Free Magic's Child by Justine Larbalestier Page B
Authors: Justine Larbalestier
with the driver listening. Esmeralda said she would meet them at the international terminal in front of the departure gates. She was convinced that Jason Blake and her daughter would be flying back to New York.
Jay-Tee hoped she and Reason would be able to find their meeting place. She'd never been to an airport before. She also hoped that Mere wouldn't be so mad at them by then.
* * *
Reason paid with money she pulled from the air, and the driver wished them luck. She jumped out of the cab and dashed through the sliding glass doors, skidding along the tiled floor, around people laden with suitcases or enormous backpacks— there were so many of them, and a ridiculous number had small children clutching their hands, or worse, attempting escape and getting in the way of everyone else. Reason headed up escalators, then into a maze of overcrowded shops and restaurants. Past hundreds of confusing signs. If Jay-Tee hadn't been chasing after her, she could've gotten lost pretty damn quick. So many different airlines, different exits. So many doors with big signs, all in red, screaming that only authorized people were permitted.
It was as crowded as midtown. All of the people not out walking the streets of Sydney, Jay-Tee decided, had found their way here. She finally believed that Sydney was a city. She wondered how big JFK airport was. It had to be at least ten times the size of this one, given that New York was at least that much bigger than Sydney.
Reason moved faster than Jay-Tee'd ever seen her move before. Jay-Tee weaved her way through the crowd, her skin prickling with magic. She could feel it pulling at her and started to move faster, easier, her legs becoming oiled and limber.
No! She couldn't do this.
She slowed, biting her lip, forcing herself to resist the crowd magic. But that magic was so easy— it felt so good.
A cute guy smiled at her, did a turn to keep looking, half held his arms out, like he was asking her to dance. So many people in between them, and yet the path to him was so clear, she tingled with it.
Jay-Tee pinched her palm, let go of what she'd been feeling, said no to the pull of crowd magic, and followed Reason without giving in to her own speed, her own rhythm. She had so little magic left.
By the time Jay-Tee caught up, Reason was standing with Esmeralda at a big entranceway littered with discarded luggage carts. A big sign said, PASSPORT CONTROL, PASSENGERS ONLY BEYOND THIS POINT; smaller ones instructed passengers to leave their carts behind. Jay-Tee bent over to catch her breath.
"Through there?" she asked.
Reason nodded, looking like she was going to cry again.
"That sucks," Jay-Tee observed, when her heartbeat was almost back to normal.
"Sarafina doesn't have as much magic. I think he's draining her."
Jay-Tee didn't know what to say. She wasn't surprised. It was what he'd done to her too. Over and over. And to Reason, that once. He was greedy and evil. He didn't care about anyone but himself.
"I'll just get us tickets. Doesn't matter to where," Esmeralda said. "We'll go through there and rescue her." She took a step away, then stopped. "Passports. Mine's at home."
"I don't have one," Reason said.
"Me neither," Jay-Tee said. "Never have had one. This is my first time anywhere foreign." And Jay-Tee's first time at an airport, though she wasn't going to admit that. She'd never been outside New York (well, except for Hoboken and Jersey City, which hardly counted). If you're born in the coolest city in the world, Jay-Tee figured, you didn't need to travel. "Can't you just magic your way past them? Can't be that hard. I've been getting into clubs for years."
Mere looked at Jay-Tee, considering. Jay-Tee didn't like the look.
"Getting past all that security, passport checks, immigration," she said, "would take serious magic, Jay-Tee. A lot of it. And if
Jay-Tee hoped she and Reason would be able to find their meeting place. She'd never been to an airport before. She also hoped that Mere wouldn't be so mad at them by then.
* * *
Reason paid with money she pulled from the air, and the driver wished them luck. She jumped out of the cab and dashed through the sliding glass doors, skidding along the tiled floor, around people laden with suitcases or enormous backpacks— there were so many of them, and a ridiculous number had small children clutching their hands, or worse, attempting escape and getting in the way of everyone else. Reason headed up escalators, then into a maze of overcrowded shops and restaurants. Past hundreds of confusing signs. If Jay-Tee hadn't been chasing after her, she could've gotten lost pretty damn quick. So many different airlines, different exits. So many doors with big signs, all in red, screaming that only authorized people were permitted.
It was as crowded as midtown. All of the people not out walking the streets of Sydney, Jay-Tee decided, had found their way here. She finally believed that Sydney was a city. She wondered how big JFK airport was. It had to be at least ten times the size of this one, given that New York was at least that much bigger than Sydney.
Reason moved faster than Jay-Tee'd ever seen her move before. Jay-Tee weaved her way through the crowd, her skin prickling with magic. She could feel it pulling at her and started to move faster, easier, her legs becoming oiled and limber.
No! She couldn't do this.
She slowed, biting her lip, forcing herself to resist the crowd magic. But that magic was so easy— it felt so good.
A cute guy smiled at her, did a turn to keep looking, half held his arms out, like he was asking her to dance. So many people in between them, and yet the path to him was so clear, she tingled with it.
Jay-Tee pinched her palm, let go of what she'd been feeling, said no to the pull of crowd magic, and followed Reason without giving in to her own speed, her own rhythm. She had so little magic left.
By the time Jay-Tee caught up, Reason was standing with Esmeralda at a big entranceway littered with discarded luggage carts. A big sign said, PASSPORT CONTROL, PASSENGERS ONLY BEYOND THIS POINT; smaller ones instructed passengers to leave their carts behind. Jay-Tee bent over to catch her breath.
"Through there?" she asked.
Reason nodded, looking like she was going to cry again.
"That sucks," Jay-Tee observed, when her heartbeat was almost back to normal.
"Sarafina doesn't have as much magic. I think he's draining her."
Jay-Tee didn't know what to say. She wasn't surprised. It was what he'd done to her too. Over and over. And to Reason, that once. He was greedy and evil. He didn't care about anyone but himself.
"I'll just get us tickets. Doesn't matter to where," Esmeralda said. "We'll go through there and rescue her." She took a step away, then stopped. "Passports. Mine's at home."
"I don't have one," Reason said.
"Me neither," Jay-Tee said. "Never have had one. This is my first time anywhere foreign." And Jay-Tee's first time at an airport, though she wasn't going to admit that. She'd never been outside New York (well, except for Hoboken and Jersey City, which hardly counted). If you're born in the coolest city in the world, Jay-Tee figured, you didn't need to travel. "Can't you just magic your way past them? Can't be that hard. I've been getting into clubs for years."
Mere looked at Jay-Tee, considering. Jay-Tee didn't like the look.
"Getting past all that security, passport checks, immigration," she said, "would take serious magic, Jay-Tee. A lot of it. And if
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