5

?" You’se a mage." Cliff accused with a smirk after the guards had left. The pair of guards had walked right past them and continued down the hall as if Vlad and Cliff weren't even there. They weren't, thanks to the invisibility spell that Vlad had conjured. Without it, the drek would have certainly hit the fan. But now Vlad was faced with another dilemma. Not too many people knew he was a mage. Ms. Johnson didn't even know.

" Lets keep this our little secret ok big guy?" He hadn't meant to expose himself like that to Cliff but it was necessary. He wasn't going to get into a gunfight in a children's dorm. He didn't want to run the risk of killing a child, even by accident.

?" Yeah, no prob I can understand if ya wanna keep yer juice quiet. Thanks for trustin me enough ta show me yer stuff though."

He didn't trust Cliff. Did he? I have no reason to. He told himself. He had no reason not to. After all, Cliff had trusted him. The fledging mage shrugged and chased the thoughts from his mind. Beads of sweat were collecting on his forehead, reminding him of the invisibility spell that he hadn't let drop. The longer he held it, the faster his strength would drain from his body, until eventually he yielded consciousness. " I can't maintain the illusion much longer. We better get moving."

Cliff nodded at that and opened the door. When he exited the room moments later, there was a child slung over his shoulders. By the looks of her, she could only be called a child by age alone. Linnea Tobockenhorst was as large as Koto with fat arms and legs and an enormous potbelly that folded gently around Cliff's shoulder like a pillow. She was deeply asleep. Vlad quickly adjusted his magic to include the girl in its grasp. A fat teen floating away from her dorm room was certain to catch someone's attention.

?" We have the target." Vlad called in as the two started down the stairs. There was apprehension in his voice. He wasn't sure if Koto and Shimmer had done their job. He didn't trust them.