Benedict Jacka - Fated

Above the sensitives on the magical pecking order are the adepts. These guys are only one per cent or so, but unlike sensitives they can actually channel magic in a subtle way. Often it’s so subtle they don’t even know they’re doing it; they might be ‘lucky’ at cards, or very good at ‘guessing’ what’s on another person’s mind, but it’s mild enough that they just think they’re born lucky or perceptive. But sometimes they figure out what they’re doing and start developing it, and some of these guys can get pretty impressive within their specific field.

And then there are the mages.

Luna’s somewhere between sensitive and adept. It’s hard even for me to know which, as she has some … unique characteristics that make her difficult to categorise, not to mention dangerous. But she’s also one of my very few friends, and I was looking forward to seeing her. Her tone of voice had left me concerned so I looked into the future and was glad to see she was going to arrive in an hour and a half, right on time.

In the process, though, I noticed something that annoyed me: someone else was going to come through the door in a couple of minutes, despite the fact I’d just flipped my sign to say CLOSED. Camden gets a lot of tourists, and there’s always the one guy who figures opening hours don’t apply to him. I didn’t want to walk all the way over and lock the door, so I just sat watching the street grumpily until a figure appeared outside the door and pushed it open. It was a man wearing pressed trousers and a shirt with a tie. The bell above the door rang musically as he stepped inside and raised his eyebrows. ‘Hello, Alex.’

As soon as he spoke I recognised who it was. A rush of adrenaline went through me as I spread my senses out to cover the shop and the street outside. My right hand shifted down a few inches to rest on the shelf under my desk. I couldn’t sense any attack but that didn’t necessarily mean anything.

Lyle just stood there, looking at me. ‘Well?’ he said. ‘Aren’t you going to invite me in?’

It had been more than four years since I’d seen Lyle but he looked the same as I remembered. He was about as old as me, with a slim build, short black hair and a slight olive tint to his skin that hinted at a Mediterranean ancestor somewhere in his family tree. His clothes were expensive and he wore them with a sort of casual elegance I knew I’d never be able to match. Lyle had always known how to look good.

‘Who else is here?’ I said.

Lyle sighed. ‘No one. Good grief, Alex, have you really gotten this paranoid?’

I checked and rechecked and confirmed what he was saying. As far as I could tell, Lyle was the only other mage nearby. Besides, as my heartbeat began to slow, I realised that if the Council was planning an attack, Lyle was the last person they’d send. Suddenly I did feel paranoid.

Of course, that didn’t mean I was happy to see him or anything. Lyle began walking forward and I spoke sharply. ‘Stay there.’

Lyle stopped and looked quizzically at me. ‘So?’ he said when I didn’t react. He was standing in the middle of my shop in between the reagents and the shelves full of candles and bells. ‘Are we going to stand and stare at each other?’

‘How about you tell me why you’re here?’

‘I was hoping for a more comfortable place to talk.’ Lyle tilted his head. ‘What about upstairs?’

‘No.’

‘Were you about to eat?’

I pushed my chair back and rose to my feet. ‘Let’s go for a walk.’

Once we were outside I breathed a little easier. There’s a roped-off section to one side of my shop that contains actual magic items: focuses, residuals, and one-shots. They’d been out of sight from where Lyle had been standing, but a few more steps and he couldn’t have missed them. None were powerful enough to make him think twice, but it wouldn’t take him long to put two and two together and figure out that if I had that many minor items, then I ought to have some major ones too. And I’d just as soon that particular bit of information didn’t get back to the Council.

It was late spring and the London weather was mild enough to make walking a pleasure rather than a chore. Camden’s always busy, even when the market’s closed, but the buildings and bridges here have a dampening effect on stray sounds. I led Lyle down an alley to the canalside walk, and then stopped, leaning against the balustrade. As I walked I scanned the area thoroughly, both present and future, but came up empty. As far as I could tell, Lyle was on his own.

I’ve known Lyle for more than ten years. He was an apprentice when we first met, awkward and eager, hurrying along in the footsteps of his Council master. Even then there was never any question but that he’d try for the Council, but we were friends, if not close. At least for a little while. Then I had my falling out with Richard Drakh.

I don’t really like to think about what happened in the year after that. There are some things so horrible you never really get over them; they make a kind of burnt-out waste-land in your memory, and all you can do is try to move on. Lyle wasn’t directly responsible for the things that happened to me and the others in Richard’s mansion, but he had a pretty good idea of what was going on, just like the rest of the Council. At least, they would have had a good idea if they’d allowed themselves to think about it. Instead they avoided the subject and waited for me to do the convenient thing and vanish.

Lyle’s not my friend any more.

Now he was standing next to me, brushing off the balustrade before leaning on it, making sure none of the dirt got on his jacket. The walkway ran alongside the canal, following the curve of the canal out of sight. The water was dark and broken by choppy waves. It was an overcast day, the sunlight shining only dimly through the grey cloud.

‘Well,’ Lyle said eventually, ‘if you don’t want to chat, shall we get down to business?’

‘I don’t think we’ve got much to chat about, do you?’

‘The Council would like to employ your services.’

I blinked at that. ‘You’re here officially?’

‘Not exactly. There was some … disagreement on how best to proceed. The Council couldn’t come to a full agreement-’

‘The Council can’t come to a full agreement on when to have dinner.’

‘-on the best course of action,’ Lyle finished smoothly. ‘Consulting a diviner was considered as an interim measure.’

‘Consulting a diviner?’ I asked, suddenly suspicious. The Council and I aren’t exactly on the best of terms. ‘Me specifically?’

‘As you know, the Council rarely requests-’

‘What about Alaundo? I thought he was their go-to guy when they wanted a seer.’

‘I’m afraid I can’t discuss closed Council proceedings.’

‘Once you start going door to door, it isn’t closed proceedings any more, is it? Come on, Lyle. I’m sure as hell not going to agree to anything unless I know why you’re here.’

Lyle blew out an irritated breath. ‘Master Alaundo is currently on extended research.’

‘So he turned you down? What about Helikaon?’

‘He’s otherwise occupied.’

‘And that guy from the Netherlands? Dutch Jake or whatever he was called. I’m pretty sure he did divination work for-’

‘Alex,’ Lyle said. ‘Don’t run through every diviner in the British Isles. I know the list as well as you do.’

I grinned. ‘I’m the only one you can find, aren’t I? That’s why you’re coming here.’ My eyes narrowed. ‘And the Council doesn’t even know. They wouldn’t have agreed to trust me with official business.’

‘I don’t appreciate threats,’ Lyle said stiffly. ‘And I’d appreciate it if you didn’t use your abilities for these matters.’