As far as I know, there isn't an official name for us. The world is wrapped in secrecy, and those with the power to unravel it aren't exactly welcomed with open arms. With good reason. Almost no-one is normal these days - not that they know that. And I'm not going to alert the media. Most of them are vampires, anyway.
"Hey sweetie, how was your day?" Nicolas said as he came through the door, breaking my train of thought. I smiled brightly to greet him, fending off his attempts to manipulate my emotions. As unconscious as breathing, for a wizard. I try not to let it get to me.
"Oh, great. I got some work done." I made sure to keep my voice light - he had tried a Contentment spell. Wouldn't want anyone getting suspicious.
"Oh, and I invited Ben and Alexis for dinner, is that fine?"
Sparks that were impossible to see, except for me, trailed from Nic's fingers. I felt his mood sour, but he kept a small smile carefully in place. The famous self-restraint of sorcerers. I sometimes marveled that so few people knew what Nic was.
"Must Ben come? He gives me the creeps. No-one's eyes should be that green."
I laughed and slapped his arm lightly - as if this was hysterical, and not a perfectly reasonable response. "He's harmless, Nic. And my best friend for twenty years. I haven't seen either of them in ages, it'll be fun."
He grunted and made his way to our room. Kali, our cat, padded silently after him, shooting me a baleful look over his shoulder. Must Nic's familiar be so obvious about it?
That night, I glanced furtively at my friends as I sipped my wine. Ben's eyes burned green - he must have slipped away to his home planet for a visit since I'd last seen him. It always seemed to revitalise him, somehow. Alexis had apparently been practising her table manners, and I was impressed to see that her cutlery didn't stick to her hands anymore. Technology these days. Nic was gulping down wine at an alarming rate. I was impressed that he managed to suppress almost all his scowls.
I cleared my throat, and they all looked to me. "Guys, I have something to say."
They looked at me expectantly, Nic's mouth slightly ajar. He liked to know what to expect from me. This was probably making him squirm.
"You are the best friends I've made in this town since I arrived a year ago. From where I came, it's customary for all friends to hold hands before dinner begins. Will you honor me this way tonight?"
They shot eachother puzzled glances, but held out their hands after a moment's hesitation.
To my surprise, I felt a twinge of unease at what was to come. I'd grown quite fond of them. The one thing I knew about us was that the ability grew as trust did. It had been necessary to stay this long, but I still felt sorry about it.
I grabbed their hands simultaneously, a smooth, practiced movement beaten into me as a child. The survival mechanism of our kind. There must be no chance for escape. I closed my eyes, concentrated, and gathered their powers.
The power of interstellar travel, coursing through Ben's veins. The power of mind, programmed into Alexis. The power of manipulation and the elements, humming in Nic's every movement.
Afterwards, I arranged them neatly at the table. I felt drained, but there was more to be done tonight. I should rest up before the big showdown. Casius was old. Older than Nic by several millenia. With age came power, and the ability to resist. But before I fled, it was necessary.
It would be me or him. But I felt reasonably confident as I drained my glass of wine. It fueled the fresh powers I had drained tonight. And I knew everything there was to know about Casius. I had seen the truth every time he had greeted me in his mumbling slur. The truth was mine to see, and mine for the taking.
Knowledge was power, indeed.