The Licensed Mage

26 Sam Wilkson

        “So you stopped sleeping?”

        He slowly nodded his head, “I’d stay up playing game and drinking my dad’s coffee.” He breathed hard as he turned to Claire, “Is Emily…did Emily have the same dreams?”

        Claire glanced at Raven before answering, “It’s possible, yes.”

        “Did you know Emily personally Sam?”

        He looked at Raven as his eyes became sad, “Yes. We were…we were kinda going out.”

        “What do you mean kinda?”

        Sam looked down at his hands, running the cold beaker between them, “We went on two dates last year. It was fun and we had a great time but…then she started pulling away from me. Making excuses and just straight up standing me up. Just when I thought about breaking things off with her she’ll come back and say she loves me. It would go back and forth like that.”

        Claire looked at Raven and turned back to Sam, “Were you having the dreams at the same time?”

        His head slowly nods then he looks up, “Wait…does this mean she was dreaming at the same time as me?” Claire nodded her head and Sam erupted into another sobbing fit, “Oh god! I thought she was just playing me. She wasn’t!”

        Claire did her best to sooth Sam and motioned with her head to Raven for them to talk in private. They made sure Sam was clam then went outside the classroom door.

        “We gotta get him help.”

        “Is he a Necromancer?”

        Claire sighed as she crossed her arms and stared at Sam through the glass panel, “No, not yet. He’s coming into his power but he’s fighting it, bad. If he doesn’t get help soon he’ll explode and he could end up like Emily.”

        Raven watched Sam as he ran his fingers through his brown hair, “You better call your friend Dillon.”

        Claire nodded her head as they went back inside. They told Sam they wished to talk to his parents and asked if they could be reached at home. Same told them his mother passed away shortly after he was born and his father works from home. He quickly told them his address and they offered to give him a ride home. Sam wanted to refuse but Raven explained they would have some follow up questions for him when they were done with his father. He reluctantly agreed and they soon found themselves pulling into the driveway of Sam’s two story home in an up-scale neighborhood. They went up to the front door and Raven rang the bell.

        A short, slightly overweight balding man answered the door in sweats. He was alarmed to see Sam home so early and panicked when he saw Claire and Raven standing behind him, “What is this? What’s going on?”

        “Mr. Wilkson? I’m Detective Black and this is my partner Detective Dunsworth.” They flashed their badges for him to see, “We’re with the MPF. We have a few questions to ask you.”

        Mr. Wilkson adjusted his glasses as he studied the badges, “MPF? The new division the city created? What are you doing here? What do you want with my son?”

        Claire tried her most soothing voice, “May we come in Mr. Wilkson? I’m sure you don’t want your neighbors to gossip too much about you.”

        He blinked as he looked at Claire, “Yes, yes, I suppose you’re right.”

        He stepped aside, pulling the door open and let them in. Sam quickly excused himself and ran up the stairs to his room, claiming homework. Mr. Wilkson didn’t even blink as he led the detectives to the massive high ceiling living room and offered refreshments. They simply asked for water and studied the room as he walked off. Claire thought it odd when she noticed a major lack of family pictures. Mr. Wilkson came back with bottle water, dripping with melted ice and handed them both to Raven. Raven passed one to Claire and they took a sip to be polite as Mr. Wilkson sat in the plush recliner across from them.