Made of Matter

Chapter Five

Wong caught me as I was leaving the kitchen after dinner that night.

'Lina, how are things?' His expressionless face had me questioning his intentions, had he learnt about me and Lee, or worse, what happened between Stephen and me?

'Great. Things are great.' I said coolly.

Wong nodded and folded his hands behind his back, 'I was wondering if I could have a word?'

I straightened my spine and gave him a tight smile, this was it. Wong would tell me I was done with my apprenticeship after my involvement with not one but two masters.

Instead he began to walk away and as I followed he glanced over his shoulder, brows lowered,

'No. Not now. Later. I'll be in Kamar-Taj for a while. Meet me by the window later.' His chin jerked upward to indicate the huge window of the Sanctum.

Confused at his attentions and a little nervous I followed him even as he walked away without my agreement.

'Can I ask why?'

Wong did not stop his hurried stride and side-eyed me, 'I want to talk about your physical training. Stephen begun it today didn't he?'

I blanched but quickly found my words, 'Uhh no. No not yet, did he mention something?' I severely doubted it but who knew, Stephen might have gone to Wong to snitch on me about Lee.

It was clear Stephen had an aversion to Master Tate. Or really anyone who I might be friendly with or like. He found a way to assure me frequently we were very different people and had little in common. It was like if he proved our differences I would go to Wong and claim how incompatible we were and I would be assigned to another master, no longer Stephen's problem.

For a doctor he was a little dense.

'You understand why our methods have changed over recent years. People have taken advantage of the mystic arts and we've had to cut our intakes. It's why you don't have a sling ring from the very first day you are inducted. You must earn it and the privileges it brings.'

I nodded, aware of this. Wong had told me the lifestyle I would be living in the Sanctum, how different it would be from those who had trained before me.

Apprentices used to trained in Kamar-Taj under the watchful eye of several masters. But some saw the opportunity in forming alliances and making up their own mind about what it meant to be a master of the mystic arts.

To ensure that the universe would be protected by the right people - fair and honourable people with the same idea of justice - each master took on one apprentice and that apprentice lived and studied where their master resided.

It was why I had never been to Kamar-Taj. Stephen preferred the New York Sanctum and the convenience of the Starbucks across the road.

'I'll see you at the watching hour.' Wong said and disappeared in a movement of orange sparks and trailing robes.

***

The watching hour was three in the morning. technically it was the witching hour but sorcerers weren't a big fan of being associated with witches and wizards. It was a different art.

Some sorcerers got offended, saying being mistaken for a wizard instead of a sorcerer was highly offensive. Besides the hat, I wasn't sure what the difference was.

I tapped the alarm on my phone and shuffled out of bed to throw on a robe before heading upstairs. I stifled a yawn as I climbed the stairs to glance a figure standing with their arms behind their back.