Free Magic & Memory by A.L. Larsen Page A
Authors: A.L. Larsen
mirror’s reflection. “No.”
Joey sighed and muttered, “Jeez.”
After a few minutes he took an off-ramp leading out into the dark rural landscape.
“Where are you going?” Lu asked.
“I need to see something,” was Joey’s reply.
He drove for about a mile down a deserted country road. The land around them was fairly level, fields lying fallow now that it was winter. He pulled into a turnout and shut off the engine, then got out of the car and walked around to the back of it.
Lu and Alastair got out too. Alastair hung back by the side of the vehicle, while Lu went around to see what Joey was up to.
Joey flipped open the trunk and shoved aside several bags and articles of clothing before lifting a panel. There was a space beneath the floorboard, and Lu strained to see what it contained in the dim light of the single bulb in the trunk.
Joey grabbed something out of the hidden compartment, and in the next instant he leapt up and landed on the roof of the Impala with a loud thud. He paused just a moment and crouched, a long, thin blade in his hand reflecting the moonlight. Then he flung himself at Alastair with a low growl. Lu gasped and took a couple steps back, staggering on the uneven ground.
Alastair spun gracefully out of the way as Joey landed where he’d been standing just a moment before. Joey rushed him and swung the blade in a wide backhanded arc, aiming at Alastair’s chest. Again Alastair dodged him, and he too growled as he struck out, handing a hard blow to Joey’s ribcage. Joey barely slowed from the impact, and again lunged at his maker.
“Stop it!” Lu screamed, to no effect.
She watched in horror as the two boys fought, lunging and ducking, lashing out with their fists and their feet and that horrible dagger. She could barely follow the movement even as her eyes adjusted to the darkness, it was just too quick. Occasionally she’d see a flash of silver as the blade caught the moonlight. And then she detected a flash of blue as well. She got goose bumps when she realized she was seeing Alastair’s glowing eyes.
Alastair tried to tackle Joey and missed, landing on his knees as the younger boy whirled to the side. Joey leapt onto Alastair’s back and raised the knife as his maker brutally drove his elbow into him. That sent Joey flying, landing flat on his back on the rutted ground as he cried out in pain. The blade flew from his grasp.
Alastair grabbed the dagger and straddled Joey in an instant. He jerked the blade up over his head, grasping it with two hands, ready to plunge it into Joey’s chest.
And Joey laughed and said lightly, “Well, good. At least you haven’t forgotten your killer instinct.”
Chapter Ten
Alastair hesitated, staring at the smiling younger boy in confusion. Joey was perfectly relaxed, arms palms up on the ground in an ‘I surrender’ position.
Slowly Alastair lowered the blade and got up, and in a menacing voice asked, “What the hell was that?”
Joey sat up and brushed the dirt out of his short blonde hair as he said calmly, “We needed to know if you remember how to fight. There are lots of people in San Francisco that want you dead, so we had to know if you were going in there defenseless.”
“And this is how you chose to find out?” Alastair yelled. “I bloody well could have killed you!”
Joey shrugged, crossing his legs at the ankles. “Yeah. But you didn’t.”
“I almost did . But why? I thought you said as your maker I had an instinct to protect you.”
“You do, when others threaten me. But that instinct doesn’t stop you from killing me yourself if you feel like it.” Joey remained on the ground, leaning back casually, propping himself up with his hands on the ground behind him.
Alastair shook his head as his
Joey sighed and muttered, “Jeez.”
After a few minutes he took an off-ramp leading out into the dark rural landscape.
“Where are you going?” Lu asked.
“I need to see something,” was Joey’s reply.
He drove for about a mile down a deserted country road. The land around them was fairly level, fields lying fallow now that it was winter. He pulled into a turnout and shut off the engine, then got out of the car and walked around to the back of it.
Lu and Alastair got out too. Alastair hung back by the side of the vehicle, while Lu went around to see what Joey was up to.
Joey flipped open the trunk and shoved aside several bags and articles of clothing before lifting a panel. There was a space beneath the floorboard, and Lu strained to see what it contained in the dim light of the single bulb in the trunk.
Joey grabbed something out of the hidden compartment, and in the next instant he leapt up and landed on the roof of the Impala with a loud thud. He paused just a moment and crouched, a long, thin blade in his hand reflecting the moonlight. Then he flung himself at Alastair with a low growl. Lu gasped and took a couple steps back, staggering on the uneven ground.
Alastair spun gracefully out of the way as Joey landed where he’d been standing just a moment before. Joey rushed him and swung the blade in a wide backhanded arc, aiming at Alastair’s chest. Again Alastair dodged him, and he too growled as he struck out, handing a hard blow to Joey’s ribcage. Joey barely slowed from the impact, and again lunged at his maker.
“Stop it!” Lu screamed, to no effect.
She watched in horror as the two boys fought, lunging and ducking, lashing out with their fists and their feet and that horrible dagger. She could barely follow the movement even as her eyes adjusted to the darkness, it was just too quick. Occasionally she’d see a flash of silver as the blade caught the moonlight. And then she detected a flash of blue as well. She got goose bumps when she realized she was seeing Alastair’s glowing eyes.
Alastair tried to tackle Joey and missed, landing on his knees as the younger boy whirled to the side. Joey leapt onto Alastair’s back and raised the knife as his maker brutally drove his elbow into him. That sent Joey flying, landing flat on his back on the rutted ground as he cried out in pain. The blade flew from his grasp.
Alastair grabbed the dagger and straddled Joey in an instant. He jerked the blade up over his head, grasping it with two hands, ready to plunge it into Joey’s chest.
And Joey laughed and said lightly, “Well, good. At least you haven’t forgotten your killer instinct.”
Chapter Ten
Alastair hesitated, staring at the smiling younger boy in confusion. Joey was perfectly relaxed, arms palms up on the ground in an ‘I surrender’ position.
Slowly Alastair lowered the blade and got up, and in a menacing voice asked, “What the hell was that?”
Joey sat up and brushed the dirt out of his short blonde hair as he said calmly, “We needed to know if you remember how to fight. There are lots of people in San Francisco that want you dead, so we had to know if you were going in there defenseless.”
“And this is how you chose to find out?” Alastair yelled. “I bloody well could have killed you!”
Joey shrugged, crossing his legs at the ankles. “Yeah. But you didn’t.”
“I almost did . But why? I thought you said as your maker I had an instinct to protect you.”
“You do, when others threaten me. But that instinct doesn’t stop you from killing me yourself if you feel like it.” Joey remained on the ground, leaning back casually, propping himself up with his hands on the ground behind him.
Alastair shook his head as his