Free Spell Robbers by Matthew J. Kirby

worked,” Ben said. He had actuated . It still felt like just another kind of augmentation, but that didn’t matter. He could actuate now, outside Dr. Hughes’s lab.
    The rest of the training session went smoothly. He and Peter took turns demonstrating what they knew. Ben created snow, rain, fire; all the things he’d been able to do with Dr. Hughes’s equipment, he could now do with his Locus. Peter performed his Class One actuations easily, but when he tried Class Two actuations like Ben, he couldn’t muster any to completion.
    “Maybe it’s just the way you learned how to do it,” Sasha said. “Your mind is used to augmentation. Do you want to try a Locus, Peter? It might help you.”
    Peter scowled. “No.”
    “Are you sure?” Ben asked.
    “I’m sure.” Peter wiped his forehead with his sleeve. “I’ll get it on my own.”
    Ben looked at the stone in his hand. “You’re saying I’m not?”
    Peter didn’t answer.
    “Not bad, boys,” Sasha finally said at the end of the session. “Better than I was expecting. You’ll be ready for the Big Top sooner than I thought. But not quite yet.”

    That evening, Sasha took Ben and Peter to the dining room. There were four round tables, each with four chairs, and far fewer agents and trainees than they had seen practicing in the Big Top that day. A few silver buffet servers sat on a table against one of the walls. Sasha led them to one end of the table, where they picked up plates, silverware, and napkins.
    “Where is everybody?” Peter asked.
    “Gone home.” Sasha lifted the first hinged lid, releasing a cloud of steam. “Mmm. Pot roast. This is actually pretty good.”
    “Home?” Ben asked. His mom would be getting home about that time.
    “Yeah. Some agents have families, some don’t.” Sasha dished up. “It’s mostly only recruits and junior agents that live at headquarters.” She lifted the lid of the next server. Mashed potatoes. “These are from a box, just so you know.”
    Ben helped himself to some of the pot roast. “But, what about being detached?”
    “That’s just when you’re recruited,” Sasha said. “After you’re an agent, you have more options. You start a new life.” The third server held the gravy. Sasha took the ladle and stirred in the skin that had formed over the top.
    “Were you detached?” Ben asked. “When they recruited you?”
    Sasha looked up at the wall, then let the silver lid fall with a loud clang. “Yup.”
    After the servers came a bowl of salad and some rolls. Sasha grabbed a handful of salad, literally, with her hand. She left Ben and Peter and went to one of the tables.
    Peter tipped his head toward Ben, his voice a murmur. “I don’t think she wants to talk about it.”
    “Yeah, I’m getting that,” Ben said.
    They both finished dishing up their plates and joined Sasha.
    “Listen,” Ben said. “I didn’t mean to —”
    “It’s not a big deal.” Her knee jackhammered under the table. “Really, don’t worry about it. It’s just the way it is. For all of us.”
    “Okay.” But that didn’t mean it was right. Ben reached for the salt.
    “Personally,” Peter said, “I’ve been wishing my parents would just forget about me for a while now. So this is perfect.”
    “Good for you, Class One,” Sasha said.
    Peter’s mouth closed and his face flushed. Ben got mad. There wasn’t any reason to embarrass or hurt Peter, even if he was going off when he shouldn’t. Ben was about to speak up when Sasha closed her eyes and shook her head.
    “I’m sorry. That wasn’t right. I’m sorry.” She tucked her hair behind her ears. “Let’s just finish eating. Okay?”
    “Okay,” Ben and Peter said at once.
    After dinner, they said good-bye to Sasha and joined the other male recruits and junior agents downstairs. The TV was on, and a couple of guys were trying to play pool in spite of the saggy table. Ben and Peter were introduced to everybody, watched some TV, and before long it was