Kai was already dressed in a clean dark maroon button-up rolled at the sleeves, jeans that fit just right, and boots polished like he gave a damn. He sipped from his mug lazily, staring at his phone until it vibrated with a ping.
James:
"Jules just left. She's going with Q for that Yale interview thing."
Kai smirked. "Oh, right… the dead guy." He remembered. "Isn't that the one they found stiff as a corpse in his apartment? Oh wait... because he was a corpse."
He vamp-sped across several blocks, stopping just around the corner from the address James had texted. Hiding in plain sight was his favorite game. Kai leaned against a lamppost like he belonged there, and extended his hearing like a tuning fork.
Julia was trying to calm Quentin down.
"I'm still high," Q said in a daze, slurring slightly.
Julia gave him a look. "It's fine. Just breathe."
"You know what?" Q mumbled. "Screw it. It's just my alumni interview."
"Exactly," Julia said, smiling. "It's only Yale."
Q sighed. "Only Yale…"
Julia brushed his hair off his forehead, giving him a soft smile. "You're great. I am an angel. I am protecting the future cold water."
Q took a sip of his latte like it was holy water. "Yes, ma'am."
They rang the doorbell and waited.
Kai leaned back, eyes narrowing. He could see the nerves in Quentin's posture like a neon sign. Julia could too her comforting act was sweet, but also sharp. These two... so easily readable. His attention shifted to the apartment as they both walked in. He focused again.
From the other side of the door, he heard Quentin's voice muffled through the walls.
"It's Quentin Coldwater... the grad student…"
Then, after a moment he heard Quentin shock voice.
"I don't believe it," Q said.
Then came Julia's scream.
Kai's body tensed. "And there it is."
A few minutes later, sirens wailed. An ambulance pulled up in front of the building. Kai watched as two guys and a woman uniformed officials hopped out. But something strange caught his eye.
A door one that hadn't been there before opened quietly along the side of the building, and a woman stepped out.
She was gorgeous with captivating features.
She walked up to the medic, took the clipboard from her hands, and stared at her. Instantly, the medic's eyes glazed over, and she turned around, walking back into the ambulance like a robot. Kai squinted.
And then, right before his eyes, the new woman's clothes shimmered transforming into the same uniform the medic had worn. Just like that, she blended in.
Kai let out a low breath.
"So that's Jane Chatwin. Gotta say, older or not, she's a solid ten plus she's got great legs."
A few minutes later, Julia and Q emerged again, Q holding a brown envelope close to his chest like it was radioactive. Kai started to move to follow them but something off pulled his attention.
Jane was staring at him.
Directly.
And she smiled.
Kai blinked. "What the fu…"
She turned away like nothing happened. The body was loaded up into the ambulance. The doors slammed shut. And the van rolled away.
Still rattled, Kai vamp-sped toward the apartment. He had to see for himself. Once inside, he checked the room top to bottom his eyes scanning every book, every shelf, every inch of dust... and finally, the ram-shaped clock on the wall.
A chill ran up his spine.
"That... is the Fillory gateway," he whispered.
His eyes narrowed.
'If I didn't know better... I'd say this was all staged.'
His hand touched the chair the corpse was in.
'Oh, it definitely was staged.'
He turned around and moved toward the door to leave, his fingers tightening on the knob.
"Alright, back to the stalking…observing more like it."
But as he opened the door, he didn't step out into New York.
He stepped into a small... dark... closet?
"What the?"
He spun around. No dusty apartment. Just coats. Wooden walls. A smell of lavender.
He opened the door again and stepped out and instead of a city, he found himself staring into wide, ornate hallways filled with stained-glass windows and ivy-covered arches.
Brakebills.
"I've been... Narnia'd," he muttered. "Goddamn closet teleportation. Not even a snack bar in sight."
"Hey, tall and handsome!" a sharp female voice snapped from the left. "Quit standing there looking like a confused twat. Compose yourself."
Kai turned.
And saw her, legs for days, eyes like burning sapphires, and an attitude that could cut glass.
'Margo... damn.'
She held up a handkerchief, embroidered with elegant script.
"Malachai Parker," she said, squinting. "That's you?"
Kai blinked. "Yeaaahhh."
She smirked. "Not bad."
Then she turned. "Come on. Don't wanna miss your exam."
"Exam? What exam?" he muttered.
'Well… I was planning to hitch a ride with Julia or Q when they made it in. But hey this works.'
Margo kept walking, clearly not in the mood for questions.
"Entrance exams. Brakebills. Magical bullshit. Blah blah blah," she called over her shoulder. "Just follow."
They entered a large lecture hall-like room. Students sat at separate desks with curious looks on their faces. Kai spotted familiar ones Penny was seated with arms crossed, looking annoyed. Julia sat near the front, confused as well.
Kai noticed Quentin just slipping in, tugging awkwardly at his sweater.
"Well the gang's all here… except for Alice."
Margo led him to a seat, then leaned close with a smirk. "Good luck, Parker."
He raised a finger. "Actually, it's Kai"
She cut him off with a wink. "Mmm. Better," and walked off.
Dean Fogg stood at the front of the room. Imposing. Sharp. The glasses practically glowing under the lights.
"Please be seated," he said, loud and clear. "Welcome. You may address me as Dean. I know you all have questions they will be answered in due time. For now, your only task is to pass the examination before you."
He turned the hourglass on his desk. The room shimmered slightly.
"Begin."
Kai looked down at the paper. The words began to shift and rearrange.
'Okay. That's actually cool.'
He picked up the pen and started. The questions were odd, twisting from logic puzzles to magical theory to shape-recognition.
After some time, Dean Fogg clapped once.
"Please insert your exams into the envelope and report to the next room. Your cards will guide you."
Cards were passed out.
Kai looked over and saw Julia and Q hugging. Q looked dazed again.
"How did you get here?" Julia asked.
"I don't know," Q replied. "I can't really explain."
"I was in an elevator," Julia said. "And now I'm here. It's... weird."
Q spotted Kai. "Kai?"
Kai looked up from his card, doing his best confused face. "Julia? Quentin? You guys too? Huh."
"How'd you get here?" Q asked.
Kai shrugged. "I opened a door and bam I'm in Narnia. Closet teleports and all."
Q blinked. "Thank God. I just started new meds."
Dean Fogg raised a hand. "Stop talking, please. Continue to your next exam rooms."
They all moved, following the instructions on their cards.
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