The bank interior bears the soot marks from my fla and upended furniture from the speedsters. The crystal chandelier, that eyesore, is miraculously unhard. Canary is still down for the count, Azure still encased. The teller I spoke to taps away on her phone. The audience outside watches with their own phones out and recording.
Blood drips down my back from where Amaranth tore off one of my wings, and the magical girl in question circles like a predator, smiling. I’m cold, I’m tired, and I’m on edge. This fight hasn’t been as clean as I wanted it to be, and even with only one enemy left I’m not certain it’ll end in victory.
Amaranth sees the look on my face—exhausted, resentful, wary—and says, “Aw, you don’t like as much now, do you?”
Pull yourself together, Rachel. Play the ga. Follow the rules. I do my best to wipe away my downtrodden expression and replace it with sothing charming and cheerful. “Oh, I think that remains to be seen. I’ll like you plenty when you’ve joined your friends on the ground.”
Amaranth laughs from behind , and then she’s in front of and her expression turns serious. “Hey. Is Azure going to die if she stays in that stuff?”
“The foam is breathable,” I assure her. “Unless she bites her tongue and chokes on her own blood, I can’t see her dying. I have no intention of starting a pattern with your team.”
“Good, good.” Amaranth rolls her shoulders. “Okay, one more for the crowd.”
I’m already moving when she blurs into motion, but of course even my reflexes at their best can’t compare to soone whose whole power is speed. Amaranth uses her body as a weapon to a far greater degree than either Canary or Azure: fists and feet, elbows and knees, even what feels like a headbutt tossed into the mix.
Still, I fight through the pain—stumbling this way and that but keeping my footing—and bring first a bomb bat into being, then another foam payload arrowhead, ready to deploy whatever mix of tactics is necessary to defeat my final opponent in this duel.
Amaranth stops her assault standing right beside , leaning in so her mouth is right next to my ear, and she whispers, “Have you had the dream?”
I’m caught so off-guard by her question that I don’t activate either of my contingencies. “What dream? What are you talking about?”
Then she’s behind , and I whirl to face her. Her domino mask hides her eyes, but sohow I feel an intense stare boring into . “The dream. The dream. Have you had it? Focus. Listen. In the dream, there is a city of bleached white stone beneath a bleeding sun, and beneath the city is a deep, dark pit—a pit that might be Hell.”
She’s insane. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, I haven’t—”
A headache cos on so suddenly and sharply that it nearly blinds , and I clutch my forehead and cry out. What just happened? Why does my head hurt like this?
Amaranth giggles like a schoolgirl and claps her hands over and over. “Yes, yes, yes, I knew it! Oh, this is the best news!” She leans in again, her voice taking on a conspiratorial tone as she says, “Azure and Canary, they don’t get the dreams. But I knew you would, and now I know I was right. You’ve had the dream, you just don’t rember it. But you will. Keep a dream journal and you’ll rember it faster. Don’t try lucid dreaming, though. Trust . And whatever you do, whatever you do, don’t go into the pit.”
I’m more confused than I’ve ever been. Is this girl just fucking with , or are we actually sharing a dream that I can’t rember? And why , and not her teammates? “How did you—”
“I could see it in your eyes,” she confides. “They’re very pretty eyes. Maybe, next ti we et, I’ll let you see mine. Let’s do this again, Archon. It was wonderful to et you.”
What? She’s talking like—and she’s gone. And so is Canary, and so is Azure. All three magical girls, gone from the bank with only debris to mark their passing.
I think, technically, I just won my second fight as a witch. But it doesn’t feel like winning.
I flex the slowly-regrowing stump of my torn wing. This was a victory. Don’t let anything distract from that truth. Whatever Amaranth’s strange ramblings ant, it can wait until later.
I return to the teller window and knock on the glass. “Heroines are gone. And I didn’t break your chandelier. So, can I get my money now, or am I going to have to start burning everything that looks expensive?” I project that last part as loudly as I can, figuring that so cara in the room is probably recording audio. Corporate would rather lose a bit of their vault than have to replace everything else in the bank, right?
The teller looks up from her phone, looks across the battle-damaged lobby, and sighs. “Yeah, yeah. Be right out.”
With that taken care of, all that remains is working the crowd. I leave a few familiars behind to keep the bank honest and stride out to et my future adoring public. A few dozen civilians, all with their phones out and recording or liveblogging the scene. I’ve seen this scenario a hundred tis from the other side, but never in front of the cara. I should be shy, but all nervousness has left .
“I hope you enjoyed the show,” I say to the crowd, bowing deep and spreading both wings—the injured one still not finished regrowing, but I figure that adds to the effect. “My na is Archon, and this is just the beginning of what I’m planning. Please, look forward to my future endeavors! I promise to give this city as much entertainnt as I can—for that is the purpose of a witch, is it not? Keep your eyes on , Forks. You won’t regret it.”
I strike a few different poses for the audience, letting them take as many pictures as they want, but I ignore any comnts or questions. That can co later. For now, in this mont, I revel in my second victory. Who cares if it turned strange at the end, I still won!
I proved myself. To the ordinary people gawking at , to the witches that are now my peers, and to the magical girls that have beco my enemies. To Ferromancer and Bombshell, who helped co this far. And, I hope with all my heart, perhaps Strix Striga will watch my fight and take an interest.
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I want everyone to take an interest. I want all their attention. But more than anyone, I still want Sophia’s attention. And I’ll get it. I’ll do whatever it takes.
My familiars pick up the spoils of my victory and together we fly away from the bank, over the city skyline, and to the agreed upon rendezvous point in a secluded corner of the city. Ferromancer is waiting for , as I expected, but so is soone unexpected: Pandora, the Jovian that gave my powers and introduced to my teacher. The alien cat sits beside the witch, inscrutable as always.
Ferromancer lets out a long drag of smoke and eyes my loot. “I take it the gig went well,” she comnts, leaning on a back alley wall next to another of her magic doors. “All that training pay off?”
I grin. “Took down the Blurs, got my haul, and by evening the whole city should know my na. I’d call that a success.” I get serious for a mont. “I couldn’t have done it without you, Ferromancer. Thank you. I know you have your reasons, but it really does an a lot to .”
She waves off. “Just don’t go making regret all the effort I spared, yeah? Keep winning and we’ll call it square. Now send your familiars inside and I’ll get you set up and properly laundered. Never hurts to give the veil a helping hand.”
Ferromancer opens the door to her workshop and I do as she says, sending the familiars inside. She follows with another wave, and then it’s just and the cat.
“So,” I start, and then I realize I don’t really know what to say.
“Congratulations,” Pandora purrs. “Was it everything you hoped it would be?”
I laugh and scratch my head sheepishly. “You picked right. There’s more about this lifestyle that I crave than… well, I guess I never really thought any of this was possible before you approached . I wasn’t alive, just a zombie on autopilot. But now things are different. So… everything and more, kitty cat. I’m in this ga to stay.”
“Excellent, very excellent. As a representative of the sidereals, I’m pleased to hear that my instincts were correct when I selected you to join our enterprise. I’m certain you’ll be quite the investnt, Ms. Archon.” The strange alien cat has such a business-like way of speaking, all proper and corporate. I wonder how much of that is an affectation to fit my preconceptions, and if so, what’s the purpose? But maybe I can’t hope to understand an entity from so far away and such different origins. What are those origins, I wonder?
“I’m glad I’ve held up to your standards,” I say instead. “It’s my fervent wish to repay that investnt as best I can. I hope today was a good start to that.”
“Oh, yes,” the cat nods, “though of course the Blurs are ultimately a rather minor elent in this region’s greater conflict. We encourage you to practice against their kind as much as you need to, but do keep in mind the reason we chose you in particular.” Pandora tilts its head. “Though, I suppose it’s unlikely you’d ever forget.”
Striga, Striga, Striga.
Sophia.
“I know. I won’t forget. And I won’t rest on my laurels. It’s a long road to standing against the greatest magical girl on the continent, but it’s one I’m happy to walk. I will beat Striga. I’ll perfect every technique in my arsenal, and when I’m ready I’ll make sure I’m the only witch she ever pays attention to again.”
Pandora makes an amused noise and flicks its tail. “That’s just what we want to hear, Ms. Archon. I think you’ll go very far in this organization. We’re counting on your success.”
“But hey, no pressure,” I say with a roll of my eyes. “Is that all you ca here for, Pandora? Or was there sothing else?”
“Well, checking in on your progress is important. You should also know that our arrangent with Ms. Ferromancer has co to an end; you are encouraged to make use of her services, but further assistance will have to be negotiated with her directly.”
I wince. That’s… about what I expected would happen, but still a rough blow. Ferromancer is smart, and fun, and I’ve really enjoyed spending ti with her. I don’t exactly know how I feel about her, and obviously she’s no Sophia, but… I don’t want to stop being around her.
“Ah, and there is one other detail,” the cat adds. “A certain matter will be taking my attention away from Forks for a small number of weeks. It’s unfortunate, but sadly necessary. I’ll check in again when I return, but if you have anything else you’d like to ask, now would be the ti. Do you have any questions for ?”
Imdiately, Amaranth’s dream cos to mind. My dream, if that’s what the strange headache ant. Even now I get a pang of pain just thinking about it. That has to an sothing, and if anyone knows what, it would be a Jovian. And yet.
I like to think I’m not an idiot, or a rube. I know I’ve signed up for so sort of Faustian bargain, dealing with the sidereal Jovians. I joined the dark side and beca a witch, and the kinds of entities that make deals like that can’t be trusted. I can’t trust Pandora, no matter how grateful I am for the power it’s given .
I hesitate, and that’ll make the cat suspicious if I don’t have a question, so I ask, “How am I ant to beat Striga? I know I sounded confident a second ago, but… she’s never been beaten. She mows down witches like they’re nothing to her. How do I beat that?”
“I’m sorry,” Pandora apologizes, “but I don’t have a good answer. If we knew a ready solution for the Striga problem, we would have deployed it already. Striga seems to be the natural enemy of witches, and the only thing that’s ever worked against her is starting trouble in more places than she can respond to at once. You are a gamble, Ms. Archon. To be perfectly honest, we’re hoping your familiarity with the subject will lead to finding a solution we’ve sohow missed.”
Oh, good, the magical alien cats are just as clueless as I am. Joy. Well, at least that gives a way to earn my keep. Assuming I can actually solve the Striga problem, that is. “I guess I should have seen that coming,” I sigh. “Well, good luck with whatever it is you’re off to do, I know you probably can’t tell . And thanks again, cat.”
“Best of luck yourself, Ms. Archon. I look forward to our next eting.”
The cat pads off, leaving alone in the alley. I wait out there, too awkward to step inside Ferromancer’s workshop even though I’ve been in a dozen tis before.
It’s fine. This arrangent was always temporary. I shouldn’t get worked up about it.
When Ferromancer cos back out, I haven’t quite dismissed my awkwardness. “Hey,” I greet her. “So, uh. Pandora told that the contract or whatever is over. I’d really like to keep working with you, but, I understand if that’s not in the cards.” I bite my lip, agonizing over my words, and then I blurt out, “You know so much about magic and I just—”
Ferromancer holds up a hand and I stop. “Co inside,” she tells .
I follow her inside. What’s going on now? The workshop looks like it always does, though with a handful of my familiars standing around divested of their loot.
She leads to the break room, pours a glass of water for each of us, and sits on the sole table in the room, ignoring all the chairs. She looks up and down, her gaze piercing and almost unsettling. I haven’t seen her like this before. No, that’s not quite accurate; she’s in her cold, calculating persona, the face I only saw that first day at the presentation.
“Ferromancer?” I ask nervously. “What’s up?”
She takes a sip of her water. Sets it down. Watches . And then, cold and focused, she asks , “Why do you want to be the one to take down Striga?”
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