Free Gods of Chaos (Red Magic) by Jen McConnel

to my impulse.
    I had to turn the glossy map twice before I was able to orient myself, and I was surprised to see that I’d wandered much farther from my hostel than I thought. After another look at the looming clouds, I decided that I could afford to be spoiled. I flagged down the second taxi I saw and leaned back on the musty seat to think. Tall buildings rushed by, and I was overwhelmed by the surreal setting; Edinburgh was like nothing I had ever seen back home. A shiver of fear wormed its way into my brain as I thought about what had happened in the vaults, but I tried to push it aside and concentrate on the beautiful scenery going past. Still, the brief moment of relaxation I’d felt on the bench was gone, replaced with mounting anxiety. My thoughts drifted back to Marcus, and I frowned. It was pretty obvious that I needed help to deal with Hecate, but other than asking Marcus, I hadn’t come up with any options. Maybe, I thought, I’d have to do something drastic. If Marcus didn’t want to help me on his own, I was sure I could use magic to persuade him to become my ally.

 
    When I stopped to pick up my key from the reception desk, a different man than the one who let me in last night was leaning behind the counter. He motioned for me to wait, and I realized he was on the phone. I looked at the photos that plastered the walls for a minute, just zoning out, but then his words penetrated my hazy mind and I felt a flash of guilt.
    “They were staying here. That’s right, New Zealand. I’ll ask some of the other kids and let you know. Good-bye, officer.”
    I managed to keep my hand from shaking as he handed me the key, and I forced myself to smile at him.
    He glanced at the key and paused. “Say, you’re staying in dormitory 5C, right?”
    I nodded, my throat too dry to answer.
    “Did you get a chance to meet a couple of the other girls? Sandy and Joan?” He leaned forward expectantly, and I pulled the key away from him.
    My thoughts racing, I considered the best answer. “They woke me up last night looking for a toothbrush.” I clenched my fist, trying to keep my fingers from trembling.
    If he thought it sounded lame, he didn’t let on. “D’ya know their phone numbers or addys?”
    I shook my head. He sighed and pressed his fingers to his forehead.
    “It looks like the girls got in a spot of trouble.”
    The sight of their crushed bodies in the vaults flashed through my mind, and I almost threw up. Taking a deep breath, I forced myself to ask, “Are they okay?”
    He shook his head slowly, as if he wasn’t sure how much to tell me. “There was a cave-in down in the vaults.”
    “Oh.” I grimaced, sure I was turning green. “Hospital?” There might be a chance the girls had made it out okay, but his next word confirmed my worst fear.
    “Morgue.”
    My stomach churned furiously; I needed to get upstairs before I was sick in front of this guy. I blinked a few times, trying to keep my face neutral.
    He sighed again. “Ask the other girls in your room, if you see them. I need to get in touch with their parents, but when they checked in, they didn’t leave any numbers besides their mobiles.”
    I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. As soon as he had turned back to the phone, I took the stairs two at a time, hoping I had the dorm room to myself. I was on the verge of losing it completely, and I didn’t need an audience.
    For once, luck was on my side, and I collapsed against the door of the empty room, breathing heavily. I climbed up to my bunk and sat back, closing my eyes and trying to think.
    Were Joan and Sandra already dead before I’d used Red magic? I couldn’t be sure. My stomach rolled as I thought about it. There was a chance that the cave-in had killed them, not my defensive blast of Red magic, but I had no way to know. Besides, the cave-in hadn’t been natural; there was something in there with us, and I was sure Hecate had been behind whatever it was. Whether they died in the