The Hunt for the Three Roses

by Jason Hubbard

  Sean stroked his chin. “An undine, huh?”

  “I think having a strong familiar should boost your confidence, make you feel safer. There are some drawbacks of course, but you can handle them.”

  “What sort of drawbacks? Would it resist the bonding spell?”

  “Well, most creatures resist the spell, and undines are among them. The thing is that even if you don’t try to bind them, they can get a little carried away. You’d need to be on your guard.”

  Callie didn’t like how evasive he sounded. “‘A little carried away?’ What does that mean?”

  Master Brown spread his hands. “An undine can be very possessive and may try to have someone all to itself. They sometimes drag a person deep into the water and keep him there. They’re not very intelligent, you see; they don’t understand that a person can’t go without air for long.”

  “You mean … they drown people!?”

  “Yes, unfortunately.”

  “And why would they pull people under in the first place?”

  “Ah, sharp as a nail, you are, dear. I was hoping to avoid saying this in polite company, but we’re all friends here, aren’t we? You see, an undine normally wants for nothing except clean water to live in. But once it sees a human, it gets a strong desire to mate with him … or her, it doesn’t matter which.”

  Callie leaned back and looked at Brown with wide eyes, then turned to Sean. “Did you know about this?”

  “I know about all the elementals. An undine would be a very useful familiar.”

  “Yeah, but it’ll pull you underwater and try to … mate with you!”

  “He may need to fight a little, but I’ll be there to help him,” Master Brown cheerily said. “But if he finishes the spell before it gets a chance to act, it’ll be under his complete control.”

  “Sounds like slavery to me,” Callie with a wrinkled nose.

  “Not quite. A familiar is quite happy to be a mage’s companion, even if you fight it before the spell. The mind of a magical creature is much simpler than a person’s. Less willful, you could say. They’re like puppies.”

  Thinking of Rainer’s fairy, Callie said, “I’m not sure about that.”

  “It’ll be fine! Sean and the undine will be good friends! That is, if you want to go through with it, Sean?”

  “I’ll need to think about it. If I agree, I’ll need permission from the count, won’t I?”

  “Yes, but please make your decision by tomorrow morning, when I’m due for an undine exorcism. Come see me when you return to the house. No need to hurry.”

  As Master Brown headed away, Callie looked curiously at a sheepish Sean. “I can’t believe you’re really considering this.”

  “Trust me, I don’t like the danger involved either, but as they say, ‘Everything worth doing is never easy.’”

  “But what about the saying, ‘If you get drowned by a sex-crazy water demon, your best friend will never live it down?’”

  “First of all, there’s no such saying like that. Second, an undine is not a demon. Ancient societies used to think so, but after much study, it’s been determined that undines are not inherently evil.”

  “Demon, elemental … it can still drown you! Please say no, Sean … and tell Master Brown he’s crazy for suggesting this to you now. You’re not fully recovered yet.”

  “You know … I think I could do it. I’m not one hundred percent, but I feel ready to do spells again.”

  “But you don’t need to have an undine for a familiar. It’s too risky, and even if you do have it, it’ll just be a nuisance.”

  Sean smiled at her. “Callie, I know you say this because you care about me, and I’d never change that about you. But I’ve found that after you stare straight at Death, you become, I don’t know … a little more daring. Free to do things you ordinarily wouldn’t. If it wasn’t for Rainer and King Hugo, I probably would have turned the offer down flat, but Master Brown is right: I’d feel safer with a familiar. I think I ought to try it. If Master Brown could do it, then so can I.”

  “What, you’re saying I don’t make you feel safe?”

  Sean ignored her and stood up to head back to the house, clutching his cloak tightly around him in the breeze as he polished his block of cheese. The air may have been cold, but Callie was fuming as she followed, thinking of ways to change his mind from doing this mad endeavor.

  After the two mages received the count’s permission to gain a familiar, Callie went to the spellchamber to see Master Brown. He asked her if anything was wrong due to the troubled look on her face.

  “No, I’m fine,” she lied. In truth, she had just learned some disturbing news when she eavesdropped on two advisors: Some members of the city council had just suggested turning Callie over to the city’s ruthless serial killer. They were spooked by the deaths of the three mages and frustrated with the guards’ inability to find the killer over a week since the murders began. They wanted the killings to stop even if it meant not resting on laurels, and if the rest of the council didn’t agree, they would ask the King to make a decision.

  “What can I do for you, dear?” Master Brown asked.

  “I want to go with you to the chapel, and I’d like to borrow something.”

  Thirty minutes later, she knocked on Sean’s door, assuming Ren was done with him for the day. She found him at his desk, studying the bonding spell in a grimoire. Sean raised an eyebrow when she closed the door behind her. “Are you still trying to convince me not to do it?” he asked, sitting sideways in his chair.

  “No, it’s your decision, and I trust you know what you’re doing. But I just did something I don’t usually do, and I hope you’re very proud of me for it: I read a book.” She held up said object, which had a gold-leaf title on its green leather cover: THE PROPERTIES OF MAGIKAL CREATURES. “Specifically, I read the chapter on undines. I figured if I’m going with you tomorrow, I should learn all there is about what we’ll be facing. Did you know that undines can read minds?”

  “Yes, they can read minds, sense emotions, and make you see things.”

  “And you don’t have a problem with that?”

  Sean shook his head smugly, making her want to shake him till his head fell off.

  “The book also says an undine can let its master read minds, too. I’m sorry, Sean, but if you try to read my mind, I’m not sure I’ll talk to you ever again.”

  “Relax, relax … I would never do that, to you or anyone. Having an undine as a familiar is a lot of responsibility. I won’t read minds and I won’t let the undine do it for me. Besides, that only works if another person allows it.”

  “You’re wrong. The writer makes it clear, an undine can force one’s mind to open up to it, and then it can see whatever it’s looking for and make you see whatever it wants you to see. I thought I didn’t like undines before, but now …”

  “I swear, Callie, I won’t abuse an undine’s power. I’ll swear it to God.”

  “I know you won’t, but … dammit, Sean, I know a thing or two about temptation, and if—”

  “I just told you, I won’t abuse my familiar’s powers!”

  An uncomfortable silence fell with the two of them refusing to look at each other. Callie then said, “Did you know an undine can level an entire building with just a little water?”

  “Yes, I did. An undine is a magical creature, and many spells are incredibly dangerous. That’s why magic is regulated so heavily in Lonsaran.”

  “What I’m saying is that if you piss off that undine, it could destroy the entire chapel. Whatever you do, do not … piss it off.”

  “I won’t,” Sean said in annoyance. “You make it sound as if I have no experience in magic, even though I can make a fireball and a breeze as easily as taking a breath. You have nothing to worry about.”

  “It’s not that I’m worried! I just think we sh
ould discuss these things so we can be mindful of them. What’s so wrong with that?”

  “I … nothing. I suppose there’s nothing wrong with it, but I’ll be fine, Callie. I’ll be fine.”

  She crossed her arms, looking at Sean from the corner of her eye as if he was a gator with open jaws. He wasn’t just snapping at her from wounded pride; he was having doubts about gaining this familiar and didn’t want to admit it, even to himself. “There’s one last thing I learned,” she said in a small voice.

  “Yes?” Sean asked, his eyes glued to his grimoire.

  “Sean, I need to ask … you’re a virgin, right?”

  “What!?”

  “I’m serious! Look, I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important.”

  “That’s it, just get out of here already! Go!”

  “Stop being pigheaded and just listen to me!”

  Sean fumed for a moment then crossed his arms with upturned eyes.

  “The book says that an undine projects images of, um … ‘intercourse’ into a person’s mind. It’s strong enough on most people, but on a virgin, it’s very strong. It will catch him off guard, and that’s when the undine pulls him underwater. You’ll have to keep that from happening.”

  “I know.”

  “You say that now, but when the time comes, you need to be ready.”

  “Master Brown will be there. He’ll keep the undine from doing anything to me.”

  “Good, that’s … good. I’ll be there, too, don’t forget.”

  “Wonderful.”

  Callie scoffed and made to leave, but she turned back to him for one last time. “Something I almost forgot. The book says that many mages with an undine familiar have that undine as, um … as a partner.”

  “Well, yes, of course. That’s what a familiar is, a kind of partner.”

  She smiled awkwardly. “Oh, I’m sorry, did I say ‘partner?’ What I meant was … fuck-buddy.”

  Sean was silent a moment, staring at a wall in thought. “It won’t come to that,” he said with a shrug. “Not on my life.”

  She sighed in relief. “Good, because there are plenty of fish in the sea, and I wouldn’t want you to forsake your own kind just because you—”

  Sean pointed at the door. “Out, out!”

  “Whatever!” Callie cried as she threw up her hands, and she slammed the door shut upon leaving.

  Twenty-five

  Sean, Callie and Master Brown bundled up that Wednesday morning, for it was cold enough to snow. There were a few heavy clouds obscuring the sun, but there weren’t enough to indicate the coming of an early winter. Callie thought that if the search for Rainer continued after snowfall, the city guard would have a rougher time finding him, making him nearly unstoppable. On the other hand, the cold weather might discourage him from keeping up with his rampage, prompting him to leave the city awhile for profitable ventures. A silver lining to every cloud, I suppose.

  Shortly before they left the house, Sean apologized for his behavior last night. “I don’t act well under stress, but that’s no excuse for how I treated you. I’m very sorry.”

  Callie gave him a sidelong look, then placed her palm on his forehead and lightly shoved. “Now we’re even.”

  Master Brown assured them the chapel was within walking distance, but as Callie headed down the street tightly clutching the front of her cloak, she wished they could have borrowed the count’s horses. Her lungs were starting to ache, and the freezing cold couldn’t be good for Sean in his recovering state.

  To pass the time, Master Brown told of the three familiars he had as a young man. “My first one was a fire salamander I found near a hot spring. I named him Charlie, though I usually called him Char for short. On a day like this, he could keep me warm with his fire magic. I would keep him in my pocket, and he would keep my clothes heated no matter how fierce the winds were. He could also start a fire anywhere, boil water, and go into small places to act as a spy for me. He was quite useful.”

  “So why did you let him go?” Sean asked.

  Brown shrugged. “His magic could get a little wild at times, and I missed having eyebrows. My second familiar was a spotted owl named Herbert. Philosophers like to romanticize owls, saying they are naturally wise … but really, they’re no smarter than other birds of prey. I could use Herbert as an extra pair of eyes, surveying a patch of forest or a city block as he flew above. I rarely needed him like that, but he was a good companion. But after a while, I had this tendency to stare at the sky as if I wanted to be up there—something I still do to this day. It made it hard for me to concentrate and it annoyed people, so I made the hard decision to let Herbert go. He didn’t stray far from me afterward, and I let out birdseed sometimes until I no longer saw him anymore. I’d like to know what happened to him since he couldn’t have passed from old age.” He sighed.

  “Sounds like getting a familiar is like asking for heartache,” Callie said.

  “Yes, it is. A familiar is like a friend you never have to share with anyone else, which makes its passing bitter indeed. Still, I wouldn’t trade my time with my familiars for all the gold in the world.” Brown rubbed his chin. “Well, I’d have to think hard before choosing.”

  “And your third familiar was your undine?” Sean asked.

  “Cassandra,” Brown said wistfully. “A beautiful name for a stunning creature. I swear she saved my life once: I took a tumble down a wooded slope, and she stopped me before I reached the cliff below. An undine familiar resides inside your body, Sean, so you can take her anywhere without anyone knowing.”

  “Inside me? I didn’t know that. Won’t she take up space?”

  Brown chuckled. “Only a little. It may be uncomfortable at first, but you’ll get used to it. One good thing about an undine is that it can conjure a limited amount of water for it to take shape with when it leaves your body, and when it reenters, it becomes as small as a few drops. The important thing is to block access to certain parts of your body, such as your heart, lungs, head, and, uh … your nether region. Remember, you’ll be the one in control, so use that control to a reasonable extent.”

  Master Brown’s words were meant to reassure his young partners, but they only made Callie more nervous. Regardless of how useful this undine will be, Sean was still going to be in danger once he confronted it. She gave Brown a sidelong glance with narrow eyes. I’ll help Sean if I can, but there’s another reason I’m coming along: If something happens to him, I’m going to hold you responsible.

  Marie’s Chapel was a lovely building of whitewashed wooden panels with a tall bell tower and cherub statues atop magnificent double doors. It was larger than Callie had thought it’d be, having several wedding halls for different ceremonial experiences.

  On the east side was the fountain room, which impressed Callie with its remarkable design. A large stained-glass window was on the far wall, and a sturdy glass dome stood overhead, illuminating the room with lovely amber-colored sunlight. It was like being in a chamber made entirely of gold. The fountain’s basin was as deep as a pool, its surface nearly flush with the stone floor. The fountain proper was multi-tiered with two granite cherubs wielding gold-plated bows and arrows, and on the ceiling watery reflections from the basin danced like slithering threads in a refreshing breeze.

  The atmosphere put Callie in the mood for romance, and the image of Sir Barnes soon hopped to mind. If she could see his strong chin and dashing eyes in this golden glow, she’d—

  “There it is,” said Madam Gerski, one of the chapel’s curators. She pointed to the basin where a small splash indicated an underwater presence. “I’m such a fool; I should have drained the fountain by this time of year.”

  “Not to worry, missus,” Master Brown said. “You’ve actually done us a favor. My apprentice here could use a good familiar. As soon as they’ve bonded, it’ll leave you in peace.”

  Callie fro
wned. She hated the use of that word, “bonded.” It sounded dirty to her.

  “Well, there are drying cloths in that corner,” the curator said. “You will get wet, and the water’s freezing. I have a fire going in the main hall for you to use. Good luck.”

  The curator left, and the trio stepped further into the hall. “You know what to do, Sean,” Master Brown said. “Approach the fountain but don’t get too close. Let the undine come to you. I and Callie won’t be far.”

  Sean solemnly nodded and took out the new wand Brown had loaned him. He then approached the fountain while Callie and Brown hid behind a fluted pillar beside a line of pews. “Ever seen an elemental before?” Brown asked.

  “Can’t say I have,” Callie replied. She wished the book she’d read had illustrations, but each page had nothing but words.

  “You’re in for quite a sight.”

  Callie shrugged. “I saw a fairy; an undine can’t be much different.”

  Sean stopped about two meters from the basin, observing the movement in the water. Callie tried to make out the source of the ripples but couldn’t see anything; it was as if an invisible fish was circling around in there.

  “Hello?” Sean called out, growing a little restless though he remained where he was.

  “Patience,” Master Brown said in a low voice.

  There was a small splash, followed by a sound that seemed alien yet distinctly human at once. Sean glanced at his partners then kept his eyes glued to the water. Callie expected the worse, tightening her muscles should she need to rush in and save him.

  The suspense ended when a large mass of water rose from the surface. It was initially as smooth as a glass orb but then shifted into the shape of a person. Once the legs appeared, the undine stepped out of the pool and onto the flagstones, its form that of a beautiful woman. Her voluminous hair trickled from her scalp like a small waterfall that melded into her back and slim shoulders, and her heart-shaped face had feline eyes that were devoid of pupils yet were warm and soulful. Her large and ample breasts bounced with each step, and with its wide hips and supple thighs, her figure was clearly intended to make any man fall helplessly enrapt.