\nRocky Beginnings
\nby
\nBrittany Ellis<\/p>\n
The room Mina Black stood in was dark. She assumed the people commissioning her next job didn\u2019t want her to recognize them. That, or they thought it gave them an air of mystery. Either way, they would be disappointed to know she had better-than-average sight. Though if she kept standing around she might die of boredom before she ever discovered what they wanted her to steal.
\nBefore she decided to abandon the creaky, old building, she heard a voice from behind.
\n\u201cWe\u2019re so glad you could meet us, Miss Black.\u201d The voice was gruff and most definitely male.
\nShe spun around and in the gloom could make out the outline of an older man. He appeared thin, a long dark cloak that camouflaged his actual size. Behind him stood four more people. They had the hoods of their cloaks drawn up, hiding their faces completely. They weren\u2019t relying solely on the lack of light to shield them from Mina\u2019s view.
\n\u201cYou sure took your time,\u201d Mina grumbled. She studied her blunt nails, attempting to be nonchalant.
\nThe leader nodded slowly. \u201cI apologize. We were\u2026delayed.\u201d
\nMina held out her hands and shrugging. She didn\u2019t tell the man how close he\u2019d been to being minus one talented thief.
\n\u201cLet\u2019s not waste time,\u201d she said instead, flipping her black hair over her shoulder. \u201cTell me what it is you want me to do.\u201d
\nThe man walked around Mina, the rest of the people following close behind. They had the herd-mentality of a worshiping cult. Memories were brought to the surface, memories that were best left forgotten. A shiver ran down her spine.
\n\u201cThere is an object of immense power,\u201d the man said. \u201cA stone, or a jewel really. We want you to get it from the man keeping it now and bring it to us.\u201d
\n\u201cYou want me to go after someone\u2019s fancy trinket?\u201d Mina snorted. \u201cAlright. Tell me who has it and you\u2019ll get it by tomorrow morning at the latest.\u201d
\nThe shadowy shape of the man turned to Mina in surprise.
\n\u201cJust like that?\u201d he demanded. \u201cYou don\u2019t even ask what it\u2019s for?\u201d
\n\u201cAs long as you pay me what I asked, you get your item.\u201d Mina gave a wicked smile. \u201cNo questions asked.\u201d
\n\u201cVery well,\u201d the man replied, sounding very pleased. He held out a small dagger. \u201cTake this. It will allow one of our men to find you when you have the jewel.\u201d
\nMina reached out and took the dagger by the blade, careful not to nick her fingers in the process. The blade was thin and tapered to a sharp point. On the blade, under the leather-wrapped hilt, was a gold image of a multi-pointed star. After admiring it for a moment, she nodded, then turned to leave the building and the shadowy figures.<\/p>\n
Mina stalked through the streets of the city. Magic hummed through her body, causing her fingers to tingle in anticipation.
\nAs she\u2019d left the building, one of the cloaked figures had stopped her, giving her a tiny vial, almost empty. Anyone else might have thought it was meaningless and thrown it away. However, Mina knew better.
\nInside the vial was a single strand of hair. The hair of the man who she was going to steal from.
\nShe\u2019d been able to use the hair for a tracking spell, not an easy feat, and now that spell was leading her through the city. A slight tug, like a small child grabbing her shirt, pulled her. It grew more insistent the closer she got to the target.
\nThe tugging led her to a nearly deserted street. The sun was setting and most people were heading home, ready for a cozy family dinner. The fleeting thought of Imogen, a young girl Mina took care of, passed through Mina\u2019s mind. By now, Imogen would be heating up food and eating alone. A pang of guilt went through her that she hastily pushed aside.
\nIn front of Mina, back to her, was a middle-aged man. His thick, brown hair was starting to streak with gray. He looked fit, though his shirt hung loose on him. His hands were shoved in his pockets and he turned his head to the side as if he heard Mina behind him.
\nThere was a shadow of a beard along his jaw. Around his eyes and on his forehead were deep wrinkles. Mina could imagine years of frowning were carved on his face. Even in the fading light, his gray eyes were striking, one moment a cool silver and the next dark slate.
\nMina, her footsteps made silent earlier with her magic, crept closer to the man. When she was within arms-length, she reached out for the man\u2019s pockets.
\nShe was used to doing this, had been stealing for years before ever becoming a professional thief. With the help of her magic, she was nearly invisible to ordinary people.
\nThe man turned, looking at her, his face blank. \u201cMay I help you?\u201d
\nMina stared at him, aghast, yanking her hand back to her side. The man raised an eyebrow at her, seeming more curious than angry.
\nIt was then that Mina realized there was no pulsing of magic around the man. Anytime there was magic, she could sense it. If the jewel was as powerful as the cloaked man said, it should have announced its presence by now. Which meant that the man didn\u2019t have the jewel after all.
\nOr the man was talented enough to conceal magic.
\n\u201cYou look distressed,\u201d the man said. Mina wasn\u2019t sure if he was actually concerned or making fun of her. \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong?\u201d
\nThe man reached out for Mina, but she darted away before he could touch her. With one last wide-eyed stare, she spun around and ran. The man grabbed at her hand, touching her wrist before she was able to get sprint away, heart in her throat.<\/p>\n
Mina walked toward home, her mind spinning. After an hour of aimless meandering she came to the decision to abandon the assignment to get the jewel.
\nShe\u2019d never failed a job before, but there was something about the man that unsettled her. It could\u2019ve been the fact that she hadn\u2019t sensed any magic on him or the way his eyes seemed to change colors. Mina thought of the way he\u2019d looked at her, concerned, but somehow it was like he understood her with a glance. As though he could read her soul.
\nMina shuddered at the thought. Unconsciously, she came to Moon River. The water was clear, flowing swiftly past and she crouched down to let the water trail around her fingers.
\nShe heard heavy footsteps behind her before the person spoke.
\n\u201cI\u2019m here to pick up the jewel,\u201d the stranger said in a deep voice.
\nMina turned around. The man wore the dark cloak as the others had, but it was too big for him, the bottom pooling on the ground around his feet.
\n\u201cI don\u2019t have it,\u201d Mina admitted. \u201cI\u2019ve decided I\u2019m not going to get it. Our contract is severed.\u201d
\n\u201cThat wasn\u2019t part of the deal,\u201d the man said. His voice was tight.
\n\u201cI\u2019m changing the deal.\u201d Mina took the dagger from where she\u2019d secured it at the small of her back.
\nWhen she held it out to the man, the hood of his cloak moved from side to side.
\n\u201cIf you want the stupid jewel,\u201d Mina declared, \u201cget it yourselves.\u201d
\nMina threw the dagger down, making sure the tip of the blade hit the ground, sinking in an inch. The hood tilted down and Mina assumed he was staring at the dagger.
\n\u201cYou will regret going back on your word,\u201d the man responded.
\n\u201cI\u2019m sure I will,\u201d Mina stated, not particularly worried. She turned away from the man, hurrying to her home.<\/p>\n
The small house Mina lived in was old and run down. The door was pieced together after having been blown down a few months ago. Mina had yet to get it replaced and just used magic for the time being to keep it together.
\nImogen was sitting on the sofa, a plate of microwaved chicken nuggets in front of her. When she saw Mina, she set the food on the couch next to her and jumped up. Her thin arms wrapped around Mina\u2019s waist as the girl hugged Mina close.
\n\u201cI didn\u2019t think you\u2019d be back so soon,\u201d Imogen said, looking up.
\nMina pushed the girl\u2019s light hair away from her face and smiled. \u201cI didn\u2019t either, but since I\u2019m here, what do you want to do?\u201d
\nImogen pondered the question for a moment, then asked, \u201cCan you tell me about Paris again?\u201d
\nMina chuckled, pushing Imogen toward the sofa before grabbing a book and sitting next to her. Two years ago, Mina had come across an old picture book about Paris, France and had shown it to Imogen on a whim. The young girl had become enamored with the city and decided one day she would live there.
\nEvery chance she got, Mina would squirrel away as much money as possible. Eventually, she would have enough to take them both to France and away from her life as a thief.
\nThey\u2019d just settled down to look at the book when there was a soft knock on the broken door. Mina\u2019s head jerked up at the sound. Beside her, Imogen tensed.
\n\u201cStay here,\u201d Mina ordered as she stood and made her way to the door cautiously.
\nOpening it revealed the man she\u2019d tried to rob earlier and a younger man behind him.
\nThe younger man was cute, in a nerdy way. His light brown hair stood up all over his head, like he\u2019d run his fingers through it repeatedly. He had blue eyes that were all but hidden behind thick-rimmed glasses. He was scowling and Mina instantly disliked him.
\nMina hurried to slam the door shut, but the older man had already shoved his foot between the door and the frame, giving him enough room to shoulder his way inside.
\n\u201cMay we come in?\u201d he asked, though he was already making his way into the living room. The younger man quickly followed giving Mina a dismissive glance as he passed her.
\nImogen had jumped to her feet when the men had entered and she looked from them to Mina with wide eyes.
\n\u201cGet out,\u201d Mina growled, gathering her magic to her.
\nThe older man looked around, assessing the house, then faced her. \u201cI apologize for the intrusion. Believe me, I wouldn\u2019t press the matter unless it was important.\u201d
\nWithout waiting for further explanation, Mina darted forward, hand outstretched. Her magic\u2019s biggest weakness was that she had to be touching the thing she wanted to manipulate. If she wanted to cast a spell on herself it was not a problem, but trying it on someone else required stealth.
\nOr in this case, surprise.
\nBefore she could reach the older man, a blurred shape appeared in front of her. Between one second and the next, she was tumbling through the air, her chest feeling like she\u2019d been hit by a wrecking ball. She crashed into the wall next to the door, sinking down with a groan.
\n\u201cIsaac!\u201d the older man yelled, hurrying to Mina\u2019s side. \u201cAre you alright?\u201d
\nIt felt like Mina\u2019s brain was rattling around in her skull and when she tried to nod, the world started to spin.
\nThe man ran a hand along Mina\u2019s head, trailing his fingers from the crown of her skull to her forehead. Instantly, her mind was clear and the world righted itself. She looked up at the man, who was smiling at her.
\n\u201cBetter?\u201d he asked.
\nMina tried to reevaluate the man before her. His eyes still disarmed her and she felt he knew too much, but he had helped her. Maybe he wasn\u2019t as much of a threat as she\u2019d previously thought. Not that that mattered right now. She wanted both men gone.
\nThe older man had stood up and was yelling at the other, the one he\u2019d called Isaac. Isaac was shaking his right hand, like he\u2019d punched Mina. There was a faint humming around him, like an aura, announcing magic. He hung his head under the verbal attack.
\n\u201cYou could have seriously hurt the poor girl,\u201d the man was saying. \u201cOr her house. Not to mention you\u2019re nowhere near ready to use so much magic. Do you want to pass out like you did when you first came to me?\u201d
\n\u201cNo,\u201d Isaac mumbled, looking away.
\nWith a heavy sigh, as if Isaac were a lost cause, the man turned back to Mina. She\u2019d stood and during the commotion, Imogen had hurried to her side.
\n\u201cI\u2019m really sorry about that,\u201d he said, actually sounding apologetic. \u201cIsaac can sometimes be impulsive and over protective of me.\u201d
\n\u201cWho are you?\u201d Mina demanded, keeping Imogen behind her.
\n\u201cMy name is Grayson,\u201d the man said. \u201cI came because I think you might be in danger.\u201d
\nMina cocked her head to the side. \u201cWhat kind of danger?\u201d
\nGrayson crossed his arms. \u201cI\u2019m assuming you were trying to steal a certain jewel earlier. Is that correct?\u201d
\nMina shrugged, unwilling to admit to anything.
\n\u201cThere\u2019s very few people who even know about this jewel, and even less willing to hire someone to do their dirty work. And now that you failed, these people will hunt you down. The less loose ends the better, and they\u2019re willing to kill to keep people from knowing their goals.
\n\u201cIf you\u2019d managed to get the jewel and gave it to them, they would\u2019ve killed you on the spot, but now you\u2019re a threat to them.\u201d
\n\u201cSo you think these guys will come here?\u201d Mina asked.
\nGrayson nodded solemnly.
\nMina snorted. \u201cLet them try. They\u2019ll be in for a big surprise.\u201d When Grayson opened his mouth she continued. \u201cIt\u2019s nice that you\u2019re so worried, but I\u2019m stronger than I look. I can handle a few thugs.\u201d
\nIt was Isaac who responded. \u201cYou think you\u2019re strong?\u201d He barked out a laugh. \u201cThat\u2019s a joke. You\u2019re magic is barely above average and I doubt you can actually hold your own against a decent opponent.\u201d
\nMina took a step forward, which Isaac matched. There was something about Isaac, the sound of his voice, which tugged at Mina\u2019s memories. That feeling was buried under the anger building with every word he said. They were seconds away from clawing at each other\u2019s throats when Grayson pulled Isaac back.
\n\u201cI\u2019m not saying you\u2019re weak, but I don\u2019t think you understand what you\u2019re up against,\u201d he admitted. \u201cIf nothing else, you should be concerned for the girl.\u201d
\nImogen perked up when she was mentioned. Mina reached back and put a hand on her protectively.
\n\u201cI can keep \u2018the girl\u2019 safe,\u201d she said. \u201cYou don\u2019t need to worry about her.\u201d
\nGrayson started to say something, but before he could there was a loud popping. All of them turned to the doorway, where Mina\u2019s spell work had given out. The pieces of splintered wood fell to the ground. On the other side of the doorway stood a group of six cloaked figures.
\n\u201cDamn,\u201d Grayson cursed under his breath. \u201cI was hoping it would take them longer to find us.\u201d
\nAs one, the group entered Mina\u2019s home. Grayson met the leader of the group, standing in front of Isaac and Mina. Though he didn\u2019t like her, Isaac stepped in front of Mina, providing another barrier for the cloaked group.
\n\u201cHow good to see you, warlock,\u201d the leader of the group said. It was the same man that Mina had gotten the assignment from. \u201cThe thief wasn\u2019t a complete waste after all.\u201d
\n\u201cBanin,\u201d Grayson said, disgusted. \u201cWe both know I don\u2019t have the Jewel. Was this just some sort of game for you?\u201d
\nThe leader, Banin, laughed. \u201cYou\u2019re behind on the times. The Jewel has emerged again and the fight to claim it is already underway. No, our goal was to find you, but we didn\u2019t have the ability.\u201d He raised a finger and pointed to Mina. \u201cShe does, though.\u201d
\nMina started. \u201cSo I was just a tool?\u201d
\nShe tried to go forward, but Isaac grabbed her arm.
\n\u201cAre you insane?\u201d he demanded. \u201cThis is between them.\u201d
\nShe glared at him. \u201cNot when they use me. Let me go.\u201d
\n\u201cJust wait,\u201d Isaac told her. \u201cLet Grayson take care of it.\u201d
\n\u201cYou\u2019ve found me, so now what?\u201d Grayson asked, raising his hands in front of him.
\n\u201cNow you\u2019ll come with us and help us find all three artifacts,\u201d Banin declared. \u201cAnd then we\u2019ll be unstoppable.\u201d
\nMina had no idea what the two men were talking about. All she wanted was to punch the man in the nose. Isaac\u2019s grip on her arm tightened. Magic itched under her skin, wanting to be released. The thought of unleashing the magic on Isaac crossed her mind, but she dismissed it.
\n\u201cI can\u2019t let you do that,\u201d Grayson said.
\nHe threw out an arm. Mina had moments to see the yellow light of powerful magic around his arm before it was shot out at Banin like an arrow. The magic hit Banin sending him backward. If Isaac\u2019s magic strike had sent Mina crashing into the wall, this attack was ten times stronger. Banin tumbled head over heels. When he finally hit the wall cracks emerged, spider webbing to the ceiling.
\nMina held her breath. It would take a lot of magic to fix the wall, not to mention the door that had been broken again.
\nFor a long moment, Mina wondered if the man was dead. He lay on the floor, face pressed into the carpet, motionless. The entire room was silent, waiting.
\nWhen Mina had given up on Banin, he slowly pushed himself up. There was a small pool of blood where his head had been. In the blast, his hood had been pushed back, revealing his face. Mina gasped and Imogen pressed against her back, small hands clutching her shirt.
\nBanin\u2019s skin was covered in tattoos and scars. There were cuts of various sizes and depths in different stages of healing. One of the cuts on his forehead had started to bleed, red trailing down his cheek. His left eye was a dark brown, but the right was foggy.
\n\u201cWhat have you done?\u201d Grayson whispered, in shock at the gruesome appearance.
\n\u201cWe\u2019ve found the way to get magic,\u201d Banin declared, proud. \u201cYou said it was impossible, but we\u2019ve proved you wrong.\u201d
\nThe other people pushed back their own hoods to reveal they all were disfigured in the same way. Mina looked from one to the other. She was familiar, too familiar, with how far normal people might go to get magic, but this was too much. Her stomach twisted and rolled and she clamped her mouth tight.
\n\u201cYou\u2019ve messed with black magic,\u201d Grayson said. \u201cAll that will do is just hurt you in the end.\u201d
\n\u201cI don\u2019t care,\u201d Banin admitted. \u201cI\u2019ve got power for the first time, and I\u2019m not going to let you get in the way of that.\u201d
\nBanin zipped forward. He was surrounded by a black haze. It lifted of him in tendrils, writhing in the air. Mina felt dirty and uncomfortable just seeing it. She released her own magic in an attempt to counter the feeling of Banin\u2019s dark magic.
\nBanin swung a hand at Grayson\u2019s head, using the magic to lend his punch more momentum. Grayson lifted his arms in an X, blocking the strike. Without missing a beat, Banin spun his leg in a kick, his foot colliding with Grayson\u2019s side.
\nGrayson let out a pained cry. He recovered quicker than Mina would\u2019ve expected, placing a hand on Banin\u2019s chest. His magic went through Banin\u2019s body, causing the other man to collapse to his feet, shaking.
\nWhen Banin had launched toward Grayson, his followers took a moment, but they eventually followed suit, hurling themselves at Isaac and Mina. Isaac lifted his hands, erecting a hasty barrier. Two of the people, a man and a woman, skirted the barrier. The woman, her magic the same serpentine black as Banin\u2019s, turned to Mina.
\nWithout thinking, Mina bent down, placing her hands on the floor. Straining her magic, she forced the ground beneath her to separate, a crack spreading forward. The woman realized what was happening a moment too late. The crack opened under her feet and she fell into the hole. Mina closed the crack just enough to trap the woman, but not kill her, leaving a space for air to enter.
\nIsaac had dispatched his opponent while Mina had been distracted. He glanced at her with an expression of surprised respect.
\n\u201cNot bad,\u201d he admitted.
\nThe other people had made their way around the barrier. Mina pointed to them.
\n\u201cDon\u2019t waste time on compliments,\u201d she ordered. \u201cHelp me get rid of these guys.\u201d
\nImogen had darted into a corner when the woman had attacked Mina. She held a small pocketknife in front of her that she\u2019d grabbed when Mina wasn\u2019t paying attention. Mina moved to go to her, but one of the intruders appeared in front of her.
\nMina growled. \u201cYou\u2019ll get out of my way if you know what\u2019s good for you.\u201d
\nThe woman shook her head. Her black magic coalesced at her hands, morphing into two sharp knives. Mina eyed them warily. The woman struck out with one and Mina was barely able to swerve away from the sharp metal.
\nMina tried to touch the ground, but the woman had already seen that trick. She stabbed the knives down and Mina pulled her hands back, just avoiding getting a knife through the back of her hand. Instead, she kicked out at the woman\u2019s stomach. The blow knocked the woman back a few feet, but she righted herself.
\nThe woman swung the knives, aiming for Mina\u2019s arms, neck, chest, anything that might incapacitate her. Years of training were the only thing keeping Mina from being sliced to ribbons. It was impossible to touch the woman and cast a spell.
\nShe was so absorbed in staying out of the woman\u2019s reach that she wasn\u2019t able to pay attention to the others. It wasn\u2019t until she heard a high-pitched scream that she glanced away from the knives.
\nIsaac was preoccupied by his own opponent. The third intruder, another man, had gone to Imogen. He was enormous, six foot tall and built like a linebacker. Imogen\u2019s pocketknife was laying on the ground several yards away from the girl and the man had his hand around her throat. He\u2019d raised her several feet from the ground, her tiny bare feet dangled helplessly.
\n\u201cImogen!\u201d Mina cried. She turned to run to the girl, but a sharp pain in her arm brought her attention back to the woman and her knives.
\nHer sleeve was cut, red staining the cloth. Her arm felt like it was on fire, but she pushed the pain aside. When the woman brought the knife down, aiming at Mina\u2019s head, she reached up, grabbing the blade.
\nThe sharp edge cut into her palm. She bit down on her lip until she tasted blood, but she refused to let go of the knife. The woman\u2019s eyes went big and she hesitated, unsure how to respond to Mina\u2019s action. That moment was all Mina needed.
\nShe raised her other hand, slamming it on the woman\u2019s forehead. Her magic shot through her, edged on by her anger and pain. The woman stared at Mina. Her eyes were a rich green and at one time she might\u2019ve been beautiful. Now her brown hair was ragged and dirty and there were shadows under her eyes.
\nMina felt no sympathy toward the woman, instead causing spasms of pain to run through the intruder\u2019s body. The woman\u2019s tattoos contorted as her face twisted in agony. When the woman dropped to the ground, unconscious, Mina stopped the pain. The woman wouldn\u2019t hurt when she woke, but she would remember, the memory a warning.
\nShe turned quickly, running for Imogen. The girl was clawing at the man\u2019s hand around her throat, her face starting to change color. Mina jumped on the man\u2019s back, wrapping her arms around his neck. She squeezed tight, her hand spread across his face. It took a breathless moment before her sleeping spell went to work. The man\u2019s grip on Imogen loosened. He fell back and Mina sprang off him, grabbing Imogen and holding her close.
\nIsaac, finished with the last of their attackers, came to stand next to them.
\n\u201cImpressive,\u201d he admitted. There was a hint of admiration in his voice.
\n\u201cThanks, four-eyes,\u201d Mina taunted, poking his forehead above his glasses.
\nHis expression changed from respect to the anger that Mina had already learned to associate with him.
\nOn the other side of the barrier, Grayson was standing over Banin. They were both cut up and bruised, breathing heavily. While Mina had been dealing with her own fights, they\u2019d destroyed most of the living room.
\n\u201cJust stop,\u201d Grayson said, tired. \u201cThis is pointless.\u201d
\nBanin looked to Mina and Isaac, who had moved to stand next to Grayson, seeing that he was the only one still awake. He glared at everyone around him. With great effort, Banin pushed up.
\n\u201cYou think you\u2019ve won,\u201d he said, mostly to himself than to Grayson. \u201cBut you\u2019re wrong. I\u2019m not stopping because of a little setback. I\u2019m just going to keep getting more power and when we meet again, you\u2019ll be the one begging for mercy.\u201d
\nBefore any of them could move, Banin raised his hood and put his hand on the ground like Mina had when she created the crack. Instead of the ground separating, Banin sank into it. He disappeared without a sound, the remnants of his twisting black magic evaporating into the air.
\nGrayson moved his head, tension tightening his shoulders. \u201cThat could\u2019ve gone better.\u201d
\n\u201cWe should go back home,\u201d Isaac said. \u201cWe need to track him down.\u201d
\n\u201cLater,\u201d Grayson replied. \u201cI have a feeling a tracking spell won\u2019t help us right now.\u201d
\nMina stomped in front of the two men, hands on her hips. \u201cYou\u2019re not leaving yet. You\u2019re going to tell me what the hell just happened.\u201d
\n\u201cIt\u2019s a long story.\u201d Grayson ran a hand through his hair.
\n\u201cGive me the Spark Notes version.\u201d Mina stood her ground, determined to get answers.
\nGrayson thought for a moment, his hand on his chin. \u201cThere\u2019s three very powerful artifacts. They were all thought lost, but I guess one of them was found recently.\u201d
\n\u201cAnd why did that guy want to find you?\u201d Mina asked.
\n\u201cI\u2019m a very strong warlock.\u201d Grayson shrugged. \u201cBanin\u2019s always wanted magic and power, but I refused to teach him. Some people just can\u2019t handle magic. As you can see, he didn\u2019t take no very well and decided to learn magic using dark means.\u201d
\nMina gaped at Grayson. \u201cSo you\u2019re telling me I was used to find you and Imogen and I were attacked just because the guy was miffed by your rejection?\u201d
\nImogen had bounced back from the attack, but there were angry marks around her throat.
\n\u201cIt appears that way.\u201d Grayson nodded.
\n\u201cHe\u2019s a good teacher,\u201d Isaac put in like that was a decent explanation. Mina glared at him before turning back to Grayson.
\n\u201cThat\u2019s crap,\u201d she declared. \u201cWhat happens if Banin decides to come back here?\u201d
\n\u201cI\u2019m sure he will,\u201d Grayson admitted. \u201cHe has a single-minded determination to finish what he starts.\u201d Grayson smiled. \u201cThat\u2019s why I was going to suggest you and the girl come with us.\u201d
\nMina opened her mouth, then her mind caught up with what the man had said. \u201cYou want us to go with you? Why?\u201d
\n\u201cYou\u2019re a strong magic-user.\u201d Grayson was matter-of-fact, serious. \u201cBut you have a lot of room for improvement. I\u2019d like to help you. And it would be good for Imogen to get out of here.\u201d
\n\u201cWhat\u2019s wrong with being here?\u201d Mina demanded crossly. She knew they weren\u2019t living in ideal conditions, but it had worked for years.
\n\u201cShe\u2019s a young girl,\u201d Grayson pointed out. \u201cDo you really want to be gone and have something happen to her, magical or otherwise?\u201d
\nMina found she couldn\u2019t argue, however much she might want to. She looked at Imogen. The girl seemed impassive, but Mina could see the light in her eyes. To the girl, this was just another adventure. And, Mina admitted to herself, she wasn\u2019t as good a guardian as she wanted to be. The marks around her neck confirmed what Mina suspected.
\n\u201cFine,\u201d she said. \u201cWe\u2019ll go with you for now. When I get what I need to protect Imogen, we\u2019re leaving.\u201d She pointed a finger at Grayson. \u201cGot it? It\u2019s not permanent.\u201d
\nGrayson tried unsuccessfully to hide his grin. \u201cUnderstandable. It\u2019s agreed.\u201d
\nHe made his way through the empty doorway. Isaac hurried to the man\u2019s side. He talked low, looking back to Mina every now and then. Grayson just laughed, putting a hand on Isaac\u2019s shoulder and saying something in response.
\nMina took Imogen\u2019s hand. When Isaac looked back at her again, she gave him a little wave with her fingers and a smirk. He scowled and looked away. Mina smiled to herself. She followed the two men, Imogen at her side.
\nThis change might be more interesting than she expected.<\/p>\n
THE END<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Brittany Ellis is currently a graduate student of Professional Writing at the University of Oklahoma. She was the first undergrad to graduate with a Professional Writing minor and has been creating fantasy worlds since she was a child.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Rocky Beginnings by Brittany Ellis The room Mina Black stood in was dark. She assumed the people commissioning her next job didn\u2019t want her to recognize them. That, or they thought it gave them an air of mystery. Either way, they would be disappointed to know she had better-than-average sight. Though if she kept standing…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[9,2,3,12],"tags":[34,36,79,84],"class_list":["post-543","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-archives","category-astounding-stories","category-fantasy","category-swords-socery-and-subway-cars","tag-fantasy","tag-game-of-thrones","tag-sorcery","tag-swords"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/astoundingoutpost.com\/stories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/543","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/astoundingoutpost.com\/stories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/astoundingoutpost.com\/stories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/astoundingoutpost.com\/stories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/astoundingoutpost.com\/stories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=543"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/astoundingoutpost.com\/stories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/543\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/astoundingoutpost.com\/stories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=543"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/astoundingoutpost.com\/stories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=543"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/astoundingoutpost.com\/stories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=543"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}