Shadow Mage Read online

  Isabelle stood. “I can’t believe he agreed to literally destroy magic without talking to me.” She lifted up a hand. “Hang on, Kel. I’ll be back.”

  She blasted off in a gale of swirling wind and was gone. Kel braced, but no Ael appeared.

  She stood there in silence for a few seconds, then a small voice came from behind her.

  “I’ll help you destroy magic.”

  Kel turned to see Payl, knitting herself to one of the trees. She was already half-cocooned.

  “Oh, thank you,” Kel said.

  The girl didn’t say anything more, just pulled a bit of fabric up over her face and finished sealing up the cocoon.

  37

  Isabelle

  Isabelle burst through the door of Finn’s office in a gust of wind, to find Finn standing at the window, hands clasped behind his back.

  “Did you agree to destroy magic without talking to me?” Isabelle demanded.

  Finn whirled around guiltily.

  “Did you use magic to get here? You know we—”

  “Don’t change the subject, Finn.”

  Finn grimaced and blushed.

  “OK, yes, I kind of did, but… not totally.”

  “Not totally? What’s that supposed to mean?”

  Finn flopped down in a chair and slumped down.

  “I was going to tell you before… before it would have actually worked.”

  Isabelle’s eyebrows shot up. She stood with her fists planted on her hips.

  Finn went on, and he looked absolutely miserable. “I kinda… lied to Kel. Or… didn’t tell her something…”

  “What about that whole ‘lying is bad’ thing? I thought that was like, super important to you.”

  He cringed. “Yes. It is. But…”

  Isabelle flopped down in a chair next to him.

  “Come on, just tell me.”

  “There’s a seventh type of magic.”

  Isabelle shot back up. “What?”

  “I mean, rather, a seventh type of mage.”

  “How long have you known this?”

  He glanced out the window. “About a day.”

  Isabelle dropped back down into her chair. “Wow.” Wait… so… “So, you know Kel’s thing won’t work because she doesn’t have the seventh mage, but you’re letting her try anyway.” She sighed and shook her head. “Aw man, Finn, that’s super terrible.”

  He closed his eyes. “I know.”

  “Again. What happened to the whole lying is bad thing?”

  He looked at her and ran a hand distractedly through his dark hair. “I’m sorry, I’m just… I’m so close, Isabelle. And… there’s not much time…”

  She stiffened. They never talked about that. About the clock ticking down to the end of everything for them.

  “There’s plenty of time, Finn. We’re going to figure this out.”

  He swallowed. “I’m not sure we are, Isabelle.”

  She glared at him, her heart speeding up. “Don’t talk like that, Finn. Don’t you dare give up right now.” Something she’d been ignoring bullied its way into her awareness. “You already have, haven’t you? That’s why you’re so desperate about the ambassadors. You’re… you’re trying to put everything in order and…” Her eyes widened. “I told you, killing yourself isn’t going to fix anything.”

  He ran his hands over his face. “It does, though! It fixes everything. If I’m dead, then Morthil is still trapped. And everything we built can stay here. I just… I need mages to be accepted. That’s the last piece.”

  Isabelle threw up her hands. “Finn… I love your… insane optimism…” She shook her head. “If that’s what this is… I mean, it’s definitely at least insanity. But have you noticed that none of it is working?”

  “What are you talking about? It’s totally working.”

  “None of the ambassadors are the slightest bit interested in forming a new super country.”

  “Only one of them has left, though!”

  She eyed him, but he didn’t back down. “Literally no one in the school can do magic anymore because any time anyone does, giant magical monsters appear.”

  “Not every time. Only sometimes.”

  “And they’re trying to kill us.”

  “Yeah, but we have a way to deal with them now…”

  “A way that your immortal, super-powered sister is totally against.”

  “Right… but—”

  “And on top of that you have like a week until your body is taken over by a demon who is going to use your students as magical cream puffs.”

  “Magical cream—”

  “Because he’s going to eat them and suck out the magical stuff that’s inside them.”

  “Oh.”

  Isabelle looked at him hard. “Crap. I’ve clearly not made a dent in your resolve, but I’ve actually convinced myself.” Isabelle groaned. “How the hell did I end up becoming the realistic one in this relationship?” She stood. “I’m going to talk to Kel.”

  She was out the door before he could say another word.

  Kel was still standing exactly where she’d left her. She was just looking up at the sky, her head cocked at a slight angle, her arms hanging at her sides. What a strange girl, Isabelle thought.

  “All right, I’m in,” she said.

  Kel turned, and it looked like it took her a moment to remember where she was.

  “We’ve got a problem, though,” Isabelle added.

  “What’s that?”

  “Finn lied to you. There’s a seventh type of mage. We need a shadow mage for this to work. Unless maybe you can do it?”

  Kel’s face darkened, hurt twisting her expression.

  “It has to be a human mage.” She looked down at her hands and Isabelle noticed that one of them seemed to be drying up, losing its leaves and turning brown.

  “Is your hand—”

  “I’m OK. Did he say where we can find one?”

  “No. But I bet I know who it is.”

  38

  Sarai

  Sarai dropped all pretense of being a thread mage. She skipped class the next morning and went straight to the library again. This time, though, it was to read everything she could find about shadow.

  She found an enormous book and sat down cross-legged on the floor, the book propped against the shelf in front of her, and began to read.

  The shadow is made of the unexamined thoughts and feelings of a mage. It is the undercurrent of magic, the part of magic that connects all the different forms to one another. It is the part outside of all awareness.

  Sarai shifted uncomfortably. Except mine.

  The shadow cannot be controlled. Every act of magic a mage ever does comes with some cost of shadow. This shadow collects inside the mage, occasionally exploding outwards and creating unplanned, destructive acts. The amount of shadow created can be diminished by greater self-awareness on the part of the mage.

  Sarai turned the page, thinking. Am I just super self-aware? Unlikely.

  Again, she reached out. This time it came so much more quickly, all the dark ghosts settling into abandoned corners. She found one nearby, reached into it, tried to push on it. Nothing.

  She realized something was approaching out of the darkness. Something familiar. What was that? Fear. Terror. A desperation for closeness, but an inability to tolerate it. The expectation of massive, imminent, debilitating, all-consuming grief. All shoved carefully out of awareness.

  “Hello again,” Sarai said, remaining seated but turning to face the newcomer. “You just don’t want me to read, do you?” She stopped as a second person came around the corner.

  “I just want to talk,” Isabelle said, then followed Sarai’s gaze. “This is Kel, Finn’s sister.”

  Sarai couldn’t stop staring. This person was different. She hadn’t even sensed her coming. There wasn’t an ounce of shadow in her. You must spend all your time sitting around contemplating your own feelings. But somehow Sarai doubted that was it.

&nbs
p; “Nice to meet you,” Kel said, holding out a hand. Sarai realized it was her only hand. Where the other should have been there were only dead twigs that looked a little like bones. That’s a super weird aesthetic choice.

  You’re being weird, came Jeremy’s imagined voice, and Sarai stood up, moved to shake Kel’s good hand.

  “Sarai.” Here to kill your brother.

  “Reading up on your powers?” Isabelle asked, closing the cover of the book with the toe of her boot. “The Shadow: An In-Depth Treatise. Sounds fascinating.”

  Sarai tensed.

  “Finn told me,” Isabelle said. “Anyway, we know you just found out about your powers, but we’re here to ask you to help us destroy magic.” She lifted her eyebrows and waved her hands as she said this. Kel glanced at her.

  “We’re sorry to bother you,” Kel said softly. Her one good hand went to the missing one, playing with the dead twigs. “And we realize this is a lot to ask, especially given that you just found out you’re a mage. And a type that no one even knew existed. It must be a lot for you.”

  Sarai waited for her to continue.

  “And… before we ask you anything, we’d like to just talk with you.”

  “Kinda too late for that.”

  Kel nodded. “Sorry about that. This must be really overwhelming for you.”

  Again with that weird fake understanding. You think that’s going to work on me? “I’m fine.”

  “Did you know you were a mage already? Is that why you came here?” Isabelle asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Man. Agreeing and lying, all at the same time.” Isabelle rolled her eyes. “Kel, what do you need for this ritual anyway? Does she have to do something, or can we just tie her up?”

  “I told you, Isabelle, we’re not doing that.”

  “Why do you insist on doing everything the hardest way possible? Is it some kind of dominance thing? We all already know you’re better than us, Kel.”

  Kel ignored this.

  “Would you mind if I explained?” she asked Sarai.

  “Go right ahead.”

  She listened while Kel told her about the problems with the Ael. About Morthil and his plans for Finn.

  “Well, that sucks,” Sarai said finally. It didn’t sound as sarcastic as she had intended. She glanced down at the book she’d been reading, then down at herself. Skinny and dark and weird, always unnoticed, but now she knew that was for a reason. She wasn’t just a dark, tiny assassin who was in love with someone who never noticed her. She was a mage. And not only that. A type of mage that no one had ever heard of. She looked at the two of them standing there. The wind mage was a jerk, and she didn’t mind saying no to her, but the other one…

  “I… I’m sorry,” Sarai said.

  “I’ll get the rope,” Isabelle said.

  Kel frowned and held out a hand to stop Isabelle. “It’s all right, Sarai. I understand. If you change your mind, let me know. Or… if you want to talk, I know some things about the shadow.”

  I’m not going to sit around and let you try to manipulate me. “Sure, thanks.”

  After they left, she sat back down, opened her book again, but she couldn’t get her mind to focus. It kept returning to the things Kel had said. She seemed powerful. I’m sure she’ll figure something else out. But still, her mind couldn’t quite let it go.

  39

  Kel

  When they reached the central courtyard, Isabelle clenched her fists, her hair lifted, but Kel placed a hand gently on her shoulder.

  “No magic, remember?”

  Isabelle heaved an exasperated sigh and took off at a brisk walk, striding in the direction of her ruined tower.

  Kel followed calmly, even when Isabelle had stormed out of sight. She climbed the stairs slowly after her, reaching the large room on the third floor with floor to ceiling windows that served as a lounge. Isabelle was pacing angrily back and forth when she arrived.

  “It’s understandable,” Kel said. “She just found out she’s a mage.”

  Isabelle waved a hand. “So? I’ve been a mage for, like, forever. I love being a mage. It’s literally my favorite thing ever. But I’m not going to torture a bunch of magical creatures to get it.”

  Kel nodded. “She doesn’t understand. She’s not ready.”

  “So, we make her, right? We’re not just going to let her sit there and play around with her fun new powers while Finn gets taken over by a demon and all your aunts and uncles are becoming crazy monsters and killing people.” Isabelle stood, hands on her hips. She tilted her head and glanced at Kel. “I mean, right? We’re totally not doing that.”

  Kel paused before she answered. “I mean… I think we should—”

  Isabelle groaned and rolled her eyes.

  Kel raised her voice slightly. “We have some other things we can try first. Let’s… let’s see if there are any other shadow mages.”

  “Because, in hundreds of years there’s never been another one recorded, but probably there’s tons? Maybe all the thread mages are actually shadow mages?” She laughed. “Actually, that would be hilarious.”

  Kel sat gently down on a plush couch. “I know it’s unlikely. But it’s something we can try.”

  Isabelle squinted, glaring out the window. It was her thinking expression. “We need more information. We should get Agnes to tell us what she knows. And maybe have someone follow that stupid kid around.”

  Kel sat up, her hand going to her chin. “Actually…” The dreams she’d been having flitted across her mind. That yearning. To know who she was.

  “Yes, spying. At the very least…” Isabelle said thoughtfully, still staring out the window.

  “No… but… I think maybe… we could offer to teach her.”

  Isabelle spun around. “Teach her? What, so she can see how useful her powers are and then she’ll really never want to give them up?”

  Kel leaned forward, resting her chin in her hand and looking out the window, at the long stretch of empty plains, and the mountains beyond. “No… It might be that… well, she just found out what she is. I can understand her not being ready to give it up. Without learning more about it. Without learning about who she is.”

  “I don’t know, Kel…”

  Kel sat up, dropping her hand into her lap. “No, I think this could work. At the very least, it’s the right thing to do. This is a school. We’re here to teach mages to use their powers. Let’s teach her to use her powers. Let’s help her… understand herself.”

  “Kel…” Isabelle said, approaching and sitting across from her. “I realize this may come as a surprise to you, but not everyone in the world has the goal of understanding. Like… basically no one. You realize that’s just you, right?”

  Kel tensed. “Yes, I… I know.” Her cheeks felt hot.

  “Sorry, like, don’t get me wrong. You’re awesome. I like you. But don’t make the mistake of thinking everyone is like you.”

  “I don’t.” She said this sharply, sitting up and looking away.

  “Well… good. Because, like, if we help her, she’s just gonna want more. She’ll see how fun it is.”

  “She’s not you, either,” Kel said softly.

  “Hey, I’m on your side. Team destroy magic, remember? Yay.”

  Kel swallowed. “Let’s at least try this. It can’t hurt, right?”

  “It can if she becomes some super powerful mage that neither of us can defeat and decides she wants to keep magic at all costs and like… takes over the school and sucks all the power out of all the mages and then Morthil appears and takes over Finn, and at first they have this giant epic battle but then they’re like, hey you know what, let’s take over the world together. And then they go kill and enslave everyone else in the world. Like, that could happen.”

  Kel laughed.

  “I mean, probably it wouldn’t, but… that girl’s creepy. There’s something weird about her. Off, you know?”

  Kel cringed.

  “I don’t mean weird li
ke you. You’re good weird. In the nicest way. I mean that, seriously. The nicest way possible, Kel.”

  Kel laughed again and shook her head.

  “The… other thing is… if we help her learn her powers, we can learn a bit more about shadow magic. It might give us another idea of something else we can do. If she still won’t help us. And it might help us recognize other shadow mages.”

  Isabelle sat back, then leaned forward and clapped Kel on the shoulder. “There you go! That’s more like it. All right. I’m in.”

  40

  Finn

  The dining room was a subdued place, and Finn ate his meal quickly, not looking at the groups of mages clustered at their tables, their heads bent over their food, shoulders tense, whispering anxiously to one another.

  This will all be cleared up soon. We’ve been in worse situations.

  Across the room, Nate finished his food, brought his plate to the table at the side of the room, and headed for the exit. Finn dropped his spoon back into his bowl and sighed. He was just about to follow when Frewin appeared at his side. The man stood silently, as if waiting for something.

  “Hello Ambassador Redwood,” Finn said heavily. Wonderful, exactly who I wanted to see. “Would you like to sit?”

  “Thank you.”

  Frewin pulled out the chair and seated himself, his back ramrod straight, his hands flat on his thighs.

  “I have reconsidered.”

  Finn’s eyebrows shot up. “What do you mean?”

  “I believe I judged you too quickly. Power comes with danger, always, that is true. And I have been thinking more on this the last few days since we spoke. I had a dream, and in this dream, I saw the world as I think you see it. The vision of what it could become. I would like to sign this treaty you have proposed.”

  The room suddenly seemed brighter. The food he’d just eaten more delicious. The heavy atmosphere that pervaded the dining hall long forgotten. Finn wanted to stand, maybe jump up on the table and dance. Dignified. Be dignified. But he couldn’t keep himself from grinning.