would have been me that had been burned to a briquette instead of old Justin. The Council has Seven Laws of Magic, and the first one is Thou Shalt Not Kill. When you break it, they execute you, no questions asked.
But some of the other wizards had thought I deserved lenience, and there was a precedent for using lethal magic in self-defense against the black arts. Id been put on a kind of horrible probation instead, with any further infraction against the Laws punishable by immediate summary judgement. But Id also been sixteen, and legally a minor, which meant I had to go someplacepreferably where the Council could keep an eye on me and where I could learn better control of my powers.
Ebenezar McCoy had lived in Hog Hollow, Missouri, for as long as anyone could remembera couple of centuries at least. After my trial, the Council packed me off to his farm and put him in charge of the remainder of my education. Education, to Ebenezar, meant a lot of hard work on the farm during the day, studying in the evening, and getting a good nights sleep.
I didnt learn much magic from him, but Id gotten some more important stuff. Id learned more about patience. About creating something, making something worthwhile out of my labor. And Id found as much peace as a teenager could expect. It had been a good place for me then, and hed given me the kind of respect and distance Id needed. I would always be grateful.
Ebenezar frowned past me, squinting at the Beetle. I followed his gaze and realized that my car looked like it had been pounded with bloody hailstones. The toad blood had dried to dark caramel brown, except where my windshield wipers had swept it away. Ebenezar looked back at me, lifting his eyebrows.
"Rain of toads," I explained.
"Ah." He rubbed his jaw and squinted at me and then at the cloth wrapped around my hand. "And that?"
"Accident in the office. Its been a long day."
"Uh-huh. You know, you dont look so good, Hoss." He looked up at me, his eyes steady, frowning. I didnt meet the look. Wed traded a soulgaze, years ago, so I wasnt afraid of it happening again. I just didnt want to look at the old man and see disappointment there. "I hear you been getting into some trouble up here."
"Some," I admitted.
"You all right?"
"Ill make it."
"Uh- huh . Im told the senior Council is pretty upset," he said. "Could mean trouble for you, Hoss."
"Yeah. I figured."
He sighed and shook his head, looking me up and down, nose wrinkling. "You dont exactly look like a shining example of young wizardry. And youre not going to make much of an impression wearing that."
I scowled, defensive, and draped the stole of rich blue silk over my head. "Hey, Im supposed to wear a robe. We all are."
Ebenezar gave me a wry look and turned to the pickup. He dragged a suit carrier out of the back and pulled out a robe of opulent dark fabric, folding it over one arm. "Somehow I dont think a plaid flannel bathrobe is what they had in mind."
I tied the belt of my old bathrobe and tried to make the stole look like it should go with it. "My cat used my good robe as a litter box. Like I said, its been a long day, sir."
He grunted and took his stumpy old wizards staff off the gun rack. Then he drew out his scarlet stole and draped it over the robe. "Too hot to wear this damn thing out here. Ill put it on inside." He looked up, pale blue eyes glittering as he swept his gaze around the parking garage.
I frowned at him and tilted my head. "Were late. Shouldnt we be getting to the meeting?"
"In a minute. Some people want to talk before we close the circle." He glanced aside at me and said more quietly, "Senior Council."
I drew in a sharp breath. "Why do they want to talk to us?"
"Not us. You. Because I asked them to, boy. People are scared. If the Senior Council allows things to come to an open vote of the entire Council, it could go badly for you. So I wanted some of them to get a chance to meet you for themselves before they started making choices that could get you hurt."
Ebenezar leaned back against his truck and folded his arms across his belly, bowing his head with his eyes squinted