nancy werlock's diary s01 - episodes 1-7

by Julie Ann Dawson

  “He’s right,” says Steve. “We can’t risk it.”

  “My mother,” I say. “And my grandmother! They are both still in the astral plane and I’ve spoken with both of them.”

  “Morrigan Magus? She’s still in the astral plane?” says Chancellor Straus. “I would have thought her commanding her own fief in the abyss by now.”

  “I think she was just helping Mom with her transition.”

  “Hold on, that wasn’t an insult that he just said?” asks Houston.

  “Believe me, young man. If you had ever had the pleasure of meeting her, you would know that Morrigan Werlock would not be insulted,” says Chancellor Straus. “Madame Warlock, please speak with both Wanda and Morrigan and let’s see how many eyes they can get for us.”

  * * *

  April 21st

  “Oh, aren’t you just adorable!” exclaims Nanna Morri.

  Houston shivers slightly. He wasn’t prepared for having his cheeks pinched by a spirit.

  “Thank you, ma’am.”

  “Oh, sweetie, just call me Nanna. You’re family now.”

  Now seemed like as good a time as any to teach Houston the Through the Veil incantation. And Mom has been pestering me to introduce her to my apprentice.

  “How old are you?” asks Mom.

  “Twenty-two.”

  “Nancy, you know who he looks like? That boy you were swooning over in that movie. What was it? Thor?”

  “Mother!”

  “Thank you. I work out.”

  “Just a shame you don’t have an older brother.”

  “Mother! Focus! Evil necromancers sucking souls!”

  “Is someone speaking with Hierophant Red Turtle?” asked Nanna.

  “Archmage Lawrence is handling that,” I reply.

  “Good. He’ll be able to rustle up the anima in the Pine Barrens in case whoever this is tries to tap the cairn. If cut off from the ability to hunt, your rogues may try to eat from the cairn.”

  “That’s all we need. Nanna, can you help?”

  “I can put a centuria of imps in the astral plane. With your mother’s assistance, we can keep them in line. But you really need eyes on the prime. I’d suggest binding some wisps to animals that can move around unnoticed. Birds ideally. Nobody pays attention to birds. We could anchor them to Houston so he could immediately know if they spot something.”

  “What are we anchoring to me?”

  “I don’t know about making Houston an anchor.”

  “Can he project while awake yet?” asks Mom.

  “Um, no. I need to go to sleep.”

  “Shoot. If he could project while awake he would have been able to immediately go to the spot and interfere.”

  “Even more dangerous idea, Mother.”

  “Oh of course, Nancy. Because there is nothing about demonology that is the least bit dangerous.”

  “What is your telepathy range?” asks Nanna.

  “I can reach Nancy all the way from Philly. But she’s receptive. Generally line of sight.”

  “If only we knew a Traveler.”

  “I agree with your Grandmother, honey. I think Houston is the best option for an anchor. He’s even tempered and not prone to hormonal imbalances, so the wisps won’t be able to trigger emotional issues with him.”

  “And I can dangle imphood in front of them as a carrot. If they don’t evolve they die, after all. They’ll cooperate.”

  “Houston, it’s up to you. I won’t force you to do this. Nanna is suggesting binding dozens of wisps into animals, which will then have a psychic anchor to you. You’ll be able to see through their eyes and know when they come across anything suspicious. But it will also allow them to try to mooch off your own emotions. If something goes wrong, you’d become an emotional wreck.”

  “I think if I was going to become an emotional wreck, I would have by now. Let’s do this.” Houston twitches as Nanna hugs him.

  “It will take a few days to get everything together,” I say.

  “Take your time, honey,” says Mom. “Let’s make sure we do this right.”

  Mom and Nanna cut contact. Houston leaves to spend a couple of hours at the gym. As soon as he walks out the door, the room gets cold.

  “I believe my last words to you were to take care of my son, Warlock.”

  I turn around to see Vivika manifested so strongly she almost appears to be solid.

  “I have no time to deal with you right now.”

  “Really? I thought there was a Form Z-12-something-something filed?”

  “I’m not going to ask how you know about that.”

  “So, they thought I ascended did they? How cute. Top secret Inquest and everything. I suppose I should be flattered.”

  “Can we stop with the games? I’ve got murderous, spirit-cannibalizing Necromancers on the loose.”

  “Messy. My only concern is my son.”

  “Houston will be fine. My grandmother knows what she’s doing.”

  “Ah, yes, Warlock Morrigan Magus. First woman to head the School of Demonology. Rank One Demonologist. Could have been Chancellor of the College. Could have been Madame Advocate of the Third of the Nine. And yet she didn’t realize I was listening in this whole time.”

  “Maybe you just don’t rate her attention.”

  Black veins pulsate through Vivika’s form. “Girl, you are not nearly as good as you think you are. Or should I say, you are not nearly as good as the Chancellor thinks you are. You’d be dead if my son didn’t save you from your…Servitor.”

  “What do you want, Vivika?”

  “Joshua has taken an unhealthy interest in my son.”

  “Who?”

  “Joshua Brynwolf. Otherwise called Lord Advocate of the Eighth of the Nine.”

  It takes a moment for the name to register. Nobody uses the Advocates’ actual names, even the Chancellors. As far as I know, not even other Advocates. “He also has an unhealthy interest in you.”

  “I’m pleased that we are in agreement on that. Get your Form, Madame Warlock. We need to fill it out. I want this conversation on the record.”

  I go to my desk and retrieve the Form and the enchanted silver pen. I hand the pen to Vivika, and she signs her name and then places the pen on top of the form. “This will be my official statement to the Council,” she begins. Arcane writing begins to manifest on the form. “No, I won’t subject myself to an interview with the School of Theomancy. My statement to you will have to sate their curiosity. And let me make one thing perfectly clear. I cannot tell you what might have happened to my mother or grandmother. Those are mysteries for others to resolve. But I can answer the single most asked question among the gossips. How, exactly, did that useless, spiteful, troll of a man I had the misfortune of marrying manage to kill me? I tell you that he was mystically shielded. I didn’t sense him coming because he was being manipulated and protected by the one person strong enough to counter even me.”

  “Are you insinuating the Lord Advocate had you murdered?”

  “Insinuating? No. I’m making a clear statement of fact. Joshua feared me. He knew I was planning to run for the Chancellorship. And he knew that his position as Lord Advocate was in jeopardy.”

  “Why would you becoming Chancellor threaten him?”

  “Because only the Council can open an Inquest into misconduct by the Advocates. I had evidence of Joshua using forbidden magic to circumvent the will of the Eighth of the Nine.”

  “What forbidden magic?”

  “Soul Jar. And no, I won’t tell you what the ritual does. It was forbidden for a reason. But the College will know what it is. You won’t have to explain it to them.”

  “What evidence?”

  “It doesn’t matter. He had it destroyed after my death.”

  “So how am I supposed to prove your accusations without evidence?”

  “It isn’t your job to prove anything, Madame Warlock. Last I knew, you were not a Justicar. Your only duty is to deliver my statement to the Council
. The accusation itself should be enough to launch an Inquest.”

  “What kind of danger is Houston in?”

  “A great deal. Which is why I directed him toward you in the first place. Despite the fact that you weren’t practicing, your family’s reputation is such that you were the only real choice. And you are friends with a Justicar, after all. In truth the fact that you weren’t practicing was a bonus. Nobody could accuse you of baser ambitions. You couldn’t be easily dismissed or bribed or otherwise neutralized.”

  “Why not tell me sooner?”

  “I didn’t know about the Inquest. I foolishly hoped, as mothers are wont to do, that the threat would subside if my son didn’t know anything. Joshua would believe his secret safe.”

  “Why didn’t you want Houston to know about April?”

  “Is this pertinent to the investigation?”

  “No. But it is pertinent to your son.”

  “April died, Madame Warlock. Despite my attempts to…save her body from the ravages of that disease. It is one thing to mourn a cousin, no matter how close. It is quite another to mourn a sister. Besides, he would have said something to Harold. I promised Ruth he would never know. How is she? She took all of this poorly from what I gather. Took it out on her husband.”

  “I have an appointment with her and Harold this Saturday. Trying to sort things out.”

  “I knew I chose well.”

  “I’ll make sure this form gets to the College of Divinities immediately.”

  “I know you will. But be wary. It’s taking all of my strength to keep both you and Houston shielded from Joshua’s prying eyes. If he realizes what you know, he will come for you.”

  “Thank you, Vivika. The Council will know what happened.”

  “No, thank you, Nancy. I supposed now would be a good time to apologize for my earlier behavior. I think you understand how mothers are, however. Do make sure he finds a suitable girl, won’t you?”

  “I’ll add it to the to-do list.”

  Being Human

  August 26th

  Houston stops working on the inventory to help Anastasia with the registers. It’s been rather busy these last few days. If business keeps up, I may have to consider hiring another employee. I talked to Anastasia’s parents about her continuing on part-time during the school year. She can continue working part-time so long as her grades don’t slip.

  Houston chased some boy out of the shop yesterday that was flirting with her. He muttered something about knowing what boys that age want. Considering he passively reads minds like most people passively blind, I’m fairly sure he knew exactly what that particular boy wanted. It’s sort of funny watching how protective he is of her. I think he sees some of April in her and has slipped back into the role of big cousin/brother.

  I haven’t heard back from the College of Divinities since filing the form regarding Vivika’s death with them. Mom says that is a good thing. It means they are being discreet. My nerves can’t handle discreet. Sitting on the knowledge that the Lord Advocate of the Eighth of the Nine may have actually murdered Houston’s mother has me beyond worried. I keep checking WitchNet hoping for a big arrest. At least then I would know he was locked away and under watch.

  Houston knows that I’m not telling him something. By the grace of the gods, he hasn’t pushed the issue. We talk about his aunt and uncle instead. Harold took the news about April hard. It was to be expected. Ruth asked him to come home. He said he thought it best for him to continue staying at his makeshift apartment at the shop for a little longer. I told Ruth not to try to force it. It’s a lot for him to process. He needs time.

  April was Vivika’s daughter, but Ruth served as the surrogate and raised her as her own. It was one of Vivika’s few acts of pure selflessness in donating her eggs to her sister. They had kept it a secret from Harold all of these years because Harold wasn’t comfortable with the idea of using medical technology to “force” a pregnancy where God didn’t intend one. The two of them have carried a lot of pain and guilt over April’s young death to Leukemia. But I’m convinced that even though this information was painful for Harold to hear, at least now that the truth is out in the open both of them can finally start the healing process.

  Whether that process ends in them reconciling their marriage, I don’t know.

  I’ve spoken to Steve twice since he arrived in Bucharest. I haven’t told him about my conversation with Vivika. Part of it is that he has enough to worry about with leading a team of Justicars deep in the bowels of the Necromancers’ Nexus. Part of it is that I’m not completely confident he wouldn’t pack up that team and head to the Los Angeles with them to deal with this himself. And part of it is that I’m not even sure who is or isn’t trying to listen in on my conversations. Vivika says she is mentally shielding Houston and me from psionic prying, but even with all of her power she’s dead. And as such, weakened from her living state.

  Different schools of witchcraft tap the arcane in different ways. Some pull latent energy from the natural world and shape it to do their bidding. Others tap into the streams of arcane power that flow through the Aether and connect the planes. In either case, a witch of sufficient skill can continue to wield that power after death. Assuming, of course, she can still tap into the source. That’s why Nanna and Mom haven’t missed a beat since they died. They just jumped directly into the source of evocation power.

  Come to think of it, while I doubt Nanna has actually founded her own fiefdom in the outer planes, I’m fairly certain she’s amassed a comfortable estate.

  But the thing with Psions is that they are their own power source. They harvest and manipulate their own life energies to power their abilities. This is why so many of their powers are on auto-pilot. They manipulate psionics as naturally as breathing. However, this also means that death deprives them of their primary power source. So psions that haven’t learned how to master other types of magic weaken rather quickly in the afterlife.

  And Vivika is doubly weakened since she used a great deal of her own power to imprint on Houston. She’s obviously still a force to be reckoned with, but not the force she was when she was alive. And that worries me when she may be the only thing between me and the Lord Advocate of the Eighth of the Nine.

  “You don’t ever check your messages, do you?” says Lee. I hadn’t even heard him come in.

  “Been busy. You walked through the shop, right? It’s jumping.”

  “Yeah, you’re gonna need a bigger store soon.”

  “Great, I can be a magical Wal-Mart.”

  I have been checking my messages. I just haven’t been returning his calls. I’m so ridiculous. Avoiding my own Servitor out of…what? Embarrassment? Fear? He leans in the doorway and folds his arms in front of him. A slight smile is on his face. More of a smirk. A smirk that turns into a full-blown grin as I realize I’m staring at his arms.

  Now I remember why I haven’t returned his calls.

  “I…um…you don’t have work today?” I ask.

  “Mr. Hessman has me doing estimates. I get to stay clean today. I was in the area. I thought you’d like to get some lunch?”

  “Um, we’re really busy. I don’t know if I can leave.”

  “Do you want me to go get you something and bring it back for you?”

  “I don’t want to keep you from work.”

  “My next appointment isn’t until 2 o’clock. And there is this new Chinese place not far from here. They have really good teriyaki chicken. I was thinking about going there anyway, so it wouldn’t be any trouble to get you something.”

  “Grab me a pepper steak combo, would ya?” says Houston as he walks around Lee and puts the mail on my desk. “I’ll find out what Anastasia wants.”

  “He’s not here to take orders for you,” I say.

  “Come on, Boss. You aren’t buying us lunch today?” he walks out of the office and yells to Anastasia to find out what she wants for lunch.

  I hand Lee a pair of twenties. “The teriyaki chic
ken sounds good.”

  * * *

  “So, how are your…your parents?” I ask Lee. It’s still weird for me to refer to the Brennons as his parents, since Lee’s technically a lemure in possession of their dead son’s body. But he gets visibly upset when I remind him otherwise. So I just go with it now.

  “Good. They’re actually going on a cruise next week. They used to go on cruises all the time, but after Mom’s accident they stopped. But she’s really excited about it. It’s nice to see them happy.”

  “So how long are they going to be gone?” I ask between bites of food.

  “Two weeks. My sister said she’d check in on me while their out. Make sure I’m OK.” He bites his bottom lip and nods. “I think they are worried I might regress.”

  “It’s a reasonable assumption considering Lee’s…your…history.”

  “I know. It doesn’t upset me. They’ll be happy when they come home and see everything is fine. You’ll see.” He looks away from me and sighs. “I know you still worry. I’m sorry that I make you worry.”

  “You can stop apologizing. You haven’t done anything, Lee.”

  “No, but you still expect me to. Maybe not today or next year. But you expect me to.”

  “Lee, look, you’re a lemure. You understand as well as I do how tenuous your pact with Houston actually is.”

  “I noticed some bound wisps around the place when I came in,” he says as he looks over his shoulder. “Been seeing them all over the place. They aren’t yours, though.”

  “No, my grandmother. They are looking for unusual metaphysical activity.”

  “The Necromancer thing? Houston told me at the gym. He didn’t mention the wisps, though.”

  “Houston told you? Is that why you’ve been calling so much?”

  “He was worried. Don’t be mad at him, Mistress.”

  “I told you that you don’t have to call me that.”

  “But…you said I could if I wanted to?”

  “Lee, about the ritual…”