“Why did you bring me?” I asked. Luke rose a brow, slightly turning to me. 

“Well someone had to come.”

“Not Harry?”

“Eh, if Harry and I went we probably wouldn’t end up with a lot of dinner foods… not to mention we’d way overspend… I’m hoping bringing you along keeps me responsible.” He chuckled. That was it? “...plus, you’re the person I want to talk to the most right now.” I felt my face heat up. 

“What?” Luke turned to me fully now, with a determined look on his face, he grabbed my hands and laughed. 

“Thanks for letting me sleep!” He laughed. I scowled, letting his hands go, and lightly punching him. We both laughed it off, and continued walking toward the market. “In all seriousness though… I know the least about you.”

“Ask what you want, I’m an open book.” I shrugged. 

“You’re from California right?” I nodded. “You’re a pure magi… was your family like… rich or something?” I was silent. “You don’t have to answer, sorry I was just curio-“

“No.” 

“Wh- oh… s-so…”

“The generations preceding my parents were lazy bums. None of them worked for anything and because of that the Warner name was tarnished… my parents began working and working non stop to support me and my broth-“

“Brother? You have a brother?” Shit. I wasn’t supposed to mention him… I sighed, visibly frustrated with myself. 

“Luke… please you can’t bring that up to anyone.” Luke rose a brow, as he opened the door for me at the market. 

“Why not? I mean you all know about my annoying sister.” He laughed, my silence killed his mood pretty quickly. 

“It’s not like that…” I said flatly, as we began walking through some aisles. “...I… never knew him. He was old enough to see me but I never saw or met him really…”

“Is he… Yaknow… d-“

“No. He's not dead… he can’t be dead. But I need to find him.” Luke stopped and was quiet for a moment. I turned, and rose a brow. When he lifted his face, he wore a giant toothy grin. 

“Well then. Nothin’ two magi can’t solve in secret! It is our job anyway!” A smile crept across my face, as once again, my face heated up, and tears welled up in my eyes. I shook the feeling and continued on with him for a while, as we started picking out some items. Luke and I talked happily for a long time, when suddenly Luke said something that made my stomach sink. “Just keep acting natural.” My face dropped. “No, no, smile, keep laughing and smiling.” I put a fake smile on. His remained as well. “Now laugh like I’m funny… I mean… I know I am but I-“ I laughed. “Nice.” We continued for a little longer. 

“Are you gonna tell me what’s happening?” I asked quietly. Luke laughed loudly, and nodded. As we entered another aisle. 

“This…” he said through a grin. “...isn’t real.” He gestured to the whole market. What?? Not real?? “It’s an illusion… or a distortion spell of some kind… I haven’t gotten that far, nor can I see who's casting it.”

“Then how can you tell it’s fake???”

“You haven’t noticed? No one is here, it’s not that late, it's about evening time.”

“Ok? It could just be a small shop.”

“There was no cashier, the open signs on, and literally no one is here…” he was right I hadn’t seen a single person… “but there’s one more thing” I rose a brow. “... we’ve doubled back a few times during this trip… the items on the shelf have changed every time…” my heart rate began accelerating. “Relax Warner.” Luke said firmly… he was right… I needed to be calm… but I’d never fought a real evil magi before… We passed by the front of the shop. “In situations where we get caught in a distortion or illusion spell and realize it…” Luke began.

“First, remain calm.” I responded… it was a lesson Stevenson had taught us early in our training… 

“Check.” Luke returned.

“Second, identify the assailant.” There was a moment of silence, while Luke darted his eyes about the shop, they eventually froze on the window that led out to the street. 

“Bingo. On that telephone pole.” I looked where he was and my heart sank. Someone stood on top of the pole, dressed in a cloak, hood over their head… but… it was the same cloak…  as the man from my dreams, just a different color…  I felt a bead of sweat drip from my forehead… Was it… him? No. This figure… it was just a silhouette in the moonlight, but I could tell… his build was more lanky, and narrow.

“Third… devise a counter attack…” I said quietly, as we continued along the front of the shop. “Whatcha got Baker?” I muttered, he was already on it, his face had begun displaying a serious look on it, as he remained Silent. “If I may…” I spoke up, smiling, Luke saw my face, and returned to the fake happiness he had been displaying. “...I taught myself a spell in the weeks leading up to the exams… it’s an illusion spell.” Luke’s eyes widened. 

“You’re going to illusion, the illusion!?” He whispered amazedly. I giggled.

“I’m going to try… this way we can escape without him noticing. I’m not sure how it’ll affect you… I’ve only just learned it.”

“I see… then listen to this. This guy seems to have focused everything he’s got into this spell… which means his hand to hand combat may be weak. If shit hits the fan and I can’t get to you, take the fight in close.” Luke explained, I nodded. “...now… can you cast that spell?”

“It might take a bit to cast… and by the time I’m done he may have noticed, and fled. Or will notice, and attack us.” 

“So you’ll have to cast it concealed…” I felt Luke eye my body up and down, my face grew a little hot. “...well you won’t be able to conceal it in a tight fitting outfit like that.” He muttered to himself, I felt my face turn completely red now, t-tight fitting? I sighed… in all fairness jeans and a black t shirt probably weren’t ideal concealed casting clothes. “Alright then.” Luke said, he inhaled sharply. “My god!!!!” He yelled as loud as he could. “Is there not a single trench coat here!!???” 

“Wh- Luke what are you doing!” I whisper yelled, he held a hand up, laughing and smiling. 

“Think back to the lecture Stevenson gave us on illusion spells, the one you quoted earlier.” I rose a brow. “Illusion spells are meant for two main purposes, delaying a target, or obtaining information on a target.” Oh yeah, that’s right… “The goal of the caster is to manifest something that will keep the victim occupied for long periods of time.”

“So you’re saying this guy is delaying us? Or observing us?”

“That’s hard to tell, but I do know by yelling what I just did… he should manifest the thing we asked for, in order to have us continue shopping…” a smile grew across my face… he was so smart sometimes… “Let's go.” He said, continuing onward. In a few moments… I’ll be damned, we ran into a clothing aisle… large coats, and clothing racks hung up all around the aisle. “He’s so wrapped up in keeping us here he didn’t even think that this was supposed to be a grocery store originally.” Luke chuckled to himself. I grabbed a trench coat off the rack, and slid it over my body. From here I could conceal my spell… I slid my arms out of the sleeves and against my stomach, interlocking my fingers. 

“Ready?” I muttered, Luke nodded. I inhaled deeply, pressing my closed hands closer and closer together, and closer to my body. Finally I muttered the words “Heat Wave Mirage…” and exhaled sharply through my nose. Steam exploded from my nostrils, consuming the area we stood in, and shortly the whole shop….

…