Stealth Magic 401

Imara wants nothing more than to find a different course, but stealth magic gives her the credits she needs to stay on track, and there aren’t any other options rearing their heads.
Stealth Magic is not what she thought it would be, and the idea of breaking into a home to rob an ancient artifact for her final exam was a little daunting. Luckily, Imara has friends who are going to help her through training, some old and some new.
Mr. E just likes chasing the enchanted bunnies of Ritual Space.

Excerpt:
Doing push-ups in the living space with forty pounds of books on her back was not the way she wanted to be caught by Argus.
“You are supposed to read them.”
She kept going through her set, and muttered through clenched teeth, “I know, but I got bored with that, so I am trying osmosis.”
Argus crouched next to her, and she caught a very distinct lungful of the warm scent that made her cuddle with him at every opportunity. “You know that your kitten is on top of the books?”
She grunted and shoved upward again. “I suspected. I keep getting snickers in my brain, and I am definitely not laughing.”
She finished her set and collapsed on the rug, sending tomes of magic and her kitten to the floor.
“So, how is the physical training going?”
She muttered against the wool fibres, “Fantastic. Give me five minutes, and I will be ready to head out with you.”
He chuckled. “You look half dead.”
“I will wake the other half, I promise.” She pushed herself upright and gave him a quick kiss. Before he could make a grab for her, she jumped to her feet and headed up the stairs.
A magic wave scrubbed her skin clean while she peeled off her exercise clothing and yanked on her date-night outfit. Her domestic magic course had not gone to waste.
Jeans and a lace-up shirt were just the things, and as she headed back downstairs, her familiar jumped onto her shoulder with a determined bit of claw work.
“Okay, ready.”
Argus smiled brightly, his appreciation glowing in his eyes. “This is going to be the best undercover operation I have ever been on.”
She grinned and linked her arm with his. “Shall we? I have never been to a carnival before.”
Mr. E wriggled with excitement. He was up for it as well.
“Never?” Argus’s shock was apparent.
“Nope. How many times do I have to tell you that I have been sheltered by choice?” She waved at Reegar on their way out.
“I suppose it still seems peculiar to me. I apologize.” His smile said he wasn’t particularly contrite.
They walked to his SUV, and he tucked her inside. She buckled up, and Mr. E jumped onto the dashboard.
Argus got behind the wheel and buckled in. “He really loves to pretend he is driving.”
“Yes. It is one of his favourite parts of modern life.”
He started the vehicle and started the long drive to the carnival outside Redbird City.
“Thank you for doing this, by the way.”
She smiled. “The XIA is compensating me for my time via the Death Keepers. My rise to Master is really paying off.”
He grinned as they went around the on-ramp toward the city. “How did the last mage guide tour go?”
Imara smiled and leaned back. “I am getting the hang of it. The repositories and memorial gardens are lining up to get me in, and the mage guides are doing the same.”
“Is that good?”
“It is very lucrative. It means that I will be able to afford a decent set of furniture when I open my office.”
“You charge for taking the kids to the repositories?”
She wrinkled her nose. “No, the mage guides don’t pay. The repositories pay the Death Keepers guild for my services and the rise in recruitment. There are teens taking the initial exams to determine aptitude for being Death Keepers because of the tours. Apparently, I make the tours less creepy.”