Alchemical Magic

Chapter 1-2

Breakfast was the usual fare: a bacon-veggie egg scramble (Bettie, the housekeeper, was trying to fool me into eating rabbit food) and toast for the Major, Jack, and me, and oatmeal for Grandpa and Uncle Billie.

Or Billie, as I called him, since I could never think of this child in a man's body as my uncle. His mind, destroyed by grandpa's enemies (and mine, too), was simple, although his body was as strong as an adult man's. This is why no nanny could handle him, and grandpa finally hired the retired police sergeant the Major recommended.

I remember how, at first, the Major was squeamish about Billie, his gaze always avoiding him. Dark mages hate weakness. And seeing what light magic did to Billie, knowing that a sufficiently powerful light mage could do that to him, too…

The Major avoided talking and looking at Billie for weeks, until one day, he witnessed Billie nervously breaking furniture around him in a fit of anxiety. I think the powerless rage he saw must have clicked with something inside him, because he became more understanding of him.

Basically, that meant he stopped avoiding him and started ignoring him.

That's quite a lot, considering the only thing dark arall hate more than a challenge to their authority is weakness.

The Major, who was reading the newspaper under Grandpa's disapproving gaze, started searching for coffee with his hand, too engrossed in whatever he was reading. Grandpa pushed the cup of coffee into his hand, and the Major took a sip out of it, placing it back onto the saucer.

Those two are becoming too cozy with each other. Like a married couple or something.

Which wasn't good for me, since the more they were on the same page, the more time they had to train me, with great gusto and passion, splitting among themselves every free hour I had during the day, instead of scheming against each other. Which made the dates with Jack almost impossible.

Sure, we compensated by having Jack stay with me on many nights, but it wasn't the same as a proper date.

After we finished the meal, everybody ran away, to their respective occupation. The Major, to his secret spy job, whatever he did there; Grandpa, to the university, where he taught; Jack, to the police station, where he worked, and Billie, to the nursery, to play with trains and have some lessons with his tutor (his mind was improving; he was able to learn things now, no longer forgetting everything he learned).

I kissed Jack on the way out, as the Major swore and pushed us aside, running out in haste.

"There are advantages to living so close to university," I observed. Then I gave Jack another kiss.

"I know you miss each other and everything," grandpa said, "but may I remind you, Dana, that your class starts in ten minutes? You don't want to be late on your first day, wouldn't you? And you, Detective Taylor, have to go to work."

See? Those two geezers are conspiring to destroy all remnants of privacy and personal life I have left.

"See you tomorrow," Jack said. "I can't come today."

"That's OK," I said, "See you tomorrow."

And he left, going toward the police station, as I turned towards the PAAM College. It was time for another class in magic today.