The Licensed Mage

40 Emergency

        Everyone shouted as they toasted with their cans. They finally were able to make their way back to the office to celebrate their first op ending successfully. Word from the hospital is Henry is fine with a through and through and is expected to be released any minute now. The twins orders pizza’s for everyone and the room was soon filled with the smell of melted cheese and the chatter of friendship.

        “So have you talked to Raven yet?”

        Claire was sitting on Raven’s desk eating her slice as Lucy spun in his chair. Claire looked up at Malvina standing next to the desk, cheese falling from her lips, “Um, sort of.”

        Lucy stopped spinning, biting a peperoni in two, “What’s sort of mean?”

        Claire shrugged her shoulder, “He wanted to talk about it but I kinda brushed it off.”

        Malvina huffed and placed a hand on her hip, “What’s wrong with you?”

        Lucy pointed a finger at her, “That’s my line.”

        Claire smiled, “Look guys, it’s just awkward if we try talking about it so I’m just gonna be a coward.”

        Lucy mumbled around her bite, “That’s for sure.”

        They shared in a laugh as they got back in party mode. As the noise quieted down Claire’s and Malvina’s wrist began to beep red as an alarm was sounded. Claire and Malvina looked at each other as everyone in the room turned to see. They flicked out their hands and the holo fairy appeared, her voice ringing across the globe as one voice.

        “ATTENTION: ALL MAGES MUST REPORT TO THE GUILD HALL. I REPEAT, ALL MAGES MUST REPORT TO THE GUILD HALL.”

        Claire rubbed her wrist when the fairy flickered off. She stood, looking at Malvina as they knew something was wrong. Raven stepped forward and grabbed Claire’s arm, “What’s going on?”

        Claire turned to him, “I don’t know.”

        Before more could be said she pulled from his hold and she and Malvina quickly ported to Mage Island, leaving their friends behind. They exited the port in the Guild Hall, the central ballroom of the Guild building in the center of the Island. The room was crowded as mages of every corner of the globe filled the room. The chatter was loud as everyone tried to find out what was happening but no one knew the answer.

        “Claire! Malvina!”

        They turned to see Tessa running to them through the crowd, “What’s going on?”

        Claire shook her head, “I don’t know, but it’s not good.”

        “It never is when they call us like this.”

        They turned to see Elizabeth standing behind Claire with her arms crossed, “Liz! Where’s your husband?”

        Liz pointed her chin down the room, “Talking to his friends, seeing what he can dig up.”

        Suddenly the room fell quiet as the Bosses filed onto the balcony. Claire watched as each Boss from every nation filled the balcony seeing her own Boss Melvin standing among them. Claire grabbed Malvina’s hand and felt another on her shoulder. She looked behind her to see Dillon looking at her with sober eyes. She reached up and squeezed his hand as the Guild Head appeared on the podium sticking out from the balcony, overlooking everyone in the room below him.