Lost Magick

~9~

Cal cracked open one eye, staring at the white wall. Closing it again, he tried to go back to sleep, but a nagging thought jolted him back awake.

"Where am I?" Cal asked.

"The hospital. And calm down, you'll hurt yourself even more." Alex replied from where he sat on the couch in the room.

"Hospital? Wasn't I just in a forest? Where's Tommie? What happened?" Cal cried out. He winced as he felt a sharp pain on his arm, but didn't look at it. He thought it was just from what happened in the forest.

"You got shot in the chest, what was I supposed to do? And yes, you were. We...we don't know. The police thought that when you woke up, you would have an answer. And I don't know the answer to that." Alex said softly. He looked away from Cal's pleading expression, feeling tears at the edge of his eyes. Grown men don't cry.

"Please tell me T doesn't have him." Cal whispered. Alex's head snapped over to look at Cal.

"Who's T? Wait." Alex held up a finger, poked his head outside the room, and reappeared with an officer. "Who's T?" he asked again.

"An assassin. For...he didn't say. But on his robes, there was this large red E, and smaller letters I couldn't read. It might have been Emperor. But he captured me, used me to lure Tommie out, and then shot me, taking Tommie with him. I don't know if Tommie escaped or not." Cal explained in one huge breath, panting when he finished. The entire time, the office was writing something down. That's when Cal noticed he wasn't a police officer, it seemed he...she...they were more official than that.

The officer nodded, then spoke softly into their radio, leaving the room. Someone new came in someone in a soft purple robe, their eyes the same color. Their hair was down to their waist.

"Hello. I am Lavender. Now Cal, are you magick?" Lavender asked, pushing her hair out of her face.

Cal shook his head.

"Is your friend Tommie magick? If he is, what kind of magick?"

"He's not my friend," Cal began, earning a sharp look from Alex. "He's my partner. And he is magick, powerful fire magick."

"A fire mage? But all of them were killed off ten years ago! How old is Tommie?"

'"15. The same age as me." Cal responded.

"That is enough. You can rest and head home tomorrow." Lavender instructed. She left, closing the door softly. Cal could hear people talking outside, their voices growing softer as they walked away.

"Cal, I'm going to head home and catch Vince up on some things. Are you okay being here by yourself?" Alex asked as he grabbed his stuff. He wasn't giving Cal much of a choice. Cal nodded anyway and laid down, facing away from the door. "Stay safe."