Chapter 32

Chapter 32

The room was filled with dust, and traces of gunpowder floated in the stale air.

The intruder standing in the suspect’s room wielded fire-aspected magic.

The moment Rose sensed the glow of crimson magic flickering in the man’s eyes, a single term shot through her mind: dust explosion.

After that, her body moved on instinct.

She had lived her entire life barely scraping together the minimum magic for survival, forced to calculate even for the tiniest spell. Yet that restriction was gone now; she could finally realize things that had only existed in her imagination.

Colors of magic danced like illusions before her eyes, following her will.

First, a barrier.

Air currents twisted and gathered at her command, forming a thick wall of wind in front of James.

Anchor him with gravity.

Simultaneously, earth magic wrapped around the man’s limbs, slamming him to the floor.

“Guh!”

The rotting wooden floorboards cracked beneath the force, half-swallowing the man’s body.

“Damn you all—I’ll take you with me!”

His hoarse, furious shout rattled the room as his entire body erupted in searing flames, heat exploding outward in a wave.

He was going to blow himself up.

Rose’s next spell struck even faster.

Eliminate oxygen. Drop the temperature.

Wind and water magic roared around the man in a sudden vortex, colliding with the blaze.

A deafening roar shook the room as three different magics smashed together.

It all happened so quickly that it defied comprehension.

Steam hissed through the wreckage as the man who had tried to self-destruct lay unconscious on the ruined floor, his body covered in severe burns.

The room was choked with scalding vapor, leaving wet streaks across cracked walls and broken furniture.

Drip. Drip. Water condensed on the ceiling and fell in slow, heavy drops, returning a sense of halted time to the wreckage.

James could only stare at Rose, forgetting entirely about the man he’d been restraining.

“Rose…”

She answered in a ghostly whisper, her face chalk-white.

“James… are you… safe?”

Her words faltered as dizziness overwhelmed her.

“I miscalculated…”

Her legs buckled, and she collapsed.

“Rose!”

James barely caught her before she hit the floor.

“Stay with me! Rose!”

She wanted to respond but couldn’t form the words. Everything spun, her vision went black, and a chilling awareness of death crawled up her spine. Her heart pounded painfully, erratically.

“Jame…s.”

Even her tongue wouldn’t move properly.

I got the calculation wrong.

The man’s firepower had been stronger than she anticipated, draining far more magic than she’d planned. She’d squeezed out every last drop.

This was magic meant to be carefully constructed with formulas and steps. Casting it freehand demanded exceptional control and concentration—plus a staggering extra cost in raw magic.

It had been a catastrophic mistake.

She had managed to stop the blast, but for a Mythos, running out of magic meant death.

Thanks to James cradling her, scraps of his magic trickled into her, buying her precious time. Without it, she might have been dead in minutes.

Her fingers dug desperately into his forearm, a near-instinctive grasp for survival as she tried to pull in even more magic.

Then something warm and gentle pressed against her lips.

Magic trickled into her empty Umbelt like a sluggish stream that gradually swelled.

Her breathing eased.

She inhaled sharply as a sudden heat rushed in between her parted lips.

“Mmm…”

A musky sweetness pressed on her senses while sharp cedar notes seemed to pierce through the fog. Heat ignited in her chest, spreading warmth through her once-numb limbs.

Rose devoured every bit of magic that spilled into her mouth, greedily swallowing it down.

Every drop mattered.

Their tongues tangled as jolts of sensation vibrated deep in her core, making her moan involuntarily.

It feels so good.

She lost herself in that primal hunger.

“Rose. Slow down… just a little.”

James’s voice brushed her ear, low and teasing, snapping her mind back to the present.

When she opened her eyes, his sky-blue gaze was right there, impossibly close.

“Hah… why are you looking at me like that?”

“Well, um, Mister James…”

“Ah, ‘Mister James’ again? That stings a little.”

He chuckled drily as he brushed her fallen hair behind her ear, making her shiver.

“Let’s be clear about one thing. Partway through… you did that yourself.”

“Did… what?”

“You know. I was half-worried you’d drain me down to skin and bones. Don’t you remember?”

Remember?

Horror slowly dawned in her as the truth assembled itself.

There was no other way all that magic could have poured in so violently. Through her lips.

Oh my god. I was… kissing him?

Her face flushed crimson as she tried to twist free from his arms.

“Th-thank you. I’m… really sorry about that.”

James let out a weary sigh as he released her.

“And what about him?”

“Trying to change the subject?” He gave a crooked smile before answering. “Barely alive. The Golden Crow agents on stakeout took him into custody.”

“Golden Crow… when?”

James’s eyes glinted with quiet mischief.

“Who knows. When do you think?”

All color drained from Rose’s face.

“No way.”

“Nothing to worry about. They’d already pulled out before you really started sucking down my magic.”

Her eyes flew wide.

“So… they saw me collapse?”

“Right.”

“And… saw me, um, taking your… magic?”

“Exactly.”

“Aaaaugh!”

Rose buried her burning face in her hands with a strangled scream.

It was a disaster. An utter, humiliating catastrophe.

Not only had she let her magic reserves drop to critical in front of the crows, she’d also put their—that—on public display.

Memories of every mortifying noise she’d made replayed vividly. The way she’d clutched at him. Even the way she’d arched her back.

A complete package of shame.

How could she not even realize it was a kiss at the time?

She curled up on the floor, hiding her face as thoroughly as she could.

“Rose.”

James’s voice lost its teasing edge, dropping into seriousness.

“When we get back, we need to have a real talk about this.”

She froze.

“Your Golden Crow work. And our contract.”

After returning to the Linden branch, Rose was immediately summoned to the infirmary, where she endured an excruciatingly long medical check before they finally released her.

Following directions, she made her way to the branch chief’s office. James was already waiting there.

“You did well, Miss Rose Stellania Taylor.”

The branch chief handed her a sealed envelope.

“You can see your results for yourself.”

Rose opened it with trembling fingers.

Inside was a thick card printed with official letters:

APPOINTMENT NOTICE

Name: Rose Stellania Taylor
Attribute: Neutral

The above Mythos is hereby appointed to the Special Research Position by order of the Director.

Royal Bureau of Paranormal Investigation
Director Alphonse A. Crowley
Golden Crow Linden Branch Chief Nathan Bryan

Reading it left Rose frozen in confusion.

“Research… position.”

She’d passed, but it wasn’t the field role she had dreamed of.

Seeing the disappointment on her face, the branch chief cleared his throat and began to explain.

“While you were undergoing your exam, Mr. Dautryche and the undercover agents submitted additional testimony and evaluations.”

“I see.”

Rose lowered her gaze to the appointment letter in her hands.

A research role meant desk work.

She’d been so sure she could do it. She’d forced her way in with bravado. Yet in the end, the result fell far short of what she had hoped for.