The Spell Caster

Chapter 10

LAYLA

I woke up sooner than I expected, feeling groggy. I sat up gently, looking Costi over in the muted light filtering through the shades. He was sleeping soundly without any sign of pain or discomfort. My eyes lingered a moment on his tattoos, an artistic tangle of designs that spilled over his chest and upper arm. I wondered what they meant to him—the swirling waves, leaves, a flying owl. The roses blooming over his heart. It was beautiful. He was beautiful, even covered in grime and bandages with his clothes destroyed.

I quietly pulled out something to wear and headed to the bathroom to shower and change. When I came out, I found Oliver, uncharacteristically without Datura attached to him, layering peanut butter onto a piece of toast.

“Layla’s got a lover,” he sang loudly, waving the knife around.

I shushed him urgently, shoving down a misplaced surge of approval. “It’s Costi. The mission went horribly wrong last night. He’s hurt.”

Oliver straightened, his face shifting to uncharacteristic concern. “What happened? Is everyone okay?”

I swallowed. “I don’t know. I don’t… think so. I heard… someone died. Costi’s in pretty bad shape.”

“Fate,” Oliver said faintly.

I nodded, biting the inside of my lip. I filled a glass of water from the tap.

“Do you need… um… any help?”

I needed so much help at this point. “Does our coven have a mentor?”

“Ah, yeah. I’m sure he wanted to come by and meet you, but he’s been caught up in getting the Northern Sea folks settled. I’ll text you his number.” He brightened, seeming to feel better now that he had a task.

“Thanks,” I said.

Returning to my room, I left the water on the nightstand in case Costi woke up. Then I stole his phone.

In my defense, it had fallen out of his pocket, and he didn’t keep it locked. The screen was badly cracked, but it lit up. I cringed, seeing dozens of missed calls. I pulled up his contacts, found Ash’s number, and entered it into my own phone.

The call rang through as I was walking away from the apartment. I hadn’t expected Ash to answer an unknown caller, but the line picked up.

“Hello?” came a wary voice.

“Hey, Ash, it’s Layla. Costi’s friend.”

“Is he with you?” they asked urgently.

“He’s at my apartment, sleeping.”

They sighed loudly. “Why is he like this?”

“I don’t know. He says it’s not trauma.”

Ash’s startled laugh filtered through the phone.

I joined the crowded main walkway and looked around for signs. “Were you with the team last night?”

“No, but all the guardians heard what happened. One of the others came back from the infirmary and said Costi was all right, but no one’s heard from him.”

“He’s injured, but he’s okay,” I said. “Can I ask you a favor?”

“Anything,” they said.

“Can you grab some of Costi’s clothes?” I asked as I reached the medical center.

“Meet me outside the barracks,” they said, then ended the call.

I stared at the phone. Was being abrupt a guardian thing, or was it the shared interest Costi and Ash based their friendship on?

The medical center was a large building of glass and natural stone. It was several stories, but the lower floor was paneled in floor-to-ceiling windows that gave it a sleek, modern look. The front area, below the windows, hosted a half dozen tropical-looking trees in large pots, plus a number of tables and furniture where people were waiting.

There was a bit of a line, and the witches working at the counter looked tired. I didn’t blame them—it had probably been a rough morning. When my turn arrived, a witch with short hair wearing the blue outfit that seemed to be the uniform of the medical center took my name and what I was there for, then asked me to wait.

After a moment, another medical center worker in glasses strode out and called me over. “You’re here about Constantine Blackthorn?”

I voiced the affirmative, and he shoved a bag into my hands. “What he did was reckless. He needs medical supervision. We were concerned for him.”

“I’m sorry. I’ll let him know,” I murmured, trying for contrite and responsible. At any given time, there was approximately zero chance of Costi doing what anyone suggested.

The annoyed medic went on to explain the various medications and when to change the bandages. I nodded along seriously, repeating the instructions after him, and he seemed satisfied.

Once finished, I hurried to the barracks, not wanting to keep Ash waiting.

Ash was striking—a tall witch who looked the same age as Costi, with square shoulders and a toned, athletic body that suited the black guardian uniform. Their face was enviable, all high cheekbones and severe lips, plus a fall of perfectly straight black hair that reached below their shoulder blades. They were leaning against the wall in front of the barracks, a stone building with a second floor and a shaded entryway.

Ash seemed to recognize me, though we hadn’t really met before.

“Thanks for meeting me,” I said as they handed me a bundle of clothing. Black, of course.

“How is he?”

I blew out a breath. “I hope he’s okay. He’s been sleeping since this morning. He got… burned pretty badly.”

“The angel weapons,” they said, bringing a hand up to their mouth in thought. “I saw them, during the attack on Northern Sea.”

“What does it mean?” I asked.

Ash shook their head. “Something’s going on with the angels. I don’t know if they’re learning or if someone is controlling them, but it’s nothing we’ve seen before.”

“If someone is controlling them somehow… it would have to be one of us,” I said.

Ash regarded me seriously. “Be careful who you talk to,” they warned. “I don’t know what’s going on, but I don’t like it. Something feels off about the Mountain Circle.”

I nodded once, taking a sobering breath. “I know. I feel it too.” I shivered despite the still-warm air of early fall. “I should get back to check on Costi. Thanks for your help.”

“Any time,” they said. “I mean it.”

As I turned to go, Ash called out, “Layla, wait.”

“Huh?” I turned back to face them.

“Holly’s wrong about you.”

I felt my cheeks heat. “What… has she been saying about me?”

“She thinks you’re a bad influence on him.”

I curled my raised hand into a frustrated claw. “She’s really starting to bother me. I can’t influence Costi!”

“I think you do,” Ash said. “In a good way,” they hurried to amend as they caught my furious look.

I tilted my head at them and crossed my arms. “He got attacked by angels because of me, and now he’s holed up in my apartment against medical advice.”

“His existence is against medical advice,” they deadpanned. “Look, I’ve known him four years. We train together every day. He’s chaotic.”

I looked down. “Maybe.”

Ash snorted. “You know I’m right. Holly thinks he needs someone to fix him, to remind him to keep himself in check. But it doesn’t work that way. What he really needs is someone who accepts him as is, so he can focus all that wildness on something more… productive.” They looked at me significantly.

My heart flipped uselessly in my chest, considering the possibility. “You seem pretty wise,” I said.

Ash arched their eyebrow. “I certainly like people to think so.”

I chuckled. “I’m glad we got to chat. I can see why Costi hangs out with you.”

Heading back to my apartment, I felt lighter than I had in a while.

***

Costi was still sleeping in the same sideways orientation when I returned, one arm thrown over his bare chest. Rough stubble had started growing in on his bruised jaw.

Concerned, I laid my hand on his forehead to check for fever. He blinked awake, heavy lashes framing those gorgeous, stormy gray eyes.

“Hey,” I said softly. “How are you feeling?”

“Been better.” He dug into a pocket with a grimace and pulled out a small white envelope, dumping pills into his mouth and chewing them like candy.

“Which one was that?” I asked, holding up the small bag I’d brought. “The infirmary gave me a list.”

Costi gave a half smile.

“Well someone has to look out for you,” I groused, flinging a hand at his collection of bandages. “You’re determined to get injured.”

His smile grew into a crooked grin. “Line of duty, baby. I’m saving the world.”

I laughed, and Costi gave me an enthralled look that made me self-conscious. I tucked my hair behind my ear and glanced back at him. “I was worried about you,” I admitted.

He looked away, his smile fading. “I know. Fate, I know. Sorry. I’m not… trying to cause problems.”

“I know. So… what’s going on? Why did you come here?”

His throat worked in a swallow. He was quiet for a moment before he said, “Honestly? I’m terrified . Something is happening, and we’re not even a little bit ready.” He raised his eyes to me. “You don’t have a way to defend yourself, and everyone’s telling me to leave you alone.”

“I’ve been scared too. I don’t want you to leave me alone.”

“I’m not going to,” he ground out.

I blinked. “Good.”

“Good,” he agreed. He sat up gingerly, biting back a groan, and bent over his leg to inspect it.

“I, um… brought your clothes and stuff.” I held up the bundle. “If you want a shower.”

“You saying I’m dirty?” He put weight on his leg carefully.

“You were dirty before you left yesterday,” I pointed out.

My phone pinged. I pulled it out and made a face.

“What’s that all about?”

“It’s… Calamus. He wants to talk about the circle spell. You’d think he’d be resting or something after last night.”

“Pretty sure he was the only one who got out of there without an injury,” Costi said darkly.

“Because you took the hit for him.” I crossed my arms and frowned.

“Fucking Grey. There’s something about him. He was telling me all his theories about the Greek attack on the ride over. And then somehow the angels know we’re coming?”

My annoyance at Calamus flared hotter. Why would he bring up the attack on the Paralía Circle with the only survivor? “I doubt he’d tip the enemy off to a raid he himself was part of. You just don’t like him.”

“Damn straight I don’t like him. I don’t like the way he looks at you.”

My heart beat wildly as he ran his eyes over my face, and I wondered if Costi was aware of the way he looked at me. Because I was very aware of his smoldering gaze.

“I better get that shower,” he said slowly.

He seemed stiff but able to get himself around. I sat down on my bed and tried to get my body back under control as I heard the water start up.

Maybe I should just kiss him already and unwind some of this tension—but I had a feeling that would only make it worse.

I jumped off my bed and paced around with uncharacteristic nervous energy.

I texted Calamus back and suggested we meet at the library shortly, wanting to get this over with. I hoped my mother wouldn’t come after me over it. Calamus didn’t deserve to get strung along just so I could avoid her anger.

Costi returned after some time looking cleaned up, shaved, and dressed in his typical uniform. My heart wobbled at the sight of him in the morning light. I was so far gone in such a short time it wasn’t even funny.

He leaned a hand on my dresser, looking straight at me.

“I have to go soon,” I told him, making no move to leave.

“Yeah,” he said. “I should probably go get yelled at.”

“Ash didn’t seem mad at you, at least. They got me your clothes.”

Costi barked a laugh. “Oh, they’re pissed , I guarantee you. You won’t see it, though. They’ll go around in a cold fury waiting to take revenge.”

“You bring it on yourself.” I shrugged. “I’m going to meet Calamus at the library.”

He frowned.

“Do you think I should tell him to forget it? I still think this spell is a weird waste of time, but I was hoping he would keep looking into other things. He knows a lot about magic.”

Costi rubbed at the back of his damp hair. “Yeah, maybe. Wouldn’t take him at his word on everything, though.”

I could see that. Calamus didn’t seem dishonest per se, but taking stories as facts could lead him to some flawed conclusions. “I’ll be careful,” I said.

“Come here,” he said, wrapping his arm behind my back and his hand over my hair as he hugged me closely.

My mind and body screamed at me that this was right . I felt him sigh against me before we finally untangled after too long a moment. He held on to my arms, and I scrutinized his face for signs of pain.

“Are you okay to walk?”

“Should be.” He made no move to let me go.

“I should go.”

“Yeah.”

We stood there a moment longer before I shook my head with a laugh. I took his hand and pulled him out of my room.

Oliver and Datura were perched in their usual spot on the couch, staring at a phone screen together. They looked up at Costi’s imposing form with identical wide-eyed expressions. It might have been funny if the mood wasn’t serious.

I dropped Costi’s hand, and we leaned away from each other. “Costi’s feeling better,” I choked out. My face went cold, then hot.

Oliver snickered. “I’ll bet he is.”

“Yup. See you later,” I said as I hustled for the door.

After watching Costi walk away from the building to make sure he really was okay, I made my way to the library, stopping briefly to pick up a cherry pastry and a hot tea.

The library was lit brightly by the skylights, with a number of witches working and reading comfortably in the various nooks created by the furniture. I quickly picked out Calamus’s red-robed form, and he stood up to greet me.

“Morning,” I said quietly, not wanting to disturb anyone.

He led me to a glass-enclosed meeting room where we could talk at a normal volume.

“You’re not too tired after last night?” I asked.

His face lit up. “You thought of me? I wasn’t hurt.”

Thanks to Costi . “I’m glad you’re all right,” I said.

“I won’t lie—it was terrifying. It’s apparent that we don’t know as much as we thought about the angels.”

I shivered.

“I intend on looking into it. After I’ve helped you, of course.”

“There’s something I’d like to discuss first,” I said.

Calamus smiled. “Anything.”

I took a deep breath. I hated doing this kind of thing. “I know our parents were trying to set us up, but I’m not… interested in that kind of relationship with you.”

His lips thinned, but he nodded. “I see. Is there… someone else?”

I felt my face heat and hoped it didn’t show on my skin. “I just… don’t think you and I are a good match. I’m sorry.”

Calamus gave a forced smile. “I disagree, but of course I’ll respect your wishes. I hope you’ll reconsider, though. I’d like to be friends, at least.”

“I’d like that,” I said honestly.

“Good. Great, thank you.” He cleared his throat. “If you’re feeling complete with that topic of discussion, I’d like to go over some details about the circle spell.”

I let go of my breath quietly. I thought he might be more upset, after what Costi said. “Yes, please. Thank you again for your help.”

“The circle required is quite large, so I asked the Arcaenum for permission to close the practice arena on Saturday to accommodate it.”

I blinked. The councilors must really be serious about this.

“I’ll trace the circle. It looks like it’ll take about five hours,” he continued.

“Five hours ?” I balked. “That’s almost as complex as a summoning circle.” Though, with so much practice, I’d gotten it down from six hours to four and a half.

Calamus smiled. “Yes, it’s quite intricate. But rest assured, I’ve done hundreds of circle spells, and I’ve never failed one.”

Well, I’d failed a bunch of times.

I must have made quite a face, because Calamus froze. “I don’t believe your summoning circle failed, Layla,” he said quickly. “There’s something else going on, we just have to investigate until we discover it.”

I cleared my throat. “This seems like a bit of a long shot,” I said. I had a vague notion of Hell. Our demon familiars must come from somewhere, after all, and it was probably some hidden, magical realm, since the little creatures couldn’t be found on Earth. But the idea that we could access that place or actually communicate with them… it was straight out of the silly games witches played as children.

“We might not be able to get your problem resolved, but you have to admit, it’ll be monumental. We’ll be in the history books,” he said with a grin.

My phone pinged. Sick leave 5 days , said the text.

I bit back a smile. Costi was a man who didn’t waste words on useless things like verbs.

“Maybe we’ll find out where our demon familiars go when they’re not with us,” I said to Calamus diplomatically. “Anyway, I really do appreciate you trying.”

“It’s no problem,” he said. “You can plan to be there at noon. I should have the circle mostly complete by then.”

I thanked Calamus again and left him in the library.

Enjoy your vacation , I texted Costi back.

I sent a second text to a new number. Hello, this is Layla Rosen. I’m the new member of Mountain Thunder. I’m sorry to bother you, but I need some help finding direction .

Picking out my second pastry of the day and refilling my tea, I sat at a table on a small patio built off the walkway, watching witches pass back and forth. So many were strangers.

I had grown up in the tiny community of the Northern Sea Circle, and before coming here, it was rare for me to see an unfamiliar face. I felt utterly lost—my life had spiraled out of control and thrown me into this uncertain place, menaced by an unknown enemy. No one had come to check on me except Costi. I hadn’t seen my teachers or anyone from school, Holly had made it clear she wasn’t interested in reconciliation, and my mother had threatened me and was now ignoring me again. My dad wasn’t… able to give advice. My covenmates were floundering without any direction. The only help I’d found was Calamus, whose idea of helping was pulling improbable ideas from esoteric books.

I knew this wasn’t good for me. I needed to talk to someone.

It wasn’t long before our coven’s mentor messaged me back. This is Arbor. I’m out working by the front gate if you want to stop by .

Intrigued, I returned my tumbler to the dish bin and headed that way. I hadn’t been back to this part of the Circle since the first night, but now it was a bustle of activity. Rows of mismatched tents and canopies—probably anything that could be found—covered the grassy field in the shadow of a steep foothill. To one side, witches worked, building more permanent structures while trying to keep children out from underfoot.

This was where a lot of the Northern Sea Circle was staying, I realized guiltily. As a supposed spell caster, I had been whisked off to much nicer accommodations.

I asked the first witch who looked up at me if they knew where Arbor could be found, and they directed me to a tall figure with broad shoulders scowling down at a tablet.

“Excuse me,” I said.

The witch turned. “You must be Layla,” he said, running a hand over his forehead to dry the sweat. His skin was deeply burnished from working outside, and a grown-in scruff of dark beard covered his face. He was older than me, but not quite at middle age, with just a small crinkle to his light-colored eyes. “Sorry I didn’t come talk to you yet. We have a hundred witches living in tents out here.”

“No, I’m sorry. I don’t mean to keep you from your work.”

“I can take a break,” Arbor said. “Come sit down for a few.”

He led me to a canopy with picnic tables and a water station set up under it, and we sat across from each other.

“What’s on your mind, Layla?”

“There’s a lot going on, and I think I need help,” I said. I chewed my lip while Arbor nodded. “You’re a spell caster, right?”

“That’s right. I don’t go out with teams much these days, so I’ve been helping out here. Building’s a hobby. I agreed to mentor the Mountain Thunder Coven when they formed a few months ago. Is Sativa treating you all right?”

“We’re… getting along,” I said. “I don’t know how much you’ve heard about me—”

Arbor scratched his beard. “Not much, to be honest.”

“I was… involved in the attack. My friend, a guardian, was with me, and we saw them coming. We somehow managed to stop them long enough to raise the alarm.”

“I did hear about that. That was you? Nice work for your first time casting.”

The compliment didn’t sit well. “I was terrified. I’m not really handling it well. I got really… upset when my friend had to go join the recent raid. I couldn’t sleep.”

Arbor frowned. “You’ll be joining a raid team soon too. I’m sure you’ll become less sensitive.”

Surprise hit me. Was I being too sensitive?

Maybe he was right. I was supposed to be a spell caster—it was my job to fight angels.

“I’m not sure I can go on raids yet. I don’t even have a guardian. And I’m having… a problem with my familiar.”

“What do you mean, a problem with your familiar?” His frown deepened.

“I can’t invoke it. I was able to cast a spell during the attack, but I haven’t seen my familiar at all.”

“I’ve never heard of anything like that,” said Arbor skeptically.

My face heated in shame. “I was hoping you could help me find… well, someone who might know what’s going on? Calamus Grey is looking into it a bit, but—”

His face brightened a degree. “Calamus, the councilor’s son? He’s a good man. He inherited his father’s intelligence. I’m sure he’ll be elected to the Arcaenum himself one day. Someone like that, if you treat him well, he’ll be able to help you with a lot of things, if you understand me.”

I didn’t quite understand, but his words left me with an uncomfortable feeling. “Oh…” I grasped for a response.

“Listen, most of you Northern Sea witches seem a little… old-fashioned,” Arbor said. “Don’t forget that we spell casters are the reason all of this exists.” He gestured to the community beyond us.

“But… everyone in the Circle—”

“Of course everyone’s important. I’m not saying they’re not. What I’m saying is, you need to have a little perspective. Remember that you’re special.” He looked at me significantly.

“I’ll… try that,” I said, mystified.

“Good, good,” Arbor said, then focused on me curiously. “Does Sativa ever ask you to help her with anything?”

“Not… not really. Like what?”

He shrugged. “Just anything. If she asks, you should help her with whatever it is.”

“Okay,” I said faintly. “Thank you for meeting with me, but I think I have to go.”

Arbor’s eyes sharpened on me. “I can tell you think I’m being harsh, and maybe I am. But we’re in a new era now, and you won’t survive it being a sad, confused little girl.”

I sat back as if I’d been slapped. My mother had said something eerily similar. “I’m going,” I told him, standing.

“Think about what I said,” Arbor called after me.

Disconcerted, I made my way back through the Circle, even further from peace of mind.