by Logan Byrne
“They didn’t leave me one,” I said, with a puzzled look on my face, hoping he’d just buy it and drop the subject.
“What did I give you for your birthday this year?” he asked.
“Excuse me?” I asked, as butterflies began to form in my stomach.
“Lexa,” Mirian said.
“What did I get you for your birthday this year?” he asked again.
“Fabian, you can’t be serious right now. You’re interrogating me because I haven’t yet seen a memo?” I asked.
Fabian pulled out a wand, pointing it straight at me, as he furled his eyebrows and began to look serious. “Are you who you say you are? I can find out, you know, with a simple spell.”
“You don’t want to do this,” I said.
“Lexa, get out of there!” Mirian said.
“Commuta—” he said.
“Dormio Maximus,” I said, my hand on my wand under my blazer as I pointed it at him. The spell hit, dropping him to the ground, his wand rolling across the floor before I put my foot on it.
“Are you okay?” Faus asked.
“I used the memo he gave me as cover when he wasn’t looking. I inched my way closer to my wand to get the upper hand. I couldn’t let him expose me,” I said.
I dragged his body underneath his desk, which had paneling around every side but where the chair sat. I left his door open halfway, so a passing employee would never suspect he was asleep behind the desk.
“What does the memo say?” Mirian asked.
I began to skim it, tracing my finger along quickly, as I mumbled to myself.
“We can’t understand you,” Faus said.
“It says my name, and that I’m a known associate of the resistance. Kiren has ordered a realm-wide manhunt for me, and stresses he wants me alive,” I said.
“Bring it with you, we can use that kind of information against them within the public eye. We’ll leak it and spin it,” Mirian said.
“Lexa, somebody is walking towards the secured doorway. You need to get out and towards the vault,” Faus said.
I folded up the paper and shoved it in my pocket before shuffling quickly out of the office and towards the next doorway, but I had to make a split decision. The hallway ended in front of me, extending to the left and right. Each section was the same length, and each had a door at the end.
“Go left,” Faus said.
“No, right, see,” Rosie said.
“It’s definitely left, Rosie,” Faus said.
“I can’t wait for you two to bicker. I’m going left,” I said. I went up to the security panel, scanning my barcode, but the light turned red and didn’t unlock.
“Oh, she’s right, it was right,” Faus said.
“Hey,” I heard a man say behind me.
I turned around slowly, smiling, as I was standing in the wrong hallway with the right door thirty feet away.
“What can I help you with?” I asked, walking closer.
“You shouldn’t be up here, Roger. Why are you here?” he asked.
“I have clearance to be here, you know that,” I said.
“Kiren doesn’t want anybody near the vault but those who are authorized. You aren’t on that list, so I’ll ask you again: why are you here?”
I paused, not answering him, as I tried to think of the best answer but my mind blanked. “I don’t know,” I said.
He took out his wand, pointing it at me, as I started to feel déjà vu from just a few moments prior. “Please don’t do this,” I said.
“I have strict orders, Roger. I’m sorry, but I can’t let you near that vault,” he said, as his wand began to flick.
I pulled out my wand, swiping it from left to right. “Arma Maximus!”
His spell quickly followed, my youth and speed far outmatching his as the spark of red hit the shield. “Ventio!” I said, the hallway once again turning into a wind tunnel like in the warehouse.
“You’re making a big mistake!” he shouted.
“Why didn’t you guys warn me about him?” I mumbled.
“I’m sorry, we were looking at the map!” Faus said, sounding flustered.
“Just put him to sleep, and don’t let him sound the alarm!” Mirian said.
I looked up as he was reaching valiantly for a red alarm lever near the other door. Placed all around the precinct, they were there in case of any kind of emergency, whether it be a fire or in this case, an intruder.
“Dormio Maximus,” I said, the wind abruptly stopping, and his hand flew up with the lack of resistance. The spell skimmed his forearm, stopping his hand in mid-air, before his nails scraped against the wall as he fell to the floor sound asleep.
I looked around and wondered what I was going to do with him. I picked him up, tossing him into a janitor’s closet. “Obscuria Totalium,” I said, waving my wand. The film connected from wall to wall, his body disappearing before I closed the door on him.
“You have thirty-five minutes,” Faus said.
“Any sign of Xelia?” I asked.
“Nope,” Rosie replied. “Incapacitated.”
I scanned my card on the correct door, locking it behind me, before the hallway lit up. It wasn’t like the others, with no doors to offices or restrooms. Instead, it was long and led to one final door, the vault door.
“I see it,” I said.
“Stop!” Faus exclaimed.
I froze in my tracks, backing up a little. “What is it?” I asked.
“Let me put the security camera on a loop. It hasn’t spotted you yet, and I’m sure it has motion tracking.”
The vault door was imposing, a giant steel door designed to keep out anything and everything that didn’t have the passcode. It was probably the most heavily guarded safe in the realm, the mortal realm included, and I definitely wasn’t qualified to try to open it without Xelia present.
“Okay, you’re fine to go. The video feed is looped,” Faus said.
I began to walk down the hallway, my wand still in my hand, as I started to hear a faint buzzing sound the closer that I got. “Do you hear that?” I asked.
“No, what?” Rosie asked.
“It’s a, I don’t know, a faint buzzing sound, I guess. Like a vibration of some sort,” I said.
“I’m not picking up anything, and the schematics don’t show any sort of motor that would make a buzzing sound,” Faus said.
I tilted my head, leaning in closer, the sound growing louder as I did so. “There’s definitely a buzzing sound.”
“The vault is one-foot thick steel that was melded with dragon embers and diamonds. Blasting your way through this thing wouldn’t be possible, not even by Kiren,” Faus said.
“What am I supposed to do? Is Xelia coming?” I asked.
“She’s in a meeting right now,” Rosie said.
“In a meeting?” I asked.
“Turns out she was an important person in the precinct today, and she made a very poor decision in who she picked for this spell,” Faus said.
“Lexa, you can do this, I know you can,” Mirian said.
“I’m not qualified to be cracking a safe,” I said.
“There isn’t another option, you must at least try,” he said.
“How? How do I try? What am I supposed to use?” I asked.
“Well, Xelia was going to use her sensitive hearing and touch to figure out the combination,” Mirian said.
“I’m telling you, there’s a buzzing vibration coming from the safe. Maybe it’s a security feature to stop people from trying that,” I said.
“Lexa, I’m looking at the schematics of the vault right now. Trust me, there’s no such mechanism,” Faus said.
“I can’t do it, I won’t be able to sense any clicking of the dials,” I said. “It’s hopeless, we aren’t getting inside.”
I sat on the ground, putting my back against the vault door, feeling the vibrations buzz against my skin. “You need to try,” Mirian said.
“I feel a little tired,” I said, yawnin
g.
“Lexa?” Faus said.
My eyes began to get heavier and heavier, my breath slowing, before I drifted off. I opened them suddenly, seeing the gardens that Kaia stayed in. I’d been here before, but I didn’t understand why I was here now.
“Lexa, I’m sorry to have to bombard you like that, but it’s important,” she said, coming towards me.
“I didn’t meditate. I don’t understand,” I said.
“The buzzing you feel is real. If you listen closely, you can still hear it,” Kaia said.
I stopped, looking up, before looking back down. The water in the pond around her gardens was vibrating, albeit gently. “What is it?” I asked.
“The amulet. You can hear it, we can hear it, because of the mark. It’s calling to us,” Kaia said.
“But aren’t we supposed to destroy it? Why would it call to us?” I asked.
“What do you know about the Amulet of Sha’rari?” Kaia asked.
“That it’s used to summon the demon himself,” I replied.
“And?” she asked.
“Well, nothing else, I guess,” I said, shrugging.
“The Amulet of Sha’rari was created by our people, a bearer of the Mark of Merlin. He created it eons ago, forged it from the purest elements to contain the beast himself. Yes, the amulet can summon Sha’rari, but it also imprisons him in the nether world,” Kaia said.
“So it works both ways,” I murmured.
“Yes, and that’s why it must be protected at all costs,” Kaia said.
“Can Kiren summon him? Sha’rari? I hear he plans to do so on the blood moon,” I said.
“It’s more complicated than that. There are a few criteria that must be met to summon the destroyer of worlds. First, you need the Malum. The dark energy inside will act like the mark. It will amplify the power of an already powerful mage and give them the energy to summon Sha’rari. Second, you need the blood moon, but not just any blood moon. Blood moons happen fairly often, but only one every seventy-five years aligns with the comet,” Kaia said.
“I don’t understand,” I said.
“The comet comes every seventy-five years. Some call it Galileo’s Comet, but I call it destruction. It will be passing that night, the night of the blood moon, and that will be the only time he can summon Sha’rari. That’s why it’s imperative to stop him. If you do, and both the comet and the blood moon pass, he won’t have another chance, no matter what,” Kaia said.
“So it sounds like we can do it, then. That still doesn’t explain why he’s marching on Alornia. What else does he need?” I asked.
“A conductor,” she said.
“The gold,” I said, my eyes opening wide.
“Yes, the kingdom has a tower adorned with the purest gold. It’s like a giant rod that will amplify that sort of magic,” Kaia said.
“I was in there, with King Rafael. Kiren needs the tower if he’s to succeed. Otherwise, he won’t be able to summon Sha’rari,” I said.
“You must stop him, Lexa. This will be your greatest test, but all of us, all of the past bearers of the Mark of Merlin, will be there to give you strength. I know you’re scared and that you doubt yourself. You cannot lose sight of your strength and the raw power that still lies dormant within you,” Kaia said.
“But in the cave, he—”
“He got the upper hand on you, yes, but that moment doesn’t define you. You weren’t using the mark, and you weren’t surrounded by us. You can do this, but you must go. The amulet calls for you, and you must reach it,” Kaia said, as she started to slowly back away.
“But how do I get inside?” I asked desperately.
“The mark will always guide you,” she said, with a smile, before disappearing.
I gasped, opening my eyes, before looking around and seeing I was still sitting in the same place outside the vault.
“Lexa? Are you there?” Faus said.
“Faus, I know how to get in now,” I said.
“Good, because you have ten minutes,” he said.
“Xelia is on her way,” Rosie said.
“It will take me more than that to get inside. Lexa, if you know how to get in, then you need to take the chance,” Xelia said.
I sheathed my wand before cracking my knuckles and neck. I took in a deep breath, letting it out slowly, before putting my hands up to the safe. I could hear and feel the amulet buzzing inside, but I tuned it out. My hands grew warm, the bluish hue emanating gently through my closed eyelids as I felt every inch of steel on the vault.
I began to turn the dial slowly, almost turning it the entire way around before the first pin clicked. I felt it, and I could see it, like the mark gave me x-ray vision.
Then I turned the dial left, slowly, until the second pin clicked, and I cracked a little smile. I took in a deep breath one last time through my nose, letting it escape through my lips, before calming myself even further and making myself one with the vault.
My fingers turned to the right, moving the dial around, as I felt every miniscule click from the lock. Come on, I thought to myself, as my closed eyes ignored the numbers on the dial and instead listened for the cues.
Just before I lost it all, the pin clicked, and I could feel the lock popping inside. I stood up, opening my eyes, before looking to my right and seeing Xelia standing there. “Good job, kid, I’m impressed. I guess thievery didn’t leave you, did it?”
“Guess not,” I said, grabbing the handle. I twisted it, and the two of us leaned back and opened the door. There it was, the amulet, inside a wooden box sitting on a pillar inside the vault.
Xelia walked up, putting both her hands on it, before picking it up and turning around. Suddenly, it happened. Alarms began ringing and lights started to flash in every direction.
“Motion sensors must’ve tripped it! You two have to get out of there!” Faus yelled.
“You can’t teleport in or out. The only way out is the way you came in,” Mirian said.
“How much time is on our spell?” I asked, as Xelia and I began to run.
“Five minutes!” Rosie said.
“You two are the only ones in that area of the precinct. They’re going to know it’s you whether you stay in your current forms or not,” Rosie said.
“Lexa, do you remember the spell?” Mirian asked.
Xelia and I quickly stopped, skidding a little on the shiny white floor, before I took out my wand and pointed it at her. “Commuta Habitum Inrita,” I incanted, swiping my wand up her body.
It instantly took effect as she started to shrink and her skin dissolved from dark to the pasty white vampiric color I’d always known.
“Commuta Habitum Inrita,” I said again, circling the wand around myself. I almost dropped my wand, the pain of transforming back far outweighing the very easy transformation into Roger. I shrunk a few inches as the hair grew from out of his buzzed head and my manly body turned feminine.
“Come on,” Xelia said, the amulet still in hand.
The doors opened and we stopped, my mouth dropping open as a pit formed in my stomach. “It’s her! Lexa Blackmoon!” an officer yelled, before ten more ran inside after him.
They stood twenty feet from us, approaching us slowly, as some took out wands and three of them shifted. One was a wolf, one a rhino, and the other a spider, a tarantula, climbing onto the ceiling.
“There’s no way out, you’re surrounded, and more guards are on their way,” an officer said, as he held his wand to us.
“I’m afraid I can’t let you win,” I said. “M.A.G.I.C. used to stand for dignity, justice, and honor. Now it stands for a maniac bent on dominating the realm and exterminating entire species of magical beings. Step aside, and you won’t get hurt.”
“There’s an entire precinct of us. What makes you so special?” he asked, smiling.
“You shouldn’t have asked that,” Xelia said, shaking her head.
“This,” I replied.
My hands and eyes turned blue, glowing brightly, as
the energy beamed into my wand and I started to fire off spells I didn’t even know. One by one, the officers turned into mice, falling to the ground, even the giant tarantula and the rhino shifters. They scurried around, squeaking to each other, before Xelia and I ran past and out the door.
“Stop her!” a man down the hallway yelled.
Xelia disappeared into the shadows before noticing the box didn’t become invisible with her, so she came back out, yelling an expletive before glancing at me. “Looks like I can’t use my powers.”
“Ventio Maximus!” I yelled, my voice deepening as I felt the raw power course through my veins. A tornado-class gust burst from the tip of my wand, the officers and arriving duskhowlers being blown off their feet as they flew every which way, even down the stairs to the balcony below.
“We need to figure out how to bypass these stairs,” Xelia shouted over the sound of the howling wind.
“Grab onto me and hold tight,” I said.
We jumped off the top floor, flying down the atrium as a group of fifty men and women lay in wait below. They started to shuffle, reluctantly pointing their wands as if they didn’t have a clue in the world what to do. They hadn’t dealt with something like this before, and they likely never would again.
“Rigormorio Omnis!” I shouted, the tip of my wand pulsating blue as the entire building lit up like the inside of a club. The spell shot off, hitting the ground before rapidly spreading outwards in a pulsing wave. The entire group of fifty were affected, falling to the ground like bees hit by a smoker. They weren’t getting back up anytime soon.
“Levio,” I said, wrapping my wand around us. We slowed down with five feet to go, before our feet touched the marble floor and the metal gate locked in place over the front doors.
It was a final touch, a security feature installed years ago in case there was a prison break or we needed to keep people out during riots. It wasn’t any match for me, though, not with my powers now.
“Eruptico Maximus!” I yelled, and the stone and metal exploded outwards, sending chunks flying into the street and sidewalks below.
We ran out, sprinting towards the sewers, before Mirian’s voice came over the radio. “There are too many after you, don’t come to the sewers. Go back to camp and I’ll meet you there.”
