Awakened Spells Box Set

by Logan Byrne

  “Amazing. How did you get the crystal then?” she asked.

  “I just, I don’t know, felt it nearby. I put out my hand, and kind of summoned it. It must’ve been buried very deep beneath the surface of the lake, probably to avoid being found, and it burst out of the ground before coming to me as if I’d called it,” I said.

  “There have been talks about this sort of power from the mark before,” a man’s voice said from behind me.

  “Mirian!” I cried, smiling, before running over and giving him a hug.

  “Hello, Lexa. I heard the news and came as soon as I could,” he said, rubbing my back.

  “It was here, Mirian. We destroyed it,” Pote said.

  “As it should be. I know the temptation to be immortal is strong, but no being should ever command that much power. Merlin himself said it should be destroyed, and luckily because of Lexa we were able to finish off the work he started. He would be proud of you,” Mirian said, with a smile.

  “Thank you, I’m happy to help the resistance in any way that I can,” I said.

  “By the way, that reminds me,” Pote said, pulling out a small velvet bag from her top desk drawer. “Here’s your payment, with a little bonus.”

  “T—thank you, I don’t know what to say,” I said, opening the bag to see a mound of gold coins inside.

  “There will be more jobs in your future, I’m sure,” she said, with a wink.

  “Lexa, may I speak with you outside, please?” Mirian asked, before guiding me outside the tent.

  “Is something wrong?” I asked.

  “No, not at all. I overheard you talking about what happened to you, the glowing and the power surge you experienced,” he said.

  “Any idea what it was?” I asked.

  “I believe it was a rare form of the mark coming out to aid you. Here, take a look at this,” he said. From inside his robe, he pulled out a small book, before flipping through the pages to a silk bookmark.

  There was a picture of a man, the same glow around him, drawn on the tattered yellow parchment. “While doing my studies, I came across this, and I knew it was something to look deeper into. I’ve kept it on me ever since, waiting to talk to you about it, but the timing has never been right given what you’ve been through.”

  “So it happens with other mark-bearers?” I asked.

  “The only notes I’ve been able to find about it say that it’s a sort of defense mechanism that appears whenever the bearer is under a great deal of stress. The mark, since it is a spirit inside you, senses the danger and amplifies your powers for a short time so that it may deal with the threat at hand,” he said.

  “Do you think it means my powers are growing?” I asked.

  “If you gave out as much as Charlie makes it out to be, then I think Kiren is going to be in for one hell of a fight,” Mirian said, before closing his book and sticking it back inside his robes.

  “Oh, something else happened. Well, I learned about something, and wanted to pick your brain about it,” I said.

  “Anything,” he replied.

  “What do you know about the crystal wand?” I asked.

  “Oh,” he said, laughing a little, a rare emotion for him. “That’s just a legend.”

  “Are you sure? The Oxinora was a legend, and it turned out to be real,” I said.

  “It’s a story told to child mages to pique their interest in the art of magic and make them shoot for something high. They all play in the yards thinking they’re the owner of the wand and are the most powerful witches or wizards in the world,” he said, smiling.

  “They were just so sure of it,” I said, shaking my head.

  “Who was?” he asked.

  “Just people I spoke to, the ones who talked to me about it. It’s hard to believe it’s just a story,” I said, disappointed.

  “I know it is, the outcome of the story is disappointing for every mage, but it’s there to inspire and encourage the young ones. It’s told to show them that they don’t need a mythical wand to be the best mages that they can be. All they need is to work hard and study, and those principles are worth more than any wand ever could be,” he said, patting my back. “I should get going, though. I don’t want M.A.G.I.C. wondering where I’ve gone. I’ll talk to you soon.”

  “Okay, thank you for coming. I’ll see you soon,” I said, before walking away.

  “What’s wrong?” Charlie asked, as he packed his bag to go back to the precinct.

  “Mirian just told me that the crystal wand isn’t real. He said it’s just a story told to young mages to get their hopes up or something. I don’t know, I sort of tuned out when he said it wasn’t real,” I said.

  “Obviously it wasn’t real, Lexa. Why would there be something that powerful out there for somebody to get their hands on? Merlin wouldn’t craft something like that, would he? The guy seemed like a stick in the mud,” he said.

  “But it’s supposed to help people fight darkness, at least I think it is, right? I guess I just fell in love with the idea of getting it and harkening in a new era of change in the realm. People would get hopeful if somebody found that,” I said.

  “I know. I’m sorry it isn’t real, it would be a cool thing to go find. I better get going, though. I’ve been gone a while and people are probably starting to ask questions. Are you going to be okay?” he asked.

  “Yeah, I’ll be fine. Thank you for spending your vacation time with me out in the field. I couldn’t have done all this without you,” I said, grabbing him and giving him the biggest bear hug the world had ever seen.

  “I was more than happy to do it. I’ll see you soon, okay?” he asked.

  “Count on it,” I said, smiling, before he walked out of sight towards the portals.

  I looked around the camp, hearing kids laugh and scream as they ran around chasing one another. The sounds of hammers clanking against hot steel rang loudly as camp guards sparred against one another in one of the training areas.

  I just couldn’t let the thought of the crystal wand go. Everybody had said that the Oxinora wasn’t real, that it was just a legend to tempt people, to test their integrity and character by seeing if they would try to command the forces of death. But that legend had turned out to be true. I found the crystal, and even used it to revive Charlie. Now they were trying to tell me that the crystal wand was just a myth, but to me it couldn’t be, not after what I just went through. I was going to find it, and I was going to be worthy enough to defeat the golems and wield the wand that would bring in a new era.

  I would be the owner of the crystal wand.

  7

  “You’re back!” Rosie yelled, grabbing onto me and hugging me as tightly as she could. I couldn’t help but smile, laughing a little it, as I hugged her back and felt a true sense of happiness. That feeling seemed to come seldom lately in my life.

  “It’s good to see you, how have you been?” I asked.

  “Oh, great. Chancellor Pote has me assigned to a job here. I’m working with their tech team, and I’m loving it. I heard you completed your job, right?” she asked.

  “I guess you could say that. I did what I set out to do, yes,” I said, leaving out the fact that Pote then destroyed what I literally risked my life to get, not to mention Charlie’s.

  “I’m proud of you, I really am. I’m so glad you’re back in the camp, too. Are you staying? You know, long-term and all?” she asked, looking as though she was clinging to the proverbial edge of her seat as she anxiously awaited my reply.

  “I guess I am, I haven’t really thought about it all that much, to be honest. I’m thinking it’s probably best to be here instead of where I was before, especially since Pote is giving me more freedom, which I should’ve had in the first place, but that’s a discussion for another day. Have you heard from Lisa or Zark yet?” I asked.

  “No, there’s been nothing on the scanners from them, and they definitely haven’t been here. I think they just went their separate ways. I can’t say I blame them, they both
always seemed like loner types,” she said.

  “Maybe they ran off together and are madly in love,” I said, laughing.

  “Those two? No way, imagine the power struggle there. They’re both way too dominant to ever let the other get a leg up,” she said.

  “I really like catching up with you, I always find myself laughing,” I said.

  “Are you leaving now?” she asked.

  “I want to go into town, into the realm, to look for something,” I said.

  “Can I come with?” she asked.

  “Are you allowed?” I asked.

  “It’s not like I’m five, Lexa. If you can leave, why can’t I?” she asked, shrugging.

  “Well, I’m a trained witch who can teleport in and out at will. You can’t,” I said.

  “I’ll stay quiet and out of trouble, I swear. I just need to stretch my legs a little,” she said.

  “Fine, but hoods up at all times and don’t be seen,” I said.

  “You’re the best! I’ll be right back, just let me get my jacket,” she said, before skipping off towards her tent.

  I wanted to hear more about the wand from people who weren’t trying to cage me in. They meant well, Pote and Mirian, but I knew they wouldn’t just delve into any information they had about the crystal wand. They didn’t want me running off on an unsupervised adventure like that, and I couldn’t say I blamed them. They did feel a responsibility to keep me safe, after all.

  Rosie came back three minutes later, her hood up and face covered below the nose by a veil. I covered my face as well, before pulling out my wand and taking us into the realm. The cobblestone streets were darkened with water as rain fell from the sky and people ran around, splashing in small puddles as they tried to retreat to warmth and dryness.

  “Where are we going first?” she asked through her veil.

  “I know of a shop, I used to go there every now and then. It’s a little seedy, so keep close to me and don’t touch anything when we get inside. Everything there has a price, whether you intend to pay or not,” I said.

  “That’s not ominous at all,” she mumbled as we walked off.

  We came to a street crossing, where I noticed a tattered, weatherworn poster with my picture on it clinging to a lamppost. I glanced at it, a recent photo of me, boasting a reward up to five thousand gold coins for my capture. I almost contemplated turning myself in when I saw the amount they were offering.

  It made me even more conscious of our surroundings, keeping my head down and not making eye contact with anyone. I saw two more posters of my face before we walked up to the shop, a small antiquities shop with a black storefront.

  A little bell jingled overhead as we walked into the dimly lit shop. The room was quiet, enough to hear a pin drop across the street, and when Rosie closed the door behind us the creepiness factor immediately set in. I never liked coming in here, even when I had something to sell, and I knew safety was going to be more important than ever dealing with the man who owned the shop.

  I used to sell my wares to him, and I knew the type of man he was. He would sell his own mother out for a single bronze coin, so a bounty of five thousand gold on my head would have me bound and gagged before I could even get a spell off to defend myself. Even though the danger level was high, I knew he would know about the wand, if only the legends about it. He was my only option.

  I walked up to the shelves, looking at a myriad of mystical delights laid out in an orderly fashion, some with genuine cobwebs stuck to them. They looked as if they hadn’t been touched or moved in years. I heard murmurs from the back, the man’s voice faint yet recognizable, before he floated outwards, a creepy grin on his face as he greeted us.

  He was about five-foot-five, his skin pale white, with eyes as dark as night. He wore a black sweater and gray pants, and his hair was puffed up and thinning. He was the type of man you’d have nightmares about. “How are we this fine afternoon?”

  “I hear you’re the one to speak to if one is seeking a treasure,” I said.

  “Ah yes, I am the one those searching for secrets seek to speak to,” he said, likely giddy about being able to use his riddles.

  “I seek something I cannot find, and neither can others. Can you help me find it?” I asked.

  “What is it you seek, young traveler?” he asked, moving closer, the stench of rotting garlic on his breath. I winced, the smell penetrating my scarf, before I cleared my throat and continued.

  “I seek a wand made of crystal, for which one must be worthy,” I said.

  “Oh my, that is quite the feat indeed,” he said, floating back over towards his front counter. He pulled out a book, a huge tome, blowing off the caked-on dust before opening it up and quickly flipping through the pages. “Come, my child, and witness for yourself.”

  I walked over cautiously, never knowing what he was going to try, before looking at the book and seeing a page about the wand. The book was old, maybe from the early thirteenth century, with yellowed parchment and fading ink that talked about a white wand with veins of gold. It was the wand to end all wands, the owner being thrust upon evil to vanquish whatever darkness lay in its path.

  “So it’s real?” I asked, looking back up at him.

  “Many would say it is, while many more would say it is not. How do you know what’s real, if such a thing has never been found?” he asked.

  “You rely on faith,” I said.

  “Frivolous faith will not get you far, but a certain ambition for greatness will,” he said.

  “Where would one go if one wanted to find such a wand?” I asked.

  “Where the wind is cold and the temperature harsh. A place so barren life itself can barely survive. A tundra so vast that only the bravest dare to speak its name,” he said, giggling, as he rubbed his hands together.

  A shiver ran down my spine, and with a peculiar sense of intrigue, I dared to ask. “Where?”

  “Ilulissat, of course,” he cackled.

  “Where is that?” I asked.

  “It lies where the name is green but the land is not, young one. Like lighthouses in a sea of white, the houses stick out, their colors so bright,” he said, before closing the book and sending up a mushroom cloud of dust.

  “Thank you for your help, I know where to start,” I said, nodding.

  “It was my pleasure. Please, come back if you find the wand, I’d love to see it,” he said.

  “I’m sure you would,” I said. He cackled as we walked to the door, escaping his store and feeling the creeps wash off me as I shook my head and realized why I was more than happy never to have to deal with men like that again. I liked the honest way of surviving and earning a living a whole lot more.

  “So where is it?” Rosie asked, as we walked back down the street.

  “His clue makes me think Greenland, a town called Ilulissat. It would make sense that it was hidden in the tundra. That land is going to be very inhospitable,” I said.

  “Are you going to be able to do it, then? That’s a tall order, isn’t it?” Rosie asked.

  “Africa was the same, and I did that. A little snow never hurt anybody,” I said.

  “I think it’s more than just a little,” she said, before I stopped at a corner, putting my back against the brick building beside us.

  “There it is,” I whispered, as I gazed at the precinct. I didn’t know why I did this to myself whenever I came near, staring at the precinct as if I were reminiscing over an old lover. I was sure it wasn’t healthy, but it made me feel some kind of connection to the job I loved but couldn’t do.

  “It really is amazing, isn’t it?” she asked, looking up at the majesty of the tall building.

  “It still feels weird seeing it but not being able to go inside. I wonder what would happen if I did,” I said, teasing the idea, even though I knew I would never even try it.

  “I don’t think you’d like the outcome,” she said.

  “Yeah, I doubt it,” I said, as a van drove up and stopped quickly in fro
nt of me.

  “What’s that?” Rosie asked, stopping short.

  A team piled out of the back of the van, dressed in S.W.A.T. gear, and I felt myself close to throwing up. They were here, the man in the shop gave me up. He knew who I was the entire time and turned me in to Kiren for the money. That dirty pig! I knew I couldn’t trust him, even with my disguise on!

  They ran, but not towards me. They went towards M.A.G.I.C., running inside. They must have been there to do a raid, but why? It made no sense—this was the precinct, not some random drug or casino bust like I’d run a few times. I squinted, a million thoughts running through my head, before a S.W.A.T. officer came out towing a man.

  My stomach dropped, my heart breaking, as I realized what was happening. They were going after the undercover agents. They knew. And that meant Kiren knew. The only people being brought out were resistance members, and I knew what that meant. Charlie, Blake, Britta, Faus, and Mirian were all inside, even Xelia and Shira, and they were going to be next.

  Kiren wasn’t going to be kind to people he perceived as traitors, especially ones who were undercover in M.A.G.I.C. He would punish them, kill them, and leave their dangling bodies for the realm to see. He would instill his fear, showing what would happen to those who joined the resistance, as he tried to cut us off at every avenue he could.

  “Rosie, we need to get out of here,” I whispered.

  “What’s going on?” she asked.

  “They’re raiding the precinct. The people they’ve pulled out are part of the resistance. We need to get to safety,” I said.

  “We ask all citizens to remain calm and keep still. We are going to be checking identification. You are not permitted to leave until you’ve been verified by an officer,” a man in tactical gear said, waving, as everybody around filed up and got ready for verification.

  “What do we do?” Rosie asked, panicked, as I heard her start to breathe heavily.