Simon, his eyes sunken from lack of sleep, stalked out of the elevator and through the observation deck of the Tower. Tourists and staff unconsciously moved out of his way without being able to consciously perceive him. He stopped in front of the giant windows, closed his eyes, and concentrated.
Simon used a Space spell to project his Mind spell remotely. In this way he was able to appear to his follower as a vision in the mirror of his small, dark bathroom.
"How is the situation in High Park coming along?" asked the vision of Simon in the mirror, his face mostly obscured by the darkness of the bathroom. He made immediate eye contact.
Anderson was startled by the sudden appearance of the archmage. He quickly regained composure.
"I'm still in the thick of it," said Anderson.
"The thick of it?" snarled Simon.
"I have my fingers in a lot of pies," said Anderson. "I'm going to figure something out."
"High Park belongs to me. It was my original territory. Having these parasites leeching off it is a significant loss of face for me. If I have to take charge of this situation I will but if I have to do that what use are you to me?"
"This coven, they're stubborn fanatics. They're never going to acknowledge your claim-" Anderson saw Simon's expression change even in the darkness, "-no matter how legitimate," he added. "How far do you want me to do with this? Because I'm having them all followed. I know where they live."
"I expect you to do whatever it takes to resolve this situation permanently," said Simon.
"Understood," said Anderson. "Don't worry, I will have this taken care of tonight."
"Do that," said Simon. "Do not boast to me. I will contact you again at this same time tomorrow. Make sure you have kept your word by then."
"Yes-" began Anderson, but Simon was already gone from the mirror.
Anderson permitted himself a full body shiver. He really didn't appreciate being ambushed in his bathroom mirror. He added 'working for Isengrim' to a long list of lifetime regrets.
Simon returned his awareness to his body, fuming. He hated having to rely on agents. There wasn't another reliable human on the planet. He needed to become more powerful, powerful enough that he could enact his will without the handicap of other people.
He sensed Aubrey enter the Tower, and followed her presence up the elevator to the observation deck. Simon turned to face her the moment before she arrived.
"Aubrey," said Simon, "this isn't a good time."
"I figured," said Aubrey. "I can't remember the last time it was a good time."
"I have a lot of very important concerns competing for my time," said Simon.
"You haven't slept," said Aubrey, abruptly changing the subject.
"As I was trying to explain, I have enormous responsibilities as the steward of the Tower. The magical underpinnings of the entire city would come apart at the seams if it wasn't for my constant vigilance. I can't afford to sleep."
"I think you're exaggerating a bit, Simon," said Aubrey. "The whole city isn't going to come apart if you take one night off."
"I can't expect you to understand," said Simon. "You don't have a concept of what I have become. The pressure I am operating under," he was getting angrier and angrier, "I am the sole magical superpower left in the city. I am this city! I can't be frivolous with my time the way you can. I can't just piss it away!"
YOU ARE READING
The Fox and The Wolf: A Tale of Modern Magic
FantasyA mysterious figure from the past just got his memories back - everything that was important to him and everything that should have stayed forgotten. Now he's tearing through the magical underworld like a storm in the pursuit of a singular goal: rev...
