The Unveiling - Modern Magic: Book 1

Chapter 8

A/N:  Two days without an update?  How dare I?!  Sorry... writer's block descended with a vengeance, and I may or may not have had to partially dismantle a boat dock - don't ask.  Anyway, the upside is Chapter 9 is also done, it just needs a little polish.  So, definitely an update tomorrow too!  ... please keep reading!

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Chapter 8 – April 16, 2019

All through class, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was missing something important. I didn't have all the information I wanted, but there was more to it than that. The weather had grown a little colder again, but I kept feeling this sense of ominous foreboding beyond my own worries. More than once, I had to fight to focus my attention on my professors.

After a class I shared with Tim, I noticed he had a distracted, concerned look, probably similar to mine. I walked over from one end of the lecture hall and sat on the back of a chair in the row in front of him. I put on a fake smile for the benefit of any random on-looker. "You feel that too?"

Tim laughed lightly as he was packing up his notebook and pens into his backpack. I could tell the laugh was as fake as my smile. "Yeah. It's even worse than yesterday." I nearly lost my smile as I realized I hadn't even noticed anything wrong yesterday. I was a little distracted at the time...

"Any ideas?" I asked as I got out my phone, acting like we were making plans for something.

Time smiled and nodded. "No clue. I really figured this wouldn't be the right place to go memory diving." He was right. Sifting through our genetic memory looks – at best – like we're napping. At worst, it looks like a strange trance. Either way, it wasn't good for not drawing attention. This was especially true for Tim whose Progenitor line stretched further back than mine.

"Can you come over to my place later? Maybe around 4pm? I want to fill you in on some stuff. There's a lot going on beyond this strange feeling." Time looked curious, but he guessed that now wasn't the right time to probe for more information. I smiled and waved. "See ya." He returned the smile and we went our separate ways.

I got to my apartment around 2pm. Expecting to have time to get lunch before Diana's last class, I was surprised when I saw Diana sitting outside my door, waiting. She looked over as I walked up. I watched her eyes trace over my body from head to toe, probably looking for any gaping wounds. Seeing none, she stood and grabbed me in a tight hug.

She held me for a while before pulling back and punching me in the chest. "You jerk." She looked up at me, showing the worry in her eyes. "I'm glad you're ok."

I gave her what felt like a sheepish smile. "Sorry. We can't really risk talking about this sort of thing on an unsecured phone." I opened the door to the apartment, letting Diana in. I dropped my bag on the floor as Diana went straight to the table and sat down, looking at my expectantly. Lunch was going to have to wait.

I told Diana all about the events from when I dropped her off until I called her after James's escape. I told her about the false assumptions and realization of the truth about James. "So, everyone is still alive, more information has been uncovered, and even more questions have come up." I summarized.

Diana nodded, following along as I described the events of the previous night. "What we don't know is who his accomplice is, if she is a Magi or human, and what happened to his parents." Diana mused, thoughtfully. "It's too bad he didn't say something like 'two months ago' or 'when I was a baby'. That would really help with the last question."

"I couldn't agree more." I sighed. "Needless to say, we need help. Tim is coming over in a bit. I really hope we can answer at least one of those questions with the three of us working on them."

"Yeah... but until then..." Diana stood up, taking my hand and leading me over to the couch. She guided me to sit against one end and even tugged one of my legs up before settling down, he back against my chest. Her head rested on the right side of my chest and collar bone, turned with her face towards the back of the couch. I kept my right leg bent, my knee and thigh resting against her right side. I wrapped my arms around her, my hands finding hers on her belly, our fingers entwining.

I lightly rested my chin against her forehead, murmuring in quiet contentment. "We haven't had much time to do this lately." I felt her cheek move against my chest in what was probably a smile.

"Well, you have been busy. Introducing me to a whole new reality, solving a mystery, uncovering another, oh and fighting a would-be assassin... twice."

"You're not wrong. I just think, in hindsight, I should have found a little more time for cuddling during all of that."

Diana giggled quietly, but I could feel the tension slowly fading from her body. "I forgive you. Just make more of an effort in the future, ok?"

I chuckled, squeezing her tighter. "Gladly." I had one of those thoughts that you know couldn't ever work, but it was soothing to imagine for a few minutes. I imagined just ignoring that foreboding feeling, everything to do with James, and these stressful questions. Instead, just staying here like that with Diana in my arms. Not wanting to refocus on the challenges of the day, I found my mind tracing backward along my time with her. "Why did you say yes?" She made a sleepy, questioning sound. "When I first asked you out?"

Diana shifted a little, probably taking a moment to follow my random train of thought. "It was your eyes." She left out a tiny giggle. "First... I just wanted a chance to see if you were using colored contacts."

I must have made a sound of surprise because she twisted a little to look up at me as I was searching my memory. I remembered a point during dinner when she leaned over the table, almost uncomfortably close. She had then sat back in her chair, saying nothing but "interesting". I laughed at the memory.

"That's what you were doing? I thought it was a test to see if I would peek down your top!"

Diana giggled and twisted to her side, her shoulder resting in the gap between my arm and torso. Her gray eyes peered up at me. Her head now rested on my upper pec, just inside my shoulder. Her right hand, still entwined in mine, rested on her hip. "It's a good thing you didn't. I was looking so closely at your eyes, that I would have definitely noticed."

I smiled mischievously, tapping a finger of my left hand against my side. "I never said I didn't... My peripheral vision is pretty good..." Diana sat up, giving me a look of mock shock – which was spoiled by her smile. I painted innocence across my face. "Can you blame me? I'm a guy, and you're beautiful."

Diana dropped the fake expression, instead just smiling down at me. "I guess that's ok. As long as you keep saying things like that." She relaxed back down against me, wiggling a little to get comfortable.

"Hmm... let's see..." I acted like I was thinking when I already knew what I would say. "I am a human male. There. How's that?" Diana lightly whacked my stomach with her left hand.

"Goofball."