Benedict Jacka: Taken

I thought for a second, then shook my head. “So no leads, I can’t ask for help from other Light mages, and even if I do find out who’s responsible it’s useless unless I can prove it. You don’t ask for much, do you?”

“I warned you it was difficult.”

“No kidding. You’re at least going to give us copies of your research, right?”

“A little better than that.” Talisid handed me a thick brown folder. “I can put you in touch with the one who wrote them.” He smiled slightly. “I believe you know him?”

I opened the folder, flipped to the name at the bottom, and laughed. “Okay. So I get some help after all.”

“Let’s hope it’s enough.” Talisid’s smile was gone again as he rose to his feet. “I’m afraid everything I’ve tried so far has brought me up against a blank wall. So I hope you succeed, because if not, I don’t know when these disappearances will stop.” He nodded to us. “Verus, Luna. Good luck.”

By the time we got back to the hall the excitement of Charles and Variam’s duel was over. Everything set on fire had been extinguished, the furniture was only smouldering, and Lyle was reading the riot act to Charles and Variam. “-absolutely unacceptable,” he was saying. “Absolutely unacceptable! You could have killed each other, not to mention everyone else! A duel is a formal test of skill, not some crude brawl. You’re supposed to be upholding the traditions of the Council-”

“What happened?” Luna whispered.

“I get the feeling Charles and Variam don’t like each other very much,” I murmured.

“And another thing-” Lyle caught sight of us and cut off. An expression of frustration crossed his face and he threw up his hands. “Go on! Class is over! You’re dismissed!”

The apprentices dispersed, grabbing coats and packing bags. “So where do we start?” Luna said.

“We go back to the shop,” I said. “First thing is to work through the material Talisid gave us.”

The short wooden sword focus Luna had been using was still by her bag. She picked it up with a grimace and returned it to the table. “I hate that thing,” she said as she came back. “It felt wrong.”

“Wrong how?”

“Like the wrong size. Scratchy. It felt like my magic was fighting it the whole way.”

“Mm.” I looked at Luna, thinking. “Maybe it’s time we got you a focus weapon.”

“Please not that one.”

I shook my head. “Not if your magic reacted that badly. Try a few others.”

The focuses on the table were all swords or sticks, and Luna started picking each one up and taking a few practice swings. As she did I focused on her with my mage’s sight and realised that Luna was right: Her magic was fighting the weapons. Each time it was drawn immediately to the weapon and soaked in, but instead of channelling through the focus it seemed to be attacking the alien object, trying to destroy it. “Huh,” I said at last.

“They don’t feel right,” Luna said again.

“They’re not.” I tapped my fingers. “Maybe a sword’s the wrong kind of weapon for you. I’ll have a think about it.”

I was concentrating on Luna and didn’t notice that someone had approached until they were right next to me. I’d half-expected Lyle, but as I looked up I got a surprise. It was the girl Luna had been fighting, Natasha. “Hi!” Natasha said to Luna. “Are you okay?”

Luna looked up at her, then away again quickly. “I’m fine.”

“Oh good. Listen, I just wanted to warn you. You really don’t want to be hanging around her.”

“Who?”

“Her,” Natasha whispered. She tilted her head towards Anne and Variam, at the other end of the room. “Anne.”

“Why?”

“Well, you know where’s she’s from, right?”

Luna looked blankly at Natasha.

“Oh God, you don’t know!” Natasha covered her mouth with both hands, then looked at Luna with wide eyes. “You really haven’t heard?”

“Heard what?”

“You really should be more careful.” Natasha shook her head. “I can’t believe you didn’t find out.”

Luna was silent. Natasha waited a little longer and then unbent, dropping her voice and leaning closer. “She was taught by a Dark mage,” Natasha whispered. “Her and that other boy, Variam. They were both apprentices to him. And do you know what they did next?”

Luna didn’t answer. “They started working for a monster ,” Natasha whispered. “A demon. That’s where they’re going now. Nobody knows what it is.”

“If nobody knows what it is, how do you know it’s a monster?”

Natasha looked at Luna in annoyance. “I’m serious . You’ve seen how she is. She’s really rude to all the tutors and she won’t do as they say. And it’s a really bad idea to hang around her.”

Luna met Natasha’s gaze in silence. “You know,” she said at last, “they say the same thing about me.”

Natasha stared back at Luna, then shrugged. “Well, don’t say I didn’t warn you.” She turned to where I’d been standing quietly, and made a good pretence of only just noticing me. “Oh, hi, Mage Verus. Bye!”

Luna watched Natasha go and shook her head. “I really hate her.”

I made a noncommittal noise. Personally, I sympathised with Luna. Natasha’s speech had sounded like pure trouble-stirring to me, and she’d carefully timed it so I’d hear it too. But it left me uneasy all the same.

Lyle and Charles had vanished while we were talking, and Natasha was on her way out. Anne and Variam were talking under their breath. The way they were standing made me think they didn’t want to be overheard and as we approached I glanced through the futures in which I sneaked up on them, trying to eavesdrop. In most I was spotted, but in one I was able to catch a few words. “-sure it’s him?” Variam was saying quietly.

“Yes,” Anne said. “He just left-”

Variam saw me and made a quick gesture to Anne, and the futures of their conversation vanished abruptly as the two of them turned to watch us leave. Anne gave Luna a smile and a wave. “See you tomorrow.”

“See you!” Luna said. Variam said nothing and his eyes tracked us as we left, suspicious and wary.

* * *

Luna was silent as we left the building, and stayed silent as she unlocked her bike from the railings and we started back towards my shop. The walk from Islington to Camden is a nice one, and despite the winter season the sun was shining with enough warmth to make it a pleasant journey.

We settled into a walking pace, both of us on the pavement with Luna wheeling her bike in between. “You met Anne three months ago, right?” I said. “At the acceptance ceremony.”

Luna nodded. “How much do you know about them?” I said. “Her and Variam, I mean.”

“She doesn’t talk about herself much.” Luna’s voice was doubtful, and I knew it was bothering her too. “And Variam never talks at all. I thought he just didn’t like me, but he’s the same with everyone.”

“Do they always show up together?”

“Mostly. Anne used to come on her own, but these days they’re always together. Variam never lets her out of his sight. It’s really hard to talk to her with him scowling all the time.”

“Are they going out?”

“Anne said no.” Luna frowned. “I can’t figure Variam out though. He’s always watching her but he doesn’t act like he even likes her.”

We walked a little way in silence. The air was crisp and clear, and cars buzzed past importantly. A cyclist overtook us, riding with her back straight, her front basket filled with shopping and making the bike rattle as it went past. “Do you think it’s true?” Luna said.

I knew she was talking about what Natasha had said. “Allowing for exaggeration. .” I shook my head. “I don’t know. But there’s something odd about those two.”