by Casey Herzog
“There’s a reason why women have not been given the same rights in magic. It’s not because they are weak, but because they might be too strong for their own good. Look at yourself and tell me we didn’t have the right idea. I can’t stop you, but it would be best for everybody for you to do your research before attempting such a thing.”
Professor Bethesda was making me realize the only way for all of us to live in harmony was through equality. My father’s legacy and his vision needed some fine-tuning, which could only come from my hand.
William came forward and stood in front of me, looking like he was about to turn evil into good. It was all falling apart. I wanted him to love me and to kiss me with the same passion he had the first time. He complied willingly, and I did not force him to do anything. It made me feel good that somebody cared enough to step into the face of danger.
“Who’s going to kiss you if I’m gone? I don’t want you to think about it. Do what you feel is right. Follow your heart and there will be nothing you can’t do.”
I looked at them all. I saw Damien smiling knowingly like he had a pretty good idea of what I was going to do.
I fought the darkness tooth and nail, but I finally let it go with a scream of release. It left me feeling like I had lost my best friend. A wave of energy spread across the community and out to the outlying areas. Everybody was given an equal dose of the magic eyes. The small bit I had left was not enough for the darkness to cling to. It faded into nothing more than indecision and regret. Just as it left, I felt the hunter watching. He had felt the power and knew fighting it would only get him killed.
My father came forward and put his hand on my shoulder. William was holding my hand and looking at me dreamily, letting me know our future was entwined. Damien was the one to finally voice concerns, but not with condemnation.
“I hope you know what you have done. I’m sure it felt like the right thing to do at the time. I don’t know and I wasn’t in your shoes. The Elders are no more. The Guardian Program will be disbanded, and the hunter is still out there. Giving power to those who have never had it before is going to take some time to get used to. It would be a good idea for you to be there for the girls. It’s not that they can’t handle it, but more like the power of magic and its influence can be overwhelming to females because of their DNA.” It was agreed that I would become a den mother to the females looking to gain control over what they were now a part of.
In the next few months, I had many students, and in my off time, I was spending most of it with William. My father and I still had a strained relationship, but we were making inroads one baby step at a time. There were some students who took a little more attention, and I had to be very careful not to send them into a tailspin.
I stood outside my classroom looking towards the horizon and I knew my happiness could be fleeting. I had the love of my life, a family back together and a new purpose to give magic to both genders. There were some gifted females and some that even scared me.
The knowledge Jasper was still out there still haunted us all. When he was ready, he would once again come for what he thought was his, but he would meet resistance.
The worlds were no longer separated by an unseen dividing line. There were still some wrinkles to work out, but I had a good support system, and we were all ready to roll up our sleeves to get dirty if necessary. It was a peaceful reconciliation with far reaching implications yet to be discovered. I found out Julian was otherwise detained by a student who needed his help in the outlying areas. It was just like him to sacrifice for someone he hardly knew. I was worried Jasper had gotten to him, but I was relieved to find out he was doing a selfless act.
William and I were to marry in the next few months and there was nothing we couldn’t do together.
Magic Alive
Bonus Book 2
Casey Herzog
Co-Author: C.J. Scarlett
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Chapter One
I stood looking at my students and feeling a sort of pride, knowing their success was on my shoulders. I wanted nothing to stop the growing potential in all of them. However, I knew my decision to give the magic eyes to everyone, including the women, did not make me any fast friends.
They were so young and impressionable, so like another certain warlock who was never far from my thoughts. Seeing him crumple and go into a catatonic state was not my proudest moment. I wanted him to be by my side, but whatever happened prevented him from becoming my greatest ally.
The strained relationship with my father had improved in the last five months. There were still some unnecessary arguments concerning women with magic. He expressed interest in tutoring some classes, but I was reluctant. He had said unequivocally the old generation was never going to accept women with magic. That had never been more apparent than when watching them walk around on eggshells with glaring eyes of disapproval.
There had been rumors of Guardians from the days of the Elders making waves, but.for the most part, I had integrated them into being more concerned with their continued existence than blind focus on revenge. There had been a lot of converts, but still, some continued their unresolved resentment.
The phased existence was still there, but was only used for special cases unable to adapt to the real world. My father and Professor Bethesda had taken an interest in rehabilitating those looking to become more powerful than they should be. I was interested in taking in one of the classes hoping I could parlay that into a temporary position.
I wore a white leather outfit that accentuated my womanly curves, which was always a good way to start something with William. We hadn’t done much more than make out, but the wedding was only a month away. We went through the necessary steps of talking to the religious sect of our community. It wasn’t an easy transition, but they had come to know us better than anybody.
“Miss Lockhart, I just want to tell you how much you have meant to me and my family. I sometimes wonder what I would be doing without magic eyes. I know I’m still young, but I have improved greatly over the last few months. I’ve even managed to make a snowball appear out of nowhere. I’m still having problems levitating and anything to do with fire. I’m just a little bit afraid of burning myself.” Tabitha was only five years old, but her desire to learn more was only measured by her acceptance in the community.
“There’s no reason to fear the unknown. Learning comes with a grading curve, and not everybody progresses the same way. You have nothing to prove to me or anyone else. We are undertaking a tremendous process. There are going to be some stumbles along the way, but we will manage to weather them together.”
"Penelope teases me mercilessly and I don’t know what to do. She’s older, and I know I have a lot to learn, but there’s no reason to put me down at every chance she gets.” She had flaxen white hair, platinum blonde which was her distinctive feature. It made her different than most. Tabitha was a handful of many who had come to learn at the feet of a woman who had already gone through some of the same trials and tribulations.
“Penelope is a rare case who no one should emulate. She’s learning too quickly and taking the information in like a sponge, which is a little dangerous in my opinion.
“Don’t worry, I will have a talk with her and maybe we can come to an arrangement about leaving you alone. I’ll be happy to take a vested interest in your continued learning. Don’t forget I’m not the only one working for you to make a stand.” I heard a commotion and I went to the window to see Penelope playing a dangerous game with the older generation.
She was stronger than all the rest, and that made her a danger to herself and others. I looked towards where the asylum was. Only a crater was left where I had obliterated it into nothing more than a memory. I didn’t recognize the girl I had become, and I was glad they were able to reach me before I became a monster.
“I know I shouldn’t, but I really would like to put her in her place. I ca
n’t do that alone, which means I need to avoid her as much as possible. She sees me as weak and wants me to suffer, but only because she feels like she is superior in every way.”
Making them dance with lightning strikes from the air was a good way to create some animosity. The magic community was still building slowly, but I was very happy with how things were going up to this point. I didn’t need her to undermine our work.
“She does need to learn restraint; that has always been the hardest thing for her to learn. I would’ve thought she would be with others looking to do the same, but she has become a lone voice. She doesn’t want any kind of group.” I looked at the elation in her face and the feeling of complete joy she got from making people dance to her own tune.
Penelope was someone to keep a watchful eye on, and my father had expressed interest in her being another member of the rehabilitation crowd. She was rapidly closing in on becoming a subject of debate.
I stepped out into the courtyard and conjured a spell of my own made with very few words. The lightning dissipated. Penelope looked perplexed, and then she turned and put her arms across her chest in defiance. Her flaming red hair was not her natural color, and what she had done to make it that color was anybody’s guess.
“You’re always trying to take away my fun, and I’m getting a little sick and tired of it. I’m not hurting anyone. They may feel slightly vexed, but that’s not my fault. I have gravitated towards magic like a moth to a flame and they’re just jealous. They can barely make coins disappear from between their fingertips.” She was tall and quite intimidating with an endowment that gave her a lot of attention at the ripe age of 14. She liked to tease and please the boys with promises of more than just an ardent touch.
“You’re making problems where there shouldn’t be any. In the past, women were recognized as the power base of magic within the community. Unfortunately, someone went too far and no one is ready to talk about it. I’ve tried to sweet talk information out of them regarding the perpetrator, but they have sheltered themselves with closed off silence. By abusing your power, you enforce their beliefs.”
I was only a little older than she was, but I felt like I had matured greatly because of my father’s absence. She was wearing a tight black sweater and a short purple skirt which showed some unnecessary naked thigh when she moved a certain way. The dress code was a little more relaxed with magic back.
“It’s not my fault they feel ill-equipped. Why should I have to take this abuse? They could do something if they wanted to unite, but nobody has the guts. I feel I need a challenge and this school keeps me down. I want something more, and I’m not going to settle for second best. I was glad you took an interest, but you’ve been part of the problem all along.”
She was partial to red, purple, and black, which had become something of a subject of discussion during recent committee meetings. My father was instrumental in holding a chair on the committee, which kept me aware of the political climate. There was still a lot of work to do, and building the committee took some careful planning and consideration. There was an age requirement, which prevented William and me from occupying one of those chairs.
The older community was appalled when magic was done openly. They were even more outraged at the prospect of magic being held in women’s hands. My father had to be very careful about his choices or they might come back to bite him.
“You need to take into consideration other people’s feelings. We’ll get there eventually, but we need to take things one step at a time. To do anything other than that will lead to the same thing happening to you as happened to Jasper. There are still many quite unhappy at the way I handled the Elders. I live with the burden of having killed them every day; I know the combination of magic and the dark arts brought about a certain aspect of my darker half.” Penelope seemed unimpressed and walked away without causing any more trouble…for now.
Chapter Two
I stood outside his room for several minutes, not knowing what I was going to say. Getting through to him was like hitting a brick wall. I was conscious of the fact I was responsible for his condition, and something was preventing Damien from waking up. He was there, but not there at the same time. It was kind of eerie to look into his eyes and see nothing looking back at me. He hadn’t moved, but at least he was breathing, which indicated there was some life in there. The only thing we had for his continued survival was hope.
Some were certain that messing with the natural order of things had made him a sacrificial lamb. I didn’t want to believe I was the cause of his misfortune, but there was very little indicating otherwise. He had fallen into this catatonic state a few days after magic eyes were given to the populace.
“I know I keep asking you to come back over and over again, but there is a method to my madness. You’ve become a staple in his life, and hearing from you might break whatever spell he is under. You’re my daughter and I know if anybody can get through to him it will be you. Don’t feel disheartened. It’s going to be your strength of conviction that brings him around.” My father was giving me another of his pep talks.
The depths of my dismay from losing my father was insurmountable, but having him back gave me a second chance to tell him everything I wanted to say and more. At first, he was quite shocked, but he let me vent until we were able to make some headway back to a semblance a relationship.
“I’ll go in when I feel I’m ready. In the meantime, we should discuss bringing Penelope here. She might learn actions have consequences; she has almost reached the necessity of a harder approach. I’m rapidly losing my patience with the girl. There are a lot of people looking for my undivided attention who deserve it, including a young ingénue ready to stretch her wings if given the chance,” I said.
“Why do you feel she is a good candidate?”
“Penelope has been bullying other students, and there has to be some reason for her attitude. I’m at a loss to think of what it could be. If you have any ideas, I would really like to hear them.” I counted on my father, but I was still getting used to him paying attention to me. He had his own hands full, but he always made time at the end of the day to discuss things at dinner. This was so different than our lives before his disappearance.
“You are the apple of my eye, Gillian. You’ll figure things out with your students.
“I want you to know I approve of the union of you and William, but I’m just not sure if you should be rushing into marriage without considering the implications. There’s still a lot for the both of you to learn about one another before you marry. I’m glad to see the youth are not easily manipulated into showing their feelings physically.”
It made me blush knowing he had a good idea I was still as pure as the driven snow.
“I’m not sure my love life is any of your business. I know we talk about everything, but this is a subject I would rather keep to myself. I hope you don’t take it the wrong way.
“I’ve let Damien wait for too long; I’ve been stalling coming here. I was hoping he was going to come out of this on his own. I’ve been here five times in the past five months, and it doesn’t seem to matter what I say.” I could only take my cue from the others caring for him, including my father and Professor Bethesda. They were dedicated and took the time to be with him.
“Since the last time, he has blinked, but it could’ve been just a muscular reaction. We don’t know for sure, but it has given us hope without having to resort to other more extreme measures. Julian has mentioned in passing a rare ancient treatment that has been known to bring people back from the brink of death. It’s dangerous in the wrong hands, and I would prefer not to take that kind of action unless it becomes necessary.”
I sighed deeply, my father standing right behind me with his hand on my shoulder.
“I would like to know the particulars of the treatment; maybe I should talk to Julian. He is after all one of my dearest friends. I’ll invite him over to dinner tonight, and we can both speak to him candidly. I know I
need to go in there, but I hate seeing him like that.” I put my head on my father’s hand and drew from the strength of the magic inside him. It strengthened my resolve and gave me the courage to step into a room more sterile than personal.
The walls were completely devoid of color, plain gray with distinctive melancholy in the air. I saw him sitting on the bed looking at the wall. He was only skin and bones; there was a definite malnourishment issue to be addressed.
He was wearing a plain white shirt and pants to match. His hair was nicely combed back, not by his hand. I kneeled on the floor looking up into his face and seeing absolutely nothing looking back at me.
“They say hearing me speak helps you in some way. To be honest, I’m not sure if that’s true, but I would love for you to make some kind of sign. Wiggle your finger or raise a cocked eyebrow like you have in the past. We’ve always been in this together, but it hurts me more than you can ever know coming here and witnessing you decline like this.” I tried to keep my spirits up, but I was worried for his safety. I had no idea what was going on inside his head.
Damien was my friend. He might’ve been young, but he certainly didn’t act like it. Damien had a unique mind and a curiosity to see things from a different perspective. He was a better person than I was; I had a lot to learn from him. Nobody shed a tear for the Elders, which made my crime pretty much forgotten.
“Everybody has been worried about you. William has been wondering what has happened to his little brother. Your parents mourned your loss, despite my father’s encouragement to keep you alive in their hearts. They moved to one of the outlying areas, but I’m sure they would love to see you when you’re back on your feet.” I wanted him to say something, and the look of his sallow skin really did concern me.
