Armageddon's Ward

by T J Kelly

  “Welcome back, Chas,” he said. “It’s good to see you.”

  “Thanks, Ged.” Chas stood. “I have some things to report if you’d like to go to your office?”

  Both were stiff and awkward, but neither of them started lobbing Fire-bursts at the other, so it would probably be okay. They headed out, leaving me alone with my aunt.

  As soon as the sound of their footsteps faded, Peony turned to me and said, “Okay, tell me all about it. Is he a good kisser?”

  I blushed and opened my mouth. I wasn’t sure what to say, but it didn’t matter because no sound came out.

  “That good, eh?” Peony’s eyes sparkled. “Excellent.”

  I got the feeling my aunt was the reason why there wasn’t anyone around when Chas returned to the castle. I closed my mouth and giggled. There wasn’t any shortage of joy and light to cling to, thanks to Chas.

  The darkness our conversation had invoked faded away.

  ◆◆◆

  Magical families have been celebrating Eostre for thousands of years. The spring equinox was the beginning of the cycle when our power was refreshed and renewed for the coming year. Like many things in nature, no ceremony was required, it just happened naturally, automatically. So instead of a stifling set of overly eloquent traditions, we had a party.

  Sometimes the parties were pretty big and formal as if magicians couldn’t help themselves and needed to make an occasion out of everything. Peony’s party was just like her, though. Straightforward and beautiful.

  When I opened my eyes Eostre morning, the first thing I noticed was a small basket that had been placed on the table near my bed. It was handwoven out of thinly shaved strips of apple wood so I could use it later to store magical items. Applewood made an especially nice container for runes.

  Inside the basket was a small heap of shredded green paper representing grass, with some brightly dyed eggs nestled inside along with one jewel-encrusted hinged egg-shaped box. When I opened it, I crowed in delight, entranced by the tiny village with even tinier people inside. An elegant gold stand lay next to my basket, so I set the jeweled egg on it before I rushed to get ready.

  After a quick shower, I took extra time to dry my hair and added only two small braids, one on each temple. I pulled them back and tied the ends together behind my head to keep my hair out of my face. I chose a pretty yellow dress and slipped on some white shoes.

  I ran into my workshop and pulled out the presents I had made. After laying them gently in the basket I wove out of thick ribbons and silk scraps from my project, I skipped downstairs.

  Voices came from down the hall, and I went to investigate. Happily, Peony was walking with Peter. He was finally out of the infirmary, dressed neatly in khakis and a light blue button shirt with a knitted vest that had yellow and green designs on a gray background. He looked healthy and strong, although I noticed he leaned on Peony for help steadying himself. His gray eyes looked intent, and I could see that he was taking care not to lean too much of his weight on her. That’s just how he was, always concerned about the people around him.

  Peony must have finally been able to use some of her spells on him because he didn’t have the tell-tale wrinkle on his forehead between his eyes the way he did when we were in the infirmary together. It deepened every time he overdid things and hurt himself.

  “Happy Eostre, Lia,” my aunt said. “How beautiful you look today.”

  I fell into step beside them. “You both look great yourselves. How are you feeling?” I asked Peter as I touched his arm lightly.

  “I’m fine. I’m not really in pain anymore thanks to Peony. I can’t begin to tell you how happy I am to be out of that cursed infirmary. I’m moving back into my chambers today.”

  “Try not to trip as you embrace your new life,” I quipped, winking. It was tradition to make as many “fresh start” and “new life” references as possible during the spring equinox.

  Peter and Peony both rolled their eyes at me. “Har har, Lia,” Peter teased. I stuck my tongue out at him, and he laughed.

  Mort and Chas were standing near the buffet table when we entered the room. Armageddon was already sitting at the table, although he hadn’t yet gotten his food. I spotted a platter of chocolate-banana mini-muffins on the buffet and ran through several scenarios to give myself a fighting chance to snag them. Hopefully, Armageddon was in a good mood and would, therefore, let his guard down. Maybe move slowly.

  Chas broke off his conversation to greet us. He patted Peter lightly on the back and kissed Peony on the cheek before turning toward me. “You look gorgeous,” he said. I blushed as he leaned forward and gave me a kiss right there in front of everyone. A very friendly kiss, considering how long he lingered on my lips before pulling back, leaving my face as red as a tomato.

  “Thanks,” I answered shyly. “You look handsome this morning.” Chas was also in khakis but wore a rose-colored polo without a vest. He looked cool and fashionable, and for some reason, it reminded me that he came from old money. It was like another layer he had put on that morning.

  Chas offered to help fill my plate out of courtesy, his manners a little more formal than usual. I took the opportunity to have him scoop up several of the muffins for me and then winked at Armageddon.

  My uncle rolled his eyes as he bounded to the buffet. Nudging Mort out of the way, he piled strawberries, cubes of pound cake, and whipped cream onto his plate. I groaned. It looked fantastic, and he had stolen all the pieces of cake with the little browned edges. My uncle fought dirty.

  I grabbed a plate of my own and filled it with deviled eggs. Next, I made myself a croissant sandwich with sliced roast beef, horseradish, and raspberry compote. I scooped up several bits and pieces of whatever meat and cheeses were available to add to my plate, having no idea what Chas might enjoy for breakfast. We then sat together at the table and ate off of each other’s plates.

  Everyone was feeling jolly. There was no other way to describe that feeling. Something about the start of a new year always filled me with hope, and most people felt the same. Even dark magic families celebrated since their power was also renewed. Nature didn’t play favorites when it came to that.

  We finished quickly and moved to a lovely area just outside of the castle surrounded by flowers and a tiny brook, with stationary benches, chairs, and a bench swing. Peony had tied streamers from the tree branches that lined the little park area. The servants were also out enjoying the day. My uncle and aunt handed each a gift as they smiled and wished them a Happy New Year.

  “How did your talk go with Uncle Ged?” I asked Chas. We wandered away from the center of the crowd to sit on a secluded bench.

  “Not bad. He was a little prickly, but it went well.”

  “Did he say anything about us?” I wanted to know what Armageddon had to say, but more importantly, I wanted to hear how Chas had characterized our relationship. Did he consider me his girlfriend? Was he afraid of that word? Was he embarrassed to be with me, his family’s greatest rival and colossal failure?

  “Ged assured me that since you had reached your first majority, you could make your own decisions. Then he warned me not to hurt you. I admit the look in his eye was terrifying.”

  “Funny.”

  “No, I’m serious, Lia. He made it clear I would regret hurting you. And the look in his eye… I’ve never seen anything quite like it, even when he was facing down our foes. I realized at that moment that I was his favorite niece’s boyfriend and I better watch out.”

  A thrill shot through me. Yes! He said it. Boyfriend. I smiled broadly at Chas. “I’m Uncle Ged’s only niece.”

  “Not the point, silly. Then Ged grilled me about the day you got hurt. Things like where I was standing when they first attacked and why I decided to collect Chocolate Lily bulbs that day.”

  “What did you tell him?” I was concerned about him. There was little Chas could do to prove that he was completely innocent of any collusion, and Armageddon would just have to continue to trus
t him. I wasn’t sure if my uncle really did, which made me angry.

  “I told the truth. Don’t worry about it, Lia. I’ve been questioned before. It comes with the territory. In fact, every one of the Irregulars is suspicious as far as the Council is concerned. They would have treated me the same way regardless of whether I’m a Taine or not.”

  I wasn’t sure if I believed him, but I didn’t want to push the subject. Besides, Peony and Armageddon had finished handing out the staff’s presents and were headed our way.

  As if there had been a signal, Mort and Peter broke off their conversation and joined us. I may have been the youngest member of our group, but I could tell they were all as excited as I was to see what gifts the others brought with them.

  Armageddon pulled out several leather-bound journals. Each one had been dyed a different color. Mine was a soft, buttery yellow. When I held it, I could feel the spell he cast. The cover bore the mark of a memory charm. It would help us remember the most important details of the events we wrote in them. An especially strong charm that would call to mind significant details, even if we didn’t initially realize how significant until the charm brought the memories out of our pens. It was an incredible, touching gift.

  Peony handed out tins of sweet treats symbolizing her hopes for the coming year. When I peeked inside, I recognized a charm similar to the one that my family used to feed people with our cornucopia gourds. The tin was spelled to refill itself magically.

  I laughed when I saw Mort had chosen to hand out new weapons. He gave Peter a staff carved and seared with magic symbols, topped with a smooth little hole that held a series of round light-crystals.

  “Next time you draw a line in the sand while standing before your enemies, they won’t get back up,” Mort said. Peter grinned his thanks.

  Mort gave Armageddon and Peony each a new bow and quiver of arrows. They were exquisitely made, as much a piece of art as a weapon. Chas received a dagger made of silver. I could tell it wasn’t ceremonial, which meant it was balanced for use it in combat. No regular magician could stand against it.

  I began to worry about presents I made. My parents had always given simple gifts, intended to be thoughtful rather than extravagant. And while each present I had seen so far was thoughtful, they were also quite expensive to make or buy.

  “Here you go, sweetheart,” Mort said, chucking me on the chin. He had quickly earned a place in my heart, and I treated him like he was another uncle of mine. In turn, he treated me like a niece. “I think you’ll find these useful once you learn how to use them. We can begin lessons tomorrow.”

  “Oh, great, thanks. I wonder how much that will hurt?” I joked. I opened the folded leather pouch and gasped at the set of silver-plated steel throwing knives inside. They were etched with magical symbols, but I couldn’t tell what spell it was.

  “It shouldn’t hurt too badly. I hope. Although your arms may be sore for the next several weeks from practice.”

  “Yay, something else to look forward to,” I said. Mort snorted in response to my sarcasm as I folded the leather back over the knives and reached forward to give him a hug. “Thank you. I love them.”

  Chas had made each of us a bracelet out of leather or finely-spun silver strands, strung with several crystal beads. Magicians wore them all the time to hold charms and pendants with spells in them. He made them so every bead held a different piece of a spell that when strung correctly gave the wearer the ability to see in the dark.

  Wow. I couldn’t even begin to imagine how much something like that cost him.

  Peter had drawn an intricate portrait for each of us on parchment. Mine showed me sitting in my favorite spot on the flat rocks in the reeds near the river. I was soaking in the sun and could feel the peace and joy I associated with that place pouring off the page along with the remembered warmth of the sunshine. I couldn’t remember when Peter and I had been to my favorite spot together, but I was glad he chose that location. I had never seen anything quite so beautifully done. Symbols, magic words, and images were integrated into the pictures, infusing the drawing with good intentions. More than that - Peter had used the drawings to weave his wishes for luck into our daily lives. Each drawing was a powerful spell.

  It was my turn to pass out presents I had made. My body filled with dread. Once again, I was standing there magically mute, surrounded by the best of the best. Inactive magic was all well and good, but the effects of my pouches couldn’t even be felt unless the person activated it with the warmth of their hands and leaned close enough to smell. They weren’t nearly as wonderful as the gifts I had just received.

  Ah, well. It was what it was. Reminding myself that Eostre gifts were supposed to be about the thought, not the power, I pushed aside my feelings to hand out the little bags. Warmth in my cheeks that told me that I was blushing again, but I tried to ignore it and hoped it would go away.

  I handed Peony hers first. The silk I used for her pouch was a bright, dark pink, almost purple. The exact color of the peonies that grew wild outside of the castle walls. I embroidered a tiny figure on it. It was smiling, but its eyes were narrowed like it was trying to think. My aunt laughed.

  “I filled it with a unique blend of herbs, just for you Aunt Peony,” I explained.

  She leaned in and took a deep breath, and a smile lit her face. “That’s amazing!” she said. “It smells great, and I can feel my focus sharpen. How did you do that?”

  I smiled shyly. “Some of the books I’ve been studying had directions. I looked for inactive magic so I could make a spell.”

  “It must be ancient. I don’t think anyone nowadays knows how to do this. I would love for you to show me.”

  “I’d be happy to,” I said, grinning back. Maybe my gift wasn’t so lame after all.

  The men eagerly received their own gifts. Armageddon’s bag was midnight blue with gold sparkles. I embroidered a figure on it that looked outrageously content, almost like a cat on a sunny window ledge. It had a top hat, spats on its shoes, and the arms ended in tiny gloved hands. Armageddon chuckled as he brought the pouch to his nose and inhaled.

  “Mouth-watering,” he said. His eyes twinkled, and I could tell he recognized the scent of shortbread cookies.

  Mort’s bag was dark red with brown accents shaped like leaves. The little figure I embroidered was yawning, its face all scrunched up. Mort buried his nose in the pouch and took a deep breath. Immediately, his whole body relaxed as a look of bliss crossed his face.

  The others laughed. Peter impatiently held out his hand, knowing he was next. How appropriate, considering my gift for him was all about anticipation and receiving what he deserved. The little figure on his pouch was an excited child with round cheeks and a small cap.

  “Reminds me of Christmas,” Peter said.

  “I’m glad because that’s exactly what I was trying for.” I was excited that my spell had worked.

  My heart sped up. The only gift left was the one for Chas. I tugged it out of my basket with shaky hands. Silver threads glittered against midnight blue silk in the morning’s light. Peter chuckled when he saw that I had made Chas’s figure to look like an angel with an intense, almost stern face, sporting a tiny halo. When Chas tilted the pouch to get a better look, the face transformed to look benevolent, almost happy. I had never embroidered anything like that before, but the boxes in Armageddon’s attic contained some truly unique patterns.

  Chas inhaled. A distressed wrinkle appeared between his eyebrows as the initial bitterness of Chocolate Lilies came through. Then in a powerful wave, the scents of the other herbs washed all bitterness away, ending with a wistful little reminder of me.

  He raised his eyes to mine. “I can’t begin to tell you how incredible this is. Thank you, Lia.”

  I flushed with the realization that my new family loved the presents I had made for them after all. My blush remained as Chas continued to look at me, gripping his pouch in one hand as if he had forgotten it was there.

  The festivit
ies broke up shortly after. Peony cleared away the mess outdoors with a wave of her hand, sending the dishes to the kitchen to wait until the holiday was over since she had given everyone the day off in celebration.

  We headed indoors to play games. After, we would retire to our rooms for a nap because my aunt and uncle were holding another party in the evening. We would cook outdoors and sing the traditional songs of joy and renewal. It was one of the best Eostre celebrations I had ever attended.

  I was alone in my bedroom preparing for my own nap when out of nowhere, darkness overwhelmed me. Memories of my parents flooded my mind. One of the few times they would relax was on Eostre morning. I treasured those moments with them the most, and I was helpless against the onslaught of emotion. The tell-tale twinge in my heart warned me what was coming. I hurried to change out of my dress into sweat bottoms and an old shirt. I managed to hold out until I curled up on the window seat.

  “Mother? Father?” I sobbed. My throat strained against the tears, but I couldn’t stop myself from calling out. “Can you hear me? I know you’re supposed to be there watching over me, but all I feel is emptiness. I miss you. Please, help me feel your presence.”

  Our ancestors, our relatives, our families. They were supposed to guide us from the other side. Yet all I could feel was emptiness, like a cold and starless night.

  I don’t know how he knew I had lost my way to grief, but suddenly Armageddon was beside me, a light in the darkness. He didn’t say a spell or use a charm. He just sat on the edge of the window seat and hugged me until the crushing pain in my chest eased. I cried until all that remained was safety and warmth and the reminder that I wasn’t alone.

  That’s all any of us really need when the darkness comes.

  TWELVE

  The World Doesn’t Fall Apart

  The next two weeks were a mixture of intense studying and blissful, stolen moments with Chas. When I was with him, I felt energized, happy, ready to take on the world. I was pretty sure that was what love was supposed to be like, and I wouldn’t have traded my life for anything.