A little later than usual (okay a lot) but the story continues…
Day 55: Still it was reassuring not to see anyone noticeably searching for her.
Still it was reassuring not to see anyone noticeably searching for her. She made it to the street where her apartment building was located and after a quick internal check, Anna decided that she could start to shed some of her shieldings. She kept the invisibility shield bus with each step she let the excess shielding slip away.
Once the extras were gone, Anna could see the protections she wove through her neighborhood. There were places where she could sense Marcus passed through them, but the passings were several days old and when she looked at the recordings of his presence she could tell he did not feel her magic and moved on.
The impressions of Marcus were only on the streets around her neighborhood but as she got closer to her building they tapered off. It was clear that her apartment building had never been of interest to Marcus and was not searched. As she stepped closer to the building, Anna could see that not a single one of her layered and hidden defenses was disturbed.
It was safe to go home. It was safe to use her apartment to study.
Anna flowed into the building with the rest of her neighbors returning from work or wherever they spent their days. She excited no notice and was able to step into her apartment un noticed. She stepped inside and closed the door behind her. Anna took a deep breath. After so long alone without the presence of another person, her relief at seeing other people quickly turned overwhelming and she was glad of the quiet oasis that was her apartment.
‘Home,’ she thought. Anna smiled. After being gone so long and telling herself that she could easily leave if marcus found this place, Anna was surprised by the depth of her feeling. Of how much this place felt like home. She found her eyes tracing the familiar shapes to the things she left behind.
She shook her head, amused at her self. While Anna was more than ready to slip off both the pac she carried so many miles and the shielding spell, she couldn’t resist checking her apartment to make certain that it was truly safe. Anna closed her eyes and let her magic spill out, tracing every floorboard, every rafter. It danced along cobwebs and slipped over windows. Her magic inspected every part of the apartment looking for a trace of someone else.
She didn’t find one. Anna left off searching and opened her eyes. With a feeling of great relief she walked to the bedroom and let her pack slide off of her back. While it was no heavier than when she left, the feeling of carrying it constantly was one she was eager to shed. While Anna used a magic charm to keep herself and her clothing clean, the feeling of having worn the same garments for so long was too much.
Leaving the pack behind, Anna went into the bathroom and let the water run. When it was running smoothly and warmed up, she placed the plug in the bottom of the bath and went to gather fresh garments from her bedroom. When she returned she set them to the side and sprinkled a handful of bath salts into the hot water.
They gave off the scent of mint and cucumber with a hint of lemon. She was looking for something more refreshing than soothing and this seemed like the perfect accompaniment. Anna shed her clothing and stepped into the bath.
Ten til Midnight 