Of Feathers and Thorns by Kit Vincent

Author:Kit Vincent [Vincent, Kit]
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Tags: Romance, Gay / Lesbian / LGBT
Amazon: B0B7857KFW
Publisher: Kit Vincent
Published: 2022-10-24T22:00:00+00:00

When I stepped out of the magic stream and onto the broad marble steps of the Assembly building, my ears were immediately assaulted by an angry, roaring chant.

“No more sludge! Get your magic out of our lives! No more sludge! Get your magic out of our lives!”

I spun around to find several hundred people gathered in protest. They’d taken over the front lawn and were standing dangerously close to the steps I’d landed on. Some were brandishing signs demanding that magicians be held responsible for the destruction of the National Mall. They weren’t armed, but once they spotted me, I became the sole target of their anger. “We don’t want your dirty magic ruining our city! Get out, magician!”

I froze. Esten hadn’t guided me here, allowing me to transport on my own for practice. I’d seen pictures of the Magicians’ Assembly, so I’d thought it would be easy to get to. And I had come to the right place, but Esten must have exited somewhere else, leaving me alone to face this crowd.

Noticing my confusion, a wave of protesters decided to push onto the steps and throw their signs at me. I flinched and stumbled backward in an attempt to get away, but the crowd and the airborne signs appeared to collide with an invisible barrier at the bottom of the stairs.

Quick steps descended behind me.

“What are you doing?” Esten hissed, and grabbed my shoulder. “Get inside!”

Wide-eyed, I hastened to the doors.

“Did you know this was happening?” I asked, anxiously glancing around the cavernous marble lobby. Its floors were covered with a plush red carpet. A line of ornate pillars supported a high ceiling that was decorated with a colorful mural of the Founders. Several magicians had gathered at the windows, watching the protest nervously. Even the security guards looked on edge.

“No. The notice must have been buried in that pile of letters in my room. Otherwise I would’ve told you to transport inside,” Esten said, ushering me through the security checkpoint. “I saw people upset about the sludge in Andover, but never a full-on protest like this. To be fair, this was the biggest outbreak in a city.”

“Why do they want all magicians to get out of their lives, though?” I asked, following Esten up the marble staircase.

Esten shook his head in disappointment. “Because nobody knows who is responsible for the sludge, so it’s easier to blame all magicians alike. Never mind that without us, they’d have no way of containing the outbreaks.” That was frustrating but true. Even my tiny town had been abuzz with sludge rumors, but hardly anyone had commended magicians for helping to fix the damage.

After walking through a wide, well-lit hallway, we arrived at the spacious greeting room, and I instantly recognized the person at the desk as someone Esten had talked to at the Crow Bar: Probos’s assistant, Cash. Although I could have sworn Cash was a girl . . . but maybe I was wrong. Because today he clearly looked like a boy.

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