short introduction he gave, a small smile returning, "But you can call me Jimmy."
I grasped it cautiously, the familiar presence of another mage buzzed against my conscience, a reminder of our introduction outside the library. Instead of the excited anticipation I had felt before, now I could only feel doubtful mistrust.
Still, I replied, "Nicholas Stratus." After a second's pause, I added reluctantly, "You can call me Nick, if you want."
His smile widened, seemingly oblivious to my suspicious thoughts, "Jimmy and Nick." Swann laughed, "I think that has a nice ring to it."
"Stratus and Swann." I smiled, despite my reservations.
"Swann and Stratus sounds better to me." Jimmy corrected with a playful glint in his eye.
I didn't like that look. It seemed wrong to make jokes with this 'Jimmy Swann' just after we had witnessed the aftermath of a coldly calculated murder. Maybe Swann could brush that off, maybe he was even involved… but I couldn't just forget what we had just seen.
Maybe he read my mood by the dark look on my face because his smile vanished again, and his hands fell back to his side. Swann turned to his satchel quietly and pulled out a thin silver laptop, powering it up and beginning to type.
"That was terrible." He said, sorrow evident in his voice, "No one should have to die like that." Even as he spoke he never looked up from his laptop screen, and I could hear the steady sound of typing from the other side of the table. I had pulled out nothing from my bag in response, instead sitting with my arms folded, acutely aware that my back was towards the door of the room.
"It was." I only agreed, though my tone suggested anger, suspicion- possibly directed at Swann himself. Was he involved? Remorse and guilt went hand in hand; I knew that better than most. Life had taught me not to trust easily, everyone had some angle. It had pounded that lesson into me until I nearly broke. Trust was earned, and Swann was very far from earning mine.
"It wasn't me." James said quietly, eyes downcast. Again he seemed to read my thoughts. But it was no magic, he just had a good read on me. I wasn't exactly being subtle in making my displeasure known. There was no point in pretending that I wasn't suspicious of the only other mage I knew at the scene of the crime- it would be stupid not to be.
"Prove it." I challenged.
Green eyes behind wire rimmed frames looked up to meet mine, and he grimaced, "You know I can't."
I sat up straighter, leaning forward and placed folded arms on the table. I matched his stare with my own and waited for him to say something else.
He didn't, instead looking back down to his laptop screen to continue his sedate typing. It was quiet for over a minute as neither of us said anything further.
"You don't seem as suspicious of me as I do of you." I said suddenly, annoyed by his silence.
A shake of the head, "I know you're not involved… at least I'm pretty sure. You're a freshman, you just started this semester."
"How do you know that?"
The typing stopped, and Swann smoothly turned the laptop around to face me, and I found myself looking at my own Facebook profile, unlocked, which should be impossible since we weren't friends. Swann's mouse pointer hovered directly over the information that declared me a freshman student at UD, it also listed by hometown in Virginia. Swann knew who I was and where I was from, seemingly within minutes of meeting me for the first time.
"How?" I managed to ask, "My profile is set to private."
Swann shrugged, "I hacked it. It's not hard if you know what to do. Also…" He turned the laptop back, made a few muted clicks, and then flipped it back to me once more. This time, it showed another profile, this one of a very familiar girl next to another that I didn't recognize. Both had equally wide smile, standing with arms entangled across shoulders in a successful attempt to clump closer together for the picture. The easy nature of their huddle spoke of a sense of
I grasped it cautiously, the familiar presence of another mage buzzed against my conscience, a reminder of our introduction outside the library. Instead of the excited anticipation I had felt before, now I could only feel doubtful mistrust.
Still, I replied, "Nicholas Stratus." After a second's pause, I added reluctantly, "You can call me Nick, if you want."
His smile widened, seemingly oblivious to my suspicious thoughts, "Jimmy and Nick." Swann laughed, "I think that has a nice ring to it."
"Stratus and Swann." I smiled, despite my reservations.
"Swann and Stratus sounds better to me." Jimmy corrected with a playful glint in his eye.
I didn't like that look. It seemed wrong to make jokes with this 'Jimmy Swann' just after we had witnessed the aftermath of a coldly calculated murder. Maybe Swann could brush that off, maybe he was even involved… but I couldn't just forget what we had just seen.
Maybe he read my mood by the dark look on my face because his smile vanished again, and his hands fell back to his side. Swann turned to his satchel quietly and pulled out a thin silver laptop, powering it up and beginning to type.
"That was terrible." He said, sorrow evident in his voice, "No one should have to die like that." Even as he spoke he never looked up from his laptop screen, and I could hear the steady sound of typing from the other side of the table. I had pulled out nothing from my bag in response, instead sitting with my arms folded, acutely aware that my back was towards the door of the room.
"It was." I only agreed, though my tone suggested anger, suspicion- possibly directed at Swann himself. Was he involved? Remorse and guilt went hand in hand; I knew that better than most. Life had taught me not to trust easily, everyone had some angle. It had pounded that lesson into me until I nearly broke. Trust was earned, and Swann was very far from earning mine.
"It wasn't me." James said quietly, eyes downcast. Again he seemed to read my thoughts. But it was no magic, he just had a good read on me. I wasn't exactly being subtle in making my displeasure known. There was no point in pretending that I wasn't suspicious of the only other mage I knew at the scene of the crime- it would be stupid not to be.
"Prove it." I challenged.
Green eyes behind wire rimmed frames looked up to meet mine, and he grimaced, "You know I can't."
I sat up straighter, leaning forward and placed folded arms on the table. I matched his stare with my own and waited for him to say something else.
He didn't, instead looking back down to his laptop screen to continue his sedate typing. It was quiet for over a minute as neither of us said anything further.
"You don't seem as suspicious of me as I do of you." I said suddenly, annoyed by his silence.
A shake of the head, "I know you're not involved… at least I'm pretty sure. You're a freshman, you just started this semester."
"How do you know that?"
The typing stopped, and Swann smoothly turned the laptop around to face me, and I found myself looking at my own Facebook profile, unlocked, which should be impossible since we weren't friends. Swann's mouse pointer hovered directly over the information that declared me a freshman student at UD, it also listed by hometown in Virginia. Swann knew who I was and where I was from, seemingly within minutes of meeting me for the first time.
"How?" I managed to ask, "My profile is set to private."
Swann shrugged, "I hacked it. It's not hard if you know what to do. Also…" He turned the laptop back, made a few muted clicks, and then flipped it back to me once more. This time, it showed another profile, this one of a very familiar girl next to another that I didn't recognize. Both had equally wide smile, standing with arms entangled across shoulders in a successful attempt to clump closer together for the picture. The easy nature of their huddle spoke of a sense of
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