The Licensed Mage

7 The Chase

        They followed the trail through and around the neighboring building. The spell on Raven’s eyes soon faded out but Claire’s was still going strong. Raven followed behind her, quietly observing her as she followed the trail only she could see. 

        “Go ahead.” 

        Raven looked up as she continued following the trail as she spoke. He caught up behind her asking, “Go ahead what?” 

        “Go ahead and ask. I know you wanna ask me something.” 

        Raven raised an eyebrow as the smell of salt water burned their noses, “Why’d you show up?” 

        Claire whipped her head around, “To work?” 

        He shook his head and jerked a thumb back to the crime scene, “At the crime scene, after I blew you off at the station.” 

        She turned back to the trail and shrugged her shoulders, “Not sure myself. After you peeled off I thought about chasing after you or blowing off some steam or even just leaving, to hell with this new force thing, but then I realized something.” Stopping at the edge of the lot she turned with a road behind her and the waters to her side and faced Raven with her hands on her hips, “If something’s gonna change, I have to change with it. Even if it means putting up with someone like you as a partner.” 

        Raven chuckled as Claire flashed him a grin. He studies her as she looks around. Walking up to her, he turns to look back at the buildings they just came from, “What do you see now?” 

        She sighed, “Nothing. Trail ends here, runs cold. Whatever magic that was on our perp has dissipated and runs out here, but why here? There’s nothing around here.” 

        Claire and Raven circle around and study their surroundings as they look down the road. Finally Raven pointed down the road, “There’s a public port 2 blocks down and around the corner. There’s also a public bus stop just down the street from that so he could have gone in either one of those.” 

        “Then let’s go find out.” 

        She sprints down the road with Raven catching up. They finally round the corner and Claire quickly makes her way to the port. She steps up to the glass tube and spreads her fingers on the glass. A keypad shows up and she quickly punches in a passcode, pulling up a log of recent transports. 

        Raven steps up behind her, “What are you doing?” 

        “I’m looking for…whoever used the port…that had traces of foreign magic on them.” 

        Raven leans in over her shoulder for a closer look, “These things do that?” 

        Claire felt her ears burn and momentarily forgot what she was doing. She felt his hot breath breathing down her shoulder but quickly regained her composure. Raven glanced at her noticing the slight pause in her hand. He didn’t comment, thinking nothing of it as Claire answered his question, “Yeah, um, these things scan whoever steps into the port. Mostly for safety reasons but if the scans pick up anything suspicious they keep a record of the person and destination.” 

        Claire quickly found the log she was looking for but found nothing. They also checked the bus records at the bus stop. They also scan whoever steps onto the bus for safety protocols to make sure no harmful magic is carried aboard but those records too were clean. With the dead end Claire continued to study the surroundings looking for some clue as Raven made a call. He told Henry to bring the car around and Claire thought of offering to take him in the port with her but thought better of it. Before long Henry pulled up, grinning from ear to ear as Raven and Claire got into the car.