Umbra Magic

By Christina Herlyn

It’s been six weeks since Andee Bochs consumed the magic of an Ancient and dropped his shriveled, thousand-year-old body at her feet. No matter that he’d tried to kill her first—her shadow magic terrifies her. She doesn’t understand it. She can’t always control it. But worst of all, the power comes from a monster in her soul who doesn’t like his hostess.
When her scientist friend, Mac, needs a bodyguard while he travels to the Texhoma Desert, Andee welcomes the distraction. Bonus, there are shadow mages there who can help her wield magic like a pro instead of a toddler with a light-up sword. But Andee’s problems only multiply in the desert, and the mages are less than helpful. One of them gets into her head—literally. She wakes up in strange places, and her typical nightmares contain a new dialogue that chills her to the toes of her fire frog boots. A worried Mac calls in the man Andee prefers to avoid, Josiah Hightower.
Andee has declared the sexy thunderbird off limits, but her body has other ideas and she likes how it thinks. Josiah’s magic is meant to battle her shadow monster. They are natural enemies. Though he’s vowed not to use his power against her, Andee may never know Josiah’s heart, because the next time she loses control will be her last.

Praise for Evolutionary Magic, Andromeda Bochs Book 1 * “Now that is a book that will appeal to just about everyone! . . . If you want to read a fantastic book of magic, monsters, heroes, and villains, buy Evolutionary Magic.” – N.N. Light’s Book Heaven Review

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christina Herlyn
• Release date: May 20, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005926793

Christina Herlyn

Christina grew up in Texas and Oklahoma but now lives in the Midwest where she earned a History degree from William Jewell College. She writes fantasy because dragons and witches wouldn't stay out of the perfectly normal historical novel she tried to write. Christina hates to read. (Ha! Just checking your attention span.) She worships the sun and exercises just enough to avoid being the first casualty in a zombie apocalypse. Her husband and three kids probably know she's a writer, but don't ask them to name her books. To be fair, don't ask her the names of her husband and children while she's writing.

Book preview

UMBRA MAGIC

Andromeda Bochs Book 2

Christina Herlyn

Books by Christina Herlyn

Andromeda Bochs Series

Evolutionary Magic

Umbra Magic

Umbra Magic

Copyright © 2021 Christina Herlyn

Smashwords Edition

All rights reserved. No part of this work may be used, reproduced, or transmitted by electronic or mechanical means without permission with the exception of brief quotes attributed to the author, Christina Herlyn, within articles or reviews.

Cover by Vila Design

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I am forever grateful to my Beta readers and sounding boards: Kitty Carr, Angelique Migliore, and Robert Bone. I also want to thank the fabulous Dana Wilkerson for tackling evil technology determined to make me miserable. She somehow understands what I can never comprehend.

CONTENTS

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Coming in 2021

About the Author

CHAPTER ONE

The damn dog would give me away.

The German Shepherd’s teeth flashed in another snarl, and I resisted the temptation to growl at him. I hadn’t spent much time around normal animals—my horse Pegasus didn’t fall into that category. I assumed all the monsters that attacked me recognized my magic or figured it out as I killed them. It never occurred to me that ordinary animals felt the power I hid from Normals.

I smiled at the owner, something that still frightened people despite my missing fangs.

Sorry, he’s usually well-behaved. The dog owner’s pursed lips and dagger stare told me she wasn’t sorry at all. She probably blamed me. She was probably right.

No problem. Beyond the windows of the connecting doors, my target prepared to disembark the train. The length of two sleeper cars stretched between us. Excuse me.

As I squeezed past, the woman inhaled sharply. I whirled around and slid my fingers under the leaping dog’s collar. His teeth snapped inches from my face as I jerked on the leather and flung him away. He dropped with a yelp then skulked behind his owner’s legs. The worthless leash trailed him.

Gunter! She glared at me.

He’s alive. Be grateful. I hurried toward the exit before any porters called after me, demanding explanations. I never managed a job without drawing attention to myself.

Hopping to the train platform from the top step, I scanned the crowded station. Beneath the exhaust of steam engines, the scents of lilacs, honeysuckle, and new grass hovered. The crowd of mostly traveling families headed for luggage cars or their next train. An occasional soldier in dark gray glided through the throng. Since trains could travel on steam or electricity, depending on the needs of the day, rail travel appealed to most. Planes only existed in museums, now. Monster attacks in the sky never ended well.

I spotted a familiar dark head. The girl’s light blue face turned my way, and her large purple eyes widened. I hoped she and her parents picked the patrolling soldiers as a greater danger than me.

I couldn’t believe they’d gotten off at Nevada, Missouri, home to the military post, Camp Clark. When I’d had the blue skin and purple eyes of an Evolutionary, meeting up with sharp-eyed soldiers hadn’t been on my bucket list. Most soldiers invented reasons to detain and possibly imprison Evolutionaries. The family might switch trains and head south to Fort Smith. I moved, hoping to get the job done without riding to the wilds of Arkansas.

Two feet from the father’s back, I removed a fine silver chain from my pocket. Excuse me.

The family paused and turned as one unit. I held the chain up, letting it drop from one finger to twist in the sunlight. Did you lose this?

Dark, slightly exotic eyes wide, the mother reached a hand to her tan neck. Why, yes! How did you know?

I’d stolen it from her. I remembered admiring it earlier.

Thank you. She took the chain and gave it to her husband, then turned for him to clasp it around her neck.

I switched my attention to the girl who stood quietly to the side, watching me. The kids I approached always reacted to my carefully constructed, black leather and steel look in two ways: awe or fear. This girl wavered between them.

Are you headed to the M-kes Academy? I asked as innocently as possible.

Next year, she answered, which meant she wasn’t yet fifteen. When she spoke, white fangs flashed over her top and bottom lips. Wow, I’d never seen two sets before.

The academy’s not so bad, I said before catching myself.

The parents stopped talking and took in my Normal appearance: auburn hair, large green eyes, honey skin. I looked as Normal as they did. Only their daughter had the activated E-gene of an Evolutionary. Naturally they wouldn’t believe I’d attended the M-kes Academy for Evolutionaries. I got ahead of myself—a bad habit.

I blurted an excuse. I have friends who teach there. In fact, I could only think of one or two instructors at the academy sympathetic to Evolutionaries. A few of them were sadistic and the rest were indifferent.

The father grabbed his wife and daughter by the arms. Well, thank you, we need to go.

My name is Andee. My name was Andromeda, but I didn’t reveal that to strangers—or friends. I held out my hand, forcing him to drop his daughter’s arm and politely shake. If you have time, I’d love to give you a few academy pointers. I concentrated on pleasantness and kept the scary smile behind my lips.

Oh, uhhmm. He looked to his wife who studied my black motorcycle jacket, probably thinking it could hide a weapon or two. It hid five: three chakram, one collapsible baton, and one sica dagger behind my back. My all-time favorite was my katana, but the handle would have protruded over my shoulder so I left it with my horse, Pegasus. I was in a bad mood when I named him.

Yes, Dad, I want her advice. The girl looked hopeful, as if she expected the best guidance in the world to come out of my mouth. Her parents relented.

Let’s go to the garden. I nodded to the fenced-in explosion of blooms and foliage just beyond the depot. Quiet, secluded, full of tree cover: it was the perfect spot.

***

I sat on a wrought iron bench beside Lian, but so far her pacing father, Ju-long, did all the talking. Her mom, Calla, waited silently beneath a magnolia tree full of frothy pink blooms.

Ju-long ran a hand down his face and stopped in front of me. Will she have to kill beasts right away? She’s too small! Look at her!

I didn’t have to look. My riding boots had two-inch heels to make me six feet tall. Lian’s fly away hair didn’t tickle my shoulder. Size won’t matter.

What? How? I’ve seen a manticore! They’re huge! He stuck a finger in my face then thought better when I narrowed my eyes at him. Manticores were basically lions with extra teeth and weaponized tails. I’d killed a few.

How many times has Lian had her ingots replaced?

Ju-long blinked at my subject change. It wasn’t really a change. He just didn’t know the topic yet.

According to scientists, anyone with the E-gene succumbed to the radiation of the asteroid, Atlas. Over fifty years ago, Atlas set up orbit around Earth instead of crashing into it. The silica in the earth’s crust held Atlas at bay. A few decades later when glowing babies with the E-gene were born, silica ingots implanted above their hearts allegedly protected them from Atlas’ radiation. The ingots also gave them blue skin and purple eyes—a nifty tagging tool.

Three times, Lian answered.

I faced her, more intrigued by the little girl beside me. I’d never met an Evolutionary with magic so powerful that it wore the ingots out three times before the age of fifteen—except me. Even a perceiver couldn’t tell what brand of magic Lian had until the ingots were removed and the magic—not the radiation—of Atlas entered her. Her powerful, mystery magic made me nervous.

Lian’s bright purple eyes held a mix of hope and suspicion.

It makes you weak and sick when the ingots are replaced, doesn’t it?

She nodded.

What if I told you that you can live without them?

Her eyes widened.

I ignored the sputtering of her dad in the background. Not only that, but you can look like a Normal, even pretend to be one.

Hold on. Ju-long stepped closer. She’ll die without them.

No, she won’t.

But—

Listen to her. Calla finally spoke. Usually the mothers feel hope first. Moms struggled, watching their babies discriminated against, bullied, and finally forced to fight beasts and protect the ruling race: Normals. I offered them a chance to change their children’s futures.

I focused on the woman ready to hear me. A couple of months ago, I believed the silica ingots kept me alive, too. Then I met a man who convinced me of their poison, and he took them out. I partially unzipped my jacket to expose the top of my chest tattoo: a black and green Celtic cross formed by tiny chain links. I’d used the cross to amuse my Irish grandmother. The chainmail part was symbolic; the tattoo protected me from the deadly effects should silica enter my body again. Inside the Celtic circle, the bars of the cross covered my four ingot scars.

You had ingots? Calla moved away from the tree. I stood, bringing my tattoo to her eye-level.

That could be anything. Her husband argued.

She peered closer, as if checking for hair on my chest. They’re definitely shaped like the ingot scars. The tiny cylinders of silica had always been implanted in a circle like the petals of a poisonous flower.

But why? Why would we be told to put silica in our daughter’s chest if it did no good? Ju-long asked.

For one, she’s easier to identify.

Lian ran a light finger down her blue arm. But I glowed when I was born. Wouldn’t that be obvious?

Not if you learned to control it. I released the unconscious rein holding back my magic. Power sparked to life. It warmed my skin and emitted light from my pores. I didn’t need a mirror to know my eyes illuminated. The two green spots glowed on Lian’s shocked face.

Calla recovered first, putting the pieces together. What are the ingots really for?

They block magic.

Ju-long snorted and grabbed Lian’s arm. Let’s go.

Wait. I pulled a small metallic cylinder out of my jacket and held it in my outstretched palm. Recognize this?

Ju-long stayed back, keeping a strong grip on his daughter. Calla investigated my hand. Is that a silica ingot?

Yes. I wished I could avoid the next step. As the parents of an Evolutionary, at least one of you has the dormant magic gene. If I put this inside you, your body will react just like Lian’s. It’s not fun, but it will prove to you that the ingots change anyone who carries the gene.

Calla’s dark eyes studied the tiny cylinder in my palm then she looked up. And if they change us though we’ve never had radiation sickness from Atlas, it means Lian won’t get radiation sickness either?

Yes.

She pursed her lips and stuck out her arm. Do it.

Ju-long advanced on us. Calla, this is ridiculous. Don’t—

You’re next, Ju.

His wife’s ferocious response shocked him into silence long enough for me to act. I pulled a slim throwing knife from my boot and poked a small hole into Calla’s arm. Her muscles tensed beneath my fingers, but she remained silent. I slipped the ingot into her flesh and waited. After nearly a minute, Calla released a pent-up breath. It just stings.

You see! Ju-long grabbed her arm and squeezed the ingot out. This is stupid.

I enveloped his fist in my hand before he could throw the ingot into the trees. First of all, this belongs to me. Don’t throw it. Second, it’s your turn.

His face flushed red, and he released the ingot into my hand. No.

I smiled slightly and let my eyes do the talking as they shifted to his brave wife staunching the wound on her arm. Ju-long sighed, removed his suit jacket, then rolled up a sleeve.

I repeated the process, but this time I kept a firm grip on his arm. I knew he’d react to the ingot no matter how much he believed otherwise. It took five seconds for black lines to spread across his skin, centered at the insertion point. His arm turned the same light blue as his daughter’s skin, with black veins where the silica’s poison spread. Ju-long squeezed his eyelids against the pain. Sweat beaded along his upper lip.

Open your eyes, I said.

He obeyed, and his family gasped. Bright magenta irises flickered wildly. His breaths shortened to gasps. Tremors shook him beneath my hands. I squeezed the ingot out. Ju-long dropped to his knees, panting.

Lian knelt in front of him and grabbed his face with her small hands. I want them out, Dad.

He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and patted his face. Calm down, young lady.

Ju, you turned blue. Your eyes glowed purple, just like Lian’s! Calla squeezed his shoulder. If she’s lying to us, we can have the ingots replaced. I can’t live with the possibility that we’re hurting our baby instead of helping.

Ju-long still hesitated. Great balls of burning Atlas, the man was stubborn.

I don’t know who had the power to trick the parents of Evolutionaries for nearly three decades. But they’re stopping us from doing things like this. I closed my eyes, inhaled the fresh scents of the garden, and sought seeds planted beneath my feet. Forcing my magic into the ground, I encouraged the seeds to explode with accelerated growth until two lilac bushes erupted from the earth beside me. Fragrant blossoms immediately sprouted.

My audience gasped, and I opened my eyes with a smile. I needed a ringmaster’s top hat to sweep off with a deep bow.

Will I be able to do that? Lian asked.

I doubt it. Her face fell, and I hurried to explain. This is earth magic. I suspect that you have something stronger. We won’t know what it is until the ingots are removed.

Earth magic was only half of my skill. I never demonstrated the part I received from a shadow monster’s curse on my family. My goal wasn’t to scare people—not today, anyway.

Lian clasped her hands and turned large, pleading purple eyes on her father.

He stood and exhaled slowly. Fine.

***

Silica ingot removal wasn’t really a surgery. Mac, the man who’d removed mine, held a doctorate in biology. Lian marked the eighth time I would perform the procedure, and my most recent job title was Eliminator—not something I told the parents as I gave their kids dimenhydrinate then cut open their chests. I’d eliminated monsters for M-kes, the agency that employed Evolutionaries—willing or not.

The ingots needed to be removed while Atlas glowed in the sky, ready to flood the body with magic. Mac had believed otherwise when he removed mine. My body had reacted by taking the magic from everything—and everyone—around me. Today, the heart-shaped Atlas rose before dark, so the secluded field outside of town was still lit. This usually resembled a creepy ritual while the parents either held hands or paced as the rocky ventricles of the asteroid glowed red above them.

In this case, Calla held her hands together while Ju-long walked circles around us. I sat beside a drowsy Lian—even Evolutionaries succumb to dimenhydrinate for a while—and removed my jacket. I had no clue what Lian would become, or do, once the magic gained entrance.

So far, I hadn’t done anything worse than break a kid’s finger, but Lian made me anxious. I suddenly missed Mac with a distinct pain in my chest. He always knew what to do. Thoughts of another back-up forced their way into my head, but I shook out visions of the hot yet frustrating Josiah Hightower. Distractions wouldn’t help me.

What’s taking so long? Ju-long stopped walking to growl at me.

I mentally smacked myself to attention. The lidocaine spread over Lian’s chest should have numbed her. Taking a sharp throwing knife from my boot, I cut a slit down one of the four scars that made a flower shape over Lian’s heart. With a deep breath and a whispered prayer to whomever cared, I squeezed the ingot out. The bloody metallic tube rolled to the ground. Lian shuddered.

Three more to go. I worked quickly, before too much blood inhibited my sight. After the final ingot squelched out, I studied her wounds. The cut tissue repaired itself, muscle fibers mending before my eyes. Light spread across her chest, and her body shook. In a twitch, her skin ignited with a bright red glow that intensified with every tremor.

Is that supposed to happen? Ju-long hovered so close that his breath warmed my neck.

Yep. The glowing part, anyway. I’d never seen red before, not even when the kid I helped turned into a fire mage. He’d only set a few trees and my shirt on fire before he’d managed control.

Lian shot into the air, knocking me on my ass. She floated ten feet above our heads. Red mist rolled off her skin to trail through the grass and surrounding trees. A tribal drum cadence was all the scene lacked. Damn it, I’d never helped a kid with flying skills—not so much as a were-pigeon. Lian’s limbs lengthened and claws grew from her digits. Two blood-red horns erupted from her skull.

Oh, shit, shit, shit.

I kept my eyes on Lian and pointed to Ju-long. Grab your wife and run for the trees.

We’re not leaving her! Calla stepped closer to her floating, catatonic daughter.

I couldn’t spare her a glance. Lian was already twice the size of my horse and still growing. Until she gets control, she might hurt you. Take cover, now!

No!

Parents. They never listened. I didn’t know why I continued to suggest things instead of skipping to the next part. I placed my palms on the ground and sent a pulse of magic into the roots below their feet. A copse of thorny bushes shot up around them, both protecting them and keeping them out of the way.

Hey! Ju-long’s angry voice barely broke past the thick leaves. The limbs shook violently, but the prison held.

Sorry! I shouted. I’ll take care of her. I promise.

Lian’s face elongated. Golden scales dotted her skin, multiplying as her body grew. She developed a horned, dragon head, and a long, serpent body. Josiah had killed a blue, dinosaur-type dragon a few weeks earlier, but this looked nothing like it. Once again, I squelched a desire for Josiah’s presence. Besides, this dragon was a teenage girl who trusted me to help her, not kill her.

When Lian’s transformation completed, she stretched the length of a bus with metallic gold scales and red horns. Red whiskers like those of a catfish stuck out from her snout and chin. What kind of dragon flew without wings?

Her eyes opened. The bright emerald orbs held ancient knowledge and confused teenager simultaneously. Unbelievable power emanated from her. As she focused on me with a teeth-rattling roar, what I feared the most happened.

She woke my monster.

CHAPTER TWO

Black clouds rolled across a sky that had been clear seconds earlier. The darkness of my monster pushed against my control and demanded release. Deep satisfaction filled the dragon’s emerald eyes when rain poured from the sky to drench me.

She controlled the rain. Being a giant, horned dragon wasn’t enough; oh no, she had to be elemental, too. If I used my shadow monster powers, the rain wouldn’t impede me. I’d just turn into a shadow impervious to the elements. Unfortunately, my monster tended to take the whole package when I offered only a piece. I couldn’t risk losing control and hurting Lian.

Torrential rain swirled around me. It smothered me in an onslaught of wind and water, but I kept my eyes open and locked on hers. Hands up, I shouted over the roar of nature. Lian! Let Atlas balance you. Take deep breaths.

She roared and dipped closer to the ground to bring her head level with mine. Twelve feet of soggy earth separated us. Her whiskers floated like antennae, vibrating with energy.

Relax, I urged her. If you relax you’ll—

A hailstone the size of a pea hit me in the head. Two more pelted my shoulder. Then a storm of them unleashed, and I had to put my arms over my head. Damn moody teenagers.

I sprinted for the only cover available: under the dragon. She whipped her body, trying to expose me to her nature tantrum. I body-hugged her tail underneath and hung on for the ride. I attached close enough to her back legs that she couldn’t smash me against the ground. After a minute of her whirling in circles to shake me, I thought I’d worn her out. But she took to the sky.

She rose higher. It wouldn’t take long for the soldiers at Camp Clark to see the concentrated rainstorm and the golden dragon with a terrified woman on its tail. I had to ground her before she drew that kind of attention.

I worked my way to the top of her tail and tried negotiation one last time. The wind tunnel she created swallowed my shout. All right, I give in! I shouldn’t have grabbed your tail. Bring me down.

Nothing. She wasn’t interested in listening to me.

Sighing and grumbling, I inched up until I clung to her back. Rain pelted me again, but without hail, at least. For now, she stuck to the clouds she’d created, flying around, over, and through the aerial obstacle course. Her dragon body undulated through the air like a snake on the ground. Hanging on killed my abs.

The core of her magic vibrated beneath me. It called to my shadows. My fangs grew and pushed against my lower lip. Two bright green spots glowed on the dragon’s back: my eyes overloaded with desire for the wealth of magic that hummed inside her.

It took a few precious seconds of focused breaths to lock my monster in its cage. I’d learned a little control in the months since I’d discovered my curse, but I still didn’t trust myself. The last time I’d let my shadows loose, I’d sucked the magic from an Ancient and dropped his dead body at my feet. The despair that drowned me when I’d let Mac, Josiah, and everyone else down that day weighed on my soul and refused to fade.

I pushed aside my depressing thoughts and scooted up wet, slippery scales to the back of the dragon’s head. Lian. I waited until her ears twitched and her head tipped up. Lian, your parents are worried. You need to land.

She dove for the ground. I hadn’t expected an immediate response. Which is probably why I fell off.

Black clouds separated as I tumbled past the dragon. Her eyes widened, and she sped up. I couldn’t rely on a teenage dragon who might catch me with her jaws and bite me in half. I had three seconds—maybe—before I hit the ground. If I wanted to live, I had to give in to the monster that roared inside me.

When I gave up control, the golden dragon turned gray, and her blood-red horns became black. She passed me as my body lightened. My molecules fought to stay together in the gust she stirred. She may have been trying to catch me on her back as she landed below.

I rushed on a course to impale myself on one of her horns when my shadows took over completely. I passed through her dragon head before I hit the ground and scattered. A moment of painless disorientation ruled me while I spread along the ground like fog. Then I called the magic back to my core. My shadow body reformed, as dense and dark as the clouds Lian had summoned. The world around me remained a study of black and grays. I rose to hover at the dragon’s shoulder.

She had no clue. Her turning head passed through me again. Her black eyes searched the sky and the ground as her head whipped back and forth.

Take her magic.

I fought the urge and tried to solidify. A tendril of shadow curled away from me to caress her dragon neck. She shivered beneath my touch. Her magic fled from my shadows to hunker deep inside her. But I could reach it.

Take it.

No. No, no, no . . . but maybe it wouldn’t kill her. She’d barely had it for twenty minutes. Her body hadn’t adjusted to magic, yet. More tendrils spread out from me to wrap around her neck. Deep in my darkness, I felt the anxious beat of her pulse. My heart matched it. Delicious magic danced along my senses. The noose of shadows tightened.

The dragon mewed like a frightened animal in the embrace of a predator.

Lian! Lian, sweetheart!

Calla, wait!

The voices pierced my magic-crazed stupor. Dark murmurs twined through my head and tried to block the cries of worried parents. Stop it. I whispered so soft it came out as a hiss of air immediately swallowed by the wind.

My hungry monster growled.

No. I was stronger this time.

The dragon jerked her head to my voice and stared through my shadowy body.

I focused on the parts of me wrapped around her neck and pulled my magic from them. The tendrils shuddered and fought me. My will won. They solidified into my arms, gray and lined with black like a spider web overlay on skin. The world gained color again, and Lian’s scales glowed golden against my arms.

I stumbled backward several feet and put space between my monster and Lian’s power before I sat on the wet ground. The rain stopped, and the clouds dissipated to reveal the magical red glow of Atlas in the twilight sky. I dropped my face into my hands and forced fresh air into my lungs. I’d practiced taming the shadow monster inside me for weeks. Until now, letting it loose in the magical forest where I lived with my grandmother had kept it satisfied. The progress I thought I’d made disappeared with a puff of magic dragon breath.

Lian? Calla sounded unsure of the giant dragon.

The magic surrounding me rippled, and I peeked through my fingers. An exhausted Lian rested on all fours, back to scrawny teen form. Her limbs shook with her weight and her breath heaved.

Sweetheart, are you okay? Calla wrapped her arms around her daughter’s shoulders and brought her into a hug as she sat down. Ju-Long bent his knees and straightened them twice before he joined them in the mud. His clothes were torn from fighting through their thorny prison. Lian’s jeans and t-shirt clung to her, soaked with rain and sweat.

Hmmm, the other two shifters I’d helped had destroyed their clothing when they turned into their animal. They’d been completely nude after transforming back. I’d seen one other person who kept his clothes after changing form—Josiah.

I squeezed my eyes tight and shook my head. That man spent too much time in my thoughts. I’d have to purge him with beer when I got home.

My daughter is a Chinese dragon. Ju-Long’s face held fear and fascination.

Well that helped—sort of. My list of contacts was small, and none of them specifically Chinese. I’m going to give you the address of Charles MacDuggan, near Kansas City. He can help you find other Magics with Chinese backgrounds. Hopefully. Mac had extensive research on pockets of Magics all over the country, but I’d sent one other kid to him two weeks ago and never heard from him or the family.

I cautiously approached Lian, making sure I had my monster tightly reined in before I got close. On the way to the train station, I can teach you to control your glowing skin and eyes around Normals. You’ll be able to practice on the train. Do you have a hooded jacket or something to help you hide until you’re comfortable?

Yes. Lian didn’t meet my eyes when she answered. Are you coming with us? She feared me, but I didn’t think she realized why.

No.

Calla stood. But we have so many questions! This is confusing, frightening.

I know. I’m sorry. But you’ll soon learn that it’s easy to blend in when she’s not blue. You might even meet a soldier who saw her as an Evolutionary earlier but won’t look twice at her now.

Because they’re looking for Evolutionaries to harass. Ju-long’s voice vibrated with anger.

Some of them, I agreed. Just remember that you have no visible reason to be defensive. That will draw attention. Act as Normal as you look. I walked to the low-lying bush that I’d hung my jacket on before this mess began. Let’s start back to town, and I’ll teach you what I know. That wouldn’t take more than five minutes.

***

Pegasus preferred the night as much as I did. His step always lightened, and he held his head high. I’d ridden Pegasus for about as long as I’d used magic: two months. Though I still referred to him as ‘jackass’ at least three times a day, he’d grown on me. I could let my magic loose as I sat in the saddle, and he wouldn’t twitch an ear. I’d become a shadow beside him once. He’d snorted. If I could get him to stop running nose first into danger every time a monster roared, he’d be perfect.

Night had fallen hours earlier when I hopped off the train in El Dorado Springs. Atlas had set, taking its red glow with it. The old moon had drifted so far from Earth that it could only be spotted with a telescope. Stars twinkled but provided little light.

A typical Normal would rent a room and head out in the morning. Why would I fork over an exorbitant amount of cash for a warm bed in a safe building when I could ride through the dark, monster-riddled Enchanted Forest? Plus, my grandmother waited for me in her little lake cabin nestled in the bosom of a beast playground. I needed to get home.

Besides, this forest belonged to me, now. The giant, magical plants practically pissed chlorophyll when I walked by. Not even the flying monkeys were dumb enough to attack me anymore. Vines and foliage that covered the cracked and warped highway shrunk off the asphalt when we approached. The magic of the Enchanted Forest would rather hide than risk the touch of an earth mage with a dark side.

At first, this irrational fear that magical nature held irritated me. I’d never threatened or harmed a thing in the Enchanted Forest—except flying monkeys who asked for it—but I knew that trees, plants, even rocks, obeyed my earth magic call because they feared my shadows. Now I accepted it. I didn’t care why nature obeyed me, so long as it did.

Four thorny vines, each bigger around than me, untwined rapidly and pulled off the road. They disappeared into the shadows of towering oaks, maples, and evergreens. It reminded me of the first time I tried earth magic in this very forest. Mac had been so proud when the vines obeyed me and got out of our truck’s path.

He wouldn’t be too proud of me, today. I’d lost control of my shadows and nearly destroyed a teenage dragon. Until this evening, none of the teens I had helped possessed enough power to tempt my monster. My mission was pretty simple: find Evolutionaries, remove their ingots, then send them to someone with more knowledge than me.

I’d sent most of the kids to Cain, a shifter I knew in Kansas City who could transform into any living thing he saw. I had left the city after I sucked the