The Rookies: Tridan Tales, #1

By J. Gertori

In Trida, Mages are the wizard equivalent of the police. One particular Mage has been heralded as a cut above the rest. Crissa Avabelle, or as her colleagues call her, Goldeneye, would like nothing more than to lose that moniker. When a possible promotion arises, Crissa leaps for the opportunity but gets paired with Evie Lox, a kind-hearted Mage who isn’t against getting her hands dirty. When the partners unravel a crime much larger than they thought, Crissa will walk the fine line between legal and illegal magic.​ And with only three positions available, she’ll have to live up to her hype and leave her mark on the enchanted world.

• Language: English
• Publisher: J. Gertori
• Release date: Apr 27, 2017
• ISBN: 9781386827153

Book preview

The Rookies

Short One of the Tridan Tales

J. Gertori

USA

Copyright © 2017 by J. Gertori.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

J. Gertori

www.jgertori.com

Publisher’s Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.

Tridan Tales: The Rookies/ J. Gertori

Cover Design: J. Gertori

Contents

Orientation

All of the Lights

The Rifter

The Arena

Vacancy

The Plan

Inmates

On Your Mark

The Eyes

Rogue

Partners

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EXPLORE TRIDA

For more free shorts from the Tridan Tales, as well as Part One of The Trida Series, Rift Between Lands, visit:

JGERTORI.COM

1  |  Orientation

Though her colleagues spoke highly of her, Crissa Avabelle would rather be seen as your average twenty-something-year-old wizard, living on Trida, Earth’s hidden eighth continent. She’d rather you stare at her warm brown skin and voluminous curls than the slow-healing scar below her chin or the scorched stripe in her brow. Feel free to overlook her accolades, because Crissa reveled in the opportunity to surprise her doubters.

The man at the counter of the Grand Station office would be her first casualty.

This is the scrutor quarters, hun. All complaints go through the mages, he said, meeting her eye for a mere second. Exit from where you came and use the door on the left.

Crissa chuckled and swerved around the counter.

Hey, you can’t come in here, the man said, fumbling off his chair. Get back on the other side, lady.

Like nothing could phase her, Crissa strolled past the assembly of desks, gathering curious eyes on her way to the conference hall doors. The man shuffled behind; his voice cracked as he ran out of threatening words. Upon entering the chamber filled with women and men, Crissa brandished a black wand, folded at its center with engravings spiraling to its tip. With a flick of her wrist, the wand snapped straight.

"Trudo. At her command, the heavy doors slammed shut, ending the pursuit. She withdrew her tool and tidied her jacket. Avabelle, Crissa—reporting for orientation. I’d just like to say I’m humbled and—"

—late. Have a seat, said the tall woman standing at the front. The people sitting at the rectangular table snickered, but the head woman hushed them with a single look. She wore all black, including her suit, nails, and necklace; in fact, her brown skin offered the only color break.

Crissa took the seat closest to the front and pulled a notepad from her pocket. She dug through her coat for a pen before realizing the black-suited lady waited for her to stop rustling.

My apologies, Ms. Ward, said Crissa.

The woman broke eye contact and focused on the group as a collective. That’s not the introduction I had in mind, but if you don’t already know who I am, then you’re in the wrong room. I am Devon Ward, Head Scrutor of the Lekly division and your superior should you pass this weekend’s tests. Your respective mage office has nominated each of you, but scrutor duties are a far cry from your current tasks. You’ll have this weekend to show us what you’ve learned in your time as a mage, and how the scrutors would benefit from your skill set.

As Ms. Ward rattled off meeting times, Crissa again searched for her pen. Her stress soared with each passing second and every tidbit she neglected to jot down.

Psst. A woman tapped Crissa’s arm and offered a pen with a smile.

You in the back—what’s your name? Ms. Ward asked.

Naple, Malik, from Pealsh precinct, Ma’am, said a young man, rising.

Malik, let the scrutors inside.

He rushed to the thick doors and pried them open as a dozen more women and men filled the room, each draped with an olive coat and their surname inscribed on their chest.

Ms. Ward said, I have preselected your mentor for the weekend. You will abide by their schedule as every one of these fine scrutors has an active case they are investigating. If you interfere in any manner besides lending them your assistance, I will hear about it. We have three openings at Grand Station, meaning only three of you will be promoted to a scrutor.

Crissa straightened her posture, not breaking eye contact with Ms. Ward.

Look around. The mage to your left or right may steal either of those vacancies from you. It’s your job to make sure that doesn’t happen. Show us your best this weekend.

Ms. Ward turned to the line of scrutors and nodded at the first woman, who said, Perez, you’re with me. She waited for the mage to identify themselves; a hulking man stood and accompanied the woman out the doors.

The next scrutor was a tall gentleman with a pencil-thin mustache. Who’s Nance? A timid mage stood; he was gaunt and trembling. Let’s rock and roll, said Pencil-Mustache.

Crissa sat idly by as pairs of scrutors and mages left the double doors. Before she knew it, three mages remained and only a single scrutor, who hollered Johnson as he bee-lined to the exit.

Pike, said Ms. Ward, stopping the man in his tracks.

Yes, Ma’am?

Where are scrutors Jameson and Anton?

I believe they’re still on that arson case but should be back tomorrow, said Pike, leading his mage out the doors.

Crissa didn’t know how to react or what would happen from here. The only other person left unmatched was the woman who offered her a pen. On the bright side, perhaps this meant she’d be paired with Ms. Ward. The thought invigorated her, and she flashed a bright smile.

Evie Lox, is it? said Ms. Ward to the woman beside Crissa.

Yes, Ma’am. At your service. Evie had a funny expression like she knew this predicament would happen. As she rose from her seat, her jacket fell to the floor. If Crissa had any hope of being paired with Ms. Ward, she would have to make her presence known because Evie won in the ass-kissing contest. Her entire garb, from the dress to her nail beds to her clunky boots were blacked-out like Ms. Ward’s outfit. All except a light blue chain that dangled across her dress collars.

Crissa blurted, Uh, Ms. Ward, if I may—

"You may