by T J Kelly
There were several mansions and castles like Armageddon’s located all up and down the Pacific coast of the United States, transported there by magic when the Center of the Universe moved to San Francisco back in the 1970’s. At first, Americans had not been thrilled by that honor, but it helped when the local economies had a sudden population explosion made up of magicians who liked to buy things. Unusual things. Expensive things.
Most magicians wanted to live near the Center of the Universe, which was a transient spot that moved every five thousand years or so. Magic was in our blood, but it was stronger when we could tap into the elements and magical hot-spots around the world. The Center was the strongest spot of them all. Armageddon utilized it for business purposes like everyone else, but he was a capable magician who could live far enough away from San Francisco to enjoy some privacy.
That was another thing my mother said was so strange about him. I thought it made perfect sense, though. I didn’t want to be around magic high society either. Most of them were like Oberon.
Armageddon’s estate consisted of a small castle surrounded by several stone buildings. The central part of the castle was taller than the wings on each side by at least another floor, making the entry four stories high. Quite tall for a building thousands of years old. Sandy-beige stone formed the base of the castle, and there were windows everywhere. Funny how a man who started his career as a magician by shattering glass would have upper stories with fourteen tall windows on each wing.
The first floor had fewer windows than the rest of the castle. They looked as if they had been there forever, but they had to have been added centuries after it was built. The ground floor of a castle was usually more like a fortress with solid walls. It was going to take me forever to get my bearings in such a huge place.
A moat, a real live moat, separated the castle from the rest of his land. In the distance, I could make out a stable and a barn, and another building that was probably used as an armory when it was built. A small wooden building straddled the river feeding the moat was attached to a spinning water wheel. The Laurus family used it to power a large stone that ground flour the classical way. Expensive, exclusive, highly sought-after flour.
There were several other buildings nearby with clean, modern lines that indicated they were new additions. They were made of standard rectangular bricks, but they matched the castle in color. It was a lovely blend of old and new. My bet was they were storage buildings for herbs, supplies, and crystals. Oh, and candles. My mother always had an endless supply of beeswax candles, another coveted Laurus product, and one of those buildings had to be dedicated to making them.
A ten-foot wall surrounded the castle and buildings. There was a genuine drawbridge, which had been lowered so we could cross the moat and drive into the inner bailey.
A blond woman and two young men stood right outside the main castle doors. I hastily smoothed my hair. I saw a flicker out of the corner of my eye. My uncle was smiling. I gritted my teeth in embarrassed annoyance, but I finished with my hair and brushed several cookie crumbs off of my dress anyway. No need to look like a slob when I met my aunt.
Or the guys.
The carriage rolled to a stop, and one of the guards hopped down from the running board to open the door for us. Outriders always traveled with a magician’s carriage. Six horse-mounted men and women rode in front, and six in the back, plus two on each side of the vehicle. I was so used to it that I barely noticed them anymore, especially since my parents had a similar setup of guards on motorcycles, who always traveled with their limo.
Armageddon’s outriders had been with us for the entire journey, including when Armageddon folded space with his spell. I shuddered at the thought of how it must have felt to lose all sensation without the benefit of a vehicle protecting them from all that emptiness.
The blond woman approached us in a flurry of movement, and I realized she must be my aunt as she hurtled herself into Armageddon’s arms. He held her against him tightly before lifting her for a kiss. A long, embarrassing kiss.
As my cheeks heated in embarrassment, I sought something to look at besides them. I had no idea what to do while my uncle’s homecoming played out before my eyes. My parents weren’t known for public displays of affection, and honestly, I hadn’t known them to be affectionate when we were alone in our house either. At least, not that I could recall.
My gaze landed on one of the young men. His golden brown skin matched his eyes exactly, and the effect was stunning. I barely managed to keep from giggling like an idiot when he cleared his throat and rolled his eyes in my aunt and uncle’s direction. A part of me knew it wasn’t that funny, but the rest of me thought everything he did was amazing.
The other guy shifted his stance and came into view. The sun drew my attention to the red in his shining brown hair, distracting me for just a moment. The look he gave me was friendly, and I smiled in response.
The two of them skirted around my aunt and uncle to shake my hand formally. I managed to behave normally until the gorgeous one took my hand in his. I lost myself in his eyes, happily noticing that he didn’t seem to be in a hurry to move away, either.
Finally, Armageddon set my aunt down. “Goodness,” she said, turning towards me. “I’m so sorry my dear. I should have greeted you first! But it’s been months since I’ve seen my husband and I don’t know what came over me. I’m sure you’ve guessed that I’m your aunt, Potentia. But you may call me Aunt Peony. It’s wonderful to meet you. The young man shaking your hand is Chas, and the one laughing at me is Peter. They’re both apprentices here.”
I released Chas’s hand and stepped back. I hadn’t realized I was still holding onto him. There was something familiar about him that I couldn’t quite place. Like he reminded me of someone I knew, even if I was positive I had never seen such gorgeous golden brown eyes before. But it was just as likely that my mind was playing tricks on me so I would have an excuse to look at him some more.
“It’s nice to meet you finally,” I said as I turned towards my aunt. She threw her arms around me and gave me a warm hug that lasted a lot longer than was strictly necessary. It was nice.
“Welcome to Castle Laurus, Lia. We’re thrilled to have you even though the loss of your parents still grieves us. I met Miranda and Donovan several times, and they were lovely people. Their passing is a great loss for us all.”
I expected my aunt to extend her condolences. Not only was it polite, but she was family. I had prepared myself for that. But hearing sadness in somebody else’s voice caught me off guard. I had to clear my throat several times before I could answer her.
“Thank you, Aunt Peony. I appreciate you welcoming me into your lovely home. Uncle Armageddon told me that I might be spending some of my study time with you. I want you to know that I’m looking forward to it.”
“Aren’t you the sweetest thing? I can’t wait to spend more time with you, too. Please, call your uncle Ged. Armageddon is too much of a mouthful. None of us call him by his magician’s name. I’m positive it’s the only thing that keeps him humble.” Peony’s eyes sparkled as she watched my uncle dismiss the outriders from their duty stations by the carriage and roll his eyes at her teasing words. “Save Armageddon and Potentia for when we have company. Come along now. The servants will take care of your luggage. You must be starving.”
I groaned. “Oh, Aunt, I’m sorry, but I’m the furthest thing from hungry. The cook packed a huge picnic basket for us. Uncle Ged and I ended up arguing over who got each tasty morsel. By the time we finished, we both had eaten too much. I’m shocked either of us can walk.”
The apprentices exchanged a look. I couldn’t tell what they were thinking, but I hoped it was nice. They certainly looked nice to me. Especially the taller one, Chas. “You came at the right time then,” he said. “We just had a late tea. Supper won’t be for hours.” As I suspected, Chas’s voice was as smooth and sweet as honey.
Magicians rose late in the day and stayed up most of the nigh
t, tapping into the gloaming at dusk and the midnight hours for working magic. The moon also played a big part in some of the spells. It was indeed nice of him to reassure me. Nice. Definitely nice. Oh man, I couldn’t think. He was more than nice. After studying Chas for another moment, I decided I could add gorgeous, too.
Peony ushered me into the castle. Armageddon gave her a quick kiss before turning to me.
“I need to take care of some business,” he said. He handed the empty food basket to a passing servant to be taken to the kitchen. “I’ll be back for supper.”
I nodded, trying not to feel abandoned when he hustled back out the castle doors. I was going to be fine. There were plenty of other people around to keep me occupied. Like the other apprentices.
After a quiet word to my aunt, I slipped into a retiring room and hastily brushed my hair, smoothed on some tinted lip balm and dabbed my vanilla perfume roller behind my ears. Thankfully, I kept toiletries in the small bag hanging from my belt as per the current fashion. Pouches like that were in style five hundred years ago too. Surprisingly, most magicians weren’t very creative. So much so that I had a sneaking suspicion that some of the repetitive patterns in magic existed not because of necessity, but because they couldn’t think of anything better to do.
I slipped into a lovely sitting chamber, complete with feminine cushions and throws, and an embroidery hoop with half-completed work sitting near a roaring fire. Everyone else was seated comfortably, chatting lightly and waiting for me.
“Where’s Uncle Ged off to, anyway?” I asked.
“He’s reporting to the home office,” Peony said. I wasn’t sure what he did besides run the family business. She continued when I cocked my head to the side in curiosity. “How much do you know about your uncle’s work?”
“Nothing, I’m afraid. I know that you both run Laurus Commodities, but I’ve heard rumors that CEO isn’t Uncle Ged’s real job.” My parents had said that all the time, but never clarified what they meant. I was hoping Peony would fill in a few blanks.
“Lia, Ged is the head of the Irregulars.”
My mouth dropped open. “The… Our Irregulars?”
Peony nodded as the apprentices grinned. “Yes, dear. The only Irregulars.”
I sat there silently, wondering how I was supposed to feel. The Rectors were powerful. Or we had been, until a few days ago. I was used to being on friendly terms with the most prestigious clans. Our position in society ensured that associating with powerful elites was commonplace. We were the definition of “upper class.”
But the Irregulars were in a class of their own. They were the most powerful magicians in the world. If the Irregulars didn’t work for our government, we all knew they would have been running it. And apparently, my uncle was their boss.
“Oh, wow. Uncle Ged wasn’t kidding when he told me he had enemies then.” Yes, that was the only thing I could think to say at that moment. Sometimes I kill myself.
Chas chuckled. “He has a fair amount. We all do since we help him. Ged petitioned the government so he could hire us even though we’re still apprentices. Peter and I are Irregulars, too.”
I raised my eyebrows, impressed. “Wow. That’s great. Really.” I fell silent, my cheeks burning again. As it turned out, I was sitting in a room filled with the most powerful magicians on earth. Me. A magical neuter.
It was almost more than I could stand.
Peony patted my hand. “Lia, we’re going to figure out how to trigger your magic, and then you’ll give us all a run for our money. Don’t sweat it, okay?” It was almost as if she could read my mind and wanted to reassure me.
“Oh, sure,” I mumbled. “Sure. It’ll be fine. If you don’t mind, I’d like to go to my room for a while. I guess I’m more tired than I realized.”
It was cowardly to leave, but I honestly needed to get away from them so I could gather myself together. Besides, a change of clothes would be great. Traveling by carriage always made me sweat, and I felt grubby and small.
“Oh, sweetheart. I’m so thoughtless,” Peony said. She sounded really upset, and that made me feel guilty. It wasn’t her fault I was acting like a baby. “Come on. I’ll take you upstairs. You can rest until supper time.”
I followed my aunt out of the room. Chas and Peter both stood when we did and walked us to the chamber door. It was very sweet of them. I could tell Peony had influenced their manners since she apparently loved old-fashioned courtesies. I thought they were kind of cool too. Besides, traditional manners came in handy because that meant I always knew what to say, even when I felt awkward and embarrassed.
I was too upset to pay attention to the route we took to my room, so I had no idea how I was going to retrace my steps when I was ready to go back downstairs. Peony would have to send a servant for me to lead me to the dining chamber when it was time to eat. Either that, or I could always wander around until I found someone, but I would rather not be late for supper.
Peony gave me another hug when she left. I didn’t have a lot of experience with casual touches, but I could become used to loving gestures very quickly. They were wonderful.
◆◆◆
My new bedroom was absolutely beautiful.
Soft gold light from the sunset filtered through the western-facing windows giving the room a warm glow. The chamber was enormous, with a huge bed covered with a comforter that looked so soft I couldn’t help running my hand across it. Decorative pillows ranging from stark white to cream leaned against the clean lines of the dark brown wooden headboard. The entire room was decorated in the same color scheme, various shades of white and cream with dark brown accents that were so deep in color they were almost black.
A marble-topped nightstand made of matching wood sat on each side of the bed. Each held a stained-glass lamp with dragonflies on the shade, a bright pop of color that drew the eyes. The bedroom was located in the northwest corner of the castle, which meant two sides of the room were lined with windows. I pushed aside some of the curtain panels to peek out and saw a couple of the floor-to-ceiling windows swung out onto a private balcony.
Chairs were arranged in a small sitting area near the western windows. There was also a little desk and a window seat lined with plush cushions where I could read all day long if I wanted to.
I counted the carved doors. There were three, which was a power number. One was the entry to my room. As I walked over to the second, I slipped off my shoes so I could sink my feet into the soft rugs scattered about on the hardwood floors. The door led to my closet, although in a castle like my uncle’s, it was more appropriate to call it a dressing chamber. It was massive and came complete with a white velvet-covered bench and vanity.
My clothing had already been unpacked and hung neatly along one wall. My shoes had been placed in cubby holes that lined another wall. There was so much room that it still looked mostly empty.
A lovely wooden jewelry box almost as tall as I was stood in the corner, next to a full-length mirror framed with cast iron. When I touched one of the scalloped edges, I could feel a humming that indicated the mirror and frame were embedded with magic. I would have to ask my aunt what spells had been incorporated into the framework.
The far side of the closet led to a luxurious bathroom. The entry was flawlessly integrated into the wall as if it had always been there, but it had to have been an addition since castles originally didn’t come with plumbing. There was both a marble-lined shower and a claw-foot tub, which I couldn’t wait to fill with bubbles and hot water and just soak.
But first, I returned to the bedroom. I was curious about the third door. Cracking it open cautiously, I peered inside and gasped.
I had my own workshop.
It was magnificent. My bedroom was on the second floor, but the workshop had been expanded up into the third floor, encompassing two stories. A balcony wrapped around the inside perimeter of the room. I could make out a few small tables and workstations up there and along the western side right by the windows was a large tel
escope.
Bookshelves lined each of the walls below the balcony, and they were packed with both modern hardbacks and antique leather books. So many tools and instruments were heaped on the small tables near the shelves it was impossible to take them all in. I couldn’t wait to check out the books stacked on the shelves. Somewhere in there might be the key to my magic.
Even somebody blind to most magical vibes the way I was could sense the influences in the room. And even though it was too dark to see the floor clearly, the outline of the Compass Rose and the Wheel of Fortune was familiar and welcome. Both symbols had powerful associations when working magic. The Wheel dictates our direction, and the Compass guides us there. Just like the magic in our blood dictated our access to real power. As if it were hidden behind a wall, and our blood magic determined the size of the door. Spells utilized both the Compass and the Wheel the same way we used our internal magic and elemental power.
A magician’s job was to figure out how to open and close the door between our magic and the elements without letting too much escape. That could be disastrous, like opening floodgates the size of Niagara Falls. That meant the most powerful magicians were usually the ones who had the hardest time performing spells. At least, until they learned control.
The workshop was divine, and I loved it. It was also the first concrete sign that my uncle really did have faith in me. He would never have directed anyone to create such a well set-up workshop if he thought I was a talentless hack.
It was overwhelming proof of his faith in me. And strange how the care they put into the design of my new workshop exhausted me as much as it warmed me. And knowing it was likely my aunt who was assigned the task of creating such a beautiful workshop made me feel nervous. She had to believe in me, too. How could I ever live up to their expectations?
