28

ON THE MORNING OF THE FINALE MY EMOTIONS ARE all over the place. I’m
excited to be so close to becoming a Junior Agent and everything that
would mean, and probably just as nervous about whether it will actually
happen. I try not to dwell on it too much as Elsie and I get ready, but that
only leaves me to think about last night and that awful spell I used. Just the
memory turns my stomach.
When we got back here, Elsie asked me not to use my magic like that on
anyone else, but it wasn’t necessary. I had already made up my mind to
never use foul magick again. Ever.
No matter what.
There’s no big ceremony or encouraging speeches to kick off the finale
for the Junior Agent trainees. The six of us report to the lobby at 9:00 a.m.
and we’re given a schedule that tells us where we need to be and at what
time in order to complete each section of the finale. We’re all fidgety and
anxious and look over our schedules quietly.
First up for me is supernatural world knowledge. I walk into this little
room with just a number 2 pencil, the test, and an answer sheet. I thought
for sure we’d take the exam on a computer like we do when we practice,
but they insist that this is tradition. My hard work completing that booklist
definitely pays off. I know a lot of the answers. When I get to the last
question, I smile. It’s the same final question I had on my first exam. Which
two great beasts reside in the Atlantic Ocean? Easy peasy. The kraken and
the leviathan.
After the test, me and Dylan practice our steps for the Helsing technique
for about thirty minutes and then report to the dueling gym. First up are Zoe and Madison. It feels so good to zap them into giggles on the floor mat. The
next duel is harder, and I get zapped, but Dylan wins it for us.
I should be excited that things are going so well, but still no one’s told
me how they’re going to grade me for the supernatural ability
demonstration. They only made it clear that I’m not allowed to do one, with
a big red X on that section of my schedule. It makes me think that maybe
Dylan is right, and Director Van Helsing plans to disqualify me.
Guess it’s a good thing I plan on performing a demonstration anyway.

“Would Dylan Van Helsing please come to the stage?” Director Van
Helsing speaks into a microphone. Even though it’s the final demonstration,
the briefing auditorium buzzes at the sound of Dylan’s name. It’s filled with
Agents and Junior Agents, with Director Van Helsing and the rest of the
grading committee getting the last row to themselves.
A few seconds later Dylan appears from behind the curtain. He’s brought
a microphone and a chair with him that he places at the center of the stage.
Director Van Helsing says, “You may either display your supernatural
ability first and announce what it is to the spectators later or vice versa. It’s
your choice.”
Dylan moves to the microphone. “I’ll be allowing my partner, Amari
Peters, to have the stage. She has a demonstration she’d like to perform.”
Shouts go up in the crowd as I walk out onstage to join him. People leap
to their feet.
“I’m very sorry but that won’t be allowed,” announces Director Van
Helsing. “Come down off that stage at once, young lady.”
My partner and I exchange a grin and then he darts behind the curtain,
leaving me the stage.
Director Van Helsing is practically growling into his microphone. “I’ll
give you one more chance before I send someone up there. You will not
perform that vile sorcery here among these good people.”
But I don’t move. And when I raise my hands it goes silent. People cower
in their seats like they think I’m about to attack or something.
“Get her off that stage!” barks Director Van Helsing.
Two agents run onstage and try to scoop me up into their arms. But I’m
not onstage—it was just an illusion. With a wave of my hand I fill the room with darkness.
Whispers break out across the room and I take a slow deep breath as I
tiptoe up to the stage. My whole body tingles with nerves and it feels like
my tummy has balled itself into a knot. But if this is what I have to do to
prove myself, then I will.
“Hello,” I say into my own microphone. “My name is Amari Peters, the
magician girl. You guys have heard all about magicians, but most of you
don’t actually know any. So I’d like to welcome you all to a very special
Supernatural Immersion class—magician edition.”
There are rumblings in the crowd, but thankfully no one leaves.
“Habitat,” I continue. And I paint an illusion, letting the image pour out
of my fingertips. Suddenly, the auditorium looks like a street in my
neighborhood. A few people gasp, some keep turning their heads back and
forth while others reach out with their hands to see if they can touch
anything. “I’ve lived in the Rosewood Projects for as long as I can
remember. It’s basically a lowincome apartment complex for people who
need a little help getting by. People joke and call it the ‘hood’ or the bad
side of town, but it’s full of good people if you give them a chance.”
I change the illusion to my apartment and have the audience glide
through like one of those virtual house tours on the internet. “This is home
for me. It’s probably not much compared to where a lot of you guys live,
but it’s all I’ve ever known. This is my room, junky as always. And this is
where the famous Agent Quinton Peters used to sleep when he was just my
big brother. We would lie in here and dream about the things we were going
to do. He made me believe I could actually do anything I set my mind to.
He made me believe in me.
“Hobbies. Well, usually I compete in the summer swim meets at the rec
center but I got a little busy this year trying to make Junior Agent.” My joke
gets a few laughs, and it’s enough to encourage me to keep going.
“Go to the Department of Undersea Relations,” someone shouts.
“Oh, good point,” I say. “Guess it’s hard to complain about missing the
pool when there’s a whole floor that’s underwater.”
That gets even more laughs.
“I also like to read books. The fun ones, not Supernatural Laws and
Regulations. That author should definitely be investigated for crimes
against good moods and staying awake. I’d much rather read books about
magic and adventure—though I never imagined my own life would ever come close! Recently I’ve taken up another hobby, and that’s practicing
magic, which is mostly just me playing around with illusions.” I flash an
image of Elsie freaking out that time I turned her hair pink.
“I think I’ve gotten pretty good. Tell me what you guys think . . .”
And then I put on a show. I turn the ceiling into a cloudless, starry night
sky and let the aurora borealis glimmer just beyond their fingertips as
shooting stars zip across the auditorium. I turn the room dark again, and
suddenly fireworks explode and sparkle overhead one after the other. Then
the auditorium becomes a circus, with performers doing flips down the
aisles and trapeze acrobats twisting and flipping above them. Clowns spill
out of a car onstage while tigers jump through hoops of fire. I put us aboard
a pirate ship in the middle of terrible storm. People clutch their seats as the
ship rocks back and forth amid crashing waves that tower above us. Finally,
I put us on a calm sandy beach with the sun setting into the horizon. “The
End.”
I sweep away my illusion and step out onto the stage in front of the
microphone Dylan left for me. Awed faces stare up at me. “Supernatural
Immersion class usually ends with us asking questions. So here I am. I’ll
answer anything you guys ask.”
“Is it really you this time?” someone asks.
“Yep, it’s really me,” I say. “Hopefully Director Van Helsing will let me
finish?”
Agent Fiona’s voice answers. “Go on.”
There are so many questions, from “Does using magic make you grow
horns?” to “Did Quinton know you’re a magician?” to “What makes you
different from all the magicians that committed so many awful crimes?”
That last question is the hardest and I have to think before I answer. “I
don’t know that anything makes me different from those other magicians.
Honestly, there’s a lot to being a magician that I still don’t get. But what I
have learned is that it’s my choice what kind of magician I’m going to be.
I’m trying to learn from my mistakes and not be like those bad magicians
you guys know about. I guess I’m just asking for a chance to prove myself.”
And when Agent Fiona finally calls time on my presentation people
actually clap. Not everyone, but some. And it means everything.
I head backstage to find two agents waiting. I figured I’d get in trouble
for this no matter how good or bad it turned out. “Just a few more seconds.”
And I close my eyes, still listening to that applause.

Screams from the auditorium pop my eyes back open. Suddenly alarms
go off and agents rush past me. I step back onstage to find the whole place
going nuts. People dash up the aisles toward the exit, others climb over their
seats. But most everyone is looking up.
I lift my head to find three huge bat hybrids, flashing long fangs. I’m too
stunned to even react, my feet rooted to the stage. But then I blink—and
suddenly there are twenty.