Beginnings

Egan distractedly elbowed the door handle, pushing it downwards, his arms laden with books and term papers. After minutes of struggling and bruising his elbow, he shouldered the heavy oak door, his glasses threatening to slide off the tip of his nose as he continued to read the paper placed precariously on top. His lips moved silently with the words as he maneuvered through the library and towards the stairs. He turned a corner and ran into a solid wall of black, papers and books tumbling and scattering across the floor. A black-gloved hand coiled around his elbow and pulled, keeping him from falling while the other caught his glasses.

"Sire," Wrynn greeted coldly, looking down his angular nose at the professor.

"Sorry," Egan mumbled, crouching hurriedly to gather papers and books. Wrynn knelt down beside him, his tailored morning suit barely creasing as he took the books from his hands and stood.

Egan piled the papers and straightened, "Thanks," he managed a smile before stepping around the demon, darting up the stairs. Wrynn followed in his wake.

He patted the pocket of his cardigan and grumbled incoherently, realizing that he had left his keys in his office at Oxford but, when he reached the mahogany door of his office, he flicked a couple of fingers and the lock clicked open. Before he could adjust the stack of papers, Wrynn opened the door and followed him in. Wrynn set the pile on the corner of his already cluttered desk and took the papers out of Egan's hands without a word. Egan pulled off his shoulder bag, extracted his laptop, automatically handing Wrynn the bag before loosening his tie and sitting down with a small sigh.

"Will you be taking your dinner in your study tonight?" Wrynn asked, hanging the bag on the coat rack, his tone bored but still warm.

Egan’s attention was already on the paper he was reading, the student's views on Dr. Butcher's assessment of light were interesting and, so far, he had done an excellent job at presenting the information on the research. Wrynn cleared his throat, slowly prying Egan’s eyes away, looking up, "Sorry did you say something?"

Wrynn's lips twitched a fraction upwards as he stared with a resigned expression, "I asked if you will be taking your dinner here tonight?" he repeated, hands clasped behind his back.

"Oh," Egan frowned and shook his head, "Yea, probably. I need to get these papers graded tonight," he answered, turning back to the paper. He heard Wrynn say something but was already reading about the representation of light in Buddhism. He felt Wrynn's departure more than he heard it, the room cooler without him.

Shadows grew as he went through the papers, eyes straining in the growing darkness until he waved an impatient hand, the lights flicking on. Wrynn returned with the clattering tea cart, his back pushing open the office door as he pulled in. Egan glanced up, stomach growling loudly as the rich scent of dinner followed the cart. He set his pen down and pulled off his glasses, rubbing his eyes tiredly while Wrynn began clearing a space on the desk for a plate and wine glass.

"I have prepared a pan-roasted chicken in a chestnut sauce with a side of honey glazed carrots and fried okra," he said as he removed the silver plate cover and set the dish down, "paired with a New Zealand sauvignon blanc." He uncorked the wine and filled a glass.

"It smells great," Egan said honestly, "Thanks." Wrynn folded an arm across his stomach and bowed before turning away.

"Are you not joining me?" Egan asked, surprised to see him preparing to leave. They typically always ate their meals together, even though it was usually in silence.

Wrynn glanced at Egan, his face expressionless, "As you wish," he gave a small nod and a wave of his hand. Another plate appeared, holding a significantly larger portion of food. He set it on the desk before pouring a glass of wine and seating himself. Egan smiled and lifted his wine glass before taking another sip and digging into his supper, his attention back on the next paper. The paper he was reading was by one of his favorite students, Elijah Kapoor.

Egan set his fork down and picked up his glass of wine as he turned the page. His eyes landed on a theoretical formula Elijah had created and, with a gasp, he began choking, turning away to prevent spitting the wine across the desk.

"Sire," Wrynn was at his side, kneeling in front of him and handing him a handkerchief in a split second. Egan continued to sputter, his eyes tearing up as he coughed. "Are you alright?" he questioned gently.

Egan nodded. "Yea," he croaked, coughing a few more times and wiping his mouth as he turned back to the paper, wanting to confirm he had read it correctly. Wrynn stood and looked over his shoulder. "What do you see?" Egan asked, sure of the answer.

The demon’s dark hair fell into his eyes as he leaned forward, analyzing the script with a critical gaze. "It resembles a spell for creating an artificial light source using elemental magic," he answered, a hint of surprise in his otherwise detached countenance.

"That's exactly what it is," Egan said, glancing up at him, his eyes bright.

"I assume the student who wrote it will be getting a decent grade?" Wrynn questioned as he began clearing his dishes, having already finished his meal.

"More like I think… I might have found an apprentice," he said thoughtfully, looking at the formula again.

The Council, a group of mostly non-humans representing their respective supernatural communities, working together to preserve and protect the many species who shared the world with humans, wanted Egan to take on an apprentice. He had worked for them for over 300 years, acting as a representative for humans. Despite his immortality, he was still human, his life prolonged by the enchanted ring he wore on his left middle finger, a gift from his ex and mentor. His role with the Council was diverse and included everything from protecting ancient artifacts to traveling to other worlds and realities for archaeological purposes.

The Library was the stronghold for the supernatural community, a sanctuary for all, and home to the largest collection of magical artifacts and literature. Egan was the Council's leading expert on demonology, parapsychology, witchcraft, folklore, religion, and linguistics. The work he did for the Council, including his private research, resulted in him experiencing a number of dangerous situations on a weekly basis. He had lost count of the times he had nearly died, knowing the only reason he was alive was because of the demon sitting in the chair across from him. Even still, there would come a day when Wrynn wouldn't be able to save him, and there would need to be a new Librarian to take his place.

"An apprentice?" Wrynn's brow quirked in surprise as he eyed Egan skeptically.

"I know," he sighed heavily. He was reluctant for several reasons, mainly the idea of being responsible for someone's life, "but the Council's been on me a while now about training one. I haven't met anyone that would even come close to being an option, but Elijah…" he trailed off, thinking about the student standing out among the hundreds he had taught over his exceptionally long career.

"Do you think he could handle the truth?” Wrynn questioned, his head slightly tilting to the side, molten eyes burning.

"Maybe," Egan polished off his glass of wine and set the paper aside. He would email Elijah to set up a meeting to discuss his paper tomorrow. Wrynn stood up and cleared away Egan's half-finished dinner. Egan, already engrossed in the next paper, didn't hear him leave.

There was a soft knock on Egan's office door the next day, "Come in!" he called, setting aside his work and pulling out the paper as Elijah opened the door.

"Dr. Greene?" he greeted anxiously, shutting the door behind him.

"Ah, Mr. Kapoor. Come in, take a seat," Egan gestured at the chair across from him. "Thank you for coming, I was hoping to talk to you about your paper," he said, looking at the concern etched into the young face. Egan wondered how old he was, he couldn't be much older than when he had been taken in by Aralyen.

"Is there something wrong?" Elijah asked, rubbing his palms against his jeans.

"No, not at all. On the contrary," he turned to the page with the formula and flipped it, handing it to him, "Tell me about this formula. What inspired it?" he leaned back in his chair, studying him. Elijah's eyes widened as he looked at his paper where the formula stared up at him. He set it down, his hand trembling slightly.

"It's just a theory… It would need a lot of research to even begin testing, but I, um," he cleared his throat and sat up straighter, "I was inspired by the work of this old linguist and religion specialist, Dr. Egan White. He worked back in the early 2000s and was considered a bit of a wackjob, but was also brilliant. Anyway, he theorized that the supernatural existed and that magic was just energy that we weren't capable of detecting at that time. Years later, a physicist Dr. Basir expanded on his work and did research on Buddhist monks in Tibet. He worked on proving Dr. White's theories but was killed in an explosion," he explained, describing the work further as Egan struggled to keep his smirk contained.

Immortality came with the annoying necessity of creating aliases and disguises just to continue existing in the world. He was currently known to the world as Dr. Ethan Greene, a charmed necklace hanging under his shirt altered his appearance to everyone but Wrynn.

When Elijah finished, he cleared his throat, got to his feet, and came around the desk, his arms folded across his chest as he leaned back on it. "Mr. Kapoor, do you personally believe that the supernatural exists?" he asked quietly, watching as Elijah shifted in his seat and looked away.

"I want to be taken seriously in the academic field, sir," he said at last, glancing up, his face stern and determined.

"Forget the academic world, right now. Forget that I'm your professor. Whatever you say stays between us. If it helps… I do," he said calmly, waiting for the answer.

Elijah took several minutes, staring at the desk as he considered the question. "Yes, I do believe it is possible that the supernatural world existed," he said firmly, with a nod, "I don't know if it still does, today, but I do believe there used to be a lot of different species."

Egan smiled and nodded, "Good," he got off the desk and began pacing. Whatever he said next would determine the rest of this kid's life, and it had to be the right thing. "I'm going to make an offer that you're free to decline. It has nothing to do with your work as my student, here, at Oxford. Whatever you decide won't affect your position, nor your future in your chosen field. But," he smiled, glancing at him over the rim of his glasses, "if you decide to take it, it will change your life. You will learn things that you couldn't even imagine. It can be dangerous, it will require a lifelong commitment, and your life will never be the same." He pulled out a folded piece of paper, the library's address on it, "If you're who I think you are, you'll come to this address tonight, at 8:00. I'll tell you everything, and you’ll be able to meet Dr. White and Dr. Basir," he held it out, waiting for him to take it.

Elijah stared at Egan, confusion and skepticism clear in his face, but he took it with a steady hand, looking at the address, brow raised in recognition. The Library was a mystery to the locals, hundreds of years old, closed to the public but shrouded in local folk tales. "I don't understand," he said quietly.

Egan smiled reassuringly, "You will tonight," he patted his shoulder and opened the office door, "I have another appointment in a few minutes. I hope to see you later." Elijah stumbled to his feet, grabbed his bag and looked at Egan one last time, brows pinched together before darting out. Egan closed the door with a sigh, turned back to his desk, and called out, "Wrynn."

The demon materialized in an inky black cloud, stepping out in front of him. "My lord?" he tilted his head slightly, questioning why he was summoned.

"I've invited Mr. Kapoor to the library tonight. Please ensure he is kept off the property until his appointment at 8:00, I don't want him snooping around and getting hurt," he instructed kindly.

"Yes, my lord," Wrynn said with a bow, about to turn away and Egan walked passed him, his fingers lacing around his arm as it began to dissolve.

Egan gave it a small squeeze in appreciation, "Thanks," he said with a smile, watching Wrynn vanish in a cloud of smoke. He sat back down at his desk, pulled out the paper of the student that would arrive shortly, and set it on top of the others.

"Are you nervous?" Wrynn asked later that night as Egan paced around the library, periodically picking up a book and setting it down again as he watched the clock anxiously. He grunted an incoherent response and checked the time again. 7:59. He still wasn't sure if Elijah was going to show up at all but, at 8:05, there was a loud knock at the front door. Wrynn left the room, greeted Kapoor, then offered to take his jacket before leading him into the solarium where Egan waited.

"Mr. Kapoor," he said when Elijah came in behind Wrynn, "I'm glad you could make it."

"I'm not sure why," Kapoor muttered honestly, looking around the large indoor garden with wide eyes.

"Well," it wasn't exactly the response Egan had hoped for, but he couldn't blame the student. He hadn't given much information, and no proof, but that was the point, "you're here and that's what matters. Before I can tell you everything, there are a few rules."

Elijah stiffened even further, his face deceptively calm, "Of course," he shook his head, "What are they?"

Egan pulled out a large piece of paper from inside his vest pocket and held it out, "This a confidentiality contract. For the next 48 hours, you will not be able to communicate with anyone regarding what we're about to discuss. If you choose to accept the apprenticeship at the end of the 48 hours, the confidentiality agreement will remain. If you decline the offer, your memory will be wiped and replaced with the belief that you've spent the next two days in bed with the flu. You will have no memory of tonight’s conversation in my office," he explained, his tone firm, expression cold, but his insides twisted in anticipation. Would he tell him to shove it and leave?

Elijah stared at him for several seconds before grabbing the contract and reading it. Egan bounced on the balls of his feet, hands stuffed in his pockets as he waited. At several points, Elijah scoffed and shook his head, his eyes narrowed into slits by the end of it. He let out a heavy sigh through pursed lips, meeting Egan with a steady gaze.

"Do you have a pen?" he asked, holding out his hand.

Egan grinned and pulled out a slender silver antique pen, runes etched into the sides, "Are you certain? You're about to sign a contract in blood. To break it will cost you your life," he warned, inwardly refraining from dimming the lights and calling thunder to punctuate the mood. He pressed his lips together in an effort to be serious. Elijah licked his lips and gave a curt nod, taking the pen swiftly. He hesitated for a moment, pen poised above the paper set on the small table next to them. With a steadying breath, he pressed it to the page, signing his name. He winced loudly, yelping at the hand holding the pen, a thin cut appearing as his name turned a rich red, his blood sealing the contract. Egan smiled at him and took the paper, returning it to his pocket and reaching into his shirt for the necklace.

"You said I would meet Dr. White and Dr. Basir. Where are they?" Elijah asked, looking around the room expectantly. Egan smirked and pulled the necklace off, setting it on the table as the magic melted from his appearance. Elijah's jaw dropped and he stumbled backward, staring at Egan with round eyes as he opened and closed his mouth, pointing at him.

"Mr. Kapoor, my name is Doctor Egan White. I have also been known as Sam Basir and, currently, Ethan Greene. I am the Librarian. And this," he gestured to Wrynn, whose form swirled at the edges, giving him less definition, his eyes and face shifted into shadows as red lava cracked through the darkness, "is my demon."