Twisted Magics (Terra Chronicles Book 1)

by J. C. Jackson

  Brad’s head popped up from over his computer screen. “Silver?” He quickly got up and came over to us, offering his hand in a familiar greeting to our consultant. “I heard we were getting a paladin. It’s good to have you here. I was worried we would get Paladin Marsh.”

  The paladin smiled, taking the offered hand like he was greeting a friend. He said, “If it wasn’t his week to lead prayers, you might have. I’m afraid I haven’t yet had a chance to read the book you lent me.”

  I was lost and confused at this point. Quietly excusing myself, I headed for my desk.

  “Take your time reading it,” Brad said and signaled him to follow. “This is Savanas Farstrider, the head of the Ocean’s Edge TIO branch.”

  As I sat down, my desk somewhat faced toward Savanas’ and the other desks in this area, which allowed me to see Silver simply bow to her. For some reason it bothered me, but I also did not like to be touched and I figured it was simply annoyance.

  Our consultant said, “Lady Savanas Farstrider, I am Paladin Silver Blaise of the Holy Church of the Sun. I have been sent here to assist you with what matters you would need.” He handed her the bound packet of papers he was carrying.

  “You’re certainly silver, I’ll give you that. And you can drop the formality,” Savanas said, probably unsure herself on how to react to him. “It’s good to have you on board. I’m glad to see you already have a friend here.” She was already opening up the packet to read the information provided.

  I looked up at Retanei who quietly exited the bathroom and took the long way around to my desk. She knelt down next to me, keeping a wary eye on our newcomer. It was odd to see her act like this.

  “What did he do when you told him you were a mage?” Retanei whispered the question.

  “Hm?” I had started pulling up the Arcane College library again. I said, “I haven’t mentioned it. Why?”

  Retanei made a face and said, “That explains why he wasn’t up in arms. You do know that most devout divine casters don’t like arcane casters, right?”

  Oh, right. I forgot about that and I was not wearing my Arcane College pin. On the positive side, it felt like a weight had been lifted now that I had taken it off.

  Savanas was still talking to the paladin, going over information in the packet. They had stepped to the side and despite her height, Savanas still stood visibly shorter.

  Retanei stood up. “When Savanas and I called Vince earlier, he said something about calling in an old favor. I’m not sure we have anyone in the TIO that specialized in the divine.”

  I chewed on that bit of information for a moment. The TIO employed a vast diversity of backgrounds and specialties. There were other arcane casters besides myself, but none as deep in the theory side of it as I was. It gave me a unique position, but not one I took for granted.

  Glancing quickly at our new consultant for a moment to see where he was, I returned to the library in front of me. There must be something useful on necromancy in here. Or at least I hoped there was. I might be visiting other libraries otherwise to gather more historical information. Especially since they had taken part in the war.

  Retanei leaned back against the filing cabinet and stayed quiet. She would not be able to help me with my search and I wondered what she was doing. There was too much to do to satisfy my curiosity at the moment.

  My search was turning up nothing useful. Archmage Maewon gave me more in his story than the Arcane College had on the subject.

  Pinching the bridge of my nose, I stopped to rethink my current search. A direct search was not working. How would I look for it indirectly? It would make sense that if the information existed it would be spread out so that no mage could easily access it. It would not be the first time I had stumbled upon information spread out like that.

  My fingers flew across the keyboard trying a different starting point. The combining of spells might be a good place and I could cross-reference my notes from previous projects at the Arcane College.

  Savanas finished her conversation and introduced the others in the office. She then headed our way with the paladin. “These two are from our main office outside of Great Tree. I believe you already met Ketayl, our Arcane Investigator, and this is our Rural Tracker, Retanei.”

  The paladin eyed Retanei cautiously for a moment before turning his attention back to me. “You’re an Arcane Investigator?” He seemed confused by the statement.

  How was I supposed to respond to a question that had already been answered? I nodded.

  “So, Ket, did you get anywhere at the library?” Savanas asked and either did not notice the awkwardness of the situation or was doing her best to ignore it. I was not certain at this point. “Oh, hey, where’d your pin go?” She seemed genuinely surprised it was missing.

  “It’s in my coat pocket,” I said. It was the easiest answer and she seemed to approve. “I spoke with Archmage Maewon. The books are in the restricted section and he’ll let me look at them if it’s needed. He thinks we’re dealing with a necromancer. I’m trying to pull up what is in my library to try and get a better idea of what we’re up against.”

  Savanas made a face telling me she did not like my answer. I knew she would not. “At least we have a better picture of what we’re dealing with. Maewon is a good source, I should have thought to tell you to feel free to pick his brain.”

  The paladin’s face twisted for a moment, but it was enough.

  I asked, “What’s wrong?” before I filtered that I should not speak out of turn.

  Silver said, “I’ve only heard rumors about necromancers in the historical texts. It is an evil beyond that of normal mortals.” The flowery words only said the same thing Archmage Maewon had earlier.

  I said as I typed, “From what I’ve been told, they are casters of both arcane and divine magic. So there’s a chance that whatever is keeping the arcane remnants powered is of divine origin. That would explain why I can’t see it. I can tell you whatever the power source is, it is charging straight at the central axis and the emotional responses have slowly grown since yesterday.”

  Wait, was I supposed to say that much with our consultant in front of me? I took a moment to glance at Savanas whose face told me she was more concerned with what I said instead who I said it in front of. I rationalized he would have to find out at some point if he was here to help with the investigation.

  “I don’t know if most other arcane sensitive people can get inside the building anymore without being severely affected,” I added, just continuing my previous thought. I paused in my remaining thoughts to look at the three around me who simply stared. I pointed to Retanei. “It was her idea.”

  Someday I would figure out how to translate for people. I understood the arcane on a different level and it often made it hard to explain to others. Not to mention that I tended to get a bit overzealous about arcane mysteries.

  “Ugh, Ket, don’t do that,” Savanas said and rubbed the bridge of her nose. “Look, Paladin Silver Blaise has been temporarily transferred to my command. Don’t ask details. For now, can I put him up with you two until I can make other arrangements? I’d put him up with Brad, but I have a feeling he’ll need to stick fairly close to Ket.”

  I looked at Retanei and shrugged. I did not have a problem with it. If what we were dealing with was a combination of arcane and divine magic, we would not get far in solving this without the other. I just hoped what Retanei said about the most devote of divine casters did not apply to this paladin.

  Rathal made a displeased face from his desk, but said nothing.

  Retanei voiced her consent, “I guess it’s a good thing I like hunting at night. Ket and I can share.” Though I could tell my friend was less than pleased. The tightness in her voice betrayed her unease. It was something I picked up in the short time I had known her.

  “Good, why don’t you take him over there and get him settled. Afterward, you can head back to the Waking Dawn to see what else you can figure out,” Savanas said and left the pal
adin in our hands.

  Silence hung like a crooked picture. I asked, “Sir, what would you prefer to be called?” Not much better, but it was something.

  “It would please me if you simply called me Silver, m’lady.”

  Rathal was glaring at him and I wondered what they could have already said to each other to be causing such animosity.

  ~*~

  After Brad helped Silver take his armor off before getting into the vehicle, Retanei and I split up. She needed to run an errand so I took Silver to the hotel. He sat beside me uncomfortably in the passenger’s seat while I navigated the slick roads. There had been patches of the city that had been outfitted with the solar panels keeping the roads dry and clear, but they had not made it to the area of the hotel yet.

  “We aren’t far,” I tried to comfort. I eyed the shiny metal bracers on his forearms. He had told me that his sword and shield were tied to those and his belt. He kept the circlet on as well. I wondered about the magic that was behind all of it, but now was not the time to get distracted.

  Silver wore the padded garments that were under his armor and while I blasted the heat, he still had to be cold. I was glad I had packed my personal coat - he might be able to wear my TIO coat for now.

  “I’m sorry, m’lady. I’m not used to riding around in these.” He waved at the vehicle and turned his attention from out the window toward me.

  I could not help but smile a bit. Realizing the uneasy silence, I said, “Oh, I don’t mean to make fun of you. I was just thinking that I am still kind of the same way. I’ve gotten used to driving, but when I had to fly in the Shrike… needless to say I didn’t get much rest on the flight here. How did you get to the office?”

  Silver said, “One of my order specializes in transportation spells.” He kept his eyes on me and I gripped the wheel tighter. I could not afford to take my eyes off the road to see what his expression was.

  A few minutes passed and the hairs on the back of my neck were standing up with the scrutiny I was under. I started to think that maybe we had something in common - both being out of place in the modern world. It did not change the fact that he was making me nervous and that was not recommended while I was driving.

  “You… are not like the others,” Silver said after a few moments. I guessed my confusion was apparent because he continued, “I’m not sure how to explain it. Like in the entry hall, the other woman found much amusement to my presence, but you greeted me like a person.”

  Oh, that. I did not want to tell him my disbelief upon his arrival, and honestly, I had been in his position. I just had people around me to support me when I made my transition. I tried to keep my reply neutral. “I was in a similar position a couple of years ago when I was transferred to the TIO.” So I was right in my earlier thought about his unease.

  “How is that?”

  Being an Arcane Investigator and outright admitting I was a mage were vastly different things - being born with the ability to sense the arcane was a far cry from channeling the energy to my will. I was not sure I wanted to be in tight quarters when that information came to light. Granted, it probably was a fairly educated assumption at this point. Hesitantly, I admitted, “The place I transferred from - they’re rather archaic.”

  “Lady Ketayl, you seem to avoid saying much about yourself. I would most like to hear more about you. Especially given that we will be working together.”

  I could feel those blue eyes on me and wished he could find someone else to be fascinated by.

  Silver kind of backed me into a corner. Keeping my eyes straight ahead, I gripped the wheel tightly and said, “Well, I guess it really depends on how you feel about mages.”

  Silence hung for a moment and I started to wish I had perused the radio stations in the area to fill the void. It might have given him something else to focus on.

  Then Silver started laughing. It threw my concentration for a moment and I could feel the truck’s four wheel drive kick in.

  “My apologies - I understand your hesitation. If it were my mentor or many of the older paladins at the Central Seat, I would also give pause. However, I have discovered in my own personal study of the scriptures that everything must have a balance and therefore has a place in the world. Besides, the world would be boring if everything was the same.”

  I caught the change in his speech and wondered if the rest was an act. “Good to know.”

  The sight of the hotel was a relief. Silver was not bad to deal with, I just was not used to the attention. I was starting to think I should have asked to switch with Retanei.

  “I’m sorry, I pry too much. It is a failing of mine. I am usually more curious about people than is necessarily healthy.” The conversation hung there as I pulled into the underground parking garage for the hotel.

  Once the vehicle was parked and off, Silver moved to the back to get his stuff.

  I said, “Actually, why don’t we get one of the hotel’s carts to bring that up?” Mostly because I really did not want to have to carry his armor.

  He took a moment to think before accepting the idea.

  I made sure to keep a straight face when Silver jumped as I locked the vehicle with the remote.

  ~*~

  By the time we got everything upstairs, it had started to snow. I let him get settled in the common area of the suite until at least Retanei and I could figure out which room we were going to put him in.

  As he set about putting his armor out of the way, I moved toward the window and watched the fat flakes fall, covering the area in white. I heard this storm was supposed to last for a while.

  I imagined it was going to make the investigation more difficult. Especially for Retanei who would be combing the woods. If she could find at least one of them, then we could try to get some answers.

  It frustrated me the big picture was still elusive. I could only hope that our return to the Waking Dawn would shed some more information now that we had someone who specialized in the divine.

  I barely heard the bathroom door close and just kept watching the snow. It started to fall harder and I was not overly looking forward to driving to the crime scene later. It was also starting to get dark. What if we were able to piece together the full spell used? Or set of spells. I was not even sure how to classify what I did know.

  Fire-based, what was more often referred to as a fireball because of what the original spell looked like when it was cast. Added concussive force and a delay spell to act as a timer. Both of those were smaller parts of other spells. The amount of energy the caster would have needed to create each one would be…

  “M’lady?”

  This time it was my turn to jump. I had not heard him come out of the bathroom while I watched the snow fall.

  Silver had changed clothes. The short-sleeve, high-collared white dress shirt and pants that he wore now were only broken up by a deep blue and gold trim. The shirt was loose on him while the pants appeared to be fashioned after common dress pants. He still wore the fingerless leather gloves, metal bracers, and circlet. Even his boots were white.

  “I hope you don’t mind I took the time to change into something more appropriate since it has become apparent that my armor is not suitable for this task,” Silver said.

  It was the first time I truly noticed how long his hair was with the silver braided tail hanging over his right shoulder to his waist. It had blended in too well with his armor before.

  Shaking my head, I smiled to try to put both of us at ease and said, “No, it’s actually a good idea. But you don’t have a coat, do you?”

  Silver shook his head and informed, “The grounds are kept warm by the grace of the God of the Sun. It is like an eternal spring. I rarely have need to leave the grounds.”

  Digging my Arcane College pin out of the pocket, I shed my coat and handed it to him. “I have another. This might still not be big enough for you, but at least it’s something.” The coat was over-sized on me, but he was so much taller. Only coming up to his shoulder, i
t was a little intimidating and I mentally cursed my lack of height.

  Silver began to turn it down, but suddenly took interest in what was in my hand. “Is that a brooch, m’lady? You should wear it.”

  “Um…” Well, this was awkward. I said, “It’s more of an insignia pin. I wore it out of habit.” Why was I saying so much? I avoided talking about myself at all if I could help it. Mostly because I found myself to be uninteresting compared to others.

  “May I?” Silver asked and held out his hand. Reluctantly I gave it up. “The Arcane College? But you are Elven. I don’t understand.”

  There went the hope he did not know about the Arcane College. Something caught my attention with the pin as he held it. It almost looked like a thread was leading back to me. I did not recall ever seeing something like it before. I knew the secret it contained, but that was because I put it there. Was it connected to that somehow?

  I said, “It’s not a Human-only organization. I am the first non-Human to be sent as a liaison to another organization though. I was a Researcher there for a few decades. Aren’t you a bit of an oddity yourself? I didn’t know that there were any Elven paladins.” That last part sounded rude, but I had grown increasingly tired of people asking me.

  “I’m likely the only one,” Silver said. I could not tell what his thoughts were on that. “Others that have shown interest have not had the dedication to the training required.”

  Silence hung awkwardly again while I filed the information away.

  Needing to do something, I decided to change the subject, “You have an interesting name.” And if I could turn the conversation around back to him, I would.

  Silver handed my pin back and said, “It was given to me by my mentor’s father. He had an odd sense of humor. My first name is because of the color of my hair. My last name is his first name. I cherish it. And you?”

  Putting my pin in a pocket on my pants, I backed away a step and said, “I didn’t mean to offend you. I’m afraid that mine is boring. It was whatever I could remember like many others who were orphaned during the war. That’s why it isn’t a traditional Elven name. My sister is the same.”