All's Fair in Love & Magic

Chapter Three

Brandy took a step back, looking to Kaius for help. Kaius just shook her head.

            “It happens when you identify her,” the blonde explained. “A draw back. Her tell.”

            The blue glow in Hatsuharu’s eyes faded. “We ran in to trouble,” Mark spoke.

            “More like trouble found us,” Hatsuharu corrected. “Three low-grade magic users—I don’t remember what you call them. They found us when we were just outside Nebraska.”

            “There are such things called cell phones, you didn’t have to come all the way out here to tell me that.” Kaius placed her phone on the table. “You scared the crap out of my Apprentice and you’re making contact….”

            “You never answer any calls.”

            “That’s not true—” she checked her phone: thirty-four missed calls— “okay, that is true. Could have found Ephraim. They don’t watch him as closely.”

            “You know he isn’t as easy to find. The reason they watch you is because you’re not as concerned about hiding your trail—”

            “Because I refuse to—” Kaius paused, looking around, dropping her voice to a whisper— “I refuse to change into some animal to escape them.” Her voice returned to normal volume. “Plenty of Wizards have lost themselves in the Great War of Ages to foolish magic like that—Ephraim and I terminated a great many of them.”

            “Our point is not to question either of your intelligence…,” Mark sighed. “The point was to tell you of the danger.”

            “How long ago was the attack?” Kaius questioned.

            “Two weeks, just about,” Hatsuharu answered.

            “Male or female?”

            “Two male, one female.”

            “What type of magic?”

            “Hatsuharu shook her head. “I don’t remember what you called them. They were low grade and clearly evil.”

            “Warlocks and a Witch?” Kaius asked, fiddling with a ring around her right ring finger.

            “I think so. They called down lightning and attacked with bouts of weak spells. Troublesome but easily handled… considering.”

            Kaius began to pull on the ring, attempting to remove it from its resting place. It grew tighter the more she pulled.

            “What is it?” Brandy wondered, concerned.

            “Nothing,” Kaius dismissed. “Both of you are all right?” Her attention turned back to her guests. “No injuries?”

            “We are fine,” Mark replied, eying the Wizard’s constant tugging on the piece of jewelry. “Clearly you aren’t.”

            “It’s Kayla or Ephraim, one of them is close.”

            Brandy went to the window and peeked out the curtains. “There’s nothing out here but a big, black dog and a few people, none of them matching the descriptions you gave me for Mistress Kayla or Mister Ephraim.”

            Hatsuharu was suddenly beside Brandy. “That is no ordinary dog, Apprentice. That is a wolf, sort of. Look at his reflection in that puddle beneath him.”

            Brandy did as she was advised. Instead of seeing the reflection of a wolf, Brandy saw the reflection of a man, his face not visible from the angle she was at.

            “Ephraim is here.”