Magi Apprentice Read online

“I think you might be right.” She thought back to her and Yuki’s discovery yesterday, and what that could mean. “Look, we can’t just tell the teachers that you had a dream and expect them to do anything but laugh at us. We need to go to them with proof of something concrete.”

  Dana nodded. “I know. That’s why I’m only telling you and being quiet about it.”

  “Fair enough,” Katy nodded, and then thought about the gate again. “Look, we didn’t say anything, but yesterday, Yuki and I found the Gate to Tartarus unlocked and open.”

  “You did? But, isn’t it meant to be locked at all times now?”

  “That’s what the Headmistress said,” Katy answered, remembering her announcing it to the school.

  “So, someone’s going over there?”

  “Might be a teacher, going over to look for hints on ways to find and fight the Red Witch.”

  “I guess…” Dana admitted. “But, what if it’s not?”

  “I know. That’s what’s troubling me. We need proof.”

  Dana nodded. “Wait, what are you suggesting? You don’t think we should go over there again, do you?”

  “That would be the only real way to know for sure if something is going on,” Katy suggested, feeling excitement bubble up inside of her. The idea of going back over there was both scary and exhilarating. And she felt sure it was the only way they were going to get anything resembling any kind of hard evidence.

  Dana sighed. “I really don’t like this idea. We went through some pretty scary stuff over there, and I do not like the idea of drawing the Red Witch’s attention again.”

  Katy nodded. “I understand. I guess it’s up to you. You can come if you like, or not, your choice. But I think there’s a good chance that we’ll find something if we head over there, and it might be useful for you to show us where you used to go when you went. Maybe we missed something? Maybe there’ll be something new over there now. Who knows what we’ll find?”

  “I’ll think about it.”

  “Sure, I’ll speak to Felix and Yuki. We should all go, tonight. The school trip isn’t far off, so we don’t have much time.”

  “Alright,” Dana replied and glanced up.

  Katy followed her gaze to find Trenton approaching the table with a spring in his step. “Oh, hey,” she said, smiling.

  “Hey. Dana,” he added, nodding to her too, as he placed his tray down. “Did I miss anything?”

  “Not much,” Katy answered. “I don’t think Titus is talking to me anymore, but that’s about it.”

  Trenton smiled. “His loss.”

  “You seem bright and happy today,” Dana said.

  “Yep,” he replied and looked at Katy, giving her a knowing look. “I just had a fun night last night.”

  Katy smiled.

  Evening Meeting

  “Okay, I’ll go,” Dana said.

  “Are you sure?” Katy asked.

  They were sitting in their Common Room, counting down the minutes until the meeting.

  “Yeah. You need me to show you where to go, so it’s fine. I’ll come.”

  “That would be helpful, thank you,” Katy replied.

  “Sure. So, shall I go and find Yuki? It’s nearly time.”

  Katy nodded. “Yeah. I’ll head down to the gate. I said I’d meet Felix there.”

  “Alright. I hope Yuki doesn’t storm off when she sees Felix.”

  Katy smirked. “We can only hope. She’s spent all day with Jasper though, so maybe she’ll be in a good mood.”

  “Yeah, maybe. Alright, see you shortly.”

  Katy nodded, and they both left the common room but headed in different directions. Katy walked through the Academy, around to the rear gate where she chose a spot at the base of the closest tower and waited. She could see a couple of other students a little way off, around the tower, but no one near the gate itself. She hoped their luck would hold, so they could make it over to Tartarus without being spotted.

  As she played with the thought of returning to Tartarus, she looked through the gate towards the massive shadowy edifice and shivered. As much as she was kind of excited to go on another little exploration of the building, she found it quite terrifying, too. Partly, because of what it used to hold and its history, but also because of the Red Witch herself.

  They needed proof that something was going on, though, and the only way to get that was going in there. She just hoped they wouldn’t encounter that crimson spectre again.

  “I’m getting some serious déjà vu, you know?” It was Felix. She looked over to see him strolling around the curve of the tower towards her.

  “Hey. Thanks for coming.”

  “Not a problem. You know you only have to ask.”

  Katy smiled. “I know.”

  “So, you said something about the Red Witch? What’s going on?”

  “We found that gate open the other day,” she began, pointing to it. “It’s still open now, and we know it shouldn’t be.”

  “Oh, yeah. Crap. You think someone’s going over there?”

  She nodded. “We do. Dana had a dream about the Red Witch last night, as well.”

  Felix screwed up his face. “Well, that’s not exactly proof of anything. Given what she went through, I’d be surprised if she wasn’t having dreams or nightmares about her.”

  “Yeah, I know, and if Magic wasn’t real, and we weren’t living in the Spirit Realm right now, I’d think that too. But here we are, so maybe her dream was more than just a dream.”

  Felix grimaced again. “Hmm, yeah. Okay, good point.”

  “Plus,” Katy continued, “the way Mr Spiros is acting, and what he’s doing with Dana just sounds… odd.”

  “The sessions she’s going to him for, you mean? What’s odd about them?”

  “I’m just going by what Dana said. She mentioned it’s a little intrusive, and the other day, he actually hurt her when he did it. Also, just the whole rummaging around inside her head thing, it doesn’t sound right to me, you know?”

  “The Red Witch really did a number on her, though. That’s not something you fix overnight.”

  Katy sighed. “I know. But still…”

  “Alright. So you want to head to Tartarus?”

  Katy nodded enthusiastically.

  “That’s a bit risky, Katy. Are you sure this is the right way to go? Shouldn’t we just tell the staff?”

  “I think we need more than a hunch and a dream before we go to them. We need something solid. Something concrete.”

  “Alright. Okay, sure,” Felix replied. “I’m in.”

  “Awesome.”

  “Besides, it’s nice to have a break, anyway.”

  Katy raised her eyebrows. “A break?”

  Felix nodded and sighed. “From Josie.”

  “Oh?” Was all not well in paradise? “Is everything alright?”

  “Yeah…” His tone seemed less sure of the answer, though. “Josie is great, and I’m enjoying hanging out with her, but…”

  “But?” Katy urged.

  “Don’t misunderstand me, she’s really nice, okay? I don’t want you to get the wrong impression.”

  “I won’t,” Katy reassured him. “So, what’s wrong?”

  “Nothing really. She’s just a little full-on, you know? She wants to be around me all the time.”

  “That’s cute,” Katy remarked.

  “Yeah, it is, but it can also be really annoying. Sometimes I just want to be alone for a bit, or hang out with you guys, but she just wants it to be us two. She also… No, ignore me.”

  “It’s alright. You can tell me. I won’t say anything.”

  He sighed again. “I know. Okay. She thinks Yuki doesn’t like her, which I kind of get, because she’s been a bit off with me recently. Have you noticed that? She doesn’t talk to me much and doesn’t seem to want to hang out.”

  “Yeah, I’ve noticed.”

  “Can you speak to her? You’re her roommate. I don’t want to fall out with her. I still want to be her friend.”

  “I know you do, but um, I think she’s just finding it hard.”

  “Uh, I don’t know why.”

  Katy thought it was pretty obvious why, but clearly, he just didn’t see it. Well, she wasn’t about to spill the beans. That was for Yuki to do, so Katy just shrugged.

  “Hmm. How’s things with you and Titus, or Trenton?”

  Katy smiled. “Yeah. Um, complicated. I think that’s the best word to describe my love life right now.”

  “Are you dating one of them?”

  “Um. I’m not sure about that. I mean, I kinda like both but…”

  “But, it’s not that easy, is it?”

  “No. Plus, I have Mikayla stirring the pot the entire time, trying to get Titus for herself, which she might have just done… maybe.”

  “Oh?”

  “Yeah. Don’t worry about it, it’s not important. I’ll figure out my way through.”

  “I’m happy to listen if you want to talk.”

  “Thanks, I’ll bear that in mind.”

  Felix shrugged. “So, are we going to head inside or what?”

  “Yeah, I’m just waiting for Dana…Aaah, here they are now.”

  Felix turned and spotted Dana and Yuki walking over. Looking up, Yuki spotted Felix and slowed. Dana went to her and whispered a few things to her, no doubt urging her on and reassuring her.

  “Thanks for coming,” Katy greeted them as they approached.

  “That’s okay,” Yuki replied, her eyes purposefully not looking at Felix. “Dana filled me in on what you found and what you think is going on.”

  “Good,” Katy replied. “So, you’re up for a trip into Tartarus?”

  “Yeah,” Yuki replied. “So, it’s just the four of us? Is Josie not coming?” The comment was clearly meant to be sarcastic.

  Felix sighed. “No, she’s not.”

  “So, she let you out, did she?”

  “Something like that,” Felix answered.

  Yuki smirked derisively.

  “She’s not the boss of me, you know,” Felix stated.

  “Glad to hear it,” Yuki answered.

  Katy took a deep breath. “Okay guys, can we focus for a moment?”

  “Sure,” Yuki replied, her arms crossed defensively.

  “Of course,” Felix added.

  “Good,” Katy answered. “So, we’re looking for clues. Anything that might suggest that the Red Witch has someone else under her control. If we can find out who that is, even better.”

  “And that means going in there?” Yuki asked.

  “It does,” Katy answered. “I mean, you don’t have to come if you don’t want to, but it would be good to have you along.”

  “Yeah, alright,” Yuki replied. “We’d better not run across the Red Witch, though.”

  “I can’t guarantee that,” Katy answered.

  “Awesome,” Yuki exclaimed. “This gets better and better. Alright, what are we waiting for? An invite?”

  Katy nodded and scanned the courtyard, but it was empty, with just the four of them in view. “Alright, let’s do it,” Katy said, and led them over to the gate where she eased it open a little wider, and slipped through. The others followed.

  “So, bridge or valley?” Katy asked.

  “Bridge, it’s quicker,” Yuki answered.

  “I agree,” Felix added.

  “Can’t keep Josie waiting,” Yuki snarked, but Felix didn’t respond.

  “I prefer the valley, but whatever,” Dana said.

  Katy nodded. “We’ll use the bridge, but let’s run, so we’re not out in the open too long.”

  The others agreed, and seconds later, they were sprinting across the long bridge, across to the dread fortress, Tartarus. They reached the far end without trouble, where Katy led them to the gap in the damaged wall to the right of the door.

  She paused at the threshold and looked back. “Are you ready?”

  “I guess,” Dana replied, sounding worried.

  “Sure,” Yuki answered.

  “Always,” Felix added.

  “I’d guess you need to be, with Josie,” Yuki rolled her eyes.

  “Enough with the smart comments, Yuki,” Felix spat.

  Yuki looked surprised and glanced at Katy. She gave her a look in return that hopefully suggested that she should reign it in a bit, and she flushed and nodded.

  “Come on, let’s do this,” Yuki added.

  Katy nodded.

  Exploration

  Katy pushed through the crack in the wall, just as easily as she had on previous visits, and finally stepped out into the huge lobby of the building. Looking down, she brushed off the dirt and dust from her shirt and skirt as the others shimmied through the crack.

  “You alright?” Felix asked Yuki once she was through the wall.

  She looked up at him and raised an eyebrow. “I’m fine.”

  “Hmm, okay.”

  The lobby was much as it had been the last time they’d been here. Dark and shadowy, lit only by dim shafts of light that streaked in through windows above the locked main door.

  Just being in here again made her shiver as butterflies began fluttering in her stomach. But there was no time for her to worry about such things. They were here for a reason. They had a job to do. Taking a breath to steady her nerves, Katy turned to Dana.

  “Okay, I know where the library is, but that’s about it. Do you know where things are? What the layout is?”

  “I explored quite a bit of it, actually,” Dana replied. “Under the direction of the Red Witch, I gathered several things from around the building for her. But there was one room I went to a lot when I first came here. It was like our meeting room or something.”

  “Alright, that sounds like a good place to start, unless anyone has any better ideas?”

  “No,” Felix replied.

  “We can check out the Library and that large hall later maybe,” Yuki suggested.

  Katy nodded and then looked back to Dana. “Good idea. So, which way?”

  “This way,” Dana said, and set off across the lobby, making for a darkened hallway on the other side, rather than the main central hall that Katy knew led to the library. Katy stepped carefully, making sure to avoid the fallen rubble and other obstacles as they crossed to the hall.

  Dana barely slowed as she walked into the hall and kept going. This first section was pitch dark, but there was more light further along.

  “What do you remember about your visits?” Katy asked.

  “Most things,” Dana replied. “I wasn’t really in a trance or anything, so I remember coming here. She was just in my head the entire time, talking to me and driving me mad. She wouldn’t let me sleep, or study, it was a nightmare. I just ended up doing whatever she wanted to get her to shut up.”

  “So, did she do any kind of mind control? Any Psi Magic?”

  “Some, I think. But not much, and it was just basic stuff. She had to do some just to reach me telepathically, I guess.”

  “Oh yeah, of course.”

  “Mr Spiros said he found a few little bits of residual Magic in my head from her, which he said he’s removed so…”

  “You said she had you hunting around in here for her.”

  “Yep,” Dana answered. “She was looking for artifacts. Magical ones, and needed me to get them and examine them for her. Most were just trinkets and not really of any use, from what I could work out.”

  “But not all of them?”

  “Some were beyond me, and several of those ended up just disappearing. So I’ve no idea where they are now.”

  “Do the staff know all this?”

  Dana nodded. “Yeah. We’ve been over it in quite some detail. They were really interested to know exactly what items she was gathering.”

  “Did you see a pattern?”

  Dana shrugged. “She never told me exactly what it was she was looking for, but seeing as how she’s a ghost, I kind of guessed that she wanted to return to life.”

  “That’s what I think. I think she wants to come back.”

  “Do we know who this Red Witch actually is?” Felix asked. “I mean before she died?”

  “Nope,” Katy replied. “The teachers seem to have an idea who they think it may be, but they’re not sharing, so I don’t know. I don’t think I want to know, really. I just want to stop her from doing whatever it is she’s up to.”

  “I could have told you that,” Yuki said to Felix. “Weren’t you listening when we had that meeting with the Head after the Red Witch attack?”

  “Yeah, but that was weeks ago,” Felix replied. “Sorry.”

  Yuki rolled her eyes.

  “So,” Katy continued, turning back to Dana, “she didn’t tell you anything else while she was talking to you? She didn’t mention her plans or anything?”

  “Not in any detail, no,” Dana answered. “Just lots of promises to make the world crumble and die, and that she’d make me into some kind of queen when all was said and done. I didn’t believe any of it. It was all just a load of bull crap.”

  Katy nodded as Dana led them into the better lit portion of the corridor.

  “It’s just up here,” Dana said, keeping her voice low.

  “Alright,” Katy answered. “Keep your eyes peeled. If you see anything suspicious, we run.”

  Everyone agreed as Dana slowed and approached a door on her left. Katy was right beside her as she turned into a large eight-sided room with huge arched windows set high into the walls and lighting the room in a dim, diffused glow.

  There were piles of items, many of them broken, scattered around on the floor. Smashed urns and ripped books mixed with broken statues and busts. Scribblings and markings covered the floor and walls too, that looked like they’d been drawn with charcoal. Katy frowned at the scene, unsure what would be of use to them.

  “So, what do you think?” Katy asked. Dana was crouched down and reached out to one of the drawings. She wiped one finger over it and examined the substance.

  “What’s up?” Katy asked.

  “What do these look like to you?” Dana asked.

  “The drawings? Um, they look like swirls with rectangles coming off them,” Katy said, trying to make sense of the markings. Many of them were very similar in design.

  “They look like scrolls, to me,” Yuki said.