My second novel length manuscript titled, Somewhere Between Gods and Man, has been undergoing some major editing and this is the current version. Let me know what you think.

Summary:

Somewhere Between Gods and Man is a 86,500-word urban fantasy, romance novel. This book can either be a standalone novel or the first in a series.

 

Somewhere Between Gods and Man

By: Kyla Chapek

 

Prologue

 

A bright, artificial sun hung high in the clear blue skies above the Sinclair Manor Gardens. Indiscernible from the real thing, the sunlight was warm on my exposed, pale skin. I adjusted my back against the rough bark of the tall oak tree. The oak tree was planted at the very center of the flowering meadow known to us orphans as Crossroads Clearing. Then I turned the faded page of the battered leather bound textbook I had balance on my knees.

My small transistor radio hung from a low branch just above my head. The speakers belted out static filled Metallica. Reception wasn’t very good today. It was probably storming in the real outside. I wasn’t passing my allotted tree time without any music, however. The oak tree was the only place in the Manor my radio, along with all other electronics, functioned. Too much magic in the air. This made the tree a very coveted spot amongst the Sinclair orphans.

Focusing too much on the lyrics, I read half a page from my textbook without retaining any of the words. I went back to the top of the page and reread the faded, decorative text.

In the beginning the Universe was shapeless and void, and nothingness covered the whole of reality. Then God planted the seed of creation, which sprouted the Tree of Life, and with it the First Race. God divided the First Race by equal and opposing energies of light and dark, of Yin and Yang. For a time, the two clans of the First Race existed with their worlds side by side in peace and balance at the heart of the Tree of Life. All was well with the budding universe.

When the oldest of worlds were still young the peace was destroyed. Sects within both sides of the First Race became unsatisfied and lusted over more power. The light and dark attempted to steal power from the other, igniting a war that nearly tour the universe apart.

Two winged creatures were painted on the page dressed in chainmail and armed with shields and swords. With human-like bodies, the creatures’ only difference in appearance was the color of their hair and feathers of their wings. The being on the right had long flowing blonde hair with white wing feathers. The one on the left had black hair tied in a long braid and solid brown feathers. When I focused with my second sight the painting came alive and the armored figures clashed in battle.

With dismay God turned his eyes from his first children and banished their worlds to opposite sides of the universe. The realm of light was set atop the branches of the Tree of Life and the realm of dark was banished to the roots. To this day, even divided by eons and forsaken by God, the First Race continue their war using the worlds in-between them as their battle ground.

Blah, blah, blah, I thought as I scanned further down the page. This was a well-known history lesson, and it lacked the details I needed to finish my homework. I picked up the reading a few pages later.    

Apkallu, also known by several other titles, are the mixed offspring of the First Race and other species, most often humans. Apkallu are unique amongst mystical creatures. Beings such as Fey and Sorcerers absorb and manipulate the life energy that flows through the ley lines between worlds and nature itself. Apkallu, however, have a constant and direct connection with that which exists beyond the veil of creation. This raw Origin Energy of the mysterious Beyond can give Apkallu the ability to alter reality around them without always considering the equal laws of exchange.

I made a few notes in my spiral notebook sitting on the grass next to me. I also made note of my chipped pink nail polish. Later I would have to ask Syndi to help me redo them. I didn’t have the control to pull it off with my magic yet, nor the skill to do it the norm way. Tucking the thought in the back of my mind, I went back to my reading. Voices came from the trees on the right side of the meadow. I ignored them, and read on. I still had a good thirty minutes of tree time left. Whoever it was could wait their turn.

Similar to other mystical beings, Apkallu feed off of emotional energy, preferably human, in order to survive. Unlike most, their emotional reserves do not fuel their magic, rather it maintains their control of their connection with the Beyond. One of the few ways to kill an Apkallu is to completely drain their emotional reserves. The uncontrolled flow of Origin Energy will burn out an Apkallu’s soul in moments.

A shiver ran down my spine at the thought of this. I had heard the older kids talking about what it was like to get drained and then burned up by the Beyond. They said it was like drowning to death and then getting burned at the stake. Bradly said he had even seen an Apkallu burnout during a duel last year when he snuck into Club Pandemonium.

With my second sight I sensed the three boys before they got close to me without looking up from the page. I recognized the taste of the aura of two of them, but the third was a stranger.

“I told you she would be here,” said a boy’s voice.

Shadows fell over the pages of my book. I looked up to see who it was. Three teenage boys looked down at me with wide smiles I didn’t trust one bit. Their eyes, with their cat slit pupils, gleamed in the sunlight. Two of the boys stood directly over me, fellow Sinclair orphans by the names of Jason and Bradly. The stranger rocked back and forth on his heels a little behind the other two boys. He held his hands behind his back and stared up at the few puffy white clouds in the sky.

Jason and Bradly had taken full advantage of the lax dress code of the gardens. They both wore faded blue jeans, Bradly wore a Cubs baseball jersey and Jason a Beastie Boys T-Shirt. The stranger, on the other hand, stuck to the business casual attire required for most of the rest of the Manor. The boy looked like some Victorian nobleman with how formal he dressed.

“Hey, Jazzy, how’s it going?” Bradly asked in a sing song voice.

“Enjoying my tree time. Go away.” I buried my nose back into my book. There was no way I was going to let them talk me out of my tree time again. Jason and Bradly were the known swindlers of the Manor.

“Where’s the rest of your little pack?” Jason rubbed his blonde, peach fuzzy beard as if he wasn’t much interested.

I rolled my eyes. “Amin’s taking a test. He might get public school privileges soon. Syndia is in Time Out. She flipped out on Bunny Boon and I don’t know when he’ll let her out.”

“Excellent!” Bradly clapped his hands together.

I looked up and glared at him. None of the orphans ever said it was a good thing to be in Time Out. That was just bad taste. I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy.

“What I mean is, I’m glad you’re available. We have a favor to ask of you.” Bradly’s smile became shark like. His white teeth stood in stark contrast with his dark brown skin.

“Not interested.” I went back to the book.

“Come on, Jazzy. Just one little errand. Just down to the corner store and back. No big deal.” Jason wasn’t fooling me.

“Why don’t you guys do it?”

Bradly fingered a golden cord clasped around his wrist. Blue binding runes glowed on the surface of the cord. “Bunny Boon has us on max security lock down. Got caught sneaking out too much. We got a debt to settle with the visitor, however, and we always make good on our debts.”

“What do you need so bad?”

“Chocolate,” Jason said. “Lots and lots of genuine American chocolate. The Edgerton Manor is way out in the boondocks and there isn’t anything around for miles. Everything they get goes through their Boons. We promised him one of every brand.”

“Why don’t you just transmute some?”

Bradly laughed. “You would need the knowledge of a chocolatier to get it right, plus the recipe of the different brands. You know transmuted food never tastes as good as the genuine article.”

Though I had to agree with him, I wasn’t going to risk joining Syndi in the Time Out rooms with nothing in it for me. “Forget it.”

“I don’t understand why we need the kid’s help.” The Edgerton boy had a hint of a European accent. “Surely you jest that this child is the only one who can help us.”

Who’s he calling a child? I ground my teeth and eyed the Edgerton boy up and down. The most impressive thing about the teen was his perfectly pressed cloths. He had a pasty, weasel face and greasy, black hair pulled back into a low ponytail.

Bunny Boon had introduced the seventeen year old at dinner two nights ago. Emanuel, I think his name was. The visitor polished the lens of a gold rimmed monocle with a white handkerchief as he rocked back and forth.

“Am to the only one. Well, the only one who can sneak out without getting caught and isn’t grounded.”

“Is that so?” Emanuel didn’t sound like he believed me. “What bloodline do you come from? Angel or demon?”

I frowned at this question. It was kind of rude to ask something like that so bluntly. The division of the bloodlines was celebrated, but wasn’t fixated on in the Sinclair Manor like it was in other Manors. An attempt to minimalize elitism amongst the orphans, said Amin.

“She’s of the Asmodeus line,” Bradly piped in, “first generation.”

“I’m the first girl child of Asmodeus.” I closed my book, sat up straighter, and raised my chin proudly. “I’m also of the Castiel line.”

“But she’s just a distant legacy on her angel side,” Jason assured.

Emanuel nodded his approval. I didn’t get why it mattered. “I still think she might be too young to pull this off. Have you ever been outside on your own?”

“Yes! Of course,” I said. No, I thought. I bit my lower lip at the fib.

“You would have to make it all the way to the store and back on your own. I think you are too young. Come, friends, we will find someone else better suited.” Emanuel turned to leave.

“No, I can do it!” I jumped to my feet. “But…but it will cost you is all.”

Jason clapped his hands together gleefully.

“Name your price.” Bradly fingered the diamond stud in his ear.

My stomach fluttered with nerves. Did I really want to do this? I shoved my feelings way down deep so the boys wouldn’t sense my unease. Maybe if I set my price really high I wouldn’t have to do it.

“I want ten hours of tree time.”

“Ten hours?” Jason didn’t seem phased by my price.

“Yeah, ten hours from each of you. Plus three chocolate bars of every kind you’re giving him.” If I did go through with this I could have a chocolate party with Syndi and Amin. It would cheer Syndi up after being in Time Out.

Jason and Bradly looked at each other and then nodded.

“Jasmine Sinclair,” Bradly held out his hand to shake, “we have ourselves a deal.”

My mouth went dry. I swallowed as I stood up. I looked at Bradly’s outstretch hand. There was power in a handshake. It would be bad karma if I chickened out after sealing the deal.

The three teenagers’ expectant gaze burned into me. Their lustful emotions for the chocolate and money tasted sweet on my tongue. If I backed out now I would look like a baby. If I proved myself to Jason and Bradly maybe the older kids would start taking me with them when they snuck out and did other cool stuff.

“We have a deal.” I took Bradly’s outstretched hand. A mild static shock of power zinged between us, sealing the pact.

#

I can’t believe I really pulled this off, I thought as I practically skipped down the dimly lit sidewalk. The only thing that kept me from skipping properly was the layer of ice covering the sidewalk. My book bag was stuffed with my chocolate haul. It also contained a few more requested items that cost Jason and Bradly another ten hours of tree time.

An icy gust of wind picked up. I retreated farther into the hood of my fur lined winter coat. A flurry of white snowflakes blinded my human eyes. With my Apkallu senses I could picture most everything around me by the taste and feel of their auras. The mid-winter chill of Chicago night streets was a far cry from the warm gardens of the Sinclair Manor. The pocket dimension magic that allowed the Manor to contain an entire forest within it complete with its own weather pattern was convenient. I couldn’t wait to be back in the warm gardens enjoying my tree time.

Just a couple more blocks, I thought.

I couldn’t believe it had really been this easy. With Bradly and Jason’s help sneaking out had been a cinch. At the corner store I had gotten nothing but a raised eyebrow at the mound of chocolate I unloaded on the counter. My excitement had caused one of the food racks to shake while I checked out, but the teller hadn’t notice. For the most part I had remained in control.

Pride bubbled in my chest at achieving what I thought had been impossible yesterday. I didn’t see what the big deal was about going outside unsupervised. Next time my older half-brother Michael visited me I would brag to him about my adventure. He would think it was cool.

Another gust of wind picked up, but an icy chill ran down my spine that had nothing to do with the weather. The hairs on the back off my neck stood on end. I stopped in my tracks and looked behind me. The sidewalk was deserted. The nasty taste of sour milk filled my mouth. It was a cocktail of immense hate, envy, fear, and pure rage. The intense emotional state made me gag. I turned back towards the Manor looking for the source.

A tall, robed figure stood just ten feet up the sidewalk. I nearly jumped out of my skin. The overpowering emotions were coming from the figure. Another cold shiver ran up my spine. The emotions tasted human, but I sensed magic all around them. Whatever kind of magic it was it made alarm bells go off in my head.

What should I do? Run? Fight? Try to talk to it? Fear and indecision made me freeze.

The figure stood as still as a statue. I don’t know how long we stared each other down. Finally I opened my mouth to speak. Before I got a word out the figure went into motion. There was a black blur. Hot pain exploded across my face.

“Ahhhh,” I cried out and covered my face with my hands. They came away red with blood. I stumbled backwards and fell onto my butt hard. “Ahhhh.” Hot blood and tears poured down my face.

This wasn’t normal pain. Apkallu began to heal nearly immediately after most injuries. I had never felt this much pain for this long before. Blistering heat radiated across the left side of my face with the beating of my heart.

Blinded from the snow, tears, and pain I could only sense the human standing over me. His hate and murderous rage bore down on me. Fear and confusion overwhelmed me sending my emotional reserves out of balance. A calm ocean in the back of my mind turned into a tsunami. My only clear thought was I wanted the monster standing over me to be gone and never come back.

Raw Origin Energy flooded into me from the Beyond. My thoughts transformed into reality. I blinked the blood out of my eyes just in time to watch the robed figure get obliterated by an invisible force. It was like a grenade went off in their chest and bits and pieces of them flew everywhere. A warm mist of blood and bits of flesh pelted my face and covered my clothes.

I looked at the blood and gore that painted the sidewalk all around me. My mind went numb. A high pitched wail came from somewhere really far off. It took a few moments before I realized it was me who was screaming.

#

 

Chapter One

I kicked, bit and struggled against the hands that dragged me down the red carpeted hallway of the restricted uppers floors of the Manor. The Boons hadn’t put me in a straightjacket this time so I had more mobility to wiggle out of their grasp. I still had limited success, however. My emotional reserves were completely out of whack and if the Boons hadn’t been binding my magic with their own I would have left a trail of absolute destruction in our wake.

As I struggled I caught glimpses of the stairwell and corridors I was half drug, half carried down. When we passed under the doorway with Abandon all hope, ye who enter here, carved into the plaster above the doorway I knew we were close to the timeout rooms. I struggled all the harder. The only coherent thoughts in my mind were how much I hated most of my human classmates and how much I hated the timeout rooms more.

When a soft patch of flesh brushed against my lips I latched on and bit down as hard as I could. I was rewarded with a coppery taste and a pained cry. Then my body was flung onto a padded surface that creaked beneath me. The hands retraining me disappeared and I heard the slamming of a door.

Sitting up in the twin sized bed I looked around me at the padded walls of the small timeout room. I sprang to my feet and threw myself against the padded door. I tried to use both my physical strength as well as my magic to break through the door. It was no use. My connection to the Beyond and the source of my magic was cut off to minimal levels required for survival when I was in the timeout rooms.

My stomach growled and cramped from being so cut off from the Beyond. I hugged my stomach and curled up in a ball on the floor. Despite the discomfort all I could think about was watching my classmate Katie’s body go up in flames. If my magic wasn’t being bound she would go up in flames even from this distance. A small part of my mind was glad Norman Boon showed up when he had, but it was only a small part at the moment.

Through the door I could hear the voices of Norman and Maxwell Boons. I uncurled and stood to listen to their conversation. Through the small porthole window I could see the back of Norman’s head. The Boon had the form of a tall middle aged man with dark hair. He was the most normal looking of the Sinclair Boons. As the lawyer of the Sinclair orphanage he had to be since he interacted with the outside world the most.

“Some human female adolescents were tormenting her in the restroom. Amin pinged me worried for her. Good thing he did or we could have had another incident on par with her brother Michael.”

My whole body prickled with anger. I slammed my fists on both sides of the window. “I’m nothing like Michael!” The room shook and the lights flickered.

The wards reacted to my outburst and decreased my connection with the Beyond. A painful cramp rippled through my stomach. I wrapped my arms around my middle and fell to my knees with a moan.

I could hear Norman’s voice on the other side of the door. “Stop struggling, Jasmine. I will put you in the jacket if I must. You are sixteen years old and should be far beyond these childish fits.”

I groaned in pain, anger and frustration. Despite everything, I did make a conscious effort to calm the whirlwind my emotional reserves had become.

Norman must have sensed my efforts. “Much better, Jasmine.”

“What will we tell Bunny?” Maxwell’s voice came from somewhere far off.

Norman was quiet for a long time. I held my breath and prayed I wouldn’t be permanently grounded.

“We will tell him what happened.” My heart sank like a stone. “But no need to tell him how bad it could have been. Jasmine was provoked. By the words of those human’s you would think they were sired by demons. A few broken mirrors in the end didn’t hurt anybody. Jasmine is at a delicate age. Bunny doesn’t always consider how damaging the isolation of permanent grounded status can be for the young ones after they have tasted life on the outside.” I breathed a sigh of relief. “I’m sure just a week or two of grounded status will teach her a lesson.”

Two weeks! I groaned and rolled around on the padded floor dramatically, languishing in the pain of my cramping stomach and my self-pity.

#

A bead of sweat tickled a path from my temple down my cheek. It was a physical manifestation of my mental and emotional fatigue. However, my tiny flame smoldering in the top of the rectangular wooden table sitting before me remained lit. A maze was etched into the surface of the wooden table. My flickering blaze continued its path through the maze towards the finish line. I hated this test.

Shining down on me from an unseen location was a spotlight. The light perfectly encircled the wooden chair I sat in and the table, which was large enough to seat six. Past the edge of the light was unnatural darkness, which even my Apkallu senses could not penetrate. I gritted my teeth and focused my will on the flame. I tried to keep my emotions balanced and continued to tap into my emotional reserves. This allowed me to temper the flow of the raw power I pulled from the Beyond.

It was hard to not give into my instincts and let the Beyond flow into my core unimpeded. Instead I allowed just enough power to keep the tiny flame, still smoldering a path through the tabletop maze, burning and moving in the direction I wanted it to. This test could crash and burn in the seventh circle of hell for all I was concerned. I had to pass it, though, if I wanted to get my outdoor privileges back. For the sake of my own sanity I needed to set foot outside of the walls of the Sinclair Manor at least once before the weekend. I needed to see Zach again and make sure my absence hadn’t completely ruined our budding relationship.

Honestly, sentenced to a week of max security grounded status all over a couple of broken mirrors. It was ridiculous. Katy and her pack of little cheerleader bitches had asked it. It was idiotic we were punished for using our magic out in the blind norm world. My anger and hatred spiked when I pictured my classmate Katy and her friends. My unbalanced emotions caused more energy from the Beyond to flow in my core than I meant. The flame burning on the table flared up to three inches tall.

“Pay attention, Jasmine,” said Bunny Boon from the darkness. The oldest Protector Boon of the Sinclair Manor spoke with an outdated English accent. “Clear your mind of all outside influence. Embrace your emotions, but do not lose control to them. Focus your will, child. You can do this, you’ve done it before.”

“I’m trying.” I brushed a few strands of my nearly white blonde bangs out of my face. I tried to follow B.B’s instructions and get the flame under control. “It’s hard, and this maze is bigger than last time.”

My hands, folded in my lap, clenched each other tightly; they itched for my cane. This would be so much easier if I had my cane, which acted as my Talisman. My Talisman helped regulate the flow of the Beyond into my core without having to concentrate so hard. Without my cane spelling required constant focus and perfectly balanced emotions, which was a hell of a lot harder than it sounded. I wouldn’t get my Talisman back, however, until I got a full pardon. The whole point of the test was to see if I could stay level headed enough to spell without the aid of my Talisman.

“Life is hard. You are getting older now. You will have the opportunity for greater freedoms, but you will also have to take on greater responsibilities. As a teenager you are also experiencing a myriad of new hormonal fueled emotions that can make your gifts volatile. You need to find balance.”

I rolled my eyes. “We are so not talking about hormonal…anything, B.B.”

“Would you feel better talking to Cook about such things? She has a female human form after all.”

“No, I don’t want to talk to anyone about it. I just want to get this done and go to school.” My flame burnt a wider path through the maze from my rising irritation.

“Then do it, show me you have the power to do it.”

This time my frustration got the better of me. “You want to see power?”

I widened my connection to the Beyond. Raw origin energy flooded into my core making my insides feel warm and tingly. My flame grew and engulfed the entire table. I shivered from the euphoric tendrils that snaked through my body. The sensation always accompanied channeling large amounts of the Beyond. It felt almost as good as feeding on human emotional energy. Intense heat radiated from the fire. The small hairs on my face singed.

The bonfire, which now engulfed the tabletop, illuminated Bunny Boon’s office past the spotlight with a flickering orange light. B.B. himself was also illuminated. The human sized white and grey rabbit half waddled, half hopped towards me from around his oak desk. He stood upright on his back legs and wore a black suit, or as much of a suit his body structure would allow. The oddly formed Boon wore nothing from the waist down except thick white fur with patches of grey. From the waist up he was dressed in the once modern day finery of the era of the Sinclair Manor’s conception: freshly pressed white dress shirt, a red brocade vest, and a black tailcoat.

Standing a solid six feet tall, plus a foot for ear length, Bunny Boon towered over me when he came to a stop beside the short wooden chair I sat in. B.B. stared down at me with an admonishing look in his beady red rabbit eyes. If the founders of Sinclair Manor were going for cute and cuddly when forming Bunny Boon, they horribly failed. The Supervisor of Education and Discipline of the Sinclair Manor probably looked terrifying to most blind norms with his big, round, and entirely red eyes. His large, sharp rabbit buck teeth, which could take someone’s head off, didn’t help either. The images of Bunny Boon and Nanny Bear Boon were some of my earliest memories, however, so B.B.’s striking appearance only sent a slight chill down my spine.

“Done with your fit yet?” He gave an unimpressed sniff. “This isn’t power.” The mystically created artificial life form, or Boon, as his kind were generally referred to, inclined his head towards the still burning table, making his ears sway. “This is child’s play for your kind. Real power comes through control. Learn how to control your emotions and you will be able to do things far beyond your imagination. You will never have that power if you don’t learn control. Those girls could have been seriously hurt.”

“But they weren’t!” Frustration made my gut churn. Before me the fire burned higher. “It was just a little slip up. Katy and her friends were being assholes, and I just wanted to scare them a little. They deserved worse.”

“It is not your place to make those kinds of decisions, Jasmine.” B.B. shook his head in reproach. “Are you God, worthy to judge the punishment of others?”

“No,” I mumbled. I couldn’t keep eye contact with B.B.’s critical stare.

“Do you want to be like your brother Michael? When he killed his entire junior class he had claimed he had just been ‘trying to scare them’ as well.”

“No, I’m nothing like him!”

Despite my hostile tone, I deflated inside. I didn’t want to be anything like my half-brother. Michael Sinclair was infamous amongst the Sinclair orphans. He annihilated his entire norm homeroom class back in the sixty’s after they didn’t elect him class president. When Michael finally did Graduate from the Manor his behavior and reputation didn’t improve. He was now the head of one of the most powerful and violent Apkallu ran criminal syndicates in Chicago. When I had been small Michael had regularly visited me and brought me presents. My love and respect for the man had altered greatly after he tried to kill me for beating him in a game of chess.

I cut my connection with the Beyond. The bonfire shrank to nothing. My skin was cool and clammy now the intense heat from the flame was gone.

“Then prove it! Show me you have the control to do this. Show me I can trust you to remain in control regardless of what you experience on the outside.” B.B. waved a large furry paw over the charred slab of wood. The damage my fire had caused disappeared, and was replaced by a new maze etched into its surface.

“Fine,” I grumbled.

As I took a deep breath, I sat up as tall as my pitiful five feet of height would allow. Another deep breath helped me refocus and find my center. I pushed all thoughts of Katy and all the other jerks who populated my high school to the back of my mind. Then I balanced my emotions and reached into the Beyond.

I took a moment to study the maze. Then, using my will, I manipulated the power of the Beyond and altered the reality of what sat before me. Focusing on the start of the maze I visualized what I wanted. The tiny flame blossomed to life. As I pictured the path I wanted the flame to take it inched forward. The orange flame left a black scorched line in its wake.

My forehead beaded with sweat as I continued to force the flame forward.

“That’s it, keep it up,” encouraged Bunny Boon. He retreated back into the shadows beyond the spotlight to be less of a distraction.

The hardest part was whenever I came to a fork in the path of the maze. I had to split my attention between maintaining the flame and the route I needed to take. Halfway through the maze I nearly lost control. While I was trying to decide on the rest of my course the blaze came dangerously close to flickering to nothing.

“Easy, divide your concentration evenly and not in too many directions. Don’t try moving the flame while you’re deciding on the path. Simply maintain ignition when deciding your route. Then move forward when you have chosen.”

“Easier said than done,” I grumbled under my breath. This time I didn’t allow my irritation to unbalance my emotional reserves.

After a great deal of effort, and what seemed like hours, my flickering blaze rolled past the finish line. I sighed and my tense muscles relaxed.

“Well done,” said Bunny Boon happily. “I knew you could do it.”

As Bunny Boon spoke, the slab of wood melted away as if it were a mirage. Oil lamps mounted on the walls turned on, fully illuminating my surroundings. The walls of B.B.’s spacious office were lined with several objects and decorations: full bookcases, overflowing file cabinets, fancy Victorian era oil paintings, and ancient tapestries. Bunny Boon sat behind his wooden desk, which was covered in stacks of papers and folders. He pointed to the two padded seats sitting on the other side of his desk facing him.

I stood and shuffled over to take my new seat. My stiff muscles made the movement a little slow. Once I plopped down in the padded seat I slouched back and dangled a leg over one armrest. I wondered what time it was. There were no visible clocks in B.B.’s office.

“So, what lesson have we learned, Jasmine?”

“Always remain in control. Even if you’re being ganged up on by a pack of evil teenage bitches.” I rolled my eyes.

“Be serious!” B.B. slammed one of his paws down on his desk. His paws were more rat like in form than rabbit, with sharp, black claws. “Even when defending yourself you must keep control or you will end up doing something you will regret. Imagine your guilt if you had seriously hurt or maybe even killed one of those girls. Do not try telling me it would not have bothered you, because I know you better. Do you want a repeat of what happened when you were attacked by that Guardian?”

The snarky comeback building in my throat died at the mention of the incident when I was only ten years old. Self-consciously I reached up and stroked the ugly scar that ran vertically across my left eyelid. A shudder ran through me at the memory. The incident had put me on max security grounded status for three years. I had been too scared to leave the Manor for nearly an additional year after. There was no way I was going back to that life.

I let my foot dangling over my chair arm fall to the floor and I sat up straight. Unblinking I locked eyes with Bunny Boon’s big eyes. “I’ve learned my lesson, B.B. It’s not going to happen again. If Katy and her friends give me a hard time I promise I won’t use magic to deal with it. I’ll keep control next time.”

B.B. looked at me for a long moment. His beady eyes seemed to bore right through my head and into my mind. The gaze made me twitchy and self-conscious, but I held it.

Finally he broke eye contact and nodded. “Very well. I think you have learned your lesson.”

A jolt of excitement shot through me. I jumped to my feet. “Does this mean a full pardon?”

The giant rabbit nodded. Unable to contain my glee, I let out an excited high pitched squeal, and spun around several times, while bouncing up and down.

“But you will be on probation for the next few weeks,” warned Bunny Boon. “I expect you to be on your best behavior if you do not want your grounded status re-invoked.”

“I will, I will, I will,” I squealed. “I promise I’ll be good. Do I have time to walk to school with the others?”

Bunny Boon pulled a golden pocket watch out of his vest pocket and checked it. “They should have left about five minutes ago. If you hurry you should be able to catch them. Maxwell will have all your things waiting for you at the front door.” B.B. gave me a dismissive wave. The door to his office opened as if on its own volition.

I let out another squeal and ran around the desk to wrap my arms around B.B.’s fuzzy waist.

“Now, now, none of that is necessary,” he mumble, a bit uncomfortably. He patted my back gently, returning the hug.

After giving B.B. a quick squeeze I released him, turned, and bolted through the door. I sprinted down several red carpeted hallways of the Sinclair Manor headed for the stairs. The wide, decorative hallways were mostly deserted. All of the other kids currently residing in the house were heading to norm school, or already in their homeschool lessons if they didn’t have public school privileges.

When I rounded the final corner before the staircase I nearly ran straight into a giant brown grizzly bear. I skidded to a stop just inches from the bear’s face. The furry head stood level with my own while the beast was on all fours. The bear opened its mouth and let out a warning growl. Its sharp, white teeth bared menacingly, but I knew better than to be afraid. Nanny Bear Boon would never hurt anyone unless they threatened one of her charges.

“I know, I know, no running in the hallway.” Pushing myself against the wooden wall I skirted around the giant bear and the small group of Apkallu toddlers the Boon was herding down the hallway.

Nanny Bear gave me an affirmative grunt as I passed. She also sent me a mental wave of loving emotion as I speed walked towards the stairs. Warm fuzzy feelings filled me as the wave of emotion washed over me. The Boon’s emotions didn’t feed my emotional reserves like most creatures’ did, but it still tasted good. I turned and gave Nanny Bear a smile and wave before heading down the stairs.

Once I was out of Nanny Bear’s sight I resumed my sprint down the several flights of wooden stairs to the first floor. Maxwell Boon stood at the base of the floating staircase that made the final descent to the first floor. Maxwell’s form was more norm looking than Bunny and Nanny Bear Boon. Besides being extremely pigmently challenged, Maxwell looked like an average middle-aged man. The head butler of the Sinclair Manor stood about six and a half feet tall and he wore traditional English black and white butler attire. All of his exposed skin and hair were as white as snow. The only color to the man was his dark red eyes, which, besides the color, looked perfectly human.

In his hands Maxwell held my book bag and cane; he offered them to me. I slid my book bag over my shoulder and grasped the decorative handle of my cane. The cane was made lacquered cherry wood and the handle was in the shape of an eagle’s claw clutching a sparkling opal stone. A short dagger was concealed within the cane, but as my Talisman this was the most mundane of its secrets.

“Have a nice day at school, Mistress Jasmine.” Maxwell lastly handed over a small golden ring.

“Will do, Maxwell, have a good one.” I accepted the ring with a smile and headed for the tall wooden front double doors. An interpretation of the Tree of Life was carved into the doors painted gold. A decorative stones were imbedded in the wood to represent the different realms. Two serpents wound around the trunk of the tree. When you weren’t looking directly at the doors the snake carvings would move as if alive.

Before exiting I took a look at myself in the large ornate mirrors decorating the wall of the foyer left of the doors. The snakes on the doors moved out of the corner of my eye. This morning I had gotten up extra early in order to ensure I passed Bunny Boon’s test in time to walk to school with the others. As a result I had given little attention to my personal appearance. My straight, shoulder length, blonde hair simply needed a quick run through with my small fingers to get it looking presentable. With a thought I turned my pupils, which were narrow slits like that of a cat’s, to that of a norm human shape, though the irises kept their same shade of deep turquoise blue.

It took more than a thought to hide the ugly three inch long scar running vertically over my left eyelid. The scar was the only noticeable blemish on my pale, apple shaped face. No Apkallu magic could heal or hide the scars of a Guardian’s weapon. I slid the plain golden ring Maxwell had given me over my right index finger. A tingling sensation ran over my skin as the sorcerer guise invoked and the scar disappeared. Self-consciously I rubbed the now invisible scar. I couldn’t even feel its grooves on my skin now the guise was in full effect.

Shaking off the disturbing memories associated with the scar, I turned my attention to my outfit. I was wearing approved Sinclair casual dress attire. My hands smoothed down my white cotton blouse, partially covered by a black satin vest adorned with thin white pinstripes, and then my form fitting black pinstripe slacks. I opened the top couple of buttons of my blouse so I was almost showing off my small, but lately nicely growing breasts.

“What do you think, Maxwell?” I asked the Boon, who still stood by the stairs. “Black with white stripes, or white with black stripes?”

Reaching into the Beyond for power I focused my will. My vest and pants changed to a white color with thin black pinstripes. It was a lot easier for me to do such detailed magic now that I had my cane back.

Out of my periphery I saw Maxwell look me up and down. “I think black and red would suit you better this morning, Mistress Jasmine.”

With a snap of his fingers my clothes altered once again. The vest and pants turned back to black, but this time with red pinstripes. My white blouse turned to a deep blood red. I took a moment to study the color combination with this outfit.

“I like it!” I exclaimed, with a nod. “Thanks for the tip. I’m outta here.”

“Another suggestion, if I may?”

I paused and turned to face Maxwell. He approached me with a bit of white lace in his hand. I stood still as he tied the kerchief around my neck and cinched it down with a clasp. When he was finished I turned back to the mirrors for one last inspection. The white lace served as a nice contrast to all the red and black. The clasp was a small black disk randomly adorned with tiny red diamonds. I smiled when I realized the seemingly random placed diamonds formed the Aquarius and Archer constellations. Both were symbols of my somewhat uncertain parentage. It was unfortunate the kerchief covered the little bit of my chest I had exposed. It looked good, however, so I made little alterations.

“How do I look?”

Maxwell came up behind me with my black wool trench coat. “You are lovely as always. Have a good day at school. Remember you are now on probationary status and have a five o’clock curfew this evening.” He helped me into my coat.

“Yah, yah, yah.” I rolled my unnaturally human eyes at my reflection.

Satisfied with my appearance, I turned from the mirror and pushed through the heavy oak double doors, bisecting the carving of the tree. I stepped into the chilly air of a Chicago spring morning and pulled my coat tighter around me. Then I skipped down the stone front steps of the Sinclair Manor. I paused next to the large statue in front of the steps that the driveway circled around. I checked to make sure I had all my homework and needed text books in my red and black book bag covered in patches and buttons. Reassured, I zipped it up and righted it on my shoulders. I took a moment to appreciate the massive copper statue stained green from weather and time.

The statue depicted the famous raising of the American flag during the battle of Iwo Jima. Unlike the popularized norm image in circulation, this statue paid homage to those who actually took Mt. Suribachi during WWII. I smiled up at the copper representation of my favorite half-brother, Constantine Edgerton, who had led the forty man team of Easy Company that took Mt. Suribachi. The unfairness that the true heroes of the day where never celebrated like those who had posed for the norm image popularized confounded me. I guess The Man didn’t think the three Apkallu, werewolf and human warlock who actually rose the flag, would be as popular with the American mystic community as the sorcerers and norm humans who posed for the picture.

To this day there was still a great deal of prejudice against Apkallu and Weres since so many took Hitler’s side during the war. A lot of people thought Hitler had been an Apkallu himself. It was ironic he had really been one of the only members of the upper Nazi party who had been a truly blind norm of a human. How little blind norms understood about the Great War of Races was almost sad. It was part of the Race treaty signed at the end of the war that the general human populace would be kept ignorant of the mystic races. Who’s great idea that had been I didn’t know.

Shaking my head at the irony and unfairness of the world I headed for the front gate. When I opened the wrought iron gate it creaked loudly. As I stepped through the Manor’s protective wards and out onto the sidewalk a tingling sensation danced across my skin.

When I turned to close the tall gate behind me I glanced at the copper plaque that adorned the red brick pillar of the gate. Stained green like the statue, it read, Sinclair Orphanage Est. 1840. At 174 years old the Sinclair Manor was still one of the most recently established Apkallu orphanages of this realm. The Black Manor up in Canada only had it by a few years. To the blind norm eye the Sinclair Orphanage looked like a rectangular, red brick, five story building taking up about three times the lot space of the average residential building. Those mystics who could see through its many guise wards saw, in reality, it was a similarly sized lavish Victorian nineteenth century mansion.

After closing the gate I walked up W. Fulton St. and turned right onto N. Sacramento Blvd. in the direction I knew the others would have taken. I could taste their familiar emotional residues in the air, so they weren’t too far ahead.

As I hurried to catch up with my friends and family, I wondered what the average morning of my norm classmates was like. It probably had just a couple variations from my own. That was just the life of a sixteen year old, part human, part demon/angel like myself though, I guess.

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