”

“Did you decide to frame Dr. Wilkins because she sympathizes with magicians, Ms. Torres?” Anne asked.

“How would I even know if she did? She isn't a speaker, I don't think I've heard her say two words these past three days.”

“Are you sure about that? Didn't you interview Dr. Wilkins on the first day of the conference?”

“What?”

“We noticed you asking people strange questions yesterday, about how they feel about magic. Dr. Wilkins said you asked her that question the day before.”

Torres looked sweaty. Anne tapped her foot on the plush golden carpet in wait. Torres appeared to be in deep thought for a moment, and then, in one swift move, she slammed the door shut.

Anne knocked again, and they waited for several minutes, but not another peep came from inside.

“Well, that was awfully sudden,” Luna said.

“We have her scared,” Anne concluded, giving up on getting her attention.

“She is acting odd, I admit it.”

“She can't stay in there forever. She'll have to leave once the conference begins for today. We just need to wait her out.”

“That's not for another... hour. What should we do in the meantime?”

“We could check in on Dr. Wilkins. She's staying just a few floors below, she gave me a contact card before we parted ways.”

“That's a great idea, she seemed so shaken yesterday, I'd love to see if she feels any better today.”

“I think that's just her usual state, but I agree with you.”

Wilkins's room was on the second floor, in one of the older, cheaper suites. The door to her room wasn't gold, but a muted blue, and the handle didn't have a card slot, but an old fashioned keyhole. Anne knocked, and waited, and waited, and waited.

“I'm getting tired of people not answering the door,” she said. She knocked harder. “Dr. Wilkins, let us in, it's Anne and Officer Luna.”

“Maybe she isn't in there.”

“Maybe she split!” Anne said. “Lied about everything and took off in the night.”

“Do you really believe that?”

“No... not really. But we need to find her. I say we break in. I wrote a good spell for that.”

“A-Anne! I can just go to the front desk and ask for a key. It is a pressing issue, we need to locate her.”

Anne groaned. “That's much less fun, though. Haven't you ever wanted to break into a hotel room?”

“Goodness, no! Just wait here, I'll get a key quickly and be right back.”

Anne would have protested more if Luna hadn't dashed off so quickly. She made a face at Ember, who crackled in agreement. Anne was halfway through doing her spell when Luna came back, and gave her a stern look of disapproval. Luna unlocked the door with the set of keys she was given, and they stepped inside.

It was dark. Ember offered the only glow of light until Anne flipped on a light-switch. But only half of the room illuminated. It was clear why. The room was in a state of great disarray: pillows from the bed knocked to the floor, framed pictures of the night sky knocked off the walls, and shattered glass all over the floor. A broken lamp laid near the bed, and the rest of the room laid still.

“Dr. Wilkins?” Anne called out, her voice quieter than she meant it to be.

Luna stepped ahead of Anne, and kept her hand on the wand holstered in her belt. She walked around the broken glass and stepped gingerly over some droplets of blood. The room was decorated with outdated but elegant patterns of clouds and stars, and the dim lighting would have felt inviting in any other circumstance. Now, it felt ominous. Shadows enveloped the room. The corners were hidden, and the bathroom door was opened just a crack, revealing nothing but darkness.

“Dr. Wilkins?” Anne asked again, finding a stronger voice. “Are you here? Are you okay?”

Luna held her other hand to her radio, which was also hooked to her belt. She was about to lift it and call for help when the closet door creaked open. Anne and Luna both jumped, but relief came over them as Wilkins's pale face revealed itself.

“I-I-Is it safe?” she stuttered. Anne went to her side and helped her to the bed. Her hands were shaking, and she had a long bleeding cut on her cheek that she seemed unaware of.

“What happened?” Luna asked. “You're injured!”

Wilkins touched the wound on her face, getting blood on her gloves. “Oh,” was all she said.

Luna gathered a wad of paper towels from the counter in the room and carefully wiped the wound clean. Wilkins only stared ahead, scarcely reacting at all to her touch.

“Doctor, what happened?” Anne had to ask again.

“I was s-staying here,” Wilkins began. “I was staying here, just as we agreed on. I stayed here all night and morning. I was getting hungry, though. I left to get b-breakfast.”

“That's all right. We never really said you couldn't leave your room, just the hotel.”

“B-But the b-breakfast bar was closed!” Wilkins shouted. “It was closed! So I only grabbed a bag of potato chips and came back to my room. I was gone just... six minutes? Not long. My room isn't far from the kitchen and vending machines.”

“We hear you, Doctor. What happened then?”

Wilkins grabbed Anne's hands and squeezed them, and Anne tried not to wince at the blood she spread. “I came back! And shut the door... but when I turned around, I s-saw someone in my room! I was so frightened that I screamed!”

“I would have screamed too,” Luna said.

“Who was it?” Anne asked. “Did you recognize them?”

“It was dark. I hadn't even turned on the lights yet. But I saw a figure. I heard a voice. Before I screamed, they... they said... they told me to stay calm, and I saw them pull a kn-knife out! It was the sight of the knife made me scream! Then they lunged toward me!”

Wilkins threw her hands up and shuddered, holding her own neck.

“You're lucky to only come out with a cut, then,” Anne gaped. “How did you get away?”

“They couldn't get a good jab at me. We wrestled around... we must have fallen near the bed... because I reached out and felt the lamp in my hand. I... I... I instinctively grabbed it and hit them over the head with it. After that... I don't know... I felt their hands fall from me, so I ran and hid in the closet. I was so afraid... I didn't want to leave...”

“You're going to be fine,” Luna assured her. “It's a fairly deep cut, but it's nothing major.”

Wilkins clutched her chest and breathed deeply. Anne looked at the state of the room again as she cleaned off her hands.

“Do you have any idea who attacked you?” she asked.

Wilkins thought, while Luna produced several purple bandages from a pouch on her belt and began sticking them on her face.

“The voice...” Wilkins said. “The voice was familiar.  It was a woman's voice. I'm... I'm sure I've heard it before.”

“Can you remember where you've heard it?” Anne asked.

Wilkins bit her lip. “R-Recently... recently... actually... I believe she was one of the speakers I heard at the conference.”

“Who?” Anne urged.

“I-I... I... I don't know! There were so many!”

Luna patted her on the back. “That's all right,” she said. “I'm going to call this in. The police will find who attacked you, Doctor.”

“When did this even happen?” Anne asked.

“Only... only a little while ago. T-Ten minutes ago? You arrived so soon after I was sure you were the burglar coming back to finish the job...”

“That was about when we were talking to Ms. Torres,” Anne frowned. “She couldn't have done this, then.”

“I know that I met her yesterday, or maybe before then...” Wilkins said. “She... I know! I think, maybe, she was the last speaker I heard before you arrested me?”

“The magician?”

“We saw her speaking,” Luna said. “I don't think we ever caught her name.”

“P-Professor Paige. J-Johanna Paige,” Wilkins said. “It was her. I swear it had to be her! … I think? I don't know for sure...”

“Franky mentioned that she was his teacher,” Anne said, and Luna nodded.

“That name sounds familiar to me somehow,” Luna said. “Franky didn't mention it, did he?”

“No, I don't believe so. But you're right, it rings a bell.”

“Oh, it doesn't matter,” Wilkins whined. “They'll certainly come back to kill me now that I've told the police!”

Wilkins held her face in her hands and began to cry. Anne stepped away as Luna consoled her, assuring her that she had done the right thing. Anne took her notebook out of her pocket and flipped through quickly. She stopped when she saw the name, Johanna Paige, written down on a list of other names. These were the names of the western teachers who remained at the College of Magic Arts after Wharton's arrest.

Anne folded her notebook shut and took a closer look at the crime scene. The lamp was shattered into dozens of pieces. The other lamp on the opposite side of the room looked like it was the same type, with a long blue ceramic base, and large bulb beneath a circular shade. It had to be quite heavy. Whoever had been struck with it wouldn't have walked away without injury.

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The Case of the Broken Magic (CH5)

Chapter Five

Anne kicked her feet against the wall as she waited outside of the police department's interrogation room. No matter what angle she used, or how much she threatened princely scrutiny, she wasn't allowed to join in on Dr. Wilkins's interrogation. That an interrogation happened in the first place was enough of a surprise to her, because when Luna brought a handcuffed scientist into the department, the looks on her fellow officer's faces weren't ones of cooperation. But the evidence was there, and Anne was sure that spoke volumes.

Franky and Minnie didn't have anywhere near her levels of patience to wait for Luna to tell them how it went, so they departed back to the club early on.

She had nearly fallen asleep in her chair when Luna emerged timidly from the door.

“So? So, is she guilty?” Anne asked, getting on her feet. “What did she confess to?”

“Well...” Luna hesitated. She looked brow-beaten. “Dr. Wilkins has a very clean record. Despite being associated with Dr. Wharton, she hasn't been in any trouble whatsoever herself. And since his imprisonment, she has been doing philanthropic work in her own time.”

“All right, so what? That sounds like a convincing cover story to me.”

Luna rubbed the back of her neck. “The parts she had on her don't form anything close to the machine we found. They were... practically scrap metal. On top of that, Dr. Wilkins has no background in engineering whatsoever, she has a degree in geology.”

“Yeah, but, she could still be in cahoots with someone else. Maybe the real culprit who built that machine.”

“Even if that were the case, she didn't bring a machine with her. Only parts. We cannot clearly identify where the parts came from, either. We... that is... the police... don't see any viable reason to keep her detained.”

“You mean she's being let go?”

Luna nodded. “I'm sorry, Anne, you had a good hunch, but I am afraid the facts and evidence just don't line up.”

“But what were those parts for, then?” Anne frowned.

“I don't know... they could easily have been meant for a machine, or something of the like, but we can't prove that.”

Anne flopped down in her chair. “We're back to square one, then!”

“I'm sorry, I tried my best to argue for keeping her here longer, but...”

The door opened again, and Wilkins was led out by the detective who had ordered Luna around for coffee earlier. He was apologetic, and shook her hand a few times before shooting an ugly look at Luna.

“We're sorry for causing a scene,” he said. “It should never have happened.”

“I-It... as long as it's over,” Wilkins said, holding her briefcase to her side, and shaking his hand one last time. He pointed her toward the exit, and wandered off to go prepare the paperwork for the situation. Wilkins took one step before halting and standing still.

“Are you all right?” Luna asked, softly. “I'm very sorry, for, arresting you. Do you need help finding the way out?”

“She's still a suspect,” Anne said.

Wilkins turned on her heel, and looked as if she were about to burst into tears.

“I-I-I don't know what to do,” she said. “I don't know how those things got into my briefcase.”

“I'm sure,” Anne frowned.

Wilkins leaned in closer to Anne and put her hands together. “I'm telling the truth! I think someone is... is... trying to frame me!”

“And who would that be?”

“I don't know!”

Luna touched Anne's arm. “Maybe we should hear her out,” she offered. Anne kept frowning at Wilkins, but the fear in her eyes made her tone soften.

“Why do you think you're being framed?” she asked.

“I left my briefcase unattended several times during the conference... it is annoying to hold on to, you see, it gets heavy... I left it under my seat while I listened to the speeches, and while I got coffee. Anyone could have put those parts in at any time!”

“I suppose so... but you were determined not to show us what was inside it. If you had nothing to hide, why were you hiding it?” Anne asked.

Wilkins flushed red. “I... I... the thing is... I get nervous during these things, do you understand? And it helps to do something with my hands while I'm around a lot of people. I started sketching. Doodling. On some notebook paper I had.”

“That's nothing to be ashamed about.”

She turned even redder. “I was d-drawing the speakers, and some of the other guests... some of them... are not... very... flattering...”

Anne looked at Luna. “Even if your art was bad, that's not really a big deal.”

“No... no... not in that way... no...”

Wilkins tugged at her collar and fanned herself. “Some of the conversations the people in front of me were having were... very ignorant. I thought it would be funny to draw them... um... in... less than... dignified... ways... and before I knew it... I was doing the same to the speakers whom I didn't agree with. I hid all of the drawings in my briefcase after I finished each one.”

Anne and Luna fell silent. Wilkins looked as if she were about to pass out.

“You were arrested because you were too embarrassed to admit that?” Anne finally said. “I mean, I can't say that I've never drawn my sister in less than dignified ways.”

“Would you have shown her those drawings if she asked?”

Anne turned a few shades paler herself. “I... I do see your point,” she conceded, shuddering at the thought.

“I didn't m-mean to cause trouble. I didn't know that all of this was going on. If I had known those parts were there...”

“Didn't you notice them when you were putting away your... lewd art?” Luna asked.

“No... I only opened my briefcase for a second to slip papers in. I hadn't really looked inside all day... they could've been there for hours for all I know, or even since yesterday.”

“Yesterday?” Anne asked.

“That was the first day of the conference. It is a three day event. Tomorrow will be the last round of speeches. I thought this would all be so fascinating when I came... had I known it would turn into this... please, please help me, I don't know who is trying to frame me, but they must have a grudge against me.”

“Or perhaps against Dr. Wharton,” Anne said. “He didn't leave many friends.”

“That is true,” Wilkins said solemnly.

“Do you know of anyone in particular who might've wanted to frame you, Doctor?”

Wilkins scratched her head. “Anyone there has the moral character to,” she said. “At least the technicians do. I know all of them, and none of them liked me much.”

“All of them?”

“Yes, I've met them all at one time or another throughout the years as Dr. Wharton's assistant. They all used to work either for Singh Labs, or for one of the subsidiary labs we funded in the west.”

“I didn't know that,” Anne said. “That's incredibly suspicious.”

“I recognized only two or three mage speakers,” Wilkins added. “As far as I could tell, the rest of the magicians that were invited were not related to the laboratory in any way. I was intimately familiar with our connections.”

“There weren't really that many magicians there anyway,” Anne said. “I don't like this. If someone is trying to frame you... how did they know you would be caught today?”

“What do you mean?” Luna asked.

“No one knew that a police officer would be there today, you weren't invited, Luna. And I only got into town this morning. What led us to that hotel in the first place was the note that Franky and Minnie found. Someone must have left it deliberately.”

“Just so they could frame Dr. Wilkins?”

“Maybe so. Maybe they realized we found their machine in the fountain and got desperate to pin the blame before we could figure it all out. I feel so used.”

Wilkins looked hopeful. “Does this mean you believe me?” she asked. “Do you believe I'm i-innocent?”

“I can't say that you're totally innocent,” Anne said. “Anyone who was involved with that lab isn't totally innocent no matter what they do now. But I think I believe that you didn't put those parts in your own briefcase.”

“Can you... find who did?” Wilkins asked.

“We're going to try, aren't we, Luna?”

Luna smiled, and stood up straight. “It's our duty!” she agreed.

Anne shared her smile with Wilkins. “For the time being, maybe you should stay in town, though. Stay at your hotel so we can go question you if anything new turns up.”

“Of c-course, if it helps you to believe me,” Wilkins said. “I was supposed to stay for another few days, anyway. I promise you, I will not leave my room for a second. I'm going to be there, burning all of my drawings.”

“Please don't start a fire in a hotel room,” Luna urged.

“Dr. Wilkins, one last thing,” Anne said. “Is there anything you can tell us about Maria Torres? We noticed she was going around asking people questions after the speech ended.”

“Oh, Maria... yes, I am familiar with her, and those questions. I was shocked when she came up to me yesterday to ask me. She used to visit the laboratory twice a week during our early renovations, because she designed a lot of them. But see, she always hated me.”

“Is Ms. Torres an engineer of some kind?” Anne asked.

“Yes, I suppose. Had I known she was heading this conference... I certainly wouldn't have come. I don't know why she invited me, considering her previous hatred.”

“She set up this conference? It can't be a coincidence that she decided to invite a bunch of scientists that used to work for Singh Labs.”

Wilkins nodded. “I was confused, too... more so because of her similar hatred for Dr. Owen... she thought he was quite the fool for being a magician. I don't understand why she set up a whole conference on magic and technology when her own personal views are so singular.”

“Perhaps she was intending to expand her own views,” Luna said.

“She didn't look like she cared all that much about anything when we saw her,” Anne said. “I think we need to have a talk with Ms. Torres.”

“I believe she is staying at the same hotel as I am,” Wilkins said. “I've been terrified that I would run into her in the hallways.”

“Then we know what our next move is,” Anne smiled. “Torres has some things to answer for.”

Luna looked at her wristwatch. “I think that will have to wait until tomorrow,” she said. “I'm off-duty in ten minutes, and it would be rather rude to question someone at this hour.”

“Are you kidding?” Anne asked.

“There is another day for the conference,” Wilkins reminded them. “I'm sure she will be there tomorrow.”

Anne sighed. She wanted to argue more, but the truth was, she was tired too, after a morning of travel and afternoon of running around the city.

“I guess a few hours won't make too much of a difference,” she conceded. “Doctor, we'll see you tomorrow at the hotel. Maybe I should go back with you and get a room myself, actually.”

“You may stay at my place if you like,” Luna offered. “It would be a much more economical choice, and we could still discuss the case while I finish up my paperwork.”

“That's not a bad idea. Thank you, Luna.”

Excitement washed over Luna's face. “This will be just wonderful. You can have my bed, if you like, I don't mind the couch,” she said. “I really hope you're not allergic to dogs.”

* * *

Luna's apartment was just a ten minute walk from the police department. The roof of her apartment complex was colored in bright greens and purples. She led Anne to the last building in the complex and unlocked her gold door. The inside of her small apartment was much less colorful, largely due to most of the inner décor being stacks of books and papers.

Anne threw her backpack down in a corner and made herself at home in the kitchen as she poked through the fridge. Luna made a beeline for the back door. Her apartment was on the ground floor, so she was afforded a small patch of backyard, fenced in between her neighbor's yards. It wasn't enough room to do much of anything, but it was large enough to house its own resident while Luna was at work.

Anne's attention was pulled from the tub of leftovers that she was eating by the sound of tiny footsteps pattering into the kitchen. The rottweiler puppy didn't seem to notice Anne at all while Luna poured her dinner into a dish. She was only about two feet long, and less than a foot tall on all fours. Her dark face was dotted with two patches of rust-colored fur just above her dark eyes. Anne gasped slowly as she knelt down in front of the puppy.

“Oh, she's so cute! I was picturing... I don't know, maybe a big, scary police dog?”

“Essie will be big one day,” Luna said, tending now to her own dinner of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. “You can tell by her paws. She's going to be a police dog, if they'll take her.”

Anne grinned as Essie broke her concentration from the food bowl and glanced her way with her wrinkly, chubby face. She made a very soft, nearly inaudible bark, and continued eating her dinner all while her tail wagged so fast that it was a blur.

“She doesn't seem to mind strangers,” Anne said.

“I'm working on that... she needs to be... more discerning. She trusts everyone too easily.”

“I think that's a good quality. Though maybe not in a police dog.”

“She has time to learn,” Luna smiled, and Essie's tail seemed to wag even harder.

“I think I should take out my own friend, I bet he's angry at me for leaving him asleep all day.”

“I'm sorry?” Luna asked.

Anne unzipped her backpack and reached inside. She retrieved a slim metal case, which was sticky from the earlier mishap she had with her food. She snapped it open, and took out two thin gloves from inside. Once she had them on, she picked out the main items: a coal black collar, and a set of special matches. Luna didn't know what to say, and just watched as Anne struck a match along the inside of the collar and quickly dropped it on to the tile.

A fire started from within the collar, and spread quickly out both sides. It formed a large circular shape on the bottom with a fiery wisp of a tail, and a smaller circle on the top with a wispy head. On the upper sphere of fire, two white-hot dots glimmered into focus and blinked and looked around. The whole being was only around two feet tall, and Anne greeted him by patting his head with her gloved hands.

Luna dropped the last half of her sandwich. Essie snuck over and nearly nabbed it before she leaned down to clean it up.

“W-What is that?!” Luna asked, tossing her lost sandwich into the garbage.

“His name is Ember,” Anne said. “He's my most valuable friend and assistant. And sort of pet, I guess, but I don't like to call him that. Ember, how was your nap?”

Ember sparkled and sizzled. His eyes widened and closed as he adjusted to his surroundings. Anne fished a few pieces of charcoal out of her backpack and tossed them into him, and he glowed a brighter red-orange as he burned them.

“The smoke alarms!” Luna shouted, but upon closer look, she realized the smoke rising from his head dissipated within mere seconds of leaving his body. She covered her mouth and stared wide-eyed at Anne. “Is.... this... life magic?” she asked, in a whisper.

“Well, yeah,” Anne said. “I guess so.”

“That's... that's... that's illegal!”

“No one really cares about that, do they?” Anne frowned. “It's more of a law to dissuade people from making magic creatures in the first place... but you aren't going to actually arrest me for having him, are you?”

“I... I have to! It's my duty!”

“I didn't even make him, myself.”

Luna relaxed a bit. “You didn't? That is different, then... but you need to tell me who did, toying with making sentient beings is... highly immoral and illegal.”

“It was an accident,” Anne said. “Anyway, she doesn't live here in Tellus. She's halfway across the country. I don't think your jurisdiction would reach. I also don't think you'd stand a chance against her, to be perfectly honest.”

“I... I suppose it's not a pressing issue, then...”

Luna inched closer to Ember and reached a finger out to touch him. Anne pushed her hand down and shook her head.

“Wouldn't do that if I were you, not without fire-resistant gloves.”

“Is he... safe... to have around?”

“Oh, perfectly. He doesn't actually touch the ground, see? As long as you don't touch him yourself, he's not too much trouble.”

“Is... he... is he... what's he like?”

“Moody,” Anne said, and Ember crackled in response.

Essie, having finished her dinner, finally had time to acknowledge the situation. She scuttled over to Anne, Luna, and Ember, and made a loud, decisive woof at Ember. She licked the air as he crackled and small fragments of fire and coal popped around him. Luna watched carefully as Essie decided not to step any closer, but to sit in front of him and bark softly.

“I think they like each other,” Anne said.

“I... think so...” Luna agreed, still rather shaken.

Ember dimmed to a low flame, small and cherry red, and trickled just closer to Essie. Essie's tail wagged as she felt the gentle heat radiating from him. She stood up, and sat down, then stood up again, and sat down closer. She looked up at Luna and barked one last time.

“He won't hurt her, will he?” Luna asked.

“I don't think so. At the level he's burning now, it'd only be like a heat rash if you touched him. And dogs are smart enough to stay away from something if it pricks them once.”

Luna looked more relieved. “All right. You're probably right. I can't believe this...”

“Where's your phone? I should call Barry to let him know we're done for the day. I don't know how to get a hold of Franky and Minnie otherwise.”

“On the wall, in the kitchen,” Luna pointed, nervously stepping away from Essie and Ember and pulling the paperwork out of her bag. She set it on a small desk in the corner of the room, and sat down, looking up at the two every few seconds while Anne made her call.

When Anne was finished, she sat down on the sofa and watched Luna start on her work. She was quiet for a while, until she started feeling sleepy.

“When are you going to bed? Or... couch?” she asked.

“I have to finish my work from today first,” Luna said, not looking up from the papers she was scribbling on. “My work doubled because of all the paperwork regarding Dr. Wilkins's arrest.”

“You have to handle that?”

“It's only fair. I was the one who arrested her.”

“Yeah, but... you already have so much work. Do you ever get a break, Luna?”

“Why would I need a break?”

Anne tapped the couch with her fingers. “I mean, do you do anything besides work?”

“Oh, of course. I make time every so often for recreational activities.”

“Like what?”

“I take Essie for walks and do paperwork while she plays in the park. I go grocery shopping and finish notes while the cashier is ringing up. And I've gone on two dates this year.”

Anne hesitated. “Luna, you don't do paperwork while on dates, do you?”

Luna was quiet.

“Oh, Luna.”

“Maybe that's why those women were so offended...”

“You need a vacation,” Anne said, lying back on the couch.

“But I enjoy working.”

Anne shrugged. She looked at Ember, who was entertaining himself by sizzling the corner of a throw rug in front of Luna's television. But Essie was nowhere to be seen. Anne sat up and craned her neck to look around the room. Essie was in the corner, on top of her backpack. More accurately, she was halfway inside of her backpack. Anne jumped off the couch.

“Essie, please!” she said. “That's not yours.”

She gently lifted the puppy up and pulled her out. In her mouth, Essie had a scarf. Anne frowned at her and put her hand out.

“Give it back,” she demanded. Essie stared at her with her shiny, droopy eyes, and bit harder on the scarf. “Essie, drop it,” she asserted, but the only response she got was her tail wagging harder. Anne sighed, and scratched her on the head. “Oh, well, it's an old scarf anyway,” she conceded.

Essie triumphantly wandered away, tripping on the scarf as she carried it. She settled down in the center of the room and began chewing on the fringes. Anne was too tired to fight it.

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The Case of the Broken Magic (CH4)

Chapter Four

The Hotel Celestine was the tallest building in the whole city. The outer walls were sparkly white at the first few levels, and as it went up the white blended into soft shades of cream and gold. The building came to a point, and even from the sidewalk one could see the brightly illuminated yellow sphere attached to the top. The building was visible for miles around it, and it took them nearly ten minutes to find a place to park because it was so swamped.

Anne led the way through the heavy double doors and was distracted by the soft, heavenly, cloudy aesthetic the hotel had cultivated for the lobby. Even the chandelier seemed to be gently floating above them, though it was only suspended by wires covered in reflective tape to seem invisible.

“I'd always heard that Tellus was creative... nothing has disappointed me so far,” she said, smiling at the wallpaper, which had illusory magic on it to make it so the painted clouds slowly drifted and changed shape across the walls.

“This hotel is expensive, they have the funds for a lot of bells and whistles,” Luna said. “I've never been in here myself, and I've lived here all my life...”

“You never even came just to look?”

“I was afraid they would make me sign in for a room, then I'd be bankrupt.”

“Is it that expensive?”

“It is if you're a chump,” Minnie said. “They have a section of rooms if you've got a lighter wallet. They're in the older area of the place, from when before they added all those fancy new floors.”

“Have you stayed here before?” Anne asked.

“A couple times before I convinced Bear to let me stay with him. He was worried I'd be in the way since his place is so small. As if.”

“Looks like magic's workin',” Franky commented, also fixated on the moving clouds. “Or least it hasn't been messed up like my hair.”

Anne approached the front desk and rang the bell repeatedly until a woman in a pale blue suit appeared from another room to attend to her.

“Welcome to the Hotel Celestine,” she said, sliding the bell away from under Anne's hand with one motion, and a smile. “Checking in?”

“Actually, I'm here to ask a few questions.” Anne produced the note and showed it to the woman. “We need to find who wrote this letter. We know it was written on a sheet of paper from this hotel.”

“While that is our stationary, it would be quite impossible to identify exactly where it came from. We keep hundreds of notepads around the building in convenient locations for anyone to use as needed. I must say that even if I could identify where this came from, we're not allowed to diverge information about our guests.”

Anne shook her finger. “I'm not sure that you've noticed the police officer standing behind me,” she said. “This is an official police investigation, you need to cooperate, or else you could go to jail.”

“Actually, we don't have any warrants,” Luna piped up. “The police don't even know we're here. This is only a semi-formal investigation. You don't need to divulge any information that may compromise your job.”

The woman smiled as Anne gave Luna a hearty glare.

“Is there anything else I can help you with today?”

“My assistant...” Anne began, still glaring at Luna, “mentioned that there's an event going on here this week. What's that about?”

“Oh, yes, currently there is a private event being held in our very sizable and accommodating conference room just down the hall to your left. I'm afraid that I can't tell you any more than that.”

“But you hardly told me anything at all.”

“Is there anything else I can help you with today?”

Anne pushed away from the counter and groaned. She stepped toward the exit and watched the woman out of the corner of her eye. When she had retreated back into another room, Anne turned and headed toward the conference room with the three following her.

“We crashing the party?” Minnie asked.

“I just want to see what it's about,” Anne said. They reached a door with a table set up near it. The table was empty all but for half a dozen name tags and clips. There was a chair where someone should've been sitting and handing out the name tags, but it was empty. Anne picked one up and clipped it to her sweater.

“Anne, what are you doing?” Luna asked. “That doesn't belong to you.”

“No, but don't you want to see what the conference is about?”

“Not that much!”

Minnie and Franky followed her cue and picked out their new names. They grinned at each other's fake names, and laughed, while Luna began to panic.

“All of you, what if the people whose tags you're taking come by? They'll know someone took them. They won't be able to get in!”

“Looks to me like they're running late, anyway,” Anne said. “Come on. We'll just pop in for a minute, then pop out.”

“I am certainly not taking one, myself.”

“That's okay. You aren't really... dressed for the part of a normal citizen, anyway. You should say you're hotel security.”

“Why can't I just say I'm a police officer? I'm wearing a police officer uniform, not a hotel security uniform.”

Anne rubbed her eyes. “You know, maybe you shouldn't say anything.”

“Hold on,” Luna said, as Anne placed her hand on the doorknob. Luna finished scribbling a note in her notebook and tore it out. She left it carefully on the table, and nodded that she was ready.

“What did you write?” Anne asked.

Franky tilted his head to read it. “'We are borrowing three name tags. If your names are not here when they should be, come in anyway. We will return them shortly. Sorry for the inconvenience.'”

Luna looked pleased with herself. Anne blinked at her, and continued entering the conference room.

The room was large and simple, with warm colors from the walls and carpeting that made it feel welcoming. It was so sizable that even with the two-hundred or so chairs and attendees it looked half empty. The chairs were split up into two sides, both facing a small booth where a podium was set up. Anne noted as they took their seats that the right side of the chairs were significantly more populated than the left.

A woman was standing at the podium, giving a speech from several pages set out in front of her. She had a commanding presence about her that drew everyone's attention. Her dark eyes were sharp, and her black hair was pulled back into a tightly controlled bun. Her hair stuck out at the sides just enough to fall a little loose and curl up around her pointed face. She wore a collared shirt, and a snug skirt that hugged her knees. Her features were dark, her lips were ruby red, and her voice was as smooth as silk.

“The combined efforts of magicians and technicians should not be overlooked in all of this,” she was saying to the crowd. “It is true that the long history of distrust influences our personal and professional relationships even to this day. The schism that divided our kingdom during it's early years was one of great hardship and turmoil. But as much as we romanticize the battles our forebearers endured, we must look at it for what it was. Only a disagreement over the best way to attain success.”

“Are we in a lecture?” Franky whispered. “It's so weird seeing my magic teacher outside of school. I feel like I blanked out and ended up back in class.”

“That's your teacher?” Anne asked.

The woman paused at that moment, and Anne thought she was looking right at her. But she then shuffled her papers around, and cleared her throat.

“We have come here to air our opinions, not our dirty laundry. Not to dismiss each other for our opinions, but to hear them. Not to blindly agree with each other, but to challenge each other. On one side,” she gestured to the less populated seating of chairs, “we have magicians, spell-wrights, innovators of the arts. On the other, we have scientists, engineers, and yes, fellow innovators of the arts. That is not my opinion, but fact. Both sides of this room have historically contributed a great deal to the development of our country. The debate lies in who has done it best, and if one way should be considered factually superior to another.”

A respectful round of applause broke out in the room as she nodded and gathered her speech under her arm. She left the podium and strode down the aisle to take a seat on the side of the magicians. There was a small pause before a man came up to the microphone and announced there would be a recess now to mingle and discuss the speeches they had all just heard around the food table. Everyone shuffled out of their seats and queued for the line of snacks and coffee at the other side of the room.

“So we walked into a conference about magic and technology,” Anne said to Luna alone, as Franky and Minnie had immediately popped out of their chairs when they heard there was free food.

“I wish people wouldn't argue about it,” Luna said. “People have fought enough over this. Why can't we simply respect one another?”

“I don't know, it doesn't look like anyone's fighting here. I see people from both sides of the room eating cake together. I think this is just a friendly debate.”

“As long as everyone is being friendly. People can become so heated about this, my department has received some very angry letters, just because we use magic.”

“Those people have nothing better to do.”

Anne was watching the crowd of people chatting with each other by the food. The conversations looked casual enough, but something stood out. A woman with a boxy yellow jacket and medium-cropped brown hair was holding a clipboard and stopping every so often at guests.

She seemed to be reading from something, and listening to their responses without looking up at them. She marked something down and moved on to another guest, repeating the same thing over and over again. Anne tapped Luna's shoulder and pointed her out.

“What do you think she's doing?” Anne asked.

“It looks like she's interviewing people,” Luna said. “Do you think she's hotel staff? Maybe it's a customer satisfaction survey.”

“She doesn't look like hotel staff. They were wearing happy blue suits. She's got... that mustard shade of yellow, and jeans.”

Anne stood from her seat and tried to blend nonchalantly into the crowd, though that was difficult with the uniformed Luna following behind her. She stood at the snack table with her back turned toward the woman, and tried to listen in on her conversation.

“Given that you are a scientist,” the woman droned, flatly. “How do you feel about magic, after today's debates?”

The man she was speaking to paused for a while, considering his opinion. “I don't know. I suppose I never much minded it before. It's not a bad hobby. Truthfully I just came here for a vacation.”

“Thank you for your time.”

Anne glanced over her shoulder and watched the woman adjust her glasses before moving on. Anne saw now that though her head was low and it seemed like she was only reading her own clipboard, she was subtly skimming name tags as people passed by her. She brushed her hair out of her dark eyes and licked her fingers to turn a page on her clipboard and read something. Anne caught a look at her own name tag before she turned: her name was Maria Torres. Torres raised a hand to stop a woman who was passing by.

“That's the woman who was just speaking, isn't it?” Luna asked, in a whisper.

“Looks like her.”

Torres began her questioning.

“How do you feel about magic, after today's debates?” she asked, staring down at her paper.

The speaker answered carefully. “Magic is a tool. I don't feel anything about my tools. I don't see the need to be sentimental about it.”

“Thank you for your time,” Torres said, and Anne looked closer as she simply turned from the speaker without writing anything down.

“That was odd,” Anne said, once both women were out of earshot. “Why would you ask a magician how they felt about magic? Does she know that she's a magician? She sat with all the other mages. Is she a scientist, as well?”

“Perhaps she is conducting a survey of some kind, and just being thorough.”

“I guess so. But she didn't even write her response down.”

Luna shrugged. Anne took a big step toward Torres, but Minnie slammed into her with force and almost knocked her off her feet.

“Ow! Minnie, what's the hurry?” Anne asked, rubbing her arm. Franky and Minnie were, once again, bouncing with total excitement. They were also out of breath from running across the room.

“We found a suspicious person,” Franky said. “That's somethin' we were supposed to look for, right?”

“Again? Is this the same person who dropped the note earlier?”

“Not sure,” Minnie said. “It could be. I didn't get too good a look at 'em. But let me tell you, this one is real suspicious.”

“Are you going to tell us why?” Anne asked.

“We saw her sneaking around the room,” Minnie explained. “And she has a briefcase with her, right? She kept opening and closing it and looking around all shifty.”

“Who is this suspicious individual?” Luna asked.

Franky and Minnie tugged Anne and Luna through the crowd for a few steps and pointed at a woman seated in the aisle of technicians, with a large black briefcase on her lap. She was a small, fidgety woman, with short sandy hair that just grazed her ears and forehead. She was very pale, and wore gloves almost as dark as the circles under her pallid eyes. Anne stared at her, and gasped when it clicked.

“I know who that is,” she said. “I've met her before.”

“Who is it? I don't recognize her,” Luna said.

“Her name is Dr. Cassandra Wilkins. She was Dr. Wharton's personal assistant, before he got arrested.”

“Dr. Whatkins?” Minnie asked, but Anne was already striding toward Wilkins with determination.

“Doctor!” Anne shouted, as way of announcing that she was standing next to her. Wilkins popped out of her seat and suppressed a scream. She stared with wide eyes at Anne.

“A-Anne A-A-August?” she stuttered out. “What are you doing here?”

“I was going to ask you the same question!”

Wilkins looked back and forth, from Anne to Luna, and Franky to Minnie.

“I was invited,” she said.

“A likely story.”

Luna stepped around Anne. “I'm sorry,” she said. “We're conducting a private investigation. Do you have any proof that you were invited?”

Wilkins blinked a few times. “W-Well, my pass is in my bag in my hotel room...”

“How convenient!” Anne declared.

“... But, I have my I.D. with me, and my name tag is clearly p-pinned to my lapel. Does yours say that your name is Esther?”

Anne looked down at her own name tag, and felt a twinge of embarrassment.

“Don't change the subject,” she said, though that had been the subject at hand. “My assistants here said they saw you exhibiting suspicious behavior. I know your history, what are you really doing here?”

“I don't understand,” Wilkins said, looking more frightened than before.

“Fess up!” Minnie yelled. “I saw you messin' around in your briefcase!”

“Yeah, you're caught,” Franky added.

Wilkins touched her briefcase and managed to go even paler. “My briefcase?”

“May we please see the contents of your briefcase, Dr. Wilkins?” Luna asked.

“Why? Why do you want to look in there? I'm not hiding anything in there, I promise.”

Minnie crossed her arms. “I saw her,” she asserted. “Look at her. She's sweatin' bullets. She's totally lying.”

Anne put her hand out and frowned at Wilkins. “Just let us have a quick look, then, if you're innocent.”

Wilkins held her briefcase to her chest. “This is my p-personal p-property,” she said. “I don't have to show you a-anything.”

“She is right, actually,” Luna said. “We should go back to the department and submit paperwork for a warrant to seize it.”

“She could dispose of whatever's inside of it by then!” Anne said. “We just need one look, Doctor.”

“She ain't gonna show us!” Minnie said. She reached out and grabbed the briefcase. Wilkins and Minnie wrestled with it, drawing attention to themselves as they shouted and grunted at each other. Luna tried to pull Minnie away, but despite her small stature and size, she was scrappy and strong. Wilkins lost grip of the briefcase, and it smacked Minnie in the face before bouncing to the ground and breaking open. They all froze when they saw the shiny mechanical parts and wires spill out from within.

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The Case of the Broken Magic (CH3)

Chapter Three

Anne only had Barry's address on a letter from their correspondence, but Luna knew the city so thoroughly that she immediately recognized the street name. The complex he lived in was massive and sleek, but Barry's apartment was incredibly small on the inside. By the time the short man with his clipped strawberry blond hair and faint green eyes let them in and introduced himself, they had already seen the whole of his possessions. The studio apartment didn't seem accommodating enough to hold a lot of people, and yet, here Anne, Luna, Barry, Minnie, and Franky all stood.

“We got here just a few minutes ago too,” Franky said. “Minnie didn't wanna leave the club.”

“I still wanna go back,” Minnie said. She was collapsed onto the sofa, taking up the whole of it while dangling her legs off the armrest, and dangling her sandals off her feet.

“They told me you'd be coming by,” Barry timidly spoke up. He was just taller than Minnie, and Anne was sure that was as far as the family resemblance went. His reserved attitude and muted clothing choices, just a simple dark green dress and sneakers, were a contrast to the noise and colors that Anne had seen so far in Tellus.

“It's nice to meet you, officially,” Anne said. She shook his hand, and he also made a point to shake Luna's hand before facing her again.

“I hope I wasn't too bothersome writing to you. Jenna spoke about her time meeting you, and I thought you might find Franky's problem interesting.”

“I have been! In fact, that's why I'm here, and why I've brought Officer Luna along.”

Minnie raised her head from the couch. “Officer?” she repeated, as if the word left a bad taste in her mouth.

“Wow, you actually got a real cop to hear you out?” Franky said, with a whistle. “I think I talked to you before. No one else would listen to me.”

“We are usually more ready to serve the public,” Luna said, quickly. “I am very sorry that you were kicked out of the precinct the other day. Had it been my decision... well, I shouldn't question my superiors.”

Minnie stared at her from behind the cushions. “You're not like any cop I've seen,” she said, kicking back again. “Totally cuter than they usually are.”

Luna looked entirely caught off guard. Anne took the awkward silence as an opportunity to set her backpack down on the counter and search through it.

“We came here because we need your help with something, Barry,” she said. “We found this in the fountain.”

Anne set the device carefully on the counter, and everyone looked at it with surprise.

“That was in the fountain?” Barry asked.

“Nestled against Marjan's feet,” Anne said. “It was in a waterproof container of some sort. Do you think you can figure out what it does? You are an engineer, after all.”

“I'm not sure. I can try.”

“That's a weird lookin' thing,” Franky commented. “Like a... like a...”

“Like a toaster,” Minnie added, squinting to get a better look at it without having to get up from the couch. “You think it's a toaster, Bear?”

Barry was gently examining the machine. “I've scarcely had time to look at it, Minnie.”

“I don't think a toaster would be very useful under water,” Luna said. “Unless you liked soggy toast.”

Anne frowned at the three of them. “There's nowhere to even put bread,” she said.

A quiet whirring noise erupted from the machine, and the small lights began to flicker. Barry set it back down and scratched his head.

“I think I turned it on,” he said. “I found a mechanism hidden under some wires. But I don't see what it's supposed to do. Perhaps it's some kind of energy generator?”

“We should try a spell,” Anne said. “Barry, do you know if magic has been working properly here?”

“I think so. Franky just turned one of my throw pillows green before you got here.”

Franky grinned as Anne turned to Luna. “Do you want to be the guinea pig this time?” she asked.

“I'm sorry, all I have with me is my police issued wand,” Luna said. “It would be wrong to use it for something other than its intended purpose.”

Anne sighed. She took a wand from her backpack and held it up. She whisked it around to preform a spell, and although the wand did not combust, it also didn't produce a light. Instead of light, a shrieking noise reverberated from it, and everyone in the apartment screamed and covered their ears. Anne dropped the wand and it bounced and rolled under the couch, shrieking for another few seconds before silencing.

“Why'd you do that!” Minnie shouted, still covering her ears. “Not even the club gets that loud!”

“I didn't do it,” Anne said, rubbing her ears. “I think we can safely say that machine is responsible for skewing magic.”

“How can that be possible?” Luna asked, eyes wide.

Barry turned the machine around and looked closer at the mechanics on it. He tapped his head and was thinking back to his textbooks. “Magic is understood to be a physical property in the air. You channel it through your wands, because certain types of wood are susceptible to it. Maybe this machine somehow modifies the structure of magic before it reaches your wand.”

“But how can that be possible?” Luna asked again, hands covering her mouth. “Who would invent such a terrible device?”

“More importantly, how big of a reach does it have?” Anne asked. “Could this machine be affecting magic in the whole city?”

“I cannot say for sure... but it would be difficult to believe something this small could have such a radius. I'd have to take it apart to be completely sure.”

“Assuming that's the case, though... maybe there are more of these machines, everywhere where magic has been acting up.”

Barry held a hand up. “Hold on, I've found another switch. A dial.”

“A dial?” Anne was asking, but as she was, Barry turned it. The whirring noise grew to a stuttering grinding noise, as if the machine was struggling. The reaction was instantaneous. The pillow that Franky had turned green morphed into an array of colors before settling on black. Anne tossed her backpack to the ground because she felt many heated pin-pricks jabbing into her side.

One look inside the bag, and she saw her half a dozen pre-charged wands all discharging their various spells, and all of her snack containers which were sealed with magic split open and crumbs exploded everywhere over her belongings.

Luna's tie, which had been immaculately straightened with a subtle spell, wrinkled up. All existing spells in the room had been distorted or disabled by the machine in some manner.

“All of my books!” Anne lamented. “They're absolutely soiled!”

Franky smirked down at his jacket, which had gone from green to red. “This isn't so bad,” he said. “I don't mind it.”

“Whoa! Franks!” Minnie shouted, jumping off the couch. “Your hair!”

He blinked. “What's up?” he asked, and when Minnie shoved him within view of a mirror, he cried out at the sight of his now neon pink hair.

“No! That took forever to get right!” he cried. “No, this ain't right. I did it to match my guitar! Now we don't match!”

“Everyone calm down, please,” Barry said. “Let me see if I can turn it off.”

Anne held her head in her hands. She scooted toward the couch and fished her wand out from under it. As she held it, she had the thought to see just how badly a fresh spell would be changed now. Against Luna's urging of caution—as she held her tie down straight with one hand—Anne cast a spell.

Nothing happened.

She tried again, with no result.

“Magic doesn't work,” she said, in disbelief.

“That can't be right!” Luna said. She cautiously drew her own wand and tried a spell herself. When nothing happened, she had to stop herself from crying out too.

The loud chugging noises of the machine stopped as Barry pressed and turned something. At the same time, the machine sparked, and smoke fizzled out of it. He waved the smoke away as the metal started melting into itself and leaving a fried pile of parts and wires.

Luna repeated her spell, and sighed in relief when it worked. However, the state of the room remained the same.

“Turning it off didn't undo the damage it did,” Anne frowned.

“My hair!” Franky yelled, and Minnie had to stand on her tip-toes to pat him on the back.

“This is serious. Messing up newly cast spells was one thing, but altering previous spells, and disabling magic altogether... that's devastating.”

Barry stared hard at the machine, or, what was left of it. “I must have accidentally triggered a safety mechanism while trying to turn it off,” he said. “I'm sorry. I... I didn't think there would be such a thing.”

“Maybe whoever built it was scared someone would get their hands on it,” Anne said.

He produced a set of tools from a drawer nearby. “I'll see if there's anything I can salvage,” he said, pushing around the charred pieces. He disassembled the melted casing completely, and laid it out flat. The circuits had fried, but the wiring was in tact, and he looked carefully.

“I think I know where these wires came from,” he said. “I mean, the tubing around them. There's a very small inscription on the underside of them.”

Anne took it from his hand and looked at it herself. “College of Magic Arts? Franky, some of these parts came from your college.”

Franky was in no state of mind to respond.

Barry continued. “Most everything is melted, but I can tell what some of these parts were. I think a highly conductive material was used as an inner lining. Likely meant to produce energy to power the machine.”

“That's interesting, I guess,” Anne said.

“No, what I mean is... the residue it left behind, if it's what I think it is, it's foreign made. You can't buy more than a small amount of it from overseas, legally, because it's sometimes used to construct bombs.”

“How much is a small amount?”

“Maybe enough to power this one machine. But if there are more, I don't see how it could have been acquired. It's quite expensive, too.”

Luna scooted closer and peered at the fried machine herself. “Mr.... um... Mr. Barry, are you sure that came from overseas?”

“Almost positive,” he said.

“The police have been tracking a group of smugglers for years now!” Luna said. “I mean, I've only been at the department for a short while, but I've been given all of the details. Well, I asked for them. I'm just really interested.”

“So you think someone smuggled in parts for a machine built to stop magic,” Anne said.

“I, um, maybe,” Luna said.

“I think this goes deeper than we first considered. I don't like that some of the parts came from a college. Do you think a student could be behind this?”

“I don't know many students who can afford to pay rent, much less smuggle in illegal materials,” Barry frowned.

Anne looked down at the mess of parts. “We should still look into the college. Franky? Are you okay?”

Franky was folded over on the couch, with Minnie sitting by him, patting him on the head.

“He's having a moment,” Minnie said. “I think you should respect that.”

Anne crossed over to the couch and touched him on the shoulder. “Franky, I need your help. Will you help with the investigation?”

Franky met her eyes, and she was almost certain he had been crying.

“Franky, can you and Minnie go watch the fountain? Whoever left that machine might come back for it.”

“I can't be seen like this,” he whined. “All... all... not green.”

“Come on, don't you want to be part of an official investigation?”

“He ain't feeling it,” Minnie asserted. “Can't you see he's just had a loss?”

“No, wait,” Franky sniffed. He sat up on the couch and nodded slowly. “Anne's right. I gotta help. I can't just give up now. We gotta make sure this doesn't happen to anyone else.”

“That's the spirit!” Anne smiled.

Minnie made a face. “You sure, Franks? I mean, pink isn't really your color.”

Franky ran his fingers through his hair. “I got hats,” he said. “I'll wear a hat. Let's go, Minnie. We gotta help the investigation.”

“I guess. Hats don't really suit you neither.”

Anne stepped back to Luna's side. “We need to do some research ourselves,” she said. “Can we use your department?”

“We'll have to ask, but I don't believe it will be a problem.”

Anne nodded and looked once more at Barry, who was poking through the remnants of the machine still. “It's a good thing that you wrote to me after all, isn't it?”

* * *

Anne and Luna sat on the police station floor, pouring through large cardboard boxes of files. The department was notably thorough about having files on hand for all of the businesses and colleges in town, something Luna was quite proud of. Anne had several folders on the College of Magic Arts spread out on the ground, and Luna was following behind her to make sure everything was put back properly.

“What are you looking for, exactly?” Luna asked.

“We know the college is involved in some way. Either they're in cahoots with whoever built the machine and gave them materials, or someone who goes or works there stole the parts.”

“So... what are... you looking for?”

“I don't know. Right now I'm looking at some really complicated notes from when the college was built.”

Luna peeked at the papers in her hand. “Oh, yes, these are records of the permissions being given to build the school there. It looks like... the building is five years old.”

“That's not as old as I thought,” Anne said. “It looked pretty dated on the outside.”

“I suppose whoever built it wanted it to look... um, retro? That is supposed to be something popular with younger people.”

“I don't think that's popular with young people here. You've noticed all the colors, haven't you? Anyway, they try really hard to spice up the interior of the building, so I don't think they're too happy with it.”

“I feel sorry for whoever built it, then,” Luna said. “I'm sure they had only the best intentions in mind when designing the building.”

Anne flipped to another sheet of paper. She ran her finger along as she read the fine text, and gave pause. “Is this who provided funding for the school?” she asked.

Luna looked. “Yes, I think so. Do you know the name?”

Anne stared at the sheet of paper for another moment and reflected on a few old memories.

“Yeah. I've had a run-in with Singh Labs before, you could say.”

She handed the paper to Luna as she continued through the folder. Luna blinked at it.

“Is something wrong, Anne?” she asked. “What's Singh Labs?”

“They're a pharmaceutical company based out in the west. But they did a lot of other things under the table.”

“What do you mean?”

Anne made a face as she tried to summarize it in her head. “As far as I understood it, there was a lot of financial fraud involved. My own issue with them was more along the lines of, uh... illegal magic... experimentation... on living things, you could say.”

Luna looked absolutely shocked. “Experimenting on living things?” she repeated. “That's terrible!”

“That's not even the half of it. Don't worry, though, the guy who was behind it is in prison now. Wonder how he's doing.”

“That's a huge relief!”

“I'm kind of surprised you don't know anything about this,” Anne said. “It was only about a year ago. And I'm sure it was in the papers. Though the sheriff made sure my name was on as few reports as possible...”

“About a year ago... Oh! I was deep in training at the academy! I didn't have any time to read the news! I'm so sorry.”

“Well, anyway... Singh Labs is all right now. I've checked in on them a few times. But up until then, they were as seedy as seedy gets. I can't imagine Dr. Wharton would build a school just out of the kindness of his heart.”

“You think the college was built for an ulterior purpose?”

“I wouldn't put it past them. We need to find more information about the college around when it was first built.”

Luna didn't have to look for very long, as she was familiar with the filing system of the department. She pulled out a box that was near Anne and retrieved a chunk of papers from inside.

“These should be the records for the school's first year of operations,” she said, handing them to Anne. Anne smiled and began studying them.

“You really are good at paperwork.”

“Paperwork is very easy. I don't understand why so many people hate it.”

“Look at this. I found a list of teachers recommended for the school.”

Luna scrutinized the list. “I'm afraid that I don't recognize any names,” she said.

“Me neither, however... it says here that most of the teachers who were hired had to be compensated for relocation. Nearly everyone who was hired initially lived in the west.”

“You said that's where that laboratory is located, yes?”

Anne nodded. “I wonder if Dr. Wharton hand-picked them. But why? Luna, what was the state of Tellus like around five years ago? Was it as magic and technology friendly as it is today?”

Luna thought on it. “It was getting there. But Tellus was predominately a magic city around then. Technology is admittedly quite a recent emergence here.”

“That's so weird. Why would Dr. Wharton build a school here and house it with a bunch of scientists from the west? He definitely wasn't a magician.”

“Five years is a long time... do any of those teachers still work for the college?”

Anne flipped through more papers. It took her a few minutes to find a recent document. She laid it out next to the original list and examined it.

“Only a handful. Just a few professors. It also seems like all additional western funding to the school stopped about a year ago, once Singh Labs cleaned up their act. I bet the teachers left at around the same time. I don't think I trust the ones who stayed behind, though.”

“We can't say that for sure,” Luna said. “Why would they wait so long to cause terror, if they were intending to? I think they would have found something better to do in those five years.”

“I guess so.”

The door of the file room swung open suddenly, and a very tired detective looked in and stared down at them.

“Mira, I need a coffee run,” he said. “Couldn't find you anywhere. Are you still playing cops and robbers with that kid?”

Anne glared at the scrawny man, but Luna shot up from the floor like a spring.

“Of course, sir! Sorry, sir, we were making a breakthrough on a case.”

The detective looked incredulously at Anne, who was shooting him daggers with her eyes. “Just get the coffee, then you can go back to playing police officer all you want.”

“Yes, sir,” Luna nodded. Anne set the files she was holding down and decided to follow Luna out of the room.

“What are you doing?” she asked her.

“Didn't you hear him? He needs a coffee. As long as you don't drink too much of it and make yourself ill, coffee can be a very helpful way to boost productivity.”

“I know what coffee is for. Wait a minute, just him? I thought at least he was sending you on a run to get coffee for everyone. Even then...”

“Don't worry, the break room is just down the hall. It will only take a few minutes.”

Anne nearly stumbled. “Luna, hold on!” she said, bringing her stride to a halt. “That officer—,”

“Detective. He's a detective.”

“That detective makes you get him his coffee, even though it's just down the hall? I bet he spent longer looking for you than it would've taken him to get it himself!”

Luna began walking again, looking sympathetically at her.

“I know it's silly,” she admitted. “They all treat me like an errand-girl. It's not like I can't see it. I even know they only let me work with you today because they don't think they need me here.”

“So why do you put up with it?”

“Well, I'm just a rookie. They've all been here much longer than I have. I need to earn their respect. Once I do that, they'll see me as an equal.”

“They'll never see you as an equal if you keep letting them walk all over you like this. You need to demand some respect!”

Luna shook her head as they reached the break room. “I don't deserve it,” she said. “Until I can do something that makes a real difference, for even one person, until I can be a good police officer... I just haven't been here long enough to do that.”

“I haven't even known you for longer than a day and I think you're a fine officer,” Anne said.

“Thank you,” she said, genuinely. “I'm sorry, I just don't see that myself yet.”

Anne crossed her arms, and sighed as she watched Luna prepare a fresh pot of coffee.

The two hadn't been back in the department's file room for long before they were interrupted again, by the desk clerk, saying they had two annoying, urgent visitors. Franky and Minnie were nearly bouncing around the front office when Anne and Luna got there.

“What's going on?” Anne asked, noting that Franky had since acquired a lime-green knitted cap.

“We've been lookin' all over for you! That guy wanted to kick me out!” Franky said, pointing an accusatory finger at the clerk.

“You won't believe it!” Minnie shouted, and the clerk shushed them loudly.

“Aren't you supposed to be watching the fountain?” Anne asked. “Did you even get that far?”

“Yeah! C'mon, don't be so harsh,” Minnie scowled. “We were sittin' there, just as you said. I was tellin' Franky about a new club I heard about in town. Then we saw something!”

“Yeah, we saw something!” Franky nodded.

“What do you have to report?” Luna asked.

“We saw, like... Minnie, how'd you put it?”

Minnie nodded at Franky. “We saw a suspicious person,” she said, nodding again, at Anne. “Real suspicious. Super suspicious!”

“What made them so suspicious?” Anne asked.

“They were, like, skulking around! Stalkin' people! Taking pictures!”

“Are you sure they weren't a tourist?” Luna offered. “Many people are taken in by the glamour of the city and people, and don't realize it is rude to photograph strangers without permission.”

“Nah, nah, they were being shady about it. What's more! When I got near 'em, they ran!”

“That is a little suspicious,” Anne agreed.

“They ran real fast, I didn't even see 'em,” Franky added. “Musta been real scared.”

“But that's not even the most important part!” Minnie continued. She dug in her pants pocket and produced a crumpled up piece of sky-blue paper. “The creep got away, but they dropped this.”

Anne took the note from Minnie and unfurled it. She gasped at the contents.

“This says, 'find Anne August.' These are... instructions. Instructions to intercept me?”

“Right! Ain't that just crazy?” Franky said.

“It looks like this was written in a hurry. This is... great!” Anne grinned. “You know what this means? Someone is scared. We're on the right trail. They want to stop me before I find out the truth.”

“You think so?” Minnie asked.

“I recognize this paper,” Luna said. “The color and the clouds printed into the background... this came from the biggest hotel in town. There's a notable event being held there this week.”

“Are you sure about that?” Anne asked. Luna nodded, and she grinned wider. “Then we've got them. We know where they, or at least, one person involved, is staying. Why don't we go pay them a visit?”

“It's a large hotel,” Luna said. “I don't think it would be so easy to locate one person.”

“Perhaps not, but... we can look, can't we?”

“It wouldn't hurt to go check it out,” Luna agreed. “It is important to be very thorough in an investigation.”

“Sweet, that place is so cool!” Minnie said. “Think they'll let us in a room? I wanna check out the beds. Bear's couch is super uncomfy. I wake up with a crick in my neck every day.”

“One thing at a time,” Anne said, and Luna agreed. The four set off together to the hotel across town, driven by Luna in an old clunky police car.

[Previous Chapter] [Next Chapter]

[scribeghost-blog]

The Case of the Broken Magic (CH2)

Chapter Two

The police department was an older building, built before the trend of unique design washed over the town. It was a practical brick building, though the bricks had been painted in bold colors of the kingdom: purples, greens, and golds.

The Tellus Police Department was somewhat infamous in the country. Most police forces, except for the ones in the strictly technical and scientific west, used a combination of defensive weaponry and defensive magic. What was usually the case was that if a police officer knew magic, they would be allowed to carry a wand. There wasn't much integration of magic beyond that.

Then, just a few years ago, the Tellus department made a radical decision. The police force began defending themselves and apprehending criminals entirely with magic. Officers were required to take at least half a year of magic classes and were issued sturdy wands to be their weapons.

It was meant to be a trial run to see if using only magic would be cheaper and more effective in the long run. The officers grew accustomed to it quickly, despite the criticism and opinions that magic was less reliable than tools and weapons. To the officers it was easier to manage one wand versus an entire belt of equipment. And as of yet, they had experienced no greatly negative consequences.

Here Anne entered and stood at the front desk, waiting to be noticed.

“Can I help you?” the desk clerk asked, a welcoming young man with a warm smile. “Are you here to report something?”

“Not exactly. I wanted to speak with a police officer about the issue of magic not working properly.”

The man's friendly face dropped immediately. “Not that,” he groaned. “Are you with those college kids? They come in here once a day whining to see someone.”

“Because their problem is real. I've seen it myself.”

“Whatever you say. Anyway, the police have looked into it, and found there is no issue. Perhaps you and your friends need to invest in some higher quality wands. If that's all, please leave.”

“I didn't say that was all. Maybe you don't realize who I am, sir.”

“And who would that be?”

“Oh, only one half of the team who rescued our country's own prince.”

“You're not her.”

Anne, prepared for this kind of skepticism, took an I.D. from her backpack and showed it to the clerk. He looked over it and made a few faces before handing it back.

“That's beside the point. That was a couple years ago, anyway.”

“I demand to speak to an officer. I'll bet I could call the prince and have him order you to let me.”

“I highly doubt that.” The clerk considered her threat for a moment, and a strange smirk came over his face. “Then again, I think I know who you could speak to.”

“They'd better be an officer.”

“Oh, they are.”

He stood and led Anne through a door. The room they walked through was full of desks, back to back, where officers were busying themselves and chatting with each other. He strode past them all until he reached the very end of the room, where a desk was crammed into a dark corner, and a young woman was almost totally hidden behind all the stacks of paperwork and files on her desk.

“Mira, one for you,” the clerk said. He gave another smirk to Anne before leaving without another word.

The officer peered up from her work, and blinked her gray eyes to adjust to seeing people instead of text. Her deep brown hair curled and formed a gentle shape around her round face, with most of it tied out of the way into a ponytail. Her skin was a shade lighter brown than her hair, and she cut a pudgy form in her purple uniform. She stood up quickly and looked almost as if she was going to salute Anne for a second before she caught herself and simply reached for a handshake instead.

“Greetings, I'm Officer Ramira Luna, TPD. How may I be of assistance to you, valued citizen?”

“Hello,” Anne took her hand and shook it firmly. “Anne Aug—,”

Luna covered her mouth. “Anne August! I knew I recognized you! There weren't many pictures of you, but I remember seeing a snapshot of you in the paper after you and Detective Alter rescued Prince Calaster. I knew it! I knew I should have saluted you!”

Another officer shouted for her to be quiet, and she shrank a little under the scrutiny.

“I'm sorry,” she said, quieter. “I've just always wanted to meet you.”

“Really?” Anne asked, having a hard time keeping her own volume down. “You just might be the first person to recognize me. I can't believe it took this long.”

“I admired your tenacity! Your dedication! When I was that age, I was terrified of everything. I couldn't have ever possibly gone after the prince.”

“I guess it was pretty brave.”

“Brave? It was heroic! It was, well, I'm sure you don't need to hear it from me. I'm sure you've heard it all before.”

“Oh, certainly,” Anne lied. “But I don't mind if you go on.”

Luna glanced from Anne to her desk full of papers. “I would love to, but I have a lot of things to file. I'm so sorry. Is there anything I can do for you, though? Why did you want to speak with me, of all people?”

“Officer, are you at all familiar with the issue some students are having with magic acting strange in town?”

“Yes!” Luna nodded. “Yes, I am familiar. I have been investigating that ever since it was brought to my attention around two weeks ago.”

“You have? I thought the police weren't involving themselves.”

“No... well... they aren't. But I have been looking into it in my free time.”

“So you believe it's a real issue. You've seen it yourself?”

“No... actually... no. I haven't. But I've spoken with enough people. I believe them! Why would they lie?”

Anne nodded in return. “I can say that I've seen the problem myself, and I think it has the potential to be very serious if left unchecked. Especially considering the very important magic that is used here.”

“You... you think it could spread to the department?” Luna asked, wide-eyed.

“I honestly have no idea. But that's why I want to look into it. Why exactly aren't the police taking this seriously, if you are?”

“Unfortunately, there is not much evidence to back up anyone's claims,” Luna said. “And we are very busy. They are, I mean. I guess there's just no time.”

“I spoke with some students, and they told me about a place where magic has been reliably strange. I bet if we went there we could get some evidence.”

“Are you talking about the fountain? I'm sorry, I've been there. A nice young man came to the station very excited about it. I was sent to check out his claim. As soon as I got there, the magic started to behave. I wasn't able to see anything odd.”

“That is weird, though. Why should it suddenly behave just because a police officer came around? Franky mentioned that happening a few times before.”

Luna bit her lip. “Um, I'm afraid I don't know, Anne.”

“What I'm saying is, it shouldn't. If this were some natural phenomenon, why would it straighten out only when the authorities came around?”

“It's afraid of the law?”

Anne frowned. “What I mean is, maybe someone doesn't want the police to take this seriously.”

“Oh,” Luna said. “Oh!”

“Are you following me?”

“I don't know.”

Anne crossed her arms. “Let's think it through. If it is a natural occurrence, what can we do about it?”

“I suppose we would just wait for it to fix itself. Perhaps it's some kind of fluctuation. We don't know everything about magic.”

“Sure. So you're saying that we could do nothing, in that case. But what if this isn't a fluke? What if someone is behind it?”

Luna covered her mouth again. “That would be terrible!”

“Of course, but that would also mean we could do something about it! Stop whoever was doing it, and figure out how they did it.”

“Yes! That would be the right thing to do. I don't know exactly what laws they would be breaking, but I am sure it is illegal to tamper with magic, if you found a way to. I'll have to check.”

“Uh, right. So we should go into this with that mindset. Why don't we head to the fountain anyway, we just might find something new that you missed before.”

Luna looked at her desk. “I don't know. I have a lot of paperwork to do. I've only been on the force for a few months now, it wouldn't be right to neglect my work.”

“What kind of paperwork is this, anyway? You look more like you're doing homework.”

“It's everyone's paperwork,” Luna said. “They have me filling out all the arrest and release forms for them while I settle in.”

“They have you doing their paperwork? That doesn't seem fair.”

“Oh, no! It's only right, they're senior officers, they should be doing the important work.”

“I'm not sure about that.”

Luna spotted a superior passing by and reached a slow hand out to stop them. “Excuse me, sir,” she began, “would it be possible for me to accompany this citizen in investigating a problem she's brought to our attention?”

The detective wore a frown and eyed Anne up and down. “Fine,” he said, already starting to walk away. “We don't need you here today.”

“Thank you, sir!” Luna said. “This works out, then. I can take the paperwork home and finish it later tonight after we investigate.”

Anne watched Luna slip a few stacks of paper into a folder, and set it neatly on her desk to come retrieve later. Luna checked herself to make sure her wand was secured on its holster, that her black tie was straight, and that her badge was secured to her front pocket, before following Anne out of the building.

* * *

The fountain at the center of town was quite large, to accommodate the hundreds of people who came by and sat along the edge every day. At the center of the fountain, where the sparkling pastel water was coming from, was a tall marble statue of a woman. Her curly hair just grazed her back, and her ancient robes fell gracefully over her shoulders and ran into the water, so that she was submerged up to her ankles. Her face was one of deep concentration, and she was posed with a wand, casting a spell into the sky, that was symbolized by water shooting out of it.

Anne whistled at the statue and leaned over the edge of the fountain. “I know who that is!” she said. “Officer Luna, do you know who that is?”

Luna looked up at the statue, minding very carefully that she didn't accidentally dip her tie into the water. “Yes, I remember reading an article about this when the statue was built last year. Her name is Marjan, and she built the Maze of Seasons. A lot of people here regard the maze as a testament of the power and potential magic and engineering have when combined. It is very inspiring.”

“Yeah, sure, whatever, but do you know how they were able to build this? I helped discover what Marjan looked like! No one knew before I went into the maze.”

“Oh!” Luna said. “I thought they got her appearance from sketches that Prince Calaster made after returning to the castle.”

“Well, yeah, but who rescued him?”

“That's true. I see your point.”

Anne smiled up at the statue. “This fountain is practically mine, if you think about it.”

“It's a public fixture. It belongs to everyone here. As long as you respect the laws and don't litter in it.”

“I hadn't planned on it.”

Anne pushed herself away from the fountain and drew a new wand from her backpack. “Shall we see how magic is behaving here now?” she asked. “You might want to step back. Last time I tried this, it got kind of … fiery.”

Luna took careful steps away. Anne held her wand out, away from her face, and tried the same spell as she did before: a simple flashlight spell. She covered her eyes as she did the final hand motion. When she didn't feel the heat of any fires or hear the sound of anything going wrong, she uncovered her eyes, and saw that her spell had worked perfectly fine.

She twirled her bright wand around for a moment before frowning and putting it away.

“I guess magic is fine here, at the moment.”

“I'm sorry. That is what I expected, though. I wish I could have been more helpful.”

Anne leaned over the fountain and dipped her fingers in the glittery water. “What about a stakeout? We could spend a few hours here and check the magic every few minutes. It's bound to break again eventually, right?”

“Unfortunately, I don't think that would get us anywhere. I camped out here for a full day and night with the same idea. The magic was always fine for me.”

“Did you do that in your free time, too?”

“Of course. I got a lot of paperwork done, though, so it was still a productive weekend.”

Anne flicked some water away and tried to think.

“If there is someone behind this, maybe they saw you here, and just waited for you to leave to mess up the magic again.”

“Maybe. I guess we can't really be sure. There are times when the fountain isn't very busy, someone could come around here without being noticed late at night. All I know is that I didn't see anyone suspicious when I was here.”

Anne stared hard at the statue, in thought. The whole surface of the water shined and twinkled, like stars against the pale morning sky. But another twinkle caught her eye and pulled her out of her thoughts. The sunrise sparkles were interrupted by a gleam. A bright, silver gleam, cutting through the water from the base of the statue.

“Luna, do you see that?” she asked.

Luna leaned in to look. “See what?”

She pointed a finger at the gleam. “Right there, don't you see that?”

Luna leaned in farther and squinted. “I... wait, I do! What is that? Oh, no, my tie.”

As Luna plucked her tie out of the fountain and squeezed it dry, Anne dropped her backpack on the ground and lifted herself over the edge into the water. Luna grabbed her arm and gasped.

“Anne! You can't be in there. There's no swimming allowed here!”

“I'm not swimming,” she said. She shook her arm free and splashed a step farther into the water. “There's something there, don't you want to see what it is?”

“Anne, no! We'll get in trouble.”

“No one's even watching. If you want to wait there, that's fine, but I'm going to check it out.”

Luna covered her mouth and watched Anne wade closer to the statue. The water reached above her knees, and her dress was getting soaked, but she didn't mind.

Anne touched the statue and squinted as the water erupting from Marjan's wand sprinkled over her. She leaned down and felt around at the base where she had seen the reflection. Through the water she felt the cool marble, and ran her fingers along the indents of the robes. Then the smooth shape stopped, and, where she couldn't quite see, she felt something sharp and flat. She bent—further soaking her dress—and pulled on the object. It was lodged between a gap where the statue met the fountain. It came loose with a few hard tugs. Her sleeves dripped as she stood there examining it.

Luna finally joined her side, with her sleeves and pants rolled up carefully to avoid getting wet. “What is it?” she asked. “Did you find something?”

Anne turned the metal box around in her hands. “I guess so,” she said. The box was about as long as a loaf of bread, and twice as thick. It was completely smooth and featureless, with the exception of handle. She slid her hand inside the groove of the handle, and felt a latch.

When pressed, the box split into two, and she fumbled to catch the smaller item that was housed inside. The two sides fell to the water, but she held the metal cube in her hands securely. She was relieved it hadn't gotten soaked, because it had a dozen wires and circuits sticking out of it. There were clearly places where lights would be, but they weren't illuminated.

“What do you think this is?” Anne asked.

“I've never seen anything like it,” Luna said, too wary to even touch it. “It's some kind of machine.”

“Whatever it is, it doesn't look like it's on.” Anne held it up as she splashed back toward dry land. She glanced back at Luna, who was picking up the two discarded metal sides. “I think that case was just keeping it from getting wet, I don't think we need it.”

“We can't just leave it in here. That's littering. You promised you wouldn't litter.”

Once they were safely out of the fountain, Anne gently set the machine a few paces away from her and squeezed the water out of her sleeves, dress, and socks. She had some regrets about not taking her shoes off before going into the water.

“Do you think that has something to do with the issue at hand? The magic?” Luna asked, unfolding her sleeves carefully, so as to avoid wrinkles.

“I honestly have no idea. I always thought magic was much cooler than technology so I never really studied much of it... or, any of it.”

“I confess that I don't know much either. I always wanted to be in law enforcement, even as a child... there was never any need to study such things.”

Anne stared hard at the machine, scrutinizing it. “If this thing does have something to do with the problem, if it can mess up magic, I wonder what the point of this all would be. What would someone gain from that?”

“It's a mean thing to do!” Luna declared. “Magic is very important to people. Beyond utility, it has deep spiritual and cultural meaning for many. I view it as a practical tool, but—,”

“I am worried it might have something to do with your police force,” Anne interrupted. “Here, more than most places, magic is a dire necessity. If someone could disrupt the police's magic, what would the consequences be?”

“I-It would be devastating! Think of all the crimes that could be committed while we were scurrying around with broken spells!”

“That's what I thought,” Anne frowned. “But we don't know enough about this machine yet. We need to speak to an expert.”

“An expert? On machines?”

“I think I know just the person.”

[Previous Chapter] [Next Chapter]

[scribeghost-blog]

The Case of the Broken Magic (CH1)

(The fourth Anne story which checks in at about 40,000 words, 13 chapters + an epilogue. This is the lead-in story for the upcoming-in-a-few-years novel. Start here, or if you’re caught up, please enjoy <3)

Chapter One

Tellus stood in the lower east side of the country Ruhig. The city was a tentative marriage between magical and technical innovation. In recent years, it became overrun by universities, and drew a young crowd of budding, creative magicians and technicians alike. Shiny, uniquely designed buildings overran the landscape, even the apartments and homes in the area were meant to sparkle and glow at all times of the day when the sun caught the paint just right.

The city had turned into a hot spot for those who embraced the advantages of both technology and magic; a sensitive point for a lot of people in the kingdom, who usually chose one side over the other. That debate was one mired in a long history, and only now was starting to lessen as the national attitude shifted. Tellus was viewed by many as an experiment, and some waited for it to either fail or blossom.

Anne was visiting the city for the first time, for business. She sat on a colorful metal bench at a busy college campus, with a pamphlet spread out over her knees. The small campus map printed inside wasn't being of much help to her, and she was growing frustrated trying to find her client.

It was less than a week ago that she received a letter from an engineering student in town about the troubles his magician friend was having. All she knew was her client's name, Franky, and that magic wasn't working properly for him.

The engineer and Anne shared a mutual friend who she had met only a couple of months ago, another student who studied magic back in Anne's own home town. Regardless of the connection, Anne would have rushed to Tellus just as quickly anyway. Being recommended just made her feel more positive about her ability to help.

In her last correspondence with the engineer Barry Small, she was told the best time to meet Franky was after his classes at the College of Magic Arts, but Anne had been just a little too confident in her ability to find him, and neglected to set a meeting spot. The campus was enormous, and she didn't know what Franky looked like. So she waited.

She watched the students tread back and forth, and compared their vibrant hairstyles to her rather simple straight black hair. She also compared their bright fashionable styles to her white dress and brown sweater. She was deep in thought about what color she might theoretically change her hair to when a young man with green hair bright enough to strain her eyes approached her.

“Hey, you the girl?” he asked. He had soft teal eyes and dark skin, and carried a green satchel over his arm. His dazzling neon hair was one long strip down the center of his head, with the sides cleanly shaved. He wore a loose green jacket over a white t-shirt and carried himself with a casual air.

“Depends,” Anne said, not yet rising from the bench. “Are you my client?”

“Wow, so it's all official, huh? Client? That's so serious.”

Anne decided to stand. “Franky?” she asked. He still towered over her even standing, and she felt exceptionally young next to him.

“Yeah! Franky Fox. I've been looking all 'round for you! I saw you sittin' here and thought you looked kinda out of place.”

“Anne August,” Anne introduced, extending a friendly hand. “I was trying to find you too, Mr. Fox.”

Franky smiled. “Does it have to be that official? I've never hired, like... a... you know, you, before.”

“A professional investigator,” she clarified. “Didn't your friend tell you what I do?”

“I guess. He just said he knew about you and that you'd probably help me. Then he said he'd write to you.”

“That's all?” Anne frowned. “Maybe I didn't leave as much of an impression on Jenna as I thought...”

“Anyway, I didn't think you'd really come. I kinda thought Barry was pullin' my leg. Just being polite 'cus I complained so much to him.”

“Let's talk about that,” Anne said. She lifted her backpack from the bench and strapped it to her back. Her backpack almost made her look like a college student herself, though she was still a couple of years too young.

Franky was thinking on it. “It's been going on a while. Magic just hasn't been feelin' right. You know what I mean? Do you do magic?”

“I do magic, but I can't say I know of any issues with it going around. Can you elaborate?”

“Well, it's just like... you know when something's got a certain feel, right? Like you get all accustomed to it, and you feel like it's yours to play around with?”

Anne could only stare at him. He scratched at his chin.

“Magic's an art,” he continued. “Least it is for me. So it's like. If your pencil ain't sharpened. It just doesn't feel right.”

“Do you think maybe your wand is broken?” Anne offered.

He shook his head. “Nah. I've been through half a dozen tryin'a figure this out. Not a wand issue, far as I can tell.”

“I don't think I really understand what the issue is, Mr. Fox.”

He laughed. “Franky,” he said. “Maybe I should just show you, maybe that'll be better. No one gets it till they see it.”

Franky brought Anne into the college building. The building was plain and utilitarian on the outside, practically a sore thumb compared to the rest of the city. However, on the inside, it was clear that they were trying to compensate for it. Nearly every wall was lathered in a reflective gradient of colors, something Franky explained as being magic-infused paint.

The method for such paint was new, and somewhat difficult to maintain. Once a month the spells had to be recast, lest the walls go back to beige. He lamented to Anne that every wall in the city could be like this if the funds were there.

They ended up in a common room full of plush looking cushions and tables for studying. Franky shut the glass door behind them and gestured to the vacant room.

“This is it,” he said.

Anne waited for him to go on, but he didn't. “This is what, exactly?” she asked.

“This is my favorite place to study,” he said, as if that were explanation enough.

Anne took another careful glance around the room. The cushions were in flowery pastels, and the carpet clashed against them in bold blocks of color, but the walls were as white and dull as the outside of the building.

“Why haven't they made the walls in here all shiny like the rest of the building?”

“That's what I'm saying. They tried, right? But it won't stick. The walls stay pretty for about a day or two... then this.”

“You did say the spell for the paint is unreliable.”

Franky nodded. “True enough. But it's not just that. Check this out.” He lifted a rosy cushion from the couch and tossed it at her. She caught it with both hands and turned it around.

“What's unusual about this?” she asked. “Did it used to sparkle or something?”

“It used to be neon.”

“Neon... roses?”

“Nah. Just the color. Just like my hair. I colored them both myself with my own home-written spells. Then I tried to change 'em to blue, and that happened.”

“Is that so...” She stopped and looked up at his head. “Hold on, your hair is dyed with magic? Only temporary, right?”

Franky suddenly grinned wide. “Nah, that's the thing. It's permanent. And I mean it. Stays colorful. Spreads to your roots when your hair grows. No more worryin' about touch-ups or color fading.”

“You developed that spell yourself? How long did that take?”

“A few years. A few fried hairs. It's tricky to get the right color.” He ran a hand through his hair and seemed proud of himself. “Took me a year alone to get this shade of green. What'd you think?”

“I think it suits you! You seem as bright as your hair.”

He grinned wider before looking crestfallen. “See... that's what's got me so worried. I sell my spell services to friends for rent money. My real deal is my band. But we're not as bright as my spells yet, you get what I mean? So I need this to get by.”

Anne looked again at the cushion, still in her hands. “Are you saying that your spells... change after some time?”

“Not exactly... see... I'll show you.”

Anne set the cushion down, and Franky wrestled a wand out of his satchel. She stood back and watched him twist his wrist and move the wand in a specific way that only he knew. He spoke a few basic words, and said the color he wanted: green. A quick flash of light reverberated through the wand and struck the cushion. The floral pattern turned green for only a few seconds before warping into red and blue stripes. Franky gestured excitedly at it.

“See! That's not what I wanted at all.”

Anne lifted the cushion and turned it around in her hands. The stripes ran along the whole surface.

“That is odd. Are you sure you did the spell correctly?”

“Yeah. I've done it a dozen times. I did my bag. I did my jacket!”

“You do seem to have 'green' nailed down perfectly,” she said. “How long have spells not been casting properly?”

“I dunno. It doesn't happen every day. I guess I first noticed it about... a month ago? I tried to make my shoes green, but they turned yellow instead. Can you believe it? Who wants yellow shoes?”

She set the cushion down again. “I want to try something myself,” she said. She drew a wand from the nearest pocket on her backpack. She twirled her wand to make a simple light spell, to make her wand into a flashlight. Instead of illuminating, a burst of fire erupted from the end, and both she and Franky screamed. She dropped the wand and watched it burn to a crisp on the carpet. Franky stomped out the small fire and waved his hands to disperse the smoke.

“Was that what you were tryin'a do?” he asked.

“Of course not,” Anne said. “I liked that wand...”

She frowned and rubbed her hand, which had nearly been burned by the flame. She looked around the room and sighed. “Maybe there's something wrong with the room itself,” she said.

“Nah. This ain't the only place magic's been acting up. It happens all around town. No one can explain it.”

“All around town? That sounds serious. Someone could get hurt this way. How haven't I heard of this until now?”

“Maybe because people don't really believe it... I mean... I got lucky this time, but usually when I go to show someone the problem, nothing happens. Sometimes the magic is fine, sometimes it's all wrong. Only people who see it themselves believe it. That's why I'm real happy you came to check it out without having me prove it to you first.”

“And how many people have seen the magic go wrong?”

Franky shrugged. “Only a few people I know. I'm sure there's more. But no one believes 'em when they complain so they don't think it's a big deal. But it's a big deal to me.”

“Franky, maybe I should speak to your friends who have experienced this. I'd like to hear more examples of how the magic goes wrong. Get a better idea of what we're up against.”

“Oh yeah, good idea. I can take you to 'em. Most of 'em meet up about this time after class at the club.”

Anne paused, and smiled with some anticipation. “The club?”

* * *

Everything in Tellus was close enough to reach by either walking or with a short bike ride. The club Franky brought Anne to was the closest one to the campus. Even though it was still early in the afternoon, the bright neon sign was turned on and could be seen from down the block. The name of the club was Sidra, in big letters, with glowing circles on the sides meant to be stars.

Franky swung the door open for her and she was hit with a wave of music and chatter. It took her a moment to adjust to the dark lighting inside, since there weren't any windows. The club was full of activity, mostly students who had early classes and were putting off studying for a few hours.

The décor inside was as bright as the sign on the outside. Strings of lights in the shape of stars and planets were hung all around. The blue and black walls were splashed with dots that glowed in the dark. The staircase that led to the upper level was lined with glowing lights that cycled through the colors of the rainbow.

All throughout, young people were mingling and dancing to the music. Franky led Anne to the bar and the two sat on the bar stools, which were metal with small stars cut into the seats.

Franky ordered a round of something that Anne didn't catch the name of, and left to go find his friends. The bartender eyed Anne as she filled a long glass cup with a glowing pink liquid.

“You don't look old enough to be here,” she said.

“I'm perfectly old enough to conduct a business meeting,” Anne said, indignantly. “Is there a law against that?”

“Yeah, actually.” The bartender slid the glowing drink Anne's way and smirked down at her. “But this is just fruit juice, so just make sure you get out of here when you're done, all righty? I never saw you.”

“Oh,” Anne said. She held the glowing stuff to her nose and sniffed it. She gave it a careful sip. Appearance aside, it was only regular orange juice.

Franky returned to the bar with a troupe of friends behind him. Most of them had hair as bright as his was, in all hues of the rainbow. They all sat around her, and Franky handed the glasses of juice around to all of them. Anne expected some suspicions from the group of college students about her being here, but they all waited for her to speak first. She took one last sip of juice.

“My name is Anne August,” she said. “Franky brought me here to ask you some questions about the magic issues you've been having.”

The students all murmured, impressed that he was able to find someone who believed them.

“She saw the problem herself,” Franky said.

“Can I ask you all where you've experienced the issue?”

They ran down the list. Several classrooms in the college she visited had been affected. The campus library. The fountain at the center of town. All of the students agreed that the fountain was the most usual place they had trouble with magic. Anne wrote this down in a notebook that she had fished from her backpack.

“When usually is the magic not working right? Are there any specific times, or days?”

“Not really,” Franky answered, and the others agreed. “Seems like it's fine one time you're there and broken the next. No rhyme or reason.”

“This is all very odd,” she concluded. “Have you spoken to the local authorities about it?”

“They're the first people I went to,” he said. “But see, now that's where it gets weirder, right? Every time I convince a cop to come see the problem, the magic's just fine. Happens to all of us. They think we're all liars.”

“Really? How often have you been able to get the police to look?”

“Maybe a dozen times. They won't even listen to me now anymore.”

“That's weird. Why is the magic broken for you, but not the police?”

“One of those coincidences, I guess. Really annoying. See why we're so desperate? No one cares anymore!”

Anne crossed her arms and hunched in her chair. “I've never seen a problem like this before. Usually I just help find princes, or catch thieves and murderers.”

“Those're some credentials.”

“Franks! You made it!” a voice sounded. Another woman joined them, practically running into Franky and collapsing onto the bar. The sight of her made the other students get up and leave.

“Minnie!” Franky said. He caught her and helped her steady on her feet. Anne noticed how small and lean she was, that she was even shorter than herself. But she looked almost a decade older with her mature, long face. She flipped her wild strawberry hair back and pushed her headband up to keep her bangs out of her eyes. Her pink skin was tanned, and she wore flipflops, capris, and a pink tube top, looking very much like she was on vacation at a beach, and not standing in a nightclub with a glowing blue drink in her hand.

“What's up!” she shouted back, even though the music was not that loud.

“Uh,” Franky said. “Actually, I'm kinda busy.”

“What? You can't be busy. I'm here!”

Franky pointed at Anne, and Minnie's magenta eyes strained to focus on her. “What? A kid?”

“She's here to help with the magic thing,” Franky said. “Her name's Anne.”

“What?”

Anne reached across the bar and put a hand out. “Anne August,” she offered. “Are you a student as well?”

Minnie stared at her hand and broke into laughter. She tugged on Franky's arm and set her drink down so she wouldn't spill it. “What? No! That's silly. You think I'm one of these guys? I don't have the time for that!”

“My mistake,” Anne frowned. “Who are you, then?”

“I'm just Minnie. I'm with Franky here. Who are you?”

“I already told you.”

Minnie looked as if she was thinking very hard. “Oh, yeah,” she said.

“She's my friend,” Franky explained. “Just friend. We tried the dating thing. Got kinda weird. So we're just friends.”

“That's great,” Anne said, sipping her orange juice, and suddenly feeling uncomfortable. Minnie sat beside Franky at the bar and scratched her head.

“What's Anna here for again, Franky?”

“Remember, the magic problems? I know I told you about 'em.”

“It's Anne,” Anne asserted. “Minnie, are you a magician?”

“No way! What'd be the point? Franky's all the magician anyone needs. That hair thing? What else is left to do? He's got it all covered.”

“You don't look like you have one of Franky's hair spells on,” Anne said, squinting at her hair in the flashing club lights.

“Not right now. My stupid boss won't let me at the restaurant. But maybe the next job I get I can have some super rad pink hair.”

“Are you planning to quit because you can't dye your hair?” Anne asked.

“No way. I'm getting fired soon though,” Minnie said, with a shrug. “I mean, probably. I think I should be at work right now. The last few jobs I had fired me for that.”

“That's... that's nice.”

“Maybe you'll get fired in time for our trip,” Franky smiled. “We're going overseas. I'm gonna try to sell some spells there. Minnie wants to check out the clubs.”

“Trust me, nowhere's as great as this place is. I've never seen glowing drinks in the foreign bars I've been in.”

“Why do the drinks glow?” Anne asked, picking up her juice.

“Everything in town has a spell on it in one way or another,” Franky said. “Drinks and food with pretty colors is real common. Sometimes flavors are put on through spells. Everyone's got their own ideas of what's cool here.”

“That's interesting,” Anne said. “I don't know why it took me so long to come here.”

“Why'd you come here, anyway, Annie?” Minnie asked, though she wasn't looking at Anne, and didn't seem to be listening.

Anne answered anyway. “Franky's friend wrote to me. I came here to help as soon as I could. And it's Anne.”

“Barry wrote her,” Franky clarified.

Minnie suddenly looked interested. “Bear did? Why him?”

“His old friend told him about her.”

“And Barry thinks you can actually do something about this here?”

“I suppose so, or else he wouldn't have written me,” Anne said. “Why do you care so much?”

Minnie shrugged. “Barry is my cousin, after all. I'm stayin' with him. Now that I think about it, I guess he mentioned something about some girl. Maybe. I'm not really sure.”

“You're his cousin?” Anne frowned. “He didn't seem anything like you in our correspondence.”

“Nope, he's a stick in the mud. Free couch to crash on at his place, though. Franks! Aren't you done here, yet? I'm bored.”

“Minnie, I'm in the middle of a... what would you call it, Anne?” Franky asked.

“An official investigation,” Anne said. “And I think I know what our next step is. We should go to the police.”

“The cops? But they won't speak to me anymore.”

“But they haven't spoken to me. With my reputation, I might be able to convince them to give us another chance. Besides, I've heard that the police here have some very unconventional methods, I'd like to learn more about that.”

Franky rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, by that I sorta meant, they said they'd give me a fine if I entered the building again. I think I was too annoying...”

“They won't give you a fine if you're with me.”

Minnie blew a raspberry. “Come on, you don't need Franky for that. You gonna pay his fine if he gets it? He's broke.”

“I am kinda broke.”

Anne sighed. “I suppose I could head over there alone. Maybe it would be easier to start fresh with someone they don't know.”

“Great!” Minnie said. “And Franky can stay here with me. Case closed!”

“Case not even began yet,” Anne said. “Franky, are you okay with this?”

“I guess so. I told you everything I knew, anyway. Maybe we can meet up at Barry's place if anything happens. Might be a better place to talk. This place kicks up real hard at night.”

Anne hopped off her bar stool. “All right, then. It was... nice to meet you, Minnie.”

“Sure thing, squirt.”

“Squirt? I'm taller than you are!”

Minnie waved her off and wrapped her hands around Franky's arm, pulling him toward the dance floor. Anne watched for a moment longer before leaving the club, squinting at the harsh sun that cut through when she opened the door.

[Next Chapter]

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An Honest Man’s Word

A short Monty story I wrote on a whim in a few days, just shy of 5k words. It’s about stealing and Monty getting pushed around, enjoy.

* * *

“You up for a drink, Luís?”

Luís grunted an affirmation. Monty took his hat from the table and jacket from the rack and wrapped himself up in it. He straightened his tie and shut the door hard behind them. There wasn't a need to ask where they should go, after their years of friendship they had developed a routine in nearly every city in the country.

Here they began the night at the Crown, the cleanest tavern around that they were willing to pay for. A brightly colored place, with fake gold molded into the cups and plates. Here they talked about their drinks and their weeks, until Monty's wallet started feeling light, and they left for the dirty side of town. That was when the night really began.

The Magic Brew was the filthiest place in the city, with drinks as disgusting as they were potent. It was Monty's idea to start with the Crown—he had trouble stomaching these drinks without the precursor, and because of that Luís made him pay for their drinks there. The Brew was always packed full of the working and criminal class, real honest wage earners and thieves who would cut your throat alike.

Monty would dismay at how above them he was, and Luís would smile and tell him he was full of shit. It was true that he once came from a higher class, but he knew as well as Luís did that he'd stewed in dirt and sweat longer than he had silk and wine. Several more drinks into the night, Monty would admit it.

Once the night ran its course, they stumbled down the dark streets against each other back to their sanctuary, and separately struggled to their own beds to sleep it off. Monty woke in the morning roused by rays of sunlight piercing his eyelids. He crawled, and pushed, onto his feet, and through a searing headache cleaned himself up with learned, practiced precision.

He hadn't stood out of the washroom for longer than a minute when Zoe slipped something into his hands.

“A calling card?” he asked, looking up at her.

“A lead on a distributor of detailed, delicately crafted maps. Supposedly of residential areas and restricted places there shouldn't be maps of.”

“Sounds rather irresponsible.”

“In anyone else's hands. In ours... uniquely beneficial, should the need arise.”

“I'm to find this person?”

“No, we found him. He wasn't interested in selling the rare stocks.”

“Ah.”

“That's right. Emeric says we need these maps at any cost. Could be useful if we need to plan escape routes, he supposes. I'm not so sure about that, but...”

“But his wishes have been made,” Monty smiled. He rubbed his temples idly as he looked at the address on the other side of the card.

“Out again?” Zoe asked. “I truly do not know how you can get through your day when you pull off nights like that.”

“Some of those nights are because of these days.”

“Your workload is never that harsh.”

“It is so. You have no idea how strenuous these errands can be. They're always so bad on my knees, and my eyes, working in the dark like that.”

“Should I tell him you're not up to it?”

“Oh, I will do my job, don't worry. Honestly, he has the patience of... he's not here, is he?”

“Just get a move along. We both know his patience.”

*

Monty stood in the doorway of the mapmaker, appreciating the delicately crafted form of the goddess of holy light, carved rather distastefully into a door knocker that he gripped in hand. He knocked gently with it once and then balled a fist and knocked on the wood below it. An elderly man answered, and invited him inside to see his wares. The shop was small and decorated in worn pastels, with soft flowery wallpaper. Natural light from the large front window saturated the shelves of rolled parchments and pinned maps on the walls.

“I am taking a trip to the countryside, cleansing my lungs of this wretched city air,” Monty said. “I just need some direction so I don't end up off course through the forest.”

“I have something suitable,” the old man said. “It'll get you as far as the capital if you're willing t' pay.”

“I need nothing so extravagant.”

“Extravagant's all I'm selling. I sell detail, cities, every single road marked, down t' every side street. That's my trade. You want a map for a hike out t' the mountains, that's not me. I'm not int'rested in pocket change.”

Monty adjusted his tie. “I suppose quality has its price, you're right. That will be fine.”

“I have the big maps in the back. Wait here.”

Monty seated himself, and finally took the long look around he had been wanting. He stared at the tables of in-progress maps being drawn and the shelves of bundled maps being sold. He paid careful attention to the door the man left through, eying the lock with intense scrutiny. When the man finally returned, he stood up sharply and began speaking before he could.

“I beg your pardon sir, however I have just remembered a breakfast engagement I am already running late for,” he said, checking his pocket watch for added authenticity. “I apologize deeply. May I return later to purchase your fine map?”

The man gleamed at him with some annoyance, touching the folded map under his arm. “I suppose. You will not keep me waiting long, I trust.”

“Goddesses, I would not dream of it. I will be back, you have my word as an honest man.”

He tipped his hat to the mapmaker, and bowed out of his shop. He exhaled and rested against the door for a moment, feeling the handle of the door knocker brush against his head. He closed his eyes and committed the layout of the shop to memory.

*

Night fell before he returned. The street was dark all but for the weak moonlight casting down and reflecting off windows. Monty stood at the door and remained still, listening to the sounds of the night, making sure he heard no footsteps or rising sounds from within.

He knelt at the lock of the door and lit a long match that he held between his teeth. Then he pulled a silver case from his jacket and plucked out two small metal tools. He held his breath as he fumbled and dropped one of them with a small clatter against the bricks. No one seemed to hear him, so he picked it up and continued.

It took several minutes before the lock gave way. He pushed the door open gently and spit out and squished the match under his heel as he went in. He closed it behind him slowly and locked it. He heard no stir inside. He was confident about the shop being unoccupied at this hour, but didn't feel like testing it.

He lit another match and covered half of it with his hand to prevent shadows from dancing too far through the room. He took a cursory glance at the maps resting on the tables, the same maps as earlier, and went on to the next door. He tried the handle, found it locked, and sighed a little under his breath as he knelt again.

This lock proved more difficult than the front door had. He was beginning to lose patience, and more over realized he was beginning to drool on himself from holding the match in his teeth for so long. It was too undignified for his liking. Finally the lock gave in. He put his tools away and paused a moment to wipe his face with his handkerchief. Once everything was tucked away, he entered the back room.

The walls were utterly lined with shelves of maps. Even just at a quick glance in poor light he could tell there were hundreds. He searched the desk, lit the candles on it, and sat down in the mapmaker's chair with less delicacy than he'd intended. He was trying to decide where to start looking first. There were no labels on the shelves.

Monty lit a cigarette and took a long, thoughtful drag from it as he squinted at the very bottom shelf. He saw a gleam. He pushed aside the maps and tapped his fingers against the cold metal handle that was built into the hardwood floor. Some more patting around, he felt a distinctive seam that made up a small rectangle. He pulled on the handle and half of the floorboard came up. He leaned a candle in closer to see what was in the compartment hidden underneath and pulled out a couple of tightly rolled maps.

He took one last drag and snuffed his cigarette out in the candle dish. He spread a map open and tried to make sense of all the minute details. Whatever it was a map for, it was more complicated than he could understand. Still, it looked valuable. He rolled it back up and peeked at the other one, found it to be similar, and tucked them both under his arm.

It wasn't enough. He knew that. He had to be sure he was actually getting what he came to get, and he was certain that was more than two maps. He felt along the bottom of each shelf for more hidden compartments, but had no luck finding any. He set the two maps down and started pulling maps off the shelves and checking them as quickly, but thoroughly, as he could.

He recognized a few as trade routes for merchants, all sorts of trails across the kingdom, and least curiously, the same route the old man had mentioned to him earlier that day. He returned all of these maps and felt some hopelessness bubble up in his stomach. He was nearly a quarter of the way through the shelves when he heard the rattle of a key in the lock of the door he was standing near.

Quickly, he put out the candles on the table and pressed himself against the farthest wall from the door. It creaked open and a figure obscured in shadow entered. He couldn't make out any features, only their general height and size. He figured the person for the shop owner. He held his breath as they struck a match and lit a candle.

“Who the blazes are you?” Monty croaked out, catching the woman by complete surprise. She nearly dropped her candle, and fumbled to set it down and draw a pistol from her coat. She was bulky, and her long hair was gathered up in careful, tight rolls.

“Who are you? Are you with the old man?” she asked.

“I take it that means you aren't.”

“He has no apprentices. You can't be with him.”

“I know that. I checked that myself this afternoon to be sure I wouldn't be... interrupted...”

Monty smiled, hands up. She waved him out of the back room, and he complied. In the front room of the shop were three others, who all paused in their looting only momentarily before continuing.

“This is a little awkward, isn't it,” he said, feeling the barrel of the gun touch his back.

“Who told you we'd be here?” the woman demanded.

“No one. I had no idea you'd be here. Is that what you think? Actually, I would wager, you will find this quite funny, you see, I...”

He felt the barrel dig deeper and didn't tell her what was so funny. She pulled his arms behind his back and tied several knots of twine around his wrists. He frowned as she pushed him into the corner, onto the floor.

“Don't move,” she warned, and then she gestured for her companions to move to the back room with their large bags.

“How did you get a key?” he said, mostly to himself. “Would have saved me some time...”

He waited a minute or two, until the woman stopped peeking back to check on him, before he started wriggling his hands around and trying to loosen the twine.

The front door of the shop was closed, possibly unlocked, though he wasn't sure. He thought he could walk over and jostle it open even with his hands tied, but, he knew that wasn't his main concern.

He moved his wrists around enough to loosen the knots just so much that he could pull his arms apart enough to slip them under his legs and rest them in his lap. He reached into his jacket, retrieved a cigarette and match, and lit up. He would smoke three full cigarettes and light a fourth before the crew of thieves charged back into the room.

One of the burly men with slick hair stomped a foot toward him and shouted in a hushed voice. “They aren't here. What did you do with them?”

Monty blew out a mouthful of smoke. “I'm sorry?”

“You know what we're looking for,” he said. He slapped the cigarette out of his hand, and Monty whined.

“That was unnecessary. Honestly, I'm not even fully certain of what I was looking for. I just came for some of the rarer maps, of residential areas, the markets... very detailed ones of that sort. You... didn't find those?”

“We found two of them,” the woman spoke.

“Damn, I was hoping you hadn't found those.”

“They're worthless,” she said. “You know what we're here for. Apparently what we're both here for. Where'd you stash them?”

Monty scratched his mustache. “Haven't the faintest what you're talking about. Look, if those maps are indeed worthless to you, why not simply let me have them and I'll get out of here? I just can't go back empty handed, you see.”

The man grabbed him by his lapels and seized him into the air. He kicked his feet a little.

“Truly,” he begged, “no earthly idea what you are referring to. I wouldn't lie when I was this outnumbered.”

He was dropped hard onto his feet, and he stumbled into the wall trying to catch his balance. He tugged his jacket down and straightened it.

“Keep looking,” the man told the others. “I'll see he doesn't run off, in the event we still don't find them.”

“Isn't that thoughtful.”

Monty slumped back down against the wall and sat on the floor. He felt the man's eyes burning a hole into him.

“Why don't you tell me what you're looking for, exactly,” he said. “Maybe I saw it while looking around back there, I could tell you.”

“You know exactly what we're looking for, don't play stupid.”

“I'm not playing it intentionally. What would be the harm in telling me if I was, at any rate?”

The man considered it. “They're maps,” he said.

“I had gathered that much, at least.”

“Forest maps.”

“Ah huh. So? Those aren't unheard of. Rather expensive because of the danger it takes to scout the areas, but not unheard of.”

“They're maps to... some strictly weeded demon habitats.”

“Pardon me?”

“Some areas in the forest with controlled populations. Thriving, but safe enough to tread to with relatively few people.”

“Why should anyone want to do that?”

“Something to do with some emerging theories about dark magic.”

Monty shuddered at the word. “Dark mages are trotting out to these demon neighborhoods to... what, practice their awful magic with an audience?”

“It is thought dark magic may be stronger in areas of strong demon population... all very experimental. I think perhaps most ideally it is for those curious about... willful possession.”

“Ugh. I can feel my very stomach twisting. I may be ill just thinking about it.”

“I'm not exactly keen on it myself. But those sick shits will pay good money for information like this. We're talking small fortunes.”

“Do the destitute masses desperate enough to perform dark magic have such fortunes?”

The large man looked amused. “We've already got a buyer lined up. Let me tell you, they're not suffering.”

“That is … not incredibly surprising, actually, I suppose I knew better.”

“If you didn't come here for those, what were you really looking for? You really were just scrounging for valuable maps of any kind?”

“When put like that, it sounds rather lowly, however, that is essentially the sum of it. I was merely doing my job.”

“Someone sent you, eh? Maybe they knew what was really here.”

“How uncouth of an accusation.”

“Probably didn't want you sticking your nose in it more then they needed you to.”

Monty frowned. Something caught his eye at the other side of the room; a light danced across the shop's front window, muted through the drawn curtains but still visible. Both he and the man heard the rattle of the key twisting in the lock.

The man pulled a gun he had in his pocket and threatened Monty to stay still. He watched the man shuffle to the back room and close the door softly behind him. He didn't have much time to think of a way out of this. The old man met his eyes nearly immediately when his candlelight hit him.

Monty said nothing. He couldn't think of any reasonable excuse to be on this man's shop floor, with his hands tied, in the middle of the night. He observed the elderly man instead, reading fear and confusion in his eyes, and noticing he had a large wrapped bundle under his arm.

“You... you're the gentleman from t'day,” the old man said. “Did you break into my private property?”

“I, ah, really needed those maps, you see.”

“And you gave your word t' me, you feigned such... such respectability. You thieving blackheart.”

Monty glanced at the back door with some unease.

“I must, I must get the guard. I will have you hanged.”

“That seems an overreaction,” Monty protested. “Perhaps we might work something out. Part of me suspects you would rather not involve the guard in your business matters.”

“What did you say? How dare you, you libelous thief. I—I should have you...”

Monty's eyes were locked on the bundle under his arm, and the old man noticed. He held it tighter and shut and locked the door behind him. He took a moment to set his candle down and step cautiously closer.

“Why are you here?” he asked, then more specifically, “What for?”

“I'll be truthful. I have heard of your rare stocks, and I came to steal them. However,” Monty raised his hands slowly, making the knots tied around his wrists more visible, and then he held a finger to his lips and pointed at the back door. “I could not find them.”

He studied the old man's face. A small flicker of recognition washed through it, and he gripped his bundle even tighter.

“Well, that's right. I should think you wouldn't. I sold them last week, I did. Long gone.”

Monty forced a loud sigh. “I wish I had known that ahead of time,” he said, loudly, standing up with care. He took a step toward the front door.

“Where are you going exactly?” the old man asked. “Wait a moment, this is some trick, isn't it? You trying t' trick me into believing you so you can jot off with my merchandise? Don't think I haven't noticed some maps missing in here.” Monty grit his teeth. He gestured at the back door and held up four fingers, and then pantomimed two guns. The old man's face flushed pale.

“Guard!” he screamed, and the back door flew open and the four thieves were on the old man faster than he could move. They pushed him to the ground and Monty eyed the bundle that fell from him and slid off near a cabinet.

“Who'd you sell the maps to?” the woman asked as clearly as she could without raising her voice. “We're out of here soon as we know. You don't have to make this difficult for yourself.”

“Thieves!” he screamed, and she covered his mouth with her hand.

“What a damn mess,” the man said. “I was certain those maps hadn't sold yet.”

“We'll have to search his records,” she offered.

“Part of me thinks he wouldn't record a sale like that.”

“Hm.”

Monty had crawled closer to the bundle. He reached inside and felt several rolls of stiff parchment paper, at least four or five. He was close to slipping it under his arm when he felt the hard grip of the large man's hand jerk him backwards by his hair. He was a little glad he wasn't wearing his hat for this excursion; the things it might have suffered.

“What's the little man got?” the woman asked.

“Found something here. Looks like a bag of maps. Was he carrying these when he came in?”

“Was who, carrying what?” Monty asked.

The man gave Monty a kick in the side and he whimpered.

“Don't play stupid,” he reminded him.

“All right, yes, I suppose he might have been. They must just be more stock for the store, nothing very valuable, but I thought I could sell them for drink money at the very least, compensation for this extravagantly disappointing evening.”

“You like to say a lot of nothing, don't you?”

Both Monty and the shop owner drew cold sweat as the man pulled a map from the bundle and unfurled it on the table in front of him. He moved a candle closer and tried to make sense of it.

“Looks complicated for just regular stock.”

“Are you unfamiliar with his work? He does not do simple. He does detail. Extravagance. It is the beauty of skill, and precision, the—,”

The man furled the map back up. “Mm. Shut up. All right, we're taking everything anyway, so we'll look over all of these later.”

“What do we do with him?” the woman asked, looking down at the old man.

“And me, I am very interested in that small footnote,” Monty said.

The man didn't hesitate. “No one misses a dead thief, but we'll need to be more selective about the grandpa. Ingrain in him some sense about not contacting the guard.”

She nodded. “Right. Makes sense.”

“Speak for yourself,” Monty said. “Maybe we can work this out. We are all god-fearing individuals here, surely no one wants blood on their hands.”

“Speak for yourself,” he said.

“Really, it's not as if I'm going to run to the authorities. What would I say, that I was accosted by some brutes while I was busy stealing from the shop?”

“We do have a lot of work to do,” the woman said. “He'd only be more baggage.”

“That's probably true...”

“It's very true,” Monty added.

The man drew a knife and stepped toward him. Monty's heart raced at the sight, but he breathed out when the man gestured for him to lift his hands. He cut the twine and then pointed toward the door.

“Go while you can,” he said, flashing his gun.

“Absolutely,” Monty agreed. He met the old man's eyes just briefly before moving his feet and running out the door with little grace. He shut it hard behind him and fell against it to catch his breath. He held his head and bit his lip. He had nothing to show for the night, not even a pocket watch he could pawn for a drink.

He looked down the dark street ahead of him and knew that now he could leave and go home, admit his failing, face the disappointment of his peers, but be safe, and make up for it another time. Surely there would be more opportunities down the line, better ones, even. It wasn't as if this was the first time a job like this had gone wrong. It happened before.

However...

He accidentally banged his head against the holy doorknocker and frowned at it. The old man was not holy, but he wasn't a great deal worse than himself, by all accounts. He deserved something, some measure of assistance.

He drew from his coat a sleek stick of wood with an ivory grip. He hadn't dared draw it when the thieves had guns on him, but now he had the upper hand. He thought for a moment, then gripped the doorknob and took a few deep breaths.

As soon as he threw the door open, he conjured a spell he had thoroughly memorized, and an extreme gust of wind filled the small shop and threw everyone off their feet. The rest of the maps that were in the room caught on the breeze and filled the air, and in the confusion, Monty scrambled in and grabbed the bundle of valuable maps. He grabbed a handful of other maps, too, and stepped over the old man to leave again. By this time the thieves had risen again, and were looking at him with gaping mouths.

Monty made sure to linger in the doorway so they could get a good look at the bundle under his arm. Then he picked his feet up and ran as fast as he could possibly move without tearing a stitch in his suit. After the night's activities, he was glad he had only worn his least expensive three piece for the job. As he expected, he heard a clamoring of footsteps behind him, and turned his head quickly to count them. Four. He caught a glimpse of the old man looking out down the street after them, before leaving and taking off in the opposite direction. At least he had the sense to do that.

Halfway down the street, Monty couldn't run any longer. His chest was wound up tight, his legs numb, and his feet throbbing. He had trouble slowing his momentum and ended up tripping and stumbling as he took a corner, landing himself in the road. He crawled until he was farther away from the glaring gaslight, and rested on the ground wheezing.

“There he is!”

The woman kicked him over onto his back and wrestled the bundle out of his arms.

“They all there?” asked the man.

She ran her fingers along the rolls of maps and nodded. “Yeah, all here. I knew there was something about these. These are the forest maps, aren't they? Well? You wouldn't steal 'em if they weren't valuable!”

Monty was still wheezing from the running. “They are,” he breathed. “I could tell from the look... on the old man's face. He must have been out trying to sell them tonight—that's why they weren't in the shop.”

“You little bastard,” she spat.

“We got them now,” the man said. “Come on. We need to move. We got plenty now to work with, with the stock we packed from the back.”

She ground her heel into the street and kicked a puddle of water and gritty mud into Monty's face. “I hear you,” she said. The group of thieves, with the bundle and bags of maps with them, took off down the dark street. Monty remained on the ground for a few more minutes until his heart returned to a normal beat.

He pushed himself up and took a cigarette from his jacket. The maps partially stuffed into his vest crinkled as he reached for a match.

*

“I'm not very certain what you brought back,” Zoe said. “But Emeric seems appeased. He thinks they're valuable.”

“They had better be. You don't know what a hassle acquiring them was,” Monty said. He sat back and rubbed his knees.

“I do know, because you already told me every detail. I meant to tell you, I heard talk that the shop owner closed up the morning after your visit.”

Monty turned the buttons on his sleeve back and forth. “Is that so. At least he's in good health.”

“I know things got messy, but you did what you could. More than someone else might've. You've done a nice job.”

“Let's not get carried away.”

She touched his shoulder, and smiled down, before heading up the stairs and leaving him alone in the den of their small base. He tapped his fingers on the table and let his mind drift back to the night's events for some time before the door creaked open and Luís walked through. He perked up in his chair and put on a smile.

“You up for a drink, Luís?”