by T J Kelly
“Totally. We need to disguise the trinkets, though. Even an alchemist would recognize the purpose of Peter’s bracelet and try to rip it off.” Seth jerked his chin in Peter’s direction as if the rest of us might not be sure who he was talking about. In response, Peter’s eyes crinkled the way they usually did before he smiled.
I studied Seth for a moment. He really was a good-looking guy, even if he was twenty-one and too old for me. According to my aunt, anyway. He shifted his shaggy dark hair out of his face from where the breeze had blown it, and a slight sparkle caught my attention.
“What about an earring?” I asked. Seth had pierced his ear, and there was a small, glittering diamond on the post. I snorted with amusement. Typical Seth.
“Oh, cool,” Seth said. “That’s a great idea. We can use gold posts. I bought a bunch a couple of weeks ago for my dress-down days and forgot they were in my bag. I saw them when I was storing the extra crystals.” He rummaged around in his pouch until he found the little card with the earrings and handed them to me.
Only Seth would have different earrings for different days. I could have made the earrings myself, maybe drawn gold from the earth, but using what we had was easier. Plus, they were shaped like Celtic knots and were pretty cool looking.
I removed the silver star necklace from around my neck and handed it to Peter since I wasn’t sure if it would hinder me if I left it in my pocket. Giving somebody the ability to see in the dark wasn’t exactly a simple spell, and I didn’t want to have to contend with my star’s capacity to hold me back.
At least adhering magic to gold was beyond easy, which was why magicians used it a lot. It was also why alchemists always tried to scrounge or even create more since they had very little power. They could fill a golden vessel a portion at a time without losing any of the magic previously contained there. Like filling a cup with rain a little bit every day, until it was full. The resulting liquid was all still water.
In fact, I had seen amazing and well-crafted spells performed by the alchemist students at school. Better than the spells some of the elite magicians created. Like lobbing paint balls at eighth graders.
Shame jolted through my body. Why did I think alchemists were unworthy just because their magic was weaker than mine? I knew what it was like to be unfairly targeted, yet I didn't question the status quo. I even laughed with Mort about how becoming an alchemist if I never connected with my magic would have been too low for me.
I was the worst person ever.
A popping noise from one of Seth’s spells jerked me out of my reverie. Pushing my revelation aside for some serious thought later, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, drawing in Air. I filled myself with power straight from the sun. I needed the Light, which had always leaked out of me faster than Dark.
The shadows our bodies cast on the ground rushed towards me as I tapped into the power of darkness. I didn’t need to open my eyes to see that our shadows had disappeared because I could feel it. But I also heard Harris gasp in surprise. I grinned.
Holding the gold earrings in my hand, I tightened my focus, then imagined them glowing briefly for a split second with the light of a thousand suns. Most people didn’t have to be as visual as I did, but I needed to push in the magic somehow and vision was my method.
“Wow, Lia, give a guy a warning next time,” Seth said. “I don’t think my eyes will ever be the same.”
I looked around and saw that all three of the guys were rubbing watery eyes.
“Oh, no. I’m so sorry,” I said. “I’ll try not to let my magic be discernible to other people again.” I cringed when I realized that I should have cloaked my spell. That was standard procedure and being out in the field made it even more important to keep spells hidden from prying eyes.
“It’s fine,” Peter said, as always, trying to reassure me. “That was a tidy bit of magic there. And watching you suck all the darkness from the world is such a trip.”
I laughed. “Thanks. Come on, let’s try them out. I used the shadows to bind with the Light inside the gold. The spell should be self-perpetuating and last, well, forever I guess.”
They each got one earring, and I kept the matched set with the golden triquetras, the Irish trinity knots, for myself. The design in the center was made of silver, and not only did I like the design, but the combination of the two metals gave me the ability to add in a couple of extra spells I wanted to experiment with later. Plus, I had the feeling that Seth didn’t really care about them since they came with the packet. But the triquetra was a part of my family crest, and it felt right to use them.
It was still daytime so we couldn’t test them yet. I added a binding spell so the earrings would only work for one owner, and the posts needed to be worn for a few hours for the spell to settle in and become permanent, anyway.
“Thanks,” Harris said. He fiddled with the earring and finally got it in. “Do you think it brings out my eyes?” He batted his eyelashes at me.
A puff of air bursting through my lips was my only answer.
“Come on, let’s finish the weapons. I’m going to make a bunch of Flash-bangs and Smash-forces,” Seth said. He punched his brother on the arm.
“Great idea,” Peter said. “We may need to flatten somebody along the way.”
We all ended up making Flash-bangs, mechanicals that set off a flash of blinding light as a distraction before smashing a person to the ground. I was good at making them since I had a hefty blend of Light and Dark in my magic, but Seth made some really nasty ones. I suspected his mischievous personality had a lot to do with it. I also made a few Smash-forces, which did the same thing without the blinding light for a more covert attack.
Eventually we had enough mechanicals - I hoped - and dusted ourselves off, ready for a break before we drove south again. Seth and Harris decided they wanted to go for a hike, but I still felt so bad that all I wanted was to sit and soak in the last of the sunlight instead of climbing all over the place. The Andersson brothers would see some amazing sights, but I was so tired I didn't care at the moment.
Peter stayed with me. We were in a protected zone and the brothers could go off without us. I felt bad because he probably wanted to prowl around and check things out. He took a lot of walks and explored the area surrounding Castle Laurus when he was growing up and loved nature. But we were on assignment and that meant we stayed in pairs.
“Don’t worry about it,” he said.
Peter must have known what I was thinking. I looked up from the bench where I had collapsed. It was outside the magical field of the Monoliths and intended for tourists. The view was gorgeous.
“If you give me a minute, I’ll shake this off and we can go check out the rocks,” I lied. There was no way I would feel up to it, but I wanted to be fair and decided I could trudge along with Peter so he could explore and enjoy himself.
“Are you kidding? You’re as pale as a ghost.” He sat on the bench next to me and gazed out at miles of landscape that indeed looked like they were craters on the moon. “Besides, Peony and Ged brought me and their sons here when I was a kid. So I’m good. Now come on. You can doze if you want to.”
Peter slipped his arm around me and tugged me closer. I dropped my head on his shoulder, relieved he wasn’t annoyed. A nap sounded wonderful, and I didn’t have to feel guilty after all.
“Thanks,” I mumbled. My eyelids were already glued shut.
“No problem, Lia. I’ve got your back. Now hush, I’m trying to meditate.”
I wanted him to see the weak smile that was my response to the bossy tone he used when he was letting me off the hook, but I was too tired to lift my head. I was sure he could feel the curve of my lips against his neck where my face was nestled, and I decided that was good enough.
Peter shifted slightly and pulled me tighter against him, securely holding me to his side.
My last thought before sleep overtook me was that I really hoped I wouldn’t drool.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
; I Almost Destroy the World
I must have finally gotten over the hump because when Peter shook me awake, I felt better.
My nose was still stuffy, but I was relieved to see I didn’t leave a wet spot on Peter’s shirt. There was a limit to what a person will put up with, and I was wary of reaching my it with my best friend.
Harris and Seth were back, so we walked to the car and headed out. It seemed a little rude, but I was glad we didn’t stop to say goodbye to Luč Nguyen. I was feeling antsy about how long we had stayed, and any further interaction would have eaten up precious time.
“Hang on to your hats, ladies and gentlemen,” Seth said. Since he was driving that didn’t bode well for our safety.
With a screech of tires, Seth took off and recommenced our long-haul trip. Peter handed me a bottle of water courtesy of a small drinking gourd built into the side of the car. It was a luxury product made by Rector Enterprises, and I wondered where the guys snagged one while they were updating the interior with their spells. The gourds worked like a fancy cooler, but the elites liked them, and my company sold enough to fund more of our charitable projects. Maybe the Anderssons were so wealthy their sons had them on hand.
A fleeting thought about my parents came to mind. They had always been so committed to helping others. Sometimes my former schoolmates made nasty comments behind my back - ensuring I heard them, of course - slandering the motives of the family who owned one of the largest corporations in the world. They said it was all about the money, and a good image helped make more allies, but it had been my experience that it had the opposite effect. We earned more enemies because of our good deeds than anything else we did, including vanquishing evil magicians. I huffed quietly to myself, thinking about what that said about us as people.
Nothing very nice, that was for sure.
“We should keep going. No more picnics,” Harris declared from the front passenger seat.
“Agreed,” Peter replied. “Except for quick pit stops, we need to make up time. I don’t want to leave Ged with that psycho for any longer.”
Sighing, I began to peel an orange. Maybe a dose of vitamin C would help clear up the lingering effects of my stint underwater. I paused long enough to blow my nose, and Peter finished peeling the orange and even pulled it apart into segments for me, laying them on a napkin I had taken from the last gas station we visited.
“We’ll shoot for Reno,” Seth decided. “It’s just over eight hours from here, but we can trade off when we’re tired.” He let out a yawn. “I’m good for at least half the trip. There’s a safe-house there, and then we'll head to the volcano after we sleep.”
Traditionally, magicians struck at midnight, a powerful time for magic. Even for those who used Light, as long as the moon was out. Reflected sunlight from that heavenly body was enough. Since the Irregulars didn’t exactly follow tradition and our current foe dampened or blocked magic anyway, we would show up for battle whenever we got there. That meant maybe noon. Maybe twilight. Maybe at three the next morning. The point was, we would take the enemy down at a time of our choosing, not his.
“Why do you think he’s at Mount Lassen?” Harris asked. “It’s isolated, sure, but not exactly devoid of people.”
“There are plenty of places to hide, and if he uses Fire, Lassen is a great spot to tap. Fire and Earth users have been visiting the area a lot over the last few years, so it’s an active volcano again,” Peter answered.
Ever since the Center of the Universe had moved to San Francisco, more and more magicians had poured into the region over the following decades. That concentrated the magic, and the old power centers were reawakening.
“Oh, hey, check out that sack over there,” Harris called back.
I looked down at my feet, and sure enough, there was a tattered plastic grocery bag with fine dust coating. I reached out to pick it up and grunted when it wouldn’t budge.
Seth and Harris laughed. “Sorry, Rector, we enforced it and expanded it inside, but we were too pooped from all the other spells to turn it weightless.” Seth eyed me in the rear-view mirror and grinned cheekily.
I huffed, but before I could cast a spell to make the bag easier to lift, Peter reached out and hefted it onto the seat between us. He didn’t make a sound, but the muscles on his arms bunched from the effort and my eyebrow lifted. Impressive.
Peter untied the handles, which were knotted together to keep the bag closed, and we peered inside.
“How beautiful,” I breathed. It was filled with blue volcanic rock. Which looked like an Earth-user's version of Water frozen in time all rippled and shining dully in the light of the car.
“We thought you’d like that. There’s a lot at the preserve. Harris went crazy when he saw it, and we figured you would want some, too,” Seth explained.
Rocks would be useless for Seth and Peter, neither of whom used the Earth element. Unless they wanted to try our new backward way of using the opposite element. Before I could say anything, Harris started to babble.
“Look, we could really juice those things up for the coming battle. Kind of fight fire with fire, you see? We can make some sweet Soothers with that in case there’s any active lava in the area or magma in the caves. Then we could fill several with water like you do with your company’s water-crystals, except use them to douse any fireworks headed our way. I wasn’t sure how much to get so we shoveled a barrel load in there. We took turns carrying it but after a while, it grew too heavy for us, and we wouldn’t have even gotten it out of the park if I couldn’t manipulate the land around it to carry it out and tilt it into the car. That was easier than the weightless spell.”
The rest of us grinned. Harris was acting like a little boy on Christmas morning.
“Sounds good,” I answered in a muffled voice. I yanked a tissue out of the box near me and blew my nose again.
“We can spell them the next time we make a pit stop. We should be able to do the whole load in ten minutes, tops, as long as we touch the ground.”
Harris was right. We could create loads of awesome mechanicals pretty quickly if we had a plan and used our bodies as a conduit for the magic of Earth. I probably wouldn’t even have to think too much about it, either. Imagining things might be the trigger that sparked my magic, but I wanted to expand my abilities, so I didn’t have to stop and envision every tiny little thing. The same way Peter wanted to perform magic without always having to write it out like a line-drawing, or imagine a picture he drew in his head.
We were quick thinkers, but nobody thinks as quickly as magical instinct.
I scrunched down into the upholstery and rested the back of my neck on the seat. My nose was both stuffy and running, and I was sick of being sick. I really did feel better, but there was a lingering exhaustion that kept draining me. Like gravity took my power into Earth instead of Earth giving magic the way it was supposed to.
“Are you doing all right?” Peter asked. He leaned over the bag of blue volcanic rock between us and studied me intently, eyes narrowed.
“Yeah, I’m fine. I’m tired of being sick, you know? I feel better, but I’m worried about what will happen when we meet the enemy, and I sneeze or something and give away our position.”
“We could always shift everything one more night,” he suggested. Peter looked concerned, and I could tell that was the last thing he wanted to do.
“No way. Uncle Ged needs us, and I’m not leaving him there. I was there, Peter, and he hurts. He hurts bad.”
Peter slipped his hand around mine and squeezed. A flood of comfort filled me along with his Light, and I sighed. A slight cough escaped, but I ignored it.
I stayed awake the entire four and a half hours to Elko in Nevada, and I was more than ready to get out and use the facilities when we arrived. Thank goodness we needed to fuel up again or else I would have had to beg them to stop before my bladder burst.
There was an empty field not too far down the street from the gas station, and Seth drove us there when we were done
gassing up. Peter chose to walk the short distance and got there at the same time.
“Let’s do this thing,” Harris said. The corners of my mouth rose into a matching smile. There was something so appealing about him when he was excited like that.
Peter and Seth hung back while Harris and I used Earth to shift the bag of volcanic rocks into the center of the field. Seth threw his hands up, and I felt the blanketing effect of a Nothing-to-see-here spell. It didn’t look like there was anyone around, but as agents, we could never be too careful.
Harris poured the volcanic rocks onto the ground and shifted them into three groups while I slipped my silver star necklace off again and handed it to Peter, who tucked it into his pocket. Harris and I took a few minutes to center ourselves and stood near each pile with our hands clasped over them, much like the custom of magician brides and grooms holding hands over a pool of Water and a candle of Light. It was a great way to increase joint magic. Even mundanes had the habit of standing over things like that in their ceremonies although it didn’t do them a lot of good without magic behind the ancient gesture.
We spelled the first pile into Soothers. When any of us threw them, a force of magic would burst out and smother whatever was nearby, the way a blanket covered a fire. It was like a universal antidote. If wicked magic were a poison, anyway. Which it sort of was.
When we moved on to the second group, I took the lead and used the Rector-patented method of making water-crystals. Except using the volcanic rocks rather than the usual crystals gave me a headache. I connected the blue color and swirls of the rock with the Water magic inside me, and they finally melded together into an explosive Water-powered grenade without further balking.
I tossed in a small sparkle for the heck of it. I think the part of me that took after my uncle made me do it. He made our escape route into a twisty slide. I made our volcanic grenades into glitter bombs.
