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Soraya, Jonathan and Valor stood on the top of a cliff hanging over the Valtic Ocean. The air was hot and humid with a muggy breeze settling on their skin like an invisible coat. Thankfully, there were enough palm trees to hide under, which helped the friends avoid the sun's unforgiving heat.
"MagiCorp is on that island."
Soraya and Jonathan followed Valor's pointing fingers and looked northwest. Sure enough, a giant dome-shaped structure sat in the middle of a slab of earth, the building towering high above the scarlet foliage surrounding it.
"We can't go near those trees," warned Valor. "They're Blood Oaks."
Soraya gulped and took a small step backwards.
I'm actually going to see them in real life...
Jonathan placed a gloved hand on the teen's shoulder and gave a gentle pat. "We'll be fine," he assured her. "Their roots can't reach you past ten feet."
"How long is ten feet again?"
"About twice your height since you're a nine-year-old," Jonathan replied, a mischievous gleam behind his gaze.
"Hey!" Soraya retorted, her foot stomping into the ground. "I'm almost fourteen! And you're not that much taller than me!"
"I can be taller when I absorb someone else into myself," Jonathan chuckled.
Valor watched the pair tease each other with amusement dancing in his ruby gaze. "You two can sneak past them as shadows if they're too close," he reminded the pair.
"That's true," Soraya agreed, the fear creeping into her blood slowly dissipating. "But how are we going to get to the island undetected?"
"We might not necessarily need to hide," Jonathan said, procuring his passport from his coat pocket. "This is supposed to be a place where Etherians go to obtain their license for carrying magic. You can also purchase refills."
"Okay..."
"Well," Jonathan continued with a chuckle. "I already have a license. I'm simply going to purchase more magic."
"Wait," Soraya said, her eyebrows raised. "You're suggesting just buying it? Do you really think that'll work?"
"You and I are tourists, remember?" Jonathan grinned. "Technically, we're just vacationing with your friends. I want to make sure I have enough magic to protect ourselves if need be. Legally, I'm allowed to carry and use it."
"And if they say no?" Valor asked, folding his arms across his chest.
"We're taking as much as we need to defeat Zinvi no matter what," he winked.
Soraya frowned as images of the silver-eyed man absorbing her father's brain into himself surfaced in her mind.
"Wait," she spoke, placing her hands on her hips. "The clone of Zinvi that got away, he has my father's memories now..."
