Beyond the Veil

Kaden sprung up before I had much of a chance to move. He was at the door so fast, it was like he’d used magic to get there.

When he swung it open, Roger was standing on the other side, holding a tray of food.

“It’s about time,” he said, pushing past Kaden into the room. “I’ve been kicking on the door for a solid minute, at the very least. I was beginning to think you were dead.”

“Couldn’t you have just opened it by magic?” I asked.

“My magic doesn’t work like that, love,” he said, setting the tray on the bed. It had two plates of bacon, eggs, and hashbrowns, and two glasses of orange juice. “Fairies have certain powers, but we can’t incant. Not to mention, it would be quite rude to simply open a guest’s door while they’re sleeping. Not that I mind seeing Kaden in his underwear,” he added, glancing at Kaden’s bulge.

I wasn’t even aware of Kaden getting up last night to remove his clothes.

“Hey,” Kaden said, covering himself, “my eyes are up here.”

“But the interesting part is down there, darling,” he said, nodding toward Kaden’s crotch.

Kaden rolled his eyes and put on his shorts, which caused Roger to let out a sigh of regret.

“Does this mean you two are together, then?”

“No,” Kaden said, quickly enough it hurt my feelings.

“Then why were you two wrapped around each other all night?”

“We weren’t,” I said, but Roger raised his eyebrows.

“That was a lie,” he said in a singsong voice.

“How would you know, anyway?” I asked.

“You fell asleep with the door open. I closed it for you, but not before I saw Kaden nuzzling into your—”

“Shut up, Roger,” Kaden said through gritted teeth.

Roger smiled mischievously then, bowing, said, “Enjoy your breakfast,” and glided from the room, closing the door behind him.

“I’m sorry,” I said, a shit eating grin on my face, “you were nuzzling into my…what, exactly?”

Kaden rolled his eyes. “I was probably asleep. I told you, I’m a cuddler. But Roger only has one spare room, so we have to share, unless one of us wants to sleep on the floor.”

I just shrugged as I pulled the tray toward me and took a sip of the orange juice.

Kaden joined me on the bed and watched me for a second as I picked up a piece of bacon.

“You don’t mind, do you? I can sleep on the floor. I know it must be confusing, waking up in my arms after…what you told me.”

All the saliva in my mouth seemed to vanish at his words and swallowing the bacon was more like swallowing cardboard. My admission to Kaden from the night before was fresh in my mind.

Maybe it would be better if one of us slept on the floor. Except that the idea of that was not a pleasant one. Is it fair to either of us, though, sharing a bed? It certainly isn’t fair to me. But I couldn’t make Kaden sleep on the floor when this bed is big enough for both of us. Maybe I can start sleeping on the couch.

“It’s fine,” I said, “really. It’s…nice to have you so close….” then, realizing how this sounded, I quickly added, “….in case the collective attacks us.”

Kaden smiled, almost looking relieved, as he picked up a forkful of egg and began to eat.

Ugh. Was I overthinking things? Why did he look so happy at my being okay with our sleeping arrangement? It’s so confusing, the way he pulls away from me one moment, then seems to warm up to me the next.

We sat in silence and ate, then got dressed in some clothes Roger lent to us. He had nice taste in clothing, but made us swear to return them, unharmed, or we’d pay dearly as we stepped outside his house.

And just like that, I got my first, very shocking look at the magical world.

We seemed to be in a small town, though it looked more or less like the mortal world. I was expecting a scene from Harry Potter, with cobblestone buildings and walk paths, lit torches—or, since it’s daytime, unlit ones—and people wearing robes. But the buildings looked modern, streetlights lined the paths, cars drove around, and people milled about, looking at their phones.

The only real difference was the people themselves. There were people flying around in the sky, walking around with levitating books or phones, a group of what I recognized to be fairies standing around a tree, conversing in a language that sounded like windchimes in a tropical storm.

We seemed to be in some part of downtown as, while we walked, we passed several small restaurants and shops selling clothing, and groceries, but also shops selling spell books, potion ingredients, and enchanted objects.

“Where are we, exactly?” I asked Kaden.

“This is the alleyway I told you about. I know it doesn’t look like an alleyway, but this is all contained within the business district of Crestfall.”

Looking around, I could see some tall buildings, but none of the offices I knew were in Crestfall.

“And where are we going?”

“To City Council Hall. We have to get you registered. We’re going to say I pulled you beyond the veil a little over forty-eight hours ago so we don’t get in trouble. I wouldn’t want to get arrested, would I?”

When we passed a park, I gripped Kaden’s arm. There were at least ten small bear-sized, dog-like creatures running around. Two of them, in the middle of the park, were playing tug-of-war with a large baton, while the others bobbed and weaved, trying to keep the others away.

“It’s okay, they’re just werewolves,” Kaden said as if this were no big deal.

“Isn’t it dangerous for them to be running around? And how are they even in wolf form? And what are they doing?

“Oh, right, I almost forgot. No, it isn’t. Werewolves don’t really lose their minds when they transform. They’re in complete control. The only issue is when a human is turned into a werewolf for the first time. The first few transformations are painful and it sends them into a kind of shock. As for the moon thing, werewolves always turn at the full moon until they learn to control it. Otherwise, they can transform at will.

“They’re playing a game called Wolf Pack, where they fight over a baton. The goal is for them to get it all the way to the other team’s side without it being take. The two in the middle are in an alpha fight, and the others are keeping the opposing team away. It’s a complicated game, but fun to watch.”

“Wow. Mortals really don’t know much about the magical world, do they?”

“No, they don’t. It’s like the whole vampire in the sun thing.”

“Wait…vampires can walk in the sun?”

“Sure,” Kaden said with a shrug. “Vampires are the most misunderstood magical creature there is. The whole cross thing is absolute bullshit, holy water doesn’t exist, they can see their own reflection, and the whole garlic thing is because one vampire was allergic to it years and years ago, but even humans can be allergic to garlic. Though, they really do live forever unless they’re killed. And, no, before you ask, they don’t sparkle in the sun.”

“And is the stake thing real?”

Kaden came to a stop and started laughing, making me feel embarrassed as a group of passing fairies looked at us curiously.

“Damien, if I stabbed you through the heart with a wooden stake, wouldn’t you die? Yes, that will kill a vampire, as will cutting off their heads, and setting them on fire, just like everyone else. However, so will blood loss. Sure, they heal at insane speeds, so you need to either keep cutting them or hold their wounds open, but still.”

“Next you’re going to tell me the blood thing isn’t real.”

“Oh, no, that’s real. They mainly drink cow or pig blood, but they like human blood the most. Drinking human blood is illegal, but it still happens. Vampire bites contain a venom that makes humans intoxicated. There are dens everywhere where humans get bitten for the pure pleasure of the thing.”

Kaden started walking again, me trailing behind him as I looked around. Nobody that I saw had pale skin or red eyes or anything I’d expect to see on a vampire, so I was curious how I’d pick one out of a crowd.

We walked in silence until we come up to a large, black marble building with the words “Crendace City Council Hall” imprinted above a double set of dark oaken doors.

“Remember, it’s been a little over forty-eight hours since you’ve been pulled beyond the veil,” Kaden said quietly as we ascended the steps.

Just inside the door, I gripped Kaden’s arm again as I looked up at seven-foot creature with green lumpy skin, a large, bulbous nose, and grey teeth.

“It’s just a troll, nothing to worry about,” he said.

I widened my eyes as I looked at Kaden.

“Ah, a newcomer in the magical world,” the troll said in a refined voice. “Welcome to Crendace. Mortal Registration is just through here, gentlemen. Up the stairs and to the right, you’ll find an elevator. Third floor, second door on the right. Have a pleasant day.”

Kaden nodded thanks at him and we went inside.

“I thought trolls were supposed to be stupid,” I said.

“Listen, Damien,” said Kaden, coming to a stop. “You have to forget everything you think you know about the magical world. Almost none of it will be true.”

“Well, if you would have told me about some of this first—”

“Then it would’ve been suspicious that I told you everything about the magical world in less than seventy-two hours,” said Kaden. “Your bafflement is unsurprising            to everyone. It’s more believable if you don’t know this stuff.”

“I don’t get it. Why register me? Why not just remove my memories?”

“I’ve told you. Messing with minds is illegal. It never works out the way people expect. If I tried to remove your memories, you’d probably end up insane or brain dead. It’s easier to register you and keep you from spilling the beans about the magical world.”

Kaden took off again, walking up the stairs and into an elevator, the doors to which were already open. They closed automatically as we stepped in and I looked at the buttons. My jaw dropped.

From the outside of the Hall, I would’ve assumed there were maybe three or four floors, but there were hundreds of buttons.

“How—” I began to say.

“Magic,” said Kaden, sounding exasperated. “It’s magic.” He reached past me and pressed the button labeled “3”. The doors opened, though the elevator didn’t feel like it moved, and we were on a different floor.

The hallway before us stretched miles away, so far I couldn’t see the end of it. A woman stepped forward from beside the elevator and smiled at us.

“Don’t want to walk forever? I can take you to whichever door you’d like for $5 flat.”

“We’re going to Mortal Registration, we’re fine,” said Kaden, walking past the woman.

“Very well, sir,” she said, and stepped back into the corner, where she melted into the wall.

“Who was she?” I asked.

“A genie,” said Kaden.

“But don’t genies—”

“No, now come on.”

Kaden led me to the second door on the right, which opened as we approached. Inside, we found a very cute young man standing behind a desk. His grey eyes locked onto mine and I felt a swooping sensation in the pit of my stomach. His high cheekbones were sharp, his jet black hair seemed to almost be floating on his head as though he were in zero-g, and his full lips were wrapped around a red straw.

When he pulled his mouth away, the red slid down the straw back into the cup, which made me realize he was drinking blood. This was a vampire.

“Good morning,” said the vampire.

“Good morning, Matteo,” said Kaden.

“How do you know his name?” I asked.

“He’s wearing a nametag,” said Kaden.

And so he was.

“Ah, a new mortal,” said Matteo. “Very well. And your name is?”

“I’m Kaden Reel, and this is Damien Ahring,” said Kaden.

“Yes, I see your appointment. Just go through that door and wait for the fairy who will interview you.”

Kaden nodded and I followed him through to the second room.

I wanted to talk to Kaden, but was unsure if it would be wise. If we’re being interviewed by a fairy, they’ll know I’m lying as soon as I say it’s only been forty-eight hours since I was pulled beyond the veil.

I’m so worried about being caught, about Kaden going to jail, I could feel my self shaking with nervousness.

“Are you okay?” asked Kaden.

“I just think I need to hit a vape or something,” I said.

Kaden pulled it out of his pocket and took a hit from it.

“It’s a bit burnt,” he said. “We’ll have to get a new one.”

“We can hit that in here?” I asked.

“Sure, why not?” he said, holding it out to me.

After a few puffs, I did feel a bit better, but that feeling vanished when I heard the doorhandle turn.

We were really in for it now. We’re going to get arrested and then what?

The door opened and Roger stepped into the room.

“Good morning, gentlemen,” said Roger, acting as though he didn’t know who we were. “My name is Roger and I’ll be conducting your interview. This way, please.”

We followed Roger through the door and down a hallway into a room where a desk sat with one chair on one side and two on the other. Another person, wearing a dark blue uniform with a gold badge, stood against the wall looking bored as we took our seats across from Roger.

“Alright,” Roger said, then paused, looking at me. “Are you alright, sir?”

“I’m just nervous. I’m so new to all of this and my head is spinning a bit.”

“Ah, yes, the first time in a magical community can be jarring. But not to fear. So long as you answer my questions truthfully, you’ll be fine. Now, please state your name for the record.”

“Damien Ahring.”

The woman, who I guessed to be an officer of the Magical Police, looked to Roger, who nodded.

“Very well, Damien. Can you please describe the events that led to you being pulled beyond the veil?”

My heart jumped into my chest. Surely, Kaden wouldn’t want me to say anything about the Krashen collective being after us in the presence of an MP officer. He didn’t even tell me I’d be asked this question.

Then, I realized this was my chance to get the attention of the Magical Police. Sure, Kaden said they couldn’t help us, but he never really gave me a reason. I’m guilty of nothing more than being a victim in this whole mess.

I was just about to open my mouth and say everything when Kaden reached out and grabbed my hand.

“It’s okay, babe,” he said to me, then turned back to Roger. “He’s just nervous about this. We’re dating and it was time for me to tell him everything.”

Kaden smiled at me and I didn’t know what it was, my nervousness, or the thought of being with him, but I smiled back. But now I knew why Kaden didn’t prep me for this interview in any way. He knew I’d be too curious about seeing all the magical creatures to question what the registration was actually like. He knew I wouldn’t like us spinning it this way, because of how it would play with my emotions.

“How sweet,” said Roger sarcastically, “but please allow him to answer the questions, Mr. Reel.”

Kaden nodded but didn’t pull his hand away from mine.

“Is that statement factual?” asked the officer. Roger nodded. “Further verification is required.”

The MP reached into her pocket and pulled out two phials then walked behind us and pressed them into the back of our necks until I heard a crack. A coldness spread cross me and a faint glow appeared around my waist, across Kaden’s arm and chest. I looked into the mirror on the opposite side of the room and saw our lips were glowing, as was the spot Kaden had soothed with magic, little pinpricks of light denoting where his fingers had massaged my scalp.

The MP set the phials next to each other on the desk and they began to slide apart until they both fell off the desk, shattering as they hit the ground. The glow vanished.

“What did that do?” I asked.

“It’s proved you’ve been sharing a bed, cuddling a lot, and have kissed each other,” said the MP, “and that it’s been going on for some time.”

My heart shattered. This whole thing was a set up by Kaden.

The sharing a bed, the cuddling, even maybe the kiss, was all set up to prove we’d been in close contact. To protect his story. I looked at the MP, ready again to tell the truth, when Kaden squeezed my hand.

“Mr. Ahring,” said Roger, “how long ago did Mr. Reel tell you about the magical community?”

I looked Roger in the eyes, wanting to say it’d been ten days, but instead, I said, “A little over forty-eight hours.”

The MP looked at Roger again, who nodded.

“Everything appears to check out,” said Roger. “Let me be the first to officially welcome you beyond the veil. Here’s is your ID,” he pulled an ID out of his pocket, already filled out with my information alongside a picture of me looking bored. I wonder how they got this.

 

Name: Ahring, Damien

DOB: 05/10/2003

SEX: MALE

DESIGNATION: BTV MORTAL

CLASS: A-1

 

“What’s ‘BTV mortal’ and ‘CLASS: A-1’?” I asked.

“It’s means you are a non-magical creature, born beyond the veil. Beyond meaning not on this side, in this case. ITV mortals, or inside the veil mortals are given Class A-2 status,” said the MP officer as she scrolled on her phone.

“You two are free to go,” said Roger, “Mr. Ahring, we’ve taken the liberty of connecting your bank account to the United Magicians Banking Corporation. You’ll find a branch here in Crendace. You can go at your leisure to pick up a debit card, which can be used in the magical world. Good day, gentlemen.”

Kaden nodded at Roger and glanced at the MP, who was tapping away at her phone. I followed Kaden out of City Hall and onto the street.

“Damien, I—”

“Take me to the bank,” I said. “I want to move money over so I can get a new phone and call my parents.”

“You can’t yet. Not until we figure out a way to explain where you’ve been.”

“You don’t get to dictate my life anymore,” I said, then stomped away from him in a random direction until he grabbed my shoulder, spun me around, and pointed the opposite way.

“The bank is that way. But first, why are you so mad?”

“Because of the trick you’ve been playing on me. Answer me this, Kaden, truthfully. Were you sleeping in the same bed as me, cuddling me, and everything else just so we could trick them into believing we were a couple? Did you somehow engineer that kiss to make it more believable?”

“No,” he said flatly. “We slept in the same bed because it made sense for where we were at. I really do like to cuddle when I sleep, and you were the one who kissed me. I wasn’t exactly honest about the safehouse, though. I needed to come here, to make a friend in City Hall, so I could lie about the way you found out about magic.”

“And not telling me about your plan?”

“It was Roger’s idea.”

“The plan, or not telling me?”

“The plan was Roger’s. It was the most believable story. I didn’t tell you about it because…I didn’t think you’d go along with it.”

My face contorted in anger as I stared up at him.

“Fuck you,” I said, filling my voice with as much venom as I could muster. He at least had the decency to look ashamed about it.

“Look, I’m sorry, but this had to be believable. I knew there’d be an MP there and they can’t know the Krashen collective is trying to kill us. It’d open a whole can of worms I’m not ready to deal with at the moment.”

“Like what? I’m done with your games, your lying, your—”

“Well, well, well, look what the ghoul dragged in,” came a horrifyingly familiar voice to my left.

I turned and saw the three of them standing there in broad daylight. Peter, with Natasha and Natalia standing just behind him. I was prepared to run, but Kaden didn’t move.

“I see you’re still standing. Thought for sure Natalia had brought you down for good,” said one of the twins. Now that I saw them in daylight, I noticed this one has her right eyebrow pierced, while Natalia has her left one pierced, both of them with a purple double spiked stud.

“What do you want?” asked Kaden.

“We just want our power back,” said Peter. “Then we promise we’ll leave you alone.”

“After what you did to Emily?” I asked, feeling brave now that I realized they won’t attack us in the middle of this busy street.

“After what I did?” asked Peter, smiling. “I’m guessing Kaden didn’t tell you the whole truth. He’s just as much to blame for what happened with Emily as I am.”

“He said you killed her,” I said.

“So you didn’t tell him the whole story,” said Peter, looking between me and Kaden. “Perhaps I’ll tell him, then.”

“Don’t listen to him,” said Kaden, stepping forward.

“Damien,” said Natasha, “come with us. We clearly got off on the wrong foot. Kaden is the one who can’t be trusted. Come with us and we’ll tell you everything.”

“Or you could just tell me now,” I said. “Otherwise, I could just run to the police and tell them about you.”

“And get Damien arrested for committing one of the worst crimes in the magical world?” asked Peter. “Is that really what you want to do?”

My skin went cold. I took several steps from Kaden until I was standing almost equidistant between him and the collective.

“What are they talking about, Kaden?” I asked.

“Come with us,” said Natalia, holding out her hand, “and we’ll tell you everything.”

Kaden looked back at me, his eyes pleading.

“Don’t go with them,” he said, “please. They will kill you. Let’s just go take care of business, go back to the place where we’re hiding, and I swear I’ll tell you everything. The whole truth.” Kaden held his hand out to me.

I looked between them, unsure which to choose.