~ Marie ~

Three days had passed since her last case and she was still researching. Marie pulled out another clean sheet of paper. She put the sheet she’d been working on next to it and started to write down the relevant information. A possible lead had been found in one of the books she’d bought recently and she was busy researching it further. She still needed to check the math later to see if the method was even possible. Making or modifying spells required that a person made sure that the magic they put in would achieve the desired results. Anything wrong with the calculations could result in unintended consequences for the person casting the spell or for the person the spell was used on.

Marie looked over what she’d written. It looked like everything was there. She took a sip of coffee but found her mug empty. A sigh escaped as she glanced at her watch. It was already ten o’clock. She’d been at this the entire day.

Running calculations for something this complicated always took time. She stretched before she took her mug and went to the kitchen. The rest of the house was dark. The only light was the one she left on in the kitchen. Marie yawned as she entered the kitchen. Maybe she should research for a little bit longer before going to bed. She could always start again in the morning.

She put her mug down and poured herself more coffee. Marie turned to leave when she heard a knock at the back door. She frowned as she stared at the door. That was another problem that needed to be solved soon. She wanted to ignore it and go back to the study but she had given her word. Marie waved her hand and the door popped open. A man walked in, closing the door behind him. Adrian smirked as he looked back at her.

“I’ve come to collect my favor.”