Magic Runes

by Devyn Jayse

  “Well, something you just said triggered a memory.” I was about to take a leap. There was no going back from this moment. “When I was in Iceland, there was a myth about a force that would return one day. He was called the soul eater.”

  Adrian’s eyebrows knit together. “Soul eater? What’s that?”

  I licked my lips. I really didn’t want to say more, but I forced the words out of my mouth. “His purpose is to destroy magic. He will steal souls until all of humanity is reduced to soulless creatures.”

  “To what purpose? What would he do with that power? Why would someone try to bring a dark magic like that into being?”

  I stared at him in amazement. “Are you sure you’re an SBI agent?”

  “Bear with me,” he said, with a raised hand. He frowned. “I like logic. Let’s talk this through, what’s the ultimate endgame of bringing about a creature like that?”

  “Power, obviously. Anyone that had power over the soul eater could build armies. I’m a little hazy on the details. Like I said, it was just a story I had heard. It was some sort of bogeyman to scare children into behaving.”

  “Why did this case remind you of it?”

  “It has the signs. The marks on the girls. Magic being drained until all that was left was a shell. It was the warning they used when we weren’t practicing protection wards.”

  Adrian’s frown deepened. “There might be something to it. Most stories come from somewhere.”

  “Do you really think there’s something to it or grasping at straws?” I was curious for my sake.

  He rang his fingers through his hair and a heavy sigh left him. “At this point I’m willing to consider anything because it doesn’t seem that we’re any closer to catching whoever’s doing this. The body count is piling up and too many girls are dying.”

  “I’ll do whatever I can to help.” I promised him, my guilt resurfacing.

  “I know you will. I’ll be back the next time we need something. I’ll be in touch. In the meantime, the SBI would appreciate your discretion. It wouldn’t do to cause a panic.” And with that, he turned and walked away. I couldn’t tell why I felt the strong urge to pick up something and hurl it at his head.

  I was still standing there staring after his retreating figure mulling over the meeting with the professor when Dina approached me.

  “You’re back,” she said. “I came by yesterday but you were out on a job.”

  I turned my head to look at her. “That was only yesterday? It feels like it was ages ago.”

  Like most business owner in El Born, we had irregular business hours. We opened and closed our stores when we wanted. Dina had a jewelry store where she made and sold her own designs. She pulled open the flap of her bag and took out a small pouch.

  “Let me open the store.” I unlocked the metal shutters and the door. “Come on in.”

  She placed the pouch on the table and unravelled the knot. She reached in and pulled out delicate gold and silver necklaces from within, lining them up on the counter. “I made you twenty of these using the symbols you shared with me.”

  I picked up a gold necklace and peered at it. The details she had managed to add to the design were perfection. “This is wonderful. How did you manage to get all the details?”

  She beamed, pleased with the compliment. “Trade secrets.”

  I laughed. “Fine, keep your secrets as long as you keep supplying me with beautiful jewelry. The customers are going to love them. Can you get started on another twenty for me?”

  “Are you sure? Don’t you want to sell these first?”

  “Trust me, I know that these are going to fly off the shelf. Actually, they won’t have time to get on a shelf, I already know which one of my customers to call. They’ll be ecstatic that they have the first editions of these.”

  “I’ll get them ready as soon as I can. But have you thought about creating some as bracelets?”

  I tilted my head. “No, I haven’t actually. Most of the customers keep asking me for necklaces.”

  “Bracelets are coming back in fashion and I think you’d sell more because they’d want to stack the different ones.”

  “How about we split the order? Ten of each?”

  Dina smiled. “Sounds great. Well, I better get going if I’m to start on that order. I have to check I have enough material.”

  I held up my hand. “Wait a minute, before you go I’d like to request something.”

  Dina paused. “Yes?”

  “Before you get started on those, I’d like to put in a special order.”

  “Sure, what is it?”

  “Sylvia’s daughter, Irene, has a birthday coming up and I know she’ll want something special.”

  “What do you have in mind?”

  “I was thinking a rune of protection.”

  “That sounds wonderful. How old is she?”

  “She’s turning twenty.”

  “She’s a student at the university?”

  “Yes, she’s still living with Sylvia.”

  “When would you need it ready?”

  “I think her birthday is next week. I have to check. I completely forgot about it until I saw Sylvia when I went to exorcise the apartment. Is it too last minute?”

  Dina shook her head. “No, I can get it done in time. I have a few custom orders but they’re nothing that can’t wait. I’ll deliver it as soon as it’s ready. The good thing is that I already have the design for the protection rune.” She glanced at the necklaces on the countertop.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Of course,” she grinned at me. “You’re my best customer.”

  I laughed. “I thought you were going to say friend.”

  “That too, but right now you’re my customer.” She gave me a wink.

  “Thanks, so much. You’re a life saver!”

  “What are you doing today?” Dina asked.

  “I think I should head home. It’s been so long since I rested properly. Fatigue’s beginning to set in. I think it’s a better idea to close up shop and return to my apartment and have a nice night in.” I knew Mateu would be upset that I wasn’t around. I was sure he wanted to know about my encounter with the professor. I was surprised that he hadn’t been waiting for me to return.

  Before she could reply, a gust of wind blew the door open and set the bell jingling furiously. My head snapped up. The force was so strong that things were beginning to rise from their place. The next thing I knew a ghost flew straight at me. Dina let out a loud scream, and I dove to the floor.

  Twelve

  “You need to hurry! Sylvia needs your help!” The ghost yelled at me. It was Rodrigo, Sylvia’s friend.

  “Why? What’s happening?” Even as I asked my questions, I grabbed my backpack containing all the things I would need. I always had an emergency bag ready.

  He didn’t answer me, flying out of the store as quickly as he had flown in. I rushed out after him, Dina trailing after me. We tried to keep up as we raced to Sylvia’s. Rodrigo turned translucent so that humans wouldn’t see him as easily as he rushed ahead of me. Sylvia’s office and home were located a few streets away from my store. Ahead of us, Rodrigo slowed to a stop in front of the entrance. As we approached her building I could sense the presence of strong magic. I frowned. Sylvia had some magic but it was so weak, it was almost dormant.

  “Do you feel that?” I asked Dina.

  She nodded. “There’s something powerful in there.”

  “I’m going in. Wait here and give me a few minutes. If the strength of the power increases, get help. Don’t come in after me.” I pushed open the door past Rodrigo.

  “You have to help her.” The teenage ghost begged me.

  “Whatever it is, I’ll do my best.” I promised him as I stepped inside.

  Sylvia was sitting in the center of the room, her hands over her head. She didn’t notice me. I stared slack-jawed at the view that greeted me. There was a maelstrom of ghosts whirling around her. She rocked in place prot
ecting her ears from the loud screams they released.

  “What did you do?” I whispered. I spoke up louder and yelled across the room, “What did you do?” Anything she could tell me would help get her out of this situation quicker.

  Sylvia looked up at the sound of my voice. She lowered her hands from her ears. “Carmen! You’re here! Help me!”

  My eyes were locked on the myriad of ghosts flying around the room. I had never seen so many in one place. “What did you do?” I repeated.

  “I didn’t do anything.”

  I dropped my bag to the ground and crossed my arms. Clearly, that wasn’t true. Ghosts rarely traveled in packs and even when they showed up they weren’t usually so noisy, despite what was depicted in movies. “They just decided to visit you?”

  Sylvia covered her ears. I unzipped my backpack and took out my chalk. Dina stepped up to my side. “What is about waiting outside that offends you?”

  She stared at the ghosts. “Wow.” She started saying incantations to ward against harm.

  I began strengthening my own wards. I had to cross the room and get to Sylvia. I outline my plan quickly to Dina in case anything went wrong and then dove forward toward Sylvia. I grimaced as my knees hit the ground. It felt like I had scraped them. I ignored the pain and quickly drew a circle of protection. I whispered a chant for sound and the wailing lessened.

  “Why didn’t you call me?” I asked Sylvia, when she lowered her hands from her ears.

  “I passed by the store but you were gone.”

  “So you decided to take on a pack of spirits on your own?” I inched my way slowly out of the circle, and drew it wider around us. The initial circle was small. I needed more room for what I had to do. The ghosts ignored what I was doing, still flying in circles overhead and emitting horrific sounds.

  I waved at Dina to show her everything was going to plan. Rodrigo hovered anxiously beside her. I would have to be careful with how I executed this spell. He flew to us when he saw me look at him. “Who are your friends?”

  “Don’t joke about it,” Rodrigo said.

  Teenagers were so touchy. Rodrigo considered himself far above the average ghost and, in a way, he was. He was one of the few ghosts we tolerated having around. Rodrigo had haunted one of Sylvia’s apartment. It was how we had first met. She hired me to get rid of him. When she heard his story she couldn’t bear the thought of sending him away and adopted him. Now the teenage ghost was one of her regular companions. He lived with her and it worked. Kind of. He and Irene drove each other crazy. I still asked him from time to time if he needed help to cross over, but the answer was always no.

  I traced spells on the ground. They were complicated due to the quantity of ghosts around and tricky because of Rodrigo’s presence. He was talking to Sylvia telling her everything would be okay. I called over to the teenager, “Time for you to get back or you’re going to disappear with them.”

  The ghost flew back to the door and hovered by Dina. I turned to Sylvia. “You’re never to do this again. Do you hear me? Any time you have an issue with spirits, you come to me. Don’t attempt anything by yourself.”

  She nodded without saying anything.

  I stood up and surveyed the ghosts that whirled above. I counted twelve to sixteen of them. I couldn’t be sure because they kept moving so fast.

  “When we get out of here, you’re going to tell me how you managed to get so many ghosts in one place,” I told Sylvia.

  “I tried a spell to get rid of one. It summoned more.” Sylvia said with a weak smile. She waited for me to tell her off.

  I shook my head. “Seriously, Sylvia, next time please call me if you don’t find me at the store. Don’t try to save money by doing it yourself. Get ready, I’m about to start my spell and they’re not going to like it.”

  I aimed my incantations at the masses that stormed over our heads. As my spell worked, one-by-one the ghosts faded as they were banished to the realm beyond. It took more time than usual but finally Sylvia and I could exit the circle without any ghosts around, except for one.

  Rodrigo rushed to our side and whirled around Sylvia. “Are you okay? You’re okay!”

  “Hey, stop that, I think she’s had enough of ghosts running in circles around her.”

  Rodrigo stopped flying around but he shifted in place. “I’m sorry. Are you okay?”

  “I’m okay,” Sylvia reassured him. “Thank you for finding Carmen.”

  “You would have been in real trouble, if I hadn’t been in the store when Rodrigo came to find me.”

  “I know, I’m glad you were there.”

  “Please don’t try that again.”

  “I won’t,” she promised.

  “The funny thing is that you were on my mind.”

  Her eyes brightened “Oh? Why?”

  “Dina passed by and I asked her to create a gift for Irene.” We walked over to Dina. “It’s a ward of protection, but it looks like you may be the one that needs it more than she does. Want me to get you one too?” I teased her.

  She laughed. “You may have to, as far as the trouble I keep managing to get myself into.”

  “Thank you, Carmen, really I appreciate that. I really thought I was done for.”

  “You have your good health to attend one of my classes to strengthen your protection wards.”

  “I will the next time it’s offered.”

  “You know I offer weekly classes seriously.”

  Sylvia continued to insist that would attend and I let her lie to me. Dina and I said our goodbye and left. Dina asked me, “Are all your days this eventful?”

  “Only when Sylvia’s involved.”

  Dina laughed. “Now I see why she’s a repeat client. I’ve never heard of someone giving so much business.”

  “She seems to naturally attract ghosts. It’s the strangest thing. No matter where she goes, there’s always a spirit waiting for her around the corner. I really don’t know how she gets into these situations.”

  “Well, at least she pays your rent. At this point it may be cheaper for her to just give me a space in her building and have me on retainer.”

  “What are you going to do tonight?”

  “I’m meeting Natalie at Miguel’s. Would you like to join us?”

  “Sure, but I thought you had plans with a certain handsome agent.”

  I groaned. “Not you too!”

  “Why not? What’s wrong with him?”

  “He’s grumpy.”

  Her silence didn’t help. “I’m not grumpy. Am I?”

  She didn’t say anything.

  I groaned. “I am grumpy, aren’t I?”

  “I didn’t say anything.”

  “You didn’t say I wasn’t.”

  She stayed silent. I started thinking about the idea of Adrian and I. I wondered if it would be the worst idea in the world. We reached Dina’s store and I said, “I’m going back home. I’ll meet you later tonight?”

  “Sure, see you then.

  “I better get to work, especially now that I'll have to make a necklace for Sylvia.”

  I laughed as I walked away.

  Thirteen

  “Will you please fetch the dragon scales?”

  “Why are you making me work?” Mateu grumbled.

  “I thought you wanted to be part of this.”

  “I did. I want to interact with people I don't expect you to put me to work.”

  “That's the benefit of being my friend.”

  “Benefit?” He left, still grumbling under his breath. I ran around the store trying to get everything set up before the first guests showed up.

  Every time my in-store events got a little bigger and bigger. I was anticipating a large turnout for this talk. Not only did I get a massive response to my newsletter advertising the new products in store like Dina’s jewelry, I also discovered that one of the guests was a celebrity in the magical community. Somehow word had gotten out about her attendance and my signups had surged until we sold out of the
fifty seats available. For the first time since I started hosting the events, I had to create a waiting list in case of cancellations.

  Dina knew about the demand for her beautiful designs. I joked that she was working on more jewelry for me than she was on her own designs. I offered to hire her full-time just to create jewelry for my store.

  “Here,” Mateu dropped the bagged package of scales in front of me.

  “Thank you.” I picked up the package and wrote a customer’s name.

  “Do you think I have enough chairs?” There was no way I could fit more seats without the use of a magic spell but I didn’t want to expend energy on an expanding spell. I would have to hold it for a long time and I needed all the energy I had to get through the event.

  Mateu observed the setup. “No, this will do. Besides, you want it to be full. The more crowded it appears, the better. Next time they’ll sign up early instead of waiting until the last moment.”

  He was right, it was a better marketing strategy. To keep things fair I had put names on each chair from the front to the back row in the order that person had signed up for the event. Mateu had loved the idea when I told him about it.

  “What’s the topic for tonight?”

  I huffed. “I’ve been talking about it forever. For a gargoyle, you don’t pay attention.”

  “I pay attention to interesting things.”

  “The topic is mythical creatures and tales of power.” I glared at him, daring him to comment.

  “Strange, doesn’t seem like the kind of topic that would draw a crowd.”

  “That famous witch is showing up, the one with the potions television show. She told her friends about it, who told their friends, and so on. I think most of the attendees are coming to see her not our poor speaker. They’ll probably harass her for an autograph or photograph.”

  Mateu snorted. “Typical.”

  “Some of them are coming by to pick up their orders and said they’d like to attend the talk as well. And the response to Dina’s jewelry has been incredible.”

  “The two of you did a really good job there, they’re a great idea. The other gargoyles mentioned them to me.”

  “Really?” I was gobsmacked. I had no idea gargoyles discussed jewelry.