The Hunt for the Three Roses

by Jason Hubbard

  “Whoa,” Callie uttered.

  Sean was just as impressed, and it took him a moment to remember himself. He raised his wand, using his left hand which had more fingers for a firmer grip. “H-hello, my name is … i-it’s Sean.”

  The undine raised her transparent crystalline arms and beckoned him with graceful hand gestures, making an ululating trill that sounded like a woman speaking underwater. Her tone was sultry, her eyes filled with desire. Sean stepped away and held up his wand defensively. “I came here because I wish to have you as a familiar. I hear undines—” He swallowed hard, the undine’s compelling advances making his mouth dry. “I hear you can be a powerful companion. Would you like to be one for me?”

  Callie shook her head in slight disapproval. Appealing to the undine like this wasn’t necessary. It clearly wasn’t paying attention, and it probably couldn’t understand, anyway. Yet it was typical of Sean to try and offer the undine the choice, believing it was only right to do so.

  The undine lowered her arms and gazed fixedly at her suitor. Sean hunched his shoulders then grew relaxed, swaying on his feet a little. Callie couldn’t see his face from her vantage point, but she had an idea of what was going on. She was about to rush to his aid when he suddenly gasped and went into heavy breathing, as if he’d been exerting himself for hours. It was just as Callie feared: The undine had projected into his mind images of sexual intercourse, making him briefly believe he had been making love to her. What Sean did next would either make or break this venture, and Callie’s clenched knuckles turned white as she awaited what came next.

  Sean swallowed again and rubbed his eyes, then spread his feet and pointed his wand. “No, I need your help! There’s a killer on the loose, and he needs to be stopped! Please, become my familiar and we can bring him to justice. Do you understand?”

  Callie wrinkled her brow. She thought Sean only wanted protection, but it seemed he wanted to go after Rainer again. She was unsure whether or not she wanted him to.

  The undine continued her advances, making her soft trill as her hands appeared to invite him to her breasts. Sean stood his ground and began the enchantment that would bond the undine to his will, speaking ancient words while slowly waving his glowing wand.

  “Good, good,” Master Brown muttered, confident that his apprentice could pull this off.

  But the master’s confidence was ill-timed as the undine became aggressive. As soon as it stepped back, a large torrent of water flew from the basin and through the air, its tip ramming into Sean as the undine’s body melded into it underneath. Sean fell to the floor and lost his wand, then yelled as a thick tendril of water wrapped around his legs and pulled him to the fountain. Callie ran and pulled out a dagger from her tunic, but she was too late as Sean was yanked underwater. She was about to jump in when another torrent slammed into her, knocking her off her feet. She gasped for air then snarled as the watery mass carried her across the floor. She slid her dagger across the flagstones to resist, but all she did was leave a long scratch mark.

  Master Brown came and cried out a chant that magically broke the water’s hold on her. He helped Callie to her feet then frantically searched the water’s surface. “Where is he?”

  Callie whipped her hair away from her face, shivering from the cold. “I dunno, find him! You’re the expert on undines, so make it let him go!”

  They looked for any sign of Sean for seconds that felt like minutes. Master Brown then removed his cloak and said, “If I’m not back in ten minutes, go to Madam Gerski and—”

  Before he could finish, a broad wave erupted from the basin, slamming into their legs hard enough to knock them over and carry them at least a meter from the fountain. Once the water receded and the two of them recovered from the shock, they found Sean not far away, coughing out water while on his hands and knees.

  “Sean! Are you okay?” Callie went to him and grasped his shoulders.

  “Yes, but wait …” He pointed to a small mass of water that trembled like a frightened animal, its trill sounding as if it was in pain.

  “We have to get rid it,” Callie said coldly. “Master Brown, do it!”

  “No, wait!” Sean snapped. He retrieved his wand from the floor and pointed it at the undine. His teeth chattered from being soaked, but he mustered the will to speak clearly. “N-n-now do you s-see why I n-need you? I c-can’t do it alone.”

  The undine shied away from him, appearing rather pathetic in its small, simple shape. Callie could almost pity it if it wasn’t for the attack.

  Sean grew closer and spoke the chant again, the tip of his wand growing brighter as he went along. The undine didn’t resist; it merely stayed where it was as if it was wounded. Master Brown urged his apprentice on with wide eyes and hand gestures until the wand suddenly flashed, accompanied by a loud crack that echoed through the room.

  Sean wearily sat down and sighed in relief. Callie did the same, and the three companions took a moment for their shaken nerves to settle. All was quiet until Callie noticed a mass of water rise from Sean’s right shoulder. “Uh, Sean … don’t move … the thing is right on you …”

  Sean smiled and turned his head to the crystalline mass. “No, it’s okay. See? It’s … my familiar.” He hunched his shoulder, and the undine crossed his neck to settle on the other shoulder. Its trill sounded apprehensive yet happy.

  “Oh, so … it worked then? It’s under your control?”

  “Yeah. It feels funny, like it’s like an extension of my body.”

  “It feels funny? Well, it sounds funny. Another living being as a part of you?”

  Sean chuckled and delightfully let the undine glide down his sleeve.

  “Are you okay?” Callie asked. “What the hell happened down there?”

  “Oh, the undine took me pretty deep in and set up a telepathic connection. I ordered her to let me go, but she didn’t listen. She honestly didn’t know she was hurting me, so I did the only thing I thought would work: I brought up my memories of Rainer torturing me.”

  Callie winced.

  “An undine doesn’t normally feel pain, but I made her feel my pain. I promised to end it if she brought me out of there. Looks like she couldn’t do it fast enough.”

  “Very well done, my boy,” Master Brown said, standing up. “That was some lovely quick thinking of you. Now let’s go to that fire in the main hall, shall we?”

  He left the hall while the other two lingered. “Well, I’m glad for you,” Callie said, facing her back to him with arms crossed. “You have your undine, so I guess you don’t need me anymore.”

  Sean dropped his smile and cautiously approached her. “Hey, how can you say that? Come on, Callie, after all we’ve been through, you’re going to give me the silent treatment again?”

  She held her pose, letting him sweat a bit. She then turned her head and said, “Remember when you ditched me when I was at my lowest point?”

  Sean widened his eyes, his expression that of a guilty man. He made to speak but couldn’t get any words out.

  Callie turned to him with a sly smile. “My, how things have changed,” she sassily said, and she laughed heartily as she left the room, pleased with herself at giving Sean something to think about as he played with his new possession.

  All that day, Sean was left in a state of quiet euphoria. He roamed the Guyver house with no sense of urgency, for he was busy talking with the undine. The more he learned about her, the more he realized she was one of the most interesting beings he had ever known. He could never get tired of witnessing all the things she’d seen and heard, and in turn she was fascinated by his own memories, even if she didn’t fully understand them. And while he didn’t ask her to use her magic for any chores, she offered it anyway, sometimes proving more useful than he anticipated. During his daily exercises with Ren, she soothed his aching muscles, claiming she was giving them the sustenance they needed more qu
ickly than normal. He didn’t dare ask her to do more for his body, but he had a feeling she would help quicken his recovery.

  He was invited to join the count and his family for dinner, for they wanted to learn more about the new addition to the household. “How are you and the undine coming along?” Count Guyver asked.

  “Very well, my lord,” Sean replied. “I thought we’d have nothing to say to each other since we have little in common, but we’ve been talking a lot.”

  “What do you mean by ‘talk?’” Lady Amber asked. “All I hear from her is that senseless babbling.”

  The undine bristled at that, and Sean received the image of Lady Amber soaking wet in her green dress. Sean mentally chided her and composed himself before addressing the question. “We talk telepathically; our minds are always connected. To say that she ‘speaks’ would be incorrect, for she’s not able to say words. Instead she shows me pictures in the back of my mind, and I see them as if they are my own memories, and when I speak to her in the common tongue, she understands me because she uses my mind for reference.”

  “My word, have you no privacy with her?” Lady Margaret asked.

  “Somewhat. She only sees what I share with her and vice versa. She claims to be over a hundred years old—at least, I think she is since she doesn’t know how long a year is—and she’s been to so many places around the world. I’ve seen exotic people and civilizations I can’t believe really exist. She loves seeing people, but she doesn’t understand the motivations for what we do, so I try to explain things to her.”

  “And does she understand?” the count asked.

  Sean shrugged. “Perhaps one day it’ll sink in.”

  The nobles laughed and the undine expressed joy, not knowing the laughter was at her expense.

  “Did you know that the mind resides in the head?” Sean asked. “That’s what the undine claims.”

  “Oh, don’t be silly, dear,” Lady Amber said. “The mind resides in the heart, for it is always pumping to keep each of us alive.”

  “Yes, but she says the gray matter in the head is what makes the mind possible.”

  “That’s absurd. How could ‘gray matter’ possibly make you think and feel? Preposterous. It’s the heart where the mind and soul reside—it has to be.”

  “I’ve heard that theory about gray matter myself,” Count Guyver said. “But it’s just a theory.”

  Sean nodded, although secretly he believed the undine. She had the power to read minds all her life, so she and others of her kind should know where the mind was more than any other creature.

  “I must ask, does the undine resent you for making her your familiar?” the count asked. “She must obey your orders because of the spell, which is a more restrictive relationship than that between you and I.”

  “Very perceptive of you, my lord. The bonding spell keeps her subservient by altering her mood, so she’s perfectly happy to be with me. I can’t say I like it that way, so I plan to be responsible by not taking advantage of her excessively. I shall let her think for herself and respect her opinion.”

  “She has an opinion?” Lady Margaret asked. “Pray tell, what does she think of me?”

  “She, uh … she thinks you look extravagant this evening, especially with that sapphire on your necklace.”

  Lady Margaret giggled and thanked Sean and the undine for the compliment. But in truth, the undine was proving to be rather spiteful of every woman she saw. She constantly assumed that each woman was seconds away from seducing Sean, so she wanted to spray them all with water to keep them away from her “territory.” Sean told her not to be silly, and the undine didn’t know how she was being silly.

  “Have you given her a name yet?” Lady Amber asked.

  “I asked her what name she’d like, but she doesn’t understand why she needs one. She says there are no other undines around, so we don’t need to differentiate her.” He shrugged. “If she doesn’t wish for a name, then so be it.”

  “Well, I would name her Bernadette,” Lady Amber said. “That’s what I called one of my dogs when I was a girl.”

  “Francesca,” Lady Margaret suggested. “It’s a sexy name for a sexy elemental.”

  Amber gasped in shock while her husband chuckled. “Margaret! Have some manners while we’re eating!”

  Sean merely smiled as he felt the undine glide down his arm and soothe the lingering discomfort in his stumps. The undine had quite a sour view of other people, but she came to care about him as few others did, and she showed her feelings by doing little things for him that no one else could. He believed they would stay together for a long time, and he wondered why he’d ever been so worried to meet her.

  He resumed his lessons with Master Brown the next day. Brown decided to go easy on him, teaching him rituals that called for simple math equations. Sean tried to follow along, but he found it hard to concentrate thanks to the undine. She always wanted to talk to him, and even when he ordered her to hush, he couldn’t help but think about her. Dealing with her was like dealing with Jonas, who was always inquisitive and naïve. The difference was that the undine was always with him, and he could hardly get a moment to himself.

  Master Brown, who understood what it was like to have an undine familiar, twice called for a timeout to gently coax his apprentice to focus on his lessons. Sean apologized for his inattentiveness, but that didn’t stop his mind from wandering to places it shouldn’t go. When he woke up that morning, he found the undine sitting on the bed beside him, appearing as she first did when she rose from the fountain. Her voluptuous figure turned his mind to mush and his jaw into a trapdoor. Worse yet, he had had a little accident in his sleep. He ordered the undine to return inside his body, and she shrunk to a manageable size and did as told. He then cleaned himself up and disposed the rags, all the while attempting to ignore the desire to see the undine in her humanoid form again.

  “It’ll get better,” Master Brown said. “Remember that you are the master. You can respect your familiar’s individuality, but you must ultimately have the final word in all matters.”

  Sean nodded, though he began to doubt the undine was good for him. The thoughts he was having about her were disturbing, and he saw why Callie was so concerned for him the other day.

  Once lessons were over, Master Brown had Sean check on each of the ward crystals around the property. It was a simple task which allowed Sean to resume talking with his new partner. The undine made dirty jokes about the house staff, and Sean was alternately appalled and amused by them. By the time he checked on his third crystal in an upstairs hallway, his mood had lifted and his worries had faded away.

  He had taken to speaking aloud at the undine, muttering his words so no one around him could understand. It was wholly unnecessary since the telepathic link was all they needed to communicate, but it made him feel like he was conversing with a fellow human, which he found preferable. He was smiling at a crude joke while staring at the crystal when the undine made a startling revelation.

  “You’re kidding me,” Sean said, feeling a rush of blood to the head. He turned to witness Callie standing by a corner, her elbow propped on a shelf as she looked at him with a raised eyebrow. He mustered as much confidence as he could and approached her. “Hello … how long have you been standing there?”

  “Long enough to be worried. I know who you’re talking to, but other people will think you’re crazy. They might sic the guards on you.”

  “I know, but the undine … she needs a lot of attention right now for our relationship to grow. She doesn’t understand people, including me, and I’m trying to work around that.”

  “So you’re calling the undine ‘she?’ I heard undines can be either gender.”

  “The undine looks like a ‘she’ and sounds like a ‘she,’ so why not?”

  “Point taken. I just hope she’s not trying to manipulate you.”

 
“She is not manipulating—” He stopped himself before he grew more upset. He remembered that he shouldn’t tell her off just for cautioning him. Callie was only showing her concern, and she might have a good reason for it. “Well, I don’t think she means any harm, but I’ll be careful, thanks.”

  “You look to be getting along—are you?”

  Sean didn’t know what to say. Should he tell her the undine was still trying to seduce him? That she caused him to have an “accident?” That Callie made her intensely jealous more than any other female? “Y-yeah, we’re good. I’m learning a lot from her. Say, I haven’t heard anything about Rainer lately. Have you?”

  “No, the last murder was reported last Friday, nearly a week ago. He’s been quiet for a long time.”

  “That’s good! Maybe he quit his mad crusade and left the city before it starts snowing. Or maybe he had a lethal accident somewhere; that would be even better.”

  “Yes, I hope so too, but I’m not sure. I think he’s planning something, and he’s putting off more murders to prepare.”

  “What kind of plan?”

  “I don’t know—something big. Could be my imagination, but when it comes to Rainer, I can’t be optimistic. Sorry to worry you.”

  “No, it’s all right. We should get ready for anything if you think so.”

  Callie sadly nodded. “Well, I should go. Have fun, you two.”

  Sean bade her farewell just before the undine projected the image of Callie falling down a flight of stairs. “Now that’s not nice,” he muttered. “Callie is a nice person and a good friend. We go way back.” He shared some of his most beloved memories of Callie, but they made the undine detest her all the more. In the end, Sean gave up trying to get the undine to warm up to Callie, and he ordered the familiar to never harm her or anyone else unless he ordered it.