by T J Kelly
For any other magician that would be a considerable issue. But for me? Lack of control meant I might destroy the world or something equally awful. It was dangerous to admit it out loud, but Peter had always taken my side. Even against Armageddon, and my uncle was the only father he had ever known. Peter was safe.
“We’ll work on that. You’re still a new apprentice. You have time to learn control.” Peter slipped the cookie plate away from my destructive smashing and handed me a paper towel. I wiped off my fingers, then crumpled it up and tossed it in the trash.
“Maybe. I wish my father were here. He could tell me how to control the Dark better than anyone else in the world. He was born to do it. He made it look easy. I never saw him lose his temper, not once.”
Peter slipped off his chair and put the plate and our mugs in the sink after rinsing them out. “Which only means you’ll be able to as well. You were born a Rector, too, and you’ll conquer the Dark just like all the other Rectors have before you. At the very least, have faith in that. It’s in your blood.”
He looked so intense. His eyes mesmerized me, fascinated by the hint of green hiding in the gray as they glittered.
“You know what? I think I believe you,” I said, bemused by our interaction. Usually, we weren’t so serious.
“Of course you do. I’m Peter Makenna. I know everything.”
My laughter broke the tension, and I shook my head as we shuffled out of the kitchen. “Right, right. That must be it. You know everything.”
We headed in opposite directions, but I thought he said something under his breath. It sounded a little like, “about you.” But that didn’t make much sense, so I shrugged it off and ran upstairs to my room.
CHAPTER SIX
The Definitely-Not-Lazy Summer
We were eating lunch as a picnic again. It was too gorgeous to remain indoors, and since my uncle and Mort had been roped into another assignment, the rest of us were a lot less formal about our meals. It seemed excessive for the kitchen staff to make a bunch of food for my aunt and two teenagers.
“I can’t believe what a beautiful summer this is turning out to be,” I said. Armageddon would occasionally fiddle with the weather for us, but in general, he left things alone. And it definitely wasn’t all blue skies and sunny days in the Pacific Northwest without him.
I popped an orange slice in my mouth and sighed with contentment. Peter tossed the blade of grass he had been playing with at me. He used his connection to the Air element to guide it over to tickle my nose before releasing it to drop onto the blanket next to me.
We sat under a tree so I could energize both Light and Dark in the dappled shade the branches cast down. We could see Castle Laurus in the distance, always an interesting sight. Sandy-beige stone formed the walls, the center taller than the wings on each side by at least another story. Sunlight glittered off the glass windows lining the three upper stories, and the angle of light made hazy rainbows shine in the ones on the ground floor. Armageddon transported the small castle along with the stable, barn, armory and various other buildings. There was a moat with a water wheel and bridge, and a ten-foot wall surrounded the entire thing. Who could ever get bored gazing at a fairytale?
I was tired after a long morning of combat training. Peony had taken me in hand and showed me the nifty trick she favored since Mort left with my uncle. I wasn’t sore any longer, but only because she healed me as soon as she could. Otherwise, I might not have been able to walk.
She had also given me a bloody nose.
That part was an accident. Neither one of us knew how it happened, but Peony got me good right in the middle of our mock battle. Luckily, she always had a handkerchief on hand, and we stopped my nosebleed from getting all over my fighting clothes. Sure, they were dark and didn’t show blood, but it wasn’t safe to leave drops uncontained when there was an enemy who wanted you dead. Or a thousand enemies. I didn't know how many were after me, but I was positive it was more than one.
“Is it? I’ve been too busy to notice the weather,” Peter said. He leaned back on his hands, his outstretched legs parallel with mine. We faced opposite directions out of habit. Even though we were still on Laurus land, we kept an eye out for danger anyway.
“Hilarious. It’s the laziest and sunniest summer ever, and you know it. Aunt Peony said the world must be on hiatus because outside of routine stuff, Uncle Ged and Mort are the only Irregulars busy.” To emphasize my point, I flopped onto my back and folded my hands behind my head. I stared up through the leaves, reveling in the quiet, calm day.
“That’s true. This is the first summer I haven’t been in some hellhole trying to help people dig their way out of some nightmare or other. Ged asked me to stay near you while he was gone, and I gladly accepted. How was I to know you’d be bigger trouble than the Mongol hordes?”
“Yeah, yeah, and that all started because of a woman, too,” I said, referring to Genghis Khan’s wife, Borte.
Peter laughed. “I didn’t mean it that way, but you know she was a wicked powerful magician. So I just complimented you. You’re welcome.”
I snorted. I turned towards him on my side, and Peter also shifted position until his head lay near my stomach. We could still keep a lazy eye on our surroundings, but it was easier to talk.
“Okay, fine. Thank you, Peter the Great. You deserve a treat for being so nice and heroic and stuff like that. I know! I’ll reward you with the ice cream I smuggle out of the kitchen.” I pushed myself up and dragged the basket closer. I murmured a short string of words and the freezing shield I had set around the ice cream dropped. “Here. Chocolate strawberry cinnamon surprise.” I handed him the small container.
“What’s the surprise?” he asked, eyeing the carton suspiciously as he sat up.
“Oh, don’t be such a chicken. You know I’ve never steered you wrong before.” I tossed a spoon at him, which he caught easily.
“Fine.” Peter took a bite. “Wow. Caramel. Nice.” He ate in earnest while I pulled out another container. I tilted it so he couldn't see it held plain vanilla. I had a reputation for crazy foods to maintain.
“Aunt Peony's going to show me how to handle the family business,” I said between spoonfuls. Laurus Commodities would go to my cousins Richard and James, but I was still related through my mother, giving me an heir’s claim. But only because I could do the required magic for their spells.
Not that I wanted their company, especially since they would have to die before that happened. Magicians inherited magic from only one side of their bloodline, and I definitely took after my father. But Rectors were versatile, enabling me to manage the Laurus line of spells. It turned out that way sometimes. At least I could help them out and feel like less of a freeloader.
My aunt was practical, so she taught me Laurus spells just in case something happened to my cousins. They were on a long-term assignment so deep undercover there was a real possibility they might disappear. They may be excellent agents, but it could happen to the best. Irregulars were always in danger.
“I thought I saw you near the beehives the other day when I got back from town. Were you learning to harvest the honey?” Peter licked the extra caramel off his spoon.
“Yeah. The whole process is nuts. But I taught my aunt the spell I found a few months ago to make skin impervious. We didn’t need to wear those bulky suits or anything.”
“Man, you sure are convenient to have around.” Peter grinned. “I’m going to start asking you to solve all my problems. It seems to me your oddball brain has a spell for everything.”
I gave him a regal nod, then popped another spoonful of vanilla into my mouth. Heaven. “How did your errands go?” I asked. I wasn’t sure what he had been up to. Even if he wasn’t on an assignment somewhere else in the world at the moment, he was still doing Irregular business. Sometimes he would discuss his activities, but other times they were a secret. I found that annoying.
“Fine,” he answered. Something about his tone and posture, the wa
y his eyes slid away from mine, put me on alert.
“Oh, yeah? Then what’s up with the cold shoulder?” I asked. I hated being locked out, and Peter had unconsciously raised shield. My stomach clenched in response, vision growing dim.
“Ah, sorry. I’m used to blocking questions about the Irregulars. You know that,” he said. The expression on my face softened his resolve. He set his empty ice cream container aside and heaved a sigh. “Look, it wasn’t agent business I was trying to protect you from. I just didn’t want to hurt you.”
Oh. He must have seen Chas. A familiar bolt of pain lanced through me. I tossed my ice cream back into the basket and jumped to my feet.
“What was he doing?” I asked as I paced. Since Chas had signed a blood oath, he was forced to do family spells. The Taines walked a fine line between pure darkness and legitimate business. Most of the time, whatever they were doing was shady. The Council left the Taine clan alone because they used their services occasionally. Unpleasant ones, like assassinations. It was sick, and why Armageddon kept a close eye on them, shielding as many Irregulars as he could. The Council could decide one day we were too dangerous and use the Taines to take us out.
In fact, the Council wasn’t entirely convinced of my loyalty or the amount of control my uncle had over me. That’s why they didn’t order the Taines to stop targeting me. Just in case it turned out I wasn’t willing to leave the status quo well enough alone, and they were better off with me dead.
“Chas was out to dinner. That’s all. Not a big deal.”
Peter was trying to reassure me that there hadn’t been a confrontation between the two of them, an idea that had obsessed me for weeks. I didn’t want him to get hurt by Chas’s family. And they could require Chas to do something mean and nasty. I was worried he would break down and turn evil. Oberon was that good at manipulation.
Then I remembered nastiness existed in many forms. “Was Clarissa there?” I asked. I loathed the woman Chas had been Promised to as a child. Their connection had been severed when he was banished by his father, but now that he had returned, part of his deal to save my life had been to start that back up again.
There was no way Peter missed the sound of my voice cracking. So much for acting casual. He stood and reached his arm out to squeeze my shoulder, then shook me a little, ducking his head so he could look me in the eye.
“Yes, she was. His brothers were there, too.”
I grimaced. They had tried to kill me both before and during my time in the ring. Darkness clouded the outside edges of my vision. Thinking about Chas hurt.
But it also felt good. If Chas was out to dinner, he wasn’t held captive somewhere being tortured. I cared about him. I wanted him to be safe until I could break his blood oath to his father. His needless, worthless, stupid oath.
“Did he look happy?” I asked. Conflicting emotions warred inside me. I wasn’t sure if I hoped he was or wished he wasn’t. I was still angry he didn’t have enough faith in me to believe I could win without his help, but I didn’t want him hurting any more than he had to. Chas made his deal with his father to save me. Maybe if I reminded myself of that often enough, it wouldn’t make me so angry anymore.
Peter’s hand squeezed my shoulder again. “No. He didn’t. I know him better than that. He had a smile on his face, but it was for the benefit of the others. When he realized I was there, he couldn’t keep it up. He looked away really fast, though. I think he was trying to keep his brothers and Clarissa from following his gaze and noticing me.”
The peace of a simple afternoon disappeared. The darkness inside me rose up and the world dimmed. The sun faded, and everything around me was bathed in my own personal twilight. I tried to gain control, but my emotions were in too much turmoil.
Shadows crept along the corners of my eyes, like bugs or rats trying to find the best way to attack me. Just when I thought I figured out the trick to maintaining my equilibrium, something bad happened to prove otherwise. Sometimes the Dark made me sad, other times, angry. There were times I could cling to the Light. Sometimes, the darkness won.
The cloud blinding me was pierced by a tidal wave of Light. It surrounded me, warmed me. Then the veil lifted, and Peter was there, glowing with power. He had his arms around me, his hand cupping the back of my head, murmuring three words into my ear.
His magician’s name, Armalucis. Weapon of Light. My new magical name, Praelia Nox. Battles the Night.
Peter was chanting our names to pull me out of the pit. Creating a spell made of Light and the power of our friendship. I couldn’t sense his levels like I could with others, but he had almost no darkness within him. Even though the Makennas were an ancient family of evil, Peter was good. My aunt and uncle took him in when his parents died during a battle. He withstood the Dark, rejected it, proving to the world we are more than the circumstances we are born into.
Fortunately, he had enough Light to occasionally give a little to me.
“Thank you,” I said. When I leaned into him, he tightened his arms until I almost squeaked. But I needed the contact to keep me from sliding under the Dark again.
I rested my cheek against his chest and snaked my arms around his waist. As I took a deep breath, my nostrils filled with the scent of cinnamon from the ice cream he ate and pine from the trees we hiked through on our way to the picnic spot. I was flooded with happy memories of Eostre, the celebration of the magical new year, when I gave him a sachet made with the same scents. Peter was such a good friend. He steadied me.
When I was ready to stand on my own, our arms dropped. We cleaned up the mess from our meal and packed the blanket and leftovers. I imagined the basket sitting on the side counter in the kitchen and sent it there with a surge of magic.
Peter held out his hand, and I took it gladly. I wanted to go home. I needed to pull myself together before the darkness found its way out again.
◆◆◆
When in doubt, I take a nap.
It didn’t always work, but I was still riding the high from Peter’s infusion of Light, so I wasn’t worried I would have any more nightmares. Although, it would be nice if I saw my mother in a dream again. Maybe get a chance to see my father and ask him about guys and their stupid ideas about duty. Or he might have pointers on how to smash through the blood oath Oberon forced on Chas.
I slept right through tea time, but woke early enough to take a shower and wash my hair before supper. I felt grungy from sleeping in the clothes I wore to the picnic, and I needed the heat to chase away the coldness that came with the Dark.
I almost put on a tattered pair of sweat bottoms, but at the last moment decided that I wanted to look nice. Bolster my confidence with a little lip gloss and a cute outfit.
Good thing I did. When I entered the study near the dining room, my aunt had company. Besides Peter, three other men occupied the chairs, and a woman close to my aunt’s age leaned against the sofa.
“Lia, dear heart. You look lovely tonight,” Peony greeted me by the door. “Come in and meet more of the Irregulars. This is Reginald, one of your uncle’s earliest recruits. Reg, this is Lia, our niece.” She gave me an approving glance as she took in my outfit. I chalked that up in the win column for the day and my earlier gloom eased.
My aunt’s use of our informal names told me we were among friends. Peony knew I wasn’t up on the inner workings and politics of the Irregulars yet, and there was always the possibility of a Council spy. Agents often used subtle verbal clues to communicate relevant information in an instant.
I shook Reg’s hand firmly. Of the three men, he was the closest to Armageddon’s age, although Reg’s hair was already completely gray. Restless energy combined with the magic that hummed inside him, making his rich, mahogany skin glow with vitality. His dark brown eyes were kind, and I liked him right away.
Soon after my ascension, a new talent emerged, enabling me to sense the source elements used by other magicians when I touched them. My uncle could do it, too, but we kept the information abou
t our abilities to ourselves since most magicians couldn’t. Advantages were more useful if they remained secret.
Reg used Earth and Air, and he tilted to the light side. Probably only a third darkness. Enough to keep him from being employable in law enforcement and security, but the Irregulars had an entirely different set of criteria. Armageddon had welcomed him.
“It’s nice to meet you, Reg. You seem familiar. I think I've met you before,” I said.
“Yes, it was my pleasure to help with the final practice for your battle in the trials. We didn’t have much time to talk.”
“That’s right,” I said, my memory of him solidifying. "You’re the one with that wild sandstorm maneuver.”
“You got it. I’ll show you the trick of it sometime if you’d like,” he offered, his white, even teeth showing as he grinned.
I perked up. It would be a good night if I finagled a promise to learn more spells.
“Lia, Reg and the others will be here for a few weeks,” my aunt said. “We’re supposed to swap skills and information. Ged had planned some assignments, but he’s running a little late. We’ll start without him, and he can add more when he’s back.” Peony sounded bright and cheerful as usual, but there was something in her eyes that made me uncomfortable.
“Awesome,” I said, shelving my disquiet for later. “So we can work on the sandstorm in the next few days?” Nothing would deter me from learning as many spells and techniques as possible. Not even my uncle’s absence. I was his apprentice, but I could still learn from others while he was gone.
“Sure,” Reg agreed. “I call it the Sand-stinger.”
“Cool.” I grinned back at him. Reg was already becoming one of my favorite new people. He had a lot of bright energy inside him, and it made me feel lighter just talking to him.
Peony continued with the introductions, gesturing to the woman. “And this is Reg’s wife, Tian,” she said.
