I could only imagine how ridiculous the look on my face must have been as I stared dumbfounded at Cassidy following her revelation. Growing up one of the first things I had been taught about practitioners was that magicians were to be feared and hated. The idea of someone with no magical ability using their own body as a catalyst for magic was something to be reviled. Furthermore, my tutors had been quick to tell me gruesome stories of magician families kidnapping practitioners to use for research in hopes of solving the issue of their lack of magic. Of course, in hindsight, I had been able to recognize that it was all lies, meant to try and maintain a sense of superiority among mages. But still, It was difficult to completely rid myself of such prejudices.

Finally, I managed to recover from the shock enough to say "So you're a magician? I thought you guys were always covered in tattoos. Isn't that how it works?"

She rolled her eyes clearly used to having to answer that exact question far more often than she would like, "Technically speaking it doesn't have to be tattoos. Just so long as the magic formula is permanently connected to one's flesh and blood. But in my case it is tattoos. You just can't see them because the ink used is invisible most of the time. Something about decades of hate and prejudice from other practitioners makes for great motivation to hide the signs of being a magician."

"So what magic can you use?"

"My family is one of the oldest magician families still in existence. We use a physical enhancement magic. Essentially when I activate the spell it supercharges my physical capabilities."

"Good enough for me" Damian chimed in. Then turned to Cassidy and added "Oh but just so you know. If you do get hurt on this little excursion, you are not allowed to file for workers comp. This has nothing to do with your employment understand?"

The tension that was present after Cassidy's admission faded as she and I both burst out laughing at how seriously he had delivered that line.

As I tried to catch my breath after laughing I managed to get out, "Ok, well I'm a mage in case you didn't already know. Damian over there isn't a practitioner but he's a Therianthrope."

"Werewolf to be precise." Damian supplied

Damian and Cassidy began talking about their families and experiences. Meanwhile, I became lost in thought as I started trying to plan out how we were possibly going to get to Avalon. After all, the magical realm was known to be incredibly massive. And the laws of reality there were much different, changing even between neighboring planes of the realm. In particular, was the issue of Faerie. Even if we managed to find our way to that particular plane with no problems, it was known to be among the more dangerous parts of the magical realm and there was no guarantee that we'd be able to get an answer as to where we could find the way to Avalon from there.

I was however briefly torn from my planning by a sudden thought, "Hey Damian? How come you didn't know Cassidy was a magician? Don't you check if your staff are practitioners?"

He just shrugged and said "Not really. I mean most practitioners are paid better so they'll typically just tell you if they are one when they apply for a job. Magicians are pretty much the only ones who ever try to hide it. I mean does your company bother asking?"

"No. No we do not." I said as my thoughts coalesced and I was struck with a realization, "That motherfucker!" I shouted outraged.

"Who?" both Damian and Cassidy looked to be extremely confused.

"Johnson. He's this new kid the company hired a while back. I think he's a practitioner."

"What makes you say that?" Damian asks intrigued

"Yesterday the inquisitors from the Midnight Tower took a shot at me. But the weird thing was that both times I saw them, first when I was parked across from the tower. And then when they ambushed me after leaving that strip club following my talk with the Mayor..."

I was interrupted by Cassidy chiming in with "You mean when you threatened him?"

"Yes when I threatened him. Anyway, both times it was like the inquisitors knew exactly where I was. And both times conveniently happened after I visited Johnson who was working a job for the company. I bet anything that he put a tracking spell on me without my noticing"

"To be fair, If you were likely to see inquisitors anywhere it would be at one of the towers. And isn't it just as likely that they were just tailing you after spotting you at the tower?" Damian was quick to point out

"No. Because if they had just been following me, they would have had a chance to try and hit me a lot sooner. It was only after I had spent a decent amount of time in a single location that they ambushed me. Which would make sense, because all but the best tracking spells, don't work well on moving targets. It's only when the subject stops that the spell can hone in on them with any accuracy. But there's also the fact that I wanted Johnson on the team for a major event happening tomorrow. That event is really important to the future of the company which is why the team was composed of the most experienced and skilled employees. All except for Johnson, who's only been with the company a few weeks and has yet to work any of our important jobs. But who I for some reason decided should work the biggest job we've had yet. Does that sound like me?"

"Ok, maybe the guy is a practitioner," Damian was willing to concede, "But if so, why would he hide it? Practitioners almost as a rule make a hell of a lot more money. I mean wouldn't you pay a decent mage a lot more money to work security on your behalf than you would just a normal person?"

"That's the part I can't figure out." I admitted, "It's likely that he's a warlock, and a fairly skilled one at that if he was able to help the inquisitors track me like that. And I could maybe understand using magic to make me unknowingly favor him when assigning personnel. But there's no real reason to hide the fact that he's a practitioner."

Cassidy who had been listening along to our back and forth said "Aren't you worried that they could still be tracking you?"

"Not really. My home is protected by a ton of wards and spellwork. The second I crossed the threshold they would have severed the connection between the spell and I. And while I'm sure they're aware of the places I might go, like here and work. It's also important to remember that the Inquisitors don't actually have any legal authority. If they tried attacking me where there are potential witnesses, then it could backfire on them big time. That's probably why they didn't try to ambush me until I was on an isolated street."

We all lapsed into silence as I thought back to when Johnson was first hired as well as the last few days. I knew I was close to figuring something out but for the life of me, I wasn't sure what it could be.

"So what are you going to do about this Johnson guy?" Damian finally said breaking the minutes long silence

"Nothing for now. The event is tomorrow, so I'll have plenty of chances to confront Johnson and get the truth out of him. Besides, the party is taking place at the Northrop, and when I was going over the floor plan for the place I realized that there must be an area of the place not on the schematics. Between that, the fact that Johnson clearly manipulated things to try and get on the team working the event, and the fact that Ulysses' body was found in that hotel with no explanation for why he was there, and it's clear that something odd is going on at the Northrop."

"So let me get this straight? You think there's something sinister going on involving the hotel? Something that's related to your uncle's murder, and why we're about to go to Faerie of all places in search of a dimensional plane that may or may not even exist. And you want to go to a party being held there alongside a guy that you're convinced is secretly a manipulative practitioner who orchestrated his way onto the team for the event? Oh and let's not forget the fact that the Northrop is owned by the Valen family. You know as in Tobias Valen, the biggest gang boss in Eden City?"

"I mean technically the hotel belongs to his Nephew Gabriel." I pointed out contrarily

"Oh yes because I'm sure that when you go snooping around the hotel for a supposed secret room, that will make a difference" Damian's tone dripped with sarcasm. I mean did you ever consider that if this room actually existed, it might be where Tobias makes his problems disappear or some shit?"

"You know I hadn't considered that until this moment. And now that I am, you may be right." I replied honestly

"You're still going to look for it aren't you?"

"Yup."

"God damn it." Was all he could think to say, "I need a shot of whisky"

I looked at my watch and said "It's not even noon yet."

"Then two shots." Was his only reply as he searched for a good bottle behind the bar. Finding it he poured out two shots and proceeded to throw them back one after the other.

"You know you really shouldn't drink while on the clock" I point out

"You don't tell me how to run my place. And I don't tell you how to do stupidly suicidal shit." He replied scowling and pointing an accusative finger at me.

"Hey, nice alliteration," Cassidy said watching our byplay with amusement

Damian just turned his scowl on her and said "I can fire you you know." But it was clear he didn't actually mean it.

"So you run a company?" Cassidy said turning her attention back to me

"Sort of, I run the place with a partner. It's a private security company called Silver Hex Security. We're still trying to make a name for ourselves."

"Cool. But if you have a job, what was with you collecting debts on behalf of Jax?"

"Oh, so you do know who he is. I assumed you were not aware of Jax, seeing as how when I mentioned him at the club you just gave me a blank stare."

"Of course I know who he is. There aren't many people in this city who haven't at least heard of Jax. But that doesn't mean I care enough about the guy to let some rando wander around my workplace before opening just because they claim to be doing a job for him."

"Fair enough," was all I could say to her point, "I was collecting the debt because Jax said that if I did, he'd give me the information I wanted from him. And It's not like I'm not used to running his errands."

Seeing her confusion Damian helpfully supplied, "Jax picked him up after his old man died. For a while, he was like Jax's right-hand man."

"It's not like I enjoyed it. But I didn't have anywhere else I could go back then." I said in protest.

"You guys certainly aren't dull." Was Cassidy's only reply

"I've got to go." I finally said after another half an hour of random conversations, "Come by the manor at around eleven on Monday. We'll finalize the plan and then set out."

They both nodded in recognition and I left Siren's Call, exiting into the bright light of the August sun." It was one of the many mysteries of Eden City that while the sky was different from Earth, the sun and seasons seemed to be the same as the point where the city was tethered to Earth.

I started driving home, thinking that I could consult the family library to see if there were any documents or texts on Avalon or Faerie. But suddenly overcome with an urge I couldn't quite explain I jerked the steering wheel and drove in a completely different direction. When I finally stopped driving I was in front of the cemetery. Despite not having set foot in the place since the funeral, I had no trouble finding my way to the Grey family Mausoleum. Entering the mausoleum I quickly found what I was looking for. Inscribed into the plaque read "Michael Grey". It was an odd sight. For such a simple and plain plaque to represent such a vibrant and passionate soul. Like all children, I had once thought my father this invincible pillar of a man. To me has was the strongest, the smartest, and the kindest man in the world. And even seventeen years after his passing there remained a part of me that refused to believe that someone like him could have died so unremarkably. After all, there hadn't been so much as a hair out of place on his head when I had found the body.

Indeed it was as if my father's life had simply vanished from his body. And then I realized with a start that that was precisely what had happened. I yanked out my phone and quickly found the number for Lieutenant Harris.

"Lieutenant? It's James Grey. I need you to do me a favor. I need you to check the coroner's report on my uncle's body. Specifically, I want to know when exactly the wounds were inflicted. Was it before or after he died?"

Harris bewildered replied "Why? What would the difference mean for the case?"

"The body looked like it had been used in a ritual of some sort. But that kind of ritual normally requires that the source be alive. If they mutilated his body after he was already dead, then that would mean that he wasn't killed as a ritualistic sacrifice."

"So this wasn't a ritual killing?"

"Yes and no. If I'm right, then he was killed with the same method as my dad. But whoever killed him tried to hide their tracks by mutilating the body afterward. I think he was killed for a ritual, but I don't think it's happened yet?"

"What do you mean? That doesn't make any sense?"

I growled in frustration and said, "There's this old theory from a German practitioner about four hundred years ago that if someone could remove the soul, the lifeforce from a practitioner, it could be used to power a spell on a level unheard of before."

"Why have I never heard of this before? It seems like the kind of thing that the police should be aware of so we could've been keeping an eye out."

"You've never heard of it, because the theory is considered impossible. As far as anyone is aware, there's no way to remove a person's lifeforce in such a way that it wouldn't just dissipate back to wherever it comes from."

"So you're saying someone who knows about this theory found a way to completely capture the life force?"

"The Rune. The one we found in my father's workshop and then again carved into my uncle's chest. I think that rune has something to do with capturing and containing life energy. And whoever killed them knew that and used it. That's why there were no signs of how my dad died. Because he literally had the life drained out of him."

"So what some kind of arcane vampire?" the Lieutenant asked in disbelief

"No. Vampirism is a virus that taints the body of the afflicted so that their blood no longer contains any of the nutrients they need to survive. They drink the blood of others to gain those nutrients and prolong their greatly slowed bodily functions. Whoever killed Ulysses and my dad didn't do it to enhance their own life. I think they did it to create a battery of sorts for a massive spell. And I'm guessing if it is the same person, then they've been picking off a lot more practitioners in between the two killings we know about."

"I'll look into it right away. But I'm not sure how much I can find. The coroner had only just begun inspecting the body when the Midnight Tower came and seized it."

"Just let me know what he did get. I might be out of touch for the next few days. I have a work event tomorrow and Monday I'm taking a little trip to see if I can't get to the bottom of what's going on."

"Be safe. I have a feeling that whatever's happening, the Midnight Tower is somehow involved."

"I think the same thing. And don't worry, I've been taking precautions. Let me know when you find something."

I hung up and looked at my father's plaque again, "Damn it, Dad. I could really use you right now. I don't know what I'm doing and I'm scared that whatever I'm involved with it could get my friends hurt." Softening somewhat as I spoke I continued, "Oh yeah I guess you wouldn't know about my friends huh? There's still Elizabeth, although he's a man and going by Damian now. Somehow I think that wouldn't surprise you much. Then there's Tommy, I met him a few years ago in Portland, he's not a practitioner but somehow ended up working security for a big-time sorcerer out there. I convinced him to move to Eden City and open up his own private security company. There's also this girl Cassidy. I mean I only met her yesterday, but I have a feeling she and I could end up being good friends. She's only a few years younger than me and as it turns out she's a magician. But I'm beginning to think that like most of the things the Towers spout, the stigma towards magicians might be a bunch of bullshit. I'm living in the manor again. Johann and Sarah are still there and believe it or not but their intellect is at a human level now. It's like talking to actual living breathing people. You know once you get past the wooded bodies. I also ended up making another golem, his name is Tyr and he's made of stone. Oh, and there's Mephistopheles. If you saw him I'm pretty sure you'd have a stroke. He's an actual hellhound, who I encountered by chance but he's a good dog. Hell, I even consider Jax something of a friend. He said he knew you personally, that you two were also friends. But I don't know, I mean I can't imagine you being friends with that shifty asshole." I wasn't sure when but at some point while talking I began to cry "I guess what I'm trying to say Dad, is that I'm doing well. I really miss you but things aren't quite as bad anymore. I really wish you could see me now, I think I'm starting to look kind of like you."

Suddenly I heard a sound coming from outside the mausoleum. When I went to check it out I found a trio of Inquisitors. However, they weren't the same ones who had attacked me the previous day. They were walking with purpose towards the mausoleum making it clear that they knew I was inside. Seeing them about to intrude on such a sacred place, and having had my long-needed visit to my father's grave interrupted, I felt growing rage inside of me. While I could cast spells up to a certain level without the need for vocalization, my most powerful spells still required an incantation. This is why when I burst out of the mausoleum I threw a hand up and roared "Solig". A column of white fire burst forth from my outstretched hand catching the lead inquisitor head-on. While his uniform protected him from the majority of the damage, the spell was powerful enough to destroy the wards on his clothes. Unfortunately, a spell of that level drained the majority of my magic so I couldn't use it a second time until my reserves had replenished. Not that it mattered much to me.

I bit my finger until I drew blood and then used the blood to draw a runic sigil on the back of my other hand. I activated the rune along with the ones etched onto my shoes. The rune on the back of my hand was called Nihlus and was by far the most dangerous of the runes my father had found in his research. Nihlus, was in essence magical negation. The problem was, when activated Nihlus negated all non-rune magic in its vicinity. But magic is an inherent part of the world, but more importantly a part of every practitioner. The rune was in essence a poison to any practioner who spent too long near it. Already I could feel the effects of the rune as it threatened to slowly kill me. Too consumed with rage to care about the rune, I threw myself at the lead inquisitor while his companions shot spells at me. Their spells simply died out when they reached Nihlus' area of effect. My fist impacted hard on the inquisitor's mask cracking it with the force of the blow and the added momentum provided by the speed-granting rune on my shoes. I quickly followed up with another strike to the face which did considerably less damage. But by that point, I wasn't thinking. I just kept hitting and hitting as his companions tried every spell they could think of. Even my target was madly shouting spells between getting hit. Eventually, his mask shattered entirely and I looked down into the Saphire eyes of Lucas Mccoy. Recognizing my opponent I did what anyone would have done in that situation. I kneed him in the balls and continued punching. One of the other inquisitors having finally realized that magic wasn't working in the area, tried to physically pull me off of Lucas. But simply drove an elbow hard into their gut causing them to double over and continue my assault. Only now I was punching Lucas while yelling with the occasional attempt from the other inquisitors to try and stop me. But by then it was clear to me that they weren't actually Inquisitors. I reasoned that Lucas and some friends had stolen the uniforms. "You fucking asshole!" *Bam* "You worthless shitheel!" *Bam* "How fucking dare you come here!" *Bam*. It went on like that for minutes until between the Nihlus rune and my constant barrage of blows I was too drained to keep going. I stood and spit in disgust before saying "If you ever come near this mausoleum again, for any reason. I will feed you to my fucking hound." Then I strode back to my car. Once safely seated inside I undid the Nihlus rune and started the engine, not wanting to still be there once they realized they could use magic again. I drove home for some much-needed rest.

A few hours later I received a call from Lieutenant Harris, "Want to explain why I just got a report that you assaulted Lucas Mccoy in a graveyard?"

"Cemetery."

"What?" he said caught off guard

"It was a cemetery. Not a graveyard."

"Same thing."

"No. A graveyard is typically smaller and refers to a burial ground located next to a church. I beat Lucas in a Cemetery, not a Graveyard."

I could hear his frustration through the line as he said, "Not the point! Why did you assault him?"

"I thought he was one of the dickhead Inquisitors who ambushed me yesterday." I lied knowing that Lucas would have a hard time explaining why he and his friends were in the cemetery dressed as Inquisitors.

I was rewarded with a long exhausted sigh "You realize the shitstorm you've just stirred up right?"

"The Tower was already gunning for my ass, it won't make much of a difference at this point if they're also pissed about Lucas." Then trying to change topics I asked, "Did you get anything from the Coroner?"

"Unfortunately he didn't have much. But he did say that the injury to the chest most likely occurred some indeterminate time before the other wounds."

"Well, you were right it's not much. But it does lend a little more credence to my theory about the other wounds being added to hide the real reason for his death."

"You said you were going to be out of town for a few days?"

"Yeah, I'm leaving Monday."

"Well, I might suggest moving up your departure a tad. Some distance might be prudent right now."

"We'll see. Thanks for checking with the coroner for me."

"Bah. You owe me something at this point. Now stop making more trouble that I have to clean up. And at least try to use your head."

I laughed and was about to respond when he hung up. So I chose to follow his advice and use my head. I went to bed knowing that sleep could end up becoming scarce in the next few days.