I awoke in a large basement, or at least I assumed it was a basement. The floor was a concrete slab, the walls were cinder block, and there wasn’t a single window in sight. Even the light bulbs hanging from the unadorned fixtures on the rather high ceiling served to give the impression that this was a large unfinished basement. Of course, everything else gave the impression that it was a dungeon instead.

There was a shackle around my ankle with the other end of the two foot long chain being embedded into the concrete floor. There was a circle etched around me in the concrete, one with symbols painted around it with another circle on the outside of those. This wasn’t an ordinary spell circle but was something closer to a dueling circle. I imagined that it was meant to form some kind of magical cage around me.

I wasn’t the only one who was chained and encircled. Traci, Darek, Trey, Jake, Kaylie, and Dr. Merchant were all trapped in exactly the same way. Then I saw Amylia, who was similarly trapped though the circle around her had a third ring and more symbols that were all added afterwards with paint. I assumed that was to take into account that she was a sorceress. Since they hadn’t done any of that to my circle, it appeared that they didn’t know that I was too.

I tugged on my chain but it seemed pretty solid. There was a surge of fear and confusion though I tried to stay calm. “At least they left me my glasses,” I muttered, touching them and then looking around the room. Everyone else was beginning to stir and sit up as well.

“Where the fuck am I?” Jake demanded as he woke up and looked around. Then he looked to his girlfriend and called out, “Kaylie… Wake up.” He tried pulling at his chain to no effect.

“I was in the bedroom and someone came bursting in,” Darek said as he looked around with a dark expression. “The next thing I know, I’m here.”

“It was a sleep spell,” Amylia stated grimly.

“Sorcerers,” Trey spat out. Then he paused to look at me. “Sorry, nothing personal.”

“Who are those people?” Darek demanded, looking around the same way I already had. “And why did they kidnap us?”

“You seemed to know one of them,” Dr. Merchant said, looking at Amylia.

“Indeed,” she responded with a grim look. “As did you.”

Dr. Merchant nodded, looking worried and confused. He stared at the closed door to the room we were in and then let out a sigh. “His name is Conrad Banks,” Dr. Merchant said slowly. “He’s a Were troll that we invited to this gathering. He told me that he wouldn’t be able to attend…” Then he stopped, shaking his head. “I don’t know what’s going on.”

“If he’s one of us,” Jake asked angrily, “then why the fuck is he helping those guys?”

No one seemed to have an answer to that but several pairs of eyes turned to Amylia. “They said something about wanting mythics,” Trey said, giving her a curious look. “So why in the world did they take you?”

“I don’t qualify as a mythic either,” Dr. Merchant reminded him. “I think they took me because I’ve been researching the bloodlines.”

“Marcus,” Amylia abruptly said. “The one I recognized is named Marcus Tamwright. He used to be a student at the school where I teach.”

Kaylie nodded, “So that’s why you recognized him…” Then she gave Amylia a suspicious look. “They were all Touched…”

“I don’t know about the others or what they are after,” Amylia said with a look of cold anger in her eyes. “But I know Marcus.” She paused, looking at me and continuing. “Erin, you remember Monica…”

“How could I forget?” I responded bitterly. Then I realized what Amylia was saying. Monica’s last name was Tamwright too, and Monica had said something about her brother. “He’s her brother.”

“Indeed,” Amylia nodded agreement. “Several years ago, he was a top student at the Academy. He was a skilled young sorcerer, popular with the other students, and he had a prominent and well respected sponsor.” She paused at that and then let out a sigh. “He had a misunderstanding with Gayle which led to an escalation of hostilities. Eventually, Marcus attempted to kill her and was expelled from the Academy.”

I gasped at that, remembering some of the things Gayle had told me about the rumors and attacks that she’d had to deal with. She’d never told me that someone had actually tried killing her because of them.

“Wait a minute,” Traci exclaimed, giving Amylia a look of disbelief. “This Marcus guy tried killing someone and all you did was expel him?”

Amylia was silent for a few seconds before carefully saying, “These are Academy matters which are not to be spoken of outside of the Touched community.” Then she paused before adding, “But considering the circumstances, I believe an exception should be made.”

“Yeah, like the Touched had any business with our mythic bloodlines,” Trey responded, earning nods from several of the others.

“The Academy was founded by a collection of sorcerers who saw the benefits of creating a standardized training for young sorcerers,” Amylia explained. “However, none wished to surrender too much influence over their own students…and future students. Certain rules were established within the charter, such as each sorcery student was required to have a sponsor in order to attend. Other such rules limit our disciplinary authority. It was thought that the sponsors would each be responsible for providing any discipline that their students required.” She paused to give a bitter smile, adding, “That works better in theory than practice, especially when it involves politics among the sponsors.”

“Damn,” Trey said. “But don’t you guys have some kind of sorcerer cops or something?”

“The Academy has no criminal authority,” Amylia admitted. “Expulsion and banishment are the most we are allowed. Anything further would have violated the charter and could have resulted in the very collapse of the school. There are some Touched who take it upon themselves to keep the peace and protect our kind from discovery, but unfortunately, their sympathies in this case lie more with Marcus than his would be victim.”

“So, this guy turned to the dark side and walked away,” I commented in disgust.

Amylia gave me a blank look and then sighed. “The Marcus I knew thought of himself as a hero and always tried doing what he thought was right. Unfortunately, he saw the world in black and white and wasn’t flexible enough to see past his preconceived notions or accept that he was not always right. Marcus believed Gayle to be an evil force and honestly thought that he was protecting the other students from her.” She shook her head sadly at that.

“If this guy thinks he’s such a hero,” Traci demanded, “then why is he kidnapping us?”

“I know his sister,” I answered bitterly. “She thinks Weres are just animals and it probably runs in the family.’

“Just fucking great,” Jake spat out, tugging at his chain. “We get kidnapped by some asshole who thinks he’s the good guy.”

“What the hell do they want with us?” Trey demanded, looking at Amylia as though she’d have the answer. “And where is everyone else?”

“They said they only wanted the mythics,” Dr. Merchant said thoughtfully, looking around the room. “All of you were in the house when they arrived so I don’t think that our kidnappers thought to look in the barn.”

“Then why did they take you and her?” Traci asked, gesturing to Amylia. “She isn’t even Were.”

Amylia stood there in silence with a grim look on her face and something strange in her eyes. She looked as though she was about to say something when the door opened up and three people came into the basement.

The first to enter the basement was a woman with shoulder length dark hair who looked to be in her late twenties or early thirties. From her build and hair, I recognized her as the masked woman who’d attacked us. Behind her came the blond haired guy that Amylia had identified as Marcus.

“Amylia,” Marcus said to her in a surprisingly respectful tone. “I am sorry for this but you didn’t give us much choice.”

“There is always a choice,” Amylia told him in a calm tone, though her eyes were like iron. “It is unfortunate that you keep making the wrong ones. You had such potential.”

Marcus scowled at that, looking angry but staying calm. “I’m surprised a respectable sorceress would be socializing with these animals.” He didn’t seem to notice that the look in her eyes became very cold and very hard. “I think it is you who is making the wrong choices.”

As interesting as the exchange between Amylia and Marcus was, my attention turned to the blonde girl who’d come into the room behind Marcus. I glared at her, knowing that she hadn’t been with the group who’d attacked us at the farm. For one, there had only been one female among them, and for another, I would have recognized Monica…mask or no mask.

“That’s her,” Monica blurted out, pointing to me. “That’s the freak who threatened to eat me and chased me out of the Academy.”

“You threatened to eat her?” Kaylie asked in surprise.

“Sounds good to me,” Traci responded with a smirk.

Marcus turned to glare at me with a cold expression. “Yet more proof that the Academy has been corrupted,” he stated simply. “Now they allow monsters to roam free, threating the innocent students and spreading the infection. I should have ended that corruption when I had the chance.”

“This isn’t about your squabble with the Academy,” the woman said. “This is about studying these mythics…learning how animals can gain this magic. If we can find the patterns for this magic…to turn into such powerful creatures, then it will give us an advantage and we’ll be powerful enough to protect the Touched from any threat, be it normal, Were, or misguided Touched.” She stared straight at Amylia as she said the last.

“You’re right,” Marcus admitted. “We have other priorities first. I just fear that by the time we can help the Academy, it will be too late. It may already be too late.”

“Just be patient,” the woman told Marcus, looking at all of us prisoners. “Once we have what we need from these animals, we’ll be able to rescue your Academy.”

“At least this one won’t ever be a threat to anyone again,” Marcus mused, glaring at me.

“You are so gonna get it,” Monica gloated at me.

“You don’t have to do this Monica,” Amylia said. “You know this is insane.”

Suddenly, a new voice commanded, “Leave.”

A man stepped into the room and stood there looking us over. He looked like he was in his late thirties or early forties, with dark hair that was combed back. He was kind of handsome, though his nose was a little too hawkish for my tastes.

“Sir,” Marcus greeted the man whom I recognized as being the leader of the group who’d attacked us. “Amylia is a sorceress…a teacher at the Academy. She shouldn’t be here with these animals.”

“Nevermind her,” the man said, giving Amylia a cold and very dark look. “Amylia isn’t your concern.”

“You,” Amylia hissed, glaring this man with a dark expression of her own. Whoever this man was, he was very lucky that looks couldn’t kill.

Amylia and this man stared at each other for several long second before he abruptly turned away. “Marcus,” the man said. “After you were expelled from the Academy, your parents were so embarrassed that they kicked you out. I was the one who took you in and completed your training. Don’t forget that.”

“No sir,” Marcus responded, almost snapping to attention.

“Forget the Academy,” Marcus told him firmly. “Forget Amylia. I will deal with her.” Then he looked to Monica and the dark haired woman. “Now all of you out. We have a lot of spells to cast and preparations to make. We’ll begin studying the animals tomorrow.”

A moment later, all four of them left the room, though not before Monica gave me one more dark look. Amylia continued glaring at the man the entire time. And once the door slammed shut, she just stood there, looking angry and shaken.

“Do you know that guy?” I asked, stunned by her reaction.

“Yes,” Amylia responded, her voice shaking. She looked me in the eyes from across the room and quietly added, “That was my ex-husband.”