Armageddon's Ward

by T J Kelly

  Peony put her hand on my arm and yanked me backward. I had a few nasty things I wanted to say, but my aunt’s actions reminded me that I needed to keep my magic hidden until the trials.

  “Oh, it’s nice to see somebody in this room knows their place.” The woman sneered at Peony. “I should have guessed little Lia Rector still had a nanny. Well, Nanny, make sure she stays out of our way, or I’ll have to teach her a lesson about respect. In fact, it seems to me that she needs a little lesson right now.”

  She raised her arm. I wasn’t sure what she was about to do, but I formed the image of a shield in my mind just in case we needed it. I hoped not because I promised that I would try to keep my magic hidden.

  If I had my magical genealogies right, the women were Chas’s second-cousins. And the Taines still didn’t know the extent of my power. These two bottom feeders apparently didn’t rank enough to get the news about the attack on me the other night. Otherwise, they would have known I could at least do something, even if they thought it was only a puny dirt wall.

  I was concentrating on my options so hard that I forgot that Peony might have her own plans. It was hilarious to see their reactions when my lovely, gentle-looking little aunt waved her hand and they were both zapped. Hard.

  The women yelped, their hair escaping their sleek hairdos to stand on end. I laughed. The older woman looked furious, but she didn’t make another move towards us. Hitting somebody with a charge like that, without having any tools or crystals on hand, was an incredible feat of magic. Yet my aunt had casually performed the spell without any effort. The younger woman was at least smart enough to realize she would lose the battle her sister started and stayed put.

  “Get out,” Peony said, calmly and quietly. Somehow it sounded quite terrifying. I wouldn’t want to mess with her if I were them.

  They barely hesitated. Like almost every other Taine, they were self-serving cowards and took off. I would have to confirm who they were when we got back to the castle so I could add them to my list of personal enemies. They wouldn’t forget this confrontation anytime soon.

  Then again, neither would I.

  After the door had closed behind them, I relaxed. “Nice one, Aunt.”

  Peony smiled at me. “Can you believe the nastiness of those wenches? They better not show their faces at any of the parties I go to, or I may need to teach them another lesson in good manners.”

  I laughed. One of our female guards entered the bathroom to let us know the men were waiting for us outside.

  Surrounded by a wall of guards, we pushed our way through the crowded area. Thankfully, we managed to return to the carriage without further incident.

  TWENTY-ONE

  Visitation

  No matter how bitter our enemies were, when they came to visit, we always let them in.

  That wasn’t all about old-world manners and fancy tea parties, or ball gowns and waltzes like in the movies. It was about finding out what they were up to. When they came to call, things got real.

  A footman knocked on my door to let me know we had guests seated in the sitting room we used for formal occasions since it didn’t have cabinets full of magical weapons lining the walls. I had just let my hair down after our visit to the City. With a quick look in the mirror to make sure it was still tidy, I followed him downstairs.

  “Ah, there she is,” my uncle said as I entered the room. “Lia, I’d like you to meet Clarissa Taine and her older sister Francine.”

  Clarissa and Francine. Well, at least I knew the names of the two shrews from the bathroom that morning. I was happy to note that the countless lists of family names my parents had made me memorize came in handy after all. Clarissa and Francine were Chas’s second-cousins, as I suspected.

  “How do you do?” I replied. There was no way I was going to tell them it was nice to see them again. I might have choked on my own words trying to get that lie out.

  “Fine.” Francine, the older sister, stared at me with a nasty look on her face. I wasn’t sure she had any other kind, so I should have expected that.

  Clarissa refused to say a word, not even a begrudging pleasantry like her sister had done. I wasn’t surprised - I already knew they didn’t have any class.

  Armageddon continued with the introductions, pointing to the three men who had risen when I entered the room. “This is George, Alastair, and Harold. It seems the Taine family has come for a visit today.”

  I nodded a curt greeting and then sat near my aunt. Neither Peter nor Chas were in the room, but I had a feeling they would be arriving soon enough since we were outnumbered.

  Peony sat near the tea tray and began to pour tea into cups. She must have already received their preferences. Formal tea service meant the Taines were here under the guise of a traditional visitation. Thankfully, that limited the amount of time they were allowed to stay.

  “How was your drive, Mr. Taine?” I asked. I wasn’t sure which of the men to address as the ranking member of their party. Since they were all from the same family, I was able to slip that one through.

  “Surprisingly pleasant for this time of year,” one of the men answered. He had to be George, then. “I had been told this area was still in its rainy season, but we were met with clear skies and a warm breeze.”

  Wow, the weather. Quite excellent manners. I wondered how he learned them.

  “I’m pleased to hear it,” Peony said. My uncle shifted restlessly in the chair near hers. I bit back a smile. He was probably already annoyed and impatient, and we had only just begun.

  It was their turn to speak. I couldn’t wait to hear what it was they wanted, and how long it would take to get to the point. But before they could say anything, Peter and Chas finally joined us.

  Armageddon introduced them by their magician names, likely to avoid awkwardly forcing an acknowledgment of the fact the Taines had disowned their youngest son. For their part, the Taines acted like they had no idea who Chas was except Clarissa, who stared at Chas, devouring him with her eyes. It was pretty disgusting, actually. And rude.

  I smiled sweetly when Chas joined me on the love seat and clasped my hand. Peter remained standing, leaning casually against the wall near a window. I noticed a notepad and several pencils in a pretty little porcelain box sitting on a delicate table near where he stood. I smiled with approval. His position gave him access to a weapon in case he needed it and his stance indicated to our visitors that we weren’t interested in a lengthy visit.

  Once everyone was settled, George spoke again. “We’ve come as a courtesy to Ms. Rector. Tradition allows the competitors to present their case for taking over the company to the disqualified heir.”

  Ouch. “I appreciate your thoughtfulness,” I managed to say. I was proud of myself. I sounded like I meant that.

  “We are nothing if not punctilious,” George responded smoothly.

  I was glad Peony handed me my teacup. I hastily raised it to my lips and took a sip to hide my grin at his use of a five-dollar word. Apparently, this was a time to show off our private-school polish.

  “Your solicitude is premature,” I said, just as smoothly as George. I set my cup and saucer down on the spindly table next to the love seat. “If memory serves me, the tradition is to present the competitors who had won the first round at the formal luncheon before the physical trials began. To set the rankings.”

  Any member of the family who lost their business could give their opinion as to who would make the best new CEO. This would raise the competitor’s rank. The higher the rank, the sooner they could enter the ring to prepare for the competition. Every magician knew that, but it was fun to pretend he was ignorant.

  I was rewarded for my brattiness when I saw George’s lips tighten.

  Clarissa turned to Peony. “I love your blouse. Is it a Gruelera?”

  It said a lot about my aunt that she didn’t choke on her tea. Gruelera was a famous designer who specialized in clothing for active seniors. “Oh, goodness no! I would never purchase anything
made in Poenari. Their fabric is so tacky and bourgeois, don’t you think?”

  Clarissa blanched, looking furious. It took me a moment to realize she was wearing a dress designed by Ossamala, who was born and raised in Poenari like Gruelera and used their fabrics exclusively. Score one for my aunt.

  Francine interjected, likely because Clarissa refused to respond. I guess little sister could dish it out but not take it. “If you say so, it must be true.” Francine made it clear that she didn’t believe a word she said, thereby calling my aunt a liar. Francine took a sip of her tea.

  I hear a gentle tapping noise on the window. The room was so well-lit that I didn’t realize the sun was no longer shining, hidden by dark storm clouds. I shot a glance at my uncle. He looked downright serene, but the hail pelting the windows indicated otherwise.

  Another of the men cleared his throat. He must have been George’s second-in-command if he felt free to speak, which meant he was Alastair.

  “We were informed today that another competitor has registered for the trials. Imagine our surprise when we were told it was Ms. Rector,” he said.

  “Yes, my niece has signed up for the trials. I’m sorry if that confused you. After all, the rules are clearly written,” my uncle said. His face remained impassive, but there was no doubt that he questioned Alastair’s intelligence. It was awesome. “It’s the next logical step for a young lady who is more than capable of running her father’s company to sign up. I’m not sure why you would be surprised. It makes perfect sense.”

  “It does? Interesting. My sources say there has never been a successful attempt by a disinherited lack-magic to gain their company back once lost. They say it’s a waste of time.”

  Ouch again.

  I heard a rumble of thunder overhead as my uncle’s eyes drilled into Alastair’s. “It’s no concern of ours what your sources believe. In fact, none of your opinions hold any weight, considering.”

  “Considering what?” he asked, walking into my uncle’s trap. Oh, he was in for it now.

  “Considering your personal history with credibility,” my uncle said.

  The Taines leaped to their feet. The rest of us stood in response.

  “How dare you?” Francine shrieked. “We came to you out of courtesy, and you insult my cousin? You call Alastair a liar to his face?”

  Touchy, touchy. My uncle makes one little reference to the stint Alastair spent in prison for perjury and fraud, and all their lovely manners turn to dust.

  “I’m sure Alastair is quite used to it by now,” Armageddon said with a smirk.

  Francine raised her hand, arching it over her head like she was about to cast a spell. Clarissa kicked her and Francine dropped her arm. I couldn’t tell what Alastair was doing because Chas and Armageddon were standing in front of me and they were both tall.

  “My family and I came here today to ask you why your niece has chosen to go against tradition and try to take back her business by trickery and deceit,” George said. “As competitors, we’re allowed to raise objections with the Council if we’re unsatisfied by your answers. You can rest assured that we’ll be filing a complaint as soon as we leave. I had hoped this could have been settled amicably.” George was good. He actually sounded sincere.

  My uncle sighed. He gestured for the Taines to take a seat. I was shocked when they did. They must have wanted more information, something we hadn’t yet given them. Interesting.

  “My apologies if I offended.” Armageddon settled back into his chair as our visitors picked up their teacups again.

  “If I may be frank with you,” George continued. “I feel it’s in all our best interests to come to an understanding. Mirabilia is incapable of running Rector Enterprises. My concern is for her safety in the ring when experienced, capable magicians stand against her. And I honestly wonder at the advisability of placing a large company in the hands of a seventeen-year-old girl who failed her business courses.”

  My face felt like it was on fire. How did they get their hands on my school records? Those were confidential. Besides, it wasn’t my fault. My parents withdrew me from school too late in the term to drop the class altogether. I had taken my makeup business courses at a prestigious international school in Switzerland and graduated at the top of my class. I wanted to tell them that so badly, but I managed to hang on to my temper and bit my tongue.

  Clarissa looked at me and let out a little, mocking laugh.

  Armageddon didn’t explain anything about my grades, either. We had all agreed that we would keep any skill or ability of mine secret for as long as possible. My uncle wouldn’t clarify my abilities for them even though it was obvious that all I wanted to do was crawl under my chair and hide.

  Instead, he said, “Your concern is misplaced. There will be a magician of great magnitude in the ring. We are confident that Lia will prevail.” My uncle’s phrasing was deliberately misleading. Competitors weren’t required to report the names of their team members until they entered the ring. The Taines were still under the impression that I either couldn’t access my magic or that it was weak. We didn’t want them to be forewarned.

  It was going to be hard enough for me to compete alone. We certainly didn’t want anyone pulling my ascension records to find out my strength. They weren’t likely to try if they thought another magician would fight on my behalf. He wanted them to underestimate me.

  And weren’t we doing a great job making me look like a fool?

  “What about you?” George said, addressing me directly. “You’re young and very pretty. You have all of the connections and wealth of a young woman of your social standing. Wouldn’t you rather live your life free from the stress and confusion of a position for which you aren’t qualified? Have you no care for the employees and the customers of Rector Enterprises? The people who depend on that business to sustain their livelihood? How could you think for a moment that you’re a worthy CEO?”

  I pressed my back into my chair, wishing I could get away from him. George was trying to mess with my head and convince me I wasn’t good enough to run Rector Enterprises so I would drop out. He was even trying to play to my light side and the compassion for which our family was legendary. I knew all that. And I knew I was supposed to ignore him.

  The problem was, his strategy was working. Oh, I knew that I had the magic to perform the tasks and maybe even defend my place in the business world, but he was voicing the doubts that had plagued me for three months. Maybe I still wasn’t capable of doing the work. Maybe I just wasn’t that good. And there wasn’t time to find out before the trials.

  “You think the Taines would be what’s best for those people?” my uncle interjected.

  “If not us, then one of the many families that have signed up to compete. Rector Enterprises is too prominent to be left in the hands of a novice. It affects too many lives, including ours. If we don’t win ourselves, we still want somebody in charge who will run the business properly.”

  “How magnanimous of you,” Peony said. “But you’re in no position to judge who would be the best leader for Rector Enterprises. Nobody is, and that’s exactly why the trials exist. We appreciate your visit and your concerns. Please feel free to file any paperwork you deem fit. I hope you understand if I say the time has come for you to depart.”

  Peony rose. Manners dictated that we all stand as well. Francine and Clarissa took a little longer to respond than the rest of us. I was sure they wanted to demonstrate that they were leaving only because they wanted to and nothing we said would rush them.

  On their way to the door, Clarissa stopped in front of Chas and looked up at him. He was still standing in front of me so he could block any attack coming my way if needed.

  Clarissa raised her hand and touched Chas’s cheek gently. He didn’t look shocked the way I would have expected. Instead, he looked pained. I wanted to snatch her hand away, but held still, waiting to see what he would do.

  Chas didn’t even look back at me when Clarissa said, “I miss you. I ca
n’t believe they made you go away.”

  She was good. I could see the huge crocodile tears in her eyes. Chas crumbled. When Clarissa reached out to hug him, he hugged her back.

  “I’m sorry, Ethereal. I can’t change how things are.” He gently set her aside and then turned to conduct her out of the room, following the rest of her family into the foyer.

  A white-hot coal burned its way from my throat to my chest where it blossomed. I didn’t know what that display was all about, but I was positive Chas shouldn’t let anyone else touch him like that. And he hadn’t even glanced back at me as he was leaving. But that wasn’t the worse part.

  Chas called her Ethereal.

  She was the one. The one who had stolen the magician’s name my mother had wanted me to have. Clarissa took it before I ever had a chance.

  The way she apparently had Chas first, too.

  ◆◆◆

  They left me in the room by myself.

  I stood frozen, stewing in my hurt and jealousy for a moment before I forced myself to walk out onto the front walkway to see the Taines off like I was expected to. I was so upset that I didn’t even revel in the fact that my uncle was still causing hail to fall as they climbed into their carriage. Our unwelcome guests winced every time they were struck by the dime-sized pieces of ice.

  As soon as they were out of sight of the castle, I turned towards Chas. “What on earth was that all about?” I tried to sound calm, but I didn’t. My voice shook, and everybody could tell I was upset. My aunt and uncle exchanged a look, then hustled Peter back into the castle with them, leaving me and Chas alone outside. The storm dissipated almost immediately. I wished my uncle had left the clouds. It was almost obscene for the day to be that sunny while I was that upset.

  “What do you mean?” Chas looked at me blankly. “You know they came to check you out and try to upset you.”

  “I meant why did that smutty bit of fluff put her hands all over you? And you didn’t even try to stop her. I was standing right there, Chas. What the hell?”