I don't wanna! Three days had passed and keeping Jace out of trouble was like trying to keep a cat on a leash. Phoenix watched him slip out of his house just after dusk through his window. Unfortunately he was very perceptive and following him took some skill. She was usually found out halfway through the night which annoyed her to no end. She was pretty sure she annoyed him but that was fine by her. He cast a simple spell that put everyone in the house to sleep. He had started to do that the second day she had been watching him. She followed him outside the city. He uses magic to augment his speed so he can get outside the city faster and have time to do what he wants to do whether it's practice magic or combine the magic he's already mastered with the combat he's learning from his brother. Well more his brother's friend but whatever. She smiled, "And my brother's here too. I always wondered what he did when he 'went into the city'." Now I understand why didn't tell me. I wasn't even ten. He said he was going to tell me when I was older and I understood. He ended up never having to tell me but whatever.
She finally caught up to Jace. He was already sitting on the ground with a book only Jarvis could have supplied him with. He was sitting on the ground looking it over. Phoenix watched him stand up and cast the spell. It took him a couple of tries to get it right but no more than that. How quickly he picks on magic of almost any kind is crazy. He can probably get good at any magic as long as it's at least slightly related to what came naturally to him.
"I know you're there."
"Of course you do," Phoenix snapped.
"Why have you been following me the past two nights? Well three counting tonight," Jace asked.
"Because I wanted to see what you were doing. Curious minds do wish to know you know," Phoenix shrugged.
Jace's eyes narrowed.
"I wouldn't try picking through my head if I were you. All you're gonna get is a raging head ache," Phoenix warned.
Jace ignored her. He dug a little deeper before pulling out, "Jeez. What? How?"
"I'm a fire mage," Phoenix shrugged.
"I've read fire mages," Jace muttered.
"Good for you," Phoenix smirked, "I'm not just a regular fire mage though." She turned and walked away.
"Wait!" Jace started to follow her. She picked up her pace until she was running through the grass. She stopped and glanced over her shoulder, "Of course he wouldn't leave the book. So he decided not to chase me." This is getting annoying. I shouldn't have to hold a conversation with this guy every night to be able to keep him out of as much trouble as I can. I don't wanna do this anymore! "I'm killing that vampire when I get back." I wouldn't be surprised if his stupid face is laughing at me right now. Jerk. She shook her head, "Oh well. I took the job so I'm going to do it." I just hope it doesn't last this guy's entire life because then I'm screwed. "This is boring," she wandered back to where Jace was. He had gone back to studying the book. Most of the spells he was practicing she didn't recognize. Of course she never bothered with spells. She just blew stuff up with lots of fire. That speed spell might be useful though. I should pay closer attention the next time he casts it. I'm definitely not going to ask him to teach it to me though.
Jace stayed out there until the sky started to brighten. He cast the speed spell again and darted home. Phoenix was left to follow more slowly. Jerk. "There he goes, leaving me behind again," Phoenix sighed and started jogging closer to the city. She dodged the patrol and crouched on the roof of his house. He spent the next few hours lying on his bed in his room. Does this guy ever sleep? I mean that has to be exhausting. Phoenix shrugged, "Oh well. To each their own." She followed him to the school he went to in the morning. Why bother with something like school? I mean sure it's a school for the magically inclined but he looks pissed for the entire time he's there. She shrugged, "Whatever." She slipped past one of the students and into the library, "After following him around for three days navigating this place is easy." She darted between the shelves to keep from being seen by the librarian. No one else was in the library because the students were in class. It was easy for her to get passed the gate because only naughty students could set off any of the spells attached to it. She had spent the past two mornings in this part of the library. This section of the library was where they held all of the books that referenced the multiverse. Phoenix had decided to be nice and flush out some of the information they had since she was bored out of her mind waiting for Jace to leave the school for the day.
Of course her favor wasn't exactly appreciated because she wrote in the books with pen so it couldn't be erased. She also wasn't exactly filling out the information for the teachers. If the students want information then they should have information that's technically correct. Well then again if this place wasn't so boring I wouldn't be doing any of this. I mean at least I'm fixing the information they have instead of destroying something. The situation could always be worse. The librarian also turned a blind eye to her presence in the library. She was pretty positive he knew she was there. Any mage could sense another's presence but it took a special spell that only some could master to detect a mage that hid their presence with a powerful spell. Phoenix herself couldn't cast it but Eclipse made sure all the Lotus assassins had an artifact that had the same effect as that spell before going on any job. She could tell that the librarian knew she was there and just wasn't paying her any mind.
Phoenix decided to finish the book she had been fixing yesterday. She pulled it off the shelf and opened it to the page she had marked. It was a book about magical flowers across the multiverse. However the world on which they grew was not specified. All Phoenix knew were the worlds' four digit numbers that the Lotus used to identify each world. She shrugged and wrote them in anyway. Someone will get it. I mean Jarvis got the map he gave Jace from Inferno. Of course I'm the only one other than Inferno that knows about that. Well and maybe the vampire. "But if he minded he'd have sent someone to get it back," Phoenix rolled her eyes. She read through the page and then cross referenced the information about the flower with the database Echo had given her the figure out which world the flower would be on.
She shrugged and turned to the next page. I really need to come up with a disguise if I want to get better at this whole looking after mages business. Since that seems to be what the vampire wants me to be. Hopefully my next job is a bit more exciting. Looking after this guy is more work than it is fun. She sighed, "Man this sucks." She wrote the four numbers that represented the world the flower grew on before turning the page. She didn't bother memorizing anything she was reading. She just read it, cross referenced it, and wrote down the four numbers. Then she turned the page and repeated the process. This is getting really old. However I'm going to finish this book. I'll finish it today or tomorrow. If it's not done by tomorrow then I'm finding something else to do. She looked around. Students were starting to file into the main library. She sighed and ignored them. She hadn't been discovered yet so she wasn't going to worry about it. Phoenix sighed. This is so boring! She glanced at the pages she still had to fill in, "Oh that's not so bad. I can finish this today." Yeah. I can do this before Jace leaves for his afternoon stuff. Man shaping my life off someone else's schedule sucks. I don't wanna do this anymore! I want a different job! I'm probably not even getting paid for this waste of time.
Why would you be getting paid?
Shut up! Phoenix glared at where Jace was sitting in front of the gate.
What are you doing here anyway?
Like you care. Phoenix turned back to her book.
I was just curious. You don't have to be so mean about it.
Don't go getting all butt hurt. Phoenix cocked her head to the side, "This is so weird. It's kind of hard to snap at someone when it's just my thoughts."
Trust me your attitude comes off loud and clear.
Phoenix glared at him over her shoulder. Oh can it! I don't care how much you can sense my attitude.
Out of curiosity how quickly can your moods change? You seem to just switch on whim.
Like you care and it'd be nice if you could not comment on my mood you heartless piece of…I can't come up with anything good. Damn.
You're trying to insult me?
No, I'm calling you names there's a difference.
I don't see it. She saw Jace shake his head. He quickly had to explain the motion to the two people sitting with him. Phoenix crossed her arms over her chest. Of course there's a difference. Insulting someone implies that you're trying to be mean and hurt their feelings. Calling someone names is something else entirely. People create nicknames for each other don't they?
Jace glanced over his shoulder at her. I guess. Yeah.
That's your difference right there.
I don't see how calling me a heartless piece of something isn't mean.
I call everyone a heartless piece of whatever comes to mind when they annoy me so for me it's not being mean. If I call you your name and I'm angry then you've really screwed up. Phoenix nodded.
Okay then. Why are you here?
Because no one cares that I am.
You aren't a student which is how I'm going to assume you got in there.
And?
So then why are you here? There has to be a reason other than you can cause no one cares that you are. I'm sure plenty of the teachers will care.
The librarian doesn't so whatever. The other teachers can eat dirt and sit on cacti for all I care.
That sounds…painful.
I certainly wouldn't want to sit on a cactus that's for sure.
Jace bit his lower lip. You're going to get me in trouble.
How would I get in you in trouble if I'm not even connected to you in any way? It's not like you opened the gates for me. I got here of my own free will.
I'm not actually allowed to use magic outside of a set time period in a specific place so if I start laughing at nothing they're going to assume I'm using magic. Nothing I say will change their minds because I'm a telepath.
Phoenix nodded. Oh. Well that makes sense. She finished filling out the book and closed it. She put it back and wandered around that part of the library. I'm leaving now. See ya.
How? Jace glanced at her over his shoulder.
There's a stair case that leads to the roof of the building in the very back. Phoenix explained.
Jace's eyes widened. Is protected by any spells?
A simple alarm spell but getting through doesn't take much. A small disabling spell should be able to do the trick. Phoenix smirked.
Jace turned away from her. Thanks.
Have fun. Phoenix left through said stair case. The building was two stories. The drop to the ground wasn't all that intimidating for her. Of course any other person that valued their lives and didn't have confidence in their ability to land would be scared witless but Phoenix didn't exactly think far enough ahead to consider the possible loss of life and was very confident in her ability to land the drop without breaking anything.