Bound by Magic

by Nicole Coverdale

  “I got this!”

  One of the black angels teleported in, and she turned. She flung ice toward him, freezing him into a statue. “Anyone else want to test me?” she shouted, turning back to the images. “Okay. So, I have five tries to get this right. What order do these need to be in? By date?”

  She rearranged the images, a loud roar sounding, as the chamber shook. Nope, that wasn’t it. She swallowed, watching the number change from five to four. What else? Height?

  She re-arranged the images again, cringing, as the chamber shook once more. Nope. Come on, Joss, think! Think!

  Behind her, the door shook.

  “I’m going to get that sapphire, Josslyn!” Mathias shouted, from the other side of the door. “I need it!”

  “I’ll never let you have it!” Josslyn shouted back, tapping a finger against the side of her head. What else was there? She thought for a moment. Alphabetical?

  She switched the order of the images again, and again, the chamber shook. She growled, narrowing her eyes on the images What about location? She switched the images again, and again, the chamber rumbled, as the number ticked to one.

  One try left, she thought, swallowing, feeling suddenly very unsure of herself. She wasn’t a history buff, in fact, she hated history! More than that, she hated puzzles! What else could it possibly be?

  She thought about the inscription on the picture back at the cave.

  Five times the sapphire has been split, through five locations, between five sisters… She narrowed her eyes. Wait a minute. If the sapphire was meant for them…

  She switched the pieces around, putting them in order of each of the sisters, a bright light suddenly beaming down on her, just as the door behind her slammed open.

  “Look! It’s the sapphire!” Mathias shouted, bounding into the chamber, fighting past the black angels and Scrivers. “It’s mine!”

  “I don’t think so,” Josslyn said, as the images flipped downward, the sapphire appearing in a glass case before her. She grabbed it, a loud rumble sounding, just as a flash of light flashed through the room. She blinked, her eyes widening, as an explosion suddenly rippled through the air.

  So much for no explosion if I got the puzzle right, she thought, gripping the sapphire in her hand and disappearing in a whirl of icicles. Just as the chamber exploded into the night.

  Damn, it’s a good thing I come prepared, Jorja thought, as the lift extended upward toward the top of the Eiffel tower. She stared out the windows of the lift, watching the view pass her by, and the lift stopped. The doors swung open, and she walked out. Her legs wobbled, and she grasped the railing, staring out at the view below her.

  That’s a long way down. She swallowed as she walked along the railing as she stared out into the night. Jordyn would love this.

  She shoved the thoughts away Focus, Jorja. You have to focus. She started up the steps, and walked into the room, her jaw dropping open. She’d heard stories of a hidden apartment inside the Eiffel tower, but seeing it was a whole different thing!

  She walked into the room, staring out the glass windows, out into the city of Paris. It’s so beautiful, she thought, turning away, knowing she had to focus on the task at hand. She could come back another time and take in the sights.

  She walked across the light, brown tiled floor, her feet seeping into the white rug, grazing a hand on the white sofa that lay next to her, and stopped next to the glass table. She stared at the metal, Eiffel tower lying in the center of the table, reaching to pick it up. Instead, it turned at her touch, and a loud roar filled her ears. She turned, her eyes widening, as three glass coffins appeared in the room.

  “Oh my God! Jordyn!”

  She lifted a hand to her mouth, staring at the glass coffins lying around the room, each holding Jordyn at a different stage in her life. “Who would do this?” she asked, blinking back the tears, as she stepped up to the first coffin. Staring down at Jordyn. Ah! She was so cute as a baby! she thought, a tear streaking down her cheek as she remembered how small she’d been. She’d come early. A month early to be exact, and she had been so scared she was going to die! There’d been a hole in her heart, and she’d needed a tube to help her breathe, but she’d been strong and she’d been a fighter! Just like her mother.

  She brushed a hand over the coffin, continuing around the room, and stopping at the next coffin.

  This coffin held Jordyn as a toddler. She has to be five years old, Jorja thought, remembering back to that time in Jordyn’s life and what a troublemaker she had been. She’d skipped crawling and had gone straight to walking, plus, she had gotten into everything! And boy… had she hated her vegetables. I can’t really blame her for that, she thought, pressing her chin to the glass. You were definitely my little monkey! Oh, and the treasure hunts… she smiled, remembering how much Jordyn had liked exploring, and the treasure hunts that she’d had to make up just to keep her out of trouble.

  She turned away from the coffin, crossing the room, and stopping at the last coffin. This one held an older Jordyn, she looked to be about sixteen, her dark, brown hair combed neatly, spread out over her shoulders, as she held a pink rose in between her hands. Jorja swallowed, suddenly wondering about the girl her daughter was now. What was she like? Would she remember her? Would she hate her?

  The thoughts raced through her mind, and she stared at the coffin in front of her, giving it a shove. “This is not my daughter!”

  The coffins vanished, disappearing into the ground. This time, three torches appearing around the room and she thought back to the inscription that had been written back at the cave.

  Up high, where only the mighty can see, a single flame will burn long into the night, but which flame is the one to choose?

  She sighed, closing her eyes. So, the one to her right was the one that had been holding Jordyn as an infant. The one to her left was the one that had held Jordy as a child, and the one in front of her was the one that had held her daughter as a young adult.

  Which flame is the one to choose…

  She wandered around the room, looking at each in turn, then walked toward the one in the middle, lighting the match next to her, and holding it to the torch.

  The torch burned brightly, the flame rising high into the night, and she smiled. It’s always the rose.

  The desk behind her dipped downward, stairs appearing, and she quickly descended downward, just as running feet sounded on the stairs behind her. Looks like the demons took the stairs, she thought, laughing. They’re lucky they didn’t cave in! Those stairs haven’t been used in years!

  She jogged down the stairs, lighting the torch next to her, and brightening the room. Staring around at the images on the wall. Images, of various cities around the room, and a loud thump sounded. She frowned, glancing over her shoulder. The seven wonders of the world. What are they doing here? And why are they out of order?

  She strode forward, grasping the picture in her hand. “First, it’s Machu Pichu, then it’s the Taj Mahal. Jade’s at the Taj Mahal, isn’t she?” she wondered aloud, I hope she managed to solve her riddle! “Then it’s the Great Wall of China, and the Coliseum.” Hmm. I wonder if Jasmine had to fight anything in the colosseum. Maybe a gladiator? She went around the room, putting each of the cities in the correct order, and behind her the floor rose. A glass case, holding the sapphire rising before her.

  “Hmm. Well, would you look at that,” the black angel said, as he descended the stairs. “Looks like the witch did the work for us.” He strode forward.

  “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Jorja said, as he reached for the gem. Sparks ricocheted from the glass, zinging toward him and he jumped back. “Whoa!”

  “I told you I wouldn’t do that,” Jorja said, striding forward, and opening the glass. “Only white magic can touch this part of the gem, while it’s separated, and that would be me.” She took the gem, sliding it into the pocket of her jacket, and raced past the black angel. “Looks like I got to the most sacred of pieces. The center
.” She raced up the stairs, toward the edge of the Eiffel tower and let out a loud yell. Sound waves danced through the air, and she jumped on them, riding off into the distance.

  “London really is beautiful in the daylight,” Julie said, turning from the window, and lifting the cup of coffee to her lips as she gazed out the window of the hotel room. She glanced over her shoulder at Micah. “You weren’t wrong about that.”

  “I’m not wrong about a lot of things,” Micah told her, as he rose from the bed, sliding his jeans on and walking toward the window. “You made coffee?”

  Julie shrugged. “What can I say? I’m an early riser and I love my coffee.” She laughed at his rumpled hair, and the light beard covering his jawline. “You on the other hand, like to sleep in, don’t you?”

  “What can I say? I like my sleep,” Micah said, winking at her, just as a ray of gold light washed through the room.

  “Julie! I have been looking all over for you!” Leslie cried, stopping when she saw them. “Micah?”

  “Hello, Leslie,” Micah stared at the woman, his voice turning cold.

  “Wait! You’re the one who Sky sent the SOS out to?” Leslie asked, her eyes wide. “Why?”

  “Wait. You two know each other?” Julie asked, glancing from Micah to Leslie. “How?”

  “She’s my ex-wife,” Micah said, glancing over at Julie.

  “Whoa… you dated an angel? You married an angel? But I thought the human world wasn’t supposed to know about this world!”

  “They’re not,” Leslie said, narrowing her eyes on Micah. “But of course, Micah here just had to find out for himself what was going on.”

  “You…” Julie laid her hand on his shoulder, gasping, as an image came to surface. A premonition? I haven’t had one of these in forever!

  “I see you,” she whispered. “You’re standing on the streets in London, in the rain. Oh my God! You’re at a funeral!” Julie snapped her eyes open. “Who’s funeral?” She shook her head, gesturing for him not to answer that, as a picture came into sight. A young woman, who looked just like Micah. “Your sister? Claudia?”

  Micah nodded. “Yes. She was killed in the middle of the night, her body found mauled in the middle of the streets in London. The cops said it was a mugging gone wrong, but I knew something wasn’t right.”

  “It was werewolves?”

  Leslie nodded. “Yes. A pack of rogue werewolves. I was sent here to investigate the manner, with the witch I was watching over and well, one thing leads to the other.”

  “Somehow, we ended up married, before we even knew one another,” Micah said. “We divorced, because we wanted different things, but Sky and I became close friends. Which is why I got the S.O.S.” He glanced at Leslie. “But what are you doing here?”

  “I’m the new angel to the girls, with Sky gone. Where are the others?” she asked, glancing at Julie.

  “I—”

  “Julie, thank God!” Josslyn appeared in a streak of icicles, eyeing the people in the room. Her eyes zoning in on Micah’s very bare chest. “Whoa… Julie!”

  “Sorry, Sis, I had an itch,” Julie said, grinning.

  “Oh! TMI!” Josslyn cried, holding up a hand, but staring at the man in front of her. “Although, he is very yummy looking,” she whispered.

  “Joss!”

  “You know I can hear you, right?” Micah asked.

  “Of course. That’s the fun part,” Josslyn said, laughing. She glanced over at Leslie. “What are you doing here?”

  “Looking for you!” Leslie cried. “You girls just disappeared, without telling me anything about where you were going!”

  “That’s because, we’re not required to tell you where we’re going. You’re not our angel.”

  “Well, I am now,” Leslie said, crossing her arms in front of her chest. “With Sky dead.”

  “What?” Julie and Josslyn said the word at the same time. “What are you talking about?”

  “We can’t find him, and that usually means…”

  “No! Don’t you dare say it!” Josslyn cried, raising her hand. “I don’t want to hear it.”

  “You can’t really say he’s dead without any proof, Leslie,” Micah said. “I’m sure he’s fine.”

  “Well, whatever Liam did to him, he’s done something very, very bad. I fear for him, and all of us.”

  “That’s why we need to get back to the cave,” Josslyn said. “Julie, do you have your part of the sapphire?”

  Julie nodded. “Yes.”

  “We need to go! Everyone else has their parts too. We need to put it back together.”

  “Wait. You’re putting it back together?” Leslie asked. “Why?”

  “It’s the only way to get to the hidden city, where Jorja’s child is, and hopefully mine are too.”

  “But if you put the sapphire back together, it could bring about a whole different kind of anarchy to the world!”

  “That’s just a risk we’re going to have to take,” Josslyn said, holding out her hand to Julie. “Because family means everything to us. Julie are you ready?”

  “As ready as I’ll ever be,” Julie said, taking Josslyn’s hand. “Goodbye, Micah. It was nice meeting you!”

  “You too,” Micah said, as they disappeared. “Damn. That is one, interesting woman.”

  “You have no idea,” Leslie said, softly. “No idea.”

  “Well, it’s about time you guys got here,” Jasmine said, as she placed her piece of the sapphire on the pedestal. “Are we ready to do this?”

  “Don’t blame me! Blame her!” Josslyn shouted, jabbing a finger toward Julie. “She after all, decided it was a perfect time to get into bed with some guy. Who, by the way, is married to Leslie.”

  “Julie!” Jade’s mouth dropped open. “Now is not the time!”

  “Who’s Leslie?” Jorja asked

  “Our new angel,” Josslyn said. “Remember?”

  “Oh yeah! I totally forgot about her!”

  “She’s still calling herself that?” Jasmine asked, gesturing for them to set their pieces of the sapphire on the pedestal. “Did she find Sky?”

  Josslyn shook her head. “No, in fact, she and the Gods think he might be… well… dead.”

  Jasmine didn’t falter, focusing on the task at hand. “He’s not dead.”

  “How do you know?”

  “I just do,” Jasmine said, as she placed the last couple of shards together. “There!” She cried. “It’s whole again, and…” She trailed off, as the sapphire jumped from her hand, floating high above them, spinning in a circle. Blue hues streaked from the sapphire, and behind them, a loud thump sounded.

  “It’s the demons!” Jorja shouted.

  “They’re trying to break through!” Jade added.

  “Look!”

  Julie pointed, as the wall behind them caved, the Scriver demons racing into the room, just as the ground shook underneath them. A doorway opened to their left, the sapphire glowing downward, creating a path for them.

  “It’s the hidden city!”

  “Finally!” Mathias appeared through the doorway, his tentacle reaching out, and grabbing the sapphire. “And this is mine!”

  “No!” Jorja lunged forward, but Mathias batted her away, knocking her to the ground.

  “Hey! That’s my sister!” Julie cried, racing forward, raising her hand. Flames flung from her hand, and one of the tentacles smoldered the flame, turning, and knocking Julie to the ground next to Jorja.

  “Julie!” Jasmine cried out, watching as Julie’s head hit the ground, and she closed her eyes. She astral-projected behind Matthias, lifting her hand. “Choke on this, bastard!” she shouted both versions of herself squeezing her hands.

  “Agh!” Mathias gasped, clutching a tentacle to his chest.

  “Leave our master alone! “The Scriver demons raced forward, lunging forward, knocking both Jasmines to the ground. “Leave him alone!” they shouted again, kicking at her, grabbing her arm, and bending it backward, a loud snap soun
ding.

  “Ouch!” Jasmine screamed, her astral self disappearing, clutching her arm as she glared at the demons. “You broke my arm!” She flung her hand out, knocking them against the wall. “Take that!”

  “And why don’t you join your sisters!” Mathai shouted, smacking her with his tentacle, knocking her to the ground next to her sisters.

  “Josslyn! Help me!” Jade cried, tossing an energy ball at the monster. Josslyn turned, flinging ice toward him, but he dodged them, grabbing them each with his tentacles, and tossing them left, then right, then to the ground.

  “Ooh. I’m dizzy,” Josslyn cried, holding a hand to her head.

  “Me too,” Jade said, trying to blink past the dots. “Julie, Jorja, wake up!”

  “Wh-what happened?” Julie asked, sitting up.

  “The demon kicked all of our asses! That’s what happened!” Jorja shouted, wincing. “Ooh. My head.”

  “And his damned demons broke my arm!” Jasmine cried.

  “He’s getting away!” Jade shouted, pointing toward the opening. “We gotta go after him. If they use the sapphire…”

  “I’ll never get Jordyn back!”

  “Worse than that, Mathias and Cyrus will re-write history!”

  They jumped to their feet, racing after the demon into the hidden city.

  “Whoa… this is the hidden city?” Jorja asked, her eyes widening as she raced after the demons, staring at the bright green grass under her feet, the bright, blue skies above her, the temples scattered around her, and the sound of the stream in the distance. “It’s so beautiful! Do you have any idea what a place like this is worth?”

  “Jorja! Did you forget the golden rule about being a witch?” Jade asked, as they raced forward along the padded pathway toward the temple. “We can’t gain money for helping others, and finding this city, is helping the world! Remember?”

  “Agh. Right. I hate rules!”

  “We all hate rules!”