answered to the representatives that sat on the Council for Supernaturals. Articles and information after that tended to devolve into political mumbo-jumbo on how the Council worked and who was involved.
As far as researching actual magic, Jade came up empty. Constantly. Apparently, covens diligently sniffed-out unsanctioned magic and blocked it - most humans couldn’t work a spell but there were some who apparently had enough residual magic in them - likely from ancestral witches - to wield a minor spell or two. Covens around the world were dedicated to detecting unsanctioned magic use and they cast counter-hexes, essentially nullifying any residual magic.
It seemed like a full time job for some covens.
Jade wondered if they’d tried that at all with her. That Paris guy hadn’t mentioned it but maybe she should ask.
That thought implied she would be contacting him. When she sat with that thought, it felt right. She nodded to herself.
She didn’t look at the clock until she’d already picked up the phone and dialed. Three o’clock? What was she doing? She considered hanging up but realized that if someone called her and woke her up in the middle of the night, they damn well better stay on the phone so she could curse them out at the very least. She toughed it out and stayed on the line.
When Paris answered, his voice wasn’t sleep rough or unclear in any way. She wondered if he’d been awake still or if he always woke up so alert.
“Yes?” he asked.
“Uh, yeah. So it’s me. Jade.” She rolled her eyes at her own inanity.
“Hello, Jade,” Paris intoned.
“So, I’ll go. To your coven. I’ll check it out.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
She could hear some kind of rustling in the background but couldn’t tell if it was paper or if it was bedclothes.
“Sooooo,” she said, drawling, “when do we go?”
“How soon could you be ready to leave?”
She thought for a moment about packing, taking some leave from work, clearing out the perishables in her apartment. “Um, tomorrow afternoon, I think? Say, around three?”
“Callie and I will come by your apartment. I’ll make the necessary arrangements.”
“Sure. You do that.” She tapped her fingers on the computer in front of her restlessly. “Okay. So tomorrow.”
“See you tomorrow then.”
She hung up without saying goodbye, tossing her cellphone onto the couch cushions.
It appeared, for the next month, she was visiting a coven.
*
Paris released a sigh of relief and felt the tension he’d been pretending he wasn’t holding bleed out from his shoulders and neck.
Jade would come back with them to the Coven.
There was no guarantee she would stay, but it was a step in that direction; more than he had a day ago.
Of course, Jade coming to the Coven brought its own set of problems. Paris would be responsible for her magic. He couldn’t think of anyone that would have remotely enough power to train her other than himself. He’d never taken on an apprentice - he’d never had to. There’d always been more suitable witches about - witches who were born to teach, to nurture. Paris wasn’t sure how apt to the task he would be.
He supposed he had more than enough time to worry about that when they returned to the Coven. Now that Jade had called, now that she had agreed to return with them, he found he was finally getting sleepy. He had blamed his lack of desire to sleep on a need to get some work done but as soon as he hung up the phone, he could call it what it was. He’d been anxious she’d say no and he somehow ridiculously felt that as long as he stayed awake, waiting for her call, then she would call and it would all work out.
He powered down his computer and stumbled over to the couch where Callie slept. The apartment they’d leased had only come with a few items of furniture: a couch, an armchair, a coffee table. After a brief disagreement, he’d finally gotten Callie to accept the couch and he took the floor.
As far as researching actual magic, Jade came up empty. Constantly. Apparently, covens diligently sniffed-out unsanctioned magic and blocked it - most humans couldn’t work a spell but there were some who apparently had enough residual magic in them - likely from ancestral witches - to wield a minor spell or two. Covens around the world were dedicated to detecting unsanctioned magic use and they cast counter-hexes, essentially nullifying any residual magic.
It seemed like a full time job for some covens.
Jade wondered if they’d tried that at all with her. That Paris guy hadn’t mentioned it but maybe she should ask.
That thought implied she would be contacting him. When she sat with that thought, it felt right. She nodded to herself.
She didn’t look at the clock until she’d already picked up the phone and dialed. Three o’clock? What was she doing? She considered hanging up but realized that if someone called her and woke her up in the middle of the night, they damn well better stay on the phone so she could curse them out at the very least. She toughed it out and stayed on the line.
When Paris answered, his voice wasn’t sleep rough or unclear in any way. She wondered if he’d been awake still or if he always woke up so alert.
“Yes?” he asked.
“Uh, yeah. So it’s me. Jade.” She rolled her eyes at her own inanity.
“Hello, Jade,” Paris intoned.
“So, I’ll go. To your coven. I’ll check it out.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
She could hear some kind of rustling in the background but couldn’t tell if it was paper or if it was bedclothes.
“Sooooo,” she said, drawling, “when do we go?”
“How soon could you be ready to leave?”
She thought for a moment about packing, taking some leave from work, clearing out the perishables in her apartment. “Um, tomorrow afternoon, I think? Say, around three?”
“Callie and I will come by your apartment. I’ll make the necessary arrangements.”
“Sure. You do that.” She tapped her fingers on the computer in front of her restlessly. “Okay. So tomorrow.”
“See you tomorrow then.”
She hung up without saying goodbye, tossing her cellphone onto the couch cushions.
It appeared, for the next month, she was visiting a coven.
*
Paris released a sigh of relief and felt the tension he’d been pretending he wasn’t holding bleed out from his shoulders and neck.
Jade would come back with them to the Coven.
There was no guarantee she would stay, but it was a step in that direction; more than he had a day ago.
Of course, Jade coming to the Coven brought its own set of problems. Paris would be responsible for her magic. He couldn’t think of anyone that would have remotely enough power to train her other than himself. He’d never taken on an apprentice - he’d never had to. There’d always been more suitable witches about - witches who were born to teach, to nurture. Paris wasn’t sure how apt to the task he would be.
He supposed he had more than enough time to worry about that when they returned to the Coven. Now that Jade had called, now that she had agreed to return with them, he found he was finally getting sleepy. He had blamed his lack of desire to sleep on a need to get some work done but as soon as he hung up the phone, he could call it what it was. He’d been anxious she’d say no and he somehow ridiculously felt that as long as he stayed awake, waiting for her call, then she would call and it would all work out.
He powered down his computer and stumbled over to the couch where Callie slept. The apartment they’d leased had only come with a few items of furniture: a couch, an armchair, a coffee table. After a brief disagreement, he’d finally gotten Callie to accept the couch and he took the floor.
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