Twilit Mage

Chapter 25: Justice

"So how's it been going?" Raoul asked her that evening, dangling his legs and offering a hand to help her up into the tree he was sitting in. "Getting better yet?"

Mercury sighed. "I don't know," she admitted, grasping Raoul's hand, steadying herself against the tree trunk and pulling herself up with ease. "Bonnie says it'll take time and I'm doing great, but– What's wrong?"

Raoul gaped at her, blinking incredulously as he scooted over to make room for her to sit. "How'd you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Get up here like that. I mean, you're tiny–" He gestured up and down the tree trunk before stopping abruptly, his eyes growing to the size of pancakes. "Hey, could you actually be really strong?"

Mercury looked at him, then at the tree, then at herself. Was she? She didn't know; she had never thought much about that. "I'm...not sure?"

"I bet you are! If we had a table here I'd try to arm-wrestle ya." Raoul laughed. "I bet you'd win!"

"As if," Mercury said with a disbelieving snort. "But we can try sometime."

She adjusted herself on the branch, dangling her legs and looking down at the ground below, watching a squirrel hurry over the grass with something that looked suspiciously like leftovers from today's dinner. A moment later there was a shout, and Riley came running out of the building, chasing after the squirrel while calling an unintelligible string of words, faint and shy but distinctly angry.

"Oh man," Raoul said with a lopsided grin, watching the scene without looking the least bit inclined to help. "Somebody's gotta problem– huh?"

They both blinked. The squirrel, without the slightest warning, stopped running and found itself lifted up in the air as if scooped up by invisible hands, giving a terrified squeak as the unseen power carried it across the grass and up to the tree to drop it in a startled Mercury's lap.

"What the–?" She blinked at the squirrel where it sat digging its claws into her jeans, then at Raoul, who looked every bit as confused as her. "Did you just...?"

Raoul shook his head. "Nope. Must've been somebody else...Hey, Riles!" he called down to their confused classmate. "Keep your magic in check!"

Riley looked up. Their wide eyes met Raoul's, then he glanced over at the squirrel in Mercury's lap, still holding the piece of bread in its mouth.

"You...!" Riley pointed a small, shaky hand up the tree, rapidly backing away. "It w-w-was you guys! Help! They were trying to–"

"Trying to what, steal your bread? Buddy, we wouldn't kidnap a squirrel for that!" Raoul laughed so hard he nearly fell out of the tree. "Although it sounds fun!"

"You were...you lured me out here..." Riley was still shrinking back, their long bangs falling into their face as they lowered their head. "You caught me alone so you could...you could..."

"What's happening?"

Riley whipped around. Raoul stopped laughing. Mercury leaned forward, nearly dropping the poor traumatized squirrel into her lap.

Running onto the scene, hurried and breathless, were two figures. Mercury recognized the graying ponytail of Mr. Salvatore; but the figure next to him was as familiar as it was unfamiliar. It was a boy, probably around seventeen or eighteen, visibly a senior in the way he looked and moved, dressed more like a future politician than a high schooler. His figure, face and hair were the spitting image of Ms. Cole, but his features were younger and more empathetic as he eyed them all with concern.