Conjuring Quantico (The Federal Witch Book 1) (7 page)

“You told me, but I figured some of it was boasting. You had very little time to do any casting last year, Aggy. Those teachers of yours didn’t show up until winter break. I’ve been meaning to ask, did you stay here this Winter?”

“I did, and it really sucked. Winter in Virginia is no fun at all! There are people here, but they’re mostly the security guards and maintenance staff. They gave us a big field to use away from everything and then classes for me started. I did learn a few spells and worked on my techniques, but it was a jumble of chaos. None of them followed the same lesson plan or were even on the same page. A couple were pretty funny.”

“Did you chase them all off?”

“All but one. There is a troll living under the I-95 bridge. Instead of a toll road it’s a Troll road. One of my teachers had me cast a spell to reveal the presence of paranormals. The last time I saw him a large Frost troll was chasing him across the field.”

Cat pulled away from me and started laughing.

“They keep sending them and I keep breaking them. After this last one I don’t know what will happen. We’re not supposed to change living creatures. There are rules.”

Cat leaned back in to me and half hugged me. “You are my friend and I love you. I know you won’t hurt me. Who cares about the rest of them? Come on, let's go get something to eat in the cafeteria.”

We both jumped up and got dressed in a hurry. I checked on Fergus and he was still sleeping. Maybe I would bring him back a treat or something... On our way out of the building we passed a small group of techs working on the camera in the lobby. Hopefully they were removing them.

The cafeteria was like several of the best restaurants you have ever been in all in one place. It had the traditional serving line with various selections, but the food was some of the best I have ever had. They catered to the various races and creeds that filled the halls of the FBI. Weres preferred mostly a high protein diet. The Elves or Fae preferred vegetarian meals. There were supposed to be at least a dozen or so Vampires in the service, but I had yet to see one. They stayed mostly on the West coast. We grabbed a table and hit the line. Loading our trays, we showed our student ID’s to the cashier and went back to our table. Chuck was sitting there waiting. He stood and held Cat’s chair for her. I gave her a look and a hand motion. She really needed to decide what she was doing with him and soon.

As I ate my breakfast, I looked around the room. The other students seemed to be in a good mood. The unexpected holiday had allowed some of the stress of the first day to dissipate. I perked up when I spotted Director Mills surrounded by Agents and other staffers. They were in one of the private rooms. She looked very tired. I pulled out a notebook and wrote a quick note to her. The message spell is one I learned as a child. Grams and I used to send notes to each other all the time. Using the salt on the table I drew a small circle of protection. I placed the note in the center and concentrated on it. Speaking a single word, I sent the message to the Director.

~~~~

Academy Director Mills was in a serious conversation with her staffers. The aftermath of yesterday’s events had repercussions that were bouncing around like a whole box of rubber balls. Before she could finish her report to her boss, the Director of the FBI, the Witches’ Council had been heard from. They were outraged with former Director Offenberg’s actions and horrified that the Academy and agency would set themselves up for a battery of lawsuits like that. Then they praised her actions and said she was a credit to the Bureau. Her bosses were as outraged as the Council when she told them what she’d uncovered. Someone must have given Offenberg the go ahead because the money for extra staff and equipment doesn’t just grow on trees. The Witches’ Council had saved her from the bulk of the fallout, but she still had to clean up her own house first.

“Director, we had authorization to start the program. I swear we did. The former Director showed it to me.”

“Well it isn’t to be found, now! He’s gone and here you are. A large section of your operation is so illegal the repercussions could bring down the Bureau! Fix it. You have less than forty-eight hours before an investigative team from Washington gets here. If they find anything that is not supposed to be here, heads will roll! Don’t think I’m ignoring your own personal involvement in this. That student did nothing to deserve the stalking you subjected her to without her knowledge. Your file will reflect that.”

She looked at one of the ladies at the table.

“Lisa, how is Human Resources doing? Are you prepared to run the whole staff through race relation training?”

The short blond woman looked up from her notes and responded. “We have classes running this week for the security department. It is going to take the better part of a month to have the entire staff take them.”

“Good. Thank you Lisa. Listen all of you! This whole Cluster-frak happened because I wanted to see what a student was talking about. She wondered why she was followed everywhere in the building and everyone she met either drew down on her or reached for their weapons...”

“Ma’am, that witch just about destroyed the school last year! She can’t be trusted to roam free!”

“Sub-Director Jonson please turn in your credentials and go home. You’re done. Agent Thomlinson?” The large man by the door looked up.

“Take Dick here and escort him back to his office. He is to pack up his personal effects and leave the building. Make sure you collect his badge and creds so he cannot return to the base.” She turned back to the former Sub-director. “Pending review of course, you are out of here.”

She ignored his protests as he was dragged out the back door. No need for the students to see that. “Now, let’s get something straight here about Agatha Blackmore, shall we? The FBI has never had its own Witch before! We use hired hands for our magical needs. I witnessed first-hand the difference between the two. We need her. We need her desperately! The Witches’ Council has been trying for years to get a volunteer who would work with us. It was sheer luck that we got her. We need to keep her.”

“Director Mills, I don’t understand why she’s so special. I’ve worked with the Russians for years and had no problems. They can be very helpful with an investigation. We used the three brothers just last year to take down that wizard in Miami.”

“Did they capture him directly or use magic to do it?”

“Well no. They scried him out and put some protection spells on our men. The assault team took him out with special weapons. We only lost two of them in the process.”

“Yesterday morning I watched Miss Blackmore take down all three of those same Russian brothers at one time when they attacked her. In addition, she protected the entire field and all the innocents at the same time. According to related information that I have received, the Russians are the minor leagues compared to her and her family. I watched the video from last year. She was the victim. All she did was give her name and over a dozen agents drew on her. When she tried to leave, you opened fire on her. She only attacked when the Marines became involved. Watch it, yourselves if you don’t believe me. She told me that if it had been her grandmother instead of her that building and part of the school would not exist anymore. We need her. Get that through your damn thick heads!”

There was a bright flash suddenly that left all those at the table blinking. In front of the Director was a folded note.

“Director, what?!” Director Mills held up her hand to stop any more questions. She carefully picked up the folded sheet of paper and opened it. Smiling, she laid it back down.

“Let’s wrap this up, people. We have an investigation to prepare for and classes to start. Any more questions?”

~~~~~

Cat was watching me as I made the note disappear. “What are you doing?”

I pointed to the meeting room and the Director. “She looks too tired. I just told her that.”

She shook her head. “Only you, Agatha. Come on, let's go back to the dorm. I have a hard choice to make and I want your help. You were right: I do have to choose.”

I smiled at her and picked up my tray. Stepping over to the trash and dish area I began sorting my tray. As I was about to leave one of the security officers cleared his throat. At my glance he spoke. “Miss Blackmore? The Director would like a quick word.” He pointed to the kitchen. I looked back at Cat and Chuck and motioned for them to go on out.

The Director was leaning up against one of the kitchen prep tables. She was munching on a carrot. “What’s up, doc?”

She smiled at me. “Cute trick with the note! I’ve never seen that one before.”

“Grams taught me that when I was eight. We used to play a game and send each other messages. You look tired Director.”

“It’s been a long twenty-four hours. Headquarters received a message from the Witches’ Council over the incidents yesterday; there was praise for me. I most likely am safe from the witch hunt that will occur. Did you inform them?”

“I told my grandmother this morning, but neither Cat nor I told anyone else. I did destroy the cameras in the dorms. I also did something to our room.”

“Is this something I should know about?”

“Sort of? I changed the walls, floor, and ceiling to metal. I was trying to do a shield spell.”

She began to laugh. “Sorry; I thought you might have done something a bit more drastic yesterday. Have you given my offer some thought?”

“I’ll teach your class for you. It should cover the true history of Paranormals and the US government. I will touch on how magic works and what is both possible and impossible. Some things I have to leave out such as the Council’s enforcers or how we punish our own. Everything else the Council should be OK with. Grams said she would clear it with them.”

“The Council has enforcers?”

“All the larger Councils do. They keep low profiles, but how else do you think the groups protect mundanes?”

“Then why isn’t the FBI working with them instead of hiring Russians?”

I smiled sadly at her. “It all relates to the Purge. They just don’t trust you enough yet.”

“But it’s been almost a hundred years! They don’t trust us yet?”

“It’s more a case of what happened afterwards explaining ‘why’ they don’t trust you. But I will explain that too if you like. I love history.”

“Good! That is what I was counting on. Plan on doing a class two afternoons a week. Your schedule should reflect it. Use whatever free time left over for extra study or lab time.”

“Thank you Director Mills. You look so tired. Get some sleep, please?”

“I will. Go ahead and take off. You have a big day tomorrow.”

Cat and Chuck were waiting for me near the exit. “So what’s going on?”

“Nothing bad, I promise. She wanted to thank me for something I didn’t do and ask about me teaching a class on witchcraft to FBI agents.”

“Oh, is that all? What didn’t you do?”

“Somehow the Witches’ Council knew about the whole camera incident. They were pissed! But they praised Director Mills for her quick resolution of the issue. I think they have spies here.”

“Ya think? That is a very strong possibility, Aggy...”

As we walked back to the dorm, I watched how Cat and Chuck acted around each other. I had initially thought there was something there, but now it was as if they were siblings not rivals. Something to be said for the whole pack-mentality thing. Whether she liked it or not, Chuck was part of her pack.

The dorm room was just as we left it except for music coming from inside Fergus’s home. He was listening to a Katie Berry song and dancing on my desk. All three of us stared mesmerised at him dancing.

“I don’t think I will ever sing along to Dark Horse without laughing from now on.”

“Thanks Chuck for ruining yet another song for me!” Cat gave him a not-so-light punch to the arm.

We stepped into the room as the music died. Fergus heard us.

“Have a good morning, Ferg? We liked the dancing.”

“How much did you see?”

“Only a little bit. You were good!”

He failed to answer and went back into his barn with a mooo. That mooing door made me laugh every time. We sat down on our respective beds and Chuck took a desk chair. “So Cat, why don’t you declare as an Alpha?” I asked.

Chuck winced.

“I told you why. It would hurt my family.”

I thought for a moment. “Have you asked your family? I bet your dad would be tickled that his daughter was Alpha material.”

“That’s true... Let me give him a call. He keeps his phone on all the time.” She pulled out her cell and entered his number. Chuck was staring at the ceiling. I couldn’t remember if she’d told them about him or not.

“Dad? Are you busy? I need to talk to you about something important.” I’m not a freaky all-hearing Were that can hear a phone conversation from across the room so I could only guess at what he was saying from Chuck and Cat’s faces.

Cat’s head was cocked to one side and Chuck started to choke back a laugh. “No. No. Dammit Dad, No! I am not pregnant. Geez! Who has time for that nonsense? No, that is not why I need to talk to you. Stop! Seriously. Is anyone around that can hear this conversation? Can you chase them out? Fine. I can wait.” She covered the mouthpiece and shook her head. Both Chuck and I started laughing at her.