Blue Mage: Apprentice Omnibus: A Fantasy Romance Adventure (Books 1 - 3) (Blue Mage Series)

by Eden Redd

Ghostly spirits emerged from walls, dozens of them. They darted toward the lone figure threatening their queen. Professor Hart kept his arms to his side but made a quick hand signal. The spiraling dark energy whipping around his body stopped and formed an orb. Black Spikes emerged from the dark energy and the orb centered over the professor’s head. When ghostly spirits crowded toward him, the orb exploded, sending shards of black energy in every direction. Every spirit was impaled where their heart used to beat. Moaning cries filled the throne room before they were silenced, ghostly bodies fading away to nothing.

  The Dead Mother was on her feet. Black energy poured from her hand, twisting and forming a large blade. “I remember your skill with a sword was lacking, lover.”

  Professor Hart sighed. “It hasn’t gotten any better.” Hands outstretched, air whirled into a white short sword in one hand and a white shield in another.

  “One last dance.” The Dead Mother said and charged.

  Trystan reached Nia as she hung from rusty chains. Undead clamored toward them with Sylk and Bella keeping them at bay. The fox familiar continued her storm of air blades in all directions. Despite keeping the dead at bay, their numbers were pushing at their limits. For every corpse Lana took down, several more took their place. Sylk screamed, sending focused shock waves at the dead but they resisted her power. Bella continued to slice at them but some dead grabbed at her blade tentacles, draining bits of mana with every touch.

  The young mage knew they needed reinforcements. Knowing his mana was low, he looked to the chains. He cursed his beginner skill with earth spells. He couldn’t break the chains and the water whipping around keeping the dead at bay was getting weaker. If he pulled the water to snap the chains, then the dead would take the advantage. Keeping his own fear at bay, the mage looked for something to wake his friends and free them. Hand touching his robe, the mage’s eyes widened. Fishing into an inner pocket, he pulled his invisible phantom potion.

  An undead hand scratched at Sylk’s arm, draining more mana. The siren screeched and stumbled back. Bella coiled a tentacle around the siren while striking out at the dead. Several more dead took hold of Bella’s blue tentacles and the slime screamed. The horde was overpowering them. Bella pushed Sylk back, the siren landing behind their master. Sylk was back on her feet as Bella turned to the horde once again.

  “Oh no you don’t!” Sylk shouted as she planted her webbed feet and crotched down.

  The siren leaped forward, shoulder smashing into undead. Tumbling, small claws sliced at boney knees and shins. The dead descended on her. The blue siren took a deep breath and screamed. Emotion and power surged as the siren gave it everything she had. The scream grew in pitch and intensity before exploding inches from her mouth. The vibrations did nothing to the siren but the undead around her were hurtled in all directions. Bella was knocked to the stony floor. Trystan lifting the potion to Nia’s lips was thrown into her.

  Splashes of potion touched Nia’s lips and partially open mouth. Trystan pulled his head back, staring. Seconds passed. Bella moved forward to Sylk who lay on the floor, eyes half closed and moaning. The slime lifted her up and held her close.

  “That was all I had.” The siren said weakly.

  “I will protect you to the end.” Bella said softly.

  Thirty feet away, undead picked themselves up and shambled toward the fallen slime and siren. Sparks flew with each weapon clash as the professor and the dead queen continued to match blow for blow. The air vibrated with their power as neither could get a strike in edgewise. Trystan held Nia close, hoping the potion would work soon. Nia faded from view. The mage stepped back. A moment later, Nia was on all fours on the floor. The ghost inhabiting her body floated away, shaking its head and confusion in its dead eyes.

  “Trystan?” Nia asked as she looked at him with confused expression.

  “Nia, we need you! We need your fire!” Trystan shouted.

  Nia shook off the cobwebs and stood up on shaky legs. Mist flowed and Red fang was at her side. The wolfish brute flexed his jaw at the undead moving toward them. Focused eyes stared back and a stream of fire burst from his mouth. Nia made hand signals and whispered arcane words. Fire balls burst from her hands, streaking the short distance and exploding against dead bodies.

  Trystan moved to Sunara and splashed a little of the potion to her lips and mouth and then moved to Aznara and finally Reeko. Nia could feel her true self returning. Concentrating, the fire mage unleashed fire spell after fire spell, burning down the dead. Bella hugged Sylk close and a stream of fire flowed above their heads, burning the dead moving toward them. Red Fang stepped with conviction as he blasted the dead back. The siren gave a weak smile and waved at him as he stepped passed them. The fiery familiar winked as he walked pass and stood in front of them, burning the undead to ashes.

  Reeko shook his green head side to side, mist flowing from him. Wendy the ogre appeared and hefted her club. The ogre began swinging her weapon as the goblin cast a spell. Stones rose into the air and shot off in all directions, missing friends and smashing skulls. Aznara appeared and looked to her sister who was lying on the floor motionless. The succubus rushed to her side, holding her close and trying to wake her.

  Black blade clashing against a white shield, the Dead Mother laughed. Professor Hart saw that he could have swiped her leg but hesitated. Energy ran from her hand into the blade, surging into an explosion. The white shield cracked and shattered. Professor Hart raised his blade but it was too late. Slashing through the floating remnants of the white shield, the blade cut into the professor’s shoulder. Professor Hart grunted as pain welled up and blood rose to the surface.

  “You always had trouble focusing your attacks.” The Dead Mother smiled.

  Dropping the white blade, it vanished before it hit the ground. The Professor fell to his knees, clutching at his bleeding shoulder.

  “Even now I can’t bring myself to hurt you.”

  The Dead Mother grinned wildly as she raised her black blade. “I’m happy that will be your last pathetic thought before I slice off your head. Goodbye lover.”

  The Dead Mother brought her blade down when a white sword struck it in mid swing. Lana flew through the air, hands moving and white blades appearing around her. The Dead Mother pulled back, a song rising up her throat. A glowing song shield cascaded around her pale body in the red dress. The fox familiar growled as a storm of white swords darted toward the undead queen. Several struck the glowing bubble and bounced off. In a flash, Lana held one of the swords in her slender hand and darted forward. The dead queen continued to sing as the blade point penetrated the shield. The familiar stayed in the air, pushing with all her might, inching the blade in. The Dead Mother held her ground, singing and two black blades appearing in her hands. Lana’s white sword was half way through the shield and a fireball struck the side of it. The Dead Mother whipped away as the shield collapsed and the white sword imbedded itself in the throne.

  Nia spoke the words and another fireball appeared in her hand. Hurtling it, the dead queen stepped aside as it soared passed. Blades up, she was ready to drive them into the unarmed fox familiar. Professor Hart cast a spell, snagging the fireball in midair, redirecting it at his former lover and student.

  The Dead Mother screamed as the fireball exploded against her back. Falling forward, eyes wide in burning pain, she continued to scream. Trystan turned to the wailing woman. Professor Hart watched with intense eyes. Something unshaped slipped from the pale flesh. The professor cast a spell to snare it but it sank into the stone floor and it was gone.

  The Dead Mother sobbed as black tears rolled down from the corners of her eyes, sadness and confusion raining down on her senses. Lana created an air sword and was ready to bring it down when Professor Hart put a hand up, halting her action.

  The undead woman looked to Professor Hart with tears in her eyes. “Fredrick…..why…..I……”

  The Professor managed to make it to his feet and closed the distance between them. Falling a
gain to his knees, he stared at the confused woman.

  “Vanessa, what happened?” The professor winced in pain.

  The dead woman looked around. The dead in the room stopped their attack. Skeletons and corpses looked side to side. With the fight taken out of them, they shambled off down tunnels. Trystan and Nia watched as the throne room cleared out. Soon there was nothing left but broken undead bodies and their motley group.

  “Fredrick…..I…only see flashes, moments of time.” Vanessa looked to his bleeding shoulder.

  Crawling to him, pale hands pressed his robe to the wound, tears streaming down. “I did this. I hurt you.”

  Professor Hart looked into her crying eyes. “I’m just glad my Vanessa is back.”

  “It has been so cold here.” Vanessa sobbed.

  Professor Hart reached out with his arm and held her close to his chest, his body warming her cold flesh.

  “We will work it out. Right now, I’m just happy you are yourself.” Professor Hart smiled and held her close.

  Nia moved close to Trystan. The mage turned to her and held her fiercely. Reeko went to the two succubi and assisted with getting the now awake Sunara to her feet. Bella continued to hold the weakened siren as they stared at their master, tears streaming down his own face as he rocked back and forth with Nia in his arms.

  Fourteen

  Trystan leaned back in his chair, his spell book open and ink drying. The mage spent the last few hours going over everything he had experienced. Tapping the feathered quill to his cheek, he wondered if there was anything he missed. Memories flowed as the mage recounted his harrowing experience, and the new spells he used and fashioned.

  Thinking back, he remembered how everyone steadily made their way out of the subterranean labyrinth to the surface, the dead woman Vanessa helping the wounded professor. Images of their smiling faces swirled when they breathed in fresh night air. Magistrates descended on them, quick to assist and find out what had happened.

  The mage thought about Nia and a small smile appeared. They were all a little shaken but for the most part unharmed. Nia couldn’t let go of him and neither could he for her. The experience seemed to bring them even closer.

  The Headmaster and Headmistress had called them in one by one for their version of the dark experience. Trystan did his best to tell his side but knowingly left out bits and pieces of information. He didn’t want Mistress Jenny to get in trouble for what that happened between them. The mage also left out the part concerning the Libro Nocte. As much as he wanted to talk about it, he knew he would have to search for the answers on his own. Memories floated on as he remembered checking his robe for the cell phone and found it no longer with him. The mage guessed that the ghost Santiago must have pulled it from his pocket during the battle. Without the cell phone and the book long gone, he had nothing to explain to them. The mage decided he would do his own quest to find out what spell was taken from the mysterious black book.

  Sunara made it through her ordeal with no lasting effect. Aznara harassed her sister as soon as they were at the hospital. The succubi teased each other and carried on like nothing had happened.

  The Dead Mother was escorted to a special cell to await trial for her crimes. The dead woman did not kill anyone but she did hurt a great many people and Para humans, not to mention the damage to the city. Professor Hart went to visit her every night so they could talk about her past. The professor was kind enough to impart some of that information to Trystan, telling him that since Vanessa died, she rose up and wandered the cemetery and labyrinth under the city, afraid and in mourning for when she took her own life. About a year ago, her memory started to become hazy and she only remembered waking up when she was burned. Professor Hart was positive that the trial would be fair and he would do what he could to defend her.

  The goblin Reeko became the new celebrity of Stukarr City. His actions during the party caused his pointy green face to be in every news feed across Stukarr. The college ate it up, hoping it would bring human and para human relations that much closer. The added publicity would show how other para humans could come to the city and know they would be welcomed. Trystan was happy for him and he could take all the fame he wanted. It was odd to Trystan when he received a text from the goblin saying “I’m in your debt.” The mage shrugged it off. He didn’t want debts; he just wanted people to be happy.

  When the smoke settled, Sylk and Bella were ravenous. Trystan could still feel the aches as they drained him over and over until they were full. Even now, the familiars slept on his skin, dreaming good dreams.

  Trystan thought about his own sleep. The nightmares were gone and he rested better than he ever did before. Knowing that his actions were in part done by a sadistic ghost didn’t make him feel completely better but he knew that he would work through it as best as he could. Questions still plagued his mind but the mage figured everything will show itself at the proper time.

  The mage returned to work at the library. Mistress Jenny at first apologized profusely about falling asleep. She went on and on about how that never happens to her. When she tried to arrange another secret encounter, Trystan was polite. He explained what they had was special and they didn’t need to do more to ruin that one beautiful time. Mistress Jenny at first seemed to be okay with that but as days passed, her advances became more overt. The mage wondered how long he could keep her at bay.

  Looking down at his writing, the mage dipped his quill and began scribbling some more notes. A knock at the door caused him to stop and he peered over his shoulder to his dormitory door.

  “Come in.” The mage shouted.

  Silence for a long moment before another knock.

  The mage sighed, closing his spell book and standing up. Walking to the door, he opened it and nearly fell back in horror. Something skeletal looked at him with wide eyes. Laughing poured in from the doorway as Nia pulled off the skeletal mask.

  “I should have had my phone out to record the look on your face.” Nia smiled.

  “You nearly gave me a heart attack.” Trystan said while taking a deep breath.

  Nia held up a second mask in her other hand. “Come on, the Pumpkin Festival is starting in an hour.”

  Trystan took the mask and held it up. “Why do we have to wear these again?”

  “Old history ritual, you wear these so the dead cannot recognize you. I figured after last week, we need all the help we can get.”

  Nia stepped forward and took hold of his shirt. Bringing him close, lips touched. Pulling away with a glint in her eye, she gave a seductive smile. “Besides, the dead may rise up and join the festival.” The fire mage said in a spooky voice.

  “I hope not.” Trystan smiled and placed the skull mask over his face.

  “Well I for one can’t wait to bar hop after the festival. After the last few weeks the whole city is going party pretty hard.” Nia said as she put on her own mask.

  Trystan nodded. “Shall we be off?”

  Nia entwined her arm around Trystan’s and the couple entered the hallway, closing the door behind them.

  The streets were alive with masked people. Paper floats moved along the cobbled streets as music played from loud speakers. Nia pulled Trystan by the arm as they made their way through crowds of happy people. Mugs of ale clashed as red faced people cheered shouting “Happy Pumpkin Festival!”

  The sun dipped low in the sky, turning the once brilliant blue into a burning orange. Kids ran along the streets taking candies from store owners and screaming their delight. White ghosts made from sheets hung from windows, billowing in the wind. Nia shouted her joy, joining in another group as they sang badly into the dimming sky. Trystan smiled as Nia went on and on, crooning like the other drunks. They too had partaken as they enjoyed the festival but Nia was in rare form. The mage wondered if he should catch up so they could be sloppy drunk together.

  Nia turned around, her eyes on Trystan’s neck. “I want you so bad.” She said biting her own lip.

  “What about
the evening of drunken bar hopping?” Trystan smiled.

  “I’m already there and all I can think about is riding you to the sunrise.” Nia slurred a little.

  “How about one bar and then we can go back to my place?” Trystan breathed in slivers of her scent.

  “You’re going to make me beg aren’t you?” Nia pressed her lips to his neck and began sucking.

  Trystan let out a small laugh as her mouth tickled him. The sucking intensified and the mage had to pull her away. Nia looked down and could already see a bruise begin to form.

  “I want to do that all over your body.” Nia said while licking her lips.

  The mage looked at his intoxicated lover. Memories of their life together filtered into his mind. They had come so far and their feelings for each other only grew. The mage wanted nothing more than to take her back and make love all night to the sounds of the festival but he remained insistent only so they could have this wondrous memory together.

  “One bar.” Trystan smiled.

  “One bar. Should I call you master now?” Nia leered.

  “We can take turns.” Trystan returned her leer with a happy smile.

  Trystan and Nia hurried along. One bar later, they joined in with the crowds as they sang their drunken merriment. The sun faded behind the horizon and night cast its cool shroud over the city. Trystan had taken his fill of drink when his own senses began to waver and spin. Nia looked to him with hungry eyes and the mage had no choice in the matter. They had long lost their skeleton masks anyway.

  Stumbling out into the streets, the two mages continued on, nearly falling all over each other. Nia couldn’t keep her hands of the mage, pulling him toward her and pressing her lips to his. Walking like a four legged creature, they spun and turned trying to get their footing while not breaking their kiss.

  The lovers slipped into an alleyway and Nia pushed Trystan against a brick wall. Hands unbuckling his belt, the red head worked feverishly to open it. Trystan looked down with half closed eyes and then back at Nia. Belt undone, Nia worked to undo his pants and pull down his zipper.