Read the first three chapters of Cursed Mage now
Step into the dark world of Cursed Mage. Read the first three chapters free and uncover Kaija Jokiharju’s secrets, lies, and rising power.
Every family hides something. Some secrets whisper. Others try to kill you.
Cursed Mage is a dark fantasy tale of secrets, discovery, and survival. Meet Kaija Jokiharju, an orphaned girl determined to escape her past and start fresh—until her nightmares begin bleeding into reality.
In these opening chapters, you’ll see Kaija uncover long-buried truths, confront eerie visions, and stumble into a world of danger she never knew existed.
I’m giving you the first three chapters here—roughly 11 percent of the novel—so you can decide if Kaija’s fight to survive, endure, and rise belongs on your shelf.
Prologue
Kaija Jokiharju plunged underwater, and from the corner of her eye, hundreds of decaying bodies jetted her way. What raggedy clothes remained hung off of their narrow shoulders and arms.
She descended into the midnight green abyss, zigzagging to avoid the onslaught. But they followed each of her movements in unison and continued their pursuit. She kicked harder and swam freestyle, plunging so deep into this body of water’s depths that everything went pitch black—
“Ugh!”
Two sets of scabbed hands seized her ankle. Kaija’s midsection jerked as they tugged but she kicked herself from their grasp. Her knee collided with something hollow, probably what was left of one of their skulls. She choked after swallowing a mouthful of water and her stomach felt like it leaped into her throat as she catapulted upward and jetted from the murky water. No, the water resided beneath her feet. It rose in a tsunami-like wave, inhaling these zombified bodies.
Her face strained as they emitted a collection of wounded screams that were so loud, they echoed through this strange, forested landscape full of lopsided, gnarled trees.
Kaija drew a breath and bolted upright, beads of sweat causing her gray t-shirt to stick to her pale skin. She cleared her throat, reached for a half-empty bottle of water on the nightstand, and shook her head.
Not again. Not freaking again. The same dream plagued her over the summer, growing more vivid every time subconsciousness dragged her back into it.
Distant voices echoed from the living room, pulling Kaija from her thoughts.
Goodness, he had to leave the freaking TV on again.
Kaija flung the dishwater-colored bedsheets off of her and padded across the room as the last vestiges of her nightmare faded. The sound of an infomercial talking about how ten minutes a day on some nifty total body home gym would whip one into the best shape of their lives in thirty days or their money back invaded her ears.
Her dad must’ve stumbled inside after his half-night of binge drinking with the riff-raff he hung out with over on Main. And per usual, he left the freaking television on max volume. The third time this week.
Kaija crossed into the living room but sputtered when a powerful odor met her nostrils, forcing her to backpedal into her bedroom and press a forearm over her nose and mouth. Burnt plants. He smoked another joint before turning in. Great. That combo of booze and weed meant he’d wake up sometime between two and three in the afternoon with no idea of what he did or where he was last night.
She prayed he wasn’t scheduled to work the daylight shift in a few hours. Kaija couldn’t imagine what would happen to them if his boss called their dingy apartment’s landline and informed him, or her, really, what had already come from the previous six jobs for yet another no-show. Termination.
“Just another two months, and I’ll be free and on the other side of the country,” she whispered before drawing a breath and striding back into the living room.
Kaija passed the chipped coffee table and turned off the infomercial that now featured some sleazy-looking dude promising her that his latest nutrition regimen would lead to a ten-pound weight loss in just seven days so long as she also exercised on that total body home gym.
Kaija sneered as she struck the power button. “Ten pounds of water weight, dude. Anyone with half a brain knows that,” she muttered as the smell of weed reinvaded her nostrils.
Kaija flicked on an air freshener plugged into the pale yellow wall, turned on her heel, and strode toward her dad’s room before pausing and thinking better of it. Half the time he returned home with some random chick from the bar, and the last thing either of them needed was for her to barge in.
Nope, she could wait.
But as she motioned to return to her room, a cold chill ran down her back and Kaija hugged herself before something caught her eye on the carpet.
“No!”
She ran a hand down her face and bolted toward her rune sketchbook that lay open on the floor. Beer from an overturned bottle whose label featured a cheap brand name splotched the pages and beige carpet.
“Dad…”
Kaija worked for weeks on perfecting the sketch for that spell. A thirteen-bind runic talisman that when executed with the correct visualization techniques, was said to increase the odds for its user’s success in any endeavor, like acing a college curriculum.
She had just gotten the slabs of yew wood yesterday. Plus, the athame, the paints, and the necessary ingredients like incense, salt, and even consecrated water. Kaija already had matches to light the flame, and she planned on making two so she could give one to her dad.
“Okay, Kaija,” she whispered, trying to keep her voice from shaking. “Close your eyes and count to five. It’s not like you haven’t committed that combo to memory. You’ll just have to go into overtime mode to get the dimensions, length, and symmetry right again.”
She put herself through a series of breathing techniques, opened her eyes, and motioned to return to her room when something else caught her eye.
Her dad’s door had creaked open. And now that she thought of it, the draft sweeping through the apartment unit stemmed from the open window at the far end of his bedroom. Well, if he was in there with someone that door would be locked. That much Kaija knew.
Distant, frantic sirens met her ears as she crossed into the room, pressed the window into its latch, and locked it. At least it’d drown out the commotion to follow. Surely, she’d see the victim’s face on the morning news while she chowed down on whatever meager granola bars her dad picked up from the twenty-four-hour convenience store that sat on the street corner.
Ryse wasn’t a large town, boasting a population of roughly twenty thousand. But its downtown sector was crime-ridden nonetheless. So sirens and the occasional gunshots were just another part of the soundtrack.
She turned toward her dad’s bed, only to stifle a shuddering gasp. It was empty, and the old-school analog alarm clock that came with this crumbling apartment stated it was three-fifteen in the morning.
That was weird. He never stayed out this late. The bars closed at two, and there were no late-night hotspots in this town. At least none that she knew about.
She jumped and clasped a hand to her chest as three sharp knocks rattled the front door.
Right, of course, he locked himself out. Not that he forgot his key. He lost it while stumbling home. Heck, his knocks probably woke her up and pulled her out of that dream. She just didn’t realize it until now. Odds were, he fell asleep momentarily while she went out to turn the TV off and he’d just now woken up again.
Another series of knocks echoed. Louder this time. Proving her suspicions.
“Alright, Dad, geez!”
Kaija jogged to the door and pulled it open, where two men in black overcoats stared back at her.
“Uh, can I help you?”
The older of the two men spoke in a business-like voice. “Are you Kaija Jokiharju?”
“May I ask what this is about?”
“Are you related to Elias Jokiharju?”
“I’m his daughter. And again, what is this about?”
“I’m afraid we have some unfortunate news.”
Kaija pulled her lips inward and drew a breath. “Look, if he did something, I-I’m gonna have to request he spends the night in jail. We’re pretty much broke at the moment and there’s no way I can post a bail.”
The men exchanged dark glances.
“He didn’t do anything major, did he?”
Not that her father, even in his most drunken state, was a violent man. Well, unless someone else threw the first punch. But that happened just once when she was twelve. And after a five-day stint behind bars while she took up residence on a schoolteacher’s couch, he promised her that would never happen again. But did he forget that promise tonight?
“You might want to sit down,” said the younger of the two.
She closed her eyes, swallowed, and nodded, before inching toward the moth-eaten and beer-stained couch, the men following and sitting on either side of her.
“Kaija, there was an accident outside the Eesti Pub approximately thirty minutes ago. A car had struck the neighboring, vacant building, passenger side first. Your father was thrown from that car and killed on impact.”
Kaija’s eyes widened as realization struck her. Her father’s empty bed at just past three in the morning. And regardless of his ability to walk a straight line, he always made it back by two-thirty, two-forty-five at the latest.
The mess of a man, who, despite his flaws, was the only constant in her life since her mother walked out all those years ago. One who still put a roof over her head, bought Kaija her favorite food every time he landed a decent paycheck, and even squeaked out a few cool gifts on every birthday, plus her new watch phone when she got her acceptance letter to Fenn, was no longer here.
Kaija could do nothing but bury her face in her hands and scream. To curse the world for dealing her yet another bad hand after what should have been one of the more exciting times of her life.
Culture Shock
Two Weeks Later
Still processing the situation, Kaija took as many of her life’s worth of possessions that she could carry, stuffed them into two gym bags and a backpack, and boarded a plane to fly across the vast nation of Vimsinew, from Ryse to the east coast city of Vinburg.
Uncle Vaino at least did all the work for her, including hiring a crew to clean out the apartment. He even paid to have all her books, witchcraft supplies, furniture, clothes, and anything she still wanted but couldn’t carry shipped.
So, here she sat, decked out in a distressed pair of blue jeans, high-top trainers, and a black tank bearing two crossed swords with a silver goathead between the blades, while a necklace with a pentacle pendant dangled from her neck. Sitting in the middle of the packed cabin, the woman on Kaija’s right threw her a shuddering once-over, from her blue and dark brown braided hair to her half-sleeve tattoo featuring a snake emerging from a body of blue-green water.
The silver serpent coiled around Kaija’s arm three times, its slit-like green eyes staring back at anyone who dared to look at it.
The man on her left fell into a slumber a while ago, though she considered waking him just so he’d entertain her with what was probably another cock-and-bull lie of how he nearly landed a spot on the Ryse Raiders arena thrashball team, or the time he tracked down and asked out his celebrity crush, only to get hit with a restraining order.
A creep?
Judging from his faded blue jean shorts, protruding stomach, slumping shoulders, socks pulled up to his knees, and subsequent sandals, she’d guessed the dude was at the absolute least a womanizer and an obvious celebrity stalker. And the man’s backstory didn’t help his case.
But then again, given the way he talked her head off for the first hour of the journey, there was always the chance he was just a lonely, compulsive liar traveling across the country to visit his rich brother-in-law. Or at least that was the claim.
The pilot’s drawling voice cut across the news broadcast of yet another attack on their nation’s soldiers stationed in some small country called Demka located six thousand miles from the mainland across the Great Eastern Sea.
“We will be landing in five minutes. Please ensure all your luggage is accounted for and thank you again for flying with Northeastern One Airlines.”
“Mmm,” mumbled the dude, rubbing his eyes with his palms. “That was quick.”
“You’ve been asleep for the last four hours. I wouldn’t say it was that quick.”
The man yawned without bothering to cover his mouth, and Kaija counted four gold teeth as she wrinkled her nose to avoid inhaling his hot breath. He stretched and ruffled his frizzy hair, giving himself the look of a mad scientist when he’d finished.
“Like some help with anything?” He jerked his head to the overhead compartment. “Looked like you were struggling earlier.”
“I’ll be fine, thanks.” Kaija reached over and retrieved her backpack, stumbling as it crashed into her shoulder.
She fished out her headphones and ran a hand over her watch. A glowing green hologram emerged, and she scrolled to her power and symphonic metal playlist. Nothing like diving into some adventurous anthems while she waited for Uncle Vaino.
Though she’d never met him until just two weeks ago, her dad at least made her aware of the man’s existence. And, well, from the way he spoke about his brother, it sounded as if even something like innocent metal music would set Vaino off.
But it wasn’t the vibe she’d caught when their paths crossed for the first time. Even if, for some strange reason, the air seemed to thicken when he was around.
Then again, it was a funeral setting. Not necessarily the appropriate time for anything but sympathy. And he was the one who invited her to stay the rest of the summer before she headed off for school.
Once given the go-ahead to exit, Kaija scurried from the man, who again tried to engage her in conversation as everyone converged in the aisle.
Kaija’s watch buzzed when her trainers found the packed airport’s linoleum floor and she again brought up the hologram.
It’s Uncle Vaino. I’m just outside the East Entrance. Already grabbed your gym bags.
Thanks. I’ll be there in five.
You hungry?
Starving. Long plane rides and sketchy lunches in coach aren’t friendly to my stomach.
I offered you first-class.
I’d have felt bad.
It would have been nothing.
No, it’s alright. See you in five.
She broke into a half-jog, eyes scanning the signage along the perimeter until Entrance E jumped out at her.
“That’s gotta be the way,” she said, striding over.
Sure enough, Uncle Vaino’s sleek black hair was visible through the floor-to-ceiling window. And oh, he also brought Aunt Olivia. Great…
Kaija huffed as the automatic doors opened and she bustled out front and onto the sidewalk, passing a family chattering in excited voices before she reached her aunt and uncle. The atmosphere once again thickened at Vaino’s presence, this time to the point that her pale skin prickled. She draped the headphones around her neck and waved. “Hey, guys.”
Uncle Vaino beamed and pulled her into an embrace. “Kaija! How was the flight?”
Kaija’s voice grew muffled as her mouth pressed against her uncle’s chest. “Mind-numbing.”
Aunt Olivia glanced at Kaija’s blue highlights from the corner of her eye before she broke into a grimace that was probably supposed to be a welcoming smile.
“Well now.” Uncle Vaino rubbed his hands together when he and Kaija broke apart. “Let’s all grab a bite. There’s this bistro just around the corner that your aunt and I frequent often, especially during the week.”
“Ah, Vaino.” Aunt Olivia gestured toward Kaija. “They have a dress code, remember? I would think that Kaija may need—”
“Oh, nonsense, Olivia. The dress code calls for casual dinner attire, not business casual.” He motioned toward Kaija. “She’s dressed in more than what they ask for.”
After a quick, stomach-wrenching ride in Uncle Vaino’s black luxury SUV and an hour and a half inside the most upscale but somehow laid-back bistro she’d ever entered, Kaija and her uncle hauled her backpack and gym bags from the vehicle in front of the type of home she would stare at in awe on the television screen. But it was such a place Kaija never thought she’d enter.
They strode through a set of magnificent double doors carved from fine oak, courtesy of Alfred Jarvis, who introduced himself as the Jokiharju family servant.
Kaija shook hands with the man and fought to keep her face straight. His salt-and-pepper hair and lean overall build contrasted from the servants she envisioned. Those deviant-looking, stocky bald men crept up in the stories she’d read when she was in the mood to dip into the horror genre.
“Anyway, Kaija,” Uncle Vaino said. “Feel free to have a look around. Alf and I will get your bags up to your room. Would you like anything else? Dessert? Maybe a snack?”
“I’m all good with exploring the place, thanks.”
She tossed each man a smile and trudged up the spiral staircase, the corners of her eyes growing heavy.
The sheer resemblance between Uncle Vaino and her father was uncanny. Well, if her dad took better care of himself, anyway. The man was graying prematurely, and his stomach protruded from under his usually stained, dishwater-colored tees.
But when one looked closely, her dad was the kind of man who, at one time, boasted quite the athletic build.
She drew a breath and blinked the onset of tears back. Kaija’d done enough crying over the past two weeks to have lasted herself a lifetime, and she had to start moving on sooner rather than later. To distract herself, she stopped and absorbed every detail of each painting aligning the marble wall, letting Alfred and Uncle Vaino overtake her on the staircase.
Perhaps her uncle would love some hardcore symphonic and power metal after all. These photos, life-like paintings, depicted epic medieval-looking battle scenes. Flames, tornadoes, water, smoke, and some strange, purplish substance emerged from the sword tips of cloaked figures engaged in combat amidst a forested backdrop with a full moon gleaming overhead.
As she climbed, the paintings displayed more modern weapons of war like guns and cannons. But those strange swords remained. After another few steps, black and white, and sepia photos replaced the paintings, while tanks and military planes entered the scene.
Still, though, the main subjects carried swords with fire, water, and that weird purple substance emerging from their blades. They also wore black trench coats that reached the ground and Stetson hats. They towered over sword-wielding people dressed in black and silver camo military attire, who she assumed were their subjects. Now that she thought of it, these people resembled the Huotaja, bodyguards of Mercenary Party politicians.
Toward the top of the stairs, color photos met her eyes. And despite all the watch holograms present in the final picture, a group of men and women wore those same trench coats and Stetson hats. It had to be the Huotaja, there was no other explanation for it. But for fire and other substances to emerge from their swords? No, that had to be photoshop, or something. Maybe to align with the paintings.
When Kaija reached the top of the staircase, Uncle Vaino stepped out from one of the rooms, smiling.
“Enjoying the little wall of fame I had set up, huh?”
“Yeah, they’re pretty interesting.”
“Most guests say that. Anyway, each room contains a different theme. Yours, well, I took the liberty of being more than observant of your interests, Kaija, so I hope you enjoy what Alf and I have done with the place.”
Twisting her lips, Kaija strode into the room and her jaw dropped. An assortment of differently colored lights lined the upper walls, while her small altar stood on the far end. Photos featuring Kaija and her dad hung on the mahogany shelf adjacent to what looked like a king bed, and a rectangular holopad tablet sat on the nightstand.
“Wow,” she whispered, eyes darting to each wall, and for some odd reason, she twirled a strand of her gum around her finger. “Th-This is amazing.”
“Well, we definitely wanted to make you feel comfortable here while you awaited your fall term.”
“Thank you.” Kaija smiled and turned back to her uncle. “This is, wow…I-I dunno what else to say.”
“I’m just glad you like it.”
After another minute of observing the work Vaino and Alfred put into the room, she continued touring the home, whose interior looked more like a modern-day manor house than anything.
Her aunt and uncle’s offices and bedroom, two bathrooms, Alfred’s room, a conservatory, another guest room, and a full library also resided upstairs. When Kaija strolled back down the hallway, she stopped to admire scenic paintings entitled The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World of Catenary, The Vimsinew Society of Engineers’ Wonders, The Seven Natural Wonders, and The New Seven Wonders.
Each photo bore a number at the bottom with the inscription reading, This limited edition photograph is one of just one thousand in circulation.
How much money did this guy have, and what did he do for a living?
Her dad rarely spoke of Uncle Vaino, and every time he did, the man carried bitterness in his voice for the rest of the day and well into the night. Or best yet, that bitterness lasted until he became so drunk and high that he forgot to hate his brother when he came down from his hangover.
Kaija shivered and massaged her bare arms as a draft whisked through the corridor, one not unlike what she experienced the night her dad died. She hustled back down the stairs to explore the ground floor but stopped halfway and eased back up when disgruntled voices reached her ears.
“Honestly, Vaino, you brought an altar into this home without consulting me first?”
“Olivia, it’s not in our right to cast judgment onto the girl.”
“I was under the impression I’d married a man of high intellectual stature. Not one who believed in that kind of stuff.”
“And you were correct. High intellectual stature means you don’t judge someone because they’re following a path different from the one you’ve been led to believe.”
“I’ve been led to believe? I was also under the impression fifteen years ago that—”
“Your impression was correct, I assure you.”
Aunt Olivia drew a breath. “Can she at least cover up that horrible tattoo?”
Kaija’s lip curled as she again massaged her arms. Cover this tattoo? If the ill-informed lady had even an inkling of what it meant…
“I am not telling my niece how to dress.”
“We live in a gated community with standards, in case you’ve failed to notice. Tattoos of snakes, blue hair, altars? What’s next, Vaino? A pentacle on that floor?”
“She’s not carving a pentacle into anything.”
“Did you not see her necklace, by any chance?”
“I saw it, and I feel it’s correct to educate you that pentacles have been given a bad rap. Had you studied harder when you were at Cambridge, you’d have known that.”
“I’m warning you now, Vaino. I will have Yrsa pay close attention to detail every time she goes into the room to clean.”
“Yrsa will not be going in there. If I find out otherwise, she will be termed.”
Aunt Olivia sounded as though she held back a scoff. “And me?”
“Alf and I have already taken into account everything that’s gone in there. If something ends up in that room that shouldn’t be, then I’m sure Kaija would be more than happy to turn over her bank statements to clear her name.”
“Right. Whatever.”
Pounding footsteps told Kaija someone stormed up the stairs. She stumbled backward but regained her footing before tiptoeing back into her new room. Once Aunt Olivia’s shadow under the door swept toward the bathroom, she exited and descended the stairs to visit more with her uncle.
Cryptic
Throughout her first week at what she dubbed ‘the Manor’ sans her afternoon runs around the neighborhood and mealtimes, Kaija stuck to her room. And as Uncle Vaino promised Olivia, Yrsa passed over it during her daily cleaning duties.
Though Kaija couldn’t help but notice that, when she walked by the woman in the hallway, Yrsa looked daggers at her. Not directly, but from the corners of her gray eyes.
“Ah, don’t mind her,” Alfred said as he prepared dinner one evening. “Yrsa and her husband are known to be, well, different. She’s been caught on more than one occasion singing outside random people’s windows at three in the morning. No lie.”
“Yeah, I’ll probably try harder to steer clear of her.” Kaija opened her rune book and headed toward the dining room. “And keep my blinds shut at night.”
During her first few days here, given how spotless the frosted glass table was, Kaija assumed it was a crime for anything except dishes and silverware to be placed onto it. Atop placemats and hot plates, of course.
It wasn’t until she stumbled upon Uncle Vaino reading a magazine of the upcoming Vimsinew Thrashball League (VTL) season did she start bringing her own books down with her. Though she made the mental note early to develop a habit of taking them back upstairs. Kaija shuddered at the thought of what Aunt Olivia would do to her rune magic books if she left them lying around.
In an ironic twist, Uncle Vaino’s eyes lit up every time he saw Kaija carrying one of her books. He asked her about the content, often muttering the words “impressive” or “remarkable” during her sometimes drawn-out answers.
“Looks like someone’s raring to try Alf’s tuna casserole,” came Uncle Vaino’s voice as he crossed into the dining room alone tonight.
Kaija whipped around in her seat and smiled. “No Aunt Olivia?”
“Caught up at her office. The company’s undertaking a huge project with the latest tension brewing in Demka. They’re negotiating a huge deal with Chancellor Prime to send weapons to our allies in the region. I’m sure you heard all about it in the news.”
Kaija shrugged. “Might’ve turned it on a time or two. I dunno. I’ve always seen the news as rather depressing.”
“Good observation,” her uncle said, sitting across from her.
“So, I was wondering. Would it be cool if I would, I dunno, go exploring some? Or is it a crime to exit the gates without a car?”
Uncle Vaino fetched his VTL magazine from a drawer in the cabinet at the dining room’s far corner. “Exploring in what capacity?”
“Well, there’s a whole part of the area I’ve only ever seen in pixels, and I’d like to check out the trails and everything I saw on my watch’s satellite app. Obviously I don’t wanna run off or anything with you not knowing where I went. And like I said, I’m not gonna get yelled at or anything by those security guards if I walk outside the gates, am I?”
The latter was probably a dumb question. But Kaija, during her runs, had yet to see anyone exit the neighborhood on foot. And those beady-eyed guards glared every time she strode near them.
Uncle Vaino threw her a stony expression. “It’s not that I’d want you to stay confined to the place, or anything. It’s just that, well.” He ran a hand down the left side of his neck. “I’m sure you’ve heard stories of people who don’t cross one another, right?”
“Grew up knowing that for all my life. I lived two blocks from Millionaire’s Row, and none of us in those slums ever crossed into that side of town. But still, it can’t be that bad outside these gates, can it?”
“There are risks, nonetheless. But you are eighteen and I cannot legally tell you what to do and what not to do so long as it isn’t within the confines of this home. Though I will stress that you don’t go astray from the primary trail. The homes you will find out that way have residents that are rather backward, alright?”
“Uh, yeah, alright then.” She couldn’t help wondering what he meant by ‘backward.’
Uncle Vaino wore a smile that appeared to be rather forced as he buried himself in his magazine.
⚔⚔⚔⚔
The next day, Kaija threw on a tank top and a pair of form-fitting shorts, placed two bottles of water and a protein bar into her backpack, and pulled on her hiking boots. She also took her watch, as Uncle Vaino, when he visited her room before he turned in last night, made her promise to text him when she was getting ready to enter the trail, and when she arrived back home.
Curiosity struck Kaija after the conversation with her uncle at dinner last night about there being homes along these trails, and she spent time observing the landscape on her satellite app. Yet, no matter how hard she looked, not a single house, cabin, or shack popped up on her hologram.
After Kaija pulled her hair into a pair of braids, she left the house and set off onto the sidewalk. One that was much more level and well cared for than what she was used to back home in Ryse. Those sidewalks were uneven and full of cracks with grass sprouting up from under them. It was easy to roll an ankle if one wasn’t careful. But here in this gated community, Kaija could run a half-marathon a day on its sidewalks and feel no joint pain.
Maybe she imagined things, but it seemed those also outside at this early hour threw her more double takes than ever, with one child pointing her out to his mother, muttering. Kaija could only think that these people were either judgmental toward anyone who dared to dress differently or Aunt Olivia gossiped to neighbors about her appearance and word spread.
She may’ve caught wind of what the boy said, but having plucked her headphones from her backpack and placed them over her ears, Kaija drowned out all unnecessary noise in favor of some neoclassical metal for this upcoming hike.
Once she reached the end of this posh housing development and signaled for the brutal-faced security guard to let her through the gates as Uncle Vaino instructed, a well-maintained rolling field with a dirt path lay in front of her.
Given the potential rain in the forecast this morning, only an elderly couple lurked near the trees that led to the main path. And they appeared to be returning to the neighborhood.
After texting Uncle Vaino, Kaija’s stride turned brisk as what looked like a foamy creek flowed behind the trees on her left, its blue waters sparkling under the overcast sky.
Because she and her dad could afford nothing more than to live in a low-income apartment out west, she never had money for a gym membership. Nor did they have anything fitness-related in those rundown buildings. So, when her dad was passed-out drunk or on an at-home date with some chick who’d be with someone else in twenty-four hours, she vented her frustrations by running, even if those workouts occurred in some sketchy areas.
Kaija’s brisk pace transformed into a jog, and when she broke through the tree line, she tied the loose straps of her backpack around her waist and hit full stride.
Inhaling the scent of the changing leaves despite the August humidity sticking to her skin, Kaija further quickened her pace. She draped her headphones around her neck to better take in the flowing creek’s sounds, whose rapids crashed off the boulders lining its shores.
Kaija slowed back into a walk and put her headphones away when she reached a fork in the trail ten minutes later. She turned left, in the same direction as the creek so its soothing flow could keep providing natural music.
Movement ahead indicated someone else ventured out here this morning, though they didn’t seem as keen to stick to the trail. Or at least that was the case with one young couple standing near the creek’s banks.
Kaija glanced at the duo and motioned to start jogging again when something strange caught the corner of her eye that made her stop.
She could have sworn some of the creek’s water spouted upward, just over the couple’s heads before it crashed back into its depths. In a way, it was no different from those dreams she kept having, which occurred two more times since she arrived at her uncle’s place.
Then something happened that made Kaija’s jaw drop.
The teenage boy walked on, no—rode the water like some divine entity. But that couldn’t be right. Normal people couldn’t walk or ride on water. Goodness, no rune magic in the world of Catenary could give anyone the power to do that.
The kid must have been a magician or something, practicing a trick to impress an audience. Inertia, or something in that realm. An illusion. Smoke and mirrors. But impressive, nonetheless.
Kaija turned to continue down the path, but she bit her upper lip and wheeled around, setting off for the creek. She had to know how that kid pulled off what was the best magic trick she’d ever seen. Not that she witnessed many, so there was a chance that whatever this boy did was rather basic.
“Hey.” She approached the couple, who, given their identical green eyes and matching brown hair, looked like siblings or even twins. “Nice trick. Mind telling me how you pulled that one off?”
Their gazes morphed from dumbfounded to horror-struck and the boy backed away from Kaija while the girl stood her ground.
Kaija crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow at the boy. “Is something wrong?”
Fear resided in the boy’s eyes. “H-He told us no outsider would find us out here.”
Kaija’s eyes narrowed. “Who?”
“They had protective wards set up and everything. He promised us.”
“What’re—?”
But the girl launched herself at Kaija, grabbed the front of her tank top, lifted her off the ground, and pinned her to a tree. “If you tell anyone,” she said, voice shaking. “That you saw us out here, we won’t hesitate to let him know. And after he deals with you, he’ll toss what’s left of you in a ditch. You got it?”
Breathless, Kaija tried to relax herself against the tree, hoping to silently relay to the girl that she meant no ill will.
“Wait.” The boy held a hand up and stepped forward as his expression transformed from fearful to curious. “Do you feel that? A heavier concentration?”
The girl locked eyes with Kaija, looking rather inquisitive herself before shaking her head. “It’s not in our scope to make that judgment. Could be many reasons why she has one.”
“Listen.” Kaija fought to keep her voice steady as the girl released her and she collapsed to the tree’s base. “I-I don’t know what’s going on here, but if you don’t want anyone knowing you’re back here for any reason, I’ll keep that secret. Really, I will.”
The girl scoffed. “Fortunately for us, we’ll know. Our kind has eyes and ears everywhere. You’ve been warned.” She turned on her heel and stormed toward the path, waving for the boy to join her.
As they took off in the opposite direction from which Kaija came, she couldn’t help but wonder: Were the girl’s words a threat or a promise? And how was she so strong? Despite being no larger than Kaija, petite by all measures, she lifted her not just with ease, but with a single arm.
Then there was Uncle Vaino’s reaction when she asked to explore. Did he know about these people? He had to. Why else would he have looked so uncomfortable?
Kaija sat, with nothing but the wilderness and the creek’s peaceful flow for company, mulling over what she saw and the ensuing confrontation. When a cluster of distant voices emerged from the direction the girl and boy retreated to, she sprang to her feet and sprinted back to the fork in the path, out of the forest, and toward the gates.
⚔⚔⚔⚔
At dinner that evening, Kaija kept her eyes locked on her food as Uncle Vaino threw one too many concerned glances her way.
“You’re quiet tonight.”
She mustered a smile. “Just thinking about school again. College life, y’know? Another culture shock on the horizon.”
His face relaxed and he returned her gaze. “Oh, I remember it well, myself. And at least you don’t have crazy expectations to adhere to. Mind you though, I went to Cambridge, and I was busy upholding what Dad always called the family honor.”
Aunt Olivia scoffed. “I thought you’d accept nothing less, much like your dad. I mean, Fenn is a well-respected institution, but honestly, Kaija, why choose it over the best? I know they’re giving you a full ride, but perhaps you should reconsider for next semester, and continue the Jokiharju family tradition as your grandfather would have expected.”
“Fenn University edges Cambridge in the rankings in several areas of study,” Uncle Vaino said. “In case you haven’t bothered to stay current.”
“You know, Kaija, I’ve never asked.” Aunt Olivia set her elbows on the table and leaned forward. “But what is it that you plan on taking up?”
“I haven’t decided yet.”
“Haven’t decided?”
“Well, it’s a big decision.”
“That, it is,” Uncle Vaino said. “Yes, I believe it’s best that you take your time.”
“And is that what you told your father when you graduated top of your class in prep school?” Aunt Olivia said.
Uncle Vaino’s face took on a pale complexion, but he shook his head and threw his wife a sideways glance. “What’s not to say Kaija hasn’t narrowed her choices down to a few finalists? Not that she needs to at this point.”
Aunt Olivia took a swig from her wine glass. “Kaija?”
Kaija stared at and nudged stray clumps of brown rice with her fork. “Well, I wouldn’t mind turning my hobbies into a career. So, I’m considering something that has to do with them.”
At least that much color didn’t drain from Aunt Olivia’s face. After another sip, she smirked. “If you would like my two cents, I would recommend that you pick something worthwhile. Worthwhile in terms of studying with your family’s legacy in mind.
“Now.” She stood, hands on the table. “I’m heading out. The girls and I have a full evening planned. Good night to you both.”
“Sorry about her,” Uncle Vaino said, after Aunt Olivia disappeared from the dining room. “Sometimes, she can be rather out of touch with the fact people see things differently from her worldview.”
“So, you think I should pursue my hobbies?”
“I think.” Uncle Vaino looked over Kaija’s shoulder and picked up his wine glass. “You should go for whatever comes to you naturally. Whether it’s something in my line of work or hers, or something completely different. Study what you love and call it work, and as long as you can make an honest living from it, you will never work a day in your life.”
Marko
To keep things from looking suspicious, Kaija still ran on the trail each day during the rest of her time at Uncle Vaino’s. But she made a right at the fork and continued on what she now realized was the main path.
Warning: Land beyond this point is prone to collapse, read a sign she ran by without looking at when she visited here the first time. Though a voice told her this was a lie, and nothing more than an excuse to protect those people living in secret somewhere beyond that trail.
Every day, Kaija caught Uncle Vaino shooting her furtive glances at dinner when she discussed the trail’s scenery. His eyes widened in surprised shock when she stated she ran to the two-and-a-half-mile mark and back.
She also couldn’t help noticing the satisfied smile he wore all morning on her move-in day to Fenn.
“Ready for the next chapter?” he said, stuffing the last of her bags in the SUV.
“I’d say I’m anxious more than anything else. Got any tips for a new college kid?”
“Take everything one day at a time.” Uncle Vaino closed the hatch and faced her. “And each day, do something that scares you. Do that enough, and you’ll be fearless.”
Biting her tongue to keep herself from calling him out on his hypocrisy, Kaija returned her uncle’s smile and climbed into the passenger seat. Since Aunt Olivia, who last week said she’d be here, had a sudden date with friends in this upscale spa at a nearby casino, Kaija and Uncle Vaino would spend the afternoon moving boxes and luggage up ten flights of stairs.
Yeah, Fenn was one of those old-school college campuses that neglected to put elevators in dorms, so this would count as her exercise for the day.
Uncle Vaino stopped the SUV in front of Heikkinen Hall. “I’ll drop you off while I find a parking spot. You can grab your room key and everything. Sound like a plan?”
“Always.”
She hopped out and strode to a googly-eyed girl who looked a few years too young to be in college, yet spoke in a voice that would have suggested she was at least in her late twenties.
“Well, hello and welcome to Fenn University, home of the Red Foxes. I’m Taava, and you are?”
“Oh, Kaija. Kaija Jokiharju. And before you ask, the ‘Y’s pronounced in my name are actually ‘J’s.”
“Not uncommon in this region. About fifty-fifty.”
“Ah, you never know.”
Taava flipped through a set of folders, found Kaija’s name, and handed one to her. “Okay, Kaija, inside you will find all important information, like campus regulations, residence policies, stuff like that. You’ll just need to sign and hand it to your RA, who is Niko Raantanen. He’ll meet you on your floor and sign you in.”
Kaija nodded, took the card key Taava handed her, swiped it, and entered a building that featured grayish, cinder block walls. Not much different from the entrances to the apartments she grew up in.
But the corners of her mouth turned upward at the irony of it all. Whereas people who entered those units rarely got out unless they were forced out, these cinder blocks represented something else. A bottom rung of a much larger ladder, and one higher than what she’d left behind on Vimsinew’s West Coast.
Kaija bolted up the steps, slowing to a jog when she arrived on the tenth floor, where two guys wearing lime green tees with their sleeves cut off turned. As the blond-haired, blue-eyed kid tossed her a welcoming smile and strode over, hand outstretched, the strange, heavier feeling that encompassed Kaija when Uncle Vaino was around penetrated every pore in her skin, but without the uncomfortable prickling sensation.
“You must be Niko,” she said, shaking his hand.
“I’d be him.”
The other boy shouldered Niko out of the way, eyeing Kaija with a gleam in his brown eyes. “And I’m Edvin Korhonen. Would you require our services to assist you in your move-in?” he added in an eager yet sarcastic tone.
Kaija arched an eyebrow while a vein twitched in Edvin’s flexed bicep as he extended his arm to shake her hand.
“Sorry, dude, but my uncle’s helping me with the heavy lifting. Though he’s also kinda into fitness,” she said in the snarkiest voice she could muster. “So, I’d be glad to introduce you to him since it’s clear you have a common interest. Maybe you can bond with him over it?”
Edvin raised his eyebrows, arm falling limp at his side. “Just trying to do something nice, but it seems like you can clearly handle yourself.”
“Been handling myself for as far back as I can remember.” She wheeled around to face Niko, who still massaged his arm in the spot Edvin shoved. “Taava said you’d sign me in?”
“Yup.” Niko ran a hand over his watch and brought up his hologram, where what looked like a contract appeared. “You can just scroll down if you want, as I can assure you that there’s nothing lethal or immoral in that agreement.”
“You must’ve read it a thousand times, huh?”
“I’ve skimmed through it.”
Kaija tossed him a half-smile and signed her initials at the bottom.
Edvin leered at her from his periphery. “You know, I dig the blue highlights. You rock that emo look often?”
Kaija drew a breath and tossed him what she hoped was enough of a glare to get him to back off. “I think I rock several looks. I can also look like an athlete, a brain, and even the basket case you’d like me to be simultaneously, though I keep the latter to a minimum. Does that answer your question?”
Edvin tossed up his hands in surrender and strode toward a cute brunette girl who just brought up two cases of luggage.
Kaija lowered her voice to an undertone. “I hope this campus isn’t full of creeps like him.”
Niko waved her off. “Nah, he’s harmless. He just lives under the notion that his looks can win him any girl that enters within a twenty-five-yard radius.”
“Well, he ain’t winning over this girl.”
“Were you serious, by the way?” he said, leading Kaija to room 10B.
She crossed her arms. “Serious about what?”
“Handling yourself for as long as you can remember?”
“Let’s just say my life wasn’t that of the typical college girl who comes here. I busted my butt just to get to the East Coast.”
“Where’re you from?”
“Ryse. Just off the Lansimeri Sea’s shores. Well, not off, off of them. About an hour away from the beach that I’ve only seen from a car window.”
“I—don’t know how to respond to that.”
Kaija tossed him another half-smile before she again swiped her card key. “Maybe I’ll tell you more one day.” She opened the door and entered her room. “And wow! Walk-in closet-sized.”
Niko made a noise that sounded like he held back a laugh. “Now I’m not sure if you’re joking or being sincere.”
“Well, I’ll be nice and cozy.”
“It’s crazy how they manage to fit two beds into these rooms.” Niko wove through the aisle separating both beds that was so narrow he turned sideways to ford it. And it wasn’t like he was a big guy.
“Looks like the roomie already set herself up, huh?” Kaija nodded to the bed on the right with tucked in green linens and a desk that simultaneously served as the headboard, which contained photos of a cheery-looking family atop it.
“Her name’s Satu Viiminen. Something tells me you two will get along just fine.”
“Why d’you say that?” Kaija nodded to the photos as her watch buzzed. “Looks like we came from different sides of the tracks.”
“You’ll see. You gonna get that?” he said as she had yet to tear her eyes from Satu’s pictures.
“Probably my uncle.” She flicked the hologram upward and strode back into the hallway.
Here. read his text.
Coming.
Blast!
Just as Kaija turned toward the staircase, a rush of water surged her way. She shielded her face and turned, crouching at an angle.
The jet of water splashed off the wall and only a few specks of it got her in the face.
“Sick!” Niko said, poking his head out the door.
Kaija dropped both hands to her sides. “Did it hit you?”
He stared at her in awe. “No, thanks to you.”
“What’d I do?”
“Like, you literally just deflected an entire jug of water,” Niko said, while some bodybuilder-looking dude in a tank scrambled to pick up a busted gallon jug that fell from his grasp as he must have attempted to haul three overstuffed gym bags up the staircase. “Look!”
Kaija turned to the wall, where at least three-quarters of the jug’s contents ran in droplets down the cinder blocks and onto the linoleum floor. Now, it was her turn to stifle a laugh. “I think it’s more likely you were standing at an angle that made it look like I deflected all that water.”
“Yeah, but that’s still cool, seeing your catlike reflexes in action. You really are an athlete.”
“Well, at least you know how to compliment a girl. Wanna come meet my uncle? I think he’d be glad to see his lone-wolf niece made a friend. If it’s cool to call you that?”
He headed toward the stairway and waved her over. “I would think so.”
⚔⚔⚔⚔
Before they started moving everything in, Kaija swapped her distressed jeans for a pair of spandex shorts. And although she was drenched not long after, given the lack of air conditioning in this archaic dormitory, her body dried over the past fifteen minutes thanks to the giant fan her uncle was nice enough to buy for her last night.
Once Uncle Vaino finished helping Kaija at least add some pizazz to the dorm’s gloomy walls in the form of posters featuring her favorite metal bands, the door swung open, revealing a girl with delicate features and blonde hair that ran just past her shoulders.
She beamed and beelined over. “Kaija!” She pulled Kaija into an embrace that was far more backbreaking than her petite size would have suggested. “Oh, it’s so wonderful to meet you for the first time. I hope you like hugs!” she added, easing herself from Kaija.
“Oh, I don’t mind them,” Kaija said, or lied, really. Hugs from someone like her dad or Uncle Vaino? Yes. But from a stranger she’d known for seconds? Ah, they were tolerable. “You must be Satu.”
“That’s me!” She opened her arms for Uncle Vaino. “I just finished exploring the town with my parents. They’re heading back home, so, well, I guess I’m on my own. Kind of, anyway. Life starts now, right?”
“Oh, too right,” Uncle Vaino said once he broke away from Satu. “But you both look like you’re motivated enough to do just fine. Have you decided on an area of study, Satu?”
“International Relations. I just feel it’s rewarding, you know?”
“You might discover some deep facts one day.” Uncle Vaino wore a smile that didn’t meet his eyes as he wiped sweat bursting from his brow. “The, uh, smart ones always do.”
“You alright?” Kaija said, extending a hand toward her uncle.
“Most definitely.” His smile twitched. “Probably would have fared better in athletic clothes as opposed to slacks and a polo. Anyway, Kaija, are you good to go, or would you like me to stay for a bit?”
“Oh, no, I’m good. Satu and I can go check out the other end of the campus if that’s cool with her?”
“Definitely,” Satu said, nodding.
After one last hug and a reassurance to call if she needed anything, Kaija walked Uncle Vaino from the dorm and scampered back up to meet with Satu, whom Edvin cornered near their door, one hand on the wall as he peered down at the girl, the right corner of his mouth turned upward.
“Everything alright up here?” Kaija said, causing them both to jump.
Satu broke into a relieved smile while Edvin’s lips contorted, and he tossed Kaija a glower.
“E-Edvin was just introducing himself,” Satu said, hurrying to Kaija’s side.
“Yeah, he and I had the privilege to meet.” Hand on her new friend’s shoulder, Kaija turned on her heel and steered Satu along. “I don’t think highly of him,” she said after leading Satu down a few flights of stairs.
“Well, he could use a lesson or two about personal space. I could smell his breath.”
“One piece of advice to you.” Kaija pushed open the door that led out of the hall. “Niko is our go-to.”
“Oh, the RA. Yes, he’s very nice. Wish all dudes acted like him.”
“You’ll get your Nikos here.” Kaija spread her arms to the crowded campus full of incoming college kids and their parents. “But you’ll unfortunately get a lot of Edvins, too.”
As they weaved through the campus sidewalks, Kaija made mental notes of what each building contained. Yeah, she toured the place six months ago, but with guides pulling her in every different direction, that day was a little more than a blur in her memory bank and this was the first time she stepped onto the campus since.
A brick building in the center with four branching dorms at each corner, called Leinonen Hall, served as the main dining outlet, judging from the number of students exiting the place with paper bags and sitting on the lush lawns in front of the building to eat their respective lunches and in other cases, dinner.
She wrinkled her nose at some of their food choices, even if the smell of fries and onion rings made her mouth water. Though Kaija ate cheaply while growing up with her dad, greasy fast food meant stomach cramps for at least the next twelve hours. It happened so often that her father gave up and instead tried to buy her the healthiest items on the menu.
Satu led her past Leinonen and toward the campus’ perimeter. She made a left where growing ash trees lining the cement-laden sidewalks provided temporary shade to combat the heat.
Kaija bustled around the chattering students, jogging to keep up with her beelining roomie who set her eyes on a magnificent white building the exact length and width of a one hundred by fifty-three-yard thrashball field.
“I really wanted to check this place out,” Satu whispered, green eyes glowing. “Do you exercise often?”
“Yeah, but I’ve always been a runner. Never had gym access when I was growing up, so I had to make do with what I had.”
“Really? Your uncle looks like he lifts weights daily.”
“He does,” Kaija said, as Satu pressed the button at the crosswalk. “I’ve actually only been living with him for a few weeks.”
“Where are you from?”
“Ryse, not far from Erikoiset Jarvet. About an hour away from the Lansimeri Sea.”
Satu’s jaw dropped. “Western girl, huh?”
“Originally from here, if you want the truth, but I spent most of my life out west. What about you?”
“Itaiset Vuoret. Ten minutes from the Vimsinewian-Landtuian border.”
“You an Itaiset Swords fan?”
“Oh yeah! I love thrashball, by the way.”
As she and Satu crossed the road and approached the building, a sparkling, shimmering shade of blue caught the corner of Kaija’s eye through a wooded area and down an embankment a few hundred yards behind the place.
“Hey, you mind if I meet you back here in a half-hour? I wanna check out that lake down there real quick.”
Satu scoffed. “You definitely are the outdoorsy type, aren’t you?”
“When it was safe for me to go outside, I took advantage of it.”
Satu’s smile faded and she clapped a hand to her forehead.
“What’s wrong?”
“What I just said. I-It was stupid.”
“What was so stupid about it?”
“I don’t know anything about you, and here I am, already making assumptions and such. I say you’re the outdoorsy type, and you respond with—”
Kaija broke out in a laugh. “Satu, it’s okay. Look, the only thing you know is that I’ve been living with my rich uncle and you’re going by the limited sample size you’ve seen. You don’t think I do that, too? It’s called being human.”
“Yeah, but it was wrong for me to be so rash.”
Kaija placed a hand on Satu’s shoulder. “It’s cool, okay? Listen, I’ll go check out the lake, you have fun touring the rec. We’ll meet back here, head over to Leinonen, and get to know each other more over dinner. Sound good?”
Satu’s warm smile returned. “Thanks, Kaija. I-I guess I’m just a little insecure at times.”
Throwing Satu one more smile, Kaija turned and jogged down the wooded bank to the lake, where the deciduous trees and their collage of leaves reflected in the sapphire water. “Wow,” she whispered, approaching a weathered dock that looked to be a couple hundred years old.
Flash!
Kaija found herself standing on the planks, but her stomach jerked as the wood snapped and the dock collapsed. Screaming as she plunged into the water, something unseen tugged at her midsection and dragged her toward the lake’s center.
Her vision blurred as the water, trees, and sky transformed into an eclectic whirl of colors before this entity, whatever it was, pulled her under and into the lake’s depths.
She thrashed about, and her foot struck something solid. Kaija opened her eyes, and a rotted corpse drifted away before another set of decomposing hands seized her shoulders.
Deeper into the void she sank as more dead hands latched onto her legs, chest, and arms. Kaija’s lungs felt as though they were going to collapse thanks to the amount of time she’d spent underwater.
Flash!
Kaija doubled over, choking as she hyperventilated, facing the lake’s dock. She wiped a stray tear from her eye and backed away before colliding with something icy and solid.
Whipping around, Kaija found a college-aged boy with golden-brown eyes staring back at her.
“Wh-Who are you?”
He ran a hand through his dark hair. “I could ask the same about you.”
“You go to school here?”
“Yep. Just started. Name’s Marko.”
“Kaija. And may I ask why you snuck up on me like that?”
He stepped back and threw his hands up in surrender. “Well excuse me. No offense, but you looked like you were having a panic attack. I just wanted to see if you were alright. And just an FYI, you backed into—”
“I’m fine, thanks.” She crossed her arms and tried to sidestep him, but he mirrored her movement. “And you’re blocking my path.”
Slumping his shoulders, Marko stepped aside.
As she passed, Kaija winced as a wave of heavy air washed over her. Something similar to what one would feel on a muggy day, but without the excess heat. It hit Kaija so hard that she stopped and turned back around to face Marko.
He wore an expression that sat somewhere between amused and astonished. “You felt that, didn’t you?”
“Look, man, I dunno what you’re doing, but I suggest you—” her mouth hung open in confusion as moisture glistened in his pained eyes. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I-I’m fine.” He rubbed the back of his neck and wiped his eyes. “It’s just, nothing. Sorry I bothered you.”
“No, i-it’s okay. I looked like I was having an episode, and you did what any normal person would. I should be thanking you, but really, I’m fine.” She threw him a swift smile. “So, I guess I’ll see you around campus?”
The corners of his mouth turned upward. “Yeah, I’ll be there.”
“See you.” Kaija eased by him, walked along the pathway, and up the wooded embankment toward the rec center. She turned to catch one more look at Marko, but he’d vanished.
Her eyes darted in every direction, but there was no sign of life other than wild brush and birds singing in the trees. Weird, she thought to herself.
