Unraveled Homecoming

by J. L. Shelton

  Then their world exploded!

  Crackling magic suddenly began to form within their joined hands, and did so with a swiftness that caught both of them unawares. Then he heard Emory scream, though it also could have easily been himself! The unbidden spell had produced something akin to a sphere filled with lightning bolts, painfully shocking them even as the magic violently threw them apart!

  For a moment after he had landed sharply on the ground, all Garin could do was curl up into a fetal position while it felt like his very insides were on fire. The pulsating and searing sensations seemed to last forever, though some part of him knew that only seconds had passed. He groaned and dug his fingernails deep into the earth, the lingering pain making him wish for unconsciousness. But there was no way he was going to let himself pass out. He knew this was his fault somehow, and he needed to check on Emory!

  Before Garin could raise his head, however, the universe crashed down again when a power he had never felt before washed over him. And though his heart was hammering, fear refused to overcome his reason. Mainly because a part of him recognized what had just happened, though he never imagined that it was going to be akin to being hit with a boulder. Nor that the way he viewed the world would change so drastically.

  Mattie had just ripped open their bond when she had mentally screamed, Garin!

  And the connection was infinitely stronger than before!

  Chapter 43

  “Don’t touch one another!” commanded the flaming angel as she ran up to them, her wings like a pair of infernos billowing behind her. That voice almost sounded like Mattie’s, except it was richer and deeper. “At least, not yet!”

  Shaking his head, Garin closed his eyes. What in the hell was happening? He began to rise up onto his hands and knees, wobbling enough that he wondered if he had caused another earthquake. But, no, a quick inspection revealed that the internal ball of churning power was still safely tucked inside him.

  A warm hand was soon upon his shoulder, and he would have recognized her gentle touch anywhere. Slowly, he cracked open one eye and saw his auburn-haired Mattie crouch down beside him. Thankfully, the fiery vision was gone. Unfortunately, there was still a soft glow about her.

  How hard did his skull hit the ground anyways?

  Both her expression and voice were filled with concern. “Are you all right?”

  Except for the fact her eyes were literally sparkling like starlight—“I think so. Check on Emory.”

  A kiss on his forehead later, and she was rushing to carry out his request. He let out a sigh of relief. Though she had physically moved away from him, it still felt like she was right there at his side. The fact her presence had become a constant was strangely comforting, especially when he considered the rest of the insanity going on around him. Muscles soon screamed as he gingerly sat up, forcing himself to face the other changes wrought by the reconstructed bond.

  He couldn’t help but stare long and hard at the closest sections of the wall that surrounded the estate. Streaks of gold and green quickly flashing here and there along the ground were simple for him to chalk up as parts of his imagination. The occasional tiny spark in the air easily explained as the aftereffects of a head wound. The unwavering blood-red haze covering the stone barrier, however, could not be ignored. No wonder Lord Gregory had been certain Bran hadn’t been taken from the grounds! Even with his limited experience in magic, Garin had no doubt now that the estate was heavily warded against unwelcomed visitors.

  Was this what Mattie saw all the time? No wonder she was overwhelmed! To see magic’s brilliance was breathtakingly terrifying!

  A soft chuckle floated through the air. That’s barely a fraction of what I see. Luckily for you, it should calm down once our bond balances back out.

  Mattie’s reassuring voice had him glancing over at her. Seeing that she still appeared to be her regular self and not a winged inferno made Garin smile. An expression maintained by the fact his brother had survived intact as well, the youth grousing through the whole process as he managed to sit up on his own.

  It wasn’t until Garin noticed upon what Mattie’s attention was focused that his skin began to crawl. A very soft line of mist was floating in the air between him and Emory, almost as if it were a tether between the two of them. His wife was inspecting it with both a grim expression and a feeling of angry confusion.

  “Both of you, stay where you are!” she barked when Emory made an attempt to stand up.

  The youth fell back down, landing smartly on his butt. His question understandably came out like a snark, “What in the hell is going on?”

  “I’m not sure yet, so stay put!”

  Mattie reached a hand out and touched the string of magic. A quiver ran through Garin while goosebumps rose up over every inch of his skin. The feather-light caress seemed to slowly wind its way closer and closer to the core of his power. When he finally realized he could somehow feel his wife run her fingers along the mystical tether, more than queasiness hit the pit of his gut! It wasn’t too much longer before he had to turn away and vomit his protest onto the ground.

  “Brother, are you okay?”

  Garin could only nod in response to Emory’s question, not trusting himself to speak just yet. Wiping the sick off his mouth, he thanked all that was Holy that Mattie quickly stopped her attempt at a physical investigation. He wasn’t sure his stomach or his sanity could handle that strange sensation again!

  Mattie easily determined the cause for his upset because she sincerely apologized through their bond. Sorry, but I had to confirm what my eyes were telling me.

  Then aloud, she continued with a bitter voice, “It appears someone piggybacked a curse onto your Soul Caller power. But why it didn’t show up and become a problem until now is beyond me.”

  Even while Garin cursed to himself silently, his brother more than made up for his lack of volume. “Damn it! I hate being right about this!”

  “Right about what?”

  There was no doubt that her question was directed straight at Garin, not when she was glaring so angrily in his direction. Grimacing, he took a deep breath and told her about Emory’s suspicions concerning Iantha. When he got to the part that all hell broke loose after he had just agreed to let his brother return beyond the veil, Mattie jumped up. She turned her back to them as she walked a few steps away. Hands firmly placed on her hips once she came to a stop, Mattie bowed her head and shook it. Even without the flickers of flames on her shoulders, Garin would have known that his wife was pissed off.

  “Emory, go wait in the house.”

  The coldness in Mattie’s voice left no room for argument. The youth obeyed as quickly as he was able, flashing his brother a look of fearful support before he departed. And though Garin knew that his wife’s anger wasn’t aimed at him, he wished he too could flee.

  A sharp snort came from Mattie. “Don’t be a coward; I don’t bite that hard.”

  “But you do admit to biting,” answered Garin, trying to lighten the mood as best he could.

  Mattie let out a frustrated sigh before turning back around. A weary smile was on her face when she remarked, “I never admit to what’s already been proven.”

  He responded with a tired grin of his own. “I’ll remember that.”

  Mattie chuckled for a second before hugging herself tightly. When she began to rub her upper arms as if cold, he berated himself for not going to her. A few wobbly attempts to walk later, and he gathered her into his arms.

  And she was crying.

  Images of what she had experienced the past few days crashed in on him, making him hold her even tighter. Though they had discussed most of the events last night, reliving it from her viewpoint made his understanding grow. And she was pissed that her new, overwhelming power wasn’t flawless, because there had been no warning before the curse had struck! The bond was then forced all the way open because she had been so frightened by seeing him twitching on the ground!

  Then her attitude suddenly changed
, a determined hardening of her emotions. Her muscles also tensed up, so he was prepared when she tried to pull away. After the stressful few days, there was no way he was letting her go just yet. Mattie let out an annoyed huff at first, but soon accepted that she was caught. When she finally relaxed again, he released her.

  “Your mother is a selfish, manipulative bitch,” she said frankly while gently cupping his face.

  There was no denying it. “I know.”

  Garin took her hands and kissed her fingers. Mattie sadly smiled before taking her hands back and putting them on her hips. She then moved off and began to pace, which gave him the perfect chance to realize that his wife had been correct. Time had helped, and the glittering variations of magic were gone. The ability could come back with concentration, if the quick flash of red when he had focused too long on the estate’s wall was any indication.

  His attention quickly went back to his wife when she let out a frustrated scream. “Damn it and twice over! I did not want to do this before I was ready!”

  “Do what?” he asked, knowing only that her rage was covering an undercurrent of terror.

  She ran a hand down her face. “The curse. It’s something I can undo; at least—I could undo it. Now…”

  “Your powers have changed,” he said, wanting to punch whoever was in charge of the universe. It bothered him that his wife felt helpless and afraid, much more than the idea of being stuck with a curse ever could. “Explains why the strength of our bond has been amplified.”

  “Which I wasn’t expecting! And without a clue, I could cause you severe pain by just trying to help,” she lamented while clenching her fists and dropping them to her side. “But now that the curse has activated, there’s no way to tell what that spell could yet do to you either. I didn’t have a chance to fully investigate its nature, but there’s no doubt in my mind that it’s evil.”

  “If I’m going to be hurt one way or the other,” said Garin, making sure his tone left no room for her to doubt his choice. “I’d rather it be by the one I know would try everything in her power to keep such a thing from occurring.”

  Mattie stepped closer until she was right in front of him again. “Are you sure?” she asked, those hazel eyes of hers searching his brown ones intently. “Because I truly have no idea how this is going to work now. We could wait and get someone else’s help.”

  With his mother involved in the spell’s making, he doubted that time was going to be kind to them. “I’m sure.”

  Mattie’s voice quavered. “Here,” she said, grabbing his hands with hers. “Just stand there like that for now, facing me and being as still as you can.”

  Garin felt her trembling so he gave her a reassuring squeeze. Her grip tightened, as if he were her lifeline. She took in a shaky breath before closing her eyes. The prayer she made to her deity was so heartfelt, that it came through to him loud and clear.

  Please, Adonai, don’t let me hurt him; please let this work.

  A sudden pull on his power nearly toppled him, making him plant his stance more firmly to the ground! The earth responded to his unspoken request for help, cupping his feet soundly. Then the shadowy place deep within him vehemently objected to the theft and violently tugged right back! Garin released a gasp the second after Mattie did because a wave of unknown magic shot into his very core! He couldn’t help but stagger against the initial onslaught, but that soon changed. Instead of his magic fighting against Mattie’s power, the two seemingly opposite energies quickly began to work together. Fire and air began to swirl with one another as if they were dancing; Water and Earth crashed against each other in a strange harmony.

  And then the full symphony began.

  Shock ran through Garin when the arcane energies kept flowing back and forth between them, as if the couple’s powers were now constantly feeding off one another. What in the hell was happening!? Then fear turned into wonder as he watched their magic begin to merge, swiftly expanding outwards from both of them until coming to a halt twenty feet away. The circle of foggy gold now surrounding them began to rise up, the forming walls mainly decorated with swirling streams of red, blue, green, and white. While Garin watched on in awe as the barrier grew to a height of seven feet, there was no doubt in his mind that very little could reach them while they stood within the ring made by their power.

  The energy exchange was still ongoing, though it felt like it was starting to slow down. A pity, really, in his mind. For with each give and take between him and his wife, the magical shield grew stronger and more colorful. He had never seen anything so magnificent!

  Suddenly, the tug-of-war stopped. Their powers were still merged together, but it felt like a peaceful balance had been reached. Mattie’s eyes then flew open, shock and dismay flashing in them. Her lovely mouth then fell as she gazed upon the circle of magic surrounding them. Obviously, this wasn’t anything she had been expecting.

  And while he knew he should be afraid, Garin only chuckled out one word: “Wow!”

  Chapter 44

  Everything had gone so horribly, horribly wrong! First the attempt to only bring forth her Soul Walker power caused the blocks on the rest to crash down. Then when Mattie tried to stop Siphoning magic from Garin, parts of her own energy left her instead and slammed into him! Somehow that event started a chain reaction, their powers involved in an unstoppable game of give and take until a comfortable balance was obtained between them both. An unexpected and unnerving process that had somehow raised a protective shield all around them!

  The worst now was watching her husband—a man who had always detested and feared magic—gazing around in joyful wonder at what her mistake had wrought. His response was so unusual and out of place, it caused her concern to grow by leaps and bounds! Was this the beginning of what Tobias had feared? What had she done?

  “Don’t worry so much,” Garin said, a light chuckle on his lips. Though his brown eyes still twinkled, the expression had softened considerably. “I have no sudden desire to take over the world or raze it to the ground.”

  There was truth in his words, so Mattie released the breath she had been holding. Her grip on his hands tightened in hopes it would confirm the sincerity in her voice, “I’m so sorry, Garin. I only intended to Soul Walk and find the curse, not cause this mess!”

  “This mess is the first time in my life when I was ever truly comfortable around magic,” he gently pointed out. “Our powers seem to be in perfect tune with each other.”

  “As well they should!” called someone from the other side of the shimmering barrier. “You are two sides of the same coin after all!”

  Garin groaned in tandem with Mattie when they readily recognized the owner. Her husband was shaking his head even while she turned hers to glare at a very wizened figure. Leto was leaning on his staff, an expression on his face that was full of smug pride. The more muscular mage next to him, however, looked like he had swallowed a porcupine, quills and all.

  “I’ve only heard ancient stories about this being even remotely possible with less than four people,” Tobias muttered before placing a hand over his mouth. His wide eyes then narrowed right before he turned to Leto and punched the Draconian sharply in the arm! “And you never bothered to train them properly!?”

  “I vote for staying in here indefinitely,” commented Garin as those two began a rather vehement bickering contest.

  Mattie couldn’t say the idea wasn’t tempting. “Food and other such things would eventually make that difficult, unfortunately,” she said with a sigh. “So while they’re distracted, let’s see if I can find that damn curse in this jumble.”

  “It’s over there,” Garin said, tilting his head at a point over her shoulder. She turned and quickly spotted the sickly green stream dancing haphazardly within the shield. Not only did it look out of place amongst the backdrop of harmonious colors, but there was also a sour tone to its resonance that virtually screamed that the magic did not belong.

  Mattie bit her bottom lip before facing Gar
in again. His brow was furrowed as he stared at the invasive spell, a cold feeling of dread beginning to waft off him. The old fear of magic had returned, causing him to tighten his grip.

  His reaction made what she had to say difficult, “I’m going to need both hands back if I’m to do this.”

  His concern intensified. “But won’t that cause the circle to fall?”

  “No idea,” she admitted with a shrug. “But all the stories seem to think that the barrier has to be broken intentionally, one way or another.”

  Then a short popping fizz sounded from behind her. Garin’s face paled, and there was no need to turn around and find the source of his dismay. Especially when a small drop of blood slowly fell from his nose!

  Resignation was in his expression and tone when he said, “Appears we’ve run out of time to debate this.” Then he simply let her hands fall free.

  Mattie’s breath held for a second, and then a quiet chuckle left her lips. The magical shield was still surrounding them. Little motivation was necessary to get her to rush over to the glowing barrier, because some more blood had begun to trickle from his nose. The curse hadn’t run its course yet, and the spell’s appearance had thickened and gained a greyish hue.

  Mattie’s hand stopped just short of grabbing the bedeviled magic, hovering as she remembered to call out, “Garin, this is not going to be comfortable for you!”

  “Just hurry and get it over with!”

  Mattie’s hands seized the curse. It was as slippery as a mud-covered frog, and felt twice as gross. The nature of the spell came clearly to her this time as it tried to escape: incapacitation by any means necessary. Wouldn’t straight out kill her husband, but it might hurt him enough to wish for death.

  His mother was definitely a bitch!

  “Oh, no, you don’t!” she growled when the twitchy green streak almost broke free.

  The curse had wriggled and squirmed violently like a snake after Mattie had identified its true purpose, as if discovery had made it want to flee. But the wild magic inside her responded to the curse’s struggles, which meant it wasn’t going to be a problem for much longer. Cauterization was one of the many ways to prevent infection after all, so what about a little fire?