The Unveiling - Modern Magic: Book 1

Chapter 12

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Chapter 12 – April 17, 2019

James drank half the glass of water in one series of gulps. It seemed to help as he started back into his story shortly afterward.

He began describing the events of the last two weeks from his own perspective. Part of my mind was putting these events in contrast to my memories as he went through them. He began talking about a local underground concert from the week before. James had begged Aunt A to let him go, promising to come straight home afterward. From his short description of the party, I immediately knew two things: first, it was the same party that Diana and I had gone to, and second, he had no idea that I was the Magi he attacked that night.

James described sensing several Magi at the party. He couldn't narrow down who they were with so many people there, but everyone he could see were dancing, laughing, and having fun. They were acting like any human would, which meant none of them were interested in change, or helping their fellow Magi. This meant that any or all of them could have been connected to the people who killed his parents. Looking back, James fully recognized how flimsy this possible connection was, but he was so blinded by anger, that nothing would have changed his mind that night.

As the party was starting to slow, he could feel three distinct Magi. Two were still actively dancing in the middle of the makeshift dance floor, but one seemed to be leaving. He followed. After a short time, he determined the Magi was one of two people leaving together – obviously a couple. James remembered having a mental connection between them and his parents – who couldn't walk with their arms around each other anymore because of people like them.

His anger overwhelmed him. James remembered not even caring that one of the two people had to be human. As soon as they turned down an alley, he struck. James funneled more power than he had ever tried at home into a concentrated kinetic bolt. It flew at the two just as they seemed to stop for a romantic moment. He was completely surprised when his bolt seemed to shimmer and then exploded with enough force to send him stumbling backward.

The explosion had been like nothing he had ever seen or experienced, even through all of his practice at home. There was little heat, but no giant burst of flame. It had felt like a sudden and strong rush of wind. James had been so caught up in confusion that the crash of the fire escape had made him jump in surprise and sudden fear. He quickly fled the scene after that, worried about being found by anyone who heard the commotion.

As James took a moment to sip from his glass of water, I partly interrupted his story. "That was me." He looked up at me, surprised for a moment before I could almost see his mind working from his expression.

"That's why you were waiting for me in the other alley. I felt different, didn't I?" I nodded, amazed by how quickly he was able to put that together. "I wondered about that. With Magi for generations using all three types of magic, how would someone feel who only ever used kinetics?"

"I thought you had found a way to dampen your magical presence. It's why I threw that barrier up so far from me. I was worried your attack was being dampened as well. If that was the case, I would need the time to utilize a second barrier." I thought about that for a moment as James nodded, grasping my logic. "That probably saved our lives. If the barrier had been any closer, we would have been caught in the explosion like th-" I cut myself off, looking back up at James.

He grimaced a little, nodding. "Like the woman I killed outside the bank." With the look in his eyes, I wondered how long James would be plagued by that memory. "The worst part is... I was so proud of myself after that night. But I'll get to that..." He continued with his story, talking about how he went home and lied to Aunt A that the night had been fun but uneventful. He continued practicing, but couldn't replicate the explosion that happened in the alley no matter what he tried.