Heath
There was nothing unusual in the house that he could find. All the doors and windows were closed. The air conditioner was running, but this was a different, distinct sound that didn’t resemble an appliance or anything mechanical.
Since Nadine taught at Venus, and lived in Clementine, they saw each other frequently. Usually, they met for lunch or dinner in town, at least once a week. With his sister close by, he didn’t feel isolated.
Rascal trilled, with his head cocked to one side. He was curious, but not anxious. So, it was nothing bad. That was something, anyway.
He could probably figure it out by going through his spells. Most of his spellbooks were still in boxes, though. The sound persisted longer than it had the previous day, but eventually subsided.
Shaking his head, Heath got back to work. Whatever it was could wait. He would solve this mystery, but it didn’t seem time-sensitive.
Monday morning, Heath went for a run before showering and getting ready for work. His first class was small, with just the underage casters.
This course could be rewarding or frustrating to teach, depending on the students. The crop this year was currently somewhere in the middle. Heath greeted them as he entered the classroom, and sat down behind his desk.
“Professor Halston, when do we get wands?” Robert asked.
“There is no specific date for that, but probably next year,” Heath replied patiently.
He remembered his own excitement at the thought of receiving his first wand, and feeling like a real caster.
“You are all here due to having a burst of magic you couldn’t control.
It’s important to recognize the power inside you, and how it responds, before adding wands to the equation. ”
“Mr. Voudrie told us that the first casters used their hands and intentions, without spells or wands,” Steve commented. “He said the first wands were experimental, and didn’t work well.”
“That’s correct,” Heath said. “It was a process of trial and error. Wands have been in use for nearly four hundred years, and are the best conduit for channeling magic. But it is possible to cast without one. You will each need a wand that works best with you and your magic. Having a better understanding of that will help you choose the right kind of wand. It’s smart to know how to direct your magic without one. ”
Adam nodded. He was quieter than the other two, but paid attention in class.
Robert looked confused. “I know there are a lot of different styles and colors, but I thought that was a matter of personal taste.”
“To some extent, yes,” Heath said. “You want to choose a wand that you are drawn to, that responds to your magic. There are other factors to consider, though. Power rankings, and what fuels the power, is important.” He held up his own wand, which was carved from rainforest jasper.
“While people with other classifications may have more than one power and multiple rankings, as casters, we just have magic. Since magic is very diverse, that’s not a hindrance.
Most casters have one power ranking. My natural father is an earth elemental.
Therefore, I have two ranks, one for earth spells, and another for all other castings, with earth spells ranking higher.
A stone wand works best for me, since it resonates with earth. ”
“I might have an affinity for water spells, since my dad is a water elemental,” Steve said.
“Exactly. You manifested as a caster, but probably have a strong tie to water,” Heath agreed.
“A wand that is carved from a tree that grows in water might work best for you. Everyone has different strengths. This class will help determine where you excel, and what you struggle with. Now, let’s begin the day’s exercise, and meditate. ”
Heath coached the boys to connect to their magic, and get a feel for it. After they left, he decided to visit the library, since he had some free time between classes. Browsing through notification spells might jog his memory so he could solve the mystery of the humming.
Clark and Russell were near the front desk when Heath entered the library. Not wanting to get caught up in conversation with Russell, who still flirted with him occasionally, Heath headed straight for the spellbooks. He was on a mission, and didn’t wish to be sidetracked.
It took him less than ten minutes to find the spell. With that discovery came the recollection of what the alert was for. In his first year as a monitor, students had been sneaking down to the basement.
Most of them were drinking or smoking. Heath might have turned a blind eye if it was just a few older students fucking around. Having a couple of beers in the dorm was safer than driving drunk or staggering around Clementine.
But some of them were young and dumb enough to try to practice their magic without supervision. That could be very dangerous in a room full of electrical panels and machinery. Heath had set the alert, and obviously never disabled it.
Now, he had to decide what to do about this. After returning the book to its place on the shelf, Heath left the library. There was no point in talking to Ray, who was too lazy to lift a finger, and didn’t care what the students did.
Back in his office, Heath thought about how to handle this for several minutes before calling Jace.
“I have a class right now,” the shifter said in his usual brusque tone.
“There’s something I want to talk to you about,” Heath said. “Are you free for lunch?”
“Yeah.”
This was why it was so weird to see Jace engaged in animated conversations with Clark Voudrie. That wasn’t normal for 007.
Heath said he would have food delivered, and they agreed to meet in his office. The brief talk reminded Heath of the mysteries surrounding the shifter.
It occurred to him that Jace might be hiding a tattoo under the muscle shirts that he was still wearing every day now, but that didn’t make sense either. As far as Heath was aware, 007 didn’t have tats, and wasn’t into them.
If he was wrong, and Jace had gotten a tattoo, there would be no reason to hide it.
Jace would choose a spot on his body that would always be hidden, like a thigh or hip, for a tattoo with personal meaning that he didn’t want displayed.
That brought Heath back to possibilities that Jace couldn’t control the location of, such as a scar or mate mark.
It was a conundrum, but Heath elected not to quiz Jace about his unusual behavior. He might learn more through observation, and the students were the priority. Heath prepared for his next class after setting a reminder on his phone to order lunch.
Jace arrived on time, almost immediately after the food was delivered, entering Heath’s office after a brief, perfunctory knock.
“What’s up?”
Heath waved for Jace to have a seat before replying, “I was hearing a strange noise on Saturday and Sunday, and couldn’t figure out what it was at first.”
007 frowned at that. “Is everything ok? I can send security to patrol, if you’re worried about trespassers.”
“Thanks, but that won’t be necessary,” Heath said.
“I realized today that the alert indicates activity in the basement under the dorm.” Jace looked surprised, and possibly annoyed.
With him, it was hard to tell. “Casters were sneaking down there in my first year as a monitor, which caused me to set alerts.”
“Doesn’t it go off constantly?” Jace asked. “Maintenance is down there all the time.”
“No, it’s just for evenings and weekends, when the crews are off work. I know it’s not your job to worry about the casters, but I called you because Ray won’t give a shit,” Heath said.
“Ok, that makes sense, but I think Clark and I set it off,” Jace said to Heath’s surprise.
“I’m glad that both of you are checking the basement to make sure your students aren’t messing around, but why would either of you be under the caster dorm?” Heath asked.
“Clark asked if there were any rodent deterrents in place, since there have been signs of mice in the powered dorm,” Jace said.
“I offered to come over, and check it out with him. It turns out that there is a tunnel under the dorms that runs from one end to the other with tracks for a trolley or whatever the right term is, to move supplies. We decided to explore it.”
Something in his expression gave Heath the impression that Jace wasn’t being completely honest. That was curious, and confusing. What other reason would they have to be down there, and why hide it?
Heath chose to brush it off for now. If Jace was lying, confronting him wouldn’t yield positive results.
“That’s what the tracks are for. I remember seeing them, now. So, you don’t think students were down there?” Heath asked.
“No, from what you said, I think Clark and I set off the alert. Students would be taking their lives in their hands by venturing into the basements at this point. There are enough mice to stage a rebellion, and take over the campus,” Jace commented with humor.
“That bad? I would think maintenance would have set traps,” Heath commented.
“We were surprised, too, and brainstorming how to fix the problem,” Jace mentioned.
“One or two cats would be eaten alive. We’ll keep checking, and make sure students stay out of the basements, if you want to remove the spell.
I agree that Ray and Mitch wouldn’t care, or do anything about it if they did see students sneaking downstairs. ”
“Yeah, I can disable it,” Heath said. “I had forgotten about it until the alert went off on Saturday. Thank you for taking on more responsibilities. At this point, I’m hoping that Mitch and Ray either quit, or do something to merit termination, so we can get good monitors in those dorms.”
Ray should have his own alerts, but probably didn’t. Heath made a note reminding himself to cancel the spell. No longer having authority over the dorm, it would be senseless to leave it active.
He was curious about Jace’s reaction, but the shifter was an excellent monitor. The same could be said for Clark Voudrie. If they had other motives for meeting in the basement, it wasn’t Heath’s business.
Jace shrugged. “No problem. I’d be checking the basement under my own dorm anyway, and the same for Clark with the powered students.
If we see any unauthorized activity, we’ll notify the department heads.
Don’t worry about Mitch and Ray. At the rate they’re going, neither of them will last the year. ”
Heath crossed the first two fingers on his right hand, and held them up. “Here’s hoping,” he said. “It sounds shitty to want someone to be fired, but the casters can’t stand Ray. They feel like they don’t even have a monitor, which offends me. He’s worthless.”
“If they lose their jobs, it will be because they don’t perform satisfactorily,” Jace said bluntly.
“That’s on them. There’s nothing wrong with you wanting the casters to have a responsible monitor who is invested in the students.
These kids deserve someone who gives a shit, especially the underage boys.
If Mitch and Ray would put the same amount of effort into their students that they do harassing Clark, no one would have an issue with them.
Both of those idiots are on my last nerve. ”
“They are still blaming Clark for their shortcomings?” Heath asked.
“Yeah,” Jace said. “I think Mitch is taking it further than insults, but Clark hasn’t discussed it with me.”
“That’s so petty. Hopefully, it will all sort out soon,” Heath said. “But back to the mouse problem, there is a colony of feral cats near my house. I had most of them fixed, and have been leaving food out for them. We could put them in the basement.”
“Good idea,” Jace said. “They’ll be sheltered from the elements, and solve the rodent problem. I’ll work on making a couple of cat houses with beds and feeding stations. Let me know when you want to do this.”
“Will do. I’ll donate some building supplies and cat beds.”
They spent the rest of lunch chatting about the upcoming football season. It was pleasant, but something about Jace’s casual demeanor seemed forced.
“This was nice. We should try to do this more often,” Jace said as he stood to leave.
“I agree. See you at the game on Friday.”
Heath was still very curious about whatever was going on with Jace, but positive that he had nothing to do with the missing graduates. Maybe working together to get cats in the basement would provide more clues.