As he looked at his notes again, a warning symbol from his bodyguard appeared on his screen. He moved it away and clicked on the link that he had sent. It was newspaper clippings of the girl across from them that reported how she was the first Earth witch ever to be discovered. They included pictures of her walking with friends and family and other images of her shooting blue streams of energy. Curiously, her eyes glistened in that same color.

  He found it slightly amusing that she walked around so nonchalantly and tried not to be noticed. The bodyguard sent another few articles to him and he crossed his leg and tilted the tablet slightly to take advantage of better lighting. He began to read through each one carefully, but all of them said almost the same thing. She had thrown magic to help save a woman and her child. Some hailed her as an angel and a savior, while others were terrified of this new evolutionary—or perhaps revolutionary—manifestation of power.

  As he skimmed through, he glanced at her from time to time. He noticed her hand in her pocket that seemed to roll something around in it nervously. He could only assume that it was one of her magic batteries. It didn’t give him pause, though. To him, there was nothing dangerous about her. At least there wouldn’t be when she faced a Meligorn.

  His guard rested his hand casually on his gun. The ambassador clicked his tongue and shook his head to remind him to take it easy. With another glance at the girl, he wondered how much of his language she could speak.

  After a few moments during which she knew he was staring while he struggled to find the right words, he finally decided to speak to her. “K’roth gurardian brofton nationalie Capitol?”

  She blinked for a moment and looked up slowly.

  The Russian delegate slammed his fist down on the table, stood, and leaned forward on it. “You think that because NorAm killed the Russian dictator hundreds of years ago that gives you the right to give me any shit about this? We have reinstated our country, while you sat around bathing in luxury and waste with these rich people.”

  The American narrowed his eyes and pointed at him. “Now you hold on right there. How do you have the nerve to talk about us in that manner? That is beyond treasonous with your stories of hate for people who would drive you to separate from the idea that the Federation worked so desperately to get you on. And then to turn around and rob one of our American banks.”

  The Russian clenched his fist and yelled at the American, “Regardless of the crime, your assault on Russian citizens and the danger you put all of them in is tantamount to war. We have fought wars for less and trust me, everyone outside the Federation has been dying to see NorAm have their asses beaten. You are arrogant and uncareful as you speak to the great leaders of this world. You are the country that allowed this plastic lifestyle everyone so dutifully clings to and we are the ones that stepped above you, not interested in being under the thumb of the Federation.”

  The Chinese delegate waved his hand and scoffed. “You fight over nothing. We are the ones who are the true victims here.”

  Both the Russians and the Americans went quiet and looked curiously at him. The Chinese delegate’s forehead was furrowed, and he spoke with passion as he waved his fist up and down. “You have the nerve to touch our sovereignty. You both used your abilities through your own countries to do so. You have broken treaties and understandings between our countries. While you Americans believe that because you fall under Federation protection, you can do anything that you want, you are wrong. So very wrong. And you Russians, with your talk of war. You have no leg to stand on. If anyone here should be threatening, it should be China. We are fed up with this.”

  The American delegate shook his head. “We are doing no such thing. If we had the power to do anything we wanted, we would have used it on your asses already.”

  The meeting came to a standstill and all three delegates finally resumed their seats. They remained quiet for several minutes until they were able to calm themselves enough to discuss what had happened. There was actually no real evidence to confirm that any of them had officially been involved. They had all simply made assumptions because they knew the suspected hackers had come into the United States from Russia.

  After a few moments, the American delegate cleared his throat and gestured to his Chinese counterpart. “I thought it was you guys all pissed off at us. We figured you had reason with the trade issues and conversations with the Federation and the poverty your country has fallen into due to the lack of resources available. I am sorry. I am a professional. I should not jump to conclusions.”

  The Chinese man calmed himself as well. The delegate leaned forward toward the mic. “We appreciate your apology and accept. In all honesty, our country assumed it was Russia that had egged things on and made it impossible for you to respect our sovereignty and go after them in the same arena.”

  The Russian delegate shook his head. “If it was none of us, then who was it?”

  They all swallowed and thought the same thing. The three major players—as well as many of the smaller countries—had all experienced some degree of cybersecurity alarms on the fateful day in question. While they had all immediately put their best counter-hackers and analysts to work, no one seemed to be able to determine the real origin of either the initial attack or the swift and decisive counterstrikes that had drawn all nations into the arena. The clean-up had been so swift and so efficiently executed that there was no way to unravel the source or correctly determine how many counter-specialists had been involved.

  If the truth be told, their best and most experienced cyber teams were baffled, and from there, it had been easy to slide into the vague and murky waters of paranoia and fearful assumptions. More than anything, all members present wanted answers—at the very least, an explanation of what exactly had happened. The truth that stared them in the face in that moment was one none of them wanted, or ever expected, to face.

  There could very well be a country out there that had hidden their abilities. A country that was more powerful and skillful than all of them.

  Stephanie swallowed hard as her eyes widened and her palms sweated. She was astonished to be addressed in Meligorn and although she didn’t speak it, she was very honored that he would even speak to her. Also, this was no avatar so she knew she had to be very polite. It was no simulation within the Virtual World. This was real.

  She stood carefully and bowed, raised one hand up, and extended the other out for his. While she wasn’t sure if he was on the cusp of the royal greeting or not, she decided that something was better than nothing. She not only wanted to show her admiration and respect for the Meligorn people but also to show her excitement at the opportunity to ride the train with someone of his stature.

  The bodyguard maintained a stiff expression, but as the ambassador stood and walked toward her, his mouth dropped open. The official bowed his head, raised his hand, and grasped her forearm with the other. They both held the greeting for several moments to show suitable reverence before they gave each other the traditional Meligorn verbal greeting.

  As Stephanie straightened, her cheeks flushed and her excitement grew within her. But she knew that if she couldn’t understand him, it would be no good anyway. She thought back to that lesson and smiled, placed her hands behind her back, and latched onto her wrists. “Engotish Preferatus Ingorna Discusio?”

  The ambassador cracked a smile and raised his eyebrows at the guard. He looked at her again as they took their seats. “Of course we can.”

  She looked around as giddiness bubbled to the surface. “But you didn’t do a cantrip or spell or anything.”

  He chuckled. “When you reach my age of over two hundred years old, you tend to be able to achieve the required results without even opening your mouth.”

  Stephanie bit the inside of her lip and tapped her fingers on her knees as she sat on the edge of the seat. Finally, it got the better of her, and she burst into a smile. “I’m sorry. This is so awesome—to get to ride with a real Meligorn, that is. I have only met you in my VR studies, never in real life. I didn’t know if I actually ever would.”

  The guard watched her as she giggled and shook her head, apparently on the verge of talking excitedly to herself. A smile moved across his lips as it did for the ambassador as well. They both realized quickly that she was no threat to anyone. She was merely a curious young adult with a heart that seemed to be true.

  The ambassador motioned to the guard and said something in his ear. The man nodded and stood, walked across, and extended his hand to Stephanie. She looked at him nervously for a moment and he chuckled. “He would like you to join him.”

  She smiled and took his hand, scooted past him, and sat beside the ambassador. They sat there talking and talking and paid little attention to the rising and setting sun displayed in the glass windows. They learned language nuances like what awesome meant and the fact that he had asked her originally if she was the human who knew magic.

  In the progression of the discussion, without even knowing it was happening, Stephanie began to ask questions of a high-level wizard—the kind of questions that only a theorist would have asked. The ambassador, having had many, many years of practice in maintaining a collected state of being, did not flinch or spark a notion that he was indeed shocked that she could be human and have that level of Meligornian experience.

  Curious, he began to probe her knowledge. “And you have tried to concentrate the magic within you to carry it?”

  Stephanie nodded. “I have. And it has worked for a few moments but when my thoughts change, I lose it. However, I am currently working on a theory that if I pull it into an imagined object in my thoughts, I will be able to secure it and siphon from it as needed.”

  The ambassador rubbed his chin. “That is an interesting theory but one thing you have not accounted for is the strain that it will have on the human mind. Meligornian magic and energy has its own flow—a soul, almost, if you will. The connection to that energy must be there to avoid any type of negative consequence.”

  She nodded and her eyes remained fixed on the floor. “That makes sense. If I try to force it, it will only reject me, just as we have rejected its pull on Earth for so long. Like those who can’t feel it at all.”

  The ambassador smiled. “Those who cannot sense the energy are more than merely mentally blocked. They do not possess the inner strength that is passed through the universe. We do not know how humans have acquired it but for all but you, apparently, it is only strong enough to feel.”

  Stephanie was having the time of her life. The Meligorn official had helped her understand theories that she had not even known were different than what she thought. It made a lot of difference when it came to working with the magic.

  They continued their conversation without realizing that they were so close to their destination. Before they knew it, the train had pulled into the station in DC. The ambassador walked her out, and they shared a traditional Meligorn goodbye. She began to walk away, carrying her bag in a complete haze.

  “Ms. Morgana,” the Meligorn called to her. “Wait one minute.”

  Chapter Forty-Five

  Stephanie turned, her eyes wide, and smiled as the guard lumbered toward her with something in his hand. He was a large man—a human—and although he gave the appearance of pure muscle, she could tell he had grown a little soft with age. She estimated him to be nearing forty or so, but the creases at the corners of his eyes showed that he had been in that job for quite some time. There was a protectiveness but also a kindness in him that made her feel safe.

  He handed a small white card to her. “Keep this to yourself.”

  She took it in her left hand and nodded as she reached her right out to shake. He smiled widely and gripped her hand gently, almost able to wrap his entire fist around her dainty fingers and palm. He glanced over his shoulder and laughed a little harder as he shook his head. “I have been with him for a very long time. I have to admit, he hasn’t had this much fun in years. It is nice to see him enjoy himself. That is something his job does not allow very often. Thank you, young Stephanie. Be safe.”

  Stephanie shook her head with a bemused grin and watched as he walked away. She looked at the special card in her hand and chewed on her bottom lip. She had read about these cards on the Meligorn Magical Musings website. After a moment’s hesitation, she slid her hand into her pocket and clasped the battery, applying the smallest amount of magic she could. The card seemed to shiver in her fingertips and his information, written in white on the white background, vibrated. She watched in wonder as it lifted off the card and floated toward her.

  It seemed almost alive as it found its way to her forehead and pressed against it. The information glowed for a moment before it faded into her mind. She blinked her eyes and focused on the image of his phone number in her head as if she actually read it on a piece of paper. There was no other time that she could think of that her thoughts had been that completely clear. It was almost magical in itself how well it worked.

  She released the battery and turned her attention to the now blank piece of stock card in her palm. She watched as it began to disintegrate and churn into a fine dust in the center of her hand. When she tilted her hand from side to side, the ash shimmered in the light. A small breeze blew, swept the ash up, and carried it away. Stephanie giggled as she stood there and watched the dance of the wind. When the last of the sparkle had disappeared into the clouds above, she sighed, a contented grin on her cheeks.

  Ambassador V’ritan smiled and rubbed his hands together. He’d watched her face, seen that she had almost immediately known what to do with the card and then, without thought, simply did it. She showed ingenuity and bravery in that moment, something he didn’t find in very many humans. In fact, those qualities weren’t always present in every Meligornian he met, either. Like humans, the Meligornians had their fair share of those who worked outside of the parameters of what was expected of them. The difference was that the humans had evolved to know how to handle that, while those in Meligorn with that distinct inability to regulate usually ended up dying tragically in some battle on the planet.

  He took a deep breath and turned to his guard. “Guard Brilgus?”

  The man, who was collecting the luggage, stopped to listen. “Yes, Ambassador?”

  “I would like her followed,” he replied. “I want to know what she is doing here in this city, especially on her own. It is not the place you would suggest a human-born magi would choose to wander around in. What she has not fully come to understand is that humans have a fear of what they do not understand, while Meligorns tend to have a curiosity until burned. What is different, as we saw when we first came to this planet, is considered a threat to their kind.”

  Guard Brilgus waved at one of the other guards who had been present on the TRAM but remained at a discreet distance. “The ambassador would like a tail on her. Nothing too close as to alert her that we are watching but you are to keep a close eye and report back when any new information presents itself.”

  V’ritan put up his hand. “No, Brilgus, I would like you to handle this one. I trust you to keep her safe—and to ensure that you are not discovered. Should you have to make yourself known for any critical reason, she will more readily trust you rather than a stranger. My concerns may be groundless, of course, and I certainly hope they are. But these humans don’t know what they have. They haven’t yet discovered the rarity and importance of someone of her kind. It would be a shame for the fire to go out too early. And we know exactly what happens to those who stand up to the Federation.”

  Brilgus nodded. “They are extinguished.”

  The ambassador nodded slowly, his eyes fixed on her retreating figure. “Yes, Brilgus, they are extinguished. Thank you for doing this. I know it is outside of your normal commands. And I think it would be best if we kept it between us for the moment. Until I learn more about what is going on, of course.”

  The guard bowed his head. “Of course. Anything that you think is right.”

  Tearing his eyes away from her, the ambassador patted him on the shoulder with a smile. “Go on. Don’t let her get away from you. She is younger, smaller, and nimbler. We don’t want you to have to stay at a job the whole time—you might fall out with that amount of muscle on your bones.”

  Brilgus rolled his eyes. “This is pure steel. You should feel lucky to have me protecting you.”

  V’ritan laughed. “As I do. Very lucky. And now, she can too.”

  The guard frowned, turned, and followed as nonchalantly as he could as she pushed through the crowd and out to where the cars were parked, waiting for the riders to emerge.

  Stephanie released a deep breath as she set her heavy case down and retrieved her instructions. “There should be a car here for me somewhere.”

  She scanned the self-driving cars and at the scrolling signs on the top for any sign of her name. Infuriatingly, she didn’t see it anywhere.

  “Excuse me, but are you Ms. Morgana?” a voice asked from beside her.

  She turned to find an older gentleman dressed in a driver’s coat with the collar high on his neck and split slightly in the front. His black pants were perfectly pressed, and the tips of his shoes shone brightly. His driver’s hat fit his head perfectly as if it were created for no one but him. “I am Stephanie Morgana, yes.”

  He smiled and leaned down to pick up her bag. “Right this way.”

  She glanced around before she followed him and her mouth dropped open as he opened the back passenger door to a distinguished black limousine. After a moment, she laughed and hurried forward and thanked her driver as she ducked in and he closed the door behind her. The lights were dim inside, but the floor and the ceiling lit up and it seemed as if there were fish tanks above and below her. A droid hovered over a small bar to the right.