Armageddon's Ward

by T J Kelly

  Rectors always kept an eye on the little people. Every day we were confronted with the knowledge that many turned to the dark side out of desperation. We did what we could to better their circumstances. The easiest way to defeat a dark magician was for them to never turn to the dark side to begin with.

  Rector Enterprises had a large division solely dedicated to creating cornucopia gourds to provide food and altered light crystals to emit heat. Once those necessities were provided, other needs could be more easily met by the poor. My parents then started a new worldwide project to provide a household clean water source that would supplement the public wells we already created for villages all over the world. Local heavyweights typically limited access to fresh water supplies as a power play. My parents had been trying to eliminate that.

  “I know, dear heart, and it speaks well of you that you feel that way and understand your responsibility to others. But I don’t want you to worry so much. There are ways to overcome the loss of your business. Don’t let the pressure to succeed steal your peace and stifle your progress.”

  My aunt and I sat together in a little alcove near the herb and botany books. Darkness rose inside of me and took me off guard. Things had been going so well, but my fear that I was letting my parents down made it difficult to push it aside. People all over the world would be affected by my inability to access my own magic. There was no getting away from that kind of stress.

  I traced the edges of my star necklace, brooding.

  Peony must have wanted to distract me because she said, “That’s a lovely necklace, my dear. I remember Ged telling me that it was passed on to you when you were a child. I had a vision about it, you know.”

  “No, I didn’t know that! What did you see?” It worked - Peony had definitely distracted me. The visions of doom running through my head disappeared. I scooted to the edge of my chair.

  “I should actually start with my first vision of you. I think it’s time you knew what I saw. It may help you feel better about your present circumstances.”

  I was intrigued. Peony may have only wanted to divert my attention, but this sounded important. “Aunt, you need to tell me every detail before my brain explodes.”

  She laughed, then grew serious. “It’s strange how visions work. I wasn’t planning on telling you this, but now that it’s come up, I feel compelled to tell you. It must be time.” My aunt heaved a deep sigh. “On the day you were born, Ged and I were out on assignment together. We couldn’t make it back on time so we distance-viewed your birth.”

  Tradition dictated that immediate family members were present for a birth. This ensured that the heir was indeed the heir and no shifty midwife could switch the baby with another. That actually happened to the royal family back in the fifteenth century. The family also provided protection to a vulnerable mother and distracted father. I wasn’t surprised to hear that Armageddon and his wife were watching over my parents and me from afar.

  “You made your entrance into the world bright red and yelling for all you were worth,” Peony said with a fond smile on her face. “I slipped into a vision at the moment of your birth. Ged had difficulty tracking the vision and your birth at the same time. He was just so excited to see you.”

  There was a small catch in my chest. Even though we had been denied a close relationship when I was a child, I sensed from the moment I saw him at the funeral that my uncle cared about me. Hearing about Armageddon’s reaction to my birth made me both happy and sad all at once. I wondered once again why my mother had wanted him to stay away.

  Peony clenched her hands together on her lap. “Ged caught a glimpse of my vision, but I’m glad he was too distracted to realize how truly awful it was. Lia, in my vision, I could see you as clearly as I see you now. It was your seventeenth birthday, and you stood before everybody at your Ascension Ceremony. You demonstrated your magic, but then you began to burn.”

  I straightened up, shock bolting through my body. “Burn?”

  “It was horrifying. It was the last chance your enemies had to stop you before you ascended. Lia, your power, what you have inside of you, it’s stronger than Ged. He’s kept the true strength of your magic hidden during your entire childhood. From your enemies, from the government. You know the Council has a hard time trusting Ged. If they realized he couldn’t stop you if you chose the dark side, they would have burned you themselves.”

  Thankfully, Peony didn’t expect me to respond because I couldn’t think of anything to say.

  “The only saving grace would be if you didn’t connect to your powers on your birthday,” she said. “I couldn’t see whether or not you tapped into your magic at a later date, but I knew you wouldn’t make it out of the Ascension Ceremony alive if you gained your power on your birthday. Ged tried so hard to convince your mother to allow you to stay with us, but Miranda was stubborn. She wouldn’t let you go. Not that I blame her. They were desperate to help you connect with your power early to save you, but your parents wouldn’t have let you hold the ceremony on your birthday. Ged was able to convince them of that much.”

  I was completely floored. So many things happened in childhood that we had no control over. I had been helpless, and my parents made all the choices for me, for better or for worse. “Why didn’t Ged try to stop the ceremony on my birthday, then? What if I had somehow figured it out and I ascended?”

  “By the time the day arrived, we knew that you wouldn’t succeed. But we were forced to let you try because of the inheritance laws. I wish we could have spared you that experience, but the law took precedence. Besides, your failure was tied to my second vision.”

  My heart was pounding, and my entire body trembled. “What did you see?”

  “My vision showed me your mother. Miranda was trying to decide what to give you for your second birthday and was looking through many family heirlooms. The star necklace called to her. It’s from your father’s side of the family. Donovan had it in the jewel safe where it had been sitting for centuries. It’s beautiful but so simple that it never seemed to appeal to anyone. I think that was on purpose. I came to believe it had been made for you a long time ago by a seer in your family.”

  By the time a child was two, the magic within them started to hum beneath their skin. Most families held a small celebration and presented the child with a gift that connected them to their family history as a means to help them feel like they weren’t alone when the forces of light and dark began to tug at them.

  My aunt’s voice sounded hollow, an eerie reminder that she was relaying a vision of the future. “That little star was shining so brightly in the safe that Miranda had a hard time looking at it. Your mother didn’t need to think about it at all. The necklace was obviously meant for you. It’s pure silver, giving the wearer focus and protection against accidental magic. The power inside of you didn’t start when you were two, it has been humming since the day you were born. Wearing silver is for the best.”

  Silver was a special metal that was used in protection spells and charms. I wasn’t sure if a silver pendant making its way to me was a good sign, or a portent of doom. Knowing me, it was probably the latter.

  Peony continued, thankfully interrupting that depressing train of thought. “At the end of my second vision, your Ascension Ceremony again took place. Flames surrounded you, but this time they didn’t touch you. Fire was your demonstration of power, not an attack of the enemy. I didn’t see where the ceremony was held, but I knew it wasn’t at your home. Lia, I want you to know that my vision of your Ascension may not have been on your birthday, but it was soon after. I’m sorry you had to go through the humiliation of failing in front of all those people. Be assured, however, that you will ascend, and quite soon.”

  My mind was racing. I touched my necklace again and pictured myself back at my Ascension Ceremony, standing in front of friend and foe alike. I had been in mortal danger and didn’t even know it.

  Peony’s vision changed everything. For the first time in my life, I felt con
fident that I would be able to reach within myself and connect to my magic. Become the whole being I was meant to be, once and for all.

  And it was going to happen soon.

  I stood up and hugged my aunt. “Thank you for telling me. I can’t begin to explain how much of a burden you just lifted.”

  “I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you earlier, sweetheart. A vision cannot be revealed until it’s the right time. We were fortunate Ged was with me and could trace as much as he did. I could barely even think of my visions until today. I knew it was finally time to share this with you when I remembered them clearly.”

  I sighed. “I understand. I only wish there had been a way I could have avoided embarrassing myself.”

  “I’ve been thinking about that. It may be to your benefit. You see, if your enemies dismiss or mock you, they won’t be plotting against you. While they know you have immense power locked inside of you, if they think it’s under the control of a silly, clumsy girl, they will underestimate you. The only ones who will ever know what a mistake they made are the ones who you vanquish.”

  Peony stood, and we walked to the door of my workshop. We crossed over the Wheel of Fortune rings in the center of the room. I glanced down and noticed that my steps had led me to the section controlled by Destiny. Although I had learned so much about my future that it was difficult to process, there was one shining thought in my head. Hope. I now had the hope of my future.

  And that made all the difference in the world.

  ELEVEN

  Simple Gifts

  Chas finally came home. I was sitting on the balcony outside of my bedchamber soaking in the sunlight when I saw his carriage in the distance. My whole body came alive as if I had been hit by a bolt of lightning. I ran back into my room, frantically pulling my favorite top out of the closet and removing the braids from my hair to let it flow freely down my back in waves. The shirt highlighted the gold tones in my eyes. My father told me they were my best feature. He said that I would skewer men with them someday. I hoped he was right.

  I ran downstairs to meet Chas at the door and was thrilled nobody else was around. I wasn’t sure how I lucked out, considering nothing happened at the castle without at least three people knowing about it, but I would take my chance when I could.

  “Welcome back,” I called from the stairs.

  Chas’s eyes caught mine, and a grin lit up his face. “You look great! Come down here so I can take a closer look. The last time I saw you, I wasn’t sure you would even make it.”

  I skipped down the last few steps. Chas set aside his bags and met me halfway across the foyer. I was startled and pleased when he placed his hands on my shoulders.

  “Here I am, all energetic and fine and stuff,” I babbled.

  Chas laughed. He tucked some of my hair behind my ear, smoothing it down. “It’s good to see you,” he said.

  “I missed you,” I told him. I couldn’t think. I was too excited to see him.

  Chas pulled me closer and breathed in. “You smell so good. Like strawberries. It makes my mouth water.” He pulled back a little so he could look down into my face, laughing at how silly he was acting.

  A slow grin took over my mouth, but before I could think of something else to say, Chas leaned forward and kissed me.

  It was like the magic inside of him called out the magic in me. My entire body started humming. Except his kiss was a different kind of magic that had nothing to do with the elements and everything to do with him. Thankfully, I wasn’t expecting him to kiss me because I had never been kissed before. I would have worried about it and thought about it and then ruined it when it happened because I was a disaster when I anticipated something.

  My heart raced. I was shaking, but I felt great. Like my entire universe was focused on my lips and tongue, and his.

  Chas pulled back, moving his lips to my jaw, cheek, then my ear. I shivered and could hear myself groan when he nibbled on my earlobe.

  It broke my heart a little when he pulled back, but then he said, “I’ve been thinking about that all week. I hoped that you wouldn’t mind.”

  “No, I definitely don’t mind. Not at all.” I laughed lightly. Chas’s hands were still resting on my shoulders, and my body hummed a joyful, frantic little tune. I didn’t want the kiss to stop, but his words made me feel almost as warm as his lips did.

  “Good.” Chas stepped back a bit more, but slid one of his hands down my arm and clasped my hand. “Where is everybody?” Chas looked around, surprised there wasn’t anybody else there.

  “I was wondering the same thing.”

  “How about I run my bags upstairs and change, and then we’ll go find them together?”

  “Okay.” I probably would have agreed to anything at that point. I wasn’t actually using my brain. I was normally such a thinker, too. I spent so much time worrying about every little problem and potential outcome that it was nice to set all of that aside and just live in the moment. Not like I had a choice. He always distracted me. And I liked it.

  Chas released my hand and picking up his bags, he ran up the stairs. I remained in the foyer, bemused and a tiny bit dizzy. A few chairs lined the wall, so I walked over to one and sat, thinking about my first kiss. I may not have spent a lot of time daydreaming about the day I would have a boyfriend, but I still liked thinking about boys. Handsome boys, with fire inside of them. Whew.

  Only a few minutes had passed when Chas returned, and we walked down the hall towards the sitting room together, holding hands. I wasn’t going to think about my aunt and uncle’s reactions, and I wasn’t going to hide anything. Whatever was going on between Chas and me, it wasn’t going to be a secret. And I would let Chas do the worrying for the both of us since Armageddon was bound to have a lot to say to him.

  Nobody was in the sitting room, either. Without speaking, we decided to stay there anyway. Maybe it was a little silly, but we chose to sit on the love seat. Our legs and arms touched, and Chas put his arm around the back of the seat behind me. I snuggled close.

  “What have you been up to while I was away?” he asked me.

  “It took a week for me to get out of the infirmary. Peter’s still there. But they loaded me up with books to study the entire time, so it wasn’t too boring when he was napping. I’ve spent the last week or so following my regular routine. Mort is still kicking my butt, but I’m starting to hold my own. Sometimes. Rarely. But whatever, it’s better than it was.”

  Chas laughed again. I was glad he thought I was funny. It seemed like he needed some levity in his life.

  “I still have a hard time throwing Mort,” he said. “I think he spends so much time practicing with all of us that he’ll never be beaten. Not without using magic against him and even then his magic is stronger than most magicians.”

  I fiddled with the cuff of Chas’s sleeve. He had changed into a long-sleeve, button-down shirt that was silky smooth. A lot like the skin on his wrist, which I couldn’t stop touching. “How about you?” I asked. “How was your mission?”

  Chas sighed. “I think Ged sent me off to get me out of the way. I have nothing but respect for your uncle, but he’s overly cautious. At least, when it comes to me. He saved me. I owe him. I’d never do anything to compromise him or his family. Most especially, not you.”

  There wasn’t anything about Chas that told me otherwise. I believed him, and I wish he didn’t feel the brunt of Armageddon’s overzealous protective instincts.

  “I know you wouldn’t hurt me. Uncle Ged knows that, too. At least, he would if he took a step back and relaxed for once. He obviously still trusts you enough to send you on a mission. That should give him a clue about how he really feels.”

  Chas smiled sadly. “True. He must still have some faith in me because I helped hunt down leads on your attackers. We were already fairly sure it was members of my family or their employees when he sent me. And the employees are mostly my cousins.”

  Which meant Armageddon hadn’t been concerned about Chas betraying
him even though Chas might have conflicting emotions. “Was it hard for you?”

  Chas could have blown my question off, but to my relief, he didn’t. “Yes, it was. I mean, I knew the moment I stood against my father years ago that there was no going back. And I was relieved about that. Still am. But I didn’t understand that eventually, to be the man I want to be, I would have to stand against my entire family and everything the Taines represent.”

  “Did you have to confront any of them?”

  “Not this time. But I have on some of my other missions. It was the right thing to do, but it wasn’t easy. My course was set when I ascended. There’s no going back.”

  “Mort said you brought a lot of darkness with you. You can still do most of the spells.” I didn’t know why I was giving him options. It wasn’t like I wanted him to go back to the dark side.

  “Also true. But it doesn’t overwhelm me. I don’t want you to take this the wrong way, Lia, but I can feel a lot of darkness inside you, too. If you don’t find a way to push it away, you might bring it with you when you ascend.”

  It was sweet how Chas worried about me. “I’ll keep that in mind. It definitely isn’t easy fighting it off sometimes.” I didn’t tell him that I would be bringing the darkness with me regardless of how much I pushed it away. It was how our family’s magic worked, but we never told anyone who wasn’t blood-related, no matter what. We never knew who could overhear or pull the information from the heads of our loved ones. It was for their safety as well as ours.

  My heart soared when I thought about Chas as a loved one. Surely it was too early for that, and yet... yet. The thought was already there.

  Peony and Armageddon entered the room. My aunt winked at me when she saw the two of us snuggled together on the love seat. The same couldn’t be said for my uncle, who visibly checked himself. His lips were tight when he smiled.