Werewolf Mage Box Set 1

by Harry Nix

  “And then I climbed in the window and you blasted me against the wall and disintegrated my boxer shorts,” Alex said.

  “Yeah, why’d you do that anyway?” Juno said to Ruby.

  “I was curious how strong he was,” Ruby said with a shrug.

  Alex was lost for a moment. “What are you talking about?”

  “You're on a list of permitted people so the moment you were halfway in through the window she already knew you were safe, otherwise the house wards would’ve triggered,” Juno explained.

  “So, you blasted me up against the wall where I burned it, and then had to hit you in the head with the sugar container, just to see how strong I was?” Alex asked.

  “Well, you're the first werewolf mage that has survived to adulthood, which in and of itself is a miraculous thing, and so I just wanted to see,” Ruby said. Alex dropped his fork which clattered off his plate then landed on the floor.

  “What do you mean the first? Everyone else has been talking like there's never been a werewolf mage before.”

  Juno, April, and Nia, were similarly shocked, Juno sitting there with her mouth open, a piece of bacon sticking out of it.

  “There are stories—well, not even stories—whispers. Dark ones about werewolves and magic. There was once a witch who wrote a book where she suggested that there had been a werewolf mage in the past, that the stories of Ito the trickster were not just mythology but held some grain of truth. There have been other stories too. Werewolf packs dying, being wiped off the face of the earth by the mages and the vampires but there's never enough evidence.”

  “Why does no one know about this? How come you never told me?” Juno finally said.

  Ruby pulled a silver flask from somewhere and topped up her coffee before taking a big gulp. “I can't know what you need to know. Besides, there are a million whispers about all kinds of ridiculous things. The mages and vampires are out there killing werewolf babies anyway. The werewolves are doing it too. Just one story in a thousand until suddenly he shows up and next minute there are rumors everywhere.”

  “What rumors?” Alex asked.

  “Whatever you told Bailey? He spread it around—a werewolf mage under attack. I'm not sure it was the cleverest move to announce yourself when the best you can do is throw a sugar container, but it's done now,” Ruby said.

  There was another moment of silence before Juno finally spoke up again. “Tell him your offer and then he will decide whether he gives you a favor.”

  Ruby sat back in a chair, sipping a coffee. “Very well, I, Ruby Harbinger, will help Alex learn any spells and magic that I can teach him. I will also offer aid and advice and in return he will grant me a favor of my choosing, of my asking,” he said.

  Alex still wasn't entirely sure was going on. Juno spoke up before he could.

  “No deal. I also want you helping with access to any spell books that you know of,” Juno said.

  Ruby put her coffee down then threw her hands up in the air like she was shocked.

  “That's at least five favors—probably ten,” she said.

  Alex recognized the tones in their voices, and as Ruby and Juno started bickering and arguing back and forth, he saw they were bargaining the same way that Juno had with Bailey, each setting out ridiculous demands and then slowly walking it back. Nia and April, excused themselves, clearing away the dishes, and then leaving the kitchen. Alex wasn't quite sure whether he should follow them or not. He felt like he should have some part in this decision, but from the way Ruby and Juno were talking, Juno was in control of it, negotiating exactly what was to happen. In the middle of Juno arguing that Alex should only offer one favor and Ruby declaring that was ridiculous, Alex tapped the spoon against the side of his empty coffee cup like he was at a wedding about to call for a toast. It took a moment for the two witches to quiet down and look over at him.

  “First of all, why is this favor so important?” he said.

  “A favor to a witch is a promise. It’s kind of like a currency but far more valuable, and when you trade a favor with a witch it’s actually a magical agreement. Should you fail to uphold your favor, the consequences are severe,” Juno said.

  “And you extracted one of these favors just to cleanse some blood. Did Nia know that this favor was so serious?” Alex said.

  “Maybe. I mean, she knows witches.” Juno said.

  “I think you're amazing, my dear, but isn't there something a little unethical about extracting a favor from a guy doesn't even know what it means?” Alex said. He was half-joking but part of him was serious too. He would never say he was railroaded into his relationship with Juno, but then again, the very first thing that Nia had done was take him to her, putting him in proximity of the little blonde witch.

  “Anyone can make agreements,” Juno said in a level tone.

  “And I still owe you this favor. Despite being your mate?”

  “Yes, you do. Hasn't it been showing up in that spell screen of yours?” Juno said.

  “No! It's just spells, other bits and pieces and stats.”

  “Bring up your spell screen,” Ruby said. Alex did as she instructed.

  “Okay, now, I want you to think about contracts and promises. Imagine them there in front of you.”

  Alex again followed her instructions and concentrated on contracts and promises. He was expecting it to happen, but there was still a little surprise when a new panel appeared, literally labeled ‘contracts and promises’. There were two items listed. First was 'Juno Lowe—a favor’ and a date.

  The second was ‘April Lowe—a favor’ and a date. In the shock of it appearing, there was a second, larger shock that hit Alex like a truck. He didn’t know her surname before she became his mate. Somehow, it had never come up. Juno had been Juno Harbinger. Nia had been Nia Whitewood. April had been April who? For a moment Alex felt an enormous pressure in his head, the sensation that he'd been standing beside a crack in the ground that had suddenly expanded to the size of the Grand Canyon, the earth rumbling and shifting with unnatural speed. He knew nothing about his three mates. Who they'd been? What they'd done? He knew that Juno and Nia had gone to school together, but really what did he know about them? Had they had jobs? Aspirations outside of meeting some alpha werewolf who was being hunted to the ends of the earth? Alex let out a shaky breath as he glanced across at Juno. Yes, she was his mate, his for now and forevermore, and he was hers but that other part was still sitting there. The part that saw she was a stranger.

  “It was just a favor. It's not really anything to get horribly upset about,” Juno said, mistaking the expression on his face.

  “It's not that. We’ll talk about it later, but yeah I can see it now. I owe Juno and April a favor,” Alex said.

  He was abruptly tired of this discussion and didn't want to be in the kitchen anymore. The feeling that he was a traveler in a strange land was overwhelming again, that he’d encountered cultures so utterly alien to his—and that included the witches who apparently saw no problem in extracting favors from people who didn't know what they were promising—and who, even now were negotiating for help from a family member.

  “Is there some limit on these favors? You can't just demand my entire net wealth can you? Not that there's not much of it,” Alex said.

  “A favor granted is that which can be reasonably achieved. Favors are cheaper, simpler, lower. They’re like money to witches, so I can't ask you to give me your entire net wealth, but I could ask you, for example, to come with me while I break into someone's house. The construct of the favor itself tells us what is agreeable,” Ruby said.

  “Can we go back to negotiating now?” Juno asked.

  “No, I accept your offer. I give you a favor, and you give me everything you just discussed with Juno, yes?” he said to Ruby.

  “Yes,” Ruby said, shortly followed by Juno

  “No!”

  But it was done. Alex actually felt a ripple in the magic around them. It felt like a tickle.

  “Wa
s that it?” he said.

  “Witnessed and recorded,” Juno said. She got up from the table and left the room, leaving Alex sitting there with Ruby.

  “I guess you didn't feel it before because you weren't sensitive enough to the magic. To set your mind at ease, I'm going to ask you for exactly what I just said: your help to break in somewhere. But before then, we need to get started. Show me that healing spell you’ve apparently written,” Ruby said, holding a hand out across the table.

  Alex's mind was in turmoil. There was some feeling of… was it betrayal? He didn't know whether he should be angry about the favor, and there was something about that that made him angry. Being plunged into this world. Had Nia known? Were these things serious or was it so little that she hadn't even considered it? It felt like he'd signed a contract he'd been unable to read. The fact that Ruby wanted her favor to be him helping her break into somewhere at least showed it wasn't too extreme… probably.

  Alex put out his hand and touched Ruby's. For a moment he got a sensation like there was a building in front of him three or four stories high, something powerfully strong, well-built, and enormous with many rooms. Ruby’s spell screen appeared above her head. In contrast to her disposition, which was somewhat ‘cranky old lady’, her spell screen was streaked with a rainbow of colors running through it. He caught a scent: baked cookies and soap. It reminded him of the magic that was on Boris and he realized that of course Ruby had cast that spell; the one that enabled Boris to regenerate from smashed windows, flat tires, and bullet holes. Although Alex was angry and felt like he just wanted to stand outside alone to think things through, he brought up his hastily written healing spell, the new version that zapped through him, and shared it with Ruby.

  “Oh, that is interesting what you've done there,” Ruby said after a moment. Alex could feel her copying it. It didn't take long, though, only a second or two and she had the whole thing.

  “Yes, very interesting indeed,” she said.

  9

  Alex and Ruby were in the basement, discussing the house wards and what little Ruby knew of enchanting when Alex leaped to his feet. “Stephen’s still in Boris’s trunk! I completely forgot!”

  Ruby said something but Alex didn't hear it. He was already running out of the room. By the time he got upstairs, he realized he still had no way to contact Nia, Juno, or April. They’d all gone out together, taking Boris—and presumably Stephen—with them.

  Alex still had his phone, and he knew Juno had one, but they'd simply never bothered to send each other a phone number. Even in his frantic state, Alex recognized this was yet another symptom of getting together so quickly. He was standing in the lounge, freaking out, when Ruby came sauntering in.

  “So, what's the matter?” she asked.

  “I forgot that Stephen is in Boris’s trunk. The whole thing with the kid is that I'm trying to build rapport. I want him to teach me spells, or at least show them to me and tell me addresses and locations. It’s hard to do that when he's just been locked in a trunk for the whole day. Plus what if he escapes while they’re out or starts yelling and kicking?”

  “Don't worry, we witches have magical ways to contact,” Ruby said. She held up a hand as though she was about to cast a spell and then reached into a pocket and pulled out a phone. Within a moment she had sent the text and got one in return.

  “They’re on their way back now. Don't worry, it was just a few hours in Boris’s trunk. Who hasn't done that before?”

  “Do you think it's safe to use phones when everyone is after us?” Alex asked. Although they were within the wards of the house, Juno wasn't.

  “Juno took a burner phone with her. I usually have a few around when I'm back in town.”

  Alex took a few deep breaths and sat down on the sofa, Ruby sitting on the other one. They’d spent the morning and then into the afternoon discussing all things magic. Ruby had shown him a few spells. Yet again there was the memory size issue holding him back. He couldn't copy any of them in full. Simply reading more code was useful, he felt, on some level, but he was still hamstrung by the fact that it took years to be able to learn more complicated spells. Still, it had been an incredibly valuable time.

  Ruby had talked of her own magic. She saw her spells as a play on a stage, with characters and props. She could direct new people, create them out of nothing and shuffle them onto the stage, which was her method of writing spells.

  Alex had discovered through this, that some magic users had an affinity and could help each other. Alex had told her of Stephen and his comic pages and how he'd seen Alex's homebrew healing spell as a woman with the map being ignored by the doctor. How Stephen had managed to cut her out to change the pieces so then Alex could access it and improve his spell.

  Alex had noticed at the time that he and Stephen had worked together incredibly well. Ruby had backed up as much. Some mages were stronger together. She told him that some of the most powerful enchantments and spells were made by duos. She also explained her personal hypothesis that this was why the mage enclaves were absolutely stupid. A pain mage plus a death mage might be the ultimate combo but they kept to their own kind, and thus were weaker.

  They'd spent the past two hours discussing the Great Barrier and Alex's discovery that he could see the spell, which was something Ruby found incredible. As a powerful witch she'd even cast Know Thyself 100x but still was unable to see the Great Barrier spell working on her. Alex was able to share some fragments of what he'd copied with her; the long strings of numbers but that hadn't translated into anything for Ruby. She could see there were figures, but they were grayed and blurred out, anonymous and faceless. The image that Alex had grabbed from the spell—the sun shining down on the werewolves—was unable to be copied all.

  Ruby had explained, though, that not everything in a spell was the spell, and Alex, with his programming knowledge instantly understood. After all, in programs, you could add comments, which was usually done to explain what exactly you were doing to make it easier to change in the future. But sometimes, people just added comments to say things, to put in poems or stories or other bits of information. It was possible that someone had thrown that image into the Great Barrier spell as decoration or maybe for no reason at all.

  “That kid is going to be so angry,” Alex said, running his hands through his hair.

  “Pish-posh, he'll be fine,” Ruby said.

  “I need him to like us though. I mean, I didn't entirely intend for it all to happen so quickly, so I thought I had more time, but I wanted to get him to trust me, so he would share.”

  “We could drug him.”

  Alex glanced at her to see if she was joking but, apparently, she wasn't.

  “Drug him? That might work short-term but I want him actually to like and trust me.”

  “You worry far too much. There are certain… let's say, concoctions a witch can make that will make the victim joyful. They’ll want to spread their secrets. They’ll sing at the top of their lungs. They will trust you, and even the next day they’ll still think you’re their friend because they bonded with you. Now, tell me why we shouldn't do that, considering all you’re facing?”

  Alex tried to wrap his mind around the idea. He hadn't had any problem with April drugging that mercenary mage they'd captured, nor any problem when she’d killed them. But this kid? This eighteen-year-old, so thin and gangly?

  “I don’t know if that’s the right thing,” he said.

  “I was thinking gin, tonic, and a slice of lime. Give him a few of those, and he'll start talking. A nice dinner. Maybe some lemon cheesecake for dessert,” Ruby said, a sly grin appearing on her face.

  For a moment Alex saw the years fall away from her and virtually saw Juno's face peering out from her grandmother and saw the sneaky sly witch sitting in front of him.

  “He’s not of legal drinking age yet, but maybe a few gin and tonics could help,” Alex said.

  “Good! It's a party,” Ruby said.

  Alex heard Bo
ris pull up the drive into the garage. He went to the kitchen with Ruby as Nia, April, and Juno crowded back into the house. They were carrying groceries, including a heavy bag full of alcohol. Juno strained as she lifted it up onto the bench and Alex saw two large bottles of gin, as well as the rest. It was when they put down a large box with lemon cheesecake printed on it that he realized the plan was already in motion.

  “Gin and tonic, dinner and cheesecake?” he said to Ruby.

  “Gotta watch witches, boy, always three steps ahead of you,” she said and gave him a wink.

  Alex turned to his three mates and lowered his voice.

  “So… I forgot that Stephen was still in the trunk. Is he still there?” he said, afraid the mage would hear him, even though he was out in the garage.

  “He’s still there. We checked on him. and he’s okay,” April said, unpacking groceries.

  “We need to bring him inside because we can't leave him locked in there.”

  “Sure, just let's get these things packed away first,” April said.

  As the girls unpacked the groceries and put them away, Ruby inspected the bottle of gin, reading the label.

  “Very high proof; this should work. I can't wait to give that kid my ‘magic potion’…” she said, looking sideways at Alex. Juno stifled a laugh. Alex poked her in the side with his finger.

  “Yes, witches are very funny. Thank you,” he said, rolling his eyes at the pair of them.

  Then, Nia turned to Ruby. “You won’t guess who we saw. Tony Mazzazoli!”

  “Really? How did he look?”

  Nia bit her knuckle and made what Alex could only describe as a sex face. Both Juno and April pretended to fan themselves.

  “What was that, Nia? Who's Tony Mazzazoli?” Alex said after poking Nia and getting his hand slapped away.

  “They went to school with him. That kid went through the schoolgirls there like a bad curry through a… I don’t know, a drunk.” Ruby said.