Chapter 4- Taz
WELL, ISN’T THIS my lucky day? After I took the bus to the mansion that houses the one portal here in Cosmo, I flashed my credentials to get into the building.
Now, I’m walking down the steps to see the one and only Luther Westbrook waiting in the basement.
It’s an empty room, since the manor is a facade, with almost no one occupying the space. Except, the two of us are here. Alone.
When he sees me, he gives me that signature Luther look of disdain he held for me back when we were teens.
He tries to reign it in and be professional―in his big boy trench coat, thigh-hugging trousers, and stylish shirt and tie―but I still recognize his teenage face underneath all that manly stubble.
Naturally, I beam at him. “Morning, Lulu!” He’s always hated that nickname.
The man to my left bristles. “Good morning, Devries. And it’s Agent Westbrook now.”
I nod and grin. “Oh right, Agent Westbrook. My apologies. Can’t forget your hotshot title, can I?”
“No,” he murmurs, adjusting his coat. I know I ought to be more mature, but old habits die hard.
Being summoned by the chief to assist them was supposed to be all business.
But working with Luther two days ago propelled me back to being a hormone-addled teenager.
I’m once again teasing the only guy I’ve ever wanted to get a rise out of.
I don’t miss the way his eyes flick to my body—quick, subtle glances, like he doesn’t want me to catch him. But I’ve always craved his attention, good or bad. So much of me has changed in the last ten years, but apparently not enough when it comes to being near Luther Westbrook.
“I guess the chief called you in, too?” I ask with a smile.
“I’m a lead agent of SPELL, so…”
“Right.”
“He called you to work for us today?”
“With you. I’m a hex expert, after all, and I took this assignment. Who knows what you all could face?”
“Of course. A real hexpert,” he says in his most unimpressed tone.
I guffaw. “I don’t remember you being so funny, Westbrook.”
“And I don’t remember you being so adept.”
“I’m hurt,” I reply, clutching an invisible necklace. “You don’t remember all the high marks I used to get?”
“And yet you didn’t make it to graduation.” He finally turns to look at me, and anxiety shivers up my spine. In a sincere tone, he asks, “What happened, Taz?”
Breaking his gaze, I look away and push back my bangs. “Life…happened,” I mutter. “So, hey, why haven’t you opened the gate yet? You out of juice? Need my magic? I could go out into the sun and charge some―”
“I’m waiting for Girish. Don’t want to waste magic if I don’t need to.”
“Oh, Gear is here?” I shoot him another smile. “It really is a school reunion.”
“Yeah, but you didn’t answer my―”
“Sorry, sorry!” We turn to Girish dashing down the stairs. He hasn’t changed one bit; he’s still that skinny dude from sorcery protection school, except now with dark stubble and less baby fat.
“Gear! As I live and breathe!” I put my hand out, and he gives me a bro hug while I pat his back. “How are you?”
“Taz. Good to see you. I’m well.” He turns to Luther and adds, “Sorry I’m late.”
“You’re not late.” Luther raises his palm, and an orange glow illuminates the room. In moments, the dark stone archway before us is filled with energy, and I visualize the Union lobby.
“We got a meeting to attend,” Luther says, marching forward.
I turn back to Girish. “Are you not surprised to see me?”
“Well…” He pushes up his glasses and looks away.
“Let me guess―you saw it with your clairvoyance?”
He taps his nose, and we both laugh. With that, the two of us follow Luther into the Union.
“This debrief is of utmost importance.” The chief leans on the podium as his voice fills the room.
“I’ve called you all in here to discuss what we’ve learned in the past forty-eight hours.
As always, nothing leaves this room. We don’t need all of the Union to panic.
This info is for the High Council and select agents of SPELL only. ”
I turn to see the High Council sitting across the wooden table.
They are three older people in robes, the same triumvirate that ran the show when I was a kid.
One of them is Luther’s dad, and one of them is Girish’s mom―the third councilman has no children, I don’t think―but their respective kids sit on my side of the table.
Other folks, presumably agents, are sprinkled around the room as well.
When I make eye contact with Chief Tuttle, he nods and says, “As well as specific consultants for this case. We’ve never witnessed hexes of this potency or frequency before.
Our very own Agent Toll was affected by what we perceive to be a looming threat to all of the magical community.
” He points to Max who gives a feeble wave.
He looks healthier now, so that’s a relief.
“With his health recuperated, I’d like to allow Agent Toll to debrief us with his intel. ”
Max takes the podium, and the room falls quieter than it already was.
“Thank you, Chief Tuttle. As you may have heard, I was sent undercover to investigate a group of potential dark mages. We had heard rumors of people using magic for chaotic purposes. But since we had no proof, I was sent to acquire intel by becoming one of them. What on the surface appears to be a community support group in the Midwest is actually a conglomeration of wizards and non-magical folk that are indeed casting hexes and curses for unknown reasons. They take pride in their abilities to use magic for violent, chaotic purposes. They’re organized, and they call themselves… the Unheard.”
A chill goes up my spine, and everyone in the room seems fearful. I briefly exchange a look with Girish before turning back to the podium.
Max clears his throat and continues, “It’s not a diverse cult by any means.
The leaders prey upon a specific profile; it’s primarily White American men, with some exceptions.
But these people seem jaded and claim to be rejected by society.
The recurring theme of each person I chatted with was dissatisfaction in life, be it low-paying jobs or lack of romantic prospects.
They felt they deserved more money, more power, and that their prayers had gone unanswered, hence the name of the cult. ”
I cringe at the thought of Midwest Americans who joined a violent cult simply because they’re not billionaires.
Max continues, “I was able to join the first rank of the initiation ceremony where they not only showed mortals about sorcery, but claimed a higher purpose was coming.”
Murmurs of controversy fill room. Mortals are being exposed to magic? “What kind of higher purpose?” Necia asks.
Max shakes his head. “I wasn’t able to gather that intel. In one of their bases, I snuck into their library. Some of the cult’s reference books had magical locks, so I tried to open them up to get answers. One cultist caught me, and then…I blanked out.”
“Oh, Max,” Necia says with earnest sympathy.
“Obviously, this is a serious threat,” Chief Tuttle says after Max steps down from the podium.
“If this Cult of the Unheard is casting hexes on mortals and has access to magical tomes…” Councilwoman Shah says.
“Then we need to continue our investigations, but in a safe manner,” Councilman O’Toole adds.
“Agreed.” Councilman Westbrook nods at the other bigwigs, then looks forward at the chief. “We can’t let our agents or anyone end up in complex hexes that can cause permanent damage.”
“I agree,” the chief replies. “Which is why we want our hex expert to be in the field with our agents.”
He points to me, and I give a quick wave at the High Council. “Whatever you need. I’ll do anything to put a stop to this cult, you have my word.”
An hour later, my stomach is begging me for a meal, so I’m at the downstairs cafeteria. I’ve always admired the global cuisine at this place; it makes sense since we’re a network of wizards and witches worldwide.
After procuring my tray of sizzling Filipino cuisine, I spot Max at a table. He waves me down with a grin, and I smile and follow him.
“Come sit with us, Taz!” he says, pulling a chair to his left.
Considering what he went through, how can I refuse? I wouldn’t hesitate at all if he weren’t seated across from Necia and Luther. “Don’t mind if I do,” I say with a smile.
“It’s good to see you. That debrief session really took it out of me!” Max says, biting into his sushi. “But now we’re all back together.”
Recalling the extent of his hexing, my smile falls. “Again, Max, I am so sorry that happened to you.”
“Hey, don’t apologize. I’d still be spinning around like the exorcist girl if you hadn’t undone the hex.”
“Still, that cult sounds bloody awful. If it were up to me, we’d round them all up and give them a taste of their own dark medicine.”
“We need to be cautious.” Luther’s voice is stern, and his dark eyes are as serious as ever. He plays with his plate of spaghetti as he fixes stares at the three of us. “One missed step could mean exposing our magic to mortals.”
“They’re already being exposed,” I retort. I grip my spoon in frustration and level an annoyed look at Luther. “Or are we gonna sit around and let innocent people have their lives ruined by amateur wizard boys and their ill-conceived hexes?”
“Obviously, I don’t want that. You know that’s not ideal, Devries,” Luther replies, his voice brimming with contempt. “But we have strategy meetings for a reason.”
“You can strategize until dragons come to roost. Meanwhile, this cult is preparing to do heaven-knows-what. Are all lead agents this cowardly?”
“Coming from the man who didn’t even graduate!”
“Boys, enough!” Necia nearly shouts. “This isn’t high school. Your little pissing matches aren’t cute.” Her chastising tone has me shutting up in no time.
“You’re right, Neesh,” Luther says. Meanwhile, I sit back and dig into my meal. Luther eyes me with usual contempt as we listen to the sounds of other wizards eating around the cafeteria.
After several awkward seconds, Max breaks the silence. “Well, I for one am glad you’re with us.”
“Of course,” I mutter.
“We need to have each other’s backs for this mission. That’s what agents of SPELL do,” Necia points out. “Are you all willing to work together and help each other out?”
Luther stares me down for another drawn-out moment. “Yeah. I’m down.”
“Sounds like a plan,” I say with a mouth full of food.
I need to keep reminding myself that being here means I’m helping a greater good. I need to stop bickering with Luther for five seconds so we can focus on an actual dark cult. I need to be the best wizard I can be, for everyone’s sake.
But most of all, I need to keep a clear head; I have my own personal demons to fight, and no one else can know about why I’m working as an agent of SPELL.