08 - A mysterious ally

The best time to catch a mage is as soon as they manifest their powers.

It can be tempting to think that young, weak mages should be a low priority to the Agency – or that they should be tolerated.

But it will be much more difficult to deal with a mage after they join an organization, or learn to hide their magic. Ignoring a young rogue mage, beside the immediate risk of catastrophic control loss, means having to deal with them later, when they’re much more dangerous.

Even the Three Moonbreakers were young and harmless, once. And so much ruin could have been avoided, if they’d been put under control back then.

* From ThauCon doctrine handbook, chapter 3 – long-term priorities

“Everyone, remember we don’t have a warrant,” Kaelich whispers. “We’re here because they’re cooperative. So, be nice.”

“You’re the only one of us who does nice, ser,” Sorivel answers, “the best I can do is shut up and not glare. Ceri is bad even at that.”

“Why did I even bring you along,” Kaelich mumbles, as xe puts xir wrist on the scanner by the gate.

We’re standing outside the wrought iron gate of a house - well, more a mansion. Through the bars I can see a sprawling garden, a covered swimming pool, and at least one security guard.

“Who's there?” A voice asks from the intercom. It sounds affronted that anyone dares to ring the bell.

“I am corporal Kaelich Anur of the Thaumological Control agency,” Kaelich says, “we had an appointment with Miss Anderiel Tal-Simor. May we come in?”

A moment of silence.

“Come in, please.”

I half-expected a request to leave the weapons at the door - Kaelich didn’t bring xir rifle, but we all carry guns, and I don’t enter a mage’s house without my sword. But without further discussion, the gate opens, and the security guard in black gives us a curt greeting.

“Who the fuck are this people,” Sorivel grumbles, “and do you really think the mage ran away from this home?”

“As you would know if you had read the intelligence report,” I point out, “Korentis’ mothers are both managers for Saverdon Metals, a large metal recycling firm. The two elder siblings are, respectively, a successful financial manager and a pop singer of some fame.”

“Rich people jobs,” Sorivel grumbles.

“I knew of the brother, he goes by Joli, I didn’t even know he was from here” Kaelich says. “His songs suck, but damn, he’s blazing hot. You think he’ll be here? I can’t ask for an autograph, can I?”

“Not while we try to arrest his sibling,” I answer.

We cross the ridiculously vast garden and get to the door, made of blue-tinted glass. It opens into a vast hall of marble floors and a whole glass wall. It’s blessedly warm inside, which is a relief, but I can’t help thinking about the energy cost.

A woman in her thirties waits for us just inside. For a moment I think she’s a household servant, but her gray tunic looks very expensive. Also, she has the same pale complexion and small, pointy noise as Korentis. I check StemLink for a datasphere presence, and a barebones profile pops into my view.

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NAME: Elvodris Tal-Venant

AGE: 30

GENDER: F

OCCUPATION: Financial operations manager at Rakavdon Investment Bank

RELATIONSHIP STATUS: Single, not looking for partners

INTEREST: Finance, mathematics, politics

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“Welcome, agents,” she says. She smiles, but it doesn’t touch her eyes, and her voice is cold. “Miss Anderiel and Miss Esenov will be with you presently.”

“There’s no problem, we’ll wait,” Kaelich says, smiling, as if oblivious to her hostility. Does she know something?

“Since we’re here,” xe asks in a casual tone, “Korentis Tal-Venant is your sibling, right? Would you mind if I ask you a few questions?”

From her face, she definitely minds, but she seems taken aback - possibly by Kaelich’s friendliness.

“Of course,” she says, “but I’ve already talked with your Agency’s intelligence service.”

“There have been some developments,” Kaelich says - which is only technically true, we’ve picked up a faint signal that might have been Korentis’ magic yesterday. This would be so much easier, if Jaeleri had done his job and collected Korentis’ signature.

“Developments?” She asks, arching an eyebrow.

“Yes, your sibling used magic again,” Kaelich says, sounding apologetic. “I take it that xe’s still missing, and you have no way to contact xem? Xe could be in danger.”

“I don’t know where my sibling is,” she says, “and that didn’t change. If xe’s not turning xemself in, obviously xe isn’t in immediate danger.”

“Xe most definitely is,” I say, trying to sound concerned for the fucker. “Xe was involved in a fight last week. And as you certainly know, one rogue mage out of four suffers catastrophic runaway feedback. Xe might not understand it, but xe’s in very real danger.”

I don’t have much patience with rogue mages. They risk their lives and everyone else’s, and if they live long enough, they usually end up in the Syndicates or the Schools. But Kaelich is right – faking some sympathy could get us answers. And most rogue mages keep contact with close family or friends.

She stares at me, and from her milk-curdling glare, she’s not buying my honest concern for her sibling.

“As I’ve said, I have no way to contact my sibling. While it’s regrettable that xe didn’t register xir powers, xe’s an adult. If xe’s unwilling to turn xemself in, that might be due to the well-known record of prejudice and abuse toward mages, redeemed or not, which your agency enforces, so spare me your concern, soldier.”

Oh, and now we have to deal with civilians preaching to us, too. I’m so sure this woman is helping her criminal sibling. I open my mouth for a retort, but Sorivel elbows me – right, we’re supposed to be nice, she can throw us out at any time.

“We’re trying to protect xem and others,” Kaelich says, xir voice soft. “Xe probably thinks xe knows what xe’s doing. But xe really doesn’t, Miss Tal-Venant. The Else distorts judgment, and young people who keep using magic, without training… might not be rational. We don’t want to hurt your sibling, but the longer before we find xem, the worse it will be for xem, in every way.”

I barely restrain myself from rolling my eyes - our mission is to protect the world from magic, and while I don’t wish to hurt mages more than necessary, protecting them comes second. But Kaelich's earnest tone seems to strike a chord, because the woman pulls back, her composure lost from a split second.

“I truly wish xe came back,” she says, sounding less cold, and more honest. “But I don’t know where xe is. Korentis is… unpredictable sometimes.”

Her eyes lose focus for a moment, and she gives a small nod. “My mothers are ready,” she says. “Please follow. But to be clear, I’m aware that you have no legal mandate to enter our home. Do not attempt to turn this into an interrogation. My mothers are sufficiently upset as it is.”

“We’d never exceed the bounds of our legal mandate,” I say. It seems important to point that out, but she looks at me strangely, as if wondering whether it was a joke. I’m developing a strong distaste for this woman. I also have the strange feeling of having met her already - it takes me a moment to realize it’s because she behaves exactly like the corporate villain in every superhero movie.

We walk through a ridiculously long marble corridor, lined with hideous abstract paintings. We don’t meet anyone, and there’s no sign this is a lived-in house - no dirt, no family pictures, no food, no clothes. It looks like a mausoleum.

I clench my jaw in distaste. Ter Valentis chokes with sand, and there are never the resources to do anything about it. And rich people in Vorok live in fucking mausoleums because why not.

I push the thought out of my mind. Global inequality is not relevant to the investigations, and anger might distract me from collecting useful information.

The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

We finally reach a sitting room, all creepily white - white marble, white sofas, white… rich people furniture? Abstract statues?

I feel like an alien here - between Vorokan general strangeness and the fancyness of the house, I can’t even tell what’s decoration and what’s furniture. I get the overpowering need to turn and run away, run until I’m away from this house, this family, this freezing place. Run until I find sand and familiar voices.

Deep breath. Now it’s not the time. Sometimes things are too much, and I just want to leave, but I’ve learnt to plaster a semblance of a smile on my face and do my duty, even if it feels like I forgot how to walk and every word I say is like nails scraping my lungs.

Deep breath.

“Is something wrong?” Kaelich mutters.

People don’t notice when I get…like this, usually. What did I do wrong? The thought pushes me to the edge of panic.

“Nothing serious,” I tell Kaelich. “Focus on charming the mothers.”

Korentis’ mothers are sitting on a white sofa. One of them is as white as the decor, her long dress a very light shade of tan. The other is dark for a Vorokan, but still positively pasty by any other standards. She looks like she’s been crying.

“Welcome, Agents,” the paler one says. “I’m Anderiel Tal-Simor. How may I help the Agency?”

She’s not as openly hostile as her daughter, but her voice is so neutral, her smile so fake, it sucks the warmth from the room. I want to scream at her, I want to run away and talk to someone who sounds like a human.

Poise and in control. It’s how Karesian are supposed to appear, right? It’s just an act. It means nothing, I’m just sick of this city and this place and this continent, but I have to keep it together for a while more.

“Nice to meet you, Madam,” Kaelich says, and even xir ever-friendly voice sounds like an insult, it makes me want to punch xem.

“Is there any news about Korentis?” the other woman says - she must be Esenov. They might look like porcelain automata, but they’re just two annoying rich women. They have names. One of them must have been crying.

I tune off the conversation for a moment, looking down, letting the words wash over me. I focus on breathing.

These people aren’t aliens, this is just an interview with some worried parents. Kaelich can do most of the work anyway, our helmets are recording. I only have to stand here and wait.

Breathe in, out. The feeling of weirdness, of everything being too much, subsides a bit, and I can focus back on the conversation. Kaelich’s eyes dart at me, worried, but I nod at him. I’ll be fine. Maybe.

“...if we knew where Korentis was, we’d have alerted the agency,” Anderiel says, as if it were obvious. “We know the law. None of us is going to help xem in xir last self-destructive folly.”

There’s real harshness to her tone. That’s unexpected - I latch on to this fact like a lifeline. I’m here for an investigation. The rest doesn’t matter.

Rogue mages’ relatives and friends more often than not stand by them, or beg forgiveness for them.

“We just want xem back,” the other mother, Esenov, says, some emotion seeping into her voice. “Xe… doesn’t mean to do anything bad, really! Xe’s just… xe’s not good at making decisions. Xe needs a lot of guidance. Our elder children were always so good at taking care of themselves, but Korentis… xe needs us. And magic could be affecting xem. Please bring xem back. We’ll pay for any damages xe did!”

Breathe in, breathe out. Of course she’d try to buy a way out from a crime against existence, as if Korentis were a shoplifter.

“That’s… not really relevant to the situation,” Kaelich says, gently. “Unsanctioned use of magic is a crime against existence, and damage reparations don’t affect that. We hope to find Korentis soon. The longer xe stays free, the more xe risks going nova - and the more likely xe’ll have to endure re-education. Do you have any way to contact xem? Do you know where xe might hide? Some friend, maybe?”

Anderiel shakes her head, a perfect, elegant movement.

“We don’t know, xe didn’t ask us for help. Xe knew we wouldn’t allow xem to act illegally and irresponsibly, of course,” she says. “I doubt xe’s staying at a friend’s, xe doesn’t keep friends for long. Honestly, re-education is probably the best thing for xem. The Scientists knows we did our best with Korentis, but xe could never stay on a straight path.”

The other mother lets out a sniffle and presses her lips, close to tears, but she nods.

“Xe’s not well,” she says, her voice wavering. “I always knew xe’d take the wrong road, if left to xemself. Please find xem. Maybe re-education will help. They teach self-control, right?”

Kaelich seems at a loss - it’s admittedly unusual to hear people wish the re-education camps on their own children. Maybe these women are so out of touch they imagine re-ed like some fancy boarding school.

That’s irrelevant, though. What matters is, they really don’t know where Korentis is, I’m pretty sure. But if they didn’t help xem at all…

I look at their daughter, Elvodris. For a moment, her face is distorted by anger, so stark and burning I expect her to scream.

It’s gone in a split second, then she’s cold and disdainful again. She looks at me like I’m some disgusting insect.

She helped Korentis, I’d bet on that. And didn’t even tell her mothers. Lady of Pains, this family is fucked up.

Kaelich asks a few more questions, then looks at me, and I give xem a quick thumbs-up, hoping we can get through this quickly. I doubt there’s anything more to learn from these women.

Finally we leave, and I can breathe again.

***

I start truly feeling better on the tube - the train’s noise drowns voices, there’s no snow in sight, and while such an extensive tube network is one more sign of Vorokan opulence, its utilitarian nature makes it easier to tolerate.

I almost had a crisis - I thought I was past those. I worked so hard during basic training to keep them bottled up.

I’ll just have to work harder. And I did manage to keep my composure, in the end.

ThauCon agents can’t have mental illnesses, of course. That would leave them vulnerable to the Else. So I won’t have one. Just… moments where I need to make an extra effort to behave normally.

“Damn, that was depressing,” Kaelich says, when we’re back in the base and we change into civilian clothes. “I almost feel bad for the mage.”

“Bad?” I ask, incredulous - and realize speaking comes easier now. I feel more comfortable around Kaelich than around most people. “The fucker lived in mansion with a private pool.”

Kaelich looks at me, a strange expression on xir face.

“Have you seen xir mothers?” Xe asks.

“They were more reasonable than most civilians we talked with,” I say.

“Doctor forgive me,” Sorivel says, “but I’d need a big pile of gold to swap families with Korentis.”

“They were just realistic and law-abiding,” I point out.

“You know what my parents did when my assessment results came, and I qualified for no university?” Kaelich asks. “They were poor, you know. They had really hoped I’d go to uni. Paid me private lessons and shit.”

“So… what did they do?” I ask, confused.

“They baked me a cake,” xe answers. “And threw me a consolation party. They’ve been saying university is a waste of money for stuck-up nerds ever since. Which makes them twist into knots at family dinners now, because my little sister did get into law school.”

I think about my own parents. I mostly had to care for myself by age fourteen - Kaelich’s idea of poor is clearly different than mine. But for all that, mom helped me write a ton of grant applications. And da’ awkwardly tried to make me feel better when I flunked from Intelligence. That was horrible.

I always feared xe’d take a bad road. I mean, she was probably right, Korentis threw xemself into magical crime for no fucking reason. But who says that about their own child?

Well, I’m not going to feel bad for the mage, xe could have consoled xemself with xir piles of money and privilege instead of embracing the Dark Power. I’ll care about xir dysfunctional family only as far as it helps me catch xem.

“You think they’re telling the truth, though?” I ask, when we’re back at the base, and I feel like speaking again.

“The sister was lying pretty much with every word, except when she said she didn’t know where Korentis is,” Sorivel says, crossing his arms in a warding gesture. “May the Gunner protect us from mages and financial managers. The mothers were truthful.”

“Are you sure?” I ask. “That’s… remarkably specific.”

“Sori is amazing at telling when people lie,” Kaelich says, giving him a friendly bump on the shoulder. “Don’t even bother telling him bullshit if you steal his lunch. You’ll never hear the end of it.”

“Lying is a sin,” Sorivel says, “stealing is a sin too, and there’s some special sin for stealing honey rice from your friends and then lying about it.”

“It was a mistake!” Kaelich says.

“I rarely lie,” I say. “It’s telling the truth that tends to get me into trouble.”

“Really! Let’s test your honesty then,” Kaelich answers, beaming. “Are you trying to fuck our team mage?”

Heat rushes up my neck, and for a moment I forget how to speak.

“That doesn’t strike me as a very proper question, ser,” I say, when I regain control of my voice.

Xe shrugs. “Come on. We’re stuck together in camp freeze-ass. The dating pool isn’t great, and everyone finds out sooner or later. You might as well tell me now.”

It takes me a moment to realize xe’s not addressing it as a problem, xe just wants to gossip. I don’t even know if I disapprove more of his nosiness, or his lack of professionalism. Is asking so casually about people’s intimate relationships a Karesian thing, or a Kaelich thing?

“She’s a mage,” Sorivel says, harsh.

“She’s a council mage, they’re the good ones, didn’t they tell you in basic training?” Kaelich retorts. “And she’s hot. Have you seen her in the gym? Damn, those thighs…”

I had a classmate in Intelligence School who was really into ancient art. When she visited the museums in Landfall, she told us about it in the same incredulous, reverential tone Kaelich uses to describe Althea in sport briefs.

“While she’s attractive, and Council mages are our allies,” I say, “a relationship between an agent and a mage could be seen as inappropriate. We’re trying to get a promotion away from here, after all.”

“Why are you two even in ThauCon, if you salivate at the first mage you see,” Sorivel grumbles. “I get it from Kael, xe’s always like that, but Cerical, you didn’t look like you’d lose your wits for a pretty face.”

“Yeah, the face isn’t bad either, but…” Kaelich begins.

The conversation soon devolves into ever more unprofessional observations from Kaelich, mixed with increasing outrage from Sorivel. After a while, I’m pretty sure that Kaelich is doing it on purpose, to annoy him, and I find myself hiding a smile.

Well, that saves me from answering the original question, at least for a while.

***