If someone had told Conryu how deep down the magic rabbit hole he was going to be yanked in seven months he’d have said the same thing. Yet here they were. He tried to think how to get his life back on track and failed.
What in the world was going to happen to him? He didn’t know the answer to that question and it scared him more than a little.
8
In Between
“Woo-hoo!” Sonja shouted as the go cart leapt over a hill and went airborne. When the cart landed Conryu wrestled with the steering wheel, trying to keep them out of the woods. He was doing his best to stay near the edge of the grounds so they didn’t tear up the soft earth. The frost had only gone out a week ago and this was the first day they’d deemed it warm enough for a test drive. That combined with the fact that finals started in three days meant it was today or never.
The controls were loose jointed and had at least six inches of play whichever way he turned the wheel. Still, considering they’d slapped it together in about twenty hours, the Blinky Mobile, as Sonja christened it, was handling her maiden voyage pretty well. They hadn’t flipped, crashed, or exploded so Conryu was happy.
What they had done was gather an audience. Scores of students and teachers had come outside to watch their mad rush around the grounds. Conryu grinned, for once not caring that everyone was staring at him. They hit the beach, fishtailed a couple times in the sand, and roared on.
“Can it go any faster?” Sonja’s blond hair was blowing in the wind and he hadn’t seen her this happy since the Brawl.
They’d altered the magic so the engine’s speed was controlled by the one who activated it. Conryu wasn’t overly confident in his crude transmission, but then he didn’t really care if the cart survived beyond today’s joyride so he willed it to rev up and the motor obliged.
Sand flew and they shot down the beach like madmen. He slowed a fraction and turned back onto the grounds. The plan was to make a full circle and end up back at the shack. If they survived Crystal said she might go for a ride too.
Sonja braced herself as they went flying over another hill. The second half of the trip was a little smoother than the first as he grew more comfortable with the steering. They finally skidded to a stop beside the shack. The earth magic brakes Crystal had dreamed up worked like a charm.
“That was awesome!” Sonja leapt out of the cart and danced around like a six-year-old.
Conryu couldn’t argue. It wasn’t his bike, but the cart was a hell of a lot of fun to drive.
“Did you write your parents yet?” He wanted to ask when he had her in a good mood.
“I sent the letter Monday, but I haven’t heard back yet. I hope they don’t get mad.”
Conryu had finally convinced Sonja to tell her parents she wanted to do something besides work at their factory. She’d sent their engine designs to a magical engineering firm and they’d been impressed. Sonja thought they might offer her a job.
Crystal watched them, smiling and shaking her head. Before he could ask her if she wanted to go for a spin Dean Blane landed a few feet away and marched over.
He winced. They’d torn the lawn up a little, but it was nothing ten minutes of earth magic couldn’t fix.
“So you got it running.” The dean looked the go cart all over. “I have to say, when you told me about the magic engine I had my doubts, but it works.”
“Sonja and Crystal deserve all the credit.” Conryu leaned back in his crude seat. “I’m just a mechanic.”
The dean jumped in beside him. “Take me for a ride.”
He glanced at Sonja and Crystal who gave him the thumbs up. “Hang on.”
Conryu willed the engine to life and they went roaring down the path. Now that he was getting comfortable he took the turns even faster, one time getting up on two wheels. When they finished Dean Blane’s hair was going every which way and she had the biggest grin he’d ever seen.
“I think I may appropriate this for my personal use. Switch places with me, I want to drive.”
Conryu hopped out, deactivated the engine, and moved to the passenger seat. When Dean Blane had settled in the tires spun and they shot down the path. Though she didn’t set as furious a pace as Conryu, Dean Blane went right along and two minutes later they were back where they started.
Despite the breeze sweat covered her forehead. “That really drains you, doesn’t it?”
Conryu hadn’t noticed much of a drain and when he said so she smiled and shook her head, muttering about youth.
“Just don’t overdo it. You have finals in three days.” With that she flew back to the main building.
Conryu spent the next hour giving rides to anyone that wanted one, including Maria and Kelsie. When he finished he collected Prime from the shack and headed to his room, suddenly in need of a nap.
A revving engine drew Lady Mockingbird to the window. The idiot boy had built a go cart and was racing the thing around the grounds. She’d heard the rumors that the golem club had moved on to making a magic engine and dismissed them as foolish gossip. It appeared it wasn’t gossip after all, but the project wasn’t any less foolish. Why would anyone bother to create something that only one in ten thousand people could use?
She slid the curtain shut. Let the abomination enjoy himself. By the end of the week he’d be dead and forgotten. It was time to place the final ingredient into the Chimera Jar.
Her three strongest light magic wizards were waiting for her in the casting chamber. After the debacle with the basilisk she’d made a point of having multiple wizards of the proper alignment on hand to control the spirit she summoned.
It galled her to have to rely on her subordinates, but there was no way around the fact that she simply wasn’t strong enough on her own, outside of fire, to handle the bindings. It was the nature of magic regardless of what her ego would have preferred.
She descended the stairs and entered her casting chamber. The jar sat in the middle of the chamber, right where it had rested since she acquired it months ago. It glowed red, brown, and blue. All she needed now was the unifying light element. An angel would be far too risky so she’d decided to settle for a golden lion.
The standard four girls were in place to maintain the wards and three more in white robes were waiting to seize control of the lion when it appeared. Everything was as ready as possible.
“Wards!” She raised her hands and the girls began their chant. When the protections were in place Lady Mockingbird glanced at the light wizards and they each nodded once that they were ready. “Here we go.”
“Through Heaven’s light I call the golden guardian. Appear before me, guardian of Heaven’s gates, Divine Summoning!” Lady Mockingbird completed the spell and a disk of light appeared. Through the portal walked a lion as tall as she was and shining with golden light. “Now!”
The light magic wizards chanted as one. “Divine chains hold all things in place, Heaven’s Binding!”
White chains shot from small portals and wrapped around the lion’s neck and limbs. It roared at near-deafening volume and struggled to break free. Inch by inch the chains pulled the divine spirit closer and closer to the jar.
Her part of the casting was done, but Lady Mockingbird did her best to will the lion closer. Just a few more feet. Her jaw clenched so tight it ached.
The lion’s glow intensified and one of the chains shattered. It pulled away from the jar and one of the girls let out a low moan. Her light wizards’ faces contorted as they fought to control the spirit. Their hands and knees trembled.
Her girls were too weak. This was why she hated relying on others. For the most part they were useless.
She stepped to the side and raised her hands. Lady Mockingbird would have preferred to avoid damaging the spirit, but if the alternative was failure then she had no choice. “Burn and batter my enemy, Flame Fists!”
She punched both hands toward the lion and a pair of fists made of fire the size of pumpkins lashed out, striking the spirit in the chest and driving it back.
> With its balance unsettled the girls managed to drag it just short of the jar.
Just a little more. She punched out again and the fists pounded the lion’s chest. It staggered back another step.
With a thought she activated the jar. Black tentacles shot out and wrapped the spirit up before dragging it inside.
The girls collapsed, but she paid them no heed. Lady Mockingbird had eyes only for the jar. The separate colors swirled and became one even as they grew continuously brighter. For a full minute the surface of the jar resembled a whirlpool of paint.
At last the light faded. She rested her finger on the jar and probed the power inside. She’d done it. The chimera was ready to be released at her whim.
“Mistress?” One of the girls that had maintained the barrier knelt beside the unconscious light wizards. “The backlash has knocked them out.”
“They served their purpose. Put them to bed. If they’re strong they’ll recover quickly. If not…” She shrugged. They wouldn’t be the first bodies she’d disposed of over the years.
Clair sat in the corner of the Department’s spare casting chamber and tried to calm her raging mind. The room contained only the hard, plastic chair she’d brought with her. Everything else was white and silence. It almost reached the level of sensory deprivation. In theory it should help her push past whatever had blocked her access to her magic. In theory.
She stood up, raised her hands, and focused her will. The moment she did blinding pain crashed through her brain and made the casting chamber spin. Three months and she still couldn’t cast. So much for theories. What good was a wizard that couldn’t use magic?
Terra tried to assure her that eventually her power would return, but the pity in her fellow wizard’s eyes sickened her. She accepted pity from no one, least of all a colleague with weaker magical potential.
“Still no good?” Speak of the devil. Terra stood in the doorway watching.
Clair shook her head. “How long can this last?”
“It’s only been three months. Try to be patient.” Terra walked over and gave her a pat on the back.
Clair almost punched her. She didn’t need sympathy, she needed her magic.
“The chief wants to see us.”
“Why include me? I’m useless right now.”
“Have you forgotten everything you know about magic?” Terra’s voice turned hard. “You’re still a member of this office, try and act like it. Orin’s at his wit’s end. The island’s in sight of the city and in a week will be within the area we projected was most likely Mercia’s target. If there was ever an all hands on deck moment, this is it.”
Clair straightened. “Alright, let’s go.”
The two women made the short trip upstairs. Inside the chief’s office Lin was already waiting. Orin watched them from behind his desk. He looked like he’d lost twenty pounds and gained a bunch of new wrinkles. Clair shook off her self-pity. She wasn’t the only one with problems.
“Clair?” He raised an eyebrow.
“No change yet, sir. What’s the situation?”
He waved them into the empty chairs and sat behind his desk. “I’ve asked yet again for reinforcements and been told yet again they have no one to spare. Shizuku’s offered to help however she can and I’ve gotten in touch with a handful of the most powerful local wizards. I was vague on the details, but received promises of aid should the worst happen. I never realized just how few wizards of real power there were in the city.”
Terra sighed. “Wizards with high combat potential are rare everywhere. That’s what makes them so valuable. Will you bring Conryu in when school ends for the year?”
“He’s already in this up to his neck. If there’s trouble I’ll call him, but until something overt happens, I doubt his abilities will be much help. Hopefully he’ll get at least a week to enjoy his summer break.”
Clair snorted a laugh. The floating island would be in the contact zone less than a week after he returned home. If nothing changed this was going to be a miserable summer for everyone.
“I’ve received a shipment of five hundred explosive rounds and ten pistols capable of using them. Not nearly enough, but with the conflict in the north still going strong it was all they could spare. Lin’s going to take care of distributing them to a small group of officers with the intention of deploying them in the affected area. I have no idea how much difference they’ll make, but every little bit helps.” Orin favored them with a desperate look. “Any other ideas? Feel free to speak up.”
“What about providing emergency shelters?” Clair asked. “Your building and the Department offices are both warded against magical intrusion. Could we move people in the affected area to safe houses like that?”
“Some, certainly, but if our estimates are correct close to half a million people live in the target zone. There aren’t enough secure places in the city to protect everyone and we don’t want to start a riot.”
“And remember,” Terra said. “Once the shadow beasts appear they’ll be free to move anywhere in the city after the sun sets.”
Though she wouldn’t admit it, Clair hadn’t even considered the monsters simply spreading out as they pleased. Once the gates opened no one would be safe anywhere in the city.
9
Set the Trap
Lady Mockingbird stepped out onto the dock behind the sorority house, the Chimera Jar in her hands. She’d traded her red robes for gray to better blend in to the dark night. Not that she expected to run into anyone out on the island, but better safe than sorry. All three of her light magic girls had woken up with no lasting damage from the ritual. That was a blessing since she had already drawn too much attention to the sorority. Three missing students wouldn’t be any help.
Tomorrow was the last day of finals and the abomination would be going to the island to take his test. She called the wind and took to the air. All she had to do was put the jar in a place he’d be sure to approach and set the terms of activation. Once she’d done that, his fate was sealed.
Below her stars sparkled on the lake’s surface. It was nice to fly without worrying about the cold or snow. She hated winter. When she received her promotion to Hierarch she planned to ask for a posting somewhere warm, maybe the Republic of Australia.
The flight only took seconds. She started to descend to the central clearing when she spotted movement. Lady Mockingbird halted and hovered silently above. From the edge of the woods a small, dark figure emerged.
What was Angeline Umbra doing out here this late at night? Probably making one last check to be sure everything was safe for her precious protégé. Lady Mockingbird went higher. She’d just wait until the crone finished her rounds then set her trap.
She couldn’t help smiling. Wouldn’t the old bat be surprised when the Chimera Jar opened and the beast slaughtered her favorite?
Angeline puttered about in the clearing. Lady Mockingbird was too high to make out what she was doing, but whatever it was she wished Angeline would hurry up. She didn’t want to fly around all night. Angeline went rigid and started to look up.
She sensed me!
Lady Mockingbird flew as fast as she could in the opposite direction to which the head of dark magic was looking. She dove toward the forest, landed on one of the paths, and canceled every spell she had running.
Shit!
Even without her magic Angeline would sense the Chimera Jar itself. She ran down the path to give herself a little more time. When she found a little niche between a pair of twisted evergreens she stuck the jar in it and raised both hands in front. “Sprits of earth and stone hide this object from all prying eyes, Earth Screen.”
The jar sank into the ground. Her spell would block even magical sight from locating it. She dashed off again, angling away from the hidden jar. It would be easier to fly, but if she did that Angeline would be sure to know someone was out here and given the numerous attempts on Conryu’s life, she might call off the test tomorrow or move it elsewhere. Neither option
would give her the opportunity she needed.
Best to stay on the ground and run and hide like she was a little girl playing hide and seek. It never crossed her mind to confront the withered master of dark magic. Not that she was afraid, certainly that wasn’t it. She just didn’t want to give away the fact that she was present on the island.
She ducked off the trail and into a thick patch of evergreens. She debated another concealment spell, but decided to take her chances.
Five minutes later the tapping of a walking stick on stone drew her attention. Lady Mockingbird held her breath.
Her hunter was right there, twenty feet away, back on the path. Surely the old wizard wouldn’t venture off the smooth trail and risk getting tangled up in the brush and vines.
Seconds felt like minutes and minutes like hours. Her heart hammered in her chest and she wished Angeline away like a child trying to frighten away a monster. At long last the tapping resumed and slowly grew fainter.
Lady Mockingbird blew out the breath she’d been holding and slumped to the ground. She rested for a few seconds then scrambled to her feet. She’d shadow Angeline and be sure she’d gone before retrieving the jar and setting her trap. That was the safest way. There was too much riding on this to take unnecessary chances.
Angeline shrugged and continued down the path. The magic she’d sensed earlier was gone and she couldn’t find anything that might be the source. It was probably just a passing pixie and her paranoia combining to lead her on a wild goose chase.
She never used to be this jumpy, but since Conryu arrived it seemed her life had gotten many times more complicated. Not that she blamed the boy. He hadn’t put a toe out of line since he arrived, unlike the members of a certain sorority.
No, just being who he was made him a target and she’d be damned if she let anything happen to him. He was her hope for a proper retirement. When he graduated she planned to offer him the Death Stick and the academy her resignation. She was getting too old for this. It was time to find somewhere warm, and do a little consulting and a lot of lying on a beach.
The Chimera Jar: The Aegis of Merlin Book 3 Page 13
