I could already hear the lecture the council would give me for discussing this, but I pushed on despite it.

“I’m bad at the whole ‘explaining’ thing, but I’ll do my best. Try to hold all the questions until I get the basics out of the way, alright?”

At his nod, I thought back to the structure of the different types of magic. There was probably no better place to start than there.

“Magic isn’t just a one size fits all. There are different areas of expertise–eight of them–and people can only use spells from their area. For instance, I can only use Auxilio–better known as Support–magic.” I paused, making sure he still followed.

Intent eyes never strayed and when he nodded, I continued. “The other seven are as follows: Mutante, Leporem, Spectrum, Mortuus, Divinus, Salutor and Exitium. Each of them have unique spells but for the sake of ease, I’m only going over mine for now. I’ll get you a book later if you want in-depth knowledge on the rest.”

Thinking back to when I learned all this myself, I added on. “People are born able to cast certain ones of the eight magics, but if you don’t have the capability you’ll never manage it. I can cast Auxilio and nothing else, which is rare. Usually, mages can cast at least two if not three types.” I grimaced. “I drew the short stick on abilities.”

Before I could think on what else to say, he cut in, eyes wide with curiosity. “What kind of spells fall under your Auxilio magic?”

Oh look, a question I knew how to answer. While I’d asked him to hold them to the end, I guess there wasn’t any harm in answering this one. “Exactly what the name says, support. I can strengthen someone, muffle movement, make a rudimentary illusion, create barriers, and things like that. There are others but those are the most commonly used ones.”

The thirst for knowledge burned behind his eyes as he leaned forward, elbows on his knees and fingers linked over his mouth. “Do you also have the ability to neutralize magic?”

Now that was a tricky one to answer…

Holding up my fingerless gloves, I made a so-so gesture. “Yes, but without these, I couldn’t. A Leporem mage–an enchanter, in common tongue–can craft things with spells embedded in them. In my glove’s case, they have the spell Tollo, or negate. I channel magic into the glove and it casts the spell, no need for spoken words and as an added bonus, magical items allow you to cast spells outside of your capabilities. If it weren’t for these, I wouldn’t be able to use that spell because I’m not a Leporem mage.”

Noting the intentness to his eyes, I bit back a smile. Something told me he’d be writing all this down if he had the paper and pen. Shaking the amusing thought to the side, I finished the explanation. “So depending on the caster’s type, their abilities vary. Do you have any questions?”

The last bit was redundant since his eyes all but glowed with them and sure enough, he jumped right in.

“I do indeed. Mrs. Birchwood stated that a dear friend of yours caused you to become involved in this. But you were unaware of incubi and succubi before now. Was your friend able to see them and knew your skills would be needed? If so, we may need their help in this fight as my informants can only move so quickly. If your friend has the power to track those people they could be invaluable.”

He had to go and ask about Seraphina…

Rubbing a hand over my face, I answered to the best of my ability while praying she wouldn’t maim me for this later.

“My friend is a seer, a Divinus mage. She can see the future, though not always how she’d prefer to. Her control over her visions isn’t precise and when she sees something she thinks will concern me, she says so. A few days ago she told me that Mrs. Birchwood’s case would be special but she couldn’t say why. My best guess is that she saw the children and that they weren’t human. There’s someone out there hunting down succubi and incubi kids, she was correct in assuming I’d want to be right in the thick of it.”

At that, his face lit up. “So she can locate the children?”

And here’s where the explanation got fun. “Yes and no. She can’t control the vision or choose when to see them. Important things come to her as they please and she decides what to do with the information after she has it.”

Which was a never ending source of frustration for her just like my inability to cast anything but one field of magic was for me.

Dimitrius deflated. “Unfortunate, but not surprising. Fate seldom gives us things so easily.”

Don’t I know it.

Steering the conversation back to the point, I assured. “If she gets any more information she’ll update us. Until then we’ll have to keep doing things the old-fashioned way.”

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Sitting back to take it all in, he mused. “I am no stranger to this. My people will search tirelessly and once we return home we may begin the search for our next target.”

Blood thirst swept through me at that. Oh, I’d definitely be joining in on that mission. No one touched kids around me without losing life or limb. The car pulled to a stop, jerking me from my very colorful imagining of what I’d do to those people when we got our hands on them.

The building the children had been brought to sat outside and Dimitrius got out, offering his hand. “Let us hope that we may find something useful here.”

Taking it, I hummed in agreement, already sweeping a glance across the clearing. “Hopefully, while I’m glad those two guards are dead, it probably would have made things easier if I’d at least kept the witch alive.”

He shook his head, hair catching the light. “There is no use in self reprimands. What has been done cannot be undone, so now we must work with what we have.”

Yeah, but that didn't mean I had to like it.

Putting the thought out of mind, I moved toward the house, only for my phone to blare, shattering the tense silence. I glanced at it, noting Seraphina’s number with surprise. She hardly ever called…

Pressing it to my ear, I questioned. “Sera?”

The voice came through, its urgency spiking my instincts into gear as she shouted. “Around the house, move it! She’s getting away!”

Not bothering to ask questions, I bolted around the property, Dimitrius right on my heels. The second we rounded the corner, I saw a flash of black hair, a woman, and if her hurried retreat was anything to go by she’d been involved in this mess as well.

“Thank Sera, call you later!” Shoving my phone into a pocket, I swung my hand in a wide arch and barked. “Clypeus!”

Just like before, the invisible shield sprang to life. This time it appeared inches in front of the witch. She slammed head first into it with a sickening crunch. Satisfaction and triumph flowed through me as I pounced, pinning her to the ground with her hands behind her back.

“Now who are you, another lackey in this mess?” I asked, voice a lethal purr.

She went limp under me, quiet sniffles coming as she wailed. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, I was just walking in the woods when you attacked me!”

Dimitrius hesitated, but before he could fall for her act, I scoffed. “Out for a walk? Then why were you already running by the time we came around the house? You had no reason to run from us and more than that,” I bent to whisper in her ear, taking vindictive glee out of the shiver that trailed up her spine, “you weren’t surprised by the magic that just landed you on your ass. Nice try, but I’m smart enough to not believe your little charade.”

All the previous uncertainty left Dimitrius’s expression as he moved closer. “Good job, if you would stand so my staff could apprehend the woman?”

I shot him an amused look, though kept my snarky remarks to myself. He wasn’t used to magic yet, I reminded myself. I couldn’t hold him accountable for minor slip-ups like this.

“You have any anti-magic restraints on you? Because after the last two magical guards, I doubt this one is a prosaic.” My glove was firmly planted on her arms, the skin to cloth contact neutralizing any magic she might have pulled. I wasn’t about to remove my hand to test that either.

Understanding dawned as Dimitrius grimaced. “No, I do not. I take it that you do?”

Freeing one of my hands, I dug through the infinity bag at my waist, the spelled rope brushing my fingers as I pulled it out with a noise of triumph. It had Tollo enchanted into it too, though a milder form. It wouldn’t work for extended periods of time, but it would suffice for now.

Standing up, I hauled the woman to her feet as I moved for the car. “I’ll find a better restraint later. Lucky day for us that she was here, that’ll make information gathering considerably easier. If she gives us any problems I can always make a truth potion, though the ingredients are a pain to get and it takes time to brew.”

At that, his eyes fastened to me. “Yes, you spoke of such concoctions. You should begin preparing this truth potion as I doubt she will so easily give us the information we require. Make a list of ingredients you will need and I will have them sent for.”

A snort came before I could stop it, the noise echoed disdainfully by the woman in my grasp. Without a thought, I slammed her head first into the car door, smiling at the crunch her nose gave, before shoving her inside without pausing. Turning to Dimitrius casually, ignoring the mage’s moaning, I shook my head.

“Yeah, that’s not gonna work. Some of the ingredients you can get the regular way, but some have to be gotten from magic shops. I’ll handle that.”

Though it would cost a good bit, especially that Frenwere. The herb was labeled rare for a reason, though if I could save enough to grow extra from a cutting I’d be saving myself money in the long run. Not to mention having the herbs to make truth potion on hand was never a bad thing, especially if this mission of ours lasted a long time.

The more people we needed information from, the more potion we’d need. Putting that to the side, I looked up, only to pause at the childlike glow to Dimitrius’s eyes. Amusement strafed through me as understanding dawned.

He enjoyed learning new things and I’d just introduced him to an entire unknown world to explore. It didn’t take a genius to know why he was staring like that.

Biting back a smile, I offered. “You could come with me when I leave for that, if you’d like?”

He was nodding before I finished the question, enthusiasm visibly held back as he all but beamed. The excitement oozed off as he spoke. “Only if it will cause no issues.”

Oh it’d cause a few if people realized he wasn’t magical by the normal standards, but we’d burn that bridge when we got to it.

“No, as long as you don’t announce your species we’ll be fine. Magical folk generally aren’t comfortable with other types of magic and I doubt they’ll be accepting of you. If one discovers what you are, do not tell them they’re immune to you. That’s the only advantage you’ll have over us. They won’t know what you’re capable of so they’ll be wary. Use that.”

Under my breath, I tacked on. “Honestly just don’t tell them anything about your people, alright? The last thing we need is the magical world at large trying to start the Crusades 2.0.”

He nodded, to my relief. If I was being smart I wouldn’t bring him at all, but seeing how excited he was to learn…it made me want to show him more, everything I possibly could. Just to see that smile grow.

People were so rarely happy to see my magic and I’d enjoy this while it lasted. Besides, he seemed level-headed for the most part. As long as he didn’t wander off he’d be fine in a magical marketplace.

…Right?