by T J Kelly
"That's a relief. I feel normal again but I wouldn't want to do this too many times in a day."
"We prefer not to push anyone too hard unless it's an emergency. Some effects can linger."
I nodded. That crossed over into healing magic, something else I was learning from my aunt. So many things intersected in the magic world. It amazed me that magicians often had such a narrow focus.
It left them with only a piece of the picture. A partial pattern.
Weak.
"Is it okay if we handle Joseph's workshop this evening? I think the setting sun will add to the spell."
"Sounds good. It's about time for the morning meeting, anyway."
It was close to noon, but since this was the first official activity of the day and most of us had just finished our breakfast, that was what we called it. We no longer met before we ate. Now that so many agents were around, our routine had changed. It was a little disconcerting after spending a year of doing it our way, but I would get used to it. Eventually.
◆◆◆
I followed Peony into a large sitting room down the hall from the dining chamber.
There were a number of chairs and sofas, a chaise and two love seats - plenty of seating for a larger gathering. "Hey," Peter said as I sat next to him on one of the love seats. "How did it go?"
"Easier than I thought it would be, but draining. Not that I'm tired or depleted. Just... weird."
His fingers clasped mine, Light and renewing strength flowing into me. "I feel that way after some of my more complex paintings. Big spells make me feel hollow." Peter was a brilliant artist, and some of his best spells were performed using his artistic talent. He used to be tied to his art, unable to cast spells without first making some kind of mark, but we finally worked out a way to bypass that barrier.
I glanced around. Mort was leaning against the back of a large sofa near my uncle, who was seated next to my aunt. Joseph, who had requested me by name was in a chair near a window, perfect posture and inscrutable look on his face. His traveling companions from the day before were nowhere in sight, returning into the field with the other agents. David Novato was in another chair not too far away. His eyes slid from mine when he caught my gaze, then landed on the curtains, staring at them as if they were about to suddenly spring to life and choke him.
Which wasn't as strange as it sounded considering they had done exactly that shortly after he had first joined the Irregulars. Armageddon may have forgiven David for kidnapping and beating him, but I hadn't. As far as I was concerned, David was lucky I stopped attacking him every chance I got.
Reg stood near the back wall, speaking with my cousins James and Richard. He nodded a greeting when our eyes met, and the three of them took a seat.
"How are we coming with the transfers?" Armageddon asked.
"We have two more scheduled for this afternoon," James replied. "Mom said Lia has one."
"Good. Let me know as soon as that's complete. How about your subordinates? Everyone have their report times ironed out? Communications set?"
Nods all around. Then David cleared his throat. He always acted so nervous. Funny how confident he had seemed out near Mount Lassen when my uncle had been tied to a chair, beaten and bloody.
The curtains twitched, as did one of David's eyelids.
"I'll have to travel quite a bit," he said. "The mundane humans are willing to help, and each region has chosen their leader."
"Good man," Armageddon said, approval apparent in his voice. "We've taken that necessity into account and you've been an asset."
It was difficult to get mundanes to help magicians. Usually they ran as fast as they could when a battle broke out, and I didn't blame them. It sucked to be powerless when everyone around could - and did - split the earth open with a flick of their wrist. David had what my uncle called a "good working relationship" with his henchmen, using humans to help him with his nefarious plans to harm my guardian. His magic could negate ours and mundanes wouldn't notice or care if David had done that to them. He was expanding his network to help monitor the fringes of our society just in case the revolution Oberon Taine wanted to start was going to include attacking the helpless.
That would definitely be his style.
"Peter, I need you to meet with the Andersson brothers and a few junior agents they've identified. Time to mingle with your contemporaries and see what they're up to."
My boyfriend nodded his acknowledgment. He was the point man for the younger generation. Although Peter wasn't the most senior of the apprentice agents, he had constant access to the leadership at the castle and had proven himself reliable. Armageddon didn't want there to be any confusion that would lead the light magicians astray. He was trying to cover all the bases since we had no idea who would be targeted.
"Speaking of contemporaries," Mort said. "There are some interesting new laws hitting the books."
My right eyebrow raised on its own. Mort was my uncle's attorney and best friend, as well as his partner in the Irregulars. He always had feelers out and monitored the state of the Council on a regular basis, but now that there was an active plot to overthrow the light half of our government, it was a task more vital than ever before.
Mort picked up several manila folders from a side table and passed them around.
"Let me," I said, offering to help. He handed the rest over and I carried them to the other agents.
"Thank you," he replied. Then waited until we all had a folder before speaking again. "Most seem innocuous and a few tighten loopholes but you'll find in section three that alchemist and vendor contracts have shifted. And not for the better."
I flipped through the pages until I found the appropriate part. There were a ton of notes. I would have to study it more in-depth later.
"They're going after the marginalized in our society," Armageddon murmured as he skimmed the pages he held. "There isn't much we can do about it, but keep up with your connections and make sure your interactions are respectful. It's hard enough for them to ask for help, and often dangerous. These remove protections against binding oaths."
My lip curled. That meant it would be easier to cast and enforce unethical spells on the contracts. Or curses, like the one the Taines had used on Sera. Most of the High Council members who reigned over that area of law were dark magicians. In fact, the dark had locked down many areas that caused agents and the Reeves a lot of hardships. Magical law enforcement used to be respected and honored, but after years of small adjustments to the law and how they spoke about us to the media, we weren't exactly all that popular anymore. Or respected. It made our jobs harder.
"I need to visit Rector Enterprises again," I said. "I can check in with the alchemists we have on staff." My company employed a huge number of alchemists and minor magicians. I had enough credibility with them that I might get a real idea about how they were taking the new laws.
"Sounds good." Armageddon rose to his feet. He looked at each of us, his eyes glittering. "We had one junior agent miss their check-in time. There's no telling if that's a problem yet, but we need to stay sharp. Warn your people to watch their backs - there are numerous ways to target them." That was how we fought our wars. Through skirmishes, sporadic confrontation, global political upheavals. A major battle only happened when the enemy felt they had weakened their prey. "In the meantime, settle in and be on the lookout for anything out of the ordinary. Report in at least once a week. More specific assignments will come soon."
He headed out with my aunt and Mort. The rest of us broke up into little groups, chatting and catching up. Peter leaned closer. "I know you're busy this afternoon," he whispered in my ear, sending shivers down my spine. I loved the feel of his warm breath. "But if my calculations are correct, we've got about an hour before you need to check in with Peony."
My lips curved into a smile. There were a lot more people around the castle, and the days to come would be hectic. Spending a few stolen moments with my boyfriend sounded perfect.
With
a nod to the other agents, Peter and I slipped out of the room.
CHAPTER SIX
I Cast Another Huge Spell
"Good afternoon," I said as Joseph answered his bedroom door. He stepped aside to let us in, my aunt giving him air kisses near his cheeks, indicating they were close friends.
"Please come in. You are welcome in this space." Joseph had a deep, soothing voice, both calming and welcoming as he pronounced the formal words to allow me to work magic in a room that already had his trace upon it. He controlled his magic like any other powerful magician, but when one is in tune with all the elements, the spaces around them become theirs without effort.
"How's your family?" Peony asked. She smiled up at him. "The last time I saw you, your daughter had just learned to walk."
They made their way to the center of the room as I slipped into his dressing room to check out the location of the small shoe closet. It was located in an alcove against the exterior wall of the castle. An alcove that jutted out from the side of the building, giving it a pleasing structure from the outside and extra space indoors. But since there was a roof above it rather than another floor, I made a mental note to include a stained glass ceiling with the usual clear center so he could access the sun, moon, and stars.
"She's away at school near Mille Lacs Lake," he replied, just loud enough for me to overhear. Not that I was trying to eavesdrop, but they weren't actively trying to exclude me from their conversation, either. "My wife is both proud our youngest was accepted to such a prestigious school and saddened that all her children are away."
There was some dust on the shelves that the maids somehow missed. I would burn through that while casting the spell.
"I understand completely," my aunt replied. "Do all your children have an affinity for the natural elements?"
"Yes, they follow my bloodline magic closely," he said as I slipped back out of the closet. "There is no better school to teach a nature-focused magician." He was right. I had heard about Mille Lacs. It was almost a surprise that I hadn't ended up there for a semester considering how many times my parents moved me and the school's reputation for turning out talented magicians.
"Are you ready?" my aunt asked.
"Yes, everything looks good," I replied. Joseph handed me a small vellum sheet with his diagram and the map to his workshop. My fingers hovered over the charcoal marks, fascinated by the symbols. Armageddon had hundreds of ancient texts for me to study, a few with similar markings. I started with the oldest, a lucky occurrence since Joseph's diagram would have otherwise been indecipherable.
I had never seen them used in a spell before. Even clans like mine, that went back thousands of years, didn't use the ancient marks anymore. Which may have been a mistake considering how vibrant and deep their magic was. "This is beautiful. I wish Peter was here. He would love to see such delicate artistry."
"An ancient style learned from my father," he said. "Thank you for your kind words. You may take that to him when you are done. Your partner is a fine young man and an excellent artist."
A grin split my face. I had felt off balance around Joseph, almost shy. The normal formalities and manners didn't come to my rescue the way they normally did when I couldn't think of anything to say. But he noticed how awesome Peter was, and that relaxed me.
"That's kind of you. He'll love it." I shifted closer to the filmy white curtains and tugged them open to allow in direct light. He was on the western side of the castle, and the afternoon sun was visible. The windows were open, allowing in a slight breeze. I glanced at a candle on his nightstand, setting it alight with a flicker of a thought. The stone walls and shadows in the corners would provide the Dark and Earth elements. All I needed was some Water to access all four nature elements. Plus Spirit, otherwise known as Light and Dark. It was easy enough to tap into the pipes behind the wall that led to his sink. It really wasn't any different from water sitting in a clay vessel, which I had used before in spells.
Every element had been incorporated into Joseph's diagram, and it felt right to use them all during the transport. There was an alternate degree in the time factor buried within the spacial coordinates, but nothing I couldn't handle. A transfer spell had to take into account the movement of the planet anyway, and timing was a part of that.
"Cast the spell whenever you are ready," Peony encouraged.
I closed my eyes, breathing evenly using nines. I usually counted to seven, but the complexity called for triple threes, a stable foundation if rarely used. I connected to the elements, drawing them into me, then reached into the diagram. I spun my focus around the maze in the center, touching each symbol until they formed a perfect pattern. I pictured a series of images I had seen in our history courses and used them to create the colored edges of the glass ceiling I created in conjunction with the transfer. Then I hurtled the spell with more force than required that morning for Reg.
There was a snapping sound. My eyes flew open, searching for the source, worried I messed something up. But there was nothing wrong from what I could tell.
"You broke the binding spell on my memory crystals," Joseph said, amusement in his voice.
"Oh, wow. I'm so sorry." Blood rushed to my cheeks. How rude.
"I cast them as a precaution when my children were small, but no longer necessary. Your tie to Rector crystals is closer than I realized. It was a natural side effect of such a great working of magic in close proximity to you. You have committed no offense."
"Thank you. I'll be more careful in the future." Not that I was likely to work such a massive spell near a mountain of Rector memory crystals again. I felt their presence during the transfer. I was concerned something would go wrong, maybe an issue with my spell since I hadn't prepared for such a huge load of dense fractals, and pushed deeper into the magic to make sure they arrived safely. The resistance I felt must have been the binding spell on them. So maybe breaking the binding wasn't a side effect so much as my ability to access our crystals regardless of the spells cast by other magicians. A secret I would never tell - I would only ever use it in case of an emergency. It had been set up that way when the process had first been patented.
Peony eyed me. Ah. Her seer ability to sense a lie must have been set off despite my sincerity. I would absolutely be careful in the future, but I lied by allowing Joseph to believe breaking through the safeguards on the crystals was something it was not.
"Did everything else transfer to your specifications?" she asked Joseph as she slipped me a few cookies. I hadn't yet felt the effects of the spell, but knew it was coming. I pulled out a small can of apple juice I had squirreled away in my pouch, figuring the extra boost of sugar would help.
"Perfection. Especially the ceiling. A thing of beauty and power. You have my gratitude."
"I'm glad you like it." I slipped out into the hall after shaking his hand. It felt strange to receive the admiration of somebody who was so powerful and experienced.
◆◆◆
"Why do you think he has so many memory crystals?" Peter asked.
I hadn't really thought about that. "Well, you said he's older than he looks. Maybe he's a lot older. And that could mean they are all his." If so, Joseph had been around for a long time. Longer than imaginable.
With a sigh, I rolled onto my side to face him. We were lounging on a picnic blanket in my aunt's garden in the center of the castle since it was still too cool for a picnic outdoors. I ran to Peter after leaving Joseph. There was a shakiness inside of me that I hadn't liked and my boyfriend's Light would help.
Besides, who knew how much time to ourselves we could steal? There were a bunch of people living at the castle and more came in and out on a regular basis. Sure, we were partners. And that meant we would see each other all the time. But that wasn't the same as peaceful moments together without pending doom ruining the mood.
Or somebody with inconvenient timing interrupting.
Peter's hand skimmed lightly down my waist, resting just above my hip. Light and warmth
flooded me, and not all from his magic. "And you broke his binding on all of them?"
He sounded impressed. Which was silly. Any Rector could have done it. It only seemed amazing because I was the only one left.
"Want to hear a secret?" I murmured. As hoped, he leaned closer to hear me better. I tweaked a lock of his hair once he came into range, sliding my fingers around his neck, pulling him in for a kiss. After a while, he tilted back just enough to murmur against my lips, tickling me with his response.
"Sure. Tell me whatever you want."
"You can't ever tell anyone else," I warned. That was no joke, either. He couldn't. The serious nature of our exchange made the surrounding air press against our skin as if a weighted blanket had been thrown over our bodies. Magic surrounded us, turning into an oath.
"I swear I won't."
Good enough. "It didn't take any effort at all to break the binding. Nothing could stop me from accessing them if I wanted to."
"So you can access any memory crystal?" His hand pressed into my side. I liked how that felt.
"Any Rector crystal. No matter what it's used for. Or who uses it."
A small whistle burst from between Peter's pursed lips. "But you wouldn't." It wasn't a question. He knew me. I wouldn't. Mostly.
"No, of course not. They are there to be used by others without any interference from me. Ever. I mean, if a dark magician was about to kill somebody, I wouldn't consider that proper use of a Rector product, and stop them. I don't care what anyone has to say about business ethics when a life is on the line. And I won't apologize for it."
"You're amazing," he said and kissed me again. "Seriously. I get it, though. Nobody would want to use your crystals if they knew you could access all their secrets."
"Exactly. My father was adamant about our abilities and I would never break our code. But I won't let somebody die in front of me just to keep the secret. I can do that other ways."
I meant that I could alter their memories. Armageddon had taught me that trick. But if not, I would have found a way. The oath to my father remained even after his death because blood didn't bind it. My word did. And for a Rector, that was sacred. I would have done anything to keep that secret from getting into the hands of a dark magician.
