Vengeance (The Sorcerers' Scourge Series Book 3)

by Michael Arches

  That thought eased my conscience, and I felt even better when I remembered that I hadn’t planned to kill him. He had to know that when magicians fight, there was a good chance of big trouble. Lots of battles ended with the loser dying. He’d knowingly taken that risk, just as I had. Nope, no need to feel sorry for the bastard.

  Nevertheless, my hunger faded. When the rest of the family marched off to breakfast, I did, too, but only ate a couple of pieces of toast slathered with butter and strawberry jam. Laura was eating for two these days, but she hardly ate enough for one.

  Soon, Tess dropped by, but she didn’t eat either. Based on both women’s long faces, I figured they wanted to confess, too.

  To cut that short, I said, “Whatever terrible thing you think you did, I grant you a full and unconditional pardon. Go and sin no more.”

  Tess began to object, but I put out my right arm, the palm facing her. “Stop. I really don’t want to hear it. We all messed up. I hereby grant all of us absolution for our many sins.”

  Laura shook her head and tried to speak.

  I put my fingers in my ears and chanted to myself.

  Christina mimicked me.

  Laura finally shrugged, and I felt better. Then, I went and grabbed a plate full of bacon that I brought back to the table. Fried pork belly was the ultimate comfort food.

  Everyone relaxed and chatted normally, that is until Diana strode up. I thought at first she was going to throw herself on her sword, too, but instead she said, “Dr. Glinka will see you in Laura’s healing room in fifteen minutes. Don’t be late.”

  Then she spun on one heel and left.

  “What’s she pissed at me for?” I asked.

  Tess shrugged. “Maybe she feels guilty, too, but I can promise you, she’ll never admit it.”

  Laura chuckled. “No, our great queen can’t show the least bit of weakness. She’s done a lot for you, in addition to regularly throwing you to the wolves. I imagine that she expects some gratitude.”

  “Am I in her debt?” I asked.

  Tess and Laura hesitated, probably weighing the question in their heads.

  Then Laura said, “No. She owes you for a lot, including for ten years of safety for her and every other witch in this county. They ought to erect a marble statue of you in the center of the Pearl Street Mall. At some point soon, you, me and Christina are probably going to have to move on. You’re too powerful. She won’t tolerate rivals, and don’t worry about her moods.”

  I glanced at Tess to gauge her reaction, and she sighed.

  “I don’t want to lose my best friend,” she took Laura’s hand, “but there’s no job for me here either. Maybe Ian and I can arrange a fancy contract for a tag-team approach to protecting a rich community on one of the coasts?”

  Laura beamed. “I’ll look into it.”

  Chapter 18

  I HEADED TO MEET Dr. Glinka with Laura in tow. The good doctor was sitting in a chair by Laura’s desk and reviewing her notes.

  When we entered the room, she smiled at me. “How are you today?”

  “Fine, never better.”

  Laura squeezed my hand.

  “Has anyone given you a detailed physical exam since your accident?” Glinka asked.

  I tried to fight a grin. “The wife worked me over pretty good.”

  The doctor frowned. Obviously, she had no sense of humor. She stood and patted the treatment table.

  “Please undress and lie on your stomach.”

  I did that, but I left the medallion on. It changed from a large, bright, golden disk to a small, dull, bronze one.

  Laura said, “Right after the fight, I sensed serious damage to his magical core. I used my powers to resolve it as quickly as I could…but too late.”

  The doctor stood at the head of the table and placed the fingertips of her hands on my temples.

  “Yes, the spell Ian cast damaged his medial temporal lobe, probably from excess power flashing back from his broken staff. I’m frankly surprised that he didn’t suffer much more.”

  “How do you know what I did?” I asked.

  Her fingers danced lightly over my scalp, soothing me completely. Whatever Diana was paying her for a house call wasn’t enough.

  She smiled. “Thank you. As for your question, I understand from my interviews that something went wrong with your staff. In layman’s terms, you shot too much energy at one time through your weapon, and it overloaded. The power that didn’t pass through it bounced back into your mind, injuring you. Laura repaired the damage quickly, a true blessing, but the magic you’d stored is probably gone forever.”

  That was terrible news. I should’ve been able to take on Escobar after beating Sitka. No chance that I could take on the regional slayer now.

  Frustration boiled up within me, but Glinka’s fingers continued to work their magic. My annoyance soon flowed away.

  “Has he suffered in other ways?” Laura asked. “His magical core took a hard hit.”

  Glinka held out her hands as though seeking understanding. “Most of his magical power was lost, but his innate healing abilities are intact.” She turned to me. “Have you tried to connect with the gods since the fight?”

  I shook my head.

  “You should wait until a quiet moment and try. Your Osage powers may still function properly.”

  I was confused. “What if I have to defend myself? Am I helpless against attack?” My stomach twisted.

  “Your mind is unstable right now,” Glinka said. “You do not want to try to hold much magic until you’ve laid a proper foundation with magic again. And wait at least a month before attempting an attack spell. In the meantime, you can use your healing powers to help animals. You can also train now, using Holar magic, but no true conflict for at least a month.”

  “Never fighting again makes the most sense,” Laura said immediately. I could see her point, but over the last day, plenty of folks had come up to me and thanked me for protecting them. I’d done some good by fighting, so I needed to think carefully before renouncing fighting magic in the future.

  Plus, I still had a score to settle with the worst badass in the region.

  “I’ll stay out of fights for a month.”

  Laura growled.

  Glinka snickered. “I agree with her that forever might be better, but that’s a philosophical choice. You’ve helped plenty of people here.”

  I reached out my hand to my wife and soothed her while Glinka was examining me. A tear from Laura dropped onto my shoulder.

  “Before I fight again,” I said to her, “we’ll talk about it and set some ground rules. No more crazy risks.”

  She gave me a broken smile, and that was the best I could hope for.

  Glinka finished her examination, and I dressed.

  “You’re in excellent physical condition,” she said. “You should have no trouble with hand-to-hand fighting. Your central nervous system will remember all the physical movements that you used before. As for your Holar spells, you must begin again, starting from nothing.”

  I wasn’t happy to hear that. She’d never been so emphatic before. “Will I be able to learn it again quickly?”

  “Perhaps it will come faster the second time, if you have access to the same teachers.”

  But I wouldn’t. Gill was gone, and he’d made no effort to return.

  “My strongest mentor retired.”

  “I understand,” Glinka said. “Nevertheless, Diana is arranging for an eminently qualified replacement. Until your new mentor arrives, I know that Tess will help you. She believes she understands most of Carmichael’s teachings about Holar magic.”

  That was a good point. “She’s terrific.”

  “Yeah,” Laura replied, “and it’s best to tell your wife everything that you learn from now on, in case something bad happens to you.” She leaned her forehead against the medallion under my shirt and pressed the disk into my skin.

  She was right. Luckily, I’d explained the amulet to her already.
/>   When Glinka finished examining me, she gave me a vial of a potion.

  “Take a quarter teaspoon of this every morning until it’s gone. It will not only keep you calm, but it will also stimulate your brain’s recovery. This is one of Ellen Camphor’s many contributions to the healing arts.”

  I took the first dose while we were still in the treatment room. It was cherry flavored, and it seemed to have no effect whatsoever.

  -o-o-o-

  AFTER GLINKA LEFT, LAURA and I sat in the lounge and waited for Nicky and Felicity. They arrived right on time, and we took them to our apartment where we could speak privately. They were both wearing casual clothes, so I offered them beers. They declined. I grabbed one for myself and a Perrier for Laura.

  Back in the living room, I sat in the recliner, part of my new mellow approach to life. The others sat on the sofa.

  After the introductions, Nicky said, “Sorry to bother you, but we have bad news on extradition. The court of appeals upheld Judge Eastwood’s order sending you back to Oklahoma for trial.”

  I shrugged. “That’s what you expected, isn’t it?”

  Felicity nodded. “But we would’ve preferred to be wrong this time. We can buy you a little more time by appealing to the Colorado Supreme Court, but they’re very unlikely to take the case. It’s your decision, of course.”

  “Remind me why we don’t want a trial there.”

  “Because we don’t live in a world filled with tolerance,” Nicky said. “In fact, given the Oklahoma public’s general hatred for witchcraft, I’d say that your odds of winning any case there are much worse than here.”

  I found that hard to believe. I grew up in that state, and I knew that most people in rural farm country were decent folks that would give one of their own a fair trial. “Are you saying the cops or prosecutors are going to make up evidence?”

  Nicky snorted. “I’m shocked that you might trust a county prosecutor who could’ve known what Cantor was doing before he raided your parents’ farm. By now, the district attorney must know that he has no proof against you, but he hasn’t withdrawn his extradition request.”

  “Good point,” I said. “Maybe it’s a pressure tactic. They might think that if he comes hard at me, the real killer, who’s no doubt part of my extended family, will be racked with guilt and confess. Grandpa said as much yesterday.”

  Nicky smiled. “That’s possible, but not ethical.”

  Felicity rubbed the back of her neck. “Let’s assume for a minute that their case is as lousy as we think it is. Why not force them to put it on before they’re ready?”

  Nicky blew out a deep breath. “The longer this gets dragged out, Ian, the better your chances of winning are. Their case will more likely deteriorate as witnesses die and move away. Sometimes, evidence gets lost. The government’s case rarely improves with age.”

  I stared at the ceiling for a moment. “If there’s no evidence, then waiting for it to vanish isn’t going to help. I know you two are terrific lawyers. I expect you’ll get me off, and I’d like to get this nightmare resolved as soon as possible. Preferably within the next month.”

  The two of them started yelling at me at the same time. After a moment, Felicity let Nicky set me straight.

  “If they ever get their hands on you, this is going to be a capital murder case. They’re claiming you tortured and mutilated a cop, causing his death. These kinds of cases normally take years to prepare for trial.”

  I knew they were trying their best to help me, but I still didn’t agree with the strategy.

  “Isn’t it just as likely that they’ll use any extra time to make shit up? Or maybe they are using this time to investigate the people in my family who really did kill Cantor. Either way, it’s not doing my family as a whole any good to wait.”

  They both stared at each other.

  “It’s your call,” Felicity said. “In order to give you the best possible defense, though, we’d still need months to prepare for trial.”

  I interlaced my fingers and placed them behind my head while I thought. “Why exactly is that? Paying you guys for months has to be damned expensive.”

  Nicky groaned. “We’re worth every dime. For example, we need to review everything each one of their expert witnesses has ever written down. We also need time to hire our own experts and familiarize them with the case.”

  I stood and paced the room. “Let’s talk honestly. How much time do you really need?”

  They muttered to each other for a moment. “Given our current schedules, two months, absolute minimum,” Nicky said.

  “Then why not call up that prosecutor and tell him that if he agrees to start the trial in two months, I’ll be there?”

  “First, we would need a full and complete release from you that prohibits you from later claiming that we rushed this case and compromised your defense.”

  “Fine.”

  “We’ll make the call and let you know what the Morgan County district attorney says.”

  -o-o-o-

  IT’D ALREADY BEEN A busy morning, and I needed a break. Laura and I headed to the barn to saddle a couple of horses. I picked Hercules, and she chose a smaller mare. The wolves followed us out on the trail, and Lazarus flew overhead.

  It was a stormy morning with clouds surrounding us, but no rain yet.

  “What do you think about today?” I asked.

  “I’m not understanding why you want to speed up the trial.”

  I thought about that further. The reason I’d given was good and true, but it wasn’t the real reason. My wife was smart. She’d seen through me.

  “I feel like I’m starting a new life. I want to get rid of all the baggage from the old one. And I’m not connected to Cantor’s death in any way. Grandpa told me we all knew our phones were tapped, so the evidence proving I wasn’t involved already exists.”

  She didn’t reply, and I took that to be grudging acquiescence.

  “What about training to fight?” I asked.

  She shrugged. “You definitely need to learn defensive magic again. I’m going to talk to Diana about getting Sequoia here to help with that. As for Holar magic, I’m sure you and Gill showed Tess everything that was helpful. She can train you again. That doesn’t mean you should go looking for trouble with people like Escobar.”

  I told her what I’d agreed to with Grandpa, namely that they would try to get rid of Escobar first.

  Laura nodded several times. “Let him worry about the slayer. Like you said, you’re starting a new life and giving up that grudge from the old.”

  We continued riding the trails, roaming the meadows with no goal in mind. The grass was getting long enough for the horses to eat, and we let them graze.

  Out of the blue, Laura said, “Listen, here’s even more baggage from the past. Professor Leòideach from Oxford is coming to Boulder tomorrow. If you want to change your mind about working with her, now’s the time to speak up.”

  We nudged the horses to get them moving again, and I thought about my training options. “Seems she’s likely to fail as a trainer, doesn’t it?”

  My wife laughed. “Gill likes to shock people. That was just his nature. His heart was always in the right place. We don’t know about hers yet.”

  Why was I assuming the worst? “Leòideach may be terrific. Gill thought she was my best option.”

  After our horse ride, Laura and I headed to Diana’s office and found our Grand Poobah there.

  “Yes, she’s still planning to come,” Diana said. “Of course, she wants to visit with Fred, Dave, and Benoît first. If she has doubts about the authenticity of the book I’m sure she will take the next flight back to London.”

  “I have faith in Fred and Dave,” Laura said. “If the book was a fake, they would’ve realized it by now.”

  I had faith in her, so I wasn’t going to worry about the book either.

  “Let’s say she comes here,” I said. “What then?”

  “Take her out for a walk,” Diana su
ggested. “Just get to know her. If she’s too difficult to work with, you have many other options. My dear friend Henry, for example, would be happy to come and help you.”

  “Forget Henry,” Laura said. “He was really mean to Ian last time.”

  He made me nervous, too. “Let’s try the Scot first.”

  Diana frowned. “He’s just one example. There are many gifted Holar masters in the US.”

  Laura smiled. “Exactly. Ian has choices, that’s the main thing.”

  -o-o-o-

  NOT LONG AFTERWARD, KATIE showed up at the ranch. Diana threw a big welcoming party for her dear friend, and everybody came. We all loved Katie dearly.

  When Laura and I got our chance to talk with her, I asked, “How’s Gill? I’ve written to him several times since the fight, but I can’t get a sense of how he feels.”

  Katie glanced around to make sure no one was listening. “He’s sick about his spell going bad. He’d been in great spirits until we got the word. Now the Holar Council wants to interrogate him, and Diana’s being snotty, too.”

  That’s what I was afraid of. “Listen, you tell him to toughen up. Tell the doubters to go fuck themselves. I did that on my own. That’s my story, and I’ll carry it to the grave. He has nothing to feel guilty about. He tried to help, like he’s saved me many times. This one time, it didn’t work out as well, but I won the fight. No harm and no foul.”

  Laura gave me a broken smile. “Everybody knows what really happened, Ian.”

  I shook my head. “Everybody might think they know, but there’s no proof Gill was involved. We, I mean I, burned his note as soon as I cast the spell. Everything seemed fine until I overloaded my staff. This is all on me, and don’t you or Katie or Gill let anybody tell you different.”

  -o-o-o-

  Wednesday, May 29th

  Sullivan’s Animal Hospital, Boulder, Colorado

  ALTHOUGH I’D TALKED TO Holly at the ranch, we’d only socialized. At the hospital, she wore surgical scrubs, and everyone referred to her as Doctor Sullivan. Everyone but me, anyway.