Soul Stone Mage Complete Collection Boxed Set

by Sarah Noffke

  “I have a knack for everything. Is this your way of trying to get into my pants… yet again?”

  Azure laughed. “I think we know that that’s a big fat no.”

  “Yes, I like fireworks, but they’re kind of boring.” Monet lit a fuse and a green rocket shot into the air, exploding into tiny frogs that rained down on the crowd.

  Azure unclasped her hands from her ears and smiled. “Yeah, so boring.”

  “Shouldn’t you be hobnobbing with all the people you saved?” Monet gestured to the crowd, where witches and wizards kept glancing at her.

  “We saved them, thanks to your potion,” Azure corrected.

  “That’s true. I keep correcting people when they give you all the credit, but they only scowl at me for some odd reason.”

  “Well, it was that potions business I wanted to discuss with you,” Azure said.

  “Did you bring me a beer? Because I listen better if you get me drunk,” Monet remarked.

  “I didn’t, but I do have a job for you.”

  “Besides Chief of Staff?”

  “We both know you’re already bored with that title. I won’t disclose your secret—that you pretend to be incompetent while being the farthest thing from it. One title is simply not enough for you, dear Monet.”

  “’Tis true.” Monet lit another fuse and a blue rocket flew into the air.

  “How about if I make you the official Potions Master for Virgo?” Azure said, hiding a smile.

  Monet leaned forward to light a fuse and paused, then straightened and eyed her cautiously. “But Charmsgood was the only wizard to hold that position in five hundred years. Before him… Well, before him the position had only belonged to incredibly powerful wizards.”

  Azure crossed her arms in front of her chest and nodded, a coy look on her face.

  “You don’t mean it?” Monet asked, his face full of disbelief.

  “Well, if you don’t want the shop and all the responsibility that goes with it, I’ll just keep looking. However, the title should belong to you, Monet Bailey Torrance.”

  “Fuck yeah, it should!” Monet threw his arms around Azure, hauling her off the ground and wheeling her around. He nearly burned her hair with the lit tip of his wand, but released her just in time.

  “So you’ll take the position?” she asked.

  “Can I still go on awesome adventures with you and get drunk in the evenings?”

  “Of course. We’re witches and wizards, not fucking prudes.”

  A clear, bright laugh fell from Monet’s mouth. “Awesome. But I’m going to need next week off. And every other Tuesday. Oh, and I need a raise.”

  “How about no. You’ll work tirelessly to serve the people of Virgo until your dying day.”

  Monet thought on this for a moment. “Okay, sounds good.”

  Azure released a wide smile. Nothing could be better than working alongside her best friend, the person she’d known all her life.

  “But seriously, I do actually have some ideas related to both my roles as Chief-of-Staff and Potions Master,” Monet said.

  “Oh?”

  “Remember we were talking about a health care program for Virgoans? I’m thinking we need free prescription potions for all.”

  Azure ducked her head, looking around with a conspiratorial expression. “Be careful or people will hear you and think you have a heart.”

  Monet waved her off. “No, they won’t. I’ve created an incredible ruse. It’s a part of my master plan.”

  “Strange plan.” Azure shook her head and hurried off, seeing someone else she needed to talk to. “Later, Jerkface.”

  “Later, Queen Fat-Ass.”

  A light flew down next to Azure as she strode across the grounds. “Hey, Buzz Buzz!”

  The pixie launched into a round of unintelligible ramblings, her hands flying through the air.

  “Sure, yeah, totally.” Azure nodded, not understanding a word the pixie said.

  Buzz Buzz shrieked loudly just as the raven swooped down, nearly taking her head off with his beak. Manx landed on Azure’s shoulder, a proud look on his face.

  “I guess the pixie is telling you all about the awful things I’ve done to her?” the mischievous pooka said.

  “I think she’s trying,” Azure said as Buzz Buzz’s face turned a vibrant shade of pink.

  “Don’t believe a word she says,” Manx told her, nuzzling his beak into Azure’s neck.

  “Right,” she said, and picked up the bird by the body, holding him in front of her face. “Try and get along with the people in Virgo, would you?”

  “I won’t make any guarantees, but if you promise to take me on another adventure I’ll consider it,” Manx said as Buzz Buzz flew back and forth behind him, muttering loudly.

  “That’s a promise. Now you two go play nicely,” Azure said, and threw the raven into the air. He flew off, his wings flapping as Buzz Buzz zipped behind him, holding up her fists and waving them angrily in the air.

  Azure paused beside Laurel, who was watching the fireworks with pure awe in her eyes. “You knew what the cure was, didn’t you?”

  “I stumbled across the answer just before you ran into the library. I love the serendipity of life.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me right away?” Azure asked.

  “Remember what you told me Mage Lenore said to you when she told you humans were the key to the cure?”

  “’Give a man the truth and he will discard it in the ocean. Make him discover the truth on his own, and he will know it all his life.’” Azure repeated Mage Lenore’s words, which had strangely stayed with her.

  “Yes, so all I did was quickly lead you to the answer. I knew you’d need to have complete devotion to the idea in order to implement it. Giving up your soul stone was no easy thing to do. If I had blurted out that it was the solution, you would have resisted. Instead, I let you figure it out on your own.”

  “You’re a very clever werecat. I’m planning to travel around Oriceran, and I could use your cleverness,” Azure said, turning to Laurel.

  She lowered her gaze and looked straight at the queen. “Are you inviting me to join you?”

  “If you’d like to. I know you’ve been wanting to travel,” Azure said.

  “All my life! And yes!” Laurel shouted, gaining the attention of the wizards playing instruments nearby. “I wanted to travel before but the idea of doing it by myself was too much, even after you freed me. It was more than intimidating.”

  “No one should travel alone. Besides, when you find something amazing, you need someone at your side to appreciate it with you,” Azure said with a smile.

  “I couldn’t have put it better myself, Queen Azure. And yes, I’d love to accompany you on your journey. Thank you!”

  Azure bowed slightly to the werecat and left, snaking her way through the crowd. She smiled at Finnegan, whose turquoise hair had returned to its vibrant hue. Navi and Luna were taking turns feeding him berries, and he looked to be enjoying the attention as the fairies doted on him.

  After exchanging pleasantries with a few groups, Azure found the people she’d been looking for. On the outskirts of the party, sitting in oversized comfy chairs that had been taken straight from the House of Enchanted, were Gran, her mum, and Richard. Their chins were in the air and their mouths were hanging open as they watched the fireworks. Finswick had curled up in Gran’s lap and was faking sleep, his eyes half on Azure. She’d need to take him on the next adventure. It was overdue, and she was tired of him leaving hair balls in her bed as payment for his disappointment. At Gran’s feet, Blisters lay on his back, his hooves in the air and drool dripping down the side of his face. He was, in fact, not faking sleep. The unicorn had tired himself out on his first adventure.

  “You did it,” Gillian said from her side. She hadn’t even known he was there.

  “We did it,” she corrected him.

  “And now you have a party to share with a family you didn’t even know you had,” Gillian observ
ed.

  She watched as her father squeezed her mother’s hand. “Yes, I guess I never realized I had a father. But my mum and Gran have always been there for me.”

  “I wasn’t referring to Richard, although you need to encourage him to preserve his life. He’s afraid of becoming the Duke, so he hasn’t been using his magic. Maybe you’ll be able to help him to find the balance so he lives a nice long life.”

  Azure squinted at Richard. That was why he looked older, she realized. He hadn’t been using magic, and without it he was aging. This was how he was punishing himself, or as Gillian had said, he was too afraid. “I’ll have a talk with him and encourage him to use his magic. Tell him that he can control it, unlike Phillip.”

  Gillian nodded, his hands behind his back as he rocked forward on his toes. “I’m going to retire for the night, but I’ll be ready when you set off.”

  “Set off?” Azure inquired. “I didn’t announce my trip to New Egypt. How did you know?”

  Gillian tipped his hat at the queen and smiled broadly, a knowing look in his eyes. “Good night, Queen Azure.”

  “Good night,” Azure said and then sputtered, “Wait!”

  “What did you mean by celebrating with family I didn’t even know I had? You said you weren’t referring to Richard?” Azure asked, indicating her father. He was doubled over laughing; her mother too. Both of their faces were full of life, so vibrant and new it made her instantly smile.

  “Look for yourself. I believe you opened the borders of Virgo to all, and it appears that the invitation is already in effect,” Gillian said, throwing his arm toward the hills in the distance. He disappeared a moment later. Azure squinted in that direction, not seeing what he meant. A firework exploded overhead, full of gold and silver bursts of light, and on the eastern hill a figure on a horse could be made out.

  Frederick sat atop a regal horse, a party of travelers behind him. He noticed Azure as she spotted him, the bright firework lighting up both of them. The emperor of Terran smiled at his sister and bowed his head, a look of respect on his face when he lifted his chin.

  Azure waved back at Emperor Frederick just before he and his party rode on, obviously on their own voyage, exploring Oriceran. She figured he’d stop at some point to see his father and catch up. There were no more borders to keep them apart. Separated by the Dark Forest but no other boundaries, there was no reason they couldn’t all be a family, embracing each other for their similarities and also their differences.

  Epilogue

  Sharp fangs sank into the warm flesh of the old shopkeeper’s neck. Lux had knocked on the store’s door just as the old man was closing up, explaining that he was in the market for a ferret and would pay top dollar for one that night. The shop owner sold ferrets for cheap, so getting a high price for one had been enticing and worth the inconvenience of staying open late. He’d never even had a chance to unlock the ferrets’ cage before the bloodthirsty vampire sank his fangs into his body.

  Lux drank until the old man was dead and let him slide to the old wooden floor. The animal sounds from the various cages had made the feast a little less enjoyable. Lux turned, gauging his reflection in the store window, and wiped a handkerchief across his mouth to clean off the excess blood. The shop owner apparently ate too much curry, which was common for those who lived in New Egypt. Lux had a shaved head and a short beard. He wasn’t tall or short, but his wide shoulders made him stand out, especially on the crowded streets in the marketplace. He opened the door and waved a figure into the shop.

  Devo poked his head through the open door, his eyes darting to the figure on the ground. After he came in he closed the door and pulled the curtains blocking the windows more neatly into place, hiding the view inside from those on the streets.

  “I thought you were only going to stun him,” Devo said, his tone on edge. He was much taller than Lux, and his dark brown hair was thick. His long sideburns framed his large nose and buckteeth. Whereas Lux was all shoulders, Devo was not. His shoulders were about the same width of his hips.

  “I was hungry,” Lux said, striding through the shop full of animals and growling at a cage of monkeys.

  “Well, now I have to do something with him,” Devo said, toeing the lifeless body.

  “Or don’t. What do we care if a body or two is found around the city? Soon it won’t matter,” Lux said, kneeling in front of a cage where bats hung from the top of the wire-framed box.

  “You’re being impulsive again,” Devo warned.

  “And you’re being boring again.” Lux lifted the cage of bats off the stack, a smile lighting his face and his long fangs showing. “We have what we came for, and that’s all that matters. Our masters must have what they need to start their coven. Soon vampires will own this city, so who cares if they find a dead man’s body tonight? Let it serve as a warning.” Lux laughed loudly before turning for the exit at the back of the shop, the one that led into a dusty alleyway. The streets of New Egypt would soon be quiet, which would be the perfect time to create new vampires for the coven.

  FINIS

  Author Notes - Sarah Noffke

  October 2, 2017

  Each book in this series gets more fun to write than the last. This one gave me the opportunity to research and introduce some new folklore creatures. As often happens with writing, I’m surprised by how everything comes together. First I find something while researching about Will-o-Wisps. Then I learn about pookas. And then bam! I’m able to tie them together. The kitsune and kelpie were another example of how separate pieces got tied together. You’d think I planned for this kind of stuff, but you’d be wrong.

  Let’s talk about Manx, my new favorite character. That fairy can do everything! I loved the opportunity to have this cat-dog-rabbit-fox-raven-horse. After my best friend read the book (she’s always my first reader. I call her First Chair), she told me that she loved pookas. I was like, why didn’t you tell me before and save me from doing all this damn research. Of course, she’d forgotten all about them until she read the book. However, that’s when she informed me that the movie Harvey featured a pooka. I had no idea that’s what the big bunny was considered. An old classic movie that my mother made me watch as a kid. Guess I’m glad she did.

  As with all my books, I stuck in many things from my own life. The Pilates studio that Azure and Ever visits is the one I go to often. And the organic store next to it is also a thing. I had to go to my instructor and tell her that I put this all in the book. She kind of laughed about the spin classes, but then gave me a strange look. I guess people don’t like being called out on their illogical behavior. Anyway, just so you know, I don’t partake in the spin classes. I’ve been known to walk on a treadmill though. Actually I wrote six books on a treadmill, but that’s a story for another time.

  I really enjoyed this arc, but I’m really looking forward to the next one. Azure and the gang will be traveling off to New Egypt where they will definitely run into some vampires. I’ve never written a vampire book, but I’ve done witches and werewolves, so this just seems overdo at this point. Thanks for reading and supporting me. It’s because of readers that I can do what I love.

  Author Notes - Martha Carr

  October 17, 2017

  It’s late at night, at least for me. These days every minute is accounted for because I still work a corporate day job and every other minute is spent building a universe. I take breaks to swim laps or take yoga classes and Lois Lane, wonder dog makes sure we go for plenty of walks and play the occasional game of tag. Some days it doesn’t go as expected. I drove to the gym to swim laps and realized on the way I forgot my towel. Kept going! Then my goggles broke in the locker room. Not giving up! Walked out to the front desk and they let me borrow a pair from lost and found. Then realized I didn’t check the schedule and the high school team was practicing. Waited a minute! Lane opened up and swam my little heart out. That’s kind of how things are going. Small things pop up like a giant whack-a-mole game and I have to go ask for help, f
igure out an alternative (I sat on my jacket on the way home, dripping wet…), and just hung in there. The swimming was great!

  And it’s all worth it.

  The enthusiasm fans have already for all things Oriceran is overwhelming, fun, and feels like we’re all in a giant clubhouse! It helps that we’ve even started a private Facebook Group – Oriceran Fans (we let in anyone who plays nice). And, it’s only been 10 weeks since we unleashed the universe on the world. Magic Mike reminds me of that from time to time. So many great series underway – Sarah Noffke is on Book Four with House of Terran! More authors to come and everyone is having a great time! I wonder how I got so lucky to be on this ride with all of you! More adventures to follow.

  Publisher Notes - Michael Anderle

  October 17, 2017

  Thank you for not only reading this story, but also Sarah and Martha’s Author notes and now MINE!

  WOOHOO!

  As you know, I’m a co-Universe creator and the Publisher (LMBPN) on the Oriceran books and co-author with Martha and potentially my own author / future co-writer with others (who knows, this stuff changes so fluidly.) Either way, I’m jazzed to write THIS publisher note because…

  Well…

  I actually have Publisher news!

  LMBPN went to Frankfurt Germany last week to attend the Frankfurt Book Fair (Largest in the World) and WOW was it huge.

  Just the one convention hall was massive. But, each massive building had multiple floors across multiple buildings…

  Plus a huge courtyard with temporary buildings (walls of plastic sheeting with windows and doors…It was rather cool.)

  There was a lot to learn, and a lot to learn about our ‘little’ company. First, the book business is HUGE. Billions of dollars.