{Jaylin}
Jaylin wasn’t exactly the type that frequented bars, but this looked different in the morning light than what she was expecting. Less seedy, more pathetic.
Like a strip club with the lights turned on.
[...] She looked around, grimacing all the while. [Certainly not my scene. I hate it here.]
The early morning sunlight filtering through grimy windows did nothing to improve the ambiance, just highlighted the suspicious stains on the floor and the even more suspicious clientele nursing their morning drinks.
Jaylin sat across from that woman from last night, Lady Belstadt, in a private booth that smelled faintly of vomit and regret, nursing what had to be the worst coffee in Syux while trying not to show how nervous she was.
The liquid in her cup was thick enough to stand a spoon in - assuming anyone would risk putting their utensils in it.
Those amethyst eyes hadn’t gotten any less unsettling in the daylight. If anything, they seemed to absorb the morning light rather than reflect it, like two hungry voids set in her face.
"So," Lady Belstadt smiled that not-quite-right smile of hers, arranging herself on the sticky bench seat, "tell me about Melisa Blackflame. Her habits, her preferences... what makes our little purple prodigy tick?"
[Oh, we’re not even pretending this isn’t an interrogation,] Jaylin thought, taking another sip of her terrible coffee to buy time. The taste made her wonder if someone had wrung out the dishrag into her cup. [Fine. Let’s play this game.]
"Uh... I’m fine answering a few questions about her, but..." Jaylin looked back at that lady, "isn’t this a recruitment for me? I’d like to ask some questions about you, as well."
The woman’s lips twitched.
"Very well. Ask your questions between answers, then. Though I can’t promise I’ll answer all of them. We do have our... secrets."
[Better than nothing,] Jaylin thought, mentally preparing her list of questions. [And maybe I can control what information she gets. Feed her just enough to get the information I want in return.]
"Well, Melisa’s stupidly powerful but completely unfocused," Jaylin began, watching the woman’s reactions carefully. "She creates new spells constantly, apparently, but barely masters any of them."
"Interesting," Lady Belstadt purred, leaning forward slightly. "And these new spells... how does she create them? What’s her process?"
"That I don’t know. I don’t watch her do it or anything," Jaylin shrugged. "So... why did you target the nim population with that plague? What were you hoping to achieve?"
This was one of the big questions Jaylin wanted an answer to.
For a moment there, Jaylin genuinely worried she was about to be stabbed. But, the lady’s smile only grew.
"To maintain order, of course. Some of Syux’s inhabitants need to remember their place. Humanity does - and should - stand above them. All of them." She leaned back. "Now, tell me more about her... relationships. These friends of hers - they’re all quite powerful in their own right, aren’t they?"
And so it went, a dangerous dance of information trading.
Jaylin would share something about Melisa - her training schedule, her tendency to solve problems with random magic, her growing collection of """friends""" - and then try to pry details about the Shadow Mages in return.
Each answer she got was vague, but the various pieces were starting to form a picture.
"Speaking of activities," Jaylin continued, trying to sound casual, "she’s got this showcase coming up. Well, not hers exactly. Isabella Summer is showing off some new magical invention she’s been working on. Melisa will definitely be there, watching her girlfriend’s big moment."
The woman’s head tilted like a predator spotting movement, her entire demeanor sharpening somehow.
"Oh? When is this showcase? Do tell me more."
"..."
[Careful,] Jaylin warned herself. [Don’t mention it’s actually a trap. Don’t mention how they specifically scheduled this to draw them out. Don’t mention how they’re planning to finally confront the Shadow Mages directly...]
"Next week," Jaylin said instead, keeping her voice steady despite her racing pulse. "Some really fancy affair. Isabella’s mother arranged it - trying to get investors or something. You know how these things go, I’m sure."
Lady Belstadt’s fingers stilled their drumming, her posture shifting subtly.
"And you say Melisa will definitely attend?"
"Oh yeah," Jaylin nodded, then decided to sweeten the pot. "She never misses a chance to show off in public. Probably thinks she’s being subtle about it too. But you can always spot her playing the humble prodigy while soaking up all the attention."
[There. Now they’ll definitely show up to what they think is an easy target. Perfect.]
"I believe we’re done here," Lady Belstadt announced suddenly, standing with that unnatural grace that made Jaylin’s skin crawl. "You’ve been... most helpful, Jaylin. More than you know."
"Wait," Jaylin protested, her chest tightening with panic. She hadn’t gotten nearly enough information yet. "I still have questions about-"
"The Shadow Mages may reach out again," the woman cut her off smoothly, those void-like eyes boring into Jaylin’s soul. "Though I wouldn’t wait by the window, if I were you. We have what we need."
With that, she glided away, leaving Jaylin alone with her cold coffee and racing thoughts.
[Well, that’s that then,] she thought, watching the woman disappear into the morning crowd outside.
She thought about what she’d just done.
As a wave of guilt washed over her for even coming here, she shifted side-to-side.
"..... UGH!" The conclusion she came to was... unfortunate.
[I need to tell everyone about this... somehow. But how do I do that when they’re probably watching my every move?]
She’d have to be careful.
[Aunt Javir,] she decided, finishing her disgusting coffee more out of spite than thirst. [I’ll tell Aunt Javir first. She’ll know what to do. She always knows what to do.]
Assuming, of course, she could get her aunt alone without arousing suspicion. And assuming the Shadow Mages weren’t already planning something based on what she’d told them. And assuming they weren’t watching her right now, tracking her every movement, noting down everyone she talked to...
[What have I gotten myself into?]
---
{Melisa}
Aria insisted on showing up for Melisa and Zephyra’s next experiment, so, today, it was the three of them standing in the gardens.
The princess stood with her arms crossed, white hair catching the morning light, looking about as neutral as a judge at a beauty contest where her ex was competing.
Zephyra knelt beside the recently "neutralized" lizard, her amethyst eyes sharp with focus. The poor thing hadn’t suffered - unlike humans, it probably hadn’t even realized what was happening when Zephyra stopped its heart with a precise application of Ice magic.
[Still feels weird though,] Melisa thought, eyeing the tiny corpse. [Like, sorry little buddy, but you’re taking one for the team here.]
"So," Aria’s voice cut through the morning air, "this is what you’ve been doing? Killing lizards in the name of science?"
"Actually, we’ve only killed two," Melisa corrected, then winced. "Which... probably doesn’t sound any better, does it?"
Zephyra straightened up, brushing dirt from her knees.
"Would you prefer we tested resurrection magic on something larger? Perhaps a horse? Or shall we raid the cemetery?"
"Okay, okay, I hear you," Melisa raised her hands defensively. "By the way, I think I’ve figured something out about the spell."
Both women turned to her, their expressions a study in contrasts - Zephyra’s professional curiosity versus Aria’s barely contained skepticism.
"Remember how the first lizard died so quickly?" Melisa began, her tail swishing excitedly (they’d just explained to Aria what happened to Brute before). "Well, when I cast that spell, I was running on empty. Magically speaking, I mean. But when I saved your father," she nodded to Aria, "I’d just spent an entire evening, uh... absorbing Essence from half the noble ladies in Syux. I was practically overflowing with magical energy."
"Are you saying," Zephyra’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully, "that the spell’s potency depends on your Essence levels?"
"Exactly!" Melisa’s tail curled happily. "And right now, well..." she blushed slightly. "Let’s just say Margaret and Kimiko were very... helpful this morning in making sure I’m fully charged."
Zephyra nodded slowly while it seemed like Aria had no clue what that entailed.
"Then by all means," Zephyra gestured to the lizard, "demonstrate your theory." Discover hidden stories at freewebnovel
Melisa knelt beside the tiny corpse, drawing the spellsign in the air.
"Lumi sanguine, vita crescere," she intoned, feeling the familiar rush of power through her fingertips.
The air crackled with energy, magic swirling visible around her hands. The lizard’s body lifted slightly, surrounded by a soft crimson glow.
Then, with a tiny gasp, it blinked.
"Holy..." Aria breathed, her royal composure cracking slightly as the lizard scampered up Melisa’s arm. "You actually... it’s really..."
"Fascinating," Zephyra murmured, already making notes in her ever-present journal. "Can you feel it? I can sense the Essence surrounding this thing. I’ll need to monitor this specimen closely, compare its vital signs to the data from the first test subject."
She held out her hand, and the lizard obligingly transferred itself to her palm.
"You know," Melisa said, watching the creature explore Zephyra’s fingers, "most people would be more shocked by actual resurrection magic."
"Most people," Zephyra replied without looking up from her notes, "haven’t spent the last month watching you regularly break the laws of nature. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some observations to make."
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With that, she strode off, leaving Melisa alone with a very confused-looking princess.
[Well,] Melisa thought, noting Aria’s slightly shell-shocked expression, [at least someone’s properly appreciating how weird this is.]