work fast, this spell only works for fifteen minutes.”
I smiled when Ian raised an impressed eyebrow at me. What, did he think I was an amateur? I was an experienced Blade agent. Secrecy during investigations was imperative. Though it was unlikely anyone had any interest in the current investigation, you could never be too careful. In a world filled with paranorms with super hearing and unseen spirits, a No-Speak spell in public open spaces was SOP. The only problem was they were dangerous. It was important to be specific with the time on a No-Speak, and to only use them in very short intervals. The last thing anyone wanted was to be caught in a dangerous situation and not be able to scream out for help.
When they reached the alley opening Millie stopped and looked at Ian. “It was getting dark, and I didn’t see anyone in the alley. But I didn’t really look. I was in a hurry.”
She began to slowly walk down the path between the two brick buildings, Ian and I trailing behind her. She stopped about half way down the alley. “I think I was about here when I noticed the man. He was standing against the wall near the other end. He started walking towards me.”
Ian went to stand next to her. “Concentrate. How did he walk, did he speak to you? Was there anyone else in or near the alley?”
Millie looked confused by the questions, but complied. “He walked normal. No, wait, I remember now. I thought he walked kind of strange, kind of stiff. He was walking towards me, but I just kept going, then he reached out and grabbed my arm.”
She ran up about fifteen feet and stopped. “I was right around here. I remember because I pushed him away and pounded on this door.” She indicated a shabby wooden door that had seen better days. It was obviously a back entrance to one of the shops in the building.
“No one came, and the man grabbed me again. I screamed.” She paused, her eyes closed in concentration. “He told me to shut up. He said he was going to make all of my troubles go away. But…but it was weird. His voice was weird. Like it didn’t fit his body. I don’t know, I can’t explain it. It doesn’t make sense. I was really scared.” She looked at me as if in apology.
“I know. It’s ok. What happened next?”
“Well, I’m not very good at magic at real magic, but I keep a small charged crystal in my pocket. It was a throw away, and I can charge it myself.” She said quickly, as if they would think she stole it. “Anyway, Mama taught me an easy flash spell. So I put my hand in my pocket and said the spell. The flash of light startled the man and I was able to pull away. I ran towards the end of the alley.”
Not everyone was born with the power to perform magic, and those who did have power sometimes only had specific powers and may not have the ability to do certain spells. Being a norm, a person with no magic or not enough magic to register on the Mage-Level exams, in a paranorm dominated world was both inconvenient and dangerous. So much of the technology today depended on magic. Life could be very hard without the power to perform easy spells. And in a world where everyone was stronger and faster than you, having a little bit of magic to use could mean the difference between life and death. Norms and paranorms with little or no magic often carried crystals charged with general magical energy. They could perform small spells and tasks by touching the crystal and saying the spell or curse.
Millie looked defiantly at Ian. “There wasn’t anyone else there. I know because I was screaming for help and looking around. There wasn’t anyone. I made it to the end, but I tripped here.” She walked to the end and used one foot clad in a ragged boot to point to a hole in the ground just beyond the edge of the alley. She had made it out onto the public sidewalk.
“I fell down and the man was coming at me. When he reached down to grab me I kicked up as hard as I could. I don’t know where I hit him,
I smiled when Ian raised an impressed eyebrow at me. What, did he think I was an amateur? I was an experienced Blade agent. Secrecy during investigations was imperative. Though it was unlikely anyone had any interest in the current investigation, you could never be too careful. In a world filled with paranorms with super hearing and unseen spirits, a No-Speak spell in public open spaces was SOP. The only problem was they were dangerous. It was important to be specific with the time on a No-Speak, and to only use them in very short intervals. The last thing anyone wanted was to be caught in a dangerous situation and not be able to scream out for help.
When they reached the alley opening Millie stopped and looked at Ian. “It was getting dark, and I didn’t see anyone in the alley. But I didn’t really look. I was in a hurry.”
She began to slowly walk down the path between the two brick buildings, Ian and I trailing behind her. She stopped about half way down the alley. “I think I was about here when I noticed the man. He was standing against the wall near the other end. He started walking towards me.”
Ian went to stand next to her. “Concentrate. How did he walk, did he speak to you? Was there anyone else in or near the alley?”
Millie looked confused by the questions, but complied. “He walked normal. No, wait, I remember now. I thought he walked kind of strange, kind of stiff. He was walking towards me, but I just kept going, then he reached out and grabbed my arm.”
She ran up about fifteen feet and stopped. “I was right around here. I remember because I pushed him away and pounded on this door.” She indicated a shabby wooden door that had seen better days. It was obviously a back entrance to one of the shops in the building.
“No one came, and the man grabbed me again. I screamed.” She paused, her eyes closed in concentration. “He told me to shut up. He said he was going to make all of my troubles go away. But…but it was weird. His voice was weird. Like it didn’t fit his body. I don’t know, I can’t explain it. It doesn’t make sense. I was really scared.” She looked at me as if in apology.
“I know. It’s ok. What happened next?”
“Well, I’m not very good at magic at real magic, but I keep a small charged crystal in my pocket. It was a throw away, and I can charge it myself.” She said quickly, as if they would think she stole it. “Anyway, Mama taught me an easy flash spell. So I put my hand in my pocket and said the spell. The flash of light startled the man and I was able to pull away. I ran towards the end of the alley.”
Not everyone was born with the power to perform magic, and those who did have power sometimes only had specific powers and may not have the ability to do certain spells. Being a norm, a person with no magic or not enough magic to register on the Mage-Level exams, in a paranorm dominated world was both inconvenient and dangerous. So much of the technology today depended on magic. Life could be very hard without the power to perform easy spells. And in a world where everyone was stronger and faster than you, having a little bit of magic to use could mean the difference between life and death. Norms and paranorms with little or no magic often carried crystals charged with general magical energy. They could perform small spells and tasks by touching the crystal and saying the spell or curse.
Millie looked defiantly at Ian. “There wasn’t anyone else there. I know because I was screaming for help and looking around. There wasn’t anyone. I made it to the end, but I tripped here.” She walked to the end and used one foot clad in a ragged boot to point to a hole in the ground just beyond the edge of the alley. She had made it out onto the public sidewalk.
“I fell down and the man was coming at me. When he reached down to grab me I kicked up as hard as I could. I don’t know where I hit him,
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