shoulders.
Andrew wasn't surprised to see the agents. They were his and Charley's designated bodyguards.
Andrew nodded and smiled politely but sat a few seats back from the agents. He wasn't great friends with either of them. He respected their skills, and the men always had a professional demeanor, but there was an inevitable lack of trust. BPI agents had fundamentally different motivations than sorcerers. They worked together out of necessity rather than desire.
Charley sat across the aisle from Andrew, and Tonya sat behind them.
The crew of the aircraft didn't waste any time, and it was flying through a cloudy sky a few minutes later. Powerful jet engines whined loudly just outside the windows. Sunlight entered the cabin from the right side.
Tonya leaned forward. "This will be a quick flight. You might as well use the time to practice sorcery."
"But we don't have a seam," Andrew said.
"That doesn't mean you can't meditate and do mental exercises."
He nodded unenthusiastically. He hated practicing without a seam. His thoughts were sluggish, and his mind was trapped inside the tiny prison of his skull. Casting even the simplest illusion was impossible. He could sense the special energy in other sorcerers, but otherwise, he had all the limitations of a normal person. It was like the most interesting part of his brain was asleep.
Andrew complied nonetheless. He didn't know what his final exam would be, but a little more preparation couldn't hurt.
He performed visualization exercises. He imagined his favorite sports cars in as much detail as possible. He tacked on fins, racing stripes, and even a little road grime. The challenge was keeping all of it in his head at once. As he slipped into a deeper meditative state, the task became easier even without a seam.
After an hour and a half, a strange sensation broke his focus. He looked over at Charley and detected a distortion in her energy signature. Her lips were pressed together, and her eyes were squeezed tightly shut.
"What are you doing?" Andrew whispered.
"Trying cold sorcery," she said in a tight voice.
He furrowed his brow. Cold sorcery was casting spells without the benefit of a seam.
"Any luck?"
She shook her head. "No. It's way too hard. It's like trying to punch through a steel wall."
Andrew looked back at Tonya. "What are the rules about cold sorcery?"
"There aren't any," she said. "Most sorcerers can't do it, and the few who can are very limited."
"Can you?"
"It's been years since I tried. I can give it a shot."
Andrew and Charley stood up so they could get a better view of their instructor. Tonya raised her index finger and held it in front of her face. Her eyes locked onto the tip of her finger.
Nothing seemed to happen for a few minutes. Andrew sensed Tonya's energy swelling, but her power was muted without a seam. Her cheek twitched. A blood vessel in her forehead throbbed.
A pinprick of green light appeared above her finger. It was almost too faint to see, but it was there.
Tonya abruptly relaxed and let out her breath. The light instantly vanished.
"Whew! That took everything I had."
Andrew and Charley broke into spontaneous applause. He could hardly believe what he had witnessed.
"OK," Tonya said. "Simmer down. Get back in your seats. We're going to land soon."
As if on cue, the nose of the airplane tilted down, and the engines changed pitch. Andrew sat down and buckled his seat belt. He was still in awe of Tonya's accomplishment.
Maybe one day I'll be as powerful as her, he thought.
* * *
Andrew looked out the car window at a suburb of Washington, DC. There was just a light dusting of snow on the ground. The homes were two or occasionally three stories tall. Extensive use of pillars, arches, stonework, and stained glass told him rich people lived in the neighborhood.
Andrew was riding in a limousine with Charlie and Tungsten, and two more BPI agents were in the front. Tonya and Dan had taken a separate car because there wasn't
Andrew wasn't surprised to see the agents. They were his and Charley's designated bodyguards.
Andrew nodded and smiled politely but sat a few seats back from the agents. He wasn't great friends with either of them. He respected their skills, and the men always had a professional demeanor, but there was an inevitable lack of trust. BPI agents had fundamentally different motivations than sorcerers. They worked together out of necessity rather than desire.
Charley sat across the aisle from Andrew, and Tonya sat behind them.
The crew of the aircraft didn't waste any time, and it was flying through a cloudy sky a few minutes later. Powerful jet engines whined loudly just outside the windows. Sunlight entered the cabin from the right side.
Tonya leaned forward. "This will be a quick flight. You might as well use the time to practice sorcery."
"But we don't have a seam," Andrew said.
"That doesn't mean you can't meditate and do mental exercises."
He nodded unenthusiastically. He hated practicing without a seam. His thoughts were sluggish, and his mind was trapped inside the tiny prison of his skull. Casting even the simplest illusion was impossible. He could sense the special energy in other sorcerers, but otherwise, he had all the limitations of a normal person. It was like the most interesting part of his brain was asleep.
Andrew complied nonetheless. He didn't know what his final exam would be, but a little more preparation couldn't hurt.
He performed visualization exercises. He imagined his favorite sports cars in as much detail as possible. He tacked on fins, racing stripes, and even a little road grime. The challenge was keeping all of it in his head at once. As he slipped into a deeper meditative state, the task became easier even without a seam.
After an hour and a half, a strange sensation broke his focus. He looked over at Charley and detected a distortion in her energy signature. Her lips were pressed together, and her eyes were squeezed tightly shut.
"What are you doing?" Andrew whispered.
"Trying cold sorcery," she said in a tight voice.
He furrowed his brow. Cold sorcery was casting spells without the benefit of a seam.
"Any luck?"
She shook her head. "No. It's way too hard. It's like trying to punch through a steel wall."
Andrew looked back at Tonya. "What are the rules about cold sorcery?"
"There aren't any," she said. "Most sorcerers can't do it, and the few who can are very limited."
"Can you?"
"It's been years since I tried. I can give it a shot."
Andrew and Charley stood up so they could get a better view of their instructor. Tonya raised her index finger and held it in front of her face. Her eyes locked onto the tip of her finger.
Nothing seemed to happen for a few minutes. Andrew sensed Tonya's energy swelling, but her power was muted without a seam. Her cheek twitched. A blood vessel in her forehead throbbed.
A pinprick of green light appeared above her finger. It was almost too faint to see, but it was there.
Tonya abruptly relaxed and let out her breath. The light instantly vanished.
"Whew! That took everything I had."
Andrew and Charley broke into spontaneous applause. He could hardly believe what he had witnessed.
"OK," Tonya said. "Simmer down. Get back in your seats. We're going to land soon."
As if on cue, the nose of the airplane tilted down, and the engines changed pitch. Andrew sat down and buckled his seat belt. He was still in awe of Tonya's accomplishment.
Maybe one day I'll be as powerful as her, he thought.
* * *
Andrew looked out the car window at a suburb of Washington, DC. There was just a light dusting of snow on the ground. The homes were two or occasionally three stories tall. Extensive use of pillars, arches, stonework, and stained glass told him rich people lived in the neighborhood.
Andrew was riding in a limousine with Charlie and Tungsten, and two more BPI agents were in the front. Tonya and Dan had taken a separate car because there wasn't
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