A cheer filled the room.
Diana drifted away, and a dozen other people crowded around Laura and me. I let her describe my latest victory while Tess listened intently.
After Laura had finished, I felt on top of the world. Growing up, I hadn’t realized how much fun it was to kick the ass of someone who truly deserved it.
People drifted in and out of our group as they helped me celebrate. Crystal and Katie showed up and congratulated me.
Crystal, who was wearing a red rose, smirked at Laura. “Mine tonight.”
Laura shrugged, but I held up my hand. “Not really in the mood tonight. I’ve got a headache.”
Crystal’s eyes flashed at me. “Diana can make you.”
“She’ll have to. I’m not doing it willingly.”
Crystal took off in search of our Grand Poohbah, and I followed to make my pitch.
Crystal found Diana drinking and laughing with Herman and Lucinda. Crystal whispered something in her main squeeze’s ear, and Diana glowered at me.
I tried to look both defiant and virtuous.
With a motion, Diana beckoned me and Crystal to follow her to her office. We sat in the conversation area.
“Ian refuses to bestow the Warrior’s Kiss,” Crystal said.
“Why is that, minion?” Diana asked. “She’s not responsible for fighting, so a pregnancy will not harm the clan. And she’s more than beautiful enough for the likes of you.”
“I don’t like being passed around like a two-bit whore. I wasn’t happy to be with our high priestess, and I’m not screwing anyone tonight. Not even Laura, who’s a living saint.”
“Make him obey our traditions,” Crystal said. The smirk on her face told me she had no doubt that she’d win this argument.
But I wasn’t so sure. “Technically, I’m Tess’s disciple, too. And I’ll note for the good of the order that I’ve been good for the order. I’ve defeated four sorcerers already, and Laura tells me a large clan in San Luis Obispo is looking for a master of arms. I hear it’s real pretty out that way.”
Both witches looked at me like I was pond scum. I’d probably overplayed my hand.
“Look,” I said. “It’s not that I want to go. I actually love it here, but in the culture in which I was raised, casual sex is considered a grave sin, particularly when a person is in a loving relationship with someone else.”
Crystal looked at Diana with feverish eyes.
After a moment, Diana shrugged. “I had no idea the task was so distasteful. Most men of my acquaintance would do virtually anything to take what you refuse.”
She paused as though she wanted to give me a chance to come to my senses. I didn’t.
“Very well. There will be no Warrior’s Kiss tonight.”
Crystal began to whine like a little girl being dragged out of a candy store.
Diana waved me away, and I bolted before she could change her mind. Then I returned to Laura.
“Diana didn’t force you?” she said. “I’m surprised. She must think the world of you.”
I didn’t tell her I’d threatened to bolt for the Left Coast. “No nookie for the spoiled brat.”
Laura handed me a beer and kissed me.
That perked me up. She was still wearing that gorgeous white dress. We sat together at a large table and held each other close, and folks kept coming by and thanking me for minimizing the local population of sorcerer scum.
Everybody’s mood was so upbeat that it was infectious. Christina sat in my lap and told me how popular I was in first grade. That helped, too.
Diana wandered by, a little unsteady on her feet. She sipped a glass of champagne and ignored me, which was perfect. Instead, she chatted with Tess about starting a new magical fighting class for the teenagers.
When her glass was empty and she had finished her discussion with our master of arms, she turned to me. “I have to admit, you have a gift for eliminating vermin.” Her voice was slurred a bit. “Much as it pains me to say this, you may be exactly the witch we need to go on the offensive against sorcerers.”
She waggled her empty flute at Laura, who hopped up to refill it.
I had no idea what our dread queen meant. “Is this your way of saying you’re happy to keep me?”
Her eyes flashed briefly, but then she nodded. “You also have a gift for annoying me, but I’ve decided to set my personal feelings aside for the clan’s sake. Here is my proposal: I constantly receive appeals from hidden families of witches in the region, people much like your family, who’ve been discovered by sorcerers. In the past, there’s been little I could do to help them, but you permit us to provide a better response.”
I tipped back my bottle of beer and took a celebratory swig. “In other words, yes, Ian, I’m actually quite pleased with your work.”
Our Fearless Leader grimaced at my wording but didn’t disagree.
Laura returned with more champagne for Diana and sat next to me.
Diana slurped more bubbly, then said in a mocking tone, “Ian, you can seriously injure yourself by patting yourself on the back like that.”
Laura burst out laughing.
Diana continued in a normal voice, “Please keep your swelling ego in check for a moment and listen. I’m suggesting we could offer your services to eliminate problem sorcerers in the region. I would screen the potential targets to be sure you’re capable of actually defeating them. So, we wouldn’t try to confront Pestone or Escobar, for example.”
I was all for kicking as many sorcerer asses as possible. With each win, I’d gain power that I could eventually use against the worst of the worst.
“I’m with you, so far,” I replied.
“Good. Of course, we will charge a small fee for our efforts. More important, we will receive the wealth of each sorcerer you beat. The clan would split the money with you and the private investigator who will find the sorcerers for you to defeat. Of course, we would also reimburse your reasonable expenses.”
When she said the clan, she meant herself. Diana didn’t hide the fact that she used clan funds for her personal amusements all the time. It was great to be queen.
Laura stepped on my foot under the table, which I took as a signal to minimize my bitching. And it wasn’t like I had any choice. I was Diana’s minion for most purposes.
“Of course, my liege,” I said. “It sounds like a wonderful idea. You could call it Stomping Out Sorcerers, or SOS for short.”
She paused for a moment and seemed to be trying to figure out whether I was mocking her. Apparently, she was drunk enough to give me the benefit of the doubt.
“Then, it’s settled,” she said. “Nicky probably has an investigator we could use.”
“Fine,” I said. “I’ll anxiously await further details.”
As far as I could tell, I was taking most the risk, but at least I could help save people who were in the same awful predicament that my family had suffered from.
Diana nodded and stood, more unsteady than ever. Good thing she only had to make it a hundred yards to her apartment. I sure didn’t want to have to carry her.
“One last thing,” she said. “Tomorrow morning, at eight, we’ll ride together. We’ll talk about magical theory. You’ve advanced enough to benefit from such a discussion.”
From her, that passed for high praise.
“Great,” I replied. “But tell me now: why is your world so complicated? It seems like there’s a dozen hidden layers.”
“Twenty-seven, actually.” Diana burped. “Perhaps more, but no one has progressed beyond twenty-seven. You’ve made it to Level Three. Congratulations.”
I groaned at how much I still needed to learn.
-o-o-o-
Saturday, September 14th
AFTER BREAKFAST, I MET Diana at the barn. Herman had already saddled two stallions, black Hercules and a smaller white Arabian. Mist was swirling at ground level outside the barn.
“Perfect mornin
g for a ride,” he said. “But don’t let these two get close. Liam hates Hercules, and vice versa.”
Diana swung up onto her horse’s saddle and patted his neck. “Is Hercules cramping your success with the ladies?”
Liam snorted and stomped a hoof.
I swung onto Hercules and followed Diana out of the barn.
“Up for a little run, Farm Boy?”
Before I could nod, Diana flicked her reins. Liam took off as though hellhounds were chasing him. Which they were. He tore across an open pasture, and three of the wolves disguised as Rottweilers followed close behind. They were led by Washta, the huge leader of the pack.
Hercules didn’t need any further encouragement. He bolted after the others.
I let out a whoop and forgot my troubles.
Within two hundred yards, Hercules had caught up to Liam. The black stallion lunged to bite the Arabian’s haunch, but I’d expected that. I reined him to the side, and then he seemed to instinctively understand my goal: beat Diana to a fence a half-mile away. The fence posts were barely visible in the fog swirling in the breeze.
I whispered to Hercules and encouraged him to run faster, although he was already flying. He managed to put on a little more speed and pulled ahead.
May the gods help us if one of our horses steps in a—
My thought was interrupted when a vision came to my mind. I could see how Hercules perceived the world, and I felt his hunger deep inside. More than anything, he wanted to beat the Arabian. His mind had connected directly to mine.
Diana yelled at Liam to run faster. The wolves streaked over the ground, keeping up with both steeds.
I couldn’t believe how well Diana could ride. When did she find the time? At least, this was one thing I should be able to do better than she—probably the only thing.
I mentally urged Hercules to give it all he had.
He kept the lead and didn’t give it up. As we hurtled toward the fence, I felt his pleasure at beating the Arabian, but then Hercules gathered himself to leap the four-foot-high barbed-wire barrier. That seemed risky, so I pulled the reins back. There was no need to go crazy.
Hercules grudgingly stopped, and his sides heaved as he caught his breath.
As the horses circled each other and recovered, my connection with Hercules’s mind dimmed and then disappeared.
Diana smiled at me. “I hope you enjoyed that as much as I did.”
I smiled as fully as I could. “I love nothing better.”
Then I wondered whether I should mention the mental connection. Maybe that was ordinary for magicians. It hadn’t been in my family, but that didn’t mean much.
Diana nodded. “Well, I think these two have burned off enough testosterone to ride side by side.” She aimed Liam toward a path through the trees.
I brought Hercules alongside, not as confident that he’d behave. I’d felt firsthand how intensely my stallion wanted to dominate his rival. “No nipping,” I reminded him.
We rode in silence for a few minutes. Then Diana asked, “Has Laura or Tess explained how Celtic magic works?”
“No, I can’t say they have, but I haven’t asked, either. I’ve been pretty busy just learning the basics.”
A couple of the wolves roamed ahead of us, weaving through the trees surrounded by mist. If I hadn’t known better, I would’ve sworn they were ghosts.
“That’s unfortunate,” she replied. “You’re like a poet who’s never read Shakespeare or Wordsworth. No wonder your magic is so strange. You’re reinventing what’s already been done—and done much better.”
When she put it that way, I wondered why I hadn’t asked about magical theory already. Too much had been going on. “Maybe my magic comes from a different tradition? Tribal magic can be just as powerful as yours, can’t it?”
Diana frowned at me. “Who knows? If you aren’t interested in learning Celtic magic, you need to find another home.”
That got my back up, but I bit my tongue until I thought of a constructive response. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to sound ungrateful. I’m interested in both approaches. Help me as much as you can.”
Diana’s frown faded. “Well, then, nobody knows for sure how Celtic magic started. I think it’s a gift from the gods. Today, all we know is that at least a dozen great witches have developed their own forms of magic. They all lived back in the dim recesses of time. All European magicians today work within those traditions, which are handed down verbally from one generation to another.”
I hung on every word. Other than a few fairy tales Grandma Norrie had told me, I knew nothing about how magic had developed.
“Vello was the earliest known master of fighting magic,” Diana said. “He was devoted to long-forgotten gods from Central Europe. He was a powerful priest, back about nine thousand years ago. A thousand years later, his most famous disciple, Holar, adapted Vello’s teachings. Without Holar’s insights, all Celtic witches in this world would’ve been overwhelmed by sorcerers long ago.”
I knew little about him, but I didn’t want to interrupt her while she was on a roll.
“Two thousand years after him, Erbater developed magical traditions from Brigid that affect relationships for both people and animals. And, about the same time, Mendile studied alchemy, physics, and the natural world. His work was based on worship of the goddess Cerridwen. Most healers belong to Mendile’s guild.”
“I’ve heard them all spoken of, but I know little else,” I had to admit.
“That’s a pity. When you say, ‘Holar, assomme,’ you’re asking for the great master’s help in casting your spell. The more you learn about how he interpreted our divinely inspired powers, the stronger your Holar spells will become.”
My face warmed. “Okay. Makes perfect sense.”
“I marvel at how ignorant you are of our traditions, but still, you’ve succeeded to date in fighting sorcerers. Are you sure some witch isn’t hiding nearby so he can fight for you?”
I burst out laughing, even though I didn’t think she’d been joking. “I wish. I’d sleep much better if I knew I could count on him to protect me.”
Diana looked at me askance. She seemed to think I was mocking her. Maybe I was being too sarcastic.
“I’m a Third Level Witch in the Holar Order,” Diana said. “Tess belongs to Holar, too. Crystal is a General Level Counselor in the Erbater Guild, and Katie is a Privy Level Counselor. Laura is a Yellow Witch in the Mendile Guild.”
For an instant, I felt Hercules’s desire to take a chunk out of Liam’s hindquarter. I tugged my horse’s head back just in time.
Diana glared at me. “Are you paying any attention?”
“Sorry. He doesn’t play nice. Tell me what’s most important about the great old masters.”
Diana let out a deep breath. “The biggest problem I see relates to Mendile. Your healing magic should flow through him, particularly in light of Eilwen’s extraordinary talent. She was the high priestess who led his order back in her day. Here’s the problem. Unlike her, you can’t heal people. That’s simply bizarre. All Mendile magic works on both people and animals.”
A thrill shot through me. “I can’t believe I’ve stumped the all-knowing Boulder witch priestess.”
Diana’s eyes narrowed. “Get serious, or one of these times, I’m going to witch-slap you.” She raised her hand as though she was ready to do it. “There’s too much at stake for you to be joking all the time.”
I hadn’t been joking, and I couldn’t keep apologizing, so I simply nodded.
“I’ve worked with many Mendile healers, and your spells are different from theirs—like nothing I’ve seen. It’s like you’re reciting poetry in a foreign language. I can recognize the rhymes and meters, but I can’t understand it.”
I fought a smile. “Maybe my powers come from Wakonda instead of Cerridwen. Osage look at the world completely differently from Europeans. All of nature is alive for us, even the cold granite in the mountains.
”
The clouds cleared above us, and we both stared at a hawk soaring high above, searching for prey. Although he was hundreds of feet away, I sensed his curiosity about the humans below.
“I really doubt that’s the answer,” Diana said. “All magic is derived from the same gods. You may use a different name for one of them, but your power has the same source as mine.”
She tried to speak again several times, then gave up and lifted her hands.
“I don’t consciously construct some incantation, like Celtic witches. I just ask the Great Spirit for help, and He does His thing. It’s simple. No special words are needed.”
“I don’t agree. If some god is making your miracles, anyone here could do what you do by offering the same prayer.”
I’d never been a great thinker, but the answer was plain. “Who says we have to understand why it works? Isn’t it enough that we know it does?”
Diana’s nostrils flared. “Ignorance leads to unexpected results. Given the dangerous situations you find yourself in constantly, you more than most should understand magic at its deepest level.”
As usual, she made sense, but she was making things too complicated.
“Let’s forget the healing stuff now,” I said. “You understand Holar’s fighting magic. Teach me that, and Grandpa and I can worry about tribal healing.”
She blew out a deep breath. “Finally, you’ve said something sensible.”
We rode in silence for a few minutes, and her comments swirled in my head. I petted Hercules’s neck and tried without much luck to understand her.
“Let me ask a simple question,” I said finally. “Is all magic thousands of years old, or do magicians today come up with new spells?”
“Most magic is so old we can’t even read the few ancient manuscripts that exist. Perhaps half of Mendile’s teachings have survived, for example. No European magician has discovered a major magical technique since Aristotle.”
When we came to a gurgling stream, we let the horses drink their fill.
Finally, Diana said, “I’ll continue to ask around to find anyone who understands powers like yours. Your best resource so far seems to be Samuel, and he promises to come soon. In the meantime, keep meditating. The one thing I’m sure of is that the great witches developed close relationships with the gods. That requires the most profound form of concentration.”
Lone Survivor: The Sorcerers' Scourge Series: Book One Page 19
